by Anne Patrick
"I like that." Mallory checked the size. "I'll try it on."
A few minutes later, Mallory came out of the dressing rooms and moved to the floor-length mirror. She looked beautiful.
"You totally rock that dress," Jamie assured her friend.
"You really think so?" Mallory hiked her hand up to her hip and continued to look in the mirror.
"Absolutely. You've got to get it."
"I do like it." Mallory turned the price tag over and frowned. "But I'm afraid it's way out of my price range." She disappeared back into the dressing rooms.
There was no way they were walking out of the store without that dress. Jamie found the clerk that had greeted them when they came in. "My friend just tried on a backless lavender dress. I would like to purchase it for her without her knowing. Can you arrange that for me?"
"I sure can."
As soon as Mallory came out, Jamie herded her to another section of the store, giving the clerk time to grab the dress and take it to the counter. While Mallory was trying on a couple of other outfits, Jamie found two blouses she liked and paid for the purchases, adding a tip for her accomplice.
"Thank you." The young blonde smiled. "I put the dress in a separate bag underneath the blouses."
"Perfect. I appreciate your help."
Jamie waited by the door, watching people as they passed. For a weekday afternoon, the mall seemed unusually busy. Most were mothers, either pushing a stroller or clinging to their young. She spotted a few young couples holding hands or walking along with their arms draped around one another.
It wasn't long until Jamie found herself thinking about Richie. She thought she had found someone she could spend the rest of her life within Richie, but he wasn't the man she first believed him to be. The fact he had fooled her for nearly a year, still stung. How could she have been that naïve?
Mallory joined her. "What'd you get?"
"Sorry?"
"Your package. What'd you buy?"
"Oh, just a couple of blouses. Did you settle on a dress?"
"No. I decided to go with the jeans and blazer I showed you earlier. I have a shirt that'll go with it."
Jamie quenched a smile. Mallory was going to be so surprised.
They stopped for yogurt and window-shopped for a while. As they walked along the storefronts, Jamie couldn't shake the feeling they were being watched, but as she looked around at the other patrons, everyone seemed oblivious to their presence.
"Are you getting bored?" Mallory asked, glancing over.
"No, I could shop all day. Unfortunately, I don't get the opportunity that often. At least not like this."
"You mean because of photographers and fans bugging you."
"I was referring more to my schedule. This is the first free time I've had in over two years. Not that I'm complaining. I thank God every day for the opportunities He's given me."
"Still, a person needs a break every once in a while."
They shopped for another hour and then headed to the parking lot.
"Maybe while you're here, you and Gage should go out," Mallory suggested.
Jamie unlocked her Tahoe with her key fob. "I was just curious when I asked about his dating status." Then headed around to the driver's side. "Don't you dare—"
A large figure rushed Jamie and grabbed her purse. She struggled with him, keeping a tight grip on her bag.
She saw something metallic, then felt a piercing pain shoot through her head. Then blackness.
CHAPTER FIVE
Jamie heard her name through the thick fog. Her head felt like it was caught in a vise and it could explode any moment. She opened her eyes. Mallory's tear-streaked face came into view.
"Oh, thank God," Mallory said, leaning over her.
Jamie realized she was lying on her back—and they weren't alone. Several people were standing over her. Including a police officer. She attempted to sit up and everything swirled like she was on a merry-go-round. Her stomach rolled.
"Lie still. I've called an ambulance," the policeman said.
Mallory was pressing something wet against Jamie's forehead. Had she fainted?
Jamie lifted her hand to her forehead. Mallory moved her arm slightly and Jamie saw the bloodied cloth. Another wave of nausea hit.
"Some guy tried to mug you. Do you remember?"
"No," Jamie answered groggily. The last thing she remembered was walking out of the mall.
"Did either of you get a look at the guy?" the officer asked.
"All I saw was his back," Mallory said. "I think he was wearing a ball cap."
"I saw him, officer," someone from the crowd hollered. "He got in a grey truck and took off down Spruce."
Sirens bellowed in the distance. The policeman moved toward the crowd.
"My purse?" Jamie felt the ground beside her.
"I've got it right here." Mallory pressed the cloth back to Jamie's forehead. "I called Gage. He's going to meet us at the hospital."
More people gathered around her.
"I don't need to go to the hospital." Jamie moved to sit up again.
"Yes, you do." Mallory slipped her other arm around Jamie and helped her to sit upright. "Whatever he hit you with, it left a pretty nasty cut. You're gonna need stitches."
Jamie tried to make sense of what was happening. Why were all these people gawking at her?
An ambulance drove up behind her Tahoe, and one of the paramedics got out and rushed toward her. He asked Jamie a series of questions beginning with her name and ending with what day it was. She was then placed on a gurney and pushed inside the ambulance.
"I'll be right behind you," Mallory called out to her. "Don't worry about anything. You're going to be okay."
***
Gage spotted Mallory at the emergency entrance. He parked behind the ambulance and ran over, his heart pounding against his ribcage. "Are you all right?"
She held up her hand to shush him, and he saw she was on a cellphone he recognized as Jamie's. "Okay, Tommy. Yes, I'll be sure to tell her."
