Shawn Spring Shifter Seasons

by Raines, Harmony

  “Please, it’s vitally important you tell us anything that might help.” Shawn held his breath as the doctor glanced at Yvette. What would a woman who had possibly been beaten so badly she was in a coma say? What would her first words be?

  “Testers,” the doctor said. “She mumbled something about testers. It made little sense to me. Maybe it does to your case.”

  “Not at present,” Joanna replied. “But sometimes these small details are the very thing that enables us to take great leaps forward with a case.”

  “Thank you,” Shawn said with a grateful smile.

  “I hope it might help shed some light on what happened.” The doctor glanced around the room, her eyes lingering on the flowers before she said, “No one wants to spend their whole life in a hospital room.”

  “It’s a lovely room and the flowers are a nice touch. I suppose if Penelope can hear, she can smell.” Joanna indicated the vase of roses on the nightstand.

  “Yes…” Dr. Howarth looked at her phone as it beeped. “I have to go. I have other patients to see and I don’t think I can be any further help to you.”

  “One last request really. Can we talk to Samantha?” Joanna asked. “Just to check if there is anything else she remembers?”

  “Of course, although that’s all she told me.” Dr. Howarth reached for her phone as it beeped. “I have to go.”

  “Thanks for your help,” Shawn said as the doctor hurried toward the door.

  “I hope you find out what happened to Penelope.” With that, the doctor opened the door and left Shawn and Joanna alone with Yvette.

  “Testers. What do you think Yvette meant?” Shawn stood up and threaded his fingers through Yvette’s.

  “It might not mean anything.” Joanna sat back in her chair, her eyes slightly out of focus. “Testers.”

  “Perhaps Fiona might be able to help.” Shawn’s suggestion was met by Joanna’s laser-sharp gaze.

  “Do you think Fiona knows more than she said?” Joanna asked.

  “In what way?” Shawn asked. “You don’t trust her?”

  “It’s not that I don’t trust Fiona. It’s more that…” She rested her elbow on the arm of the chair and rubbed her fingers thoughtfully over her chin. “What if she’s keeping information from us?”

  “For what reason?” Shawn asked.

  Joanna shrugged. “That might be the question we need to ask.”

  “This is insightful.” Shawn glanced sideways at his mate. “Seeing how a real detective works. And a little scary.”

  “I scare you?” Joanna asked. “How?”

  “If I put the milk away on the wrong shelf, will you think it’s because I have a guilty conscience? That I have something else on my mind?” Shawn grinned as her expression clouded. “I’m joking. I like that you are so thorough.” He turned his gaze back to Yvette. “That’s exactly what Yvette needs. Someone to comb through her past thoroughly and pick out the threads that matter.”

  “That’s a good idea.” She patted Shawn on the arm and got up from her seat. “I need to make a phone call.” Joanna’s mouth turned down at the corners as she looked down at Yvette. “Why don’t you stay here and keep Yvette company?”

  “I’ll go through Yvette’s notes. Although, I’m not expecting to find anything useful. Dr. Howarth is right, we just need to wait and see what happens with Yvette.” He settled back down in the chair next to Yvette’s bed.

  “Okay. Just take a look. You never know. A fresh pair of eyes might pick something up.” Joanna headed for the door, her phone already out of her pocket, her fingers tapping the screen. As the door closed behind his mate, Shawn turned his full attention to the woman who had been instrumental at bringing Jane into his life.

  There were so many questions he wanted to ask Yvette. So much he longed to know about his daughter. Yet, at the same time, he hoped it would always remain a mystery and no one would ever take the young girl he’d raised from a baby away from him.

  A mixture of fear and self-loathing swept over Shawn. He should be hoping Jane might one day meet her biological parents. That she would have a relationship with them. But he could not bear the thought of losing her. He could not bear the thought of the pain and turmoil such a revelation would unleash on the child he’d loved and protected since the first day Fiona placed Jane in his arms.

