“Thanks. I’ll just take some pictures of the crime scene, and another team might be here tomorrow to collect any missed evidence. Thank you for your time, ma—Josie.”
She hadn’t even thought to return to her office until Brent mentioned it, but since she couldn’t remember locking her safe, she hobbled back to the room and hesitated at the entrance. Blood splatters on the floor where Kelly had fallen, the fear hidden behind Nooko’s bravery, and the gun against her temple became vivid images threatening to rob her sanity. She bent over, struggling to catch her breath, and felt strong arms support and lead her to the couch before her knees buckled.
“You sit, ma’am. We’ll take care of securing the room.” Brent retrieved two bottles of water from the refrigerator, gave one to her, and set one on the table in front of Kelly, who hadn’t stirred from the couch. “I’ll be back to check on you tomorrow. I believe Officer Donnelly is on her way over, but I’ll radio her and tell her to come tomorrow. You two get some rest.”
“Thank you, Brent. For everything.” Josie rested her head on the back of her chair and turned to look at Kelly. She looked so vulnerable, so lovely, lying on her side. Josie wanted to curl up next to her and feel the heat of her body meld with her own, loving her, grounding her.
She sighed and gently woke Kelly to help her to bed.
Chapter Thirty-seven
Josie woke to the sound of knocking. She checked for Kelly next to her to make sure she was okay. A voice penetrated her senses and pushed aside the rising panic.
“Josie? It’s Barb.”
Kelly sat up next to her and Josie stroked her cheek.
“It’s Barb. You stay. I’ll go talk to her.” Josie stood and shuffled to the door, feeling battered and exhausted.
“Sorry to wake you, but I have some news I thought you’d want. And I’ll admit I wanted to check on you both.”
“Come in.” Josie stood aside while Barb entered, carrying a plastic bag, and sat in one of the leather chairs. “Do you need to see the office, too?”
“No. The police have that covered. You two look pretty good considering what you went through.” She looked to Kelly, who’d quietly entered the room and sat on the couch.
“I’ve got a few stitches, and I’m sore, but I’ll heal,” Kelly said. She still looked groggy but less so than earlier.
“It was pretty awful, Barb. I walked in and saw Abe with a gun pointed at Nooko’s head.” Josie rested her face in her hands, trying to dispel the vision. “It was awful.”
“I hope my news helps a little. I found Abe’s hideout. I think it’s where he held Ruth, too.”
“Where?”
“It wasn’t anywhere near all those other cabins I told you about. I found what was more like a hunting blind than a cabin. It had a canvas roof and three sides, and this was tacked to one of the support poles.” She pulled a flat piece of wood out of her bag and handed it to Josie.
Jack’s Place was printed in bold red letters that stood out from the solid black background.
Josie ran her fingers over what was probably her father’s creation. “I never knew he called himself Jack. He was never the same after Mom died. Maybe he wanted to escape his grief by pretending to be someone else. Are you sure this was where Abe was?”
“The police are going over it now, but I saw evidence of recent meals and bedding. I also found this.” Barb reached back into her bag, retrieved a framed picture, and handed it to her.
Jose studied the photograph for several minutes before, fighting back tears, she handed the snapshot to Kelly. “That’s the three of us the day before the accident. Mom had cooked a pot of soup and we ate dinner in front of the fireplace. Dad set the camera on the mantel and used the automatic timer to take this. It was the last day we shared a meal together. He may have run from the bad memories, but not from us. Thank you for bringing this to me, Barb.”
“I thought you might like to have it. It would have been lost forever if Abe hadn’t known about the blind and used it. It must have been your dad’s for years before.”
“I’m not saying I’m glad the bastard did what he did, but if the Hand of Fate brought this to me, I’m grateful.”
“I’m hungry. Do you two feel up to going to the Teepee? My treat,” Barb asked.
“I sure do. How about it, Kelly?”
“Sounds good. I think I slept off most of that pain med. I’ll just freshen up a little and be right back.” Kelly stood and walked slowly out of the room.
