When it came down to seeing justice done, Sam had no idea.
Kate walked into the Stagecoach Café. She scanned the crowd and saw Sam beckoning her from a table in the rear. On her way, she noticed a buxom woman with the brightest red hair Kate had ever seen. Dyed, she thought. The manner in which she greeted guests and fluttered amid the tables made Kate suspect she was Aunt Fiona.
“Hi,” Kate said when she reached Sam. “Sorry I’m a little late. I overslept…and I wanted to stop and check on Adam before coming here.”
“How is he?”
Sam looked stressed, and Kate knew better than to ask.
“Doing better. He’s still weak. This has been very trying for all of us. I’m weary myself.”
He tilted back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. “I’m curious. Why are you at his side day after day? Because you’re a devoted colleague?” His look scrutinized her. “Is that the only reason?”
She arched a brow. “What questions did you have…besides that one?”
Sam didn’t smile. He ignored her comment and handed her the menu. “Want to order first?”
She accepted it and scanned the fare, curious what was bugging him. “I’ll have the buffalo burger and a side salad.”
He beckoned the waitress, placed their orders, then pulled his small spiral notebook and pen from his pocket. “I want you to describe the day for me, the day of the shooting. Try to think of anything unusual. Every detail might be important.”
“What does this have to do with Adam’s case?” Kate said.
“We have to check every angle, Kate. Things are happening. They seem connected or it’s an amazing coincidence. That’s all I can tell you.”
Kate let the troubling information settle in her mind. “I don’t believe in coincidence. I believe that God has a purpose and plan for us. We can fight the Lord’s will, but if he wants it so, it happens. No coincidence.”
“I agree. Anyway, I’m too suspicious to accept coincidence.”
“You’re a Christian?”
“Sure am.” He put on his get-down-to-business face. “But we don’t have time to discuss how a flat-foot sometimes puts his faith on the line. We need to talk about that day in Venezuela. The entire day.”
“I wasn’t questioning the faith issue,” Kate said as she willed her mind to go back to that day…the full day. The vision lay muddied in her memory. “I feel the way Adam must feel. My mind seems to have blocked out what happened before the shooting.”
“Please try to remember.”
She sat a moment to gather her thoughts…to dredge up the day she wanted to forget. “The late shift began about six. Sometimes the evenings dragged. Other times they didn’t. That day everyone seemed edgy. I remember we had a few patients that evening. One appointment I recall was a mother with an infant who’d had surgery on a cleft palate.”
“That was Adam’s patient?”
“Yes.” Kate recalled her surprise when she came into the room, seeing Adam cradling the baby in his arms. The picture had clung in her thoughts until the shooting. He’d looked so natural, so confident. She had wondered if he’d make a good father. The scene allowed her to witness Adam’s tender side—one she’d never known.
“What next?”
“Señor Garcia. He had a knife wound from a street fight. He drank too much and used drugs. The day before he came to the clinic had been Venezuelan Independence Day so we’d already seen a lot of incidences from overindulgences that day and the day of the shooting.”
“Did you see Garcia leave the building?”
“I didn’t notice.”
Sam scribbled her comment into a pad and spoke as if thinking aloud. “Far-fetched since Garcia probably isn’t in Colorado Springs, but he might have connections.”
Kate couldn’t imagine that.
“Same with the Clemente woman. Not likely but possible.”
“I don’t think so,” Kate said. “She was very religious. She just didn’t seem the type.”
“Did she have a key to the dispensary?”
“She helped us stock medical supplies, but one of us usually opened the door and was there with her.”
Sam nodded. “Who speaks Spanish at the clinic?”
“We all do…a little. At least, enough to get by. When we had problems, we had Carmen help us out. If she wasn’t there, Dr. Valenti spoke fluent Spanish. Usually we managed without help.”
Sam bent his head over the notebook and recorded what she had said. “So give me the details again. You heard the shots.”
Kate pushed her mind back again and brought out the details as she remembered them. Her pulse kicked up a notch as she recalled the blood and the fear that prickled her senses.
“Where were you at the time of the shooting?”
“In the reception area. I was in an office adjacent to the sign-in desk.”
“That’s located where?”
“Near the front door.”
“Any other doors?” Sam asked, his pen posed over the notebook.
“The delivery door near the dispensary.”
“So someone leaving would have passed you in the corridor or else exited through the dispensary door.”
“Right. If they’d used the front door I would have passed one running out.”
Sam made a note. “We’ll assume they left the back way, then.”
“I would think…and the body—the man Valenti shot—was in the back.”
“Right. We received those reports from the Feds.” He thought a moment, his eyes focused on the tabletop. “Was the dispensary always well stocked?”
“Supplies came in regularly each month. We had one delivery a month so near the end of that period we’d be running lower on meds.”
“They were delivered a certain week? Day?” He tilted his head and waited.
“Usually the second Thursday of the month.” She shrugged. “I don’t know why, but that’s how it worked. That week, they were delivered on Tuesday—two days early. I’d finished stocking them that morning.” She remembered the fiasco a few days earlier when she noticed the discrepancy in the inventory.
“So the new supplies arrived how many days before the break-in?”
