Sandrift: A Lin Hanna Mystery

by Sharon Canipe

  “No one answers at the Simon residence, and you said he wasn’t at work today?” Midgett started to put the phone back in its cradle but thought better of it. Instead he rang the front desk. “Get Judge Jenkins on the phone for me. I know its Saturday, but tell him its important.” He turned to Neal, “We need to pay a visit to the Simon house, probably need to search the place. If no one’s at home to ask for permission, we have to have a warrant to do that. It being Saturday that may take awhile. Why don’t you folks go home, we can take care of this. You won’t be authorized to enter the house anyway. Might as well try to get some rest. I’ll call as soon as we know…”

  “Not on your life,” Neal grabbed the edge of the desk. “Tom can go home, but I’m not going anywhere until we find her, one way or the other.” He couldn’t bring himself to say “dead or alive.”

  “I’m going to stay with you,” Tom insisted. “You shouldn’t be alone. I would like to go get my car though,” he turned to the Sheriff, “if someone’s heading over that way. It’s still at the restaurant where I parked this morning.”

  Pete Midgett arranged for a patrol officer to drop Tom off at his car. Neal rode with him, and now they had to decide where they were going to wait until they heard from the Sheriff about the search. It was growing late in the afternoon; soon it would be dark. The rain was showing signs of ending; the showers seemed lighter and not so frequent. “The coffee shop will be closing soon so that’s not a good choice,” Neal really didn’t know anywhere else, “I guess we could always sit in the reception area at the Sheriff’s office…”

  “I know somewhere more comfortable than that,” Tom offered. He headed back downtown. Parking was a bit harder to find. It was Saturday, and even with bad weather, folks wanted to get out. Tom found a place a half block from the waterfront area. “Why don’t we go to the Full Moon,” he suggested. “Neal remembered the small café where he’d inquired about Lin earlier and where the two of them had lunch shortly after his arrival.

  “This is a pretty nice little brewery,” Tom smiled, “and I, for one, could use a beer.”

  Neal couldn’t disagree, it had been an impossibly long and miserable day, and it was far from over. A beer certainly couldn’t hurt.

  ***

  Lin lay still on the walkway for a few minutes, waiting to catch her breath. It was still raining, and she quickly became drenched. The cold wind bit into her and she began to shiver. Wet to the skin with no coat or shoes she realized was a recipe for hypothermia. She had to get up and get going. She needed to figure out where she was and how she was going to get back to town.

  Gradually, she got to her feet. In spite of being wet and cold, she realized that her only injuries were a couple of scrapes and bruises. She could only see water from this side of the boat; she carefully made her way along the side toward what she thought was the prow. The dark clouds made it hard to judge the time of day, but the sky seemed somewhat lighter toward the west. It was probably late afternoon, whatever day it was. Probably Saturday, Lin thought. The rain and wind are supposed to let up by sometime on Sunday, and they show no signs of that now.

  When she reached the prow she looked up and realized where she was. Looming above her across Millicent’s garden was the Simon home. This was their boat, and it was still moored at their dock. There were no lights in the house and no one was visible. Afraid she might be seen, she dropped back down and lay flat on the deck. There were no lights on the pier; that was good, but she determined that she shouldn’t stand up and definitely shouldn’t try to cross the yard.

  Carefully she made her way to the dockside of the cabin cruiser. She found a shadowy corner to sit in while she surveyed the scene before her and planned the best way out. She decided to make her way to the marshy fringe that bordered the yard and try to make it to a wooded area just beyond the house. There she could gain cover and try to reach the road. Originally, her car had been parked out front, but it had probably been moved by now, besides she had no keys. All her belongings, except for the clothes she had on, were missing.

  She crept from her hiding place and crawled over to the gangplank. She’d be exposed as she left the boat and made her way to the dock, but she still saw no evidence of anyone on the side of the house facing her. She decided speed was her best bet. She stood up, ran across the gangplank, and raced up the dock dropping quickly down into the marshy fringe. She hunkered down behind a clump of marsh grass and took a moment to check her surroundings. Seeing no one, she made her way to the very edge of the lawn and decided to run for the shelter of a large live oak tree at the edge of the woods that separated the Simon home from its nearest neighbor. She’d barely made it to the shelter of the tree when the yard behind her blazed with light. Someone had turned on the floodlights that illuminated the yard and the back of the house.