"What happened?" Gage asked the minute she hung up.
"Like I told you on the phone, some guy attacked Jamie. Tried to take her purse. We'd just come out of the mall and were fixing to get into her car, and the next thing I know, there's this commotion on the other side of the SUV, and I see this guy taking off. I ran over and she's knocked out cold on the ground." Mallory put her hand on his chest. "I've never been so scared in my life. I thought she was dead. There was blood all down the side of her face and neck. I've never seen that much blood before." She started crying and Gage took her in his arms and held her briefly until she regained her composure.
"Where's Jamie now?"
"They're stitching her up. The police just left."
"I'm gonna go and check on her. You going to be okay?"
She nodded, and he went to the nurse's station, where a nurse directed him to Jamie's examining room. When he went in, he found her arguing with the doctor over whether or not she would be staying the night.
"You're not hearing me, Miss Riedel. You have a concussion. You need to be observed overnight."
"I heard you perfectly clear, Doctor. Like I told you, I don't do hospitals." Jamie sat on the edge of the bed, the black and white blouse she wore tainted with blood. A large bandage took up the whole left side of her forehead and the skin surrounding her eye had a purple tint to it.
She saw Gage. "Where is Mallory? I need her to drive me home."
The doctor turned and looked at Gage. "Officer, if she leaves here, she does so against doctor's advice. She needs to be observed."
"I'll see that she is," Gage promised. He was certain Mallory would stay with her. If not, he would.
"All right." The doctor turned back to Jamie. "I'll get something for the nausea." He walked to the door and hesitated next to Gage. "If her headache gets worse, or she experiences any numbness, or decreased coordination, slurred speech, convulsions, or seizures, get her to the hospital immediately."
She returned the smile, glancing down at her soiled blouse. "Fourteen years in California and not once was I mugged. Come to Wyoming and someone tries it in less than a week."
He was glad she still had her sense of humor. "Did you get a good look at the guy?"
"No. Mallory may have." Jamie squeezed her eyes shut—either from pain or in recollection. Gage couldn't tell. "Someone in the crowd saw him, I think," she continued. "Someone said something about a grey truck."
An alarm went off in his head. "A grey truck. Are you sure?"
Jamie looked at him. "Right now, I'm not sure of anything."
The doctor returned with two small bottles and handed them to Jamie. "One is for nausea and the other is a mild non-aspirin pain reliever. Do not drink alcohol with them."
"I don't drink."
If one were to believe some of the things printed about Jamie, that wasn't always the case. She had a wild side, according to the tabloids. But then a lot of celebrities did. Her bad rep could've come from her association with Richie Gaines, too.
"And you're not to drive for at least forty-eight hours."
"Okay. So can I go now?" Jamie shoved the bottles into her back pocket.
"Yes. Remember, if you have any problems—"
"Go to the hospital. I know. I will. I promise." Jamie stood, swaying slightly.
Gage grabbed hold of her. "Easy does it."
"See, this is why I suggested you stay," the doctor said.
Jamie smiled at him. "Too late. You already told me I could go."
Gage chuckled. "We'll look after her. She'll be fine."
"Thank you, Doctor," Jamie hollered as they left the room.
Gage kept his arm around her waist, trying to ignore the fact of how nice it felt having her so close to him. Like last night when she had snuggled against him on her sofa.
Mallory met them at the nurse's station. "They're letting you leave?"
"Like they could keep her."
The nurse laid some insurance forms in front of Jamie and she signed them.
"I'll pull the Tahoe around," Mallory said.
Gage nodded his response as he accepted a piece of paper from the nurse.
"This is a list of things to look for in the next twenty-four hours."
"Okay." He then guided Jamie toward a row of chairs near the exit and eased her down.
"How come you didn't tell me you were divorced?"
Surprised by her question, he hesitated answering her. Just what had his little sister told her? And why were they even discussing his love life? "It's not something I'm proud of."
"Oh." Jamie leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes.
He scanned the paper the nurse had given him and was relieved to see that fatigue and drowsiness were common symptoms of a concussion.
"We're not all bad, Gage."
He glanced over. Her eyes were now open and she was smiling at him, prompting a spike of his adrenaline. "I know that, Jamie." She was definitely included in that majority.
***
Instead of following them directly home, Gage took a detour and dropped by the police station. Luckily, the investigating officer was still on duty.
"I'm real sorry about your friend. We've had a string of muggings in the area, but this is the first one at the mall. Too much security."
"What can you tell me about it?"
"According to my witness, the assailant was around five-ten or five-eleven, short dark-blonde hair, medium build, late twenties."
"And the vehicle?" Gage held his breath, praying Jamie had heard wrong.
"Late sixties or early seventies model, grey truck. He wasn't able to get a tag."
The description sounded similar to the truck he'd seen parked down the road from his mom's house. Gage sighed. He didn't believe in coincidences. If only he'd checked it out that day. Maybe this wouldn't have happened.
"What about the security tapes from the parking lot?"
"I have them, but I haven't had the chance to go over them yet."
"Could I get a copy of them?"
"Sure. I'll make you a copy of the report, too."