“I’m happy for you, Josie. And for Kelly, too.”
“Thanks, Barb. You told me you were smitten once, and I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Kelly and I are friends. That’s all I have time for right now even if I wanted something more with her. You’re both fantastic and deserve each other. I like seeing you happy.”
“Thank you.” Josie swallowed hard. She’d better talk to Kelly before Barb congratulated her on her engagement.
“I’m ready.” Kelly took her hand as they walked to Barb’s car.
“After we eat, I’d like to visit Nooko.”
“Me, too. Barb may want to go, too.”
They sat in the car and ate their burgers, avoiding talk of Abe or kidnapping. Josie relaxed for the first time in days. “Shall we take some vanilla ice cream to our patient?” she asked.
“Good idea.” Barb picked up the empty bags and made room for the ice cream.
* * *
Josie followed Barb and Kelly down the hall. She smirked as the nurse who’d demanded to know who was family earlier nearly saluted Barb when she saw the uniform and pointed the way to Nooko’s room.
“Hey, Nooko.” Josie adjusted the bed tray and set the ice cream in front of her.
“Oh. Thank you, dears.” Nooko eagerly dug into the bowl of ice cream, grinning after swallowing a spoonful.
“You look like you’re feeling better,” Kelly said as she scanned the monitors in the room.
“I am. The doctor wants me here overnight again, though. Did you find Abe?” Nooko looked at Barb.
“Not yet, but we found the blind where we believe he kept you hidden. Do you feel up to answering some questions?”
“Of course. I want you to catch him. That nice young trooper was here earlier. I told him all I could remember.” She turned to Kelly, looking alarmed. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine, Ruth.” She patted her hand and lifted her slinged arm slightly. “See? My arm’s already healing. You relax. You’ve been through an ordeal no one should have to go through.”
Barb had her notebook out, and she perched on the end of Ruth’s bed. “Was the place he had you a hunting blind in the woods?” Barb asked.
“Yes, and it was cold at night because there were only three sides and no heat. He watched when I had to go to the bathroom and we ate awful venison jerky and canned peas.” She scrunched her face. “He kept babbling about his strongbox and constantly studied and fiddled with a map. Then he’d pace back and forth mumbling about his uncle Abe and how he left it for him, and he’d get what was his.” Nooko paused. “Could I have some water, please?”
Josie handed her the cup of ice water. “You’re doing great. You don’t have to continue today. You should get some rest.”
Nooko waved her off and continued. “I remember there was a sign on the blind. I noticed it when we first got there, before he sat me in a chair, tied my hands, and blindfolded me. The sign said Jack’s Place.”
“We found it,” Barb said. “It sounds like we got the right place. The police are checking for DNA evidence, but I doubt they’ll need it for a case.”
“Oh. And he shot something. Or someone.” She looked scared. “That was before he moved me to that blind.”
“That was me, Ruth.” Barb took her hand and smiled softly. “I saw him in the woods by some cabins, and he caught me trying to sneak up on him.”
“Oh, dear. Are you okay?” Nooko tried to sit up and Barb gently held her down.
“I’m fin
e. It wasn’t serious.”
Nooko relaxed back on her pillow. “Thank you for visiting me.” Nooko reached to her and tears rolled down her cheeks. “I’m sorry, honey.” She sniffled and reached for a tissue.
“Nooko, it’s over. And you certainly have nothing to apologize for. Abe is an evil man.”
“Oh, Joslyn. I thought it was you. I thought you’d returned, so I went to the office to see you.” Nooko’s voice shook and her lip trembled as more tears fell. “He was pounding on the safe and swearing. He lifted the hammer and threatened to bash my head in when he turned and saw me. Then he grabbed me. My cane fell to the floor and he wouldn’t let me have it. Then he yanked off my emergency button and stomped on it. He told me he’d kill me if I made any noise.” She squeezed her eyes shut. “He dragged me out the door. I tried to fight him, but he was too strong.” She sniffled and her eyes fluttered open.