Kate felt her eyebrows arch. “That day. On Tuesday.”
“And if the drugs hadn’t been delivered early that month, the looters would have found a short supply on Tuesday.”
“Right.”
He tapped the pen against his cheek. “Interesting.”
“After we had the robbery attempt, I began to wonder if drugs had been taken before from the clinic.”
He straightened. “What?”
Kate told him about the discrepancy she had found a few days before the burglary. At that time, she’d blamed herself for making an error, never thinking it could have been an earlier theft. “We kept the medical supplies at the far end of the building, closer to the offices and near the delivery door. It was away from the examining rooms and nurses’ desk. Unless we had a reason to be down there, it was usually a more deserted part of the clinic, especially on the late shifts when we had a smaller staff.”
Kate could see Sam’s eyes snapping with possibilities. Before he could ask another question, the waitress arrived, and he slid the notebook into his pocket.
“I’ll see how the pieces fit together, Kate. Thanks for going over this again. I know it’s stressful to re-hash it.” His expression faded to a frown as he looked past her shoulder.
Kate glanced in that direction. To her pleasant surprise, she spotted Jessica Mathers. She eyed Sam again. His embittered look aroused her curiosity. “Do you know Jessica?”
He nodded, his gaze glued in her direction.
“I met her at the Galilee Women’s Shelter.” Kate looked back again, hoping to catch her eye. Jessica sat across from a well-dressed man. A wine bottle sat between them. She leaned toward him, her face animated and intense. The man’s eyes didn’t waver from hers. At the meeting, Jessica had mentione
d she was a single mom. Could this older gentleman be the man in her life?
Sam’s distraction bewildered Kate. “How do you know her?”
“She was involved in a car accident almost two years ago. I was the cop who answered the call. She was badly injured.”
Kate reviewed the afternoon she’d met Jessica. “I didn’t notice anything physically wrong with her when we met.”
“I’m surprised. The accident was awful. She’d been injured. Her husband was killed, but her daughter didn’t have a scratch. You never know.”
Kate glanced at her again. “I had no idea.”
“Apparently she hasn’t changed since the night I pulled her out of the wreckage. She still seems to be a party girl.”
Kate heard Sam’s bitter tone and felt puzzled. “What makes you call her a party girl?” she asked.
“She’s drinking. I would think with what happened to her she’d stay clear of alcohol.”
Kate didn’t turn around again. She’d noticed a stemmed glass with something red. And the wine bottle. Could Sam be correct? He’d shocked her with his harsh comment. She focused on her burger and took a bite, but when she looked at Sam, he was still watching Jessica.
Chapter Thirteen
“How was your lunch with Sam?” Adam asked as Kate came through the door.
“Fine. He asked a million questions.”
Kate beamed seeing Adam wide awake and sitting on the edge of his bed. Though his coloring had improved, an IV still dispensed medication. The bullet wounds followed by his infection, then the drug overdose had taken its toll, and Kate anguished, seeing him weak and vulnerable.
“What kind of questions?” Adam asked.
“Too many,” she said, sitting beside him.
“I missed you.”
She longed to be honest and tell him the same, but she couldn’t. “You’re feeling better.”
“Yes…but I’d feel much better with you in my arms.”
Before she could think, Adam drew her closer. His tender expression surprised Kate, and her heart thundered when she saw his lips part as he drew nearer. She felt hers do the same, as if inviting him to kiss her. When his mouth touched hers, chills washed over her.
She knew he felt her shudder. He clasped her nearer while his own muted moan sang in her ears. Her eager lips moved on his, not wanting him to let go.
When he eased back, his gaze captured hers. “I feel much better now.”
Kate was speechless at his unexpected behavior and her own. He’d held her hand, caressed her cheek and said things that confused her, but never had he kissed her.
Anxiety raced through her, and her protective wall rose. “I thought you wanted to hear about my lunch with Sam,” she said.
His expression sparked with bewilderment. “Kate?”
She forced herself to look at him.
“Are you angry about the kiss?”
She couldn’t lie, and honesty won out. “No…I loved it.”
“Good,” he said. “So did I.”
“Do you want the answer to your question or not?” she asked. Her pulse raced, and she sounded breathless.
“I’ve forgotten it already.” He gave her a teasing look, then nodded. “Yes. Tell me about your lunch with Sam.”
She settled onto the chair for her own protection and detailed some of Sam’s questions.
Adam’s expression grew serious. “I’ve been thinking about that day at the clinic. Today I recalled a weird disagreement I had with Dan Eckerd before I went in to see Señor Garcia. It came out of nowhere, and I had asked myself that day if we’d all been affected by a full moon.”
“What happened between you and Dan Eckerd?” Kate asked, surprised to learn about this now.
Adam told her the story of Dr. Eckerd’s reaction to the advice he’d given a patient. “It didn’t make sense. I’ve never seen him fly off the deep end like that.”
“I’m surprised, too, but we were all on edge that day. Maybe the Lord was warning us to beware?”
Adam slid his hand over hers and pressed it against his palm. “That day.” He became silent a moment. “I keep getting visual flashes, but they leave too quickly. My hand on the dispensary door, two men, a face. It’s frustrating. I think I’m about to remember and then it explodes and vanishes…like fireworks.”
