Come Rain or Shine: Rose Gardner Investigations #5 (Rose Gardner Investigatons)

by Denise Grover Swank

  “But maybe my priorities have changed.”

  My heart skipped a beat. He’d alluded to this very thing the last time I saw him, but I couldn’t let myself count on us having a future.

  “I have to go,” I whispered.

  “I know,” he whispered back, staring at me with a wistful expression.

  We stood like that for several seconds before I said, “Take care of yourself, James. I don’t know who’s got your back now, but make sure you can trust them.”

  “I’m fine,” he said, turning gruff. “I can take care of myself.”

  And he had. For years. Practically since he could walk. But over the last year and a half, I’d learned I couldn’t do this on my own. In my heart, I believed the same was true of him. But telling him that was wasted breath. It didn’t take a fool to see he was trying to steel himself for whatever was about to come.

  Leaning over, he gave me a toe-curling kiss. “Go out the front and leave the door unlocked,” he said, pulling back slightly. “Carter’s assistant will be back soon enough to make sure the place doesn’t get ransacked.

  I nodded, close to tears.

  “Don’t worry about tomorrow,” he said, his voice tight. “Just answer truthfully with one exception.” He held my gaze. “Don’t tell them you met with me this afternoon. If anyone asks you about this afternoon, tell them Carter left some papers for you to look over to prepare for your testimony. No one can ever know I was here, and it’s important we keep it that way. Not even Jed or Neely Kate.”

  I started to argue with him, but only on impulse. If it helped keep James safe, this was a secret I’d keep. I nodded instead.

  His hand cupped my cheek as he stared into my eyes. “I love you, Rose.”

  “I love you too.”

  I forced myself to turn and walk out of the office and out the front door. It wasn’t until I’d climbed into the truck and started the engine that what had just happened fully hit me.

  I’d just seen James.

  But I didn’t have time to dwell on it, because I was already late for my doctor’s appointment, and I really needed that prescription for Violet.

  I’d partially settled down by the time I pulled into the parking lot, but I needed to get myself together. This was no time for tears. I took three deep breaths, then got out of the truck and headed to the office.

  The waiting room looked none the worse for wear when I walked in. Loretta was at the front desk with a phone pressed to her ear. She shot me a worried look, then said in a quiet tone, “I’ve gotta go,” and hung up.

  “Rose,” she said. “I thought maybe you’d changed your mind.”

  “Sorry I’m running late,” I said, glancing at the clock. 3:07. “Can I still meet with Dr. Newton?”

  “Yeah, her next appointment isn’t for another half hour,” she said, getting out of her chair. “Come on through the back door.”

  I started to ask her about Wendy, but her phone rang. She ambled back to answer it, moving none too fast, and a nurse pushed open the door to the back. “Rose?”

  I followed her into the short hallway.

  She offered me a smile. “I would take you to the office, but Dr. Arnold left it a mess. Dr. Newton has been meeting with patients in the exam rooms.”

  “Sure,” I said. “No problem.” I’d meet her on the roof if that’s what it took to get Violet’s pain medication.

  The nurse showed me to Exam Room Two, and I sat in a chair against the wall and settled in to wait for the doctor.

  Less than a minute later, someone knocked lightly on the door, and a thirty-something woman in a lab coat walked in with an electronic tablet in her hand. She already struck me as more professional than Dr. Arnold, from her perfectly pulled-back light brown hair to the high shine on the stethoscope around her neck.

  “Rose?” she asked, her gaze searching out mine.

  “Yeah.” I squirmed in my seat.

  She held out her hand. “I’m Dr. Sylvia Newton. I’m sure you’ve heard that Dr. Arnold sold me his practice.”

  “Yes,” I said, offering her a warm smile as I shook her hand. “I’m here for my sister, Violet Beauregard.”

  She sat on a stool and set her tablet on the counter beside her. “Yes, I was reading Violet’s file this weekend.” Her mouth twisted into a sad smile. “I’m so sorry that you’ve reached this point.”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Thank you.”

