Accidental Target

by Theresa Hall

  “Where did you come from? I thought you were leaving?”

  He nodded in agreement. “I was. Until I heard you yelling. I was over there talking to the ER staff and asking a few more questions. I wanted to make sure no one came here injured and matching the description you gave us.”

  She felt ridiculous. She’d always been a little dramatic and skittish, so maybe Maddie was right. Maybe she was overreacting. She noticed how the nurse smiled at the officer as she pushed her bed into the elevator. For some odd reason, she felt irritated at the subtle, but too friendly, gesture.

  “That man over there looks a lot like the man on the highway.”

  She watched him scan the ER waiting room. “Where?”

  “I don’t want to point him out, but he’s standing up.”

  Maddie laughed. “Mr. Morales. She thinks he tried to kill her.”

  Embarrassment shot through her as her cheeks warmed with humiliation. “I didn’t say that.”

  “I see.” He turned to look down at her. “He does look like a suspicious character, but so far, we’ve never had a complaint about him.”

  Allison watched as Sergeant Archer turned away and walked toward the man. Her stomach knotted. The two men talked for a minute. She watched them shake hands before the officer headed back over to her.

  Maddie spoke up first. “What did he say?”

  “His wife has been admitted to the ER. She thought she was having a heart attack. Being in hospitals upset him so he’s waiting out here while they get her IV inserted. He also doesn’t have any signs of injuries on him.”

  Allison glanced back at the bearded man. Her heart sank, and she mentally said a prayer for his wife.

  “Going with us?” the nurse asked, her gaze fixed on the police officer.

  He smiled at Allison. “No, but I’ll be back tomorrow to check on you. You’re safe here. Get some rest.” The lighting of the hospital illuminated the green in his eyes.

  Allison watched as he walked away. Maybe her sister was right. She was a mess. She closed her eyes and thought about the officer’s questions. As professional as he was, she could tell he thought she was acting like a flake. Thankfully, he didn’t go out of his way to make her feel like one.

  Pain jarred her back to reality. Her head was killing her. All she wanted was a dark room to ease her agony and to get a good night’s sleep. Maybe in the morning, this would all be a bad dream. She could only hope.

  They exited the elevator, and the nurse wheeled her into a room where she’d be spending the rest of her night. Not in front of a warm fire, sipping a hot cup of coffee while getting sweet baby snuggles.

  Allison pretended to listen as the nurse made her comfortable. “Try to get some sleep, Miss Moore. We’ll be back to get you when radiology is ready for your MRI.”

  “Come on, Allison. Don’t do that.” Maddie frowned at her from across the room as soon as the nurse was out of sight.

  “Do what?”

  “You’re sitting there with your arms folded, biting your lip. You’re pouting.”

  Maddie was right. She was downright upset that her plans had gone so terribly wrong. Not to mention the fact that there was someone out there who’d tried to kill her a few hours ago.

  Allison unfolded her arms. “Oh, I’m sorry. How could I be so selfish as to pout when someone has just tried to shoot me?”

  “I’m sure they’ll catch whoever did it. People can be irrational, you know that. Probably a case of road rage or maybe you startled the man. Look, I don’t blame you for being scared. I’m scared, too. And disappointed. I didn’t want anything to ruin our visit. I’ve missed you, Ally.”

  “This is not a random case of road rage, so stop making up stuff to try to make me feel better. It isn’t working. I still think there was a dead body in that tarp.”

  “Come on, Allison. You’re scaring yourself. What are the chances of something like that happening? Maybe you were shot at, but do you really think people carry around dead bodies in the back of their truck?”

  Maddie sat on the edge of the bed eyeing her with motherly concern. “Are you going to be okay for the night?”

  Allison nodded but couldn’t answer. A lump gripped her throat and choked off her words.

  “Oh, Ally.” Maddie moved down the side of the bed and enveloped her in a hug. “Just be thankful it all turned out the way it did. Don’t think about what could’ve happened. God was watching over you tonight. You’re safe and sound now.”

  “I know you’re right, but it’s hard to process it all. I’ve never been more afraid in my life.”

  Maddie leaned back and raised an eyebrow. “Never?”

  She shrugged. “Besides that clown at my ninth birthday. You knew what I meant.”

  “Get some sleep. I need to get back. It’s almost time for me to feed the baby. Scott can do it, but he gets so nervous. He’s probably pacing the floor with her right now.”

  “I can’t wait to meet her, Maddie.”

  “I know, sister. Just rest tonight. I’ll be back in the morning.”

  She nodded her head in agreement, then leaned back in the bed and tried to pull the covers up to her neck. She gave them a firm yank. “You’re on my blanket.”

  Maddie laughed. “How did we ever survive sharing a bed when we were kids?” She stood up and tucked the corners of the blankets back under the mattress.

  “Maddie.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Do you really think I’m overreacting? That this was just a fluke case of road rage?”

  Maddie kissed her forehead. “Absolutely. Get some sleep. I’ll be back to get you in the morning.”

  Allison watched her sister leave. Her head hurt, her stomach was in knots and she wanted to cry to purge it all from her system. She fluffed her pillow and leaned back. She closed her eyes and thanked God for keeping her safe.