  Lin held her breath, afraid to look, listening for the sound of someone coming—but nothing happened. Evidently, the lights had been turned on simply because it was growing darker. Perhaps they were on a timer and turned on each evening as dusk approached. Relieved, Lin allowed herself to slide down behind the trunk of the great tree. Leaning into the shadow it provided, she took a moment to rest and collect her thoughts. It was still raining, but the tree provided some shelter from the wind.

  She judged that she couldn’t be more than a hundred yards from the street, but she didn’t want to emerge into the open until she was well past the Simon house so she decided to walk through the wooded area. She quickly realized how difficult this was going to be with no shoes. The forest floor was covered with sticks, rocks, and all manner of prickly things.

  My feet are going to be in rough shape when I get out of here she told herself, but she trudged on, seeking better footing when it was available. It was slow going, but she had to continue. Lin realized that her feet were bleeding, as were the scrapes on the palms of her hands. Small price to pay for your life, she told herself. Fortunately, she didn’t seem to have any more serious injuries.

  Eventually she saw another house and yard ahead. She saw no signs of life at the house, but the grassy lawn would, at least, give her feet a break. Her pace quickened as she crossed this yard and the next one. She was now well away from the Simon house, and she could see someone moving about through the windows at this place.

  Her original plan had been to return to the road, once past the Simon house, and walk back toward the village center, but Lin now realized she didn’t have the strength to walk all the way back. She was wet to the skin and shivering from the cold, plus her feet were killing her. She made her way to the back door of this dwelling. A wreath of native holly graced the door reminding Lin that this was the holiday season; in spite of all, she was going to be around to enjoy it. I’ll probably scare these folks to death she thought; I must look a fright. She knocked on the door.

  A pleasant young woman with a baby on her hip came to the door. She appeared shocked when she saw Lin standing there dripping wet with bare, bleeding feet.

  “Dave,” she called over her shoulder, “Come here, someone needs help.” She motioned for Lin to come in and directed her to a kitchen chair. “What happened? Who are you?”

  “My name is Lin Hanna and I need for you to call the Sheriff’s office right away.” Realizing that she could finally feel safe, Lin burst into tears.

  ***

  Neal wasn’t hungry, but Tom insisted that they needed to eat something so they chose appetizers to accompany the rich dark brew that was the house specialty.

  “You know,” Tom said, “ I have a gut feeling that we’re going to find Lin soon; I’m not sure why I feel that way but I just do.”

  Neal thought Tom was just trying to keep his spirits up, but he wanted him to be right. “I just hope when we find her she’s not…” the ringing of his cell phone interrupted him. It was Pete Midgett.

  “I’ve got good news, we’ve found her. We just got a call from a homeowner who lives about a half-mile down from the Simon house. She just walked up on
their back porch.”

  A wave of relief swept through Neal, “How is she?”

  “Sounds like she’s basically in pretty good shape—mostly some scrapes and bruises—but the lady said she’d obviously been through an ordeal. She’s upset and hasn’t said much. I just got my warrant for the Simon place so I’m heading over there now.” The Sheriff gave Neal directions to the neighborhood and the address where Lin was waiting. “I’ll meet you there before I go down to the Simon house.”

  Tom had already gotten up to pay their bill as soon as he realized that the Sheriff was the caller. Together they hurried to his car and were on their way.

  It was easy for them to spot the right house as soon as they turned onto the street; the Sheriff’s car was already parked out front. Neal was out of the car before Tom could cut the engine, racing up to the front door.

  A young man greeted him, “ Come in, I’m Dave Bryan. She’s in our kitchen with my wife, Susan; let me show you the way.”

