Cupid's Treasure - Mystery of the Golden Arrow Read Free Page B

give us the okay, then this nice officer will give you a ride to the motel.”
    “This nice officer has a man wearing a diaper in the back of his car,” Tom said in response. “And I’m going to need to get a statement.”
    “Correction,” her savior looked back to her, “I will give you a ride and have your car delivered by the morning.” He smiled at her like she was a two year old he was trying to console with a new toy. “What do you say?”
    Amber watched as he looked past her and visibly cringed. What is happening now? She wondered as she followed his line of vision.
    The officer shook his head with a sigh. “I wish someone would take that police scanner away from her.”
    “Her?” Amber couldn’t help but ask as a news van pulled up.
    “Patricia Parker, the busy bee herself,” Officer Tom said with a sigh as a woman stepped out of the van. “I’d better go see if Hansen has that poor guy in the squad car before his image is flashed across the ten o’clock news.” He looked back at her rescuer. “I don’t suppose you could help me out here?”
    “Let’s get you to the ambulance.” Her rescuer stepped closer to Amber.
    “I meant with your girlfriend,” Tom said.
    She glanced over at her guardian angel after that announcement. He was still looking past her at the new arrival, his expression unreadable. He glanced back at her. “Can you walk to the ambulance, or do you want a stretcher?” A slow grin spread across his face, taking her breath away.
    Amber swallowed, pushed up her glasses, and had to find her voice before she could answer. “I can walk,” she finally said, realizing that he had manipulated her with that question. She didn’t need to go to the hospital and didn’t want the attentions of the paramedic either, but he’d made it the lesser of two evils. . . . I am going to have to pay more attention to what comes out of his mouth rather than just his mouth!
    She was still reeling from her reaction to him when they were bombarded by the media team as they approached the emergency vehicles. Amber blinked at the bright lights and tried to cover her face.
    “Get those cameras out of here!” Officer Tom yelled over to the beleaguered young man in uniform left to guard the vehicle. “You know the rules about showing the face of a prisoner,” he said to the voluptuous blonde who stepped in front of the camera and held a microphone up to his face.
    “Is it true that Cupid was shooting arrows in the park?” the woman asked.
    “Cupid?” Tom asked. “C’mon, Patricia. You and I both know that that’s no Cupid.” He held his hand up and waved her off. “It’s Mardi Gras in New Orleans. There are probably hundreds of Cupids dressed in the same outfit tonight.” He waved his hands. “This is a crime scene, folks.” He herded them back.
    “So there were shots fired?” the newswoman asked as she held her ground refusing to budge.
    So this is the busy bee, Amber thought as she looked at the Greek god’s girlfriend. It was fitting that the man who’d rescued her should be paired with a woman who would make Venus envious.
    “That is still to be determined,” Tom said, being all business. “We still need to collect the evidence.”
    “So it’s just hearsay?” Patricia asked as she stepped closer to the officer and angled herself in front of the camera, presenting her best side.
    As if she had a bad one . Amber noticed that Tom’s demeanor changed while in close proximity to her bosom. He looked like he was about to break into a cold sweat as Patricia leaned closer to him. He was spared the embarrassment of stuttering or wiping his brow when the busy bee spied the man who walked beside Amber. Patricia’s gaze raked Amber coldly before once again claiming the man next to her.
    Patricia motioned for the cameraman to change direction with a click of her fingers. “Is this the victim?” she asked as she walked towards Amber and her rescuer.
    Amber felt a gentle nudge on the