Scene of the Crime

by Carla Cassidy

  “It’s over, Hannah,” he said in calculation. “Agent James is going to be just fine and she’ll be able to tell me everything that happened here tonight.” He wanted to believe it. He needed to believe that Jordon would be okay.

  Hannah’s features twisted with rage. “I just wanted to go home! If nobody stayed at Diamond Cove because of the murders then Mom and Dad would move back to Oklahoma City and I’d be where I belong.”

  “Chief Walters,” a deep voice cried out. “We’re here.”

  Gabriel recognized the voice as belonging to Ty Kincaid, an EMT. “We need two boards,” Gabriel replied.

  It seemed to take forever for the medical team to find them in the maze and then get both Hannah and Jordon loaded into the ambulance.

  Jordon didn’t regain consciousness as they took off her coat to reveal the bloody wound on her back. Gabriel officially placed Hannah under arrest before the ambulance pulled away.

  He followed the ambulance to the hospital, where both patients were whisked back into the emergency room and he was left alone in the lobby.

  Gabriel paced the room, his thoughts a riotous mess in his head. Hannah was their killer. How deep were Jordon’s wounds? A fifteen-year-old kid had kept them all hopping around like maniacs all because she didn’t want to live here. Had he gotten there in time or had Jordon been stabbed deep enough in her back to cause her death?

  Only now did he fully process the sheer anguish that ripped through him, bringing the sting of tears to his eyes and squeezing his heart with an agony he’d never known before.

  He was ragged with emotions by the time Mark walked in to join him in his vigil. “How is she?” he asked.

  “Nobody has told me anything yet.” He sank down on a chair and Mark sat next to him.

  “She’s a fighter,” Mark replied.

  “She is that,” Gabriel agreed, but that didn’t stop the frantic claw of despair inside him.

  “The men were all working at the crime scene when I left them. I contacted Kent Myers to let him know he’d have to keep the attraction closed until we’re finished with it.”

  “At least it’s over now except the evidence gathering and the cleanup,” Gabriel replied as he stared at the emergency room door and willed a doctor to come out with good news.

  “Who would have thought our perp would turn out to be a teenage girl? You think the prosecutor will push to try her as an adult?”

  Gabriel turned to look at Mark. “I’m certainly going to encourage him to. These murders weren’t the result of a school yard fight or something else spontaneous. She carefully plotted this out. She showed enormous cunning in both the planning and the execution. She needs to be locked up for a very long time.”

  He turned to stare at the door once again. What was taking so long? Why didn’t somebody come out to talk to him?

  “Want some coffee?” Mark asked.

  “No, thanks. I’m good.” As sick as his stomach was at the moment, there was no way he wanted to attempt drinking anything.

  Dr. Gordon Oakley came through the emergency room door. Gabriel and Mark both sprang to their feet. “Chief... Mark,” he greeted them.

  Gabriel searched the ER doctor’s features. “How is she?”

  “Agent James is resting easy now. She needed seven stitches in her leg and twenty-one in her back. Thankfully, both were slashing wounds and not stabbing injuries. She was also cut on her arm, but that didn’t require any stitches.”

  Gabriel released a deep sigh of relief and then frowned. “So, why was she unconscious?”

  “I’d say she might have suffered a touch of shock and utter exhaustion. She’s hooked up to an IV. We’ve cleaned her up and administered pain meds. We’ll keep her under observation until sometime tomorrow.”

  “Can I see her?”

  “I’d prefer that she not be disturbed for the rest of the night. From what I understand, she’s been through quite a trauma and what she needs now is complete rest,” Gordon replied. “You can see her in the morning.”

  Although disappointed, Gabriel nodded. He wanted whatever was best for her. For the next ten minutes the doctor filled them in on Hannah’s wound. At the moment she was in surgery. Her parents had been contacted and were in a private waiting room.

  “I’ll go talk to the Overtons,” Mark said when the doctor had left them again.

  “And I want a full-time guard on Hannah while she recuperates here,” Gabriel replied. “I need to get back to the crime scene.”

  “I’ll take care of everything here,” Mark assured him.

  The two men parted, as Mark headed to talk to the Overtons and Gabriel left the building. It wasn’t until he was in his car that the emotions of the night nearly overwhelmed him.

  As his car warmed up, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. She was going to be just fine. Tears of relief burned at his eyes.

  He’d been so scared for her. He’d been so afraid that this night would end differently. It was already tragic enough that a girl’s life, for all intents and purposes, had come to an end.

  It was utterly inconceivable that three innocent people had been brutally murdered because a kid didn’t like where she was living. But if Jordon had lost her life tonight, the depth of the tragedy would have been beyond anything he could even imagine.

  She was fine. The case was solved, and within the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours, she would be gone from here, gone forever from his life.

  He tightened his hands on the steering wheel, opened his eyes and realized it had begun to snow.

  * * *

  JORDON AWOKE SLOWLY. Before she opened her eyes the scent of fresh coffee and bacon drifted to her nose along with a faint antiseptic smell. Shoes squeaked on the floor from someplace in the distance and a blood-pressure cuff began to pump up on her arm.

