A Deadly Memory

by Gwen Taylor

  Lynn smiled, her eyes brimming as she blinked. "I know. This is awful. Don’t worry. It’s going to be okay. Let me see what I can do." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a pen and a pad. "In the meantime, here's my number if you need to reach me real fast. And I'll head down to the ER station and see what I can find out. But don't get your hopes up. They sometimes won't even let us know what's going on. Policy this, policy that, you know. But I will try, hon." She paused. “Good to have you back, Piper. I know it will all work out. I’ll be back.”

  Piper nodded, and Nana chimed in, "God bless you, dear. We're on pins and needles here."

  Piper watched the door close again, wondering what its opening would bring the next time. She felt caught in a horrible war between fearing time passing and wanting it to fly to the outcome she might never get over.

  They sat in strained silence, interrupted only by a few phone calls asking about Sean, some Nana didn't bother to take. Her own phone was silent. She thought about calling her sister. She could use the comfort, but the words would never come out without her losing her grip. It would have to wait, just as she was waiting, waiting, waiting, hearing time pass like molasses instead of water.

  All the while, the thoughts running through her mind were so disjointed she wasn't sure what she was actually thinking, but she knew what was in her heart because she felt it.

  When another half hour had passed with no word, Nana took to pacing, and Piper folded and unfolded the number Lynn had given her, trying to decide whether to call or not.

  "I can't take much more of this." Nana sat back down and then immediately hopped back up. The door opened and Lynn came in, followed by a man in scrubs.

  She smiled, and Piper's heart gave a huge leap. Lynn's eyes were misty. Was that a bad sign?

  Lynn introduced them to the doctor. "This is Dr. Rhes."

  Piper held her breath.

  "Mr. Hughes is out of surgery. He's going to be okay."

  "Thank the Lord. And thank you, doctor." Nana pumped his hand and listened as he told them what to expect in the next few hours.

  As soon as the door closed behind him, Piper and Nana both rushed Lynn, and the three of them stood hugging in his wake. Walsh walked in on their huddle and cleared his throat.

  "Piper, I need your statement if you feel like it." His red-rimmed eyes were apologetic. "Sean's going to make it?"

  The women nodded. "Yes."

  They laughed at their unison and broke apart. Lynn went for the tissues. "I better clean myself up before I hit the floor again."

  "You got some black stuff right there." Walsh pointed to the corner of his own eye. "And under that. Yeah, you got it."

  Lynn smiled. "Thank you, officer. You all have my number. Call me when he's out in a room. I'll come check on you all later."

  Walsh opened the door for Lynn and then faced Piper. "We've been hunting that woman you described. Got the ID on the man. Charles Buckner. Been on some wanted lists for a long time. Recent lock up in Barton. Stolen cars, attempted murder. Rough character."

  "And her?"

  "Not sure, but we've got everyone out looking for her. She can't get far on foot."

  Piper thought back to the scene. The woman had been bent over the man's body, and when Piper had come in, she'd fled, but not without grabbing something off the body. Whatever it was had flashed in the light giving Piper a glimpse of silver and red plastic. "I think they must have been staying in a motel or something nearby. I can't swear it, but I'm pretty sure she took a room key with her. Not an up-to-date key card, either. A real key attached to a keychain. A red keychain."

  Walsh scribbled furiously. "And was she injured?"

  "No. I don't think so, but she did have blood on her. I had to get to Sean. She wasn't a priority." Piper looked at her own clothing, glad the shirt she had been wearing now sat in an evidence bag. But she could still feel it sticking to her, Sean’s blood, the blood of the man she couldn’t save. She wanted that feeling gone.

  Piper stood. "I'm sorry, Walsh. Could we do this later? I need to see Sean."

  Reliving the nightmare was getting to her. All she wanted was to see Sean, make sure for herself he was okay, and get out of her disgusting clothes and feel human again.

  "He won't be in a room for a while. Why don't you all go home?"