  “Yvette.” Shawn closed his hands gently around Yvette’s, holding it gently as if it were a small bird. “I want to say thank you for what you did for Jane.” He frowned. “Jane is the baby you were carrying when they found you.”

  Had he imagined her eyes flickered? Shawn reminded himself that didn’t mean anything.

  It’s strange being in this position, his cougar commented. So many times, we’ve assured friends and relatives that this is normal and that is normal. But sitting here at Yvette’s bedside has shown us that nothing feels normal. Every muscle spasm, every nerve twitch means something. Even though it doesn’t.

  It’s a valuable lesson, Shawn replied. I just wish we were learning it under different circumstances.

  “What can I tell you about Jane?” Shawn looked up at the white-painted ceiling. “She likes walking in the mountains. She loves the snow. Jane’s favorite thing right now is hosting a doll’s tea party.” He gave a small laugh. “And I am making the most of all of it since she is growing up every day and I want to hang on to my little girl for as long as I can.”

  His voice caught in his throat and he paused, his hand covering his mouth. The emotions unleashed by Fiona’s revelations were tumultuous, like the ocean in a storm. They ebbed and flowed, raged and calmed.

  Would it have been easier if we had known the truth about Jane? his cougar asked.

  No. I understand why Fiona never told us. Not just to protect Yvette and Jane, but also to protect us. If we raised Jane in the knowledge we might lose her one day, we might not have loved her so completely. We might have held a part of us back.

  His cougar snorted. No, we would not. There is not a part of us we would not give for our child.

  Shawn let out a long breath. A breath he had held from the moment Fiona told them the truth. His cougar was right. They would not have tried to shield themselves from potential pain. The relief was incredible. His shoulders sagged forward, and he placed both hands on the bed for support.

  “I wish you could meet her, Yvette.” He stood up. He needed to get some air and find Joanna. “I hope one day you will know what an amazing thing you did that day.”

  With one last look at the poor woman lying on the bed, he turned his full attention to Yvette’s notes.

  Chapter Fourteen – Joanna

  “Hi, it’s me.” Joanna looked up and down the hallway. There was no one to overhear her.

  “Joanna. How did it go?” Police Captain Trent Rodgers asked quietly.

  “I’m still at the hospital.” Joanna paced up and down on the clinically sterile tiles, her shoes tapping on the hard surface. Aware of the sound and not wanting to draw attention, she arched her feet and tiptoed up and down, too nervous to stand still.

  “Any news?” Trent asked. “Is she awake?”

  “No. And the doctor has no idea if or when she might regain consciousness. Even if she does, there is no telling what state she might be in. Recent tests have shown there is some improvement in brain activity but…” Her voice trailed away.

  Joanna was disappointed that Yvette hadn’t made a miraculous recovery and was unable to help with inquiries. She’d been hanging on to the hope that there might be something here that would help them take down Gerald Comer. The more she thought about it, the more convinced she was that the mayor was the person responsible for all the cover-ups that had hindered the arrest of Roman Ostabell.

  They knew someone had deflected the attention of the police away from Ostabell for years. It made perfect sense that Mayor Comer was that person. He was in the perfect position to put pressure on the police or to know exactly where he could bribe officials to turn a blind eye or
feed him information. Until, thanks to Kelos, they had found irrefutable evidence against Ostabell.

  Don’t jump to conclusions, her wolf warned her. Just because he was responsible for…other crimes, does not make him guilty of this one.

  I know how to do my job, Joanna snapped back.

  “Do you have any new leads, or has the whole thing been a bust?” Trent asked, disappointment lacing his voice.

  “Not completely.” Joanna rubbed her forehead and tried to ease the tension building, threatening to inflict the mother of all headaches on her. The early wake-up, followed by the drive here and then seeing Yvette lying helpless in the hospital room had taken its toll.

  “What do you have? Even the smallest thing could lead to…” Trent gave a low laugh. “I don’t need to tell you any of this.”

