by Wood, Lorena
Nick finished up his paperwork in a hurry. He couldn’t wait to get home to Whitney. He had to file the report on the carjacking they had investigated today. He and Teddy had spent most of their day chasing down leads on the child abduction case before the carjacking occurred. Maybe he should get a laptop like Whitney and then he could just e-mail the stuff in at the end of the day. He smiled thinking about his buddies carrying laptops around with them all day. That would be the day.
On the way home from work he clicked on the radio and tuned into the country station. He didn’t usually listen to much country, but he had noticed that Whitney liked it.
Suddenly he heard her voice in his mind. “Nick!”
His heart started beating faster and his insides were twisting. Something was wrong. He kept waiting to hear it again. Nothing happened. Maybe he had imagined it. He punched the gas pedal and sped the last two miles to his house.
The lights were on and it was quiet when he opened the door. He pulled his gun and quietly moved from room to room. The only sounds he heard were the dogs barking outside. He inched around the corner into the hall and found her sprawled face down on the floor. Her hair was matted and bloody and some of it covered her face. He felt her neck to make sure she had a pulse. When he was sure the house was empty he turned on the light. He saw the blood around her head and he felt like he couldn’t breathe. His hands were shaking so badly he had to try a few times to hit 911 on his phone. He finally punched in the right numbers and started checking for signs other of injuries. It looked like the blow to her head was the only damage.
“Whitney, can you hear me?”
She could hear him saying her name, but she couldn’t get her mouth to answer. All she could manage was a slight grunt. Nick heard her and saw her hand trying to move.
“Whitney, it’s okay. I’m here now. Just stay still until help arrives.”
She tried to move her head but in a flash of pain the blackness came swirling back and she passed out. Teddy arrived only minutes before the EMTs. Nick stayed by her side as they lifted the stretcher into the ambulance. Her vitals were stable but she had a concussion. The hospital would take x-rays to see if there was bleeding in the brain. Nick wanted to stay with her all the way to the hospital, but he had to check the area first. If there was any chance this guy was hanging around, he was going to find him.
“Teddy, did you find anything else in the house?”
“The back door was open. There are marks on the floor like he was dragging her and then he stopped. He may have heard you pull up and ran for it. No telling what he was going to do with her. You okay man?”
Nick was shaking with fear, anger, and left over adrenalin. He nodded to Teddy and headed around to the back of the house. They couldn’t make out any strange shoe prints so they started searching through the brush and sheds on the property. When they finished, they sent the patrol cars out to check the surrounding neighborhoods.
Nick and Teddy made it back to the hospital just as Whitney was being wheeled out of x-ray.
“Whitney.” He picked up her hand and kissed it. She gave him a weak smile and closed her eyes. They brought her into a room and turned the lights off. Teddy waited outside while Nick sat with Whitney. A small, dark skinned doctor walked in and shook Nick’s hand.
“I’m Dr. Anand, and you are?”
“Nick Naylor. I’m her closest family right now and also a detective on the PPD. How is she?”
He snapped the x-rays into the clamp and switched the light on behind the panel. He pointed to the area of her skull that had been hit. Nick couldn’t tell what he was looking at.
“This is where she received the blow. It appears her skull is intact, but there is some swelling. We will have to keep her here to monitor it. If it goes down on its own, she should be able to leave in two or three days.”
“And if it doesn’t?”
“It will depend on how much it continues to swell. If it continues, we may have to operate to relieve some of the pressure. Let’s just wait and see.”
Teddy walked in as soon as he saw the doctor leave.
“What’s the news?”
Nick repeated the doctor’s diagnosis. Teddy could see him struggling for composure.
“She’s gonna be fine. She’s strong and it’s just a bump on the head, right? Don’t panic yet.”
“I know, I know. I’m just…worried. Who did this to her? Maybe it’s someone out to get me, and they found her there instead. See, this is why I shouldn’t let people get close to me. They always get hurt.”