  Neal hurried to the kitchen, fully expecting Lin to be waiting expectantly to greet him. Instead he saw her sitting hunched up quietly at the kitchen table, an afghan wrapped around her shoulders. She looked up, saw Neal and Tom enter, and began to cry again.

  “She’s not talked much since she arrived here,” Dave said. “She was very cold and wet so Susan got her the wrap and some slippers; she was barefooted when she arrived. Her feet are pretty well scratched up, looks like she walked through the woods to get here.”

  Neal knelt down beside Lin’s chair and put his arms around her. “You’re OK now. It’s going to be OK. You’re safe.”

  Lin managed a smile through her tears and attempted to stand. Neal helped her up and drew her close to him, rocking her gently.

  Pete Midgett seemed to realize that Lin was in no condition to answer a lot of questions, but he needed some guidance to execute his search warrant. “Ms. Hanna, we can talk about all of this in more detail later, but I need to know where you’ve been since yesterday, and the names of those involved in all this, if you know them.”

  Lin nodded and returned to her chair. This time she was sitting up straight and there were no tears. “I’ve been in a boat that’s tied up at the pier behind the Simon house. I was taped up, but I managed to get free. I climbed out a window; then I came here, through the woods. The only person I saw on the boat was Mike Clark. He said …” she couldn’t go on.

  “Did you see Mark Simon yesterday at his house?” the Sheriff probed.

  “Yes,” Lin nodded “and his wife, she tried to hurt me.”

  “That’s enough information for now,” Midgett said, “I’m going up there now with a search warrant. This information helps a lot.” He turned to Neal and Tom. “Take her to the hospital and let them check her over good, take care of her. I’ll call and ask them to preserve any evidence they might find for me. I’ll call you after I conclude this search, sometime tonight. I’ve got all I need from her now. We can talk later when she’s been taken care of.” He thanked Dave and Susan for their help and left to meet his deputies at the Simon house.

  ***

  The bright lights outside the hospital emergency room provided quite a contrast to the still dark skies. It was nearing time for sunset by the time they arrived, but clouds still covered the sky blocking the light. The wind was beginning to die down, and the rain had been reduced to intermittent showers. Tomorrow promised to be a brighter day—in many ways.

  Tom dropped Neal and Lin off at the hospital and took Neal’s keys. “I’ll go by the Sheriff’s department and see if I can find someone who can drive your car over here. Then I’ll head back to the Banks. Eloise will want to hear about everything, and I need to get home and get some rest. Please call me in the morning, though.” He gave Lin a gentle hug and shook Neal’s hand.

  “Thanks for being here with me today,” Neal said, “I’m not sure I could’ve held it together without you. I’ll never forget it.”

  “I wanted to help,” Tom replied, “now you two get inside and get this lady taken care of.”

  As soon as they entered the brightly lit reception area, a nurse arrived with a wheel chair and whisked Lin away. Neal tried to follow, but was directed to the waiting area, “You can come back in a few minutes, after we get her settled,” she turned to Lin, “that is if she wants you back there.” Lin nodded her permission, “He’s my fiancé,” she responded as she was wheeled into one of the examination rooms.

  Once the curtain was drawn, the nurse helped Lin out of her wet clothes. She gave her a hospital gown and then covered her with two warm blankets. Gradually, Lin’s shivering subsided, and she began to feel much better.

  The nurse started an IV and placed an extra pillow under her head to make her more comfortable. “The doctor will be in to examine you shortly, but first I’ll clean up these scrapes,” she pointed to her hands and feet.

  “Can Neal come back now?” Lin asked.

  “I’ll go get him,” the nurse smiled.

  ***

  By the time the doctor arrived, Lin was already feeling much better. The fluids had really helped, and she now felt warm and comfortable. The nurse had cleaned the scrapes on her hands and feet, applying soothing, antibiotic ointment.

  Neal joined her and together they waited for the doctor to arrive.

  “I’m pretty sure I was drugged,” Lin told him. “I was out for several hours.”

  “I don’t think I’m seriously injured but…I’m not sure what happened while I was unconscious but …”

  Neal leaned over and kissed her forehead, “Try not to worry,” he murmured. “The doctor will be here shortly and he’ll examine you thoroughly. I’m sure he’ll do blood work and find out what was in your system. It’s going to be OK.”

