by Gary Birken
“I’ve been here for three hours. My temp’s normal and I don’t have any symptoms of hypothermia. I think I can go home.”
“I guessed that. I was asking about the opinion of your doctor.”
“I’m the one who hired him. I think he’ll be reasonable.”
Morgan took note that Jenny lacked her usual upbeat demeanor.
“Don’t forget to call me tomorrow. I want to make sure you’re okay.”
“Tomorrow—I promise.”
“Where’s Ben?”
“He’s on his way down from Orlando. He was supposed to come back tomorrow morning but when I called him, he told me he wanted to fly back tonight.”
“Is that safe?”
“Ben’s an excellent pilot. It’s a short flight. I’m sure he’ll be fine.”
“Call me if you have any problems.”
After Jenny had turned off the ultrasound machine and left the room, Morgan laid back and stared up at the white tile ceiling, thinking about Mason Kaine. She assumed that his arrest would be immediate, and once the truth became apparent, she would be owed the largest apology ever tendered by Dade Presbyterian Hospital, the police, and the state medical board. Euphoric by the expectation of total vindication, Morgan couldn’t help grinning.
The glass door to her examination bay rumbled open. Morgan raised her head from her pillow. Paula, one of the veteran ER nurses, closed the doors behind her and then walked over to her stretcher. After checking Morgan’s vital signs on the flat-screen monitor, she took her temperature.
“Ninety-eight-point-four,” she said. “Not too bad, considering how you spent your evening.”
Just as Paula was finishing up her charting, there were three quick taps at the door. Morgan assumed it was Chuck coming back to discharge her. But when the door opened, a hefty man accompanied by a young, smartly dressed woman with pastel blue eyes stood in the doorway.
“Dr. Connolly?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“My name’s Vic Prieto. I’m a detective with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.” His voice was gravelly and his sports coat was in desperate need of a pressing. “This is my partner, Detective Baxter.” Morgan nodded and then with Paula’s help propped herself higher up on the stretcher. The two officers moved to the middle of the room. Prieto spoke again, “The Fish and Wildlife officers filled us in on what happened, but if you don’t mind, we’d like to ask you a few questions. The first thing is—”
“How are you feeling?” Jody Baxter interrupted, tossing her partner of ten years a disapproving glare for his usual insensitivity.
“I’m okay. Thank you for asking.”
Jody had entered the police academy after completing a two-year associate’s degree and had been on the force for a dozen years. Having maintained her humanity in an ever-increasing avalanche of violent crime, she showed up to work every day with an optimism that many of her fellow officers had long since lost.
“Are you sure you feel up to answering some questions?” she asked Morgan above her partner’s incessant toe-tapping.
“I think so. Do you work with Detective Wolfe?”
“Actually, he was just promoted. He now heads up the Narcotics Division. Is he a friend?”
Hardly surprised she hadn’t been notified that Wolfe was no longer involved in her father’s case, she said, “My father was murdered a couple of months ago. He’s in charge . . . or I guess I should say, was in charge of the investigation.”
“I’m sure they reassigned the case,” Jody said.
“The officer who rescued me told me a man saw me out there and called nine-one-one. I’d like to find out who it was so I can thank him.”
“Unfortunately, it was an anonymous call,” Jody answered. “The caller gave them your exact GPS coordinates. Fish and Wildlife’s helicopters have infrared capability so it wasn’t too hard for them to find you.”
“I thought I heard something . . . but it was so black out there. I . . . I didn’t see anybody.”
“Were you screaming?” Prieto inquired.
“Until I was hoarse,” she said, noticing his scuffed black penny loafers and mismatched. socks.
Jody said, “We suspect the man who made the call was an alligator poacher who wanted to help, but for obvious reason, didn’t want to get involved.”
“I see.”
Prieto said, “The officers told us that you were abducted in Coral Springs. They also said you claimed you were drugged and then taken out to the Everglades. Is that pretty much what happened?”
“It’s not pretty much what happened, Detective. It’s exactly what happened,” Morgan answered, a little taken back by his offhanded manner. His skeptical tone was painfully reminiscent of Detective Wolfe’s.
“Were you robbed?”
“No.”
“Raped?”
“No.”
“Assaulted?” he asked.
“Only if you count being dumped out in an alligator-infested swamp to die.”
Prieto’s expression never changed.
“You mentioned to the officers that you were contacted by a woman by the name of Adele Kaine earlier this evening who set up a meeting with you.”
“That’s correct.”
“We called Ms. Kaine. It seems she’s in Canada and won’t be back until the weekend. She said she hasn’t spoken to you since you showed up at her office a week or so ago. She told us about your meeting.”
“I guess that makes perfect sense.”
“I beg your pardon,” he said.
Morgan wasn’t sure if Prieto was obnoxious by nature or was purposelessly being obtuse.
“Obviously, it wasn’t Adele Kaine who called me,” she told him.
“When you spoke to her on the phone, you didn’t realize it wasn’t her voice?”
“No. If I had, I wouldn’t have jumped headfirst into an obvious trap.”
“An obvious trap,” he repeated as he took notes. “Could you explain that to me please, Doctor?”
