by Curry, Edna
This situation reminded him too much of his days in the Special Forces. He’d seen that same look in the eyes of a woman he’d pulled from the wreckage of a bombed house. She’d just realized she no longer had a home or family. That was the kind of thing he’d come here to this peaceful small town to forget. Why did violence seem destined to follow him?
He needed to see Jane and make sure she was all right. He locked his office and strode to his car. He’d just stop over at the hospital. He grimaced, remembering he had an appointment with an important client at one o’clock. He glanced at his watch. He could make it back in time if he picked up a fast-food sandwich for lunch on the way.
At the hospital, he asked for the woman who’d fallen in the river. The nurse smiled. “Oh, you mean Jane Doe? She’s right down the hall, second door on your right.”
He knocked on the open door, though he could see her watching TV. She was in bed, sitting propped up with pillows. Her face had a normal color this morning. Her auburn hair shone and fell around her face in soft waves. Beautiful.
At his knock, her gaze swung to him. Her face lit up with a smile. “Hello, Mr. Jonner.”
“Hi, Jane. Call me Mel, please. How are you, today?”
“Stiff and sore. But otherwise fine, thanks to you.”
Embarrassment at her gratitude heated his face. “You have a nasty bruise on your forehead.”
She nodded and gave a little laugh. “Those rocks in the river are hard.”
“Sharp, too,” he said, nodding at the bandage on her left arm. “I heard you needed some stitches. I’m so glad you feel up to joking about it.”
“The doctor says it’s going to heal up fine. I’m sorry about getting your sofa all wet and muddy,” she said, looking up at him from under thick red lashes.
Mel shrugged. “Don’t worry about my old sofa. It’s been wet and dirty many times before. No big deal.”
“You’re a very nice man.”
He shrugged, embarrassed. “As I said, it was no big deal. I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
Damn, but she was attractive. Bruised and hurt, yes, but something about her captured him. Poise, that was the word for it. He wished he’d thought of bringing her some flowers or something.
“Have you remembered anything yet? Who you are, I mean? Or who the man is who was with you by the dam?”
“The man by the dam?”
He stared at her. Damn it, Ben said he’d tell her about being pushed. Hadn’t he? “Yes. Didn’t Ben tell you about him?”
The frown on her face cleared and she nodded. “You mean about you having seen someone push me into the river? Yes, he told me.” She turned the question back to him. “Do you have any idea who he was?”
“No. I just saw a man…or at least someone…with you by the dam before you fell off the cliff. Do you remember who it was?”
She just shook her head, and asked curiously, “What did he look like?”
Mel shrugged. “I was in my office, quite a ways away, so I couldn’t see clearly. Taller than you. Had blond hair. Wearing dark pants and a white or very light colored shirt. Actually, we’re not sure if it was a man or woman.”
Jane looked interested in his description, but it seemed to mean nothing to her. But she was anxious about her future. “What’s going to happen to me?” she asked. “I can’t stay here. I’m not really sick. But I don’t know who I am or where I belong.”
She looked away, fighting tears. Her puffy eyes told him she’d been crying earlier. She had to be scared and upset. His heart went out to her.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “Your memory will come back soon. If it doesn’t, we’ll figure out something.”
“The sheriff said the same thing.” She gave him a little smile.
“I have a meeting with a client, so I have to get back to my office. I’m an accountant,” he explained when she looked questioningly at him. “I’ll stop back later.”
“Okay.” She smiled at him, her lips trembling slightly.
He fought the oddest urge to kiss those luscious lips. Ridiculous. He hardly knew her. She might be married to the jerk who had pushed her into the river, a victim of domestic abuse like his sister, Mary. He swallowed hard. He had no right to dream about this woman or to keep thinking of her, either.
On the other hand, she looked like she could use a friend right now. Certainly the jerk who had pushed her hadn’t come forward to help her out of this predicament.
Mel left the hospital, his feelings tied in knots. He stopped at the drive-in for a sandwich and hurried back to his office. He barely had time to eat the burger before his client arrived.
~ * ~
After his client left, Mel closed his office and drove over to the sheriff’s office to see Ben.
Marion Sanders, who owned the dress shop on the lower level of the mall, sat talking to Ben. Before Mel had a chance to question the sheriff about Jane, Marion turned to him with a big smile. “Hi, Mel. I’m glad you stopped by.”
He winced. Marion was a nice gal, and they occasionally shared a pizza or watched a video together as just friends, nothing serious going on. He wanted their relationship to stay casual, but wasn’t sure Marion did.
Now she gave him the silly grin which meant she was up to something. “I talked to the hospital and the doctor’s ready to release your Jane Doe.”
He frowned at her. “She’s not ‘my’ Jane Doe.”
“You saw her go into the river, started the search for her and even found her yourself, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, I guess.” He glanced at Ben, who sat there with a smirk on his long, bony face. His gut tightened. Ben knew Marion pretty well, too.
“Anyway, I hear she has nowhere to go, unless the sheriff lets her stay in a jail cell or pays for a motel room for her.”