  The subtle whisper of breath tickled her face. She didn’t know when she’d drifted off, but she was awake now, and she knew someone was watching her sleep. Her own breathing stilled. She was afraid to look. Her mouth opened to let out a scream, but fear stole her cries for help. Nothing but silence filled the room, making the soft whispering breaths tickling across her face seem like the wind of a hurricane.

  He was back. And this time he was going to kill her.

  “Miss Moore.” A male voice cut through the silence.

  Her hand flew from under the blanket and she swung wildly, hitting him in the face. “Leave me alone!” Her scream echoed through the small room.

  A strong arm caught her wrist and squeezed.

  “Miss Moore,” he repeated with more authority.

  She pulled her other arm free and hit him again in the head.

  “Miss Moore!” A woman’s voice called to her this time. Her eyes flew open, and she realized it was her nurse and the orderly coming to get her for the MRI.

  She covered her face with her hands. “I thought you were... Never mind. I apologize. I can’t believe I hit you.”

  “It’s fine.” The orderly rubbed his face with a large hand. “It’s not the first time it’s happened to me.”

  “I’ve told you about waking patients up like that,” the nurse scolded him.

  The orderly stood rubbing his face and nodding.

  “Aren’t you supposed to announce you’re coming into the room? Or turn on a light? Something?”

  The orderly laughed. “Next time I will. Lesson learned.”

  “I’m sorry I hit you.”

  “Don’t worry about it. You do have a mean right hook.” He took a defensive stance with his fists in the air.

  She laughed and lay back down as they wheeled her out of the room. Her sister was right, as usual. She was a mess.

  * * *

  He stood in the doorway of her room, holding a box of doughnuts as he wa
tched her sleep. She was a beautiful woman. The fact that he thought so made him uneasy. The quicker he got the answers he came for, the better off he’d be.

  Jackson entered the room and walked to her bed. He reached out to set the doughnuts on the tray next to her. He stumbled backward when her eyes flew open. A fist flew from under the blanket.

  “Whoa, there.”

  Her eyes were big and full of fear. She looked at him for a few seconds, then let out a sigh. He felt awful for startling her while she slept.

  “What are you doing back here so soon?”

  He set the box of doughnuts on her tray. He had a lot of reasons for coming back to talk to her, but he needed to start slowly. “It’s already morning.”

  It was unclear how bad her concussion was. She’d been unconscious for a few minutes, and he couldn’t risk waiting to see if amnesia would set in or not. He needed answers before the memories became lost in her mind forever. Head injuries had a weird way of affecting people.

  “Is there anything new you may have remembered about last night?”

  She bit her lip. “I think I’ve told you everything. I don’t see what more I could tell you. Have you found the man who shot at me?”

  “No.” It was a relief that she wasn’t showing any signs of memory loss. “I’m sorry, but I have a few more questions.”

  “You need to ask them this morning?”

  “Unfortunately, yes.”

  “Like I told you, I was shot at. I ran off the road, hit my head, I’m here, blah, blah.”

  He wanted to laugh at her sarcasm because it reminded him so much of himself.

  “Yes, ma’am, I know that part. I need to know if there’s anyone who can validate the time you left your house to drive here. Did you make any stops along the way?”

  Her eyes widened. “What are you asking me this for?”

  “It’s my job to ask questions, Miss Moore. Don’t take any offense to it. Where do you work?”

  He studied her reactions carefully. He really wanted to believe her story. He wanted to believe she had nothing to hide.

  “I work at Paradigm Enterprises as Avery Guerrero’s personal assistant.”

  “And just what is it you do?”

  “Everything. I probably know more about his company than he does.”

  “What exactly is Paradigm Enterprises?”

  “That’s the corporate name. He owns several restaurants and a couple of luxury hotels in Texas and Louisiana. He got his start in the restaurant business. Have you heard of Bordelon’s?”

  He’d more than heard of it. It was a fancy place to eat that carried an expensive tab. He’d taken Natalie there on their third anniversary. “Of course. So, what do you really do?”

  “I told you, everything.”

  “Can you be more specific?”

  She let out a long sigh. “Well, I set up his appointments and send out his emails. I also answer his phone and keep up with the day-to-day correspondence. He doesn’t like to shop, so I schedule his meals and do his shopping. When he asks, I schedule his haircut appointments and whatever else he needs me to do.”

  He held up a hand. “Sorry. I get it. Does his wife do anything for him?”

  “I don’t know anything about his wife. She doesn’t come to the office. He keeps her out of his business. He said something once about not mixing personal affairs with business. It made me think that he doesn’t care to have her in that part of his life.”

  “Do they know what time you left work yesterday?”

  “No, the office was closed yesterday.”

  “Why was that?”

  Allison shrugged. “It was odd, but not uncommon for Avery. He said he wasn’t feeling well and told me to take the day off, too.”

  “Where do you live?”

  “Houston. I rent an apartment in the Heights. I’ve been there for about five years.”

  He wrote down what she was telling him. He was eager to ask his next question. “Any boyfriend or significant other who knows when you left?”

