For the next half hour, Lin related all that had happened—finding the girl, getting word out for help, learning she’d been shot and hadn’t yet been identified, talking to the authorities—the whole story as it had unfolded thus far.
Neal was silent for a moment as she finished. Then he finally spoke, “I’m sure all that upset you and Sue, but I’m glad you found the girl. She could’ve died had you not been able to get help for her.”
“Yes, she might have. I’m concerned that she hasn’t yet been identified, so far as we know, and her companion, this Pete fellow was still missing last we heard.”
“I feel sure that those gaps will be filled in the first of the week,” Neal responded. “Once the university begins summer classes and offices are open, the authorities should be able to find out if the two are students, for example. Someone will miss them when they don’t show up wherever they are expected.” He paused and was silent for a moment.
Lin felt sure he wanted to say more. She knew he was thinking about last spring and winter when she’d become involved in situations that proved to be very dangerous for her. For that matter, Neal himself had faced danger. She almost changed the subject but decided to wait and see what he would say. Finally, he broke the silence.
“Listen, Lin. I’m sure you want to know more about this girl and about what happened to her and to her missing friend. It’s only natural to be curious when you’ve encountered such a situation but…”
Lin interrupted, “…I know what you’re thinking, Neal and I promise you I won’t get involved in this. I’ll be too busy learning the ropes in the park, but I do hope I can at least find out who this girl is, maybe visit her in the hospital when she gets better. After all, Sue and I both were very concerned about her. I’m sure the authorities can take care of everything else.”
She could almost hear the smile in Neal’s next remarks, “I’ll hold you to that promise, Ms. Hanna. Call me when you know more and give me an update—meanwhile, have your calendar ready. I have to go to Tucson to discuss that project I told you about earlier, but I’ll be back here by the end of the week. Then I need to get some work done on my house since I’m trying to sell it, but I should have those things taken care of in a few weeks, and I plan to head east as soon as I can. We need to make some wedding plans; he lowered his voice, I can hardly wait to see you and…have some alone time. I miss you every day, Lin. I love you so much…”
“Me too,” she murmured. “I feel the same way. By that time Sue and I will be in the house and it has plenty of room….” Neal cut her off.
“That’s fine and I’ll probably stay with you guys most of the time, but I have something more personal and private in mind too. Don’t worry, I’ll find someplace for us to get away for some “alone” time and…” Even though she was sitting alone in the lobby of the lodge, Lin felt herself blushing at his next remarks.
After briefly discussing possible dates for this visit, Lin promised to try to plan her work schedule so as to have a bit of extra time off while Neal was around. Then they said good night, agreeing that she’d call him later in the week.
After ending their conversation, Lin decided it was time to call it a day, maybe read a bit before going to bed. She’d seen Sue come in while she was still on the phone. By the time she arrived back at the room, Sue was in the shower.
Lin got undressed and put on a soft knit nightshirt. She was propped in bed with her IPad reading when Sue came back into the room. “I decided one of us might as well shower tonight. That’ll save some time in the morning. We’ll have to leave here pretty early. I’m supposed to be at the Cone house by eight and you’ll have to drive all the way to Linn Cove after you drop me off.”
“It’ll be Ok, I think,” Lin responded, “Linn Cove Visitor Center opens at eight also, but I was told it would be fine if I didn’t arrive until eight-fifteen or even eight-thirty. They know we’re sharing a car for now. I get off at two-thirty so I should be there to pick you up by three.”
They talked for a while about their weekend and all that had happened, “It’s hard to believe we just got here and we’re already witnesses, at least to some degree, in a serious situation,” Sue remarked. “Finding that girl has pushed everything else into the background it seems.” She glanced at the bloody blanket still lying on the floor in a corner of the room, “We never got to the laundry, for example.”
“And we didn’t go by the Wellness Center to see about an exercise program,” Lin replied as she stretched and flexed her shoulder that was beginning to feel a bit stiff.
“OK, that settles it,” Sue grinned, “tomorrow after work we check out the exercise facility before we even come back here, and tomorrow night we do laundry.”
Stifling a yawn, Lin nodded her agreement; she was already growing sleepy. She checked her alarm to make sure it was set for the morning and then turned out the light.
Chapter 4
The beautiful weather of the weekend was long gone by morning. It was misty and overcast as Lin and Sue left the lodge, and, by the time they reached the Parkway, they were driving in dense fog.
“At least it’s daylight,” Lin tried to be positive as she crept along the roadway with her fog lights on, “it was worse the other night when we went out to the house.”
“Yeah, but this is definitely limited visibility,” Sue responded. “I checked the weather online and a mass of warmer air is headed our way, so we’ll probably have more of this, maybe even thunderstorms, later in the day.”
“We’ll get used to it, I guess,” Lin replied, but she still thought it was spooky. Signs emerged as you were right on top of them, and the trees had a ghostly appearance. Thankfully, it was early so there wasn’t much traffic. Only a couple of cars emerged from the fog approaching them.
Lin dropped Sue off at the Cone mansion and then carefully proceeded to Linn Cove. She was later than she’d planned to be, but the fog had also kept visitors away; she still had time to get acquainted with the staff on duty that day and check out the exhibits before she began work.
