Mountain Ambush

by Hope White

  No, she wouldn’t go there. Once the swelling went down, patients with brain injuries could spring right back to normal, no problem. They didn’t necessarily suffer long-lasting effects and were able to reenter their lives without missing a beat.

  As Dr. Spencer stepped away from Aiden, Maddie touched his arm. “Good thing we were here.”

  “Yeah.” Was that sarcasm lacing his voice? If so, that meant he had the presence of mind to know he wasn’t functioning at one hundred percent.

  Chief Walsh, who was questioning Nia outside, waved them over. “Did he give you any indication he thought someone was around, that he felt threatened?”

  “By the time I got to him he couldn’t speak,” Nia said.

  “Hey, he’s tough. He’ll be okay,” Scott encouraged. Nia nodded, but didn’t look convinced.

  The paramedics rolled Aiden out of the barn on the stretcher and Nia rushed to his side, walking with him to the ambulance. Maddie suspected Aiden’s injuries weren’t serious, yet Nia’s reaction tore at her insides.

  As they headed back to the cabin, Maddie wondered if she’d ever experience that kind of profound love, that kind of connection with a man. She’d thought she’d had it with Waylan. As teenagers he’d helped her through some of the darkest days of her life after Dad left, Mom withdrew emotionally, and then even she moved away. Waylan’s love had been the beacon of light that sparked hope for Maddie each and every day.

  Then Waylan had abandoned her for a more exciting life in the city.

  “What is it?”

  She snapped her attention to Dr. Spencer. “What?”

  “Your expression—it’s rather sad.”

  “I’m fine.”

  She sensed he knew she wasn’t fine at all.

  They returned to the small cabin and Nate shut the door. “The officer will remain posted outside.”

  Maddie wandered to the kitchen table and grabbed her mug of coffee. She’d slept poorly last night in her apartment, the violence of the day invading her dreams. At two in the morning she’d finally given up, knelt beside her bed and prayed. Prayer always calmed her runaway thoughts.

  As Nate poured himself a cup of coffee, Spence leaned against the counter. “Anything on the bearded man from last night?”

  “Why don’t you take a seat?” Nate motioned to the kitchen table.

  Maddie and Spence joined him. Nate cleared his voice as if hesitating to share bad news.

  “I don’t like the sound of that,” Spence said.

  “And I don’t like anything about this case. Gwen gave me her statement. She never sent you the text message asking for help.”

  “Wait, but the message came from her phone,” Spence said.

  “She lost her phone a few days ago. She used a find-your-phone app, which led her into the mountains. She struggled with the assailant and fell.”

  “So a guy I don’t know gets ahold of Gwen’s phone and sends me a text to lure me into the mountains to what? Kill me?”

  “It’s looking that way.” Nate leaned forward. “You need to seriously consider making a list of potential enemies.”

  Spence shook his head in frustration.

  “The sooner you figure out who’s after you the quicker your life can get back to normal,” Maddie offered.

  “Work on that list, Spence,” Nate said.

  “I wouldn’t know where to start.”

  “Right, because Dr. Dreamboat has no enemies,” Maddie said.

  “None that are angry enough to want me dead.”

  “You may not realize how angry they are,” Nate said. “What about dissatisfied patients or family members who disagreed with your course of treatment? Someone from your past?”

  “I’ll help him get started,” Maddie said.

  “Good, thanks,” Nate said, and then redirected his attention to Spence. “I need you to remember if the guy said anything last night that could help us figure out who he is.”

  Spence glanced at Maddie, then back at Nate.

  She sensed he didn’t want to say something in front of her. Well, tough beans. She wasn’t leaving.

  “I remembered something this morning,” Spence said. “The man said ‘you’ll pay for your sins.’”

  Nate frowned. “What sins?”

  Spence stared into his coffee. Shame twisted his features, but shame about what?

  “What is it?” Maddie pressed.

  Spence snapped his attention to her. “Nothing.”

  “Spence?” Nate said.

  “What do you want me to say?” He stood suddenly and gripped his head. “I need to lie down.” He marched into the bedroom and shut the door.

  Nate shared a concerned look with Maddie. “I’m worried about him.”

  “He’ll be okay. He’s sore and frustrated that he isn’t working, ya know, saving lives.”

  Nate eyed the bedroom door. “He doesn’t seem like himself. What do you think’s going on?”

  “Sorry, but I don’t know him that well.”

  “You see him all the time at the hospital.”

  “I hand off patients and leave. The doc and I have rarely spoken for any length of time, well, until yesterday.”

  “But you know how positive he usually is, how upbeat and happy. This guy...” He shook his head. “I’m not sure I know this guy.”

  “It’s still Dr. Spencer. You’ve never seen him wounded and worried. He’s really worried.”

  “That’s good. That means he’s taking the threat against his life seriously.”

  That wasn’t what Maddie had meant. Spence was terrified that his life was over because he’d be benched from practicing medicine.

  “I wasn’t done discussing the case,” Nate said.

