Haven of Swans

by Colleen Coble

  “Have they tried some anticonvulsant meds?” Eve asked. “Valproic acid is especially helpful. It won’t knock him out either.”

  “I don’t think so.” Bree allowed herself to feel hope. “How do you know this?”

  “Nick’s grandmother has Alzheimer’s, and I’ve read up on everything I can find.” A shadow darkened Eve’s eyes. “I’d forgotten her until now. I should ask Nick how she is.”

  “Would you come with me to the nursing home? I don’t know much about the medication side of this.”

  “Sure.”

  The bright promise of the day tarnished, Bree took Davy and Keri to Anu’s shop, then pointed the Jeep to town and drove to the nursing home. The only facility of its kind, Rock Harbor Nursing Home had a good reputation as a caring place. Bree had worked hard to maintain a good relationship with the staff. Most of the time she thought her gifts of candy and cookies as merely a goodwill gesture. Today that favor she’d earned might be all that prevented her father from being shipped out to somewhere farther away like Houghton or Marquette.

  Ruby waved to her from the nurses’ center. Bree walked over to see how badly Bernard had hurt her. As Bree neared the counter, she could see the ugly red marks on the woman’s neck. A cocker spaniel sort of woman, even down to the medium brown color of her hair, Ruby had been nothing but kind to Bree and her father. Seeing Ruby injured made Bree squirm inside.

  Ruby touched her throat when Bree’s gaze lingered there. “Don’t fret so. It’s not as bad as it looks. He just caught me off guard.”

  “What happened?”

  “I’d just helped him get his shower. He’d been a little agitated all morning, kept saying he had to go see the swans.”

  “The swans? I’ve never heard him talk about swans.”

  “There are some in the pond in the backyard. They arrived about a month ago. He loves to watch them. Anyway, when I told him we’d go later, he tried to push me out of the way and go to the door. I grabbed his arm and tried to lead him back to the bed, but he turned and grabbed me by the throat. I had no idea he was that strong. One of the orderlies saw the struggle and rushed to help.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Bree said. “Did you see the doctor?”

  “No, I’m fine. It will bruise, but I’m okay. Let me tell Mr. Johnson you’re here.” Ruby picked up the phone and dialed. She told the director that Bree had arrived, then hung up and motioned to her. “He said to come on back.” She opened the door, and the women stepped inside the office. “The doctor’s here already too,” she whispered.

  At least she’d been warned. The battle was just past the smooth wooden door. She knocked and waited until she heard the director’s voice tell her to come in. Pushing open the door, she stepped aside to let Eve enter, then followed and shut the door behind them.

  “You brought reinforcements?” Mr. Johnson smiled, but the lift of his lips looked pained. His eyes stayed sharp and determined.

  “This is my friend Eve Andreakos.”

  “Let me get another chair. You know Dr. Ferguson, I’m sure.”

  “Yes, hello, Doctor,” Bree said. She tried to hide her distaste. The doctor always reminded her of Snidely Whiplash come to life. Davy was addicted to the old Dudley Do-Right cartoons, and she’d seen more than her fair share. With his handlebar mustache and penchant for black suits, the doctor could have walked right out of the TV.

  The fact that she was always in defense mode with him didn’t help.

  She seated herself in the armchair that Mr. Johnson pulled up. Eve sat beside her in the chair that was already in front of the massive cherry desk. The director’s office furniture left no doubt that he was important.

  Her defense hovered on her tongue, but she choked it back. Let them state their case first. It would turn the tables on them. They would be expecting her to react to Mr. Johnson’s call. She sat quietly and stared at him until he cleared his throat and shot a quick glance toward Dr. Ferguson.

  “Ah, as we discussed on the phone, something must be done about your father. He’s becoming a danger to others.” He sat back and folded his hands, waiting for her response.

  Bree considered her words. She didn’t want to appear as a hysterical daughter. Facts were the only thing these men would respect. “How many times has this occurred?” she asked.

  “This is the third time. Each incident has escalated.”

  “I think he needs to be on Haldol,” Dr. Ferguson said.

