by Grady, D. R.
Chapter 9
Just as they were walking out the door, his phone rang, followed by McCully’s. They looked at each another before Owen yanked his cell phone off the clip and acknowledged the caller.
“O’Maley,” he answered brusquely, and heard McCully do the same.
“The Gentleman Caller has struck again,” came the reply from an on-duty patrol officer.
“What?” he exclaimed and heard McCully echo.
They stared at each other.
“He struck again?” O’Maley repeated his amazement and waited impatiently for the answer.
“That’s right. The address is Oak Street. Right in Hershey. Here’s the address,” the officer replied calmly and rattled off the number. Owen, only through experience jotted the number down before thanking the trooper and ending the call.
McCully looked dazed. “Another one.”
“Yeah. Let’s go.”
“We’ve got a logistics problem,” McCully said as they approached Fred’s vehicle and realized both of theirs were back at Jenna’s house.
“If we knew what was going on, we’d be happy to assist.” Fred’s dry comment wafted up behind them and they turned. Fred, Jenna, and both moms stood only a few short steps behind them, all of them watching with curiosity.
“The Gentleman Caller just hit again,” Owen explained quickly, and swept a hand to the car. “We have to go.”
“Right,” Fred answered. “Everyone hop in. I’ll take you back to Jenna’s before taking my mom home.” Owen nodded and climbed into the car. Then he exited abruptly and swept his mother into a bear hug. He passed her over to Fred who did the same, much to his mother’s delight, judging by her huge grin.
McCully also hugged her tight before crawling into the car. Jenna looked tentative, but then also hugged his mom, and Mrs. Savage didn’t seem at all awkward about the embrace she pressed on his parent. His mom waved them off before stepping up onto the porch. Owen turned to McCully. “Will she be all right alone?”
“She’s been sleeping at my brother’s house since this freak started his evilness, so yes, she’ll be fine. I made her promise to stay there until we caught him. Aunt Rachel won’t do anything stupid, especially now that she’s found you,” McCully answered him seriously.
“Good. I don’t like the idea of any of our women at risk, but especially not her,” he said with an intensity even he could hear.
“My brother is six foot four, and weighs two hundred and twenty five pounds. He teaches physical education at the local high school and is also the varsity football coach. This creep would have to get through him and my nephews who are both pushing six feet and one hundred and eighty pounds. That’s only if they get through my sister-in-law who is very protective of her family, and my nieces. I just don’t see this creep going for any of them. My sister-in-law alone would start ripping limbs off and feeding them to him.”
He winced at the picture she supplied. “Wonderful picture you’ve given me of your family, McCully.”
“They’re you’re family, too, bud,” she returned complacently.
“Why didn’t I meet this wonder brother yesterday?” Owen questioned. Had it really been yesterday that he’d been given a mother, and lots and lots of cousins, uncles, and aunts? Hard to believe so little time could have passed.
“They probably all waved from the football field. He’s the one who looks the most like my dad.”
“Oh, yeah, that’s right,” Owen replied, remembering vaguely waving at people he wouldn’t recognize again if he fell over them in broad daylight. He remembered this guy though, because he did look like Uncle Geoff.
“Anyway, Aunt Rachel is as safe with them as she would be with anyone.”
By then, Fred whipped the vehicle into Jenna’s driveway and they tumbled out. After Jenna also emerged from the car, Owen took her arm, and slid her back into the seat he’d just vacated.
“What?” she asked, bemusement pulling at her features.
“I need you to stay with Fred while we’re gone. This creep took out two women the last time. I don’t want him getting you.”
He saw her open her mouth to argue and couldn’t bear the thought of her putting herself at risk so needlessly. “Jenna, I need you to be safe. Please stay with Fred,” he nearly begged.
“I just wanted to tell you that I’m probably going to be called into the hospital when this newest victim is brought in. I am a rape advocate, and a doctor, so I’m sure to get the call at any time,” she said quietly. He stared into her bright blue eyes and couldn’t imagine wanting to look into any other woman’s. He wanted this one.