  "I'm staying right here until my boy comes out and I see with my own eyes that he's okay." Nana clutched her purse to her. "But Piper, you should go have a shower and change before coming back. You've been up for too long."

  And she was filthy.

  "I can take you back to Miss Hughes' house if you want."

  Piper stared at her hands, scrubbed free but still, she knew how Macbeth felt. She needed to be clean, take three showers at least. "All right. Thanks, Walsh."

  "No sweat. I'll go pull the car around to the front lobby entrance."

  "Okay, meet you there."

  Piper reached for her purse and caught Nana's eye.

  Nana looked worried still. "What are you thinking, child?"

  "Nothing. Just wanting a shower and some fresh clothes." She hoped what she had in mind wasn't that obvious, but Nana looked like she knew.

  "Don't do it, Piper. I can't worry about you both at once."

  Piper looked away, not prepared to admit what she was thinking of doing. "What do you think I’d do, Nana?"

  "I see them cogs turning. You and I both know there's only one hotel run down enough and old enough for that." Nana tapped her chin. "That old ramshackle place out on 104, weeds tall as trees, looks like roaches call it home. And if I know that look in your eye, you're thinking of heading there."

  Piper avoided Nana's gaze. "I won't put myself in danger, Nana."

  "What you consider danger ain't what I consider danger. Promise me you won't do anything out of vengeance." She paused and added. "Don't take matters in your own hands."

  "Don't worry, Nana. I'll be back."

  She didn't look back, afraid Nana could read the truth on her face. She hadn't lied, but she hadn't told the truth either. And between the two, the gray area might as well have been black.

  17

  The face looming over Sean came into focus. Nana's smile widened. "How's my boy?"

  He struggled to sit up and then groaned at the pain in his side. His immediate thought was for Piper. "Piper?"

  "You just relax, darling. Piper's just fine."

  "Where is she?"

  "Shhh, I'll tell you all about it. Lie back there." Nana took his hand. "She went with Walsh to get cleaned up. She said she'd be back soon."

  Sean swallowed, finding that as painful as the ache in his side. He felt the constricting band around his chest and coughed. His throat was near raw, his mouth like someone had filled it with sand. He tried again and closed his eyes against the sharp stab of pain as he took a deep breath. "Water."

  "Here." Nana lifted the straw to his lips. "How bad do you hurt?"

  He sipped slowly, fighting the urge to groan again. She handed him a pink cup with a spoon. Ice. He took it, never so glad for the frozen wonder of it as he was when it melted in his mouth. "I'm fine." That word again. Same meaning. He wasn't fine. A wave of nausea forced him to lie back.

  "You don't look it, but I'm just thankful you're still with us. Piper thought you were near dead."

  He saw a flash of her face bent over him. It wasn't a dream. Thank God she was safe.

  "Not yet." He opened his eyes again and tried another ice chip. "What about the man I shot? I know I hit him."

  Nana's mouth tightened. "I'm sorry. He didn't make it, Sean."

  The truth hit him hard. He'd killed a man, taken a human life, scumbag that he was. It wasn’t something Sean took pride in. This was going to haunt him for a long time judging by the skip of his heart and the heavy pressure in his chest.

  Nana smoothed his bedclothes. "It couldn't be helped. Sometimes we're called on to do hard things in life. And you did what you had to do to protect yourself and an innocent
life. The minister is here if you want to talk to him." Nana squeezed his hand. "I know I can't help you grapple with it, that's between you and the Lord, but I'm here for you."

  Sean swallowed again, this time it hurt more. There was more to go down. More worry, more pain. "I don't want to talk right now, but thanks."

  "How bad is this, Sean?" Nana's worried face bent over him. "You are out of the woods, aren't you? Doctor should be in here in a minute. He wanted to talk to you and me. I told him I'd be your caregiver. He's coming in—"

  A ring cut off what Nana was saying. She lifted a white plastic bag and opened its drawstring. "I got your things in here. And Piper must have shoved that phone in here too."