  She opened her eyes to find herself alone in a hospital room. The cuff around her arm released and the blood-pressure monitor displayed numbers that assured her she’d made it through the long night despite the aches and pains that attempted to tell her otherwise.

  She glanced out the nearby window and frowned. It was snowing again. She couldn’t wait to get to that beach in Florida, where it would be wonderfully warm and sunny.

  “Ah, good—you’re awake.” A blonde woman in purple scrubs entered her room. “My name is Marjorie and I’ll be your nurse for the day.” She walked over to Jordon and held out a thermometer. “Open.”

  Jordon did as she was told.

  “You’re normal,” Marjorie replied as she removed the thermometer.

  “I know some people who would argue with you about that,” Jordon replied and then frowned as Marjorie didn’t react. Great—a nurse without a sense of humor.

  “On a scale from one to ten, how do you rate your pain level?”

  Jordon changed positions and winced. “About a seven, but I don’t need any more pain meds.” She almost welcomed the pain that was a reminder that she’d survived. “What I would like is a big cup of coffee.”

  “I’ll contact the kitchen and let them know you’re ready for a breakfast tray.”

  “Perfect,” Jordon replied.

  She stared back out the window as Marjorie left the room. Gabriel. A vision of him jumped into her head. So handsome and with those piercing blue eyes that warmed her from the inside out.

  She channeled her thoughts into another direction. She didn’t want to think of him with his gentle touches and strength of character.

  Instead she closed her eyes and thought about Hannah and the confrontation from the night before. She’d been a fool to go in there alone, especially not knowing whom she might face.

  It had been a reckless move not to call for backup. She wasn’t a cat with nine lives. She’d already had two near-death experiences because of
her lone-wolf attitude. It was past time to be a team player.

  Thankfully, these troubling thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of breakfast. As she ate she was haunted by every breakfast she had shared with the Overtons, by each conversation she’d had with Joan.

  Hannah’s crimes would haunt them. Their lives would never be the same again. How did a parent ever find any kind of peace knowing that one of their children had committed three horrible murders? That she would be in lockup for years to come?

  She cleaned off her plate and then fell back asleep. She had no nightmares haunted by Ralph Hicks or Hannah. Rather it was Gabriel who filled her dreams. They were sweet dreams of laughter and love, and she awakened with both deep longing and agonizing regret.

  By that time lunch was served and then the doctor arrived. “When can I get out of here?” she asked him.

  “How are you feeling? We did a lot of stitching on you last night.”

  “I’m sore,” she admitted. “But I’m hoping to get a ride out of here as soon as possible and get back home to Kansas City. I can see my doctor there for any follow-up.”

  “Why don’t you enjoy dinner on us this evening and then we’ll see about releasing you,” he replied.

  She nodded her agreement, but there was no way she was spending another night here. She needed to get home. She had to get her feet back on the ground in her own space and put this place and a certain man far behind her.

  After the doctor left the room, she called Director Tom Langford to fill him in on everything that had happened. He arranged for a helicopter to pick her up the next afternoon.

  She’d just hung up when Gabriel came in. She stared at him in stunned surprise. In one arm he carried a huge, inflatable palm tree and in the other he had a pink fruity drink with a little umbrella stirrer.

  “If Jordon can’t get to Florida, then a piece of Florida will come to her,” he said. He set the palm tree next to her bed. “Unfortunately, there’s no alcohol in here.” He held out the drink.

  She took it from him and fought against the huge lump in her throat that made speech impossible for a moment. He looked so wonderfully handsome in his uniform and without the stress of the cases weighing him down.

  He sat in the chair next to her bed and smiled at her. “Go on—take a sip. I wasn’t sure exactly what you liked, so it’s a strawberry smoothie with chunks of pineapple, berries and mango.”

  She took a drink and she didn’t know if it tasted so good because she loved smoothies or if it was the fact that he’d gone to all this trouble just for her. The silly man was breaking her heart.

  “Delicious,” she said and then pointed to the palm tree. “Where did you manage to get that?”

  “A couple of years ago the police department threw themselves a luau. There are five more of those in storage.” His smile faded. “How are you doing?”

  “I’m okay. I guess I’ll be sporting a new scar across my back.”

  “She could have killed you.” His voice was husky and his beautiful eyes were dark and filled with an emotion she didn’t want to acknowledge.

  “Is this the part where you yell at me for being a reckless fool?”

  He leaned back in the chair. “It’s enough for me that you recognize that you were reckless.”

  “I should have called you the minute I got that note. I’m done being a cowboy. I got lucky when Ralph Hicks had me in that cellar. I got lucky again last night, but I can’t depend on luck anymore.”

  “If you’ve realized that then I guess your time here wasn’t for nothing.” His gaze on her was so intense she had to look away.

  “How is Hannah?”

  She needed a conversation about something...anything that would ease some of the tension in the room.