Kelly grabbed her wrist to check her pulse. “You rest, Ruth. You’re safe now. It’s over.” She moved away when the doctor stepped to the bed.
He watched the monitors and listened to her heart with his stethoscope. “You settle down, Ruth. Kelly’s right. You’re safe now, your family’s here, and no one can hurt you. I’d like you to rest now. There’s time for more questions tomorrow.”
Josie stood at the foot of her bed holding her feet. “He can’t hurt you here.”
“And we’re going to catch him soon, Ruth.” Barb stood at the head of the bed, resting her hand on her shoulder.
“I’m going to give her something to help her sleep again. You all can head home. We’ll take good care of her tonight.” The doctor consulted with the nurse and left the room.
“Good-bye, Nooko. We’ll be back in the morning.” Josie kissed her cheek and stood back while Kelly and Barb followed her lead. Nooko lifted her hand in a feeble wave and dropped it back to the bed.
The ride back was quiet, with Kelly dozing with her head on her shoulder. “Thanks for driving, Barb.”
“No problem. You two get some rest. I’ll call you tomorrow with an update.”
She and Kelly crawled out of the back seat and hugged Barb. Josie stood by the car, sudden fear gripping her heart. “Do you think he’ll be back, Barb? Do you think he’ll try to hurt us again?”
“I doubt it, but you could go stay at the hotel in town if you’re worried. He got what he was after. The strongbox was probably the only reason he wanted your land, and what was in it is probably worth a hell of a lot more than the thirty grand he offered you. I don’t think he ever really wanted your land. He probably thought he could get it cheap and scare you into selling so he could dig for the box. Of course, we can’t know what’s going on in his mind, but my guess is that he’s hiding out, looking for a way off the island. We will catch him. I’ll make sure the police stake out your place. I’ll radio them right away, so someone will be here all night. Does that help?”
Barb’s intensity calmed her fears. “That’d be great. Thanks, Barb, and I’ll keep Dad’s twelve-gauge handy, too.”
* * *
“Everything looks quiet around here,” Josie said as she entered the bedroom after making her nightly rounds to find Kelly lying half undressed on the bed. “You asleep?”
“No. I’m going to need a little help getting these clothes off.” She spoke with her eyes closed. Her eyebrows pinched together, showing the amount of pain she was in.
Josie’s heart ached as she watched Kelly protect her injured arm. Her feet were bare and her jeans were unbuttoned and pulled down to her thigh on the right side. “Did you take your pain pill?”
“I hate the way they make me feel.”
“Do I need to tell you it’ll help you sleep so you can heal faster, Nurse Kelly?”
Kelly opened one eye and smirked.
Josie went to the kitchen and brought two bottles of water back to the bedroom. “Here.” She opened one and handed it and a tablet to Kelly. “Let’s get you undressed.”
“Even though my arm hurts like crazy, I love hearing those words from you.”
Josie paused and their gazes locked. “I love saying them to you. Only you.”
“Only me sounds pretty good, too.” Kelly brushed her lips over hers.
“I can’t believe how close I came to losing you, and it jogged something in me. All my fear of loving you because you might somehow be taken from me now pales in the fear of missing out on us being together for as long as we have. I mean, there’s no guarantee of tomorrow, but we all hope for one. I had a friend in school who used to quote her preacher. ‘Plan for the future, but live as if it’s your last day.’ It always reminded me of my mom dying, but now I feel differently. I want to plan for however long our forever will be with you.” She held Kelly’s uninjured hand to her heart. “I love you, Kelly.”
“I love you, too. For our forever.” Kelly kissed her and leaned her forehead against Josie’s.
Josie thought back to her conversations with Nooko and her own ruminations about Kelly. Her fears and doubts were what brought her to her ability to accept the love Kelly offered and to return the feelings. A few weeks ago she couldn’t have imagined falling in love. Today she couldn’t imagine living without it. She wrapped her arms around Kelly and kissed her tenderly. “Let’s get some sleep. I’m exhausted.”
“Yeah. Me, too, but I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my life.”