  The doctor soon arrived. He asked a few basic questions and then asked Neal to leave while he conducted his examination.

  Neal returned to the reception area and sat down. He was exhausted and still concerned about Lin, but mostly he felt enormous relief. She was safe and her only apparent injuries were minor.

  In just a few minutes the nurse came to get Neal. When he entered the room he found Lin smiling and chatting with the doctor.

  “She’s a remarkable woman, escaping like she did,” the doctor said. “Other than those scrapes on her hands and feet and a few bruises she’s in good shape—no signs of sexual assault or any serious injuries—a bit dehydrated but the IV will set that to rights. We’ve taken some blood, and we’ll know by tomorrow what sort of drugs she was given. I’d like to keep her overnight, but she’s insisting she wants to go home. I think that’s ok, provided you promise to call if she has any problems. I don’t want her to take any medication until we determine what’s still in her system—maybe an aspirin if her feet and hands are too uncomfortable but nothing stronger. I’ll send the nurse in to help her get ready.”

  Lin’s clothes were still too wet to put on so the nurse found her a set of scrubs and a pair of slippers. She gave her a blanket to wrap around her against the cold. “You can drop these off here later,” she smiled, “We’ve heard about what you did—escaping from that boat—you’re a brave woman.”

  “Thanks,” Lin said, amazed at how fast news travels in a small town.

  Chapter 26

  By the time they’d arrived back at Kate’s house, Lin was beginning to feel the full effects of her ordeal. She was exhausted and hungry. She started to tell Neal everything that had happened, but he wouldn’t let her continue.

  “Tomorrow is time enough to talk. You need to rest, and I need to call some folks. I’m going to heat up Eloise’s good soup for both of us, then you need to go to bed,” he insisted.

  Lin had to agree. Even talking seemed like too much effort right now. “Would you add Ben and Lucy to your calls,” she asked. “ Did they even know I was missing?”

  Neal had to admit that he hadn’t thought to call them during the weekend. He was too concerned with trying to locate their mother.

  �
�That’s OK,” Lin reassured him. “Now they won’t have to worry. You can tell them I’m fine and looking forward to seeing them next weekend.”

  They ate their soup in grateful silence. Happy to just be together again. Afterward, they went upstairs and Neal helped Lin to shower and get into a clean gown. She was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

  Neal went downstairs to make his calls. He spoke briefly with Eloise and Tom and then called Lin’s children. Initially they were upset that no one had called them earlier. Neal apologized but explained that he’d been wrapped up in the search effort and hadn’t really thought of anything else. Ben, somewhat grudgingly, had to admit that he would’ve probably acted the same way in a similar situation, and Lucy seemed to understand also. Mostly they were immensely grateful that their Mom was safe and not seriously injured.

  “At least she’s not hospitalized like she was last spring,” Ben said. “We can’t wait to get down there. We’re really looking forward to the holidays—with both of you.”

  When he’d finished the calls, Neal slipped upstairs. Lin was sleeping peacefully. He crawled in beside her and gently put his arm around her waist drawing her closer, content to feel her warm body and hear her regular breathing.

  ***

  They both slept late on Sunday morning and were grateful to discover that the storm had finally ended. There were still a few lingering clouds, but the sun was beginning to peek through. The day ahead promised to be a nice one, certainly by afternoon the clouds should be gone.

  Lin was happy to discover that her hands and feet were already showing substantial improvement. Neal had to help her get dressed, but she found that, with thick, soft socks and comfortable walking shoes, she could manage to get around pretty well.

  “I don’t think you’re ready for hikes or long walks, and I’ll probably get stuck with cooking and other chores for a few more days, but I’d say you’ll be back to normal by the weekend,” Neal smiled as he grabbed the leash and headed out to give Sparky a good long walk. The dog had been with Eloise yesterday and had only short trips out in the rain so he was eager to hit the road. “When I get back, I’ll cook our breakfast.”