  “No, you don’t.” She took a deep breath. “Yvette mumbled a couple of words. That’s all I have. I plan to go and talk to the nurse who heard her speak. I want to make sure Yvette didn’t say anything else. I also want to make sure I have the word right. You know what it’s like when words get repeated. Especially when they don’t immediately make sense.”

  “So what do you need from me?” Trent asked. “I assume there’s something or you wouldn’t be calling.”

  “You know me too well.” Joanna raked a hand through her hair. She was tired, hungry, and verging on cranky, but she needed to get the job done. “I need anything you can dredge up on Yvette. Where she worked, who she was friends with. Look into her foster parents, too. Has anyone ever filed a missing person’s report? Yvette disappeared years ago. Did no one miss her?”

  “Okay, you’ll need to give me the details of her alias. I’ll get a copy of the police report from the night she was found.” Trent paused and she could hear him writing it all down.

  “Thanks. Also, anything that might connect Yvette to the mayor, specifically anything from the time she dated him. I’d also like any background information you have on Gerald Comer. Business interests for example. He’s got his fingers in a lot of pies.”

  “He sure has. I’ll get on it,” Trent said. “I’ll send whatever I can find over to you.” He paused. “This has to be done in the background, Joanna. This is a cold case. We don’t want to stir things up and put Yvette or Jane in danger.”

  “I know. We keep this to ourselves. Unless we find something that actually connects to the mayor.” Joanna knew the score even though she didn’t like it.

  “Even then… We’ll do whatever it takes to make sure he pays for his crimes. Just like Ostabell.” Another pause. “If there is a crime. You said the original report said it was an accident. What if that’s all it was?”

  “Don’t worry. If that’s the case, I’ll accept it. I am not going to fabricate evidence.” She turned around and walked back to the door, behind which lay Yvette, a young woman who had lost years of her life due to an assault. “But I do believe someone is responsible for what happened to Yvette. And where did the baby come from? I’m going to find out what happened. On my own time.”

  “Okay. I’ll help you all I can. You know that. Text me the information.” The line went dead, and Joanna stood in silence for a long moment as she composed herself. This was too close to home. Too close to her mate and she hated that they might be in danger. The easiest thing would be to walk away and keep Jane safe and never allow anyone to make a connection between Yvette and Shawn’s daughter.

  But that wasn’t fair to Yvette. She didn’t need to ask Shawn to know he would feel exactly the same way. Justice needed to be done.

  “Right, let’s go find Samantha.” Joanna looked right and left and inhaled deeply. Using her shifter senses, she quickly located the nurse who cared for Yvette. “Gotcha.”

  She texted Trent the details he needed and as she walked down the hallway to the left, which led away from the reception area, Joanna kept her attention on the white tiles and didn’t allow herself to look into the rooms on either side. She didn’t need distractions. She wanted her mind to wander, to try to intuitively connect the dots so she could see the bigger picture.

  We do not have many dots to connect, her wolf told her.

  I know but we have to start somewhere. There might be something in the case against Roman Ostabell that could shine a light on Yvette’s attack. We can’t look at the two things in isolation.

  When she got to the end of the corridor, she turned left again. The short hallway led to a door that opened into an outside area. There, leaning against a wall, drinking coffee was Samantha.

  She looks upset, her wolf noted.

  Upset about Yvette? Joanna mused. Let’s go find out.

  She pushed the bar on the door and went outside. The door closed firmly behind her and a lock clicked home. The door was a fire safety door that could be exited from the outside, but you could only get back in if you had the code for the keypad.

  The hospital took the safety and security of its patients seriously. Which meant the staff should also have been rigorously checked before they entered employment. Yvette was about as safe as she could be here.

  “Hello!” Samantha jerked her head up, looking guilty as Joanna approached. “Can I help you?”

  “I spoke to Dr. Howarth. She told me that Penelope murmured something. I wanted to double-check what it was.” Joanna kept her body language relaxed and her tone friendly. “You were the one who heard her speak.”