“Fred won’t mind taking you into the hospital,” Owen returned and looked at his friend for confirmation. Fred nodded in agreement and Owen turned back to her. “Promise me you’ll stay with Fred?”
“I promise. Really, I do. But I’ll be at the hospital and I really don’t believe this creep will go after me there.”
“For what it’s worth, I doubt he’ll try for you there, either, but I’m not willing to take the chance.” He couldn’t bear even the thought of a call that she was hurt or in danger. He doubted his ability to cope. Already Jenna Fields had burrowed into his heart and he couldn’t imagine life without her. What would he do if she was abruptly snatched from him?
Jenna’s eyes swept over his face in concern, and he figured his feelings must be showing. He pulled her into his arms, needing to hold her, at least for a few precious moments. She came willingly, her arms encircled his neck and she pressed her curves tightly against him. Closing his eyes, he inhaled her scent, trying to memorize this moment. Not wanting to forget a single detail.
McCully swung his SUV around beside them, and shouted out the window. “O’Maley, let’s move it. We’ve got a rapist to catch. You can hug Jenna later, let’s go.” Of course, she couldn’t let it at that, but had to honk the horn, too.
Jenna laughed and pulled away from him, but he still felt warmth rush through him when her hand came up to cup the side of his face. “I promise to be careful, but you need to give me the same,” she murmured, her eyes sweeping over his features as though she also needed to memorize the moment.
“I promise. I’ll call you as soon as I can,” he said over his shoulder as he released her and opened the passenger side of his vehicle. He saw her nod before she shut the door of Fred’s car and watched them from the window. They gazed at each other until McCully zipped from the driveway, Fred right behind her.
When Fred pulled into his mother’s driveway, Jenna finally turned in the seat to look at the woman. “Will you be okay here by yourself?”
“Oh yes, sweet, I’ll be fine. I have the dogs,” Marion Savage said easily.
“Dogs?” she repeated, looking at Fred for confirmation.
“She’s got two Rottweilers. Sam and Jake. They won’t let anyone or anything get close to her. Plus, O and I installed a top of the line security system in her house. Someone really, really good might be able to bypass it, but even that’s doubtful,” Fred replied.
“Then, they’d have to get through my .38,” Mrs. Savage agreed.
“Your thirty-eight?” Jenna echoed, not following the conversation.
“It’s a gun. She’s a really good shot, actually, and with the right ammunition, she’d do some major damage with the weapon,” Fred explained. She wasn’t certain she was grateful for the new information.
“You can shoot a gun?” she asked, turning more fully in her seat to stare at Fred’s mother in amazement.
“I can. Who do you think taught Fred and Owen?” she asked with a mischievous grin.
Blinking, Jenna tried to assimilate this new information. “You taught both of them?”
“She sure did. Mom’s a natural.”
“Wow,” Jenna said inanely.
“Yeah, she’s a pretty cool mom.”
“Of course I am, love.” Mrs. Savage stepped from the car and Jenna heard the sound of toenails clicking on a wooden floor as she climbed
the porch with the Savages.
“My pets are a bit fierce looking, but they’re friendly after they know you,” she assured Jenna as she inserted her key in the front door. “They were outside earlier today.”
“We can’t stay, Mom. Not this time. Sounds like Jenna’s going to get called away to the hospital, and I need to remain with her.”
“Yes, I do need to get to the hospital, Mrs. Savage, but it was wonderful to meet you,” Jenna said sincerely, wishing she could have more time with this magnificent woman.
“Please, call me Marion, and I also enjoyed meeting you. I’m certain we’ll have many more times together, since you’re Owen’s lady friend.”
Not certain how to answer that, Jenna was relieved when her phone rang. With an apologetic look at Marion, she answered the call. Keeping the conversation short, she quickly agreed to go the hospital, before disconnecting the call. She looked at Fred, but he’d already hugged his mother and pushed her to do the same. After a quick hug to the woman they flew down the stairs and back into the car.
