by Lucy Clark
‘That’s OK.’ Jordanne hugged her friend a bit tighter than usual.
‘Something wrong?’ Sally asked.
‘Nothing I can’t handle. You and Jed have a great time this weekend.’ Jordanne forced a smile.
‘We will.’
‘Say hi to Mum and Dad for me, as well as your parents.’
‘I will, but right now I’d better get the rest of my work done or I won’t be going anywhere.’
‘Agreed,’ Jordanne said, and once Sally had gone, she sat down in her chair and opened the first of the test results. ‘Ethan Hoe’s. Good,’ she mumbled to herself. She scanned the printout, pleased to see that everything checked out. Opening the second envelope, she frowned. ‘More test results for Ethan Hoe?’ Jordanne shook her head. What was going on?
‘Dr McElroy?’ a voice said from her open doorway, and Jordanne literally sprang out of her chair in fright. She pressed her hand to her chest as she tried to calm her breathing down, her gaze taking in the man before her.
He had bleached blond hair, grey eyes and the body of a very well-trained athlete, even though she guessed him to be well into his fifties.
‘I’m Ralph Cooper.’ He didn’t hold out his hand or apologise for scaring the life out of her. Jordanne looked at him for another moment before lowering her hand from her chest.
‘We had an appointment?’
‘Oh, my gosh, I meant to call you and cancel. Sorry,’ she said, still wary of him. He didn’t venture into her office. ‘I’ve been absorbed in my work,’ she babbled, indicating her desk. His gaze dropped to look where she pointed before returning to her.
‘I hope there’s nothing wrong with my athletes,’ he stated rather than asked.
‘No. At this stage, everything seems fine.’
‘Good, because it cuts into their training regime if they have to come here every month and have you stick needles into them.’
‘It’s only one needle and it’s for a simple blood test,’ Jordanne said defensively.
‘I need to get back to the track.’ Without another word, he left. Jordanne stood where she was for a full two minutes, open-mouthed and amazed at the man’s appalling attitude.
‘He was so completely and utterly rude,’ Jordanne told Alex as they ate dinner that night. ‘He looked at me as though I wasn’t worth a thing.’
‘Some coaches are like that,’ Alex said. ‘If you’re not an athlete, if you don’t live, eat and breathe sport, then you’re not worth knowing. I’m not defending him or making excuses for his rudeness,’ he added quickly as Jordanne opened her mouth to protest.
‘I wish I’d cancelled my meeting with him,’ she grumbled. ‘I was just so preoccupied with those false X-rays that I forgot. I’m so cross with myself.’
Alex reached across the table and took Jordanne’s hand in his. He gave it a little squeeze. ‘Don’t be. From what you’ve said of his attitude, he might well be trying to hide something. Remember what Roberto said, don’t make things too complicated. Also, steer clear of Ralph Cooper from now on.’
‘My pleasure,’ Jordanne said, and forced herself to smile. ‘I’m going to forget that project for a few hours and just enjoy being with you.’ Taking a sip of her wine, she said, ‘Although I would like to go over the test results I received today.’
‘Is that the envelope you’ve left in my glovebox?’
‘Yes. Hopefully, we’ll be able to come up with something—anything—to help bring us closer to understanding what’s going on.’
Alex smiled at her.
‘What?’ she asked with a slight frown.
‘I thought you weren’t going to think about the research project for a while.’
‘Sorry.’
He shook his head. ‘No apologies necessary. Now, what shall we order for dessert?’
Jordanne had been expecting him to drop a bombshell as soon as he’d picked her up, but his mood had been quite jovial, if a little reserved, since they’d entered the restaurant. She wondered whether he was trying to lull her into a false sense of security but couldn’t figure out any reason why he’d want to do that. Right now she was just puzzled by his earlier declaration that he wanted to talk.
‘How about…?’ Jordanne studied the menu the waiter had just brought over. ‘Ooh, chocolate fondue. It’s been years since I had fondue—and you like chocolate.’