  “Oh, I disagree,” Eve said before Bree could ask what side effects the drug might have. “Major studies indicate that such strong sedation is not only unnecessary but dangerous. What has he been on up to now?”

  Dr. Ferguson scowled, and Bree could almost see him mentally twirling his mustache. She tensed, certain he was going to give them a major argument over the proper course of treatment.

  He flipped open his folder. “Aricept and Razadyne.”

  “No antidepressants or anticonvulsants?” Eve asked.

  “No. I’m not convinced they’re helpful in this case.”

  “How about trying Cipramil daily with a possible dose of Xanax if he becomes agitated? I think you’ll see a major improvement.”

  “I disagree,” Dr. Ferguson said. “And what is your background in making these suggestions?”

  “I have a family member with the disease. We’ve consulted with the best doctors in the country.”

  “These types of people are much easier to handle if they’re sedated,” the doctor said.

  “The purpose isn’t to make them easy to handle,” Bree said, clenching her hands. “And he’s not just a nameless person. He’s Bernard Hecko, my father. He has dignity and value. I want to visit with him while he’s himself as many times as I possibly can. He’s not here just putting in his time until he dies. This is his home, where he should be able to interact with friends and family. It’s supposed to be a safe haven where he can’t hurt himself and no one else can hurt him either. You’re not going to drug him. I want him prescribed what Eve suggests. If you won’t do it, we’ll change doctors.” Bree knew she could find a doctor who would listen.

  Dr. Ferguson’s black eyes went even darker. “Very well,” he said. “But one more incident, and you’ll have to move him to another facility.”

  Bree rose and motioned to Eve. “Thank you for your time,” she said in a voice that left no doubt the interview was over and she expected her instructions to be followed. “I’m going to go see my father now. I’ll check in over the next few days and see how he’s getting along on the new meds.”

  She didn’t wait for the men to try to talk her out of her decision. Eve followed her, and Bree rushed through the door. She left it open behind her and hurried past Ruby. The air-conditioning cooled her hot face.

  “You handled that well,” Eve said.

  “Thanks to you. I was clueless in there. They could have drugged him and I wouldn’t have known about any alternatives.”

  “I was glad to help. Let’s go see your dad.”

  Bree nodded and led her friend down the hall to the last room on the left. “Hey, Dad,” she said, pushing open the door.

  He sat in an armchair staring out the window. Tall and distinguished still, Bernard had the kind of face that aged well. His disease shrouded the intelligence in his eyes, but Bree still saw glimmers of the man he used to be.

  “Did you see the swans, Cassie?” he asked.

  “It’s Bree, Dad.” She touched his shoulder, and he looked up at her.

  “Of course it is,” he said. “You were only a baby when I saw you last.”

  Bree choked back a sigh. How long had it been? Two days? Yes, just two. She touched his cheek. “I heard you got some swans. What kind?” She squinted out the window and saw the white birds gliding along the pond’s surface. “Black bills. They’re trumpeters. You’re lucky. The mutes are more common.”

  “Lucky,” he agreed. His chin touched his chest, and his eyes closed.

  Bree sighed. “I guess we�
��d better go get the kids.”

  They left Bernard sleeping and went back out into the sunshine. The traffic was bumper to bumper all the way to the downtown area. “The geocachers are going to have to camp out,” Eve said. “There aren’t enough rooms to house them.”

  “A bunch of them are staying at the forest campground,” Bree said. “Looks like we’ve got a great turnout. But I’m still uneasy about you being bait.”

  “It may end up being a bust. When he called, he said he wouldn’t break into the house again.”

  “And you believe that?”

  “No. I think he was talking in riddles. I’m just trying to make myself believe it. It’s the only way I can function.”

  “I’m afraid for you.”

  Eve shrugged. “Nick got me a little gun that I’m going to start carrying.”

  “If you’re not familiar with handling it, that’s not going to do you a lot of good.”

  “It fit in my hand like it was made for me.” Eve’s brief smile came. “I’d almost like a chance to shoot him. Almost. I just want it to be over. I might as well be a target while everyone is watching and can help.”