“I assume we’re going to the hospital?” Fred asked as they waved goodbye to his mother.
“You assume correctly.”
“How long do you think you’ll be?”
“I’ll probably end up also doing the examination, or at least assisting. Plus, I’ll need to be there during the police questioning. This could take several hours, although I doubt it.”
“I’ve got a computer in the trunk, so I’m fine. I can work in a waiting room until you’re done,” Fred offered, and she was grateful. She didn’t believe the rapist would come after her in the hospital, but after treating nearly every one of his victims, she decided she didn’t want to test her theory. This monster was demented and meeting him face to face ranked low on her wish list.
“I can show you to a private room where you’ll be able to monitor me without compromising patient confidentiality.” She planned to show him into a small room off the examination area where the doctors retreated to gather notes and thoughts and sometimes grab a quick rest or meal if the pace slackened. Fred would have privacy, but still be able to see her through the window. He could keep tabs on her, but not view their newest victim from the little room.
She had it all worked out by the time they arrived. After settling Owen’s friend, Jenna turned back to the room where the newest victim lay. She pulled her professionalism around her like a cape, hoping her shaky facade wouldn’t crumble when she saw the woman whom violence had struck. These women were victims of a violent crime, and Jenna found herself not thinking of them as yet another patient. This case had become personal, perhaps because the monster perpetrating the crimes had contacted her personally. Or perhaps because of her fledgling feelings for a certain police detective, she came to realize these women were loved by someone. Even if that someone was their mother, brother, a friend, a child, someone loved each of them and because of that, they became human. Jenna shuddered as she pushed through the doorway into the examining room and met Jerome’s eyes.
“Hello, Dr. Fields,” he greeted and Jenna was intensely grateful.
Greeting the nurse assisting her was so normal. So professional. “Hello, Jerome, how are you?” she returned, fighting to keep her unwanted emotions at bay.
“Fine. Sorry for the reason you got pulled out of the weekend to be here.”
“Thank you, but this is what being a rape advocate means. We get called any time, any place. And we come.”
“Yes, I understand. It’s like you can’t not come, right?” His expression was sober.
“That’s correct. This is what we do. If we can help, we will,” Jenna said, finally pulling herself together, understanding that thinking about this woman’s loved ones wasn’t going to help her. Examining the woman and healing her was the job she needed to do today, and that was what Jenna intended to do. Of course, that didn’t mean she couldn’t be tactful, sympathetic, and gentle.
“What do we have, Jerome?” she asked briskly, wanting to get this underway while she still maintained control of herself.
“We have another victim of The Gentleman Caller. I hate that name,” Jerome spat in an uncharacteristic display of anger.
“You do?” Jenna blinked up at him.
“No gentleman would ever do this to a woman,” he spewed, gesturing with one large hand to the silent figure on the hospital gurney.
“No, you are correct. I got the impression he rather favored that misnomer,” Jenna soothed as she stepped toward the bed. She still couldn’t believe the number of women this creep had hurt.
Silently, she began the examination, hoping they’d find something to aid the police in nabbing this criminal. Someone had to know who was doing these horrible things to defenseless women. Bending over the victim, Jenna searched for blood. This woman had medium brown hair shot through with blonde and red streaks. Her head appeared to be free of matted blood, but Jenna continued her search. How had he administered the drug that rendered the defenseless?
“Have you noticed where he injected her yet?” Jenna asked Jerome.
“No, I haven’t had much opportunity to look at her,” came his clipped answer.
“I understand how you’re feeling, Jerome. I feel exactly the same way. I’m beginning to lose my focus, too. But right now, the best way for us to help this patient is to find any evidence we can as to who committed this crime against her. And then, once she regains consciousness, we seek to help her through the entire dastardly experience as painlessly as possible,” Jenna coached, wanting to leave this room so badly she could nearly taste it but knowing she had to finish this examination and the woman’s subsequent recounting of the entire experience.