‘That I do. Sounds perfect.’ Alex motioned to the waiter who quickly returned to their table. He gave the order and when the waiter had gone Alex raised his glass in a toast.
‘Here’s to chocolate-covered fruit—able to make anyone forget their troubles for a while.’
‘Hear! hear!’ Jordanne felt the anvil of doom begin to fall at his words but she went through the motion of chinking her glass with his, acknowledging the toast.
She forced herself to enjoy the fondue, playing by the rules she had learned in college—that if you dropped a piece of fruit into the fondue, you had to kiss the closest person to you.
‘You seem to be dropping an awful lot of fruit,’ she told Alex after he’d kissed her once more. How could he possibly break it off with her? The way he was acting tonight, it was as though he was happy about their relationship.
‘Any excuse will do,’ he said, before eating a chocolate-covered strawberry.
‘Who says you need an excuse?’ she quipped.
‘You’re right.’ And with that, Alex promptly kissed her again. Jordanne licked the chocolate from her lips, feeling very happy. When they’d finished, Alex paid the bill and they walked outside into the cool September breeze.
‘Thank you for dinner,’ Jordanne said, linking her fingers with his. It was getting late now and the streets weren’t quite as busy as they’d been when they’d first entered the restaurant. Still, there were a few cars parked along the side of the road. Alex, however, had chosen a patrolled car-parking station to leave the Jaguar which was a few short blocks away.
Alex looked down at her briefly before unlinking his fingers and placing his arm about her shoulders. She’d chosen a sensible trouser suit to wear this evening, instead of another sexy dress.
‘Jordanne, as I said earlier today, we need to talk.’
Jordanne swallowed the lump that had immediately formed itself in her throat. ‘OK.’
‘I’m quite a bit older than you,’ he said, his tone very serious.
‘Eight years. Same as Sally and Jed.’
‘Yes, but eight years can make all the difference earlier on in life.’
Jordanne frowned and looked up at him as they continued to walk along.
He took a deep breath in before saying, ‘I’m divorced.’
‘What?’ She stopped, unable to believe what he’d just said. ‘Divorced?’ she repeated, making sure she’d heard correctly.
He nodded. ‘It was a long time—’
A squeal of tyres interrupted him and they both turned around to look. An old, battered, orange car was fishtailing down the road and Alex edged Jordanne back towards the building side of the footpath.
‘He’d better slow down,’ Alex murmured. ‘Before he has an acc—’
No sooner had he said the words than the car swerved out of control and smashed into another car parked on the road. Ricocheting off, the orange car spun a few times before veering to the other side of the road where it smashed into another car. The orange car was now facing the direction it had come from.
Police sirens could be heard and within seconds a patrol car, red and blue lights flashing, rounded the corner with a squeal. Alex urged Jordanne back even further, into a small entryway to one of the buildings.
Jordanne looked at him with surprise as he shielded her body with his. She smiled to herself. It was such an instinctively protective reaction that she couldn’t help but be touched by the sweet gesture. She was becoming more accustomed to the effect his close proximity had on her equilibrium but also knew she’d never grow tired of it.
Together they peered around the corner, wat
ching the police car brake suddenly and swerve. Both officers started to get out but Jordanne noticed that the driver of the orange car had opened his door and was crouching behind it. A shot rang out into the evening, causing one officer to dive back into the car and the other to crouch down behind it.
Jordanne gasped with shock, her eyes wide in stunned amazement. She was now very glad that she and Alex were hidden in the dark shadows, out of sight.
The second officer crawled through the car and out the other side and soon they opened fire. Jordanne’s heart hammered wildly against her ribs. She wasn’t sure whether it was from the excitement around them or the closeness of Alex’s firm, muscled body against her own. She breathed in sharply and her senses were pleasantly assaulted with the wonderful scent of Alex’s cologne.
The red and blue lights were still whizzing around, scattering their colours on the surrounding buildings. From where Jordanne and Alex were sheltered, they could see more of what the police were doing than the gunman.
‘Hold your fire,’ one of the officers called.
