“Good.” He takes my arm. “You look like you could use some help.”
I admit it’s not my best day. “I appreciate it.”
He leads me toward some doors to the right. “Right this way.”
He waves his badge over the reader attached to the wall and the doors swing inward. He releases my arm. “Go do some detecting, Detective.”
“It’s Alice and thank you.”
“Ah, Wonderland makes sense now. Not sure I’ll ever figure out Eddie though.”
I walk into the ER. The sense of urgency hangs in the air like a fog. Nurses and doctors hustle about, and I’m lost. How will I find Seth when I can barely see well enough to walk?
One of the ER security officers walks up to me. “You can’t be in here, ma’am.”
“I’m looking for Seth Ryan. He’s one of the police officers that was shot.”
“You family?”
“More than family. I’m his partner.”
He looks around and then leans close. “Follow me. If anyone asks, tell them you’re his wife or sister or something.”
He leads me through the ER and to one of the curtained-off sections. He pulls the side of the curtain back. “Right in here.”
I step under his arm and around the curtain. “Thank you, sir.” He nods and releases the curtain, and it falls back into place.
I turn around and Seth is sitting up on a gurney. Tears of joy erupt from my eyes and stream down my cheeks. Tension I didn’t know I was carrying falls away.
Seth sneers at me. “Surprised you’d show your face after shooting me.”
I wipe my cheeks and give him the evil eye. “Came to finish the job.”
He holds his arms out toward me and I rush into them. “I thought I might’ve killed you.”
“Hate to break the news to you, but I don’t think it was your bullet that hit me, killer.”
I remember the third shot. “Tried my best though.”
He kisses my cheek. “I’m ready to bust out of this joint.”
I pull back. “Bust out? You just got here twenty minutes ago. They haven’t even admitted you yet.”
“And they won’t. Bullet just grazed my neck. Missed all the veins and arteries. A miracle, really. They patched me up with a few stitches and a bandage and now I’m good to go.”
“You were out cold, Seth. Your vitals were almost non-existent.” I ball my hands. “You’re not going anywhere if I have my say in it.”
Seth shakes his head. “Turns out you don’t, and they need the bed anyway. Besides, I was out cold because I knocked my head against the asphalt. No concussion though.”
“Ugh! You’re as stubborn as they come, aren’t you?”
“The stubbornest. Besides, we have a killer to catch. Ain’t happening from a hospital bed.”
One of the nurses pulls the curtain open. She smiles. “You’re good to go, Mr. Ryan.”
I move out of the way and Seth swings his legs off the side of the gurney. “Any word on Officer Todd?”
Her smile fades. “I’m afraid his injuries were too severe. The doctors did everything they could but couldn’t stop the bleeding in time.”
The lights in the room dim and the air becomes so thick that it’s hard to breathe. I move back over to Seth and we hold each other. I know I’m selfish, but I thank the stars that it’s Officer Todd who’s dead and not him.
Seth rubs my back. “You did get this guy, right?”
“Right through the shoulder… and the groin.”
Seth squeezes me. “You’re hardcore, Bergman. I love you.”
“Love you back.” We part, and I back out of the way so that he can get up.
Seth stands and pulls off his hospital gown. He’s only shirtless underneath it. He walks around to the other side of the gurney, grabs his bloody shirt off the stand, and eases into it. He takes all his effects and stuffs them into various pockets.
He comes back around the gurney and takes my arm. “Let’s bail before they change their minds.”
We walk toward the exit. “We’ll need to call for a ride.”
Seth stops in front of the ER doors. “You didn’t drive my car over here?”
I couldn’t drive right now if I wanted to, but he doesn’t need to know that. “There’s no way I was gonna let them separate us. I rode in the ambulance with you. Held your hand the entire way here.”
Seth sighs. “Figures. I’d imagined a supermodel was holding my hand.”
