“He called from the airport a little while ago. He made me promise to call Gail if the pains come any closer together.” She decided to permit herself a cup of tea. “Would you like something to drink?”
“Thank you, no. But you shouldn’t be alone here. I can stay until you reach Gail.”
“Don’t worry, nothing’s imminent.” She began running water into the kettle. “You shouldn’t have come out in this storm. I realize you’re in great shape, but at your age, you’re vulnerable, too.”
“Never mind that. I brought you a gift. Been working on it for a while.” From an inside pocket, he produced a carving of a squirrel. “This here’s Hopalong. You’ve probably seen the real one hopping around—he has a limp. I know Diane won’t be old enough to play with him for a while. Still, he can keep her company.”
“It’s adorable!” As she took the squirrel, she caught a flash of metal from inside his jacket. “What’s that?”
Matt glanced down. “My knife. I always carry it. You never know when you’ll need a blade or a length of good strong twine.” He patted one of his pockets. “Whatever happens, I mean to be prepared.”
Jack’s warning played through Casey’s mind. It was ridiculous, of course. Matt wouldn’t hurt a fly. On the other hand, that had been a naked blade she’d seen, not a folded-up pocketknife.
The pain started on both sides at once, gripping her so fiercely she barely had time to set the squirrel on the table and grab the rim for support. Casey tried to fight it off, but it gripped her like a giant vise.
“You’re in labor for sure,” the old man continued. “Don’t worry. I’ll stay with you.”
She wished, desperately, that Jack were here. As the pang abated, she took a couple of deep breaths. “You know, you’re right,” she said. “I’m going to do what I promised my husband. I’m going to put in a call to Gail.”
She reached for the phone. Before she could lift the receiver, his hand closed over hers.
“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea,” Matt said.
* * *
JACK STARED AT THE MONITOR in dismay. His flight had been cancelled. He had a long journey ahead and now it would take even longer.
He dialed Paul’s number on his cell. “Mendez,” came the response.
“Arnett.” He explained the situation.
“I’m not sure we’ll be getting out of New York tonight, anyway,” his new partner responded. “I flew in early—figured I’d catch up on computer work in the VIP lounge. So here I sit, nursing a Scotch and watching snow stick to the runways.”
“If you do take off, you’ll have to go without me.” Although Jack had allowed layover time in New York, he had no idea when he’d be able to fly out of Nashville. “I’ll come to Athens as soon as I can.”
“Understood,” Paul said.
“I’ll call Nicos right away.” Thank goodness their European associate could be relied on in a pinch. “Sorry this is all so last-minute.”
“I gather it’s the client who set it up that way,” Mendez responded. “Hey, I’m used to things blowing wide open at the last minute. Doesn’t faze me. In fact, I get an adrenaline rush.”
“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself.” Jack recalled that his new partner was divorced. Mike had said the prospect of traveling appealed to him.
It used to appeal to me, too.
After putting in a call to Athens and double-checking on the arrangements, Jack realized he’d go crazy if he had to spend the next few hours sitting around the airport hoping his flight would take off. His impression of danger closing in around his wife returned full-force.
He still needed to find a new flight to New York and book another plane to Greece. Jack figured he’d better get started.
With every passing moment, his anxiety mounted. It might be irrational, but he’d never experienced anything so powerful.
Except his love for his wife.
* * *
“I DON’T UNDERSTAND.” Casey’s heart thudded.
Matt withdrew his hand. “You haven’t noticed anything odd about Gail?”
“About Gail?” She stalled for time as she wondered how he’d react if she grabbed her cell phone and ran outside.
Lumbered outside was more like it. Even an octogenarian would have no trouble catching her. And besides, she had no guarantee the darn phone would work.
“I don’t know the lady very well,” he said. “The last few months, a couple times she’s lost her temper at me for no reason. You wouldn’t believe the bad words that came out of her mouth!”
Casey struggled to make sense of what he was saying. “Gail has kind of a gruff manner, I guess.”
Matt shook his head. “One time she lit into me, said I’d been bothering you by dropping by too often. An hour later she started chatting with me as if there was nothing wrong. I call that strange.”
Her heartbeat steadied. Maybe his action in preventing the call hadn’t been as threatening as it appeared. “So you think Gail’s under some kind of pressure?”
“Might be,” he agreed. “This prowler business has everybody on edge. I wouldn’t rely on Gail. You should let me drive you in to see the doctor.”
Although he no longer frightened her as much, Casey didn’t intend to get into a car with Matt at the wheel. “It’s pretty nasty out there. The way those trees are doubling over, the wind could blow a car right off the road.”
He clicked his tongue. “Maybe so, maybe so.”
“I’ll call and talk to Dr. Smithson,” Casey said. “Let’s see what he advises.”
The tenant nodded. “I better stay with you.”
If he were mentally disturbed or violence-prone, she wanted to avoid riling him. But even if he had no bad intentions, the only way he could prove this was by leaving.
“The truth is, I’d rather not have a man around right now, unless it’s my husband. In my condition, I feel kind of…constrained.” It was the best excuse she could manage.