‘Yeah, right,’ Jordanne said out the corner of her mouth. The gunman’s answer was a shot that hit the front windscreen of the car.
More shots from the police as they returned fire. Another siren could be heard wailing in the distance, getting closer with each passing second.
Jordanne watched as the police fired again and this time they heard a muffled noise from the gunman that echoed around the now empty street as the bullets struck home. The sound of the man’s weapon clattered to the ground as he slumped down, his body motionless.
‘I feel sick,’ she said, her head pounding in agony at the thought of a man being shot.
‘Don’t pass out on me,’ Alex ordered.
‘I won’t,’ Jordanne told him. ‘I never faint.’
‘Good. Hopefully, they’ve already called for an ambulance.’ They both turned in the direction of the siren as another police car came down the street. The first two officers were making their way slowly towards the gunman, their guns trained on him in case he was faking.
Jordanne and Alex stood up, crossing towards the second car. The policemen got out, their guns pointed at Jordanne and Alex.
Alex put his hands in the air, Jordanne followed suit.
‘We’re doctors,’ he called as they slowly advanced towards the police car. By now they were close enough for the police to see them.
‘Got some ID?’ the cop called.
‘Inside suit pocket,’ Alex replied, but didn’t attempt to get it out. He let the policeman come over, his partner’s gun still trained on them both. He waited until the policeman was satisfied.
‘Fine, you can lower your hands,’ he ordered. ‘What about you?’ He motioned to Jordanne.
‘It’s in here,’ she said, indicating the small bag that was looped around her shoulder, hanging diagonally across her body.
When the policeman had cleared her as well, he said, ‘The ambulance should be here soon. Let’s go check out the situation.’
Jordanne and Alex followed but were told to wait until the all-clear had been given. Finally, they were able to attend to the gunman. ‘Gunshot wound to right femur and right humerus,’ she said to the cops as Alex checked the man’s vital signs.
‘Is he stable?’
‘No. Femur wounds are bad. He’s already lost a lot of blood. First-aid kit?’ she enquired, knowing one would be in the police car. They bandaged him up as best they could but the man needed a blood transfusion and an IV line in—quickly. His fluids would be getting dangerously low.
‘Is that the ambulance?’ Alex asked as another siren pierced the hum that now surrounded the street. The police had cordoned off the area as people came out of shops and restaurants to have a look.
The paramedics gave the gunman an anaesthetic and rigged up an IV line. Alex rode in the back of the ambulance with a police officer while Jordanne sat between the paramedics.
Finally, when they reached the hospital, she and Alex headed for Theatres to organise equipment and get changed. Jordanne looked down at one of her favourite suits which now had bloodstains over it. ‘Oh, well, part and parcel of the job,’ she mumbled to herself.
Mr Oswald Miner, as they’d been informed, was the gunman’s name and he wasn’t in good shape. Together Alex and Jordanne removed the bullet from the femur and tied off a severed artery that was causing the blood loss. After receiving two units of blood and some Haemaccel, Mr Miner was stabilised.
Finally, they were ready for the check X-rays. When Alex was satisfied with the views he said, ‘Let’s proceed.’ They debrided the wound, before plating the bone back together. The humerus was attended to in a similar fashion and after eight hours in Theatre Jordanne and Alex walked wearily out. ‘Coffee?’
‘I don’t think I have the energy to lift the cup,’ Jordanne replied as she slumped down into one of the chairs in the ESS doctors’ tearoom. There was a knock on the open door and one of the policemen from the scene walked into the room.
‘How’d it go?’
‘He’s in Recovery. He’ll go to Intensive Care tonight and then to the ward in a few days’ time.’
‘He’s a known felon. There are four warrants out for his arrest. I’ll need to organise a guard to be near him all the time.’
‘Fair enough.’ Alex nodded. ‘I guess we can’t do the paperwork in the morning?’
‘Sorry. I need the guard around him tonight.’
‘Even if he wanted to escape, the man can’t even move, let alone walk.’
