Guarding the Babies

by Sandra Robbins

  It was then she realized she had made a mistake. Instead of reaching for what would truly make her happy, she had thrown it away just as she had done ten years ago. This time, there was no getting it back.

  Tears streamed down her face, and she stumbled back into the den and sank down in a chair. As she sat there, her gaze drifted to the table beside the sofa, and she spotted her mother’s Bible that lay on it. Ruth had treasured that Bible and had read it every day. She, on the other hand, hadn’t even looked at one in years.

  She’d once been close to God, but she had gradually lost track of that when she left home for Nashville. As if she had become focused only on herself. Once, she’d been filled with a joy that had come from loving God, but through the years that had slowly disappeared until she was consumed by loneliness.

  She reached over and picked up the Bible and began to thumb through it. Suddenly, she stopped at a page where a verse was highlighted in yellow as her mother often did. A notation in ink beside the verse was dated during the summer when Holly was ten years old. She remembered that time well because it was the summer their mother had taken her and Ruth to their grandparents’ home. They’d been there for several months while her parents tried to decide whether they wanted to divorce or not. Finally, they had decided to try again, and their family had been reunited.

  Holly had often wondered what might have been the deciding factor in bringing her parents back together. As she read the verse her mother had marked, she thought she had found the answer. The words were from the book of Ezekiel and read, A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

  As she thought about those words, she remembered how her parents’ attitudes toward each other and toward her and Ruth had changed after they had come back home. The love that had once lived in their home had returned and flourished in her parents’ marriage until death parted them.

  If God had changed their hearts, then He could change hers also. She didn’t want to have a stony heart anymore. She wanted to open up to love, and she wanted Cole to know that she loved him and always would. Whether or not he would return that love, she didn’t know, but she knew she had been the one to shatter it. If it was to be mended, it was up to her to do it.

  Her heart hammered in her chest as she pulled her cell phone from her pocket and punched in his number. To her surprise, it went straight to voice mail: “You have reached the number of Cole Jackson. This is the day the Lord has made, and I hope you’re having a blessed one. I’m away from my phone right now, but if you’ll leave a message, I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”

  Disappointed, she waited for the beep. “Cole, this is Holly. I know I treated you terribly the last time we spoke, but I’ve finally come to grips with what my heart has always told me. I love you, and I don’t want to leave. All it will take to make me stay is one word from you. I hope to hear from you.”

  She ended the call and slipped the phone back in her pocket. Now it was up to him. Maybe he would call. But first, she had to get through the afternoon at the park. For some reason, she wished he knew about the plans to take the twins out in public.

  She still didn’t feel comfortable with the idea, but it was too late to back out now. All she wanted was to get through it safely and return home.

  * * *

  It had been two days since Cole had spoken with Holly. In some ways, her decision to leave Jackson Springs had upset him more this time than it had when she’d left ten years ago. Back then, he had held on to the hope that she might return, but this time he knew she wouldn’t. She had a wildly successful life in Nashville now, and she was never going to be a part of his world again. He didn’t know how he was going to do it, but he had to put her out of his mind once and for all.

  Maybe he could at least forget about her for a few hours, so he could catch up on work. It had probably piled on his desk while he was in court this morning. Court appearances were a necessary part of his job, and he’d been happy to present the evidence in a robbery case that he and Dan had closed a few weeks ago. But he always dreaded what awaited him when he returned to the office.

  Today is going to be no different, he thought as he strode through the front doors at the sheriff’s department. An afternoon of listening to messages, returning phone calls and following up on recent arrests was what he had to look forward to, and the sooner he got to it the better off he would be. Then maybe he could go home, relax... He might even be able to get a good night’s sleep tonight—he hadn’t had one since he last spoke with Holly.

  As he entered the department’s reception area, he remembered that he hadn’t turned his phone on since leaving the courthouse. He pulled the phone from his pocket, powered it up and frowned at the display of missed calls. He scrolled through them but paused when he saw Holly’s number. Not only had she called but she’d left a message.