Matt hesitated. “Well, I wouldn’t want to get in the way. I don’t know much what’s involved with this sort of business, since my three stepkids were already around when I came into the picture.”
“I’d be more comfortable alone,” she said. “Really.”
“You’re sure?”
She nodded, scarcely trusting herself to speak. Please, please go.
“Well, then, I best be on my way.” Reluctantly, he reached for his overcoat.
“Thanks for everything. I love the squirrel.” Casey forced herself to smile.
He fumbled with the snaps on his coat. Finally, with one more farewell, he went out the back door.
She waited a few seconds before locking it after him. Then she sank into a chair and tried to pull herself together.
Matt didn’t appear to have meant any harm. On the other hand, if he was a second prowler, he might be under the delusion of being her protector.
Casey mulled over what he’d said about Gail. If she’d lost her temper at him, he must have done something to provoke her. Could his behavior have been erratic for some time without her noticing?
Her abdominal muscles tightened. The pressure around her midsection drove out all other thoughts until at last the contraction abated, leaving her weak as a wrung-out rag.
If it hurt this much already, what was it going to be like later?
Fifteen minutes had passed since the last one. Not exactly an emergency, but the course of labor could be unpredictable.
Time to alert the doctor.
* * *
RAIN CURTAINED the parking structure as Jack ducked into his newly rented car. He folded his dripping umbrella and thrust it into a plastic sleeve the agency had provided.
For an agonized moment, he asked himself what he was doing. His obligation lay in Greece, not Richfield Crossing. He should be pursuing every possible means to speed his journey, not running back to a woman who might not need him.
He hadn’t even called her yet. His instinct to rush to her side
pulled him so strongly he didn’t want to risk hearing her say no.
She could certainly be unpredictable. This morning, Casey had alternated between insisting he stay and ordering him to leave. When he’d phoned to warn her about the prowler, she’d hardly batted an eye.
What if she hadn’t taken his warning seriously? He ought to call her now to make sure. Let her rail at him if she wanted to.
He pressed a preset button and waited. A busy signal throbbed in his ear.
In case of an error, he redialed the number from memory. Again the busy signal.
That was good, right? It meant she was either calling the doctor or felt well enough to chat with one of her friends.
Jack tucked the phone into his pocket. He’d try Casey again later. In the meantime, he had a lot of ground to cover.
He started the engine, backed out of the slot and headed for the exit.
* * *
GAIL SPOKE with her usual crispness. “Fifteen minutes? That doesn’t sound urgent.”
“I didn’t think so either but I promised Jack to check with you.” Casey, who’d decided to make the call from the bedroom, sank deeper against her stack of pillows.
“He’s there now?” the nurse asked.
“No, he left this morning. He phoned because he thinks there might be a second prowler.” She decided not to describe the visit from Matt. She didn’t want to make trouble between her tenants or point suspicion at a man who’d done nothing wrong. “Should I go to the hospital?”
“You’ll be more comfortable resting at home,” Gail told her. “I can check with Dr. Smithson if you like.”
“I’d appreciate it.” When Gail put the call on hold, Casey listened to the din outside. Pine trees swished and the thunder rumbled disturbingly.
She didn’t know exactly when Jack’s flight was scheduled to depart but she hoped it had taken off safely. Flying through thunder and lightning had always seemed unnatural, although she knew planes ascended above the clouds.
Casey’s belly tightened. She lay back, trying to remember the correct breathing pattern as her abdomen went rock-hard.
She wondered how this felt to Diane. It must be confusing and frightening. It even frightened Casey to be so out of control of her body.
The pain had passed by the time Gail returned. “The doctor says you should wait. It may be hours yet, and the roads are terrible.”
Casey didn’t like the prospect of waiting alone. “I think I’ll ask Enid to join me.”
A sharp breath came in response. “That woman has no idea what you need, and she’s useless in a crisis. Did you see her Wednesday night? She was so busy chatting with her former students, you’d think that was all she had to do!”
Casey hated to admit she hadn’t paid any attention to the two women because she’d been so busy with Jack. “She could help distract me, though.”
“You know what?” Gail said. “The waiting room’s empty and we’ve only got a couple of patients left in the examining rooms. As soon as I’m free, I’m going to come home and look after you. There’s no point in my…”
Lightning flared through the room so fiercely that the hairs on Casey’s arm stood on end. The lights flickered and died. It took a second for her to realize the phone had died, too.
“That’s great,” she muttered.
She’d known that this type of phone required electricity because of its rapid dial and other special features. Although some people kept old-fashioned models on hand in case of emergency, she’d figured she could rely on her cell.
Finding her way by the gray afternoon light from outside, she shuffled into the other room to get it. On the display, she saw the message she disliked most: No Service.
Walking around the house sometimes enabled her to find an area of reception. Not today.
“Terrific timing.” In the kitchen, Casey located candles and a battery-operated radio.
She tried not to worry about how isolated she’d become. She’d have to go out in the rain just to summon Enid, and she had no way to contact the doctor again.