  She leaned forward, clasping her hands in front of her. “Our goal is to make your sister’s last days more comfortable, but I don’t want to forget about her caregivers. How are you doing?”

  I swiped a tear from the corner of my eye. “I’m still struggling to deal with all of this.”

  She sat back up. “I read in Violet’s chart that she’s living with you. That must be quite difficult.”

  My back stiffened, unsure of where she was going with her line of questioning.

  “I have support. An old friend moved in to help and our cousin is also staying with us,” I said, giving the official story we’d come up with to explain Carly’s presence.

  She gave me a warm smile. “That wasn’t a judgment or criticism, Rose. It’s a lot for one person to handle all alone. I was making sure you have a support system.”

  “Oh,” I said. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry.” She shifted on her stool. “Part of the reason you’re here is so I can check on you too. Caretakers often overlook their own needs while dealing with extraordinary stress. How are you handling everything?”

  I tried to answer her, but the lump in my throat was too thick to make way for any words.

  “Do you have someone to talk to? In larger cities there are support groups. I can check to see if there’s something like that around here.”

  I shook my head again. “I doubt there is, but I talk to my friend Jonah sometimes. He’s the pastor at the New Living Hope Revival Church.”

  “When was the last time you talked to him?”

  I bit my lower lip, then released a small laugh. “Funny, I was just thinkin’ about that this mornin’.”

  “Maybe you should fit a chat with him into your schedule,” she said in an encouraging voice. “It might help relieve some of the pressure you’re feeling.” When I shot her a look of surprise—Dr. Arnold had never seemed fussed about my well-being—her eyes brimmed with sympathy and warmth. “You’re taking care of your dying sister. You’re both very young, and according to the gossiping office staff, your mother died last year.” She cringed. “Don’t worry. I’ve laid down the law about gossiping. I won’t tolerate it in this office. I hesitated to mention anything, but I must admit it made me even more eager to check in with you.”

  The office staff was gossiping about me? I was used to being the topic of gossip, but given everything that was happening at the moment, it made the wheels in my head spin. “Can you tell me what else they’re sayin’ about me?” She looked horrified, and not a little embarrassed, so I quickly added, “Please, I’ve heard it all. I just need to know what’s goin’ around about me now. I’d rather be able to address it head-on rather than be left to wonder. My best friend usually knows, but people have clammed up around her lately.”

  She squirmed in her seat. “Rose…”

  “Please. You won’t offend me.”

  She paused a long moment, then said, “There was some talk about whether you killed your mother or not, but I’ve since learned that a criminal murdered her.”

  I nodded. “Anything more recent?”

  Her cheeks flushed. “There was talk about your ex moving in with you.”

  “He’s the old friend I mentioned. Do they think we’re back together?”

  Her face turned a deep rose color. “There was some disagreement about that.”

  I nodded, because Margi’s comments earlier had indicated as much, although I still wasn’t sure if that was good or bad.

  “Rose,” she said in a rush. “I don’t condone gossip and the staff
was reprimanded.”

  I gave her a reassuring look. “Trust me, I’ve been the source of gossip for longer than you know. Don’t worry. I don’t hold any of this against you.”

  She nodded, turning to her tablet as her embarrassment eased. “Back to you and your sister…are you having issues with anxiety or insomnia?”

  “No more than I would expect,” I said.

  She gave me a weighing look. “Don’t be a hero, Rose. There are things we can give you to help with the anxiety if it’s overwhelming.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t think I need anything. It’s just stress.”

  “Tell me how it’s been affecting your health.”

  I glanced down at my hands. “I’ve been very anxious. I haven’t been sleeping well, yet I’m tired all the time. I haven’t been eating because my stomach is in knots. I know I’ve lost about five or six pounds.” I looked up at her. “But I don’t want to go on anything. I’ll be fine.”

  She pursed her lips and studied me for a moment. “When was the last time you had an exam?”

  “Almost a year ago.”