  His finger hovered over the button for a moment as he decided whether or not he wanted to listen to what she had to say right away. He was about to connect to the voice mail when Brenda looked up from behind her desk and spotted him.

  “Cole,” she called out. “I didn’t realize you were back.”

  “Just got here. Court went a little longer than I thought it would. Anything interesting going on around here?”

  She nodded and pushed her glasses up on her nose. “Yeah. You got a call from Dr. Hunt, the medical examiner. He said he’s finished the autopsy, and he needs to see you right away.”

  Cole’s eyebrows arched. “He wants me to come to his office?”

  “That’s what he said.”

  Cole glanced down at the phone again and debated listening to Holly’s voice mail before he left. What if she’d had some kind of emergency? She could have been attacked again.

  No, he told himself. That was hardly likely. If there was an emergency, she’d have called nine-one-one rather than leaving a message for him. Whatever she was calling about, it probably wasn’t urgent. He decided that he needed to check out the autopsy results first and shoved his phone back in his pocket.

  “I’ll be at his office if anyone needs me,” he said as he turned and headed back out the door.

  Ten minutes later, one of Dr. Hunt’s assistants ushered him into the room where the autopsies were performed. Cole always had a strange feeling when he came here and entered what to him looked like a hospital operating room.

  Dr. Hunt stood next to a desk on one side of the room as he studied a piece of paper he held. He looked up when he heard the door open. “Cole,” he called out, “come in. Glad you could make it. I wanted to give you the results of the autopsy in person.” He sat down at his desk and motioned for Cole to take a chair facing him.

  Cole didn’t speak as the doctor let his gaze drift over the report in front of him. Then Dr. Hunt looked up, a frown on his face. “I have the results here, and I’ll give you a copy for your files. After performing a thorough autopsy, I have concluded the cause of death. In fact, it’s very obvious almost at first glance. The young woman died of a gunshot to the head.”

  Cole blinked his eyes in surprise and shook his head. “I don’t understand. I was told that the doctor who signed the death certificate said it was a blood clot.”

  Dr. Hunt looked back at the report. “Yes, Dr. Curtis Stanford signed the death certificate. The place of death is recorded as the Wings of Hope maternity home. I understand Dr. Stanford volunteers his services to them.”

  Cole frowned. “If he saw the young woman’s body, wouldn’t he have recognized that there was a gunshot that killed her?”

  “I would think so. It was very evident to me.”

  The muscle in Cole’s jaw twitched, and he gritted his teeth. Someone had murdered Teresa Wilson and then passed it off as a result of natural causes. He thought of the twin babies she’d given birth to
and wondered if she really had changed her mind and wanted them back. If so, was that why she had died? Had someone been determined to ensure she wouldn’t get to keep them? For whatever reason, someone had worked to cover up her murder, and Dr. Curtis Stanford knew exactly who that was. Cole intended to find out.

  Still clutching the report, he rose to his feet. “Thanks, Doc. I need to visit Dr. Stanford and see if he can explain how he made such an enormous mistake. I doubt if he has any explanation that will support what he did.”

  Twenty minutes later, Cole stormed into Dr. Stanford’s office. On the drive over, he’d tried to calm the anger that roiled inside him. Doctors were supposed to protect their patients and care for them, not lie to cover up their murder. At best, the good doctor had made himself an accessory. There were other charges he could be facing, not the least of which was murder itself.

  As he strode across the waiting room toward the receptionist, her eyes seemed to grow larger the closer he came. When he stopped in front of her desk, she almost recoiled from the anger that he was trying—and failing—to suppress.

  “C-can I—I help you?” she stammered.

  Cole pulled out his badge and flashed it. “Detective Cole Jackson here to see Dr. Stanford.”

  She raised frightened eyes and stared up at him. “Dr. Stanford is in his office doing a post-exam conference with a patient. If you’ll just have a seat...”

  “Never mind. I’ll find my own way,” he said as he marched down the hallway.

  “Detective Jackson, you can’t go back there!” the receptionist called after him, but he didn’t acknowledge that she was speaking to him.