“Wait a minute. You don’t know what happened. People get mugged every day around here. You can’t live your whole life alone just because you’re a cop. Maybe she wants to risk it. It might just be someone after her, and then she’ll need you to protect her.”
“Man, if I find the person that did this, I’ll kill him.”
“Nick…”
“Alright, I’ll maim him real bad and then arrest him.” He laughed.
Whitney whispered hoarsely, “I heard that.” They both went over to the bed. Her eyes were small slits, but at least they were open.
“You just rest and I’ll be right here.” He patted her hand nervously.
“Wait, I have to tell you what happened. I thought it was you. I couldn’t tell…he was blocking me…but then I felt him. As he hit me, I felt his anger.” She swallowed and licked at her dry lips. “He was there for me Nick. It’s not your fault. He’s afraid of me. That’s all I could get before I blacked out.”
“Shhhhh. Don’t talk anymore now. We have guards posted on your doors. He won’t come here. Just rest.”
Whitney’s eyes closed and her head fell back on the pillow. When her breathing slowed and she looked like she was sleeping, Nick walked Teddy to the door.
“We’ll find him. Just take care of her.” Teddy reached around Nick’s shoulder to give him a squeeze.
Nick knew his partner would do everything possible to make it happen. He sat by Whitney’s bed through the night, dozing on and off. Who would want to hurt Whitney? Could it be someone still involved with this case? Or was it someone from her past? Teddy had mentioned that a reporter named Steven Hicks had been making a pest of himself around the station. He seemed overly interested in Whitney’s importance in the investigation. A background check had turned up little information. He had covered a case in Oregon a year ago that had used Whitney’s expertise. She hadn’t given him the exclusive he had been begging for, and he didn’t like her very much. That wasn’t enough to make him want to hurt her. Maybe it was someone that had gone to prison as a result of her talents. Agent Hollerman could check that out for him.
Every time she moved he watched her for signs of improvement, or something worse. They took her vitals all night long and Nick asked each time how she was doing. All they could tell him was that her vitals were stable. Early in the morning she finally opened her eyes and asked for something to drink.
Nick’s tried to keep the conversation light, but the worry in his voice gave him away. “’Bout time you woke up sleepy head.”
“Just getting my beauty rest,” Whitney shot back as she tried to sit up. She winced a little as she moved, but it was much better than she’d expected. Nick raised the bed so she could see better.
“You’re looking a little better, but you probably don’t want to look in the mirror yet.”
“Thanks. So much for the beauty sleep. You don’t look so great yourself you know. Did you decide to grow a beard while I was sleeping?”
Nick reached up and rubbed his chin. “I’ve been told I look sexy with a little stubble. I don’t think I’ll keep it though. Don’t think you’d enjoy kissing a porcupine every day.” He leaned over to gently kiss her lips. He could see how weak she was and worriedly pulled away. They were interrupted after a few minutes when an orderly came to take her vitals.
When the doctor came in Nick and Whitney were sitting by the window. The swelling had stopped and her vital signs we
re all good. She would be out of the hospital the next day if all went well.
Nick checked with the guard on the way out to be sure they knew they’d better not mess this one up. The guard knew Nick and promised he wouldn’t let anything happen to her. He left to meet Teddy feeling that Whitney was safe for the moment.
Teddy supplied him with the names and addresses of the reporters and other citizens that had made inquiries about Whitney in the past few days. With the media splashing her face all over, many people had expressed interest in her skills.
They started by tracking down Steven Hicks. He was a self professed psychic, and a reporter for a sleazy tabloid. He had tried desperately to meet with Whitney. She had refused to speak to him after he called the third or fourth time. He kept asking her to go out with him so they could compare abilities.
He was easy to find at the little bookstore he worked for in Mesa. They waited outside until he took a cigarette break, and then Nick snuck up behind him and pulled his gun.