  She turned back to her tablet and opened a new file. “Yes, I see that.” Taking a breath, she turned back to me. “Would you be opposed to me doing a quick exam? I know you don’t want to take anything now, but if you change your mind, I can write a prescription for you without seeing you again.”

  I hadn’t planned on my own exam, but I saw no reason to refuse one. I needed to come in for one soon anyway, and this would save me time. “Uh…sure.”

  Dr. Newton stood, offering me a warm smile. “Just hop on the table.”

  After she’d listened to my heart and lungs, looked into every orifice in my head, and felt around on my neck and abdomen, she said, “Everything looks good, but I’d like to take some blood and do a urinalysis for a baseline. I’ll also want to get your height and weight.”

  Carrying her tablet, she led me out to the hall and had me step on the scale. After she recorded my weight and height in her tablet, she sent me to the bathroom to pee in a cup. “When you’re done, Anne will take your blood.” She paused and held my gaze. “Rose, I’m here not just for Violet, but for you too. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me for help.”

  “Thank you, Dr. Newton,” I said, overwhelmed by her kindness.

  She walked into the next exam room, and I heard her greeting someone as I stepped into the restroom to pee in the cup. When I was done, I went into the hall and a nurse I recognized from my visits with Violet was waiting for me in the hall. The cold glint in her eyes indicated the animosity I’d felt from her in the past hadn’t been in my imagination as Violet had suggested. I had a feeling I’d found the source of some of that office gossip.

  She took the cup and gestured to a room down the hall. “Head down there.”

  I’d been to the lab room with Violet, so I knew where to go despite the nurse’s vague directions. I sat in a blood draw chair and glanced around the room, reading the posters to stave off my nervousness about getting stuck with a needle.

  Anne washed her hands, then pulled on a pair of gloves.

  “Great weather we’re having,” I said, trying to clear some of the tension from the room. Anne didn’t seem happy to be here with me, which only added to my anxiety.

  “I guess,” she said, taking a seat on a stool and rolling closer to me. She got everything ready to draw my blood, then wrapped the tourniquet around my arm, looking cross the entire time.

  It didn’t seem like a good idea to antagonize a woman who was about to stab me with a needle, but I couldn’t help asking, “Have I done something to offend you?”

  Her dark eyes lifted to mine. “I’m friends with Dena.”

  Well, crap.

  Anne stabbed the needle in my arm with more force than necessary, and I cried out in surprise.

  “Gonna snitch on me for that too?” she asked with a sneer. A hateful look filled her eyes. She looked down to change the tube in the syringe, making me realize what a precarious situation I was in.

  “What on earth are you talkin’ about?” I asked. “I’ve barely spoken to you. How could I have snitched on you?”

  Surprise washed over her face, like she’d said something she hadn’t meant to say, but she buried her head as she finished filling the tubes. She slapped a bandage on my arm hastily, as though worried she might catch the bubonic plague from me. “You’re good to go.”

  I stood and the room began to spin, so I sat back down.

  Anne gave me a funny look, then grudgingly asked, “Are you okay?”

  “I guess I stood too quickly,” I said, sucking in a deep breath. Instinctively, I put my head between my legs.

  “Rose?” I heard Dr. Newton say from the doorway.

  “I’m just feeling a little light-headed. Give me a minute.” I took several more breaths, then sat up, still feeling light-headed but no longer close to passing out. “Sorry about that.”

  “Do you usually feel light-headed when you have your blood drawn?” she asked with concern on her face.

  “No,” I said. “But I’ve been feeling light-headed a lot lately.” I figured she, at least, was on my side and I should tell her everything. “I passed out this morning at the nursery I own.”

  Her eyes widened as she turned to Anne, who was standing in the doorway, and added more tests to the blood work. It sounded like gibberish to me.

  “I’m fine,” I insisted. “It’s just stress.”

  She squatted next to me. “Stress doesn’t usually make people faint. I want you to take it easy for the next day or two until I get these results back.”

  My mouth twisted into a wry grin. “I’m testifyin’ before a grand jury tomorrow. There’s no gettin’ out of that.”

