Tanya shivered as she watched the blood spurt from his wound. It needed medical care, and immediately.
Moments later, they heard the wail of a police siren.
* * *
"Sit down, Tanya," Malcolm said. "I hate to repeat myself and give you the same bad news again, but I must. You have to leave town, Tanya. Pack and leave." He ran his hand through his hair, then picked up a pencil and began to twist it between his fingers. "I suspect there's a contract out on you, now. That means we'll be dealing with professionals, not the amateurs we've had up to now. You have to leave, maybe even change your name." He looked at Tanya's strained features. "It's just until we get a lead on them, find out what's going on."
"But that could be never," Tanya said, her voice sharp and anxious. "I'm so close to my goal, so close to getting my degree." She hitched a sharp breath, close to a sob. "I have only one more formal seminar to finish-"
"Perhaps the Academy's administration would let you finish in a correspondence course, something like that. Maybe even over the Internet."
Tanya brightened. "Do you think it's possible? Would they do that for me?"
"Can't hurt to try. I know there's a lot of courses on the Internet now, with college credits and degrees. Talk to your academic counselor, as a starter. If you were a poor student, I doubt if there'd be a chance, but you're good, and they know it. I think you might be able to do it."
Malcolm rose from his desk. "It's time for my four o'clock coffee. Join me?"
"Yes, I think I will today." She lifted a mug from the coffee tray. "Nice mugs. They have a schedule of this season's hockey games with the Maple Leafs."
"That's to make sure I don't miss any," he said with a laugh. "At least, I won't miss those on television."
Warming her hands on her mug, Tanya walked around the room. "I have an idea," she said. "I know what we can do with me, where we can put me until this is over."
Malcolm raised one eyebrow and waited.
"I own a mansion in Italy. On the Italian Riviera," she said, watching him to see his reaction.
"Yes. I know. It was won by your father. He gambled."
"Oh. I didn't know that's how he got it," Tanya said, surprised. "I didn't think you knew about it."