by Jan Washburn
But the phone went on ringing. If she was lucky, it would be another hang-up. She picked up the receiver. Tracy Dixon, she said listlessly.
Miss Dixon, this is Dr. Burrows.
Tracy’s heart stopped. Dr. Burrows! What’s happened? Is Jeff—is Jeff ... She trailed off, unable to make herself say the words.
I really should wait until I could tell you this in person, but I felt you should know immediately. The doctor hesitated. The man we are treating here is not your brother.
Stunned, Tracy sat down hard. What—what did you say?
The man you have been visiting here is not Jeffrey Dixon.
Tracy’s breath became ragged. But—but—that can’t be possible. Who is he? Where is Jeff?
The doctor sounded weary. I’m sorry, but I don’t know the answers. We’re trying to identify our patient, but we have no way of knowing where your brother is.
How—how do you know this? How did this happen? Her mind wouldn’t accept his words.
When the patient arrived here, we were told that he was Jeffrey Dixon. We were only concerned with saving his life. When we got him through the resuscitation stage, we sent for his medical records from the VA hospital. That’s when we noticed that some things didn’t fit. The blood type was the same, the age was about right, but the records showed that Jeffrey Dixon had lost his right leg from the knee down. Our patient was missing only his right foot.
The doctor heaved a deep sigh. We checked with the state police who were at the scene of the accident. They said the victim’s wallet and identification were totally destroyed, but the car was registered to Jeffrey Dixon. That didn’t resolve our problem, so we managed to obtain Jeffrey’s dental records. They clearly did not match our patient. I don’t know what else I can tell you except that this man is not your brother.
All Tracy managed was a feeble Thank you. She sat motionless in a state of shock. Not her brother? Then who was he? And where in the world was Jeff? Maybe he had been thrown out of the car. He could be lying in a ditch somewhere where nobody had found his body. She stared at the telephone. She didn’t want any further contact with Leif, but there was no one else who could help her.
Her hands were trembling so violently she barely pressed the numbers on the phone. In spite of all her resolves, she felt a wave of relief when she heard that deep voice. Chief Ericson here.
Leif, she breathed, It’s Tracy. I just got a call from Dr. Burrows. The man in the burn center—the man we’ve been visiting—it’s not Jeff.
Total silence.
Tracy panicked. Had he hung up on her? Leif, are you there? Did you hear me? Jeff could be lying in a ditch somewhere,
I heard you, Tracy. Are they sure? Leif sounded as stunned as she was.
The man’s injuries are different and the dental records don’t match. The doctor is positive it’s not Jeff.
Then Jeff may be alive and well. Leif’s voice was jubilant.
We don’t know that. Tracy fought back a sob. If he’s alive, where is he?
She felt Leif’s excitement. I think I know. Sit tight for a few minutes while I make a phone call. I’ll call you right back.
Tracy sat frozen in her chair, torn between joy and despair. This was all so bizarre. It had to be a dream. She would wake up and find that she had just imagined that call from Dr. Burrows.
Thor nudged her knee, demanding attention. Apparently she was awake. She stooped to stroke the puppy’s head. Thor, there’s a chance that—maybe—Jeff is OK.
It seemed like an eternity until the phone rang again. She snatched up the receiver. Tracy, Leif was almost shouting. All is well. I’m on my way. I’ll be at your house in one minute.
She stood staring at the receiver in disbelief. All is well. All is well?
When Leif pulled his SUV into the driveway, she was already running out the door to meet him. Grinning broadly, he stepped out of the car and swept her into his arms. Crushing her against his broad chest with her feet dangling a foot above the ground, the staid, stoic chief of police danced her in circles around the front lawn.
Caught up in his exhilaration, Tracy clung to his broad shoulders. Her head spun as though she were riding the Octopus at the Brockton Fair. She was dizzy and breathless when he set her on her feet again, but he smothered her with a hug and a kiss that sent her senses reeling.
Oh, Leif, she gasped when she came up for air. Jeff is alive? You know where he is?
Leif seized her hand and tugged her toward the house. Come inside and I’ll tell you the whole story.
****
Leif put his arm around Tracy as they settled on the sofa. He liked the way the sagging cushions forced her to snuggle against his side. He heaved a sigh of contentment. I guess I need to start at the beginning. Do you remember that I told you Jeff and I became good friends and he started going to church with me?
He felt Tracy’s nod against his chest.
Jeff tried to cut back on his drinking, but he didn’t seem to have the will power to stop. He’d go several days without a drink and then go off on a binge again. Leif remembered his disappointment every time Jeff fell off the wagon.
Rev. Jim and I decided to try an intervention. We dropped in on Jeff one Sunday after church and laid it on the line. Jeff didn’t take it well. He was angry and defiant at first, but he finally admitted he needed help. We prayed with him to accept help from the Lord. Leif paused. He decided not to tell Tracy that her big, strong brother had broken down in tears.