Her gaze drifted to his hand covering hers, but she managed to get her thoughts back on course. “Sam got me thinking, too. Something he asked me keeps niggling in my mind. Something that doesn’t sit right, but I can’t put my finger on it.”
“Retrograde amnesia?”
She chuckled at his attempt to lighten the mood.
He raised her fingers to his mouth and kissed them.
Kate’s pulse skittered at the pressure of his lips against her flesh. The sensation detoured their conversation and created new questions about their relationship. She felt uneasy with his attentiveness. It only spurred her longings, and what would happen when he was well and returned to the real world? Where would that leave Kate?
She withdrew her hand, then clutched both in her lap.
“You know, Kate,” Adam said, “I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life. I’ve paraded around like the prince of plastic surgeons, and I’ve come to realize it was my own fear of failure that made me that way.”
“Fear of failure? You?” Kate felt a frown flash across her face. She couldn’t imagine Adam afraid of failing.
“My dad had such expectations of us. You know how he is. He’s a great father, but he demands excellence. I worked so hard to become a good surgeon, I forgot about being a person. I’d lost the skill somewhere along the way, so to cover my inadequacy, I became aloof. I pushed people away with my attitude rather than be rejected. But it didn’t work. You didn’t let it stop you from being a friend.”
“Call me silly.”
Instead of smiling, Adam frowned. “I’m being serious. Even though I goaded you, you gave me a look or comment and always bounced back. Your self-confidence was so much stronger than mine.”
“Situations strengthen people. I had a difficult—” She stopped, realizing she’d nearly told him what she promised herself she would never reveal.
“You had a difficult…?”
Before Kate had to make up an answer, a noise sounded at the doorway and Dr. Emily Armstrong stepped into the room.
She smiled at Kate, then focused on Adam. “Hi, there. How are you feeling today?” She moved to his bedside. “I’ve heard about your problems.”
“I suppose you could call them that.”
“I’m so thankful that you’re doing better, Adam. I wanted to see you earlier, but things keep getting in my way.”
“No problem. I haven’t been much of a host.”
Emily sat on the empty chair and crossed her legs. “Kate told me about Doctors Without Borders. It sounds like a wonderful experience…except for your unfortunate ordeal. I’m thinking about it. One day, just maybe, I’ll get the courage to be a little adventurous myself.”
Kate listened while she spoke again of Peter and their problems. Kate wondered if Emily still loved her ex-husband. Could it be that God was still at work on their relationship?
“I need to stretch myself,” Emily said. “I’ve avoided too many things in my life.” She looked into the distance. “Do you think I’m too old to tackle something new?”
“You?” Adam grinned. “You’ll never be too old.”
“Thanks. I like to hear that.” She rose. “I have to get back, but I wanted you to know I’ve been thinking of you.” She patted his shoulder and headed for the doorway.
“Thanks,” Adam said.
“Emily.” Kate rose. “Could I walk with you for a minute?”
A puzzled look flashed across Emily’s face, then vanished. “Sure.”
Adam gave her a similar look.
Kate paused. “I’ll be right back.”
“Okay,” he said, curiosity still etched on his face.
Kate follow
ed Emily into the hallway. The need to talk to someone had risen in her like a flame. She needed advice and someone who would listen.
“Problem?” Emily asked in the corridor.
“Not really…well, a little.”
“What is it?” Emily asked.
Kate harnessed her internal turmoil and grasped her courage. She bit the inside of her lip, trying to drag the words to the surface. “It’s Adam,” she said finally.
Emily drew back, and her face paled. “You mean he’s more ill than you’ve let on?”
“No. Not that. It’s—”
“You can tell me, Kate. Has he done something wrong? I can’t believe—”
“He’s done nothing wrong. It’s something right.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Neither do I.” Kate pulled the admission from her heart. “He’s romantic. He held my hand, and he kissed me.” She looked into Emily’s eyes. “And I kissed him back.”
Laughter burst from Emily’s throat. “Oh, Kate, you had me so frightened, and you’re telling me something wonderful.”
“But it’s not. I’m afraid. I know our relationship is only temporary. I’ve been by Adam’s side through this whole ordeal. He thinks I saved his life, and he’s grateful. Once he’s healthy and—”
“Why are you afraid of love?” Emily took Kate’s arm and led her to the window at the end of the hallway. “Love is a gift. It’s nothing to fear.”
“But we’re from two different worlds.” Kate unlocked her silence and poured out the story of her childhood. “It’s not a pretty picture. How could I explain this to Adam?”
“Kate, love has nothing to do with that. It has to do with people who share a mission. You and Adam both want to help people in need. If you love to be with him and he makes your heart sing, that’s all that matters. Don’t worry about the past. It’s the past, not the present.”
“I wish you were right, Emily. I know Adam. I’ve seen his arrogance….”
Kate fell back against the wall for support. She had seen Adam’s arrogance in the past but not recently. Adam had changed. The reality settled over Kate like gossamer. Soft and subtle, a gauzy truth that made reality seem unreal.
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