“I had only spoken to Adele Kaine that one time. Besides, whoever it was who called me spoke in a very nasal voice and told me she was getting over the flu.” Morgan folded her arms. “I assume Ms. Kaine filled you in on what we talked about when we met.”
“She gave us a general idea. She said you believed you were being harassed by her ex-husband.”
“That’s right. His name’s Mason Kaine . . . and I think his intentions are a little more serious than simple harassment.” Prieto looked up from his pad for a few seconds but said nothing. He looked at her as if he was less than convinced her story had any validity. Morgan tried again. “Mason Kaine tried to kill me tonight. He obviously got some woman to pose as his Miss Kaine to lure me to her office.”
“Why?”
“To kidnap me,” she answered one word at a time as if she were talking to a child.
“How would this guy know you were acquainted with his ex-wife?”
“Because he’s been stalking me for weeks. He must have been following me the day I met with Adele.”
After a faint roll of his eyes, Prieto asked, “I guess I still don’t get it. Why would he want to harm you? What’s his motive?”
“To get even,” she said without taking a breath.
“For what?”
“For the death of his two sons. I was on call the night they came into the emergency room. They were both suffering from meningitis. They were already in critical condition and there was nothing we could do to save them. I spoke with Mr. Kaine afterward and he was irate. He accused me of incompetence and held me personally responsible for the unnecessary deaths of his sons.”
“I assume you can positively identify the man who abducted you as Mason Kaine.” Prieto continued to scribble on his pad, but when the room became deadly silent, he looked up. “Dr. Connolly, you can ID this guy, right?”
His question instantly upended her confidence. Her tone became uncertain and she spoke in a tentative monotone, “By the time I wok
e up I was already on the airboat. It was pitch-black. Kaine made sure to stay behind me the entire time. I couldn’t see anything.”
An awkward few seconds was brought to an end by Prieto’s annoying sigh. “Dr. Connolly, I don’t want to sound—”
Before she heard the inevitable, Morgan said, “I’m sorry, Detective. I’ve had kind of a rough night. Maybe it would be better if we finished this later this morning.”
She turned away and allowed her head to fall back into the pillow. Prieto said nothing. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his card. He then walked over and handed it to Morgan.
“Just give us a call when you’re feeling better. We’d like to wrap this up.”
Acting as if Jody wasn’t even in the room, he walked back to the door and slid it open. Before stepping out into the hall, he looked back at his partner with an impatient glare. But instead of following him, Jody walked over to a white vinyl chair, pushed it over toward Morgan’s bed, and sat down.
“That looks like the same ultrasound machine my OB uses,” she said with an easy smile. “Are you expecting?”
Morgan’s eyes drifted to Jody’s abdomen. She hadn’t noticed at first, but the officer definitely had the early signs of a baby bump.
“I’m in my second trimester,” Morgan said.
“Your first?”
“Yes.”
“Mine too,” Jody said with a sigh, rubbing her tummy. “I don’t know about you but I get ravenous and hypoglycemic every night about this time.” Jody then looked over at her partner, who was still standing in the doorway with the same annoyed expression. “Vic, I’m feeling a little light-headed. I’m going to sit for a few minutes. Would you mind going over to the cafeteria and finding me something sweet to eat? A couple of doughnuts would be great.”
Trying to hold back a giggle, Morgan pushed her lips together. Without saying a word, Vic exhaled audibly through puffed cheeks and stepped out of the room.
CHAPTER 79
“He’s really not a bad guy,” Jody said, stretching her long legs out.
“Yeah. He seems like a real peach,” Morgan answered. “You’re obviously a very patient and tolerant woman.”
“Don’t be too hard on him. It’s our nature as police officers to be cautious.”
“Cautious is one thing; condescending and cynical are another. He didn’t believe a word I told him. And that disbelieving scowl? Did he learn that at the police academy or was he born with it?”
“You sound like somebody who’s been through the drill before.”
“As I mentioned, my father was murdered a couple of months ago. I’ve had several conversations with Detective Wolfe. He and your partner share some of the same annoying mannerisms.”
Jody swept a few stubborn strands of auburn hair from her forehead.
“I’m not going to tell you what to do, but you might want to reconsider your decision not to talk about this thing until later.”
Feeling defeated, Morgan asked, “Why? What’s the difference?”
“Because if you’re right about this guy, he still thinks you’re wandering around out there in the Everglades; which means he assumes you’ll be dead in a few hours. If he finds out you’ve been rescued, he might take off . . . or worse.”
“I’m not opposed to talking about what happened out there. I’d just prefer to talk to somebody who will, at least, give me the benefit of the doubt. Am I reaching for the stars here?”
“No, and you are talking to somebody who wants to listen.”
In spite of the harrowing events of the evening, Morgan had the presence of mind to realize that her best chance of being taken seriously by the authorities was sitting three feet away.
“Okay,” Morgan said.
Jody pulled her own notepad from her purse. “Tell me what happened in the parking lot.”