But Gail had promised to come home. Casey tried to calculate how long it would take to handle a few patients and drive here from town. Assuming the roads weren’t blocked, she could be here in an hour. Maybe sooner if she got worried about the interrupted phone line.
Another labor pain seized her. At least the pattern of peaking and releasing was becoming familiar.
Maybe a little too familiar. Casey glanced at her watch.
Twelve minutes had passed since the last contraction. They were speeding up.
* * *
MERCIFULLY, MOST Tennesseans had the good judgment to stay off the Interstate in such foul weather. Despite the usual glut of trucks, Jack made good time until he transferred onto a state highway.
Branches and sodden clumps of vegetation littered the road. Along with the slashing downpour, the debris forced him to stay below the speed limit. Jack still had a good ways to go when he pulled over at a rest stop to try Casey’s number again.
No busy signal this time, he thought in relief, and waited impatiently for her to answer. It kept ringing hollowly.
If she’d gone to the hospital, why didn’t her machine pick up? Maybe she’d left it off by mistake. Or maybe the phone merely sounded as if it were ringing when in fact the lines were down.
It took a moment to dredge her cell phone number from his memory. When Jack dialed, he heard an announcement that the customer was not in service at this time.
The fears he’d tried to dismiss roared back to life. She might be cut off out there, alone and unable to send for help.
Of course, she had tenants nearby. But in order to reach them, she’d have to brave not only the storm but also the possibility that the prowler had seized this opportunity, with everyone grounded or distracted by the weather, to launch another assault.
Get a grip, man. There might not be a prowler.
Jack wavered as he considered whether to summon help. The tiny police force must be stretched to the breaking with storm-related accidents, particularly if the electricity had gone out. But a pregnant woman alone and about to give birth constituted a serious enough problem to justify a call.
The dispatcher answered with a hurried, “9-1-1 Emergency.” After listening to him, she said, “I’ll alert the PD. We’re aware the power’s down in that area. Do you have reason to believe your wife is likely to deliver in the next few hours?”
“I don’t know,” Jack admitted.
“I’d suggest you contact her doctor, if you can get through to him,” the woman said. “He might have a better idea what’s going on.”
“Good idea.” He wished he’d thought of that before. In fact, the nurse might be an even better contact, since she knew Casey so well. “Please tell Chief Roundtree it may not be an emergency but I’d appreciate it if he swung by as soon as he can, just in case.”
“I’ll relay the message, sir,” she replied.
To Jack’s relief, the receptionist picked up immediately at the doctor’s office. After identifying himself as Casey’s husband, he requested Gail.
“She just pulled out of the lot,” the receptionist said. “How’s your wife doing?”
“I can’t reach her. Has she called?”
“As a matter of fact, she talked to Gail about an hour ago.”
“Was she in labor?”
“She didn’t mention it, at least not to me. Dr. Smithson’s still here. Would you like to speak to him?”
“Yes, please.”
Jack drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. When the doctor came to the phone, he explained the situation. “How’s my wife doing?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t heard from her today.”
A warning bell rang in Jack’s mind. “The receptionist said she called Gail an hour ago.”
“She didn’t mention anything to me,” he said. “It must have been personal.”
Casey had promised to alert the doctor that she might
be going into labor. Why would Gail have left without passing along the information? “That can’t be right,” he responded. “She told me earlier the pains had started.”
“Let me see if I can reach my nurse,” he said, and took down Jack’s number. “I’ll get right back to you.”
Although he kept his word, the news wasn’t reassuring. “No one answers at her house and her cell’s out of service.”
Jack swore under his breath. “I already asked the police to look in on her.”
“I’m sure she’s fine, and Gail’s probably on her way. Listen, I’m going home soon myself, but you can reach me if there’s a problem.” The doctor provided his private number.
“Thanks.” Jack wished he also had a way to contact the other tenants. However, it hadn’t occurred to him to get their numbers. Anyway, their phones were probably off, too.
As he hit the road again, he kept replaying his conversation with the doctor and the receptionist, trying to figure out if he’d overreacted. He kept drawing the same conclusion: Casey had obviously called the office to alert the staff to her situation, yet Gail had left without mentioning it.
Why?
His subconscious mind must already have been at work, because an odd coincidence popped up. He hadn’t made the connection before and it might not mean anything, but the attempt to ignite Enid’s house had occurred right after she offered to become his wife’s labor coach, an offer that Gail had strongly discouraged.
Gail had no children of her own. Casey had mentioned that she’d outfitted her cabin with equipment just for Diane.
Was she fixated on the baby?
Jack pressed hard on the accelerator. He hoped he was wrong. But if not, the person who’d been targeting his wife was heading straight for the Pine Woods with no one to stop her.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The rain had begun tapering off at last, Casey noted as she gazed out the front window. The distant growl of thunder confirmed that the storm was moving away.
Even so, only a trace of sickly yellow daylight remained. The electricity gave no sign of returning.
When she saw Gail’s sturdy figure heading up the walk, Casey hurried to open the door. “Hi!” she greeted the older woman. “I’m really glad you got here. My pains are only five minutes apart. I guess the labor’s moving along kind of fast.”
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