  "My phone?"

  "I think so. That's the skinny black thing, right?"

  "Yes."

  She rummaged through the bag. "Here it is. Slid right down to your shoes."

  She handed it to him.

  It had stopped ringing. He checked his missed calls. Piper's partner's number was listed three times.

  "Detective Hughes, how are we feeling?" The doctor strode in, a chart flipped open in his hand. "Glad to be back in the land of the living?"

  "Are you sure I am?"

  "Quite sure. You gave us a bit of a scare for a while though, but you're still with us. Thought we'd go over the surgery and what you can expect."

  Sean braced himself. "What's the damage?"

  "Surprisingly, not that bad." The doctor held up an x-ray. "The bullet lodged in your ribcage here." He pointed to the circled part on the black and blue film. The rib he showed Sean looked bowed in one spot and splintered where the bullet was.

  "That's a miracle, isn't it?" Nana's voice was full of awe.

  "It is. The trajectory's the strangest I've ever seen. The gun must have been fired from below you?"

  Sean nodded. "He was on the ground."

  "Well, if I had to guess what happened, I'd say it looked like he shot you through something thick and dense, and that may have saved your life."

  Sean thought back. It had happened so fast. He couldn't recall exactly. "I don't know what happened."

  "Well, you may never know, but you are a walking miracle, or will be in a few days. No organs damaged except a bruised kidney and a bile duct we had to cauterize. Some bile leaked out and we've given you some high-powered antibiotics and pain killers."

  "What about my ribs?"

  "One broken, so you'll be in some pain for a while, and you're pretty bruised otherwise. I'm not going to lie, you'll hurt for a while. You'll have to sleep upright and try not to move around much, but if you keep it braced, you can try walking short distances in a few hours. Make sure the anesthesia has worn off, then we'll get you moving."

  Sean sent up a prayer of thanks. He did remember one thing, a last lucid thought. He was pretty sure he was going to die, and that he'd left Piper vulnerable to the same fate. He needed to see her. To be sure she was okay.

  When the doctor was finished with his instructions, Nana followed after him with her questions, leaving Sean the opportunity to lie back and close his eyes. He kept seeing the face of the man he shot, kept hearing nonsense words coming from the woman standing over them, kept hearing her say something he couldn't understand.

  He rubbed his eyes and saw Nana come back in, her eyes full of worry.

  "I'm fine, Nana. You heard the doctor. Don't worry."

  She nodded. "I heard, but there's something else."

  Piper. His heart rate sped. "What's wrong?"

  Nana hesitated. "It's about Piper. I think she's put herself in danger again."

  18

  Piper removed the towel from her hair and stared into the mirror. The dark circles under her eyes were somewhat darker than when she'd last looked at herself. But that wasn't the only difference. The eyes staring back at her reminded her of something else she had forgotten along with the last three years. Running and hiding only got you hurt in the long run. And even though the Piper she'd been had run to Barton when things got tough, the Piper today wanted something else. She wanted to run toward the hard things, not away.

  Her fist came down on the sink. Sean's words came back to her. What does the Piper in this moment want?

  Her heart answered for her. Justice and freedom. Justice for all the hurt that those people had brought to her and her loved ones and freedom from this life of hiding behind someone else's badge instead of standing behind her own.

  She pulled her hair into a tight ponytail and headed downstairs. She looked at the keys hanging by the door and made her decision. She was going.

  She grabbed the Mustang key chain and her purse. She reached in for her gun, cocked the chamber, and counted the bullets. Four out of six wasn't bad odds.

  The only problem was losing the two officers out front. In Sean's Mustang. Piper grinned, grabbed the laundry basket off the sofa, and shoved her purse deep inside under a load of fluffy white towels. All she needed was a few seconds of distraction.

  She headed outside to the clothesline. The cop in the passenger's side waved, and Piper tossed her head in acknowledgment. She was thankful Sean had parked so close to the side of the house.