Josie gently removed Kelly’s shirt and undressed before sliding into bed and covering them both. She scooched closer to Kelly and turned to kiss her. “Good night, love,” she murmured softly.
Kelly snuggled close and sighed into her shoulder.
Chapter Thirty-eight
“Breakfast is ready.” Josie carried plates to the table where Nooko’s place setting sat waiting.
“I could use a hand with this, please,” Kelly shouted from the bedroom, sounding frazzled.
Josie laughed when she saw Kelly with her good arm straight up in the air and her T-shirt dangling halfway over her head. She helped her finish dressing and pulled her against herself to nuzzle her neck. “Mm. I like assisting you getting dressed almost as much as disrobing you.”
“I’d agree if I weren’t so incapacitated.”
“How’s it feeling this morning?” Josie examined her arm.
“It feels better, actually. I think the pain medication and rest helped a lot.”
“Good. Let’s have breakfast and you can take another pill before we go spring Nooko.”
Josie picked at her food, trying to chase away the vision of Nooko with a gun pressed to her head. As good as it felt having Kelly there with her, she couldn’t get over the traumatic events.
“Hey. You okay?” Kelly rested her hand on her wrist.
“I will be when Nooko gets home. I can’t believe she felt the need to apologize for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I really believe Abe would’ve found another way to grab her if he hadn’t that day. I’ll put together a bag of clothes for her, and we can go.” Josie carried the breakfast dishes to the kitchen as she spoke. “You know, I think he probably didn’t even have a plan, other than to try to break into the safe. When Nooko walked in on him, he decided it would be easier to take her hostage, so he nabbed her.” She turned to Kelly, who’d followed her to the kitchen and sat at the kitchen table. “Her increased mobility put her directly in his path.”
Kelly rose to wrap her arms around Josie. “And…her new strength and flexibility has helped her make it through this. She’ll heal faster and be home sooner. Let’s go make that happen.”
Josie drove slowly on the way to the medical center, mindful of Kelly wincing at every bump in the road. She parked in the handicapped spot of the building, shut off the engine, and sat quietly.
“You ready?” Kelly asked.
“Yeah. I can’t believe we’re here and Nooko’s inside attached to tubes and monitors.” She turned to Kelly and tipped her head. “It doesn’t feel real, does it?”
“Nope. It’ll take a wh
ile to get over this. Let’s go see how Ruth’s doing and hope she’s well enough to come home.”
They stopped at the door to her room. Nooko was sitting up in bed laughing and engaged in conversation with an elderly woman seated in the room’s visitor chair.
The visitor smiled and greeted them when they entered. “Kelly?”
“Mrs. Robins. It’s good to see you. Do you two know each other?” Kelly asked.
“Loretta and I went to grade school together.” Nooko grinned and reached for Loretta’s hand. “I can’t believe she’s here. We haven’t seen each other in years.”
“It’s good to meet you, Mrs. Robins. How did you know my grandmother was here?” Josie looked back and forth between them. She and Nooko were chatting as though they were out for coffee instead of sitting in a room filled with IV bags and monitors.
“Oh, everyone at the home knows, dear. It’s a small island with a long memory, you know. When I found out, I had to come see her. The nice man who drives the senior bus brought me.”
Kelly checked the monitor and lifted Nooko’s hand to check her IV. “Have you seen the doctor this morning?”
“Oh yes. He’s been in twice to check on me and Loretta. I’ll be able to go home this morning.”
“The doctor knows Mrs. Robins is here?”
Loretta pulled her walker to her and stood. “Oh, yes. I talked to him before I came over. He’s a nice man. He lets a few of us leave for the day if we’re able, but I’m only supposed to stay an hour, so I’m going home.”
Nooko and Loretta hugged and kissed good-bye, just as the doctor entered the room.
“I trust you two had a nice visit.” He turned to Kelly, who was still watching Nooko’s monitors. “You look as if you know what you’re doing.”
“I’m a nurse, so I’ve seen this before.” Kelly smiled.
Love Came Calling Page 24