  “He should rest if he feels he needs it. I can text you when he awakens.”

  “Are you staying all day?”

  “Maybe, if you think it’s a good idea.”

  “Definitely. Having a medical professional close by gives me peace of mind. I’m not sure about Spence’s judgment right now.”

  * * *

  Spence was hiding. There was no other way to describe it. As he lay in bed staring at the ceiling, he realized he was hiding from everything: regrets from the past, Nate’s probing questions, the possibility he might have made enemies angry enough to want him dead, and the unnerving feeling that he was never safe.

  Except when Maddie was close.

  He sat up. It was unfair to put her danger, and he wasn’t a coward by nature, yet the few hours of rest had eased his headache and made him feel almost normal, like his old self.

  His typically charming self would be quick to forge ahead with his life. Figuring out who was after him was the first step. His usual self would also be quick to apologize to Maddie for his sharp tone. She knew he was struggling and yet she’d covered for him in the barn when they’d assessed and treated Aiden. She was Spence’s closest confidant at this point. He should appreciate her efforts, not take her for granted.

  Or push her away.

  His phone vibrated with a call from Dr. Carver. He cleared his throat, needing to sound strong, confident.

  “Hi, Ruth, how are you?” he said in the most charming voice he could manage.

  “You sound better.”

  “I am better, thanks. What’s the word on Aiden McBride?”

  “Bruised tailbone and mild concussion. Apparently he was reaching for something and lost his balance. I heard you were there when it happened?”

  “Yes, Nate put me up in a cabin at the resort because of the break-in at my place last night.”

  “Oh, Spence. How frightening.”

  “I’m okay. Safe at the resort under police protection.”

  “Which cabin are you s
taying in? I’ll send the assistant over to the resort.”

  “Actually, let’s not involve anyone else at this point. Chief Walsh thinks it could be personal, that someone might be after me, so the fewer people in my orbit the better.”

  “Spence, I’m sorry.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Do you have any idea who it could be?”

  “None. A disgruntled patient perhaps, or someone who thinks I’ve wronged him?”

  “But everyone loves you here.”

  “I’m sure not everyone.”

  “Well, let me know if there’s anything I can do to help. In the meantime, get well and I’ll take you off the schedule until further notice.”

  He didn’t like the sound of that.

  “I’d still like to work once I’m up to it.”

  Silence answered him.

  “Ruth?”

  “Spence, you just told me someone is after you. Do you think it wise to bring that kind of danger to the hospital?”

  “No, but—”

  “I’m surprised you made the suggestion.”

  He heard the message behind her words: any logical-thinking person, not suffering from brain trauma, would have better sense than to talk about coming back to work and bringing trouble with him.

  “Just didn’t want you to forget about me,” he joked. “How’s Gwen?”

  “Vitals are good. She’s out of the woods. You did excellent work out there, Dr. Spencer.”

  “Tell her I said hi.”

  “I will. And don’t worry about your patients or staffing. Take as much time off as necessary, months if you need it. You’ve earned it.”

  “Thanks.”

  He ended the call and stared at the phone in his hand. Months off work? He’d lose his mind.

  The stress of being cooped up in a one-bedroom cabin and not doing his life’s work sparked another headache. He couldn’t stand feeling useless.

  Helpless.

  He glanced out the window at the rain falling from the gray sky. The darkness matched his mood. He had to stop denying the possibility that someone was targeting him, and figure out the identity of his tormentor.

  If he couldn’t convince Maddie to distance herself he might as well join forces with her to investigate who was after him. She was a bright woman with a calming nature who didn’t seem interested in a romantic entanglement like the other ladies in town.

  He opened the bedroom door and glanced across the cabin at the chair where she had been sitting earlier. It was empty.

  He was alone.

  Disappointment fell heavy across his shoulders. He hadn’t realized how much he appreciated her presence until just now.

  Going to the kitchen area, he opened the refrigerator and was greeted by a dozen or so casserole dishes, plastic containers and fresh juices. He spotted a white container and cracked it open. It looked like the breakfast Maddie had ordered him.

  The cabin door opened. “Hey, you’re awake.” Carrying two large bags in her arms, Maddie toed the door shut behind her.

  “Let me help,” he offered.

  “Actually, I’m perfectly balanced.” Her lips curled into a pleasant smile. The tension eased across his shoulders. She slid the bags onto the counter and cracked open the refrigerator. “I was afraid of that.”

  “Where did it all come from?”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Like you don’t know.”

  “I don’t, honest.”

  “All your lady admirers.” She began rearranging the food and adding to it from her grocery bags. “The whole town knows about last night’s break-in and that you’re temporarily homeless.”

  “Wait, I’m not sure it’s a good idea for people to know I’m here.”

  “They don’t know you’re in the Juniper Cabin, only that you’re at the resort. Saving Aiden this morning got everyone talking.”

  “You did more of the saving than I did.”

  She pinned him with those incredible green eyes. “Yeah, what was that about?”

  He crossed his arms over his chest. “I froze. That’s never happened to me before.”