  She studied me for a moment, not looking entirely surprised.

  “You knew?”

  “Not that you, specifically, have been called to testify, but I’d heard about the grand jury.”

  Why would the state police tell the new doctor about the grand jury? It seemed to confirm my suspicions about Dr. Arnold’s possible involvement with Denny, although there was no point in asking her about it. She wouldn’t be able to tell me anything.

  I stood. “I need to get goin’.”

  She placed a hand on my arm. “Rose, you’re obviously under a great deal more stress than I realized. I suggest you take some time off from work and focus on yourself and your sister.”

  I started to protest that I couldn’t stop working. I was the only person supporting three people—me, Violet, and Carly—but the words dried up. She was right, and besides, Maeve had reminded me earlier that help was at hand if I needed it. Bruce Wayne and his crew were carrying the load for all of us. He’d encouraged me multiple times to take a break, this morning included.

  “Thanks, Dr. Newton. I’ll see what I can do to rearrange my schedule.”

  I headed for the door, but she called out, “Wait. I forgot to give you Violet’s prescription.”

  Embarrassment washed through me. How could I have forgotten?

  “Thank you,” I said, taking it from her outstretched hand and stuffing it into my purse.

  “Don’t forget to call your friend Jonah.”

  “Good idea.” Since Violet had invited him to dinner, I could talk to him then.

  Right now, I had some questions for Loretta.

  I stopped at the checkout counter, and Loretta motioned that I could just leave.

  “Actually,” I said, leaning against the chest-high ledge, “I ended up having a checkup of my own. Do I need to give you my co-pay?”

  She walked over and narrowed her eyes. “Are you okay?”

  I waved my hand. “I’m fine. I was due for one, so Dr. Newton decided to go ahead and take care of it.”

  The look she gave me suggested she wasn’t totally buying it, but she pulled my name up on the computer, and I handed her my debit card.

  “Say,” I said, trying to sound nonchalant. I was curious about W
endy but decided it would be best to inquire about her in a roundabout way. “I know you can’t talk much about Dr. Arnold, but do you think there’s another reason he left other than runnin’ off with his nurse?”

  Loretta paused mid-swipe, holding my card aloft. “What have you heard?”

  “I think plenty of us have heard rumors that he was selling prescriptions,” I said. “But frankly, I never believed it.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Of course he wasn’t. I still can’t believe what people are saying. Next thing you know, they’ll be sayin’ he took off in a spaceship.”

  I forced a chuckle. “Trust me, I know how groundless rumors can be. But then Wendy showed up this morning…and now I wonder if there might be some truth to it after all.”

  “Don’t be silly,” Loretta said, tearing off the receipt and handing it to me with my card. “Wendy is a hot mess.”

  “What happened to her?” I asked. “Did the police arrest her?”

  “Nah,” she said, flopping back down in her seat. “She took off before they got here, and Mrs. Preston decided not to press charges.”

  “Wendy never saw the doctor?” I asked.

  “Of course not. Even if she hadn’t run off, Dr. Newton didn’t have time to fit her into the schedule. I just said that to appease her.”

  I was more curious than ever, and I knew where to go next.

  I offered her a wide smile. “Thanks, Loretta.”

  “You go home and take care of your sister,” she called after me.

  I planned to. After I made a trip to the Burger Shack.

  CHAPTER 10

  T he mother in the waiting room had insinuated that Wendy worked at the Burger Shack, so it seemed like the logical place to look for her. It was worth a try, anyway, and I was actually a little hungry. On my way to the fast-food restaurant, I stopped by the pharmacy to fill Violet’s prescription, telling them I’d be back later for it. I also sent a text to Neely Kate, telling her my appointment had gone fine, and that I’d see her at the farm later.

  I was pretty sure there was probably a picture of Neely Kate behind the counter of Burger Shack, warning the staff not to mess around with her. She and I had once questioned a Burger Shack supervisor, a suspect in a case we’d worked on.