I can see in his eyes that he’s hurting. We didn’t know Officer Todd very long, but it doesn’t always take long to form a bond. Joking is Seth’s way of coping with loss and I’d never deny him that outlet.
I play along. “You’re saying I’m not one?”
“Are you kidding me? You’ve got way too many braincells to be a supermodel. You’ll have to dumb it down quite a bit to even have a chance of competing.”
“But am I sexy enough to be one?”
“There’s no way I’m getting out of this conversation unscathed. How about them Diamondbacks? Playing pretty well, right?”
I punch his arm. “Might as well reserve a bed here for the night. You’re gonna need it.”
Seth presses the exit button on the wall and the doors swing inward. “Only if you share it with me.”
I smile. “Fat chance of that happening.”
We walk out the doors and across the lobby. The front doors slide open with a whoosh and the heat laps at my face. I turn and wave toward the reception desk. “Found him, Eddie. Thanks!”
“You betcha, Wonderland. Have a good day!”
My stomach groans. I don’t know when I’ll ever have a good day again.
We walk out into the ambulance bay and around to the front of the hospital. The heat is miserable again, but not quite as bad as it was yesterday. It’s still early though. Given time, I’m sure it will be sweltering.
Seth pulls out his phone and sets up a ride for us through a mobile app. I take my phone out and look at the screen. I’ve got three missed calls from Lieut. Frost. I dial my voicemail and listen to the first message left at 10:14:
“This message is for Detective Bergman. This is Lieut. Frost. Can you please come over to the station when you get a free moment? Thank you.”
The second message, left at 12:19, is more abrupt:
“Hello, Detective Bergman. Lieut. Frost again. Please come to the station as soon as possible.”
The third message, left at 14:18, is direct:
“Come to the station. We’ve been waiting for you.”
I delete the messages, hang up, and put my phone back in my pocket. I look up and Seth’s staring at me. I frown. “What?”
“You got trouble in paradise?”
“Frost.”
He raises a hand. “Say no more.” He looks at his phone. “Ride is on the way.”
Ten minutes later, we pile into the back seat of Tyler’s car and head toward Seth’s condo complex. Tyler’s a chatty fellow, but neither of us are in the mood to converse. After several minutes of one-sided conversation Tyler finally gets the hint and leaves us in peace.
We pull into the condo complex and there’s a police cruiser waiting outside Seth’s building. “What the hell’s so urgent?”
Seth looks at me. “Guess they really want you to go in.”
I’m pissed, and it reflects in my voice. “Guess so. Not sure what’s so urgent that it can’t wait.”
We both thank Tyler and exit the car. I walk Seth over to the building doors but don’t go inside.
Seth holds my hand. “You don’t need to rush off, Alice. Come inside and sit for a bit.”
I look back at the cruiser. “You know I can’t do that. I’ve gotta go in.”
He shrugs. “Fine. Call me later?”
I kiss his cheek. “Sure will.”
I walk over to the cruiser and peer through the window. As far as I can tell it’s Officer Spalding si
tting inside. It’s hard to tell though because my eyes are so blurry. Thank God I have a stronger pair of glasses in my car.
The window rolls down. “Detective Bergman. I’ve been tasked to escort you to the station. Back door’s unlocked.”
I smile. “You’re a good man, Officer Spalding, but I’ll take myself in if that’s okay with you.”
“Not a chance. I have my orders.”
I look skyward. It’s nothing but a bluish-gray smear. All my surroundings are gummed splotches of colors. “Alright. Let me grab something out of my car and I’ll be right back.”
He nods. “Make it quick.”
It’s a struggle, but I manage to find my sedan in the parking lot by pressing the panic button. I open the door and wait a minute for some of the pent-up heat to disperse before climbing in. When I do, I make the mistake of grabbing the steering wheel and it burns my hand.
“Ouch!” I pull my hand away.
Whoever thought it was a good idea to settle in the middle of the desert should be hung. I’m not sure how Mother wound up out here in this godawful place either.