There’s an alcoholic rehabilitation center at that Christian retreat up in Chilton. Even before we confronted Jeff, Rev. Jim made arrangements to enroll him in their three-month program. When Jeff finally admitted that he needed help, we got him packed and on his way before he could change his mind. Jeff drove his own car and Jim rode along with him to be sure he got there. I followed in my car so Jim rode back with me. We stayed long enough to make sure Jeff was admitted. That was the last time I saw him.
But where is he now? Tracy sounded bewildered.
Leif pulled her closer. He’s still there. Safe and sound.
Safe and sound! Why didn’t you tell me about this?
He had debated telling Tracy the whole story right from the start. Perhaps he had made the wrong decision. Tracy, I’m sorry. I left Jeff at the center one day and then heard about the accident the next. I assumed he quit the program right off the bat without giving it a chance and he was headed for home when he went off the road. I guess I should have told you that first day when we visited the hospital, but you were so distraught over his condition.
Tracy looked dazed. Could he make her understand? I talked it over with Rev. Jim. We felt it wasn’t the right time to tell you—that it would only make you feel worse to know that he ran away from rehab. We decided to wait until Jeff’s condition improved. We weren’t trying to hide anything from you.
Tracy was silent. Maybe he had been too abrupt. Was she angry that he had waited so long to tell her Jeff’s story? But she finally spoke in a breathy whisper. If Jeff is all right, why hasn’t he called to let me know where he is?
Leif was relieved. She sounded more confused than angry. The patients aren’t allowed any outside contact for the first six weeks. No phone calls, no visitors. It’s all part of the program.
But who is the man in the burn center?
The $25,000 question, and Leif didn’t have the answer. I guess Jeff knows who was driving his car, unless the guy stole it.
When can we see him? Tracy began to sound excited as though the news was finally sinking in.
His six weeks aren’t up yet, but I got special permission for us to visit with him today. They’ll let us have a half hour. It had taken Leif some fast talking to convince the director that he wasn’t making up the strange story.
Today! Tracy’s eyes lighted like a child’s on Christmas morning.
Her smile always turned him to mush. We can go whenever you’re ready.
I am so ready. She bounced to her feet. Just let me pu
t Thor in the kitchen.
Watching her hurry away, Leif felt a flood of joy. He had just blown all his plans to act distant and indifferent. He blew them and it didn’t bother him a bit. He had been waiting a lifetime to find the girl of his dreams. Was this the woman God had chosen for him?
****
Tracy perched on the edge of her chair in the visitors’ room, waiting for her brother to appear. If she were a nail-biter, she would have chewed her way down to her elbows by now. Sitting beside her, Leif pretended to be cool and calm, but he wasn’t a very good actor. He was as excited as she was.
The building was made of logs in the style of the lodge at Yellowstone National Park. The wicker chairs in the large room were arranged in conversational groups. She and Leif were the only visitors, but Tracy realized they were granted a special privilege.
They had been waiting forever. She stared at her watch. Well, they had waited five minutes.
But suddenly the door opened and Jeff appeared. Tracy’s jaw fell open. His shoulders were back, straight and proud. Instead of hunching over crutches, he used a cane. She could tell that he was wearing the prosthesis on his leg. She surged to her feet and rushed across the room to throw herself into his arms.
Jeff hugged her close and then took a step back to stare at her in confusion. Tracy, it’s really you. What are you doing here? And Leif, too? His smile was pure sunshine.
It’s a long story, pal. We have a few mysteries to solve. Leif grasped Jeff’s hand and the two men exchanged a long look.
Jeff, you look wonderful. Tracy clung to his arm. This was the brother she knew. His deep blue eyes were clear and sparkling and his dark hair neatly trimmed. The last time she saw him, Jeff’s eyes were glazed and unfocused and his hair was a shaggy tangle.
Jeff planted a kiss on her cheek before they sat down together in front of the big fieldstone fireplace. You look good to me, too, Sis, but what’s going on? I wasn’t supposed to have visitors until next week.
Leif took the lead. We need to start with a question. Do you know what happened to your car?
Jeff looked puzzled. Sure, I loaned it to a friend, an old army buddy. I figured it would just be sitting in the parking lot for three months, and he needed wheels. Is something wrong?
Jeff, your friend was in an accident. Leif broke the news gently. He’s in the burn center at Mass. General. Your car was totaled.
Ron Carter? Jeff stiffened as though he had suffered a heavy blow. Is he all right?
Tracy fought back tears. She had to add to Jeff’s pain. Your friend was horribly burned. All this time we thought it was you lying there. We went in to the hospital every week, just praying that you would make it.
Every week! When did this happen?
Monday, the day after we checked you in here, Leif explained. When I heard about the accident, I figured you had given up and left the program.
Jeff gave them a sad smile. No, you and Rev. Jim are powerful prayers. You prayed me in here to stay.
Leif frowned. I’m surprised no one here saw the article about the accident in the newspaper.