“This fog will lift within the hour,” the lead ranger on duty said. She was a woman about Lin’s age named Rachel Clifford. The two discovered that they had a lot in common. Rachel had taken early retirement as a teacher and was now working as a seasonal ranger. This was her first time on the Parkway.
She was right about the fog. Although the sky remained partly cloudy, the sun did break through and the day, though warmer than the weekend, was quite pleasant. Most of the morning Lin spent reading material about the building of the viaduct and studying the exhibits in the visitor center. By late morning she was beginning to feel comfortable talking with some of the visitors and answering their questions.
“You’re a quick study,” Rachel remarked, “I can tell this isn’t your first volunteer assignment.”
Lin briefly told Rachel about her experience at Wupatki National Monument in northern Arizona and as a “substitute” volunteer filling in for her friend Kate at Fort Raleigh down on the coast of North Carolina. Rachel had had some volunteer experiences of her own before her retirement from teaching. She explained that the seasonal work she now did provided her with great opportunities to spend her summers in beautiful and interesting places while earning a little extra money.
The morning passed quickly. When Rachel returned from her lunch break, Lin decided to take her own lunch outside. She walked the short trail that wound under the viaduct, listening to the sounds the road made as cars passed overhead. She and Sue had been here on Saturday, and she had noticed that there were some large rocks at the end of the short trail near where it joined a longer hiking trail that led up the mountainside. She chose one of these as a spot to sit and enjoy her food. A few visitors came by, but mostly she was alone with the chipmunks and birds. Her break time passed quickly.
Returning to the visitor center, she helped Rachel organize some of the shelves in the bookstore and then returned to the work area to finish reviewing some of t
he orientation material she’d been given about this location. That was accomplished fairly quickly. There was still about ninety minutes left in her workday; hopefully, there would be more visitors, so she could test her newfound knowledge.
Lin had just begun talking with a family that had questions about how the viaduct was built when she saw a familiar figure approach. It was Mark Scott. He observed that she was occupied and went to the desk to speak to Rachel. Rachel signaled to Lin and came forward to talk with the family.
“Ranger Scott needs to speak with you,” she smiled, “I’ll take over here. You can talk in the office.”
Hopeful that Scott was bringing news about the girl they’d found over the weekend, Lin thanked the family for their interest and excused herself. Scott was already waiting for her in the office. He looked weary and depressed, slumped in a chair behind the desk. Lin closed the door quietly behind her and took a seat also.
“You look tired, you must’ve been working almost round the clock since we saw you yesterday,” she was sympathetic.
“It’s been pretty tough,” Scott admitted, “a bad weekend, I’d have to say. I’m new at this law enforcement business. Hopefully, I’ll find it easier to manage when I’ve more experience but…”
“Having people lost and injured is never easy,” Lin replied. “I suppose one can get used to the difficulties, but it’s always hard I’d imagine.”
“I suppose you’re right,” he nodded, “anyway, I stopped by because I promised I would keep you and Ms. Gray informed about what we learned. I stopped by Moses Cone and talked to her before I came here. I really appreciate what you two did for that girl. Without your being there she might’ve died, and I know you’re concerned and want to know what’s going on.”
“The good news is that our young lady finally woke up last night. The doctors seem pleased with her progress, but she’s going to have a lengthy rehabilitation period, I think. She was able to tell us her name; it’s Ellen Clark. She’s a student here, was supposed to start the summer session today. She was there for a picnic with another student, this Peter Dunne who owned the car we found. She doesn’t remember anything that happened beyond that. She has no memory of your finding her even. The doctors say that’s probably due to the trauma she suffered. She has a skull fracture and a concussion. Her memory will probably come back, but for now, she can’t tell us much of anything.”
“What about her friend, this Pete she was evidently with?” Lin asked.
“That’s the bad news,” Scott sighed. “We finally found Pete, his remains that is, down in the woods on the slope below that overlook. He’d been shot multiple times. Evidently, the girl landed on that flat area about six feet down when she fell. Fortunately, she was able to climb back up. Pete wasn’t so lucky. He fell all the way down.” Scott sat back and took a deep breath. “The ME said if the gunshot wounds didn’t kill him then the fall probably did—apparently his body was badly broken. I just hope he didn’t suffer too much,” there was a catch in the young ranger’s voice.
Lin brought the subject back to the girl. When Scott had said her name, Ellen Clark, Lin had felt it was somehow familiar. Of course, it wasn’t an unusual name. “What about Ellen Clark’s family? Have you been able to reach them?”
“ We’re trying but haven’t caught up with them yet—hopefully we will soon—it seems they’re traveling in Europe and are in transit between stops at present. We should be able to reach them by tonight though.”
“May I ask who they are and where the girl is from?” Lin queried, “There’s something familiar about her name…”
“Her parents are John and Hillary Clark and they’re from Charlotte. He works with Bank of America apparently. Ellen told us this trip was part pleasure and part business.”