  She looked back and eased the door open, depositing her purse in the passenger seat. She left the door ajar and started putting clean towels back on the line until she could see the cops look away. She took her chance and slid in, quickly climbing over to the driver's side. She started it, threw it into gear and raced out the back and onto the dirt road that circled back to the one-lane that ran in front of the house.

  She pressed the gas to the floor and squealed the tires around the hairpin curve. She barely missed a pothole and then hit one at full speed. The Mustang bounced, lifting her off the seat. Sean would be pretty mad when he found out she had taken his pride and joy for a rough ride. And that she was probably about to lead two cops on a chase. She glanced back in the mirror. Strangely, no one was following her.

  She didn't want to second guess herself, but the nagging feeling that she needed backup started to take her by surprise. The drive to the outskirts of town didn't alleviate her concerns.

  Ten minutes later and still no tail. Piper didn't know whether to be worried or relieved. Somehow, it worried her more. But she couldn't think of that. She was on a mission. A mission that might get ugly, which was saying something judging by the looks of the run-down establishment.

  Piper parked a hundred feet or so from the building and grabbed her gun. Her hand was pretty steady, better than the last time she'd held it. But the thought that she shouldn't have come alone niggled at her consciousness for a moment and then disappeared as instinct took over and she crouched low near the bushes. There were only two vehicles in the parking lot. A brown and mustard station wagon parked under the neon sign that boasted vacancies and a red car with no tags and missing letters that had once identified its make.

  Piper eased around back. The building's rear was lined with air conditioners that looked older than she was and bags of trash that had naturally overflowed from the large trash bin. Only one air conditioner was running. The one in the window of the second room from the end.

  She made her way back to the front and saw a cruiser pull in beside her car. Walsh. He saw her and made his way over, crouching and running until he reached the building.

  "You haven't changed much, have you?" He didn't seem mad, despite the side-eye he was giving her.

  She eyed him cautiously. "How did you know where to find me?"

  "Sean called.”

  Nana. Piper couldn't blame her, and actually, was a little relieved to have Walsh with her.

  “Got us an emergency warrant. Can’t have a B&E on your record.” He grinned. "Ready?"

  She nodded. "If you are. Second room. No outlet in the back except a window with an air conditioning unit in it."

  "Okay, let's go."

  They went through all the motions and safety precautions of approaching, engaging, entering, and then…nothing. All the trouble of g
iving the cops the slip, of taking Sean's Mustang for a rough ride, all for an empty room. Piper wrinkled her nose in disgust at the smell and the general trashiness of the room. Walsh pulled two latex gloves from his pocket and passed one to her.

  "I've got bags if you find something." He snapped the glove into place and headed toward the nightstand.

  Piper swept the bathroom and came back to search the various drawers. Still, nothing. Walsh held up the trash can and pulled a hard plastic packaging from its contents. "This is all I've found."

  Burner phones. She came over. "Tell me they left one in there."

  Walsh shook his head. "No, but from the looks of this place, I doubt they take the trash out on a regular basis."

  Piper grinned. "No, they don't. There's a whole pile in the back." Her grin wavered. "But it's too much for us to go through."

  Walsh grabbed his cell. "I'm calling in for backup. Rookies are good for this kind of work."

  She and Walsh hadn't gotten too far into the pile of refuse when two young cops in crisp uniforms showed up. The owner had popped his head out and then quickly back in at Walsh's flash of a badge. He didn't bother coming back out again when the other cops showed up. But the neon sign did go dark.

  They spent the better part of three hours sifting through the most disgusting remains of goodness knew what. When one of the rookies yelled out, Piper let herself hope that he had found something worthwhile. And he had.

  She took the phone from him. It was dead, but unharmed as far as she could see. Walsh hurried back inside the room and fished one of the chargers out of the plastic packaging where the pair hadn't bothered to remove it.

  He plugged it in and turned it on. It seemed like ages before the screen came on. Walsh handed it to her. "Your case."