I remember now, Jeff said. Someone told me about the article, but the newspaper spelled the name Dickson. The guys were kidding me about the similarities in the name, but nobody made the connection.
Your friend’s identification was burned, along with his clothes. The state police assumed you were the driver.
But, why didn’t Ron tell them? Jeff looked thoroughly baffled.
Tracy took up the story. They’re keeping him in a drug-induced coma until the burns heal. They are so painful.
Jeff’s face was lined with worry. Is Ron going to live through this?
Tracy forced a cheerful note. The doctor is very encouraged. The skin grafts are adhering.
But he’s going to be hospitalized for a long, long time, Leif added.
Poor Ron. Jeff shook his head sadly. He’s the original hard luck kid. When I came back from Iraq, we shared a room at Walter Reid. Don’t you remember him, Tracy?
Tracy nodded, picturing Jeff’s hospital roommate. He always looked so sad.
Jeff continued with his story. Ron lost a foot and I was missing half my leg, so we did a lot of commiserating. We got to be really close friends, but after he was discharged from the hospital, we lost touch.
Tracy saw that Jeff was close to tears.
I was surprised to run into him when I checked in here. He was living on the streets when the court ordered him into the program. The day I arrived here, he had done his time and was being released. But he had nowhere to go but back on the streets. No home, no job, no nothing. I gave him the keys to my car and the names of some people who might be able to help him get off the ground. And then this happened.
Tracy clasped Jeff’s hand. I know I’m being selfish, but I’m so glad it wasn’t you under all those bandages. We’ll keep praying for Ron, and we’ll find a way to help him when he gets out of the hospital.
We’ll have to let the doctors know who he is, Leif put in. They’re still trying to learn his identity.
Jeff, why didn’t you tell me you were going into the program? If it weren’t for Leif, I wouldn’t have known where to find you. Tracy tried not to sound upset that no one had let her know what was going on.
I sent you an e-mail, Jeff insisted, on that Sunday just before I left home. Didn’t you get it?
Tracy blushed. Sunday, she thought. That was the day she had spent in the charming company of NYPD Detective Diaz, but she didn’t want to worry Jeff with that information. E-mail had been the farthest thing from her mind that day. The message was probably still sitting in the in-box in her roommate’s computer. Tracy hadn’t read a message since then. I guess I missed it.
So, how’s Mom doing? And Aunt Grace? Jeff asked.
Tracy slapped a hand to her forehead to joggle her memory. Oh, my goodness. I have to call Mom. She’ll be thrilled out of her mind. She’s been so worried about you, but she couldn’t leave Aunt Grace. But Mom’s doing well, and Aunt Grace is recovering from her surgery.
An officious woman in a business suit put her head in the door and pointed at the clock. Tracy didn’t want to believe that their time was up already. She could sit and just stare at Jeff for hours, trying to convince herself this was all real.
I guess we have to leave now, Leif said.
They were all reluctant to say goodbye. Leif shook Jeff’s hand again and gave him a long brotherly hug.
Tracy stood on tiptoe to kiss Jeff’s cheek. I’m so proud of you, big brother, she whispered. I can’t wait until you’re home again.
Jeff smiled broadly. I’m proud of me too. I’m thinking of joining the human race again.
As Leif took Tracy’s hand, Jeff raised a questioning eyebrow. Hey, is there something going on with you two?
Tracy felt a flutter of joy when Leif winked at Jeff and waved goodbye with crossed fingers. She tried to remember why she was never going to speak to Leif again.
More than Great Riches
CHAPTER XV
Leif eased off on the accelerator as he passed Tracy’s house. Her car was not in the driveway. He groaned. Worry nagged at him whenever she was out of his sight. He prayed that wherever she was, there were crowds of people.
Normally he didn’t drive patrol, but he was becoming more and more uneasy about Tracy’s safety. It had been almost a week since Timmons tried to break into her car. Leif checked the tapes faithfully at least twice a day, but the back seat cushion had not been moved.
Timmons was bound to make another move soon. Years of detective work taught Leif patience, but this cat and mouse game played havoc with his nervous system.
And he was beginning to doubt his sanity. He must have been out of his mind to come up with this harebrained scheme to trap Timmons. The man was vicious. He needed to be locked away for eternity plus fifty years, but it wasn’t worth putting Tracy’s life on the line on the slim chance they could catch him in the act.
Why did she have to
live at the far end of nowhere? How could he protect her twenty-four hours a day without making her a prisoner?
Marry her. The thought startled him so much he almost veered off the road. Marry Tracy! He really was out of his mind. But the more he thought about it, the more appealing the idea became. That lady had become a permanent fixture in his dreams.
There was just one big catch. How did Tracy feel about him? They had been through more than their quota of trauma over the past six weeks—supporting each other, crying together, laughing together. He held her in his arms in sorrow and in joy. And they shared a few much too brief kisses.