“A jail cell? That’s a shame,” he said with a frown. He tried to imagine someone like her sleeping on a cot behind bars, locked or not. If she was anything like his sisters, she’d be mortified. His stomach turned over. He glanced at Marion and swallowed. “That’s not right.”
“Definitely not,” Marion said.
He turned to Ben. “You haven’t found anyone to claim her yet?”
“No,” Ben said, shaking his head. “But I can authorize putting her in a motel for a day or two.”
“She doesn’t even have a purse or any clothes!” Mel remembered her bloody bare feet and shuddered.
“She can stay with me,” Marion offered. “My sister and her two kids are visiting me for the summer, so it’ll be a little crowded, but she’ll probably get her memory back soon.”
Mel shook his head and glanced at Ben, who also shook his head. Mel got Ben’s message. No way. If she stayed with Marion and the guy found her, Marion and her family could get hurt as well. “That’s not a good idea.”
“Do you have a better idea?” Marion challenged.
Was she hinting he put Jane up? Hmm. Not a bad idea, at that. He said nothing, considering. He didn’t want to get involved. But still…
“Ben could put her picture on the news media and hope someone recognizes her,” Marion said.
“No. She doesn’t want any reporters,” Mel exclaimed before he caught Ben’s warning frown and remembered Ben was trying to keep the fact that she’d been pushed into the river quiet for now. Or at least out of the newspapers, so the fewer people who knew and the less said about it the better.
“Why not?” Marion asked.
Ben put in quickly, “We don’t want a lot of publicity about this, Marion. I’m keeping it on the wire with other departments. I think that’s enough for now.”
“That may not be enough. Besides, I think the papers are already onto this. At the hospital a while ago, I heard a reporter talking to the nurses. One wanted to take her picture but she refused.”
Mel and Ben exchanged glances. “Damn,” Mel said under his breath. Then he frowned at Marion. “What were you doing at the hospital?”
Mel flushed. “I realize that.” What could he say without explaining about the man who might still be after Jane? He glanced at Ben for support. He knew the sheriff’s office didn’t have enough manpower to give Jane any real protection. She’d be a sitting duck if this jerk made another attempt to kill her, especially since she didn’t know who he was. She couldn’t tell them who to watch out for. She wouldn’t know who to trust.
Ben held up a hand. “So, if the damage is done, we’ll just have to deal with it. Maybe the reporter won’t make a big deal of it and not many people will notice.”
Mel thought fast. He didn’t like it, but he didn’t have much choice. His conscience wouldn’t let him abandon her. “I have two places. She can stay in my apartment and I’ll sleep at the cabin until we find out where she belongs.”
“That would be great,” Ben said.
“Why not let her have the cabin?” Marion asked.
Mel and Ben exchanged glances again and Mel said, “No, it’s too isolated out there. I think it’s best that she stays in town.”
“I agree,” the sheriff said quickly. “I took care of the paperwork for the hospital bill, so you won’t have to deal with that. You can just pick her up.”
“Thanks, Ben,” Mel said. Marion looked a bit peeved at his offer. Was she jealous because Jane would be staying above his office where he’d see a lot of her?
“I’ll go with you to get her,” Marion said.
Mel swallowed and nodded. When Marion made up her mind to do something, nothing stopped her.
Now she told him, “I have some clothes and shoes for her to wear. She only had her hospital gown earlier. I don’t know what happened to her clothes.”
“They were pretty muddy. If they weren’t ruined, they’d at least need to be washed before she can wear them again,” Mel said.
He and Marion walked out to his car. A gorgeous June day surrounded them, warm and bright with just the hint of a breeze. He didn’t appreciate that as he drove across the river to the hospital.
What had he gotten himself into now? He knew nothing about this woman except she was lovely and vulnerable. What would happen when the person who’d pushed her into the river learned she was still alive? Surely he’d be watching the papers for news of her death.
When Mr. Jerk learned she was still alive, would he return to finish the job? Mel couldn’t let that happen. Yet, the thought of another person depending on him to keep her safe made his stomach churn.
Chapter 4
Jane sat in the chair next to her hospital bed, staring unseeing at the TV. Butterflies churned in her stomach. I hope I’m not going to throw up my lunch.
The doctor said I’m free to go. There’s nothing more they can do for me. My bruises will heal in time. I’m supposed to have my own doctor remove the stitches in the cut on my arm in a few days.
A laugh gurgled in her throat. Or was it a cry of panic? My own doctor. That’s a laugh, but it’s not in the least bit funny. Who is my ‘own doctor?’ Where am I supposed to go ‘home?’
The nurse commented that my clothes had designer labels, so somewhere, if I only knew where, I must have some money, probably a home and family. And a good job? What do I do for a living?
Her mind swirled with questions and her stomach rolled with worry. I must calm down so I can think. I’m strong, I always take care of myself. I can figure out a solution for this problem, too. The doctor said my memory might return in bits and pieces, or it might never return. He didn’t know.
Apparently neither did anyone else, so they were dumping her out on the street.
She wanted to laugh at the irony of it. I can’t blame them. They have other patients to worry about, ones who have problems they know how to fix. And who have money to pay for their care. I don’t.