Lin was floored. It seemed impossible, but she thought she knew these people—had even known Ellen when she was much younger. A John and Hillary Clark had served as co-presidents of the PTA at the school she served as principal in Charlotte a number of years ago. They were dedicated supporters of the school and she’d come to know them well—and their daughter who, of course, she wouldn’t have had contact with since she was about eleven years old and in the fifth grade. The girl she and Sue had found on the parkway had not seemed familiar at all, but she was cut and bruised and unable to talk to them so that wasn’t surprising. She recalled that Hillary Clark was a stay-at-home Mom, and she thought John had been a bank executive. She felt fairly certain these were the people she’d once known quite well.
Lin turned to the young ranger. “Unless I’m very much mistaken, your victim was once a student of mine in Charlotte. I’m a retired school principal. I think I know her parents and knew her when she was much younger, of course. Hopefully, I can see her parents when they arrive. In the meanwhile, if there’s anything you think I could do for Ellen, I think we called her Ellie when she was in elementary school, just let me know.”
“I guess the doctors are doing everything they can right now. They asked us not to tell her about Pete just yet—she hasn’t asked about him. I think they were planning to move her to a regular room on the surgical floor later today. She should be able to have visitors then.”
“I’ll be there, for sure.” Lin said. “She should have someone to look in on her, at least until her parents arrive. Thank you for bringing me this information. I’ll want to help in any way that I can.”
“Well, we know where we can find you ladies if we need you,” Scott replied, “and thanks again for your help thus far.” He rose to go, “You have my number if you think of any more information we should have.”
Lin walked with Scott to the entrance of the visitor center. She noticed that it was almost two-thirty already. She’d be leaving shortly and she could hardly wait to see Sue and tell her about having known the Clarks. She was fairly sure that these were the same people she’d once worked with.
Before leaving for the day, Lin checked her weekly schedule once more. She was scheduled to work six hours tomorrow, but she would be off on Wednesday all day. She worked on Thursday but was off again on Friday, returning to work on the weekend to complete a full thirty-hour week. She couldn’t recall Sue’s schedule but knew that her hours would be similar. She entered the days and times on her cell phone calendar and went out to say goodbye to Rachel.
“I saw you looking at the schedule in there,” Rachel commented. “Is that going to work for you? Remember, you’re a volunteer and you can work the schedule as you see fit. We appreciate the help, but we provide no housing or anything, and we realize you want to have time to enjoy the area.”
“Oh, it’s fine as it is,” Lin assured her. “Sue and I both will enjoy being here and staying busy,” she did decide this was a good time to plan ahead. “In a few weeks, my fiancé will be coming for a visit. I would like to have some time to enjoy the area with him; I might ask to have fewer hours while he’s here.”
“Absolutely,” Rachel smiled, “just let me know how you want to schedule yourself when he comes. Congratulations, by the way, when’s the wedding?”
“We haven’t set a date just yet,” Lin replied, “I’m thinking about maybe September, that’s one of the things we need to do—make some plans. I expect to be here all summer though.”
“Well, you’d better get going. It’s past two-thirty and your friend will be waiting for you at Moses Cone,” Rachel went back into the visitor center as Lin headed for her car.
***
About seven-thirty that evening, Lin and Sue walked into the Watauga County Medical Center. They’d called earlier and learned that Ellen Clark was now in a regular hospital room and could have visitors. They’d stopped at the nearby supermarket and purchased some colorful summer flowers. Now they approached Ellen’s room on the surgical floor.
Ellen was propped up in bed, her left arm strapped to her body in a sling. Her face was badly bruised and swollen with black stitches marking where cuts had been closed. She seemed pale and drawn. Tears were
streaming down her face; she was crying softly.
“Ellen, is it OK if we come in? We can come back tomorrow if you don’t feel up to having visitors this evening,” Lin spoke quietly as they entered the room. The unhappy girl turned and looked at them. She gave a short gasp, “Dr. Hanna? Is that you? What are you doing here?” Clearly she’d recognized Lin, although Lin had to confess that she would’ve had a hard time recognizing Ellen, especially with all those cuts and bruises. Of course, it had probably been eight or nine years since she’d seen her and she would’ve been no more than eleven years old then.
“It’s me, and you’re Ellen Clark. Your parents are John and Hillary. You can drop the title now, you know. I’m no longer a principal. I’m retired and you’re all grown up. Call me Lin,” she suggested.
Ellen shook her head. “That’s hard for me to do. How did you know I was here?”
Lin introduced Sue and asked if Ellen felt like visiting for a bit. The young girl nodded eagerly, “Yes, I’m all alone right now, please sit down.”
They perched on the straight chairs that were the only available seating in the small room. Lin carefully explained how she and Sue had found Ellen on the Parkway, and how they’d stayed with her until help arrived.
“I’m so grateful,” Ellen said, tears still rolling freely. The doctor here told me I could’ve bled to death if someone hadn’t helped me. Of course, I didn’t know it was you and your friend.” She choked back a huge sob. “A deputy sheriff was just here earlier. He told me they found Pete. Pete’s dead.” Ellen broke down at that point.
Fogbound: A Lin Hanna Mystery Page 5