  “No, no one. I live alone. I called Maddie after I got on the highway. She’s the only person I talked to yesterday.” She shifted in her bed and stared at him with narrowed eyes. “I know there’s something you’re not telling me.”

  He continued to scribble in his notebook. She was right. There was a lot he wasn’t telling her. Couldn’t tell her. He watched as she pulled her long hair back from her face, twisted it in a knot on top of her head, then let it fall. It cascaded over her shoulders like satin.

  “Hey, are you ready to get out of here?” Her sister popped her head into the room and waited a second before stepping inside.

  “Are you kidding? I’ve been ready. The doctor said the MRI was clear. I’m good to go. They’re bringing my discharge papers within the hour.”

  The door opened again. A male nurse started to walk into the room but looked at the three of them and stopped.

  “I didn’t know you had visitors. I’ll come back. The doctor wanted me to give you some pain medicine this morning.”

  “I thought I was going home.”

  “I’m sure you are.” He was already backing out of the room. “I’ll be back in a little while.”

  Jackson thought he was acting weird, but sometimes people did that around cops.

  “I’m heading to the station. I’ll be in touch if the detectives need more information from you. Glad to see you’re not dealing with any lasting effects from the concussion.”

  He turned to her sister. “Maddie, my nephew sure will be glad when you come back to school.”

  “Thank you. Tell him I’ll be back soon. My maternity leave will end in three weeks.”

  He smiled at them both and turned to leave. Something made him glance back. The second he did, their eyes locked. Before Allison could notice the heat creeping into his cheeks, he turned and shut the door.

  * * *

  Her sister was the one person in this world she could count on. It was a comfort to have family around her, especially after the past few months. Having a fiancé cheat on you with your best friend was a blow most women didn’t get over quickly. In her twenty-six years, she hadn’t found a man she could totally trust. Maddie was blessed to find Scott. Her brother-in-law was one of a kind. He cooked, cleaned, took his family to church and was ruggedly handsome. Scott also owned a successful construction company and provided well for her sister and nieces. Allison was glad at least one of them had found true love.

  “I really wish they would hurry up and let me leave. I’m dying to see my niece. How is Charlotte doing?”

  “She’s the best baby. She hardly ever cries. Which is a good thing, because Phoebe cried constantly. She didn’t sleep through the night until she was three years old. Hopefully, Charlotte will stay as sweet as she is right now.”

  Listening to her sister talk about the girls made her heart ache. The long-awaited weekend was turning into a pure nightmare. “It feels so unfair that I’m having to deal with this.”

  “It’s life, Ally. Things happen.” She glanced at her watch. “I need to get back to feed Charlotte. My friend is watching the girls because Scott had to go back to work today. I’m going to go see if I can find out how much longer we’ll be here.”

  “Thank you. You’re the best.”

  Allison laid her head back on the pillow and watched a rerun of one of her favorite childhood shows. The television was muted, but she’d seen the episode so many times she knew all the words. She yawned and fought to keep her eyes open. She was still a little drowsy from all the pain medicine and stress. Her eyes closed and her body began to relax.

  A sound jarred her awake. She noticed the door to her room moving. A different male nurse than the one who’d walked in her room earlier stood at the side of her bed. “Here’s your pain medicine. Maybe now you can take it.” />
  She sat up and took the pill from his hand. She noticed he didn’t put it in a paper cup like the other nurse had done, and he didn’t go to the computer to log it in. He didn’t check her bracelet this time, either. But what did she know? She wasn’t a nurse and hated hospitals. She hadn’t been in one since she was a kid, and she’d prayed to never go back. Still, she had to ask why he’d overlooked what seemed to be an important detail.

  “Why didn’t you check my bracket and enter the drugs on the computer the way the other nurse did?”

  His brow creased as he shoved the pill at her. She’d insulted him.

  “I took care of everything while I was waiting on your visitors to leave. I do have other patients besides you.” His tone sounded irritated.

  “Oh.” She looked at the medicine in her hand. It looked exactly like the other ones she’d been given, but after all she’d been through, she wasn’t about to trust him. She took the cup of water he offered and smiled. She pretended to put it into her mouth, then drank the water.

  He watched her for a second and then stepped toward the bed. “Are you sure you swallowed it?”

  Her nerves were on edge now. What kind of question was that? She wasn’t a child. She opened her mouth so he could see.

  He laughed under his breath and glanced back toward the door. He pulled a syringe from his pocket and grabbed her wrist. The pill fell to the floor. Before she could scream, he plunged the needle deep into her arm. “You’ll be leaving here before you know it. But you’ll be in a body bag.”

  What had he given her? Her eyes began to blur. She saw a shadowy figure leave the room. Her body felt weak, then numb, almost as if she were floating above herself. Something was happening to her. Something awful.

  She tried to push the call button on the bed, but her fingers kept missing it. After several tries, her index finger found the button. She couldn’t tell if she’d pushed it hard enough to make the call. What was happening to her? Dear Lord, please don’t let me die.

  She could hardly make out Maddie running into her room with a nurse. She was in a dark tunnel and she couldn’t hear anything. Was Maddie screaming at her?