She leaned back in the soft chair and closed her eyes. I’ve heard of people who are homeless. I know they sleep in shelters run by charities, or in the waiting rooms of airports and bus stations, in vacant houses or under bridges along highways. But I certainly never thought I’d be one of them.
How ironic that I can remember some things, but not remember my name or where I live or work.
She remembered the nice log cabin she’d found when she’d walked out of the river. How far away was that? Could I find an empty cabin or house like that to stay in until I remember where I live? Or should I apply for help from the welfare office for enough money for food? No, they’d need me to fill out a million forms before they could help me. They’d need my name, former address and social security number. What can I say when my whole life is a blank? In a flash, she saw herself sitting at a table with someone. But she was the one helping the other person filling out those forms. She hadn’t been the one asking for help. At least not that time!
She stared down at herself. The hospital laundry, or maybe a kind nurse, had washed her once white cotton slacks and green print top and returned them. All the grass and mud stains hadn’t come out, so they didn’t look very clean, but at least the river muck and smell was gone. But she had no shoes and her knee highs had been ruined, so her feet were bare in the rubber soled terrycloth slippers that were part of the standard hospital garb here. Not exactly a promising outfit to wear looking for a free place to sleep.
“Hello!”
Jane looked up. Mel and Marion, the woman who’d visited her earlier, walked into her room.
She smiled at them. “Hi. It’s good to see some familiar, friendly faces.”
“You’re looking better this afternoon,” Mel said. “We hear you’re free to go.”
Jane looked away and swallowed. Go where? “Yes.”
Marion put a bag down on her bed. “I brought you a clean blouse and a purse and some slip-on shoes. I hope I guessed right at the size, but anyway, they should do to spring you out of here.”
“Thank you. That was very thoughtful.”
“I see you got your clothes back clean. How nice. But that top is sleeveless and torn. Would you prefer to wear the blouse I brought? It has sleeves that will hide the bandage on your arm, too,” Marion said.
Ah, a woman who understood. “Thank you. Yes, I’d like that,” Jane said.
Marion opened the bag and handed the blouse to her. Mel turned his back and Marion helped Jane into the blouse.
“I hope I guessed right at the size.”
Marion took the torn, Baroque scene corset top from Jane, glancing at the tag to check the size. Her eyes widened at the exclusive brand name and her fingers traced the lace-up front as she said, “Wow, Jane, this top is a designer label! It’s from the Moschino Jeans Collection. It must have cost you an arm and a leg. I should have recognized those flared white pants, too.”
“Yes, that’s what the nurse said,” Jane agreed, frowning. “You can turn around now, Mel. I suppose that means I must have money and a good life somewhere, right?” She laughed ruefully. “If only I could remember how to return to it.”
She sat in the chair and bent to slip the shoes on. A little groan of pain escaped her lips as she tried on the shoe.
Mel noticed, and seeing the red, raw skin on the side her foot, said quickly, “I think those hospital slippers will do for now. Time enough for proper shoes when the scraped skin on your feet heals up.”
“I think you’re right,” Marion agreed. “I’m sorry I didn’t notice that your feet were injured when I was here earlier.”
“It was sweet of you to bring me shoes. Maybe I’ll be able to use them later,” Jane said, putting the slippers back on and handing the shoes back to Marion.
“Come on, then. Do you want your personal items from here, like your toothbrush, toothpaste and comb, maybe? I’m quite sure they throw them away if you don’t take them.”
Suddenly it
seemed important to keep those simple things that were her only known possessions. Mel and Marion want me to go with them. But go where? Where will I go after I leave the safety of the hospital? Where do these people intend to take me?
“Yes,” Jane said, picking up those items from her side table and putting them into the purse.
Panic making her voice rough, she asked, “Will the hospital let me go without paying the bill? I don’t know if I have any insurance or money.”
Mel said, “Sheriff Ben took care of that. The county has emergency funds for cases like this. If you find you have money later, you can reimburse them.”
Relieved to be free of that problem, Jane said, “Of course I will.”
A nurse came to walk her patient out. She wanted to use a wheelchair, but Jane refused.
They walked down the hall together and said goodbye to the nurses at the desk.
When they moved out into the bright sunshine, Jane asked, “Where are we going?”
“Well, first I thought we’d get a bite to eat,” Mel said. “I just finished work and I’m starved. Okay?”
“Sure,” Marion agreed. “Okay, Jane?”
“All right,” she agreed. “But I’m not dressed for anywhere fancy.” That wasn’t what she’d meant by asking where they were taking her, but Mel and Marion seemed to have made plans and she certainly didn’t have any reason not to go along with them. Take things one day at a time. Now where had that bit of philosophy come from?
They crossed the bridge over the St. Croix River and Jane shuddered as she eyed the rushing water from the car window. She remembered how cold and dark the water had been. Was it just yesterday that she’d been caught in it?
Just across the bridge, Mel parked on the main street of the little town in front of a restaurant named The Flame. ”This is our local watering hole. You’ll meet everyone in town here sooner or later. A lot of them meet here for coffee every morning.”
“I see,” Jane said. A sign on the window proclaimed, ’Good family food.’ As they entered, she noticed a sign on the door said, ‘No shoes, no shirt, no service.’