I open the glovebox and pull out four pairs of prescription glasses. They’re my last four pairs. I take off the ones I have on and toss them in the glovebox. I try on the others in succession. The last pair I put on has the strongest prescription available, and my vision’s still blurrier than I’d like with them on, but I have no other choice. They’ll have to do. I have no idea what I’m going to do tomorrow when I can’t see at all.
I throw the other glasses back in the glovebox and push it closed. I look up and see that Officer Spalding has pulled around and blocked me in. “Guess he doesn’t trust me.”
I admit the thought did cross my mind to ditch him.
I get out of the car, slam the door, and walk around to the opposite side of the police cruiser. I open the back door and slide onto the plastic seat. I can tell it’s not going to be a fun ride for my butt. I close the door and buckle in.
I close my eyes. “Ready when you are.”
We take off and I can’t help but think that this might be my future one day. The past always finds a way of rearing its ugly head when least expected, and I’ve done more than my share of lawbreaking recently.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
There are only a few cars at the station when we pull into the parking lot. Officer Spalding drops me off at the front of the building and I thank him for the ride.
I walk through the front doors and the mood is more somber than on any other day I can remember. Officer Janice sits at the front desk, her eyes bloodshot and her nose red. I know she and Officer Todd were close, and, based on her reaction, I wonder if there was something going on between them. I can’t bring myself to say anything, so I just nod in her direction and move on down the hallway.
At the end of the hall I take a left and traverse the stairs to the second floor. Lieut. Frost’s office is the first door on the left and the door is wide open. I knock on the door frame and peer inside but he’s not there. At the end of the hall is a conference room. The shades are drawn, and the door is shut. They never are unless something is going on inside.
I walk down the hall, knock on the conference room door, and crack the door open. Lieut. Frost and a few others are sitting around the rectangular table. Lieut. Frost waves me inside. I go in, shut the door, and sit down in the first available chair.
Lieut. Frost sits across from me. The smell of his godawful cologne hits me, and I want to gag. Officer Brex sits to his left and Officer Jaramillo to his right. I don’t know how they can sit so close to him without choking to death.
The three brooding men set my fingers tapping. I’m a deer caught in the headlights and I’m sure I look the part. Whatever this is can’t possibly be good.
Lieut. Frost’s glare is softer than normal. “First of all I want to commend you on detaining the perp at the Goodtime Liquors and Convenience Store. Your quick action in that pressure situation saved the life of Detective Ryan.”
My mind trips over itself. Did Lieut. Frost just pay me a compliment?
I let out the breath that I didn’t realize I’d been holding in. “Thank you, sir. I did my best. I’m just sorry we didn’t arrive there in time to save Officer Todd’s life.”
Lieut. Frost exhales. “As are we all. Now, to the bad news.”
My throat tightens. “Bad news, sir?” The words squeak out like a mouse.
Lieut. Frost leans forward, rests his arms on the table, and clasps his hands together. “You’re aware we have policies and procedures that must be followed.”
My hands become so fidgety that I place them in my lap to keep from distracting the entire room further. “I am, sir.”
He continues, “Because you were involved in an OIS I have no choice but to put you on administrative leave.”
“Sir—”
Lieut. Frost holds up his hand. “This is not open to discussion, Detective Bergman. I understand that the shooting was justifiable, and I’m certain you’ll have no remorse over it, but that does not preclude us from following proper procedure. An officer involved shooting must be dealt with properly, no matter the circumstance. You will see the department psychiatrist, as required. Once you’ve done so, you will attend a mandatory two-week training, and then be reevaluated by the department psychiatrist before returning to duty.”
Heat burns in my cheeks. “Sir, you can’t do this. Detective Ryan and I are right in the middle of a case.”
Lieut. Frost pinches the bridge of his nose. “I understand your frustration, Detective Bergman, but my hands are tied. Detective Roland will assist Detective Ryan during your absence. When you’re fit to return for duty you’ll be put back on the case if it isn’t solved. That’s all I can do for you.”