‘Still…’
‘No, I understand.’ He glanced across at Jordanne who shrugged. ‘Let’s get on with it, then.’
Another hour later, Jordanne changed into clean theatre scrubs as her suit was now unwearable. Alex was waiting for her near the door to the emergency surgical suite. ‘Ready?’ he said.
‘Mmm.’ She nodded.
‘We’ll have to take a taxi to the parking station to collect my car,’ he said, and Jordanne simply nodded again. She was too tired to argue and too tired to care. Alex held her hand in the taxi and when they were in his car she dozed as he drove towards her apartment.
‘Jordanne? Come on, honey. Wake up,’ he crooned when they’d arrived.
‘Hmm?’ she said, opening half-sleepy eyes to gaze at him. ‘I like it when you call me honey,’ she slurred sleepily.
He smiled. ‘Let’s get you inside. Where are your keys?’
Jordanne managed to get them out and handed them to Alex. He held her close as they walked up the one flight of stairs to her door. He unlocked the door with his free hand and ushered her in.
Flicking on the light switch, they both blinked in rapid succession. Not because their eyes weren’t used to the bright overhead lights but because Jordanne’s place was in a mess and it was definitely not the way she’d left it earlier that evening.
‘I’ve been robbed!’ she breathed in shock.
CHAPTER NINE
JORDANNE looked around the room in shock. Tears of fury blurred her eyes and she brushed them away impatiently. ‘How?’ She spread her arms wide and shook her head. ‘Why?’ That was the next question out of her mouth.
Alex turned around and checked the door again. ‘There’s no sign of forced entry. Maybe they didn’t come in through the door.’
‘How did they get into the building?’ Jordanne asked, her tone rising slightly. She could feel hysteria bubbling within her and if she wasn’t careful it would boil over.
‘I’ll check your windows.’ Alex stepped over the side-table and lamp which had been knocked down before heading to the other rooms. Jordanne walked forward in a daze, taking in the mess around the room. Her entire bookshelf had been emptied of its contents and it looked as though each book had been shaken open before being dumped unceremoniously onto the ground.
She sighed heavily and started to pick up some books and put them back on the shelf before Alex walked back into the room.
‘Don’t touch th
em,’ he said, and she dropped them like hot potatoes back to the floor.
‘What’s wrong?’
‘We have to call the police. Just leave the room the way it is until they get here.’
Alex lifted the receiver from her phone. ‘It’s dead,’ he said in surprise. He took his mobile from his waistband and made the call.
‘None of this makes any sense,’ Jordanne whispered to herself.
‘It’s all right,’ he said after disconnecting and crossing to her side. The instant Alex enveloped her in his arms, Jordanne finally gave way to the tears that had been threatening since she’d first caught a glimpse of her apartment.
‘Shh.’
It felt good to have Alex there, stroking her hair and holding her close. Jordanne was amazed at how quickly she had come to rely on him in such a short time. She guessed it was due to the fact that she loved him—one hundred per cent. Her arms tightened around him as her tears slowly subsided.
‘Thank you,’ she whispered through her hiccups.
‘You don’t have to thank me for anything, Jordanne,’ Alex said before he claimed her lips. Jordanne clung to him, gaining strength from the arms that held her and the kisses that relaxed her nerves.
‘You’re so good for me,’ she told him when they finally parted. Right at this moment, she didn’t care about his past. It was just that—past. She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. ‘How long do you think it will be until the police arrive?’
‘No idea.’
‘Do you think they’d mind if we disturbed the coffee-cups and kettle in the kitchen?’
Alex smiled. ‘Probably not.’ He released her but still held onto her fingers as they walked into the kitchen. ‘Just from looking around the room, can you see anything that might be missing?’ he asked as they waited for the jug to boil. The kitchen wasn’t as messy as the lounge room.
‘The TV’s there, so is the VCR and the stereo.’ She ticked them off on her fingers. ‘What does my bedroom look like?’
‘There are clothes everywhere. You can hardly see your bed.’