A second ambulance was pulling into the lot for Tina.

“Thank God!” Uncle Saul wrapped his arms around me. “What kind of person leaves someone in a trunk to die?”

“The kind that already murdered at least three other people,” Patti said. “Marsh must’ve run out of bullets or we’d probably be calling the coroner now.”

“Have you heard anything else about the Marsh sighting?” I asked her.

“No. I’ve been too busy fielding calls from dozens of people across the city who thought they’d found Miguel. I don’t know whose network that was, but I’d appreciate it if they’d call them off now.”

Delia and Uncle Saul both got on their phones right away. Ollie high-fived a small group of his friends from the homeless shelter who were in the parking lot with him.

“It’s four A.M.” Uncle Saul glanced at his watch. “I don’t think there’s much point in going to bed now. We’ll have to be up in another hour or so.”

I agreed with him, even though I yawned as I did it. “I’d like to go to the hospital until we either hear something about Miguel or we have to get the Biscuit Bowl for the race.”

Ollie and Uncle Saul agreed. Delia decided to go back with Chef Art’s security team and take a shower before she had to work.

“Don’t worry, Zoe.” Detective Helms looked exhausted in the orange light. “We’re gonna find Marsh. He’ll pay for what he’s done.”

Truly, that thought hadn’t crossed my mind. I suppose it should have, but all I could think about was being there when Miguel woke up.

Uncle Saul and Ollie jumped in the taxi with me, and Cole took off. The police would be sending a crime scene crew out to gather evidence from the Mercedes. I’d given the key to Patti so they could work on it. I wasn’t sure what they hoped to find. It was obvious what had happened. But I didn’t want to keep her from doing her job.

We got to the hospital in record time. It looked like a slow night for them. Orderlies jumped up when they saw us come through the emergency entrance and then sat back down when there was nothing to do.

I asked about Miguel at the window.

A surprisingly nice nurse told us they were still examining him. “I’ll send someone out to talk to you when they’re finished. Take a seat and have some coffee. We have some donuts, too. One of the local bakeries donates them to us.”

I couldn’t eat, but the coffee was good. The waiting room was empty except for the four of us. The seats were upholstered and comfortable. I could almost forget I was in a hospital, except for the smell of antiseptic.

I think I’d gone to sleep for a few moments, leaning my head against Uncle Saul’s shoulder, when a doctor finally came out and talked to us.

“Mr. Alexander is going to be fine. No lasting injuries from his ordeal. He’s a little dehydrated but conscious now. If you’d like to see him for a few minutes, that would be fine. Follow me.”

Cole stayed behind, even though we’d encouraged him to come, too. “I don’t know Miguel. You go. I can shake his hand later when he gets out of here.” He helped himself to another donut and sat down to watch TV.

Uncle Saul, Ollie, and I followed the doctor in blue scrubs down the hallway. He opened the door to a room, and we awkwardly went in.

There was Miguel—pale and wearing a hospital gown, his black hair mussed. There were dark circles under his eyes and a cut by his mouth. But he was smiling at us.

“I don’t know how to thank you for what you’ve done.” I had decided I would be cool. I wouldn’t get overemotional. Then his voice cracked as he was thanking us. That was it. I ran and threw myself at him, crying all over his hospital gown.

“It’s okay, Zoe.” He held my hand and smiled at me. “I’m going to be fine.”

“You didn’t look very fine in that trunk.” I sobbed. “Don’t ever do that again.”

THIRTY-THREE

Ollie laughed. “I think you look pretty good for someone who let a cop knock him out and stuff him in the trunk of his own car.”

Uncle Saul agreed. “What happened, Miguel? How did he get the drop on you?”

Miguel was a little fuzzy on the exact details, but he knew what the end result was.

“I was working at my office and looked up. There were Detective Marsh and Tina. I thought he wanted to interview us again. I got up and walked across the room to talk to him. Tina called out a warning. I glanced her way, and something hit me hard in the back of the head. I woke up here.”

“I guess he didn’t like that Tina tried to warn you, huh? That’s why she ended up in the back of the car with you. She must have a soft spot for you.” Ollie continued to joke about the incident. “What do you think Marsh hit you with?”

“I’m not sure. The police probably know.”

“You’re lucky he didn’t shoot you,” Uncle Saul said. “He must have a soft spot for you.”

“I’m not sure how much better it would’ve been to die in the trunk of my car.”

“Marsh even texted me from your phone at the party to tell me that you didn’t want to see me again,” I told him. “He pretended to be you and tried to convince me that you and Tina were together.”

He took my hand. “I’m sorry, Zoe.”

Ollie chuckled. “Yeah. You were lucky Zoe didn’t have a gun.”

“You didn’t believe him, did you?” Miguel ignored Ollie.

“No. Of course not.” I stared at Ollie, daring him to disagree. “That’s why I came looking for you. I knew something was wrong.”

I hoped Ollie would drop the subject. We talked with Miguel for a few more minutes before the nurse asked us to leave, saying that he needed to rest.

I waited until everyone else was gone, and then I hugged Miguel and carefully kissed him.

“I’m sorry I’ll miss the last part of the race. I’m sure you’ll win. Be careful. We still don’t know what Marsh is up to.”

“I will. You stay here and get well. As soon as you get out, we’ll have a big celebration dinner.”

He smiled. “That’s great. Let’s start planning to have a real date, just the two of us. As much as I love your friends, I’d enjoy spending some time alone with you.”

I kissed him again for thinking exactly what I had been thinking. The nurse threatened to have me removed. I told Miguel good night, and the nurse watched until I had reached the elevator.

“How is Tina Gerard doing?” I asked as an afterthought, feeling a little guilty.

“She’ll live.” The nurse’s tone was exasperated. “Go home.”

Ollie and Uncle Saul were waiting with Cole at the taxi when I reached the street.

“I guess it’s too late now to do much of anything.” I sighed, happy to know that Miguel was all right.

Uncle Saul looked at his watch. “It’s four thirty. I think we can get breakfast and pick up the Biscuit Bowl before we head over to the meeting place. It’s good that we didn’t have to buy supplies. The contest would’ve been over before it even got started.”

I agreed with him.

We stopped at a fast-food place for breakfast. Not the best, but all we had time for. I bought breakfast for Cole, who’d been such a big help in finding Miguel.

Uncle Saul gave him money for gas, overruling me when I complained that I should be the one to pay for it.

“Tomorrow, after you’ve won all that cash, you can take us out somewhere special,” he promised. “Today, you just hold on to your money.”

I hugged him, and we went to get the food truck.

Cole watched us load up, waiting by his taxi in the parking lot of the old shopping center. “I hope you win today, Zoe. I’ll be there to cheer you on. See you later, Saul. You, too, Ollie.”