“Put up your hands. Now! Phoenix Police Department. Hands behind your head!” He turned the man around so he could see the weapon and badge.
“What’s the problem?” He tried to back away from Nick but Teddy was standing right behind him. Teddy turned his back to them so that his big body shielded them from anyone that was looking. Nick grabbed the man’s shirt in his fist and shoved him up against a van.
“Where were you last night between six and eight?”
“I heard what happened last night. I was here at work, taking inventory, so you can check it out if you want. You think I did this to your girlfriend? I know who you are. I’ve seen you with her.”
Nicks eyes narrowed and he lifted on the shirt until he was pulling the man off the ground. “You’d better be telling me the truth. I don’t give a damn what your interest is with Whitney, but you’d better keep your distance. If I find that you were anywhere near my place, I’ll be the one coming after you. If I find you near her I’ll make sure you need help just to get to the phone to dial 911. Understand?”
Steven nodded his head in agreement and didn’t say a word. He could see the crazed look in Nick’s eyes and had no trouble believing he would do it.
Nick and Teddy drove away after checking out his story.
Nick laughed, “That was fun. Whew. Got out some of my frustrations. I don’t think he was the one, but I sure scared the shit out of him.’
“Did you have to pull that macho cop act?” Teddy asked giving Nick a quizzical look. “What got into you?”
“When I called Whitney about him she used the words creeped out. Since she is the psychic I take that to mean he isn’t someone I want following her around.” He laughed. “I don’t think he’ll be bothering her again.”
“He’s a pain in the ass anyway. Spent more time dogging me than he did sleeping. Glad to help you out on that one. Gonna have to play it more by the book with the rest of the suspects. We don’t really have much to go on.”
They spent the rest of the day following leads and checking on alibis. He called Whitney almost every hour to make sure she was okay. That evening he went back to stay with her. He brought her suitcase from the house so she could take a shower.
Whitney was grateful that he had brought her things. The hospital provided some of that stuff, but she preferred her own toothbrush and toiletries. Nick handed her the shampoo as she showered. He didn’t want to take a chance she would get dizzy and fall.
“Can you hand me my conditioner now? I think I got all the blood out of my hair, but it’s a tangled mess. I’m having a hard time not getting the stitches wet, but I just had to shower. Hope the nurses don’t walk in right now.”
Nick read the bottle as he handed it to her. “Vanilla. That’s why you smell like that, it’s your conditioner.”
“Can’t keep any secrets from you.”
By the time she was finished with her shower she was exhausted. If someone wanted her out of the way for a while, they had been pretty effective. The next day she was released in Nick’s care. She was not to be left alone for a few more days, but that wouldn’t be a problem. Nick wouldn’t let her out of his sight.
The rest of the week went by without further incident. Whitney was starting to wonder if Ann Marie was guilty. No other abductions had happened and it was past the usual time period. She was enjoying the time with Nick, but she knew she would have to get back to her own place soon. Nick didn’t want her going anywhere, especially after the attempt on her life. Nothing more had happened, and Whitney was getting restless. She wasn’t ready to give up her life and move in with Nick, and he wouldn’t be happy moving up to the sleepy town of Sedona. The job meant a lot to Nick. She couldn’t take that away from him. They would have to try a long distance relationship for a while until they could figure it out.
The FBI had closed up the command center and Agent Hollerman had moved on to a new case. They were prepared to come back should someone else disappear, but it hadn’t happened. Ann Marie was trying to convince her attorney that it could help her case to talk with Whitney, and Whitney was hoping to get that chance before she left. It gave her a reason to stay with Nick and put off making any major decisions.
Today, Whitney had offered her services to the police in the small town of Casa Grande, about fifty miles south of Phoenix. A small boy had been missing, and she went to help. They found the boy before she even arrived in town. He had been hiding in a neighbor’s garage and couldn’t get himself out.