  Samantha’s eyes drifted toward the door before she looked at Joanna and nodded. “Yes. It was barely audible. At first, I thought I might have been imagining it, but her eyes were flickering, and her lips moved.”

  “What did she say, Samantha?” Joanna moved close to the young woman. “Please, it’s important that you tell me.”

  “I told Dr. Howarth what Penelope said.” Samantha took a sip of her coffee and didn’t meet Joanna’s gaze.

  She’s hiding something, her wolf said.

  I know. Joanna screwed her face up and then sighed. What was Samantha hiding, or who was she trying to protect?

  “Testers. Is that what she said? Nothing else?” Joanna asked.

  “That’s what she said. But it was so quiet, I had to put my ear close to her mouth just to hear it.” Samantha took a step toward the door. “I should go. My break is over in a couple of minutes and I’ll be in trouble if I’m late.”

  “I had Dr. Howarth’s permission to ask you these questions, Samantha. It’s okay if you are late back,” Joanna assured her. “Please. Anything else. The smallest thing might help.”

  “I don’t want to get in trouble. Or involved in anything…” Samantha eyed the door leading back inside with longing.

  “Involved in what, exactly?” Joanna asked.

  Samantha chewed her bottom lip before she spoke. “What if someone…you know, the government, or maybe some pharmaceutical company tested a drug on Penelope, and she slipped into a coma?” Her eyes widened. “Testers.”

  “The hospital said it was blunt force trauma,” Joanna replied but Samantha didn’t look convinced. “But I’ll look into it. Thanks.”

  “Something else… This is off the record,” Samantha suddenly burst out, as if she’d been holding it in for too long, and she could no longer contain her secret.

  “Absolutely.” Joanna moved closer. “Please, anything, Samantha. Anything I can follow up. Please.”

  “It was a couple of weeks ago.” Her eyes once more flickered toward the door. “I’m supposed to report everything…”

  “But you didn’t report this?” Joanna asked.

  Samantha raked her hand through her hair and then brushed her fingers across her lips as she looked away from Joanna. “I thought I’d imagined it.”

  “Of course. You were in a room with a woman who has been in a coma for a long time.” Joanna was beginning to understand. Samantha was only trying to protect herself and her job here at the hospital.

  “I talk to Joanna a lot. When I’m bathing her, turning her, checking her meds.” She gave a shor
t laugh. “I’ve worked here for four years. I know it sounds crazy but sometimes I think of Penelope as my friend, you know. I see her every day, I talk to her.”

  “You share your life with her.” Joanna reached out and touched Samantha on her upper arm. “It’s understandable.”

  “Is it?” Samantha’s eyes widened. “It sounds sad and crazy to me, telling someone who is just lying there all your problems.”

  “What happened?” Joanna wasn’t here to debate the rights and wrongs of what Samantha said to Yvette. She only needed the details.

  “I was telling Penelope about a date I went on. Some guy in a nice suit and a nicer car. He invited me to some rally. Mayor Comer. He’s up for reelection.” She shook her head. “I don’t usually do politics. It’s not my thing but I figured why not?”

  “A rally for Mayor Comer, that’s what you were talking about?” Joanna could barely breathe.

  “Yeah. So I was telling Penelope how boring it was. All these people listening to the mayor speak.” She rolled her eyes. “Then my date wanted to meet him, and he muscled us forward so we could shake hands with him.”

  “Okay.” Joanna nodded. “And did you, shake hands with him?”

  “No.” She held her hands out, palms facing upward as heat spread over her cheeks. “This guy came out of nowhere and said something to the mayor.” Her forehead creased. “Something about ruining his life. Anyway, the mayor’s security guards just pounced on this guy and then bundled the mayor away.”

  “And this is when Penelope reacted?” Joanna asked. “Did she speak?”

  “First, her hand clenched. I was sponging her arms and hands when it happened. It made me jump, then she let out…it was almost like a breath. But I’m sure she said, “Bad.””

  “Bad.”

  “Yeah. It could have been a breath.” She twisted her lips and then said, “It might even have been ‘bad man.’”