“This is hard, and it’s getting harder each time,” he admitted.
“Yes, I know. I feel exactly the same way,” she returned, running her eyes over his face sympathetically. “You’re going to need to reel me in from time to time tonight. So don’t think I’m going to be offering all the pep talks. We can share them, okay?”
He nodded. “Thanks.”
“Sure. You’ll be telling me similar things in about five minutes. Now, let’s get to work and discover where he inserted the reagent he used on her. What’s her name by the way?”
“Carrie Snyder. Twenty-five last month. She works as a receptionist at Dr. Kruger’s office on Cherry Hill Drive.”
“Carrie Snyder. Yes, I know of Dr. Kruger. He’ll need to be informed,” Jenna said grimly. Not at all wanting to tell a colleague of this day’s work.
“I’ve already asked Marge to let his office know what happened. Ms. Snyder probably won’t be able to report for work tomorrow,” Jerome informed her.
“Thank you, Jerome.”
“Yeah, well, tell payroll to give me a raise, and I’ll consider us even,” he said playfully, in a semblance of his usual cheer.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thanks.”
“Ah, here we go,” Jenna said, moving the woman’s hair. There was dried blood on the nape of her neck. A mark, much like an incision marred the slightly tanned skin. There was only one incision this time, about an inch in length. And at her nape.
Jerome leaned forward and inspected the mark with her. “Looks similar to what we’ve seen with the last two victims,” he said grimly.
“Yes, it does,” she agreed, feeling every bit as sober.
They worked silently for a time, using the rape kit after being assured it was okay to do so and watching for signs that the woman would soon regain consciousness. When Owen and TJ finally arrived to begin questioning the woman, she stilled hadn’t stirred.
“She’s not awake yet?” he asked brusquely.
“No, she’s not,” Jenna returned, frowning as she surveyed the woman.
She lay perfectly still, her tanned skin showing brown against the white sheets she lay on. She seemed oblivious to the pace around her. Didn’t even flinch when Jenna shone a light in her eyes, or when they used the rape kit. Her
heart rate and pulse remained steady, but Carrie Snyder’s eyelashes didn’t flutter open. Jenna and Jerome had both taken turns nudging the woman, calling her name, trying to coax her into returning to reality. So, far they hadn’t been successful.
Carrie Snyder remained obstinately unconscious.
“Has there been a victim in the past that has remained out this long?” TJ questioned, her brow puckered as she stared at the silent woman.
“Not to my knowledge,” Jenna answered and turned a questioning brow to Jerome.
He shook his head. “I don’t recall one staying this quiet during the examination.”
“Neither do I.” Jenna chewed on her bottom lip, concerned about the woman’s comatose state.
“What do you think the reason is?” Owen asked, but Jenna noticed him staring at her lips. She set the flesh free and fought the urge to run her tongue over the abused area. Now was not the time to be thinking of kissing the man. Jenna berated herself, yet she couldn’t stop the sneaking glance she sent his lips. She really, really wanted to taste them, but with force of habit, quelled the unruly notion.
Yanking herself back into the conversation, she heard Jerome say, “The victim before Ms. Snyder was very groggy, but even she came to fairly quickly after we began the examination.”
“The woman before her didn’t regain consciousness until after the examination, though,” Jenna commented, remembering the redhead who’d stared at the ceiling as she recounted what she could remember of the incident.
“That’s correct. She did stir some, though, when we examined her,” Jerome said.
“That’s true. She did. Ms. Snyder hasn’t responded at all,” Jenna concurred, staring at the woman, wishing she’d open her eyes.
“How much longer do you believe she’ll be out?” Owen asked.
“We have no idea. We found the place where we believe he injected her with an unidentified substance, but we have no way of knowing, as usual, what he used. We’re assuming, again, that he’s using something experimental. So, we have no basis for judgment,” Jenna replied, wishing they had more information, wishing they could determine anything to further aid this woman.