  “I don’t like it.”

  “It will be over soon.” Eve got out of the Jeep and followed Bree to the store.

  Several customers were at the checkout. Bree smiled and chatted with the customers a minute, then the women went back to the break room for some cardamom bread and tea. Bree watched Anu put the kettle on to boil, then get down the Arabia cups and saucers.

  “I’ll get the tea.” Bree opened the tin and peeked inside. “You’ve got Nordqvist.”

  “Yes, a fresh shipment came in two days ago. I knew you’d love it.”

  Bree lifted out four tea bags and inhaled the aroma of China Rose tea. “I would have come over sooner if I’d known you had this.”

  With the tea and bread on the table, Anu pulled out her chair and sat down. “Now tell me,” she said.

  Bree and Eve settled at the table with her, and Bree explained what had happened at the nursing home. “He’s such a gentle man,” she said. “I never expected him to be violent, not ever. It seems so unfair for a sweet and godly man to have to go through this.”

  Anu stirred sugar into her tea and didn’t answer at first. Her gaze was soft and faraway. “I, too, was surprised at first, kulta,” she said finally. “This morning, a woman brought back a lace tablecloth she bought two weeks ago.”

  Bree frowned, unsure why Anu changed the subject. But the older woman usually had a purpose in her rabbit trails, so Bree said nothing.

  “I knew at once she had used it. She said it was stained when she bought it, but several times I had opened that cloth and admired the pattern before folding it back up. I knew she did not tell the truth.” Her gaze locked with Bree’s, and she smiled. “And you think, This crazy woman, where is she going with this story?”

  Bree chuckled. “Go on, I’m listening.”

  “I was angry, very angry. I wanted to call the woman a liar, to throw her out of my store. All the ugliness of my inner person wanted to rise up and scream at her. This is what surprised me. But I didn’t, kulta. The control I have learned as a Christian helped me, and I held my tongue. Your father’s disease has stripped away that control. If there was ever proof that man is evil at his core, just as the Bible says, it’s when we see a man afflicted like your father. With his control gone, the natural man that is at the heart of all of us is revealed in all his deformity and vileness.”

  Bree thought about the times she raged inside and subdued it, the way she bit back unkind words, the way she often didn’t feel like helping her neighbor but did anyway. “I see what you mean.”

  “There, but for God’s grace, are we,” Anu said, lifting her cup of tea to her lips.

  27

  Perspiration dripped down Nick’s back as he heaved another shovel load of dirt onto the growing pile. They’d gone down two feet and found nothing. Maybe whatever was buried here had already been moved.

  Then his shovel clanged on a metallic surface. “Found it,” he said to Kade. Nick wiped perspiration out of his eyes and redoubled his efforts.

  His shovel kept clanging on whatever was down there. Shovelful by shovelful, the men uncovered their find. Kade swiped the last of the dirt from the top to reveal a long metal box.

  “Looks like ammunition or guns,” Kade said, brushing dirt off the green metal.

  “I suppose we should call Montgomery,” Nick said. “I’d guess they belong to Job’s Children.”

  Kade tried to pry up the lid, but it resisted. “Yeah, good call.” He pulled up Montgomery’s number.

  While Kade spoke to the deputy, Nick meandered around the clearing looking for more disturbed dirt. Leaves from last autumn lay in drifts around the edge of the clearing and crunched underfoot as he kicked through them. The place was peaceful, and he was beginning to think his intuition was off when he stepped into soft dirt under the leaves.

  Brushing them aside, he found another burial spot. “Here’s another one,” he called.

  Kade joined him. “Montgomery is on his way. I wonder how many other sites they have out here? And what’s the point?”

  “So they wouldn’t be found with the weapons. And they like to sprinkle their stuff in different locations in case they have to bug out. They can find these caches quickly.”

  “Let’s try that box again,” Kade said, heading back to the one they’d already dug up.

  “What will Montgomery say?”

  “He probably thinks we already opened it.” Kade put the shovel blade under the lid and pried. It popped open this time, and he used the blade as a wedge.