“I was supposed to meet Adele at eight o’clock. When I got there, the lot was pretty dark and there was only one other car. I pulled in next to it and then got out and started walking toward her office. Kaine came up from behind me. He was incredibly strong,” she said shaking her head slowly. “I felt a pinch in my neck. I’m sure he injected me with something. The next thing I knew I was lying on the bottom of an airboat.”
“Did they draw blood for a tox screen ?”
“Yes, but I don’t think the results are back yet.”
“You said before you spoke with this guy, Kaine, the night his sons died and that he was furious.”
Morgan nodded.
“People get mad at their doctors,” Jody said. “Most of the time, it wears off or they change doctors. They may even sue them or file a formal complaint with the medical board, but all of those things are a far cry from trying to kill them. So, my question is, how can you be so sure that’s what’s going on?”
After a protracted sigh, Morgan said, “It’s a long story that involves a lot more than Kaine simply trying to kill me.”
Stretching her legs out in front of her, Jody said, “I’ve got all night.”
For the next half hour, Morgan summarized everything she knew about her father’s death, Faith Russo, the Code 15s, and her present situation with the medical board. Jody took a lot of notes and asked several questions. Morgan’s impression was that she was at least listening to her.
Just as they were finishing up, there was a quick knock at the door. Prieto stuck his head in, held up a doughnut, and waved it at Jody. She walked over and took it from him.
“I need a few more minutes,” she told him. “Why don’t you see if the paramedics have finished their report?”
“I’ll get right on it,” he said with a quick salute and a long smirk.
“What’s going to happen next?” Morgan asked.
“I don’t know. I’ll have to discuss it with my captain and probably the state’s attorney. It might take me a couple of days to get back to you.”
“Why can’t you just arrest Kaine? I can give you the name and phone number of one of his friends who knows where he lives.”
Jody stood up from her chair. “Finding him won’t be the problem.”
“Then what is?”
Jody threw her purse over her shoulder and took a couple of steps toward the bed.
“Listen to me, Dr. Connolly. You never actually saw the man who kidnapped you. There’s not a mark on you and you weren’t robbed. From what you’ve told me, you’re going through pretty tough times right now, especially from a professional standpoint. The people I answer to are going to ask the same question my partner’s asking. Why didn’t Kaine simply kill you and dump you in the swamp? And for that matter, why was he so theatrical about the whole thing? Most people who get tossed into a swamp as a part of her murder are already dead.”
“Mason Kaine is insane. He wanted me to suffer. It’s not as complicated as everybody thinks.”
Morgan crossed her arms, gazing across the room blankly. Jody turned and headed toward the door.
“I’ll call you in a few days. I promise.”
For the first time in hours, Morgan found herself alone. Far from elated, she at least felt more encouraged than she had thirty minutes earlier. At a minimum, Jody Baxter had given her some hope that Gideon would ultimately be arrested. Morgan found herself wondering if Gideon already knew she’d made it out of the Everglades alive. When he did find out, contrary to Jody’s opinion, Morgan doubted he would leave town. In fact, Morgan had no doubt he’d try to kill her again.
Her mind was lost in thought and she barely heard the few taps at the glass door. When she looked up Ben was standing there.
“Chuck said it was your call if you wanted to stay in the hospital overnight.”
“I want to go home,” Morgan said, sliding her legs off of the bed.
“I assumed that would be your answer. How are you feeling?”
“More discouraged than cold,” she told him.
“I’ll help you with your things,” he said, assisting her off of the stretcher. “I’ll stay w
ith you tonight.”
Morgan was happy he offered, because if he hadn’t, she was going to ask him.
CHAPTER 80
DAY FORTY-TWO
With Morgan in tow, Limerick pranced north on A1A.
When he caught site of the small dog park that she took him to on a regular basis, his tail shot up, wagged madly, and he lurched forward. Morgan smiled and calmed the excited setter by holding tight on the leash and petting his neck. Once they were inside the park, Morgan walked over to a bench and sat down. To her surprise, there was only one other dog in the park, a springer spaniel, who in spite of Limerick’s barking showed no interest in him. Morgan gazed around, enjoying a soft breeze from the west as Limerick walked about her legs.
Just as she finished untangling Limerick’s lease from around her ankles, her phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and flipped it open. Will Johnson’s name and number popped up in the display window.
“Hi, Will.”
“How are you?”
“I’m okay,” she answered.
“Eileen Hall called me and told me what happened to you. Are you sure you’re all right?”
“Really, I’m doing fine. Once I found out the baby was okay, nothing else seemed to matter.”
“Are the police involved?”
“They met me at the hospital. I was hoping they would arrest Mason Kaine, but they’re still trying to determine if they have enough evidence.”
“I’m glad you’re okay.”
“It’s nice of you to call. I appreciate your concern.”
“Listen. Do you feel up to getting together? Eileen has been bugging me for my final report and I’d like to get it to her. If you feel like you need some more time to recover from—”
“I’m fine, Will. I’d kind of like to get this thing wrapped up.”
“Check your schedule. See if you can make it tomorrow at five.”
“I don’t have to check my schedule. I’m off until the end of the week so it shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Good. I’ll see you then.”
Morgan was taken back by the sense of urgency in Will’s voice. It was a side of him she hadn’t seen.