"Thanks, I appreciate it." Gage didn't buy for a moment that this guy was just a mugger. First the note, and now this. Someone was definitely out to get Jamie, and his gut told him it had something to do with her father's murder. Why take her purse, though? He could only think of one reason. He was trying to get her house keys. On the way home, he would drop by the supercenter and pick up a couple of deadbolts.
In the meantime, he phoned Derek and asked him to call in Alex, a reserve, to take his patrol while Derek sat on Jamie's place until he got back, and to pass on the description of the truck. If the guy came around again, they'd nail him.
***
Jamie was awakened by the sound of a drill. It took her several seconds to gather her wits and realize why her head pounded. Pushing herself up on the sofa, she was greeted with a kiss from Bonnie.
"Sorry I woke you," Gage said from the front doorway. "I wanted to get these deadbolts installed tonight."
"Why? The guy didn't get my purse. He doesn't know where I'm staying."
"I didn't want to take any chances. How're you feeling?"
"Better." Her head still hurt, but she wasn't going to complain. She knew it could've been much worse. The guy could've had a gun.
"Mallory said to tell you, Tommy called."
"Thanks. Where is Mallory? I thought she was going to stay the night."
"She is. She ran home to get her clothes. Can I get you anything?"
"You could get an ice pack for my eye." She handed him a baggie filled with water. "Your sister made a couple of extra." Mallory had also helped Jamie change out of her bloodied blouse and remove the wig she'd had on. Jamie wasn't sure what happened to her sunglasses. Most likely they were broken during the scuffle. She still didn't remember anything prior to or during the attack. She barely remembered going to the hospital.
Gage returned with the ice pack. "You know, that was a pretty stupid thing you did today. You should've just let him have the purse."
"I just imagine it was pure instinct. I didn't want to be a victim again." A block of memory flashed in her mind. Not of the assault, but before.
He sat on the end of the sofa. "About that—"
"He was following me."
"What?"
"Before we went into the mall, I noticed a grey truck parked behind me in the next row. He was wearing a ball cap and sunglasses."
"Did he follow you inside?"
"I think so. I mean, I didn't see him but I felt like we were being watched."
"I'm afraid you were, Jamie. The description of the truck matches one I saw on Monday when I left to go back to work. I'm pretty certain he's the one who left that note."
Jamie thought back to Monday. "But after I left your mom's, I went home and changed. The note wasn't there then."
"I must have scared him off and he came back later."
Jamie had never been the timid kind. There was a brief period after her father was murdered when she was scared of her own shadow. But she had grown out of it. At least she thought she had. Since being back here, the memories it sparked, all bets were off.
"The officer on scene gave me a copy of the report and security footage. I'll have a look at it later, maybe we can ID the guy."
"Do you think all this is connected to my dad's murder?"
"Either that or you have a crazed fan stalking you. I don't like either scenario, so I'm increasing patrol in the area, and I suggest you don't be wandering off by yourself."
"I won't be going anywhere for a day or two."
"Well, I better get back to work. I still have the back door to do."
Jamie snagged his hand before he could get up. "Thank you for adding the extra security. With the deadbolts and Bonnie, I'll feel a lot safer."
He shot her
a smile that warmed her insides.
***
Mallory returned an hour later with a small shoulder bag and a pot of something that smelled awfully good. Jamie followed her to the kitchen, her stomach already growling.
"Mom sent chicken noodle soup." Mallory dropped her bag onto a stool and set the pot on the center island.
"Great. I'll make coffee." Jamie started toward the coffee maker.
Mallory slipped her arm through Jamie's and turned back toward the living room. "Oh no you won't. You just get back in there and lie down."
Jamie started to protest but Gage, who was now working on the backdoor, pointed at her. "You heard the lady."
"Come on, guys. It's just a little bump." And since she took a pain reliever earlier her headache was almost gone.
Mallory guided Jamie down the hall. "According to the sheet Gage brought home, you are supposed to rest. No strenuous exercise."
Jamie considered pointing out that making coffee wasn't exactly laborious but figured it wouldn't do any good. "Well, can I at least get my phone out of my purse? I need to call Tommy back."
"Fine, but I'll get it."
Jamie had just settled on the sofa when Gage brought her purse. "How do you want your coffee?"
"Black." She dug her phone out and placed her call. He answered on the first ring, and once he heard her voice, dove into a barrage of questions, the last one relating to her head injury.
"I'm fine, Tommy. It only took three stitches. I'm sure it'll be healed by the time I have to be on location. If there is a scar, it'll be a small one and can be covered with makeup." She knew his insensitivity didn't derive from lack of love. These were concerns the director would have if he found out about the incident.
"Thank God you weren't hurt worse. You be sure and take care of yourself."
Mallory came in carrying a tray and set it on the coffee table.
"Okay. I'll talk to you later." Jamie dropped her phone back into her purse.
"He sounds like a real nice man," Mallory commented as she joined Jamie on the sofa.
"Tommy's a great guy. Both he and his wife have sort of adopted me." Jamie took a drink of coffee, hoping the caffeine would bring her out of her zombie state. She then fetched her bowl of soup. "Isn't Gage joining us?"