Whitney took the scenic drive home. She hadn’t heard from Nick in a while. He had convinced her to keep her cell phone handy so he could keep in constant contact. He wasn’t convinced she was safe, but she insisted on the trip to Casa Grande. She was smart enough to check for a tail, and all seemed clear.
She kept trying to call Nick when it got late and she was almost back to the house. He should have been home by now, but he didn’t answer his cell or the house phone. He was probably stuck somewhere on a crime scene and couldn’t take the time to call. She hoped it wasn’t anything dangerous. She had met some of the girlfriends and wives of the other detectives and they had warned her about the stress of waiting each day to see if they would get home safe. It was something you didn’t exactly get used to; you just tried not to think about it all the time. That’s why the cell phone was handy.
Nick wasn’t home by nine and Whitney was getting very worried. She called Teddy and he came over. They had been together until dinnertime, and then Teddy had headed home. Nick had received a call from one of the kids on the SVWC, and he was going over to make sure everything was okay. Teddy didn’t know who had called, so he didn’t know where to start looking.
“Teddy, has Nick ever gone off on a lead and not kept in touch like this?” Whitney’s voice begged for a reassuring answer.
“Not for this long,” he said apologetically. “Don’t get too worried yet,” he said patting her arm. “Once he gets his nose onto something, he can’t let go. He could have lost track of time or gone out of cell phone range. I’ve alerted the dispatcher and everyone is keeping an eye out for him. I’ll stay here with you until something turns up.”
“That’s another thing that makes me worry. Since we called of the squad cars from watching the house, Nick has been careful to get home before me to make sure I’m not alone. I can’t see him not showing up, or sending someone to check on me. He hasn’t even called me. I think something’s wrong. I can feel it.”
“You mean like how you feel other things.”
“Not exactly like that. Just like you know in your gut when something’s not right. I wish I could tune into Nick right now, but it’s not happening. I have no idea where he is.”
The phone rang and Whitney jumped out of her chair.
“Nick?”
“No…not Nick,” said a voice Whitney didn’t recognize. “Nick’s indisposed right now. If you want to keep your pretty head, you’d better get away from the valley right now. Or you’ll be next.” The phone went
dead.
Teddy saw Whitney go pale and drop the phone. “Whitney, tell me what they said. It was about Nick, wasn’t it?”
She nodded and sat down. “He’s hurt or dead. The man on the phone said he was ‘indisposed’. He said I’d be next if I didn’t leave the valley. I didn’t recognize the voice.” She was crying now and she couldn’t stop. “It’s my fault. It has something to do with me.”
Teddy tried to reassure her as he contacted the captain. They would get every man on the hunt for Nick. Ann Marie was in jail, and there had been no other abductions. The case had been basically closed, so it didn’t look like it was linked to that. But what else was Whitney involved in that would make Nick a target too?
Whitney was curled up in the chair with a blanket about an hour later when she felt Nick in her head. He was alive. Maybe he was trying to contact her. She went still and tried to open her mind. She sensed him, hurt and confused, and cold. He was bleeding too much. She felt him losing consciousness again.
“Hold on Nick.” She tried to reach out to him. “I hear you. Hold on. Where are you?”
Nick was cold. He had been shaking but now he just felt numb. “How can I be so cold in the desert? Shit! I’m bleeding. Whitney!”
He remembered getting out of his car at the house and then something had hit him in the chest. Where was he? He must have been unconscious, and now he had no idea where he was. It was dark and he was outside. He lifted his head trying not to pass out again. He could see the city lights not far away. He placed his hand over the wound in his chest and felt the warm sticky blood. He got a sinking feeling in his stomach. The injuries were bad. He’d seen enough to know it didn’t look good for him this time. He tried to call to Whitney. He thought he heard her asking where he was. He could also be hallucinating, but he knew she would be searching for him.
“Outside. Sand and desert. City lights not far. Looks like a field. Maybe by the house. I was home and then…” Nick couldn’t keep it up. He was getting dizzy and feeling very thirsty.