I rise from my chair. “Detective Ryan isn’t being put on administrative leave? How does that make any sense? He was shot for God’s sake! This feels like some sort of witch hunt.”
Lieut. Frost glares at me. “Sit down, Detective. You know as well as I do that this is no witch hunt. I have as much respect for you as I do anyone else in this department.”
I sit back down, more so because I’m dizzy than to follow his order. “I know you do, sir.” I close my eyes for a moment and take a deep breath. “It’s been a really long day. Just forget I said that.”
He nods. “I understand, and there’s a good reason why Detective Ryan will still be working. As stupid as it may sound, he didn’t fire his gun. Because of that, he isn’t required to be put on administrative leave for an OIS. You should be happy about this because that means that he can continue working the case.”
“I really am happy about that, sir. Elated, to be honest. He’s the best homicide detective I know. I’ve never worked with Detective Roland before but I’m sure he’s good too. We’ve got a lot of good people here.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” He clears his throat. “Now, unless there’s something else you’d like to discuss, I believe were done. Please make sure you report to the department psychiatrist as soon as possible. The sooner you do, the sooner you’ll be back at work.”
“Yes sir.” I rise from my chair once again and cling to it for dear life for several moments. “I’ll report to the psychiatrist first thing in the morning.” I cannot allow myself to fall apart right now. My head is swimming and another migraine is coming on like a runaway locomotive and Lieut. Frost’s cologne has done anything but help.
I exit the room and close the door behind me. The musty, swamp cooler air is almost crisp in comparison but even it does little for my head. I take a deep breath and stagger forward a few steps.
The hallway sways back and forth, and the lights are so bright that I have to close my eyes. I feel my way down the hallway and to the stairs at the far end. I hold onto the railing as I descend, and when I reach the bottom I have to sit down on the last step. But the rest is short-lived.
Nausea ripples through my stomach and
I bolt for the locker room, praying no one’s in my path because my eyes are closed. Thankfully I have the layout of the building memorized. I make it to the locker room and into an empty stall just in time to purge the contents of my stomach into the awaiting toilet.
My head’s stuck in a never-ending tailspin and nausea keeps me perched in front of the toilet. I retch twice more and then follow it up with bouts of dry-heaving. By the time I feel confident in leaving the stall my abdominals are on fire and my throat crackles with stomach acid.
I remember that I have some migraine medication in my locker, so I head over to it. Officer Dupree is standing at his open locker, staring at it like it’s the most foreign thing he’s ever seen.
My locker is next to his, and I open it. “You all right?”
“Just don’t understand who would want to hurt Officer Todd. He was one of the nicest people on this godawful rock.”
Officer Dupree sniffs and I realize he’s been crying. “At least I shot the bastard who did it. Twice. Once in the balls.”
“Good you did that, but it ain’t enough.” Officer Dupree slams his locker door shut. “That thug don’t deserve to live.”
“I know how you feel Jim, but his life will be hell on the inside. He’s a cop killer now.”
“True dat.” He starts walking off then stops. “Gonna make a call to some of the boys on the inside. When they’re done with him, he’ll never be able to sit right again.”
He exits the locker room and I smile. If people knew the conversations that went on inside these walls we’d all be out of jobs. I pop a few pills, shut my locker, and sit down on the bench.
It’s time to move forward, and the only thing I can do now is what I’ve been doing for the last ten years: work the case on my own. Until I can’t. Tears moisten my eyes and I rub them away before they have a chance to fall.
How much longer do I have before going completely blind? The question trembles my lips and tightens my chest. I need to get home before the mess inside me breaks containment. God forbid the guys here see me break down.
Once I do go blind, I’ll have to confide in someone. But who? Seth isn’t an option. That only leaves Mother and Veronica and I’m not sure either of them is strong enough to handle it. I’m not even sure I am.
The Braille Killer (An Alice Bergman Novel Book 1) Page 14