  “You’re still recovering,” she said, as if that was an acceptable answer. “In the mood for lunch? I brought brain food so we could focus on the EP.”

  “Extended play?” he questioned.

  “Enemy project.”

  “Ah, right. I’ll eat my Monster Mash as long as it’s here.”

  She shut the refrigerator door and looked at him. “I want you to know, nothing you say to me leaves this cabin. You can trust me, Doctor—” She caught herself. “Spence.”

  * * *

  They spent the afternoon making a list of potential enemies, although not the entire afternoon. Maddie encouraged Spence to lie down a few times because she sensed the strain was irritating his headache. How did she do that? How did she know what he was thinking? How he was feeling?

  They also took a break to meet with a forensic artist. Spence and Maddie came up with a pretty good likeness of the bearded man who broke into the cabin last night.

  Maddie had set up a whiteboard on the kitchen counter where they listed five potential enemies. He shared the odd, threatening emails he’d been receiving, and when she glanced at each one she crinkled her nose in concentration. The expression would be adorable if it wasn’t her way of focusing on the threat against Spence’s life.

  “This one is awfully cryptic. ‘Your mistake has become my destiny.’ What’s that mean?”

  “Haven’t a clue.”

  Maddie pointed to the whiteboard. “Any of these people could consider your behavior a mistake. For instance, Roger Grimes holds a grudge because you reported suspected abuse of his fourteen-year-old daughter, Megan. Was reporting him a mistake?”

  “Last I heard, Children’s Services was still investigating.”

  “And Anthony Price is upset with you because...?”

  “His fiancée, Theresa, and I had coffee in the cafeteria a few times.”

  “And Anthony thinks it was more than just coffee?”

  “I’ve heard Theresa has a crush on me. I can’t control that.”

  “No, of course not,” she teased.

  “Why are you needling me?”

  “Sorry, it’s that whole, ‘you’ve gotta laugh about it so you don’t cry about it’ thing. Humor is an awesome coping mechanism.”

  “What have you used it to cope with?”

  “Family stuff. Let’s focus.” She pointed to a name. “Why is Lucas Winfield on the list?”

  “He’s a seventeen-year-old kid that was brought in with hallucinations. He ingested an overdose of edible cannabis. I know it’s legal in Washington, but not until you’re twenty-one. I reported it to Nate.”

  “Lucas isn’t going to try to hurt you over that, is he?”

  “His parents were so upset they sent him to military school. He ran away. I hear he’s still missing.”

  “Whoa, I didn’t know about that.”

  “The parents are keeping the running away part quiet. I guess they felt responsible on some level.”

  “The burdens we carry,” she sighed.

  “What burdens do you carry, Maddie McBride?”

  She turned to him from the whiteboard. “Nothing I can’t handle with prayer and humor.”

  He wanted to question her more, but suspected she would deflect again, wanting to finish his list.

  “Who’s the Tomlin family?” she asked.

  “Oliver Tomlin died in my ER back in Portland from medication complications. No one told us he was on a certain medication that interacted with the nitroglycerin we gave him for chest pain. His blood pressure dropped so low he died of a heart attack.” Spence shook his head. “So frustrating. Ei
ther his wife, Tina, didn’t know he was on the drug, or she chose not to tell us for some reason.”

  “That’s sad.”

  “I heard that family fell apart after Oliver’s death.”

  “You heard?”

  “I left my position in Portland a few months after he died, but an associate of mine keeps me posted, as does the hospital administrator. The Tomlins sued the hospital for wrongful death. The courts dismissed the suit.”

  “Okay.” She stepped back. “That’s a pretty solid list, but haven’t you left someone out?” She quirked an eyebrow at him.

  “I don’t think so.”

  “What about Dr. Danner?”

  “William? He’s harmless. A lot of bark, but no bite. Kind of like a Yorkie.”

  Maddie burst out laughing and pride swelled in his chest. He’d done that. In the midst of all this darkness, he’d made her laugh. Spence wanted to do it again, tomorrow, the next day and the day after that.

  She composed herself and sat with him at the kitchen table, still eyeing the whiteboard. He might feel proud that he’d made her laugh, but he couldn’t afford to get used to having her around all the time.

  Even though he wanted her around. All the time.

  It was nearly dinnertime and he considered asking her to stay for a meal. He had plenty of food.

  “Aunt Margaret is in a knitting club with Anthony’s grandmother, so perhaps she can get the scoop on his state of mind, and I think cousin Bree is friends with Lucas’s aunt, Beth. Maybe she can find out what’s going on with Lucas. You focus on the Tomlins.”

  “I think we should give the list to Nate.”

  “We will, but not everyone likes talking to the police. Nate can check the status of the abuse charge against Roger, and it would be nice to know where Dr. Danner was when Gwen went looking for her phone. I don’t trust the guy. Ruling out Dr. Nasty should be our first step.”

  “Dr. Nasty, huh? Do we all have nicknames?”

  “Pretty much. So, we’re good?”

  He’d be better if she’d stay for dinner.