  She stared out the window and listened absently as he caught her up on everything that was going on with the teenage killer. Hannah had come through surgery fine and was recuperating with a guard at her door.

  “We found Joan’s car parked a block away from the maze. She sneaked out of the house and took the car. Ted and Joan heard nothing. Hannah intended to kill you and then get home and back into bed before morning,” he said.

  “How are Ted and Joan?”

  “Broken and in complete shock.”

  “They’ll eventually get through this,” Jordon replied. “They’re strong people.” She cast her gaze out the window. “And now, on another note, I should be released sometime this evening and I’ve made arrangements to leave tomorrow. I was wondering if you could pick me up later and take me to a motel for the night,” she said.

  She looked at him once again and saw in his eyes words he wanted to speak, emotions he wanted to share. But she didn’t want to hear him. They had said everything necessary the night before.

  “You know I’ll be here whenever you need me,” he finally replied.

  Once again the lump was back in her throat and the pain that had been in her back moved around to pierce her in the heart.

  “I’ll call you later,” she said and set the drink on her tray. “I think what I need right now is a nap.”

  He got up from the chair. “Then I’ll just wait for your call.” With those words he was gone.

  She squeezed her eyes closed against a sudden burn of unexpected tears. The whole visit had been stilted and uncomfortable, nothing like the relationship they’d shared in the time she’d been here.

  He’d brought her a palm tree and a fruity drink. His eyes had spoken of a love that invited her into something she’d never believed she could have.

  She was doing what was best for both of them.

  She had to tell him goodbye.

  * * *

  GABRIEL PARKED IN front of the motel room door and dreaded the goodbye that was to come. The sun was bright and the snow that had fallen the day before had been negligible. It was a beautiful day for a helicopter ride.

  He’d brought Jordon to the motel room the night before and their ride from the hospital had been quiet, their only conversation dealing with the aftermath of the cases.

  He now opened his car door and started to get out, but Jordon flew out of the door with her two bags in hand. “Don’t get out,” she said. “I’ve got this.”

  She opened the back door and threw her bags into the seat and then got into the car. She cast him a cheerful smile that only managed to break his heart just a little bit more.

  “Thanks for taking me to the airport,” she said.

  “No problem,” he replied and pulled out of the motel parking lot. “How are you feeling today?”

  “Not too bad. I’m going to be sore for a while, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”

  Her scent filled the car, evoking desire and love even as he drove her to the place where she’d leave him forever. Throughout the long night a weary resignation had set in. He loved...and he’d lost.

  He couldn’t make her love him if she didn’t. He couldn’t force her to understand that they belonged together if she didn’t believe that in her very soul.

  He could only let her go to find her own kind of happiness. She was the bravest woman he knew and yet he still believed it was fear that held her back.

  “Nice day to fly,” he said. “And now you can take that vacation you’ve been waiting for. You’ve definitely earned it.”

  “What about you? When was the last time you had a vacation?” she asked.

  “I haven’t taken one since I took this job,” he admitted. He wasn’t going to tell her that the idea of going off somewhere alone simply wasn’t appealing to him.

  “I’d definitely say you’ve earned one, too.”

  Why were they talking about vacations when his heart ached so badly? He didn’t want inane conversation and yet he knew that was all that was left between them.

&nb
sp; They reached the small airport, and as he parked, he had a perfect view of the helicopter that waited to take her home. “Looks like your ride is here.”

  “You don’t have to get out.” She unbuckled her seat belt.

  “I’ll walk you to the door,” he replied. Just like he had every night since she’d been attacked by Hannah and had gotten lost in the snowstorm.

  He got out of the car and grabbed the larger bag from her. Silently they entered the airport and then exited to the tarmac, where the helicopter pilot stood waiting.

  When he saw them approaching, he climbed into the plane and the blades began their whooping swirl as they prepared for takeoff. Jordon took her bag, and when she looked back up at Gabriel, her green eyes simmered with emotion.

  “Gabriel, I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me while I’ve been here,” she said.

  “Jordon, I...”

  She held up a hand. “Please don’t say anything. This is hard enough already. Goodbye, Gabriel.”

  She didn’t wait for his reply. She hurried to the helicopter door and climbed inside. He backed away, grief ripping another hole in his heart.

  The helicopter blades spun faster and the engine began to whine. An empty, hollow wind blew through him as he turned to go back to the parking lot. It had taken him so long to finally find the woman he wanted forever in his life and now she was gone.

  “Gabriel!”

  His name carried on the breeze and he turned around to see her running toward him. Had she forgotten something? When she reached him, she threw her arms around his neck and smiled up at him.

  “I want it,” she said. Her eyes sparkled with a light that half stole his breath away. “I want life with you. I thought I could just walk away from you, but I can’t. I love you, Gabriel, and I’m willing to take a chance on us.”

  He couldn’t speak. Instead he took her lips with his in a kiss that held all his hope, all his dreams and every ounce of his love for her.

  “I’d wrap you up in my arms right now if you didn’t have stitches in your back,” he said when the kiss ended.