  Nick began to pry the other end. Adrenaline pumped through his body at the find. He hated these kinds of groups. If it were up to him, he’d pass a law forbidding them. He jabbed with his shovel again, and the lid popped loose. He and Kade lifted it off and stared down.

  Cans of food. Green beans, corn, sweet potatoes. Tomato sauce, soups, ravioli. No weapons, no ammo.

  He kicked at his shovel. “Crap. I thought there would be guns.”

  Kade leaned on his shovel. “Me too. Bree and I went to listen to that group. There were bearskins on the walls, and Bree found them poaching.”

  “I know they’re involved with Gideon somehow. He had a hand in the last group I broke up, and he’s here now. I can smell him.”

  “Maybe. Don’t forget to have your dad check on that woman who was injured in the ballet. There might be a connection there,” Kade reminded him.

  Nick nodded and called his dad. He doubted an accident so obscure could be connected to a serial killer, but it wouldn’t hurt to check. His gaze went back to the metal chests.

  He just might have to scout around the headquarters of Job’s Children this weekend. The forest would be thronged by people out for the geocaching event. No one would notice him wandering close to the compound. If there was a connection, he would find it.

  EVE JUMPED AT NICK’S OFFER TO TAKE KERI FOR a “date.” A little time to herself before Bree got home was just what she needed. Kade was there, and Nick’s partner Fraser was parked in an unmarked car across the street, adding more security.

  She fertilized the plants and grabbed the new Denise Hunter book. Just having time to lose herself in a good book was heaven.

  Kade came into the living room. “Hey, Bree’s got a flat tire. Would you mind going with me? I don’t want to leave you here alone.”

  “Oh, go ahead. Fraser’s still out there. I’ll be fine. I think I’ll go down to the beach and read.”

  “I shouldn’t be gone more than fifteen minutes.”

  With Kade gone, Eve went out outside and told Fraser she would be on the beach reading. He nodded and told her he’d keep watch.

  Carrying her book, Eve went down the steps to the sand. A stone bench perched just past the sand at the base of the hillside where the lighthouse looked out over the water. She got situated, then dug her bare toes into the c
ool sand. The sun was an orange ball dropping into the endless blue of the water. She sat there watching the sun go down.

  She heard a footstep behind her but didn’t turn. It was probably Kade back already. “You’re back early,” she called. Her smile faltered when she realized it wasn’t Kade.

  “Mind if I join you?” Oliver stood with a half smile just behind her.

  “I suppose Nick called you to come check on me.” She smiled and moved over on the bench. “It’s sweet of you to worry, but I’m really okay, Oliver. There’s a policeman out front.”

  “I saw. But the guy is sleeping. There was little protection he could offer.” He paused. “Listen, I’ve got something I need to show you. I think it might be important for the investigation. Can you come to my van?”

  “Now? Don’t you want to wait until Nick gets back so you can show him?”

  “He’s seen it already and doesn’t know what to make of it. I think you might be able to shed some light on it.” Oliver rose and held out his hand.

  She took it and rose. “Okay.” The book tumbled to the sand, but she left it there, knowing it would be a good excuse to leave Oliver and come back to the beach.

  The stone steps to the water had crumbled over time, and Eve was careful as she went ahead of Oliver up the cliff. The lighthouse beam blinked, and she walked toward the car in the dusk. She heard Samson barking inside the house. She’d have to let him out when she got back.

  Oliver was right. Fraser’s head lolled back, and his mouth was open. Some help he was. But then, he’d been on duty all day. Oliver’s van was parked across the street under a tree. He went to the back and opened the doors. Climbing inside, he turned to offer his hand to her. She reached up and grasped his fingers, then stepped into the vehicle.

  Eve glanced around at the various containers and busts. “How many victims have you brought home to their families?”

  “Oh, upwards of two hundred, I think.” Oliver’s back was to her, and when he turned around, he held a set of handcuffs. One end was clasped around a hand rest on the back of the front seat.

  “Where did you find those?” She stepped closer to look at them, but they seemed much too ordinary to be the reason he’d brought her here.