  The doors on the left side of the hall appeared to be exam rooms, but Cole spotted one that had a nameplate identifying Dr. Stanford’s office. He shoved the door open.

  Dr. Stanford sat behind his desk and looked up in surprise when the door opened. He pushed to his feet, an angry frown on his face. “What do you mean interrupting me when I’m in conference? Get out of here before I call the police!”

  Cole pulled his badge from his pocket. “I’m the police, and I’m already here.” He glanced at the woman sitting in the guest chair. Her mouth hung open, and her eyes were wide with fear. “Ma’am,” Cole said, “I think you’d better leave. Your appointment is over.”

  “What do you mean by barging in this way?” Dr. Stanford yelled as he rushed around his desk to confront Cole. “I’ll have your job for this!”

  Cole shook his head. “I don’t think you’ll be able to do that when you’re in a cell at the state penitentiary.”

  Dr. Stanford stopped, and his face grew pale. “What are you talking about?”

  Cole took a step forward. “I’m here to take you to the sheriff’s department, so we can have a talk about a former patient of yours. Her name was Teresa Wilson. Do you remember her?” At the mention of the girl’s name, the doctor’s face grew even whiter. Cole chuckled. “I thought that might get your attention.”

  At that moment, the receptionist appeared at the door and glanced from Cole to the doctor. “Dr. Stanford, I’m so sorry. I couldn’t stop him.”

  “It’s okay,” he said. “Call my lawyer and tell him to meet me at the sheriff’s office.”

  Cole looked at the young woman and nodded. “That sounds like a good idea to me.”

  Then he grabbed Dr. Stanford by the arm and escorted him from the building.

  The doctor didn’t say anything as they rode to the sheriff’s office. He continued his silence even after Cole and Dan, his partner, sat in an interview room at the sheriff’s office with him and his lawyer. Ever since they’d entered the room, Dr. Stanford had sat up straight in his chair, his arms crossed in front of his chest, glaring without blinking. Even after they’d read him his rights, all the questions Cole and Dan posed had been met with an icy silence. The lawyer had been another matter, however.

  He repeated again the same words that he’d uttered at the end of each question. “My client refuses to answer on the grounds it might incriminate him. Either charge him or release him.”

  Cole was growing tired of their stonewalling, and he was ready to bring this interview to an end. He sighed and closed the folder that lay on the table in front of him. “You’re right. We either need to charge him or release him.”

  The lawyer grinned. “In that case, we’ll be going since you haven’t presented any evidence that my client was involved in anything illegal.”

  He started to rise from his seat, but Cole held out his hand to stop him. “We’ve given Dr. Stanford the chance to help us with an investigation into a young woman’s death and the attempted kidnappings of two children he delivered. He may be an accessory in this case, but I’m afraid his involvement goes much deeper.” He stared at Dr. Stanford. “So I’m arresting you for the murder of Teresa Wilson.”

  Dr. Stanford’s eyes flared, and his face turned red with rage. “How dare you accuse me of something like that!”

  The lawyer laid his hand on the doctor’s arm and shook his head. “Nice try, Detective, but I don’t think you can prove that.”

  Cole shrugged. “I think I have enough evidence to convince a jury. When they hear how Dr. Stanford examined a murder victim and then signed the girl’s death certificate while listing cause of death as a blood clot, I think they’ll convict.”

  A sneer pulled at the lawyer’s mouth. “And everyone will believe she was murdered simply because you say so? Do you think they’re going to believe your trumped-up charge against the word of a respected physician who’s practiced in this community for twenty years?”

  Cole folded his hands on the table and leaned forward. “I think they will. You see, we had Teresa Wilson’s body exhumed. The cause of death wasn’t a blood clot. It was a gunshot wound to the head. Her death certificate is an official document, and Dr. Stanford very obviously lied on it. Unless he’s willing to admit to being blackmailed or bribed, then it stands to reason he’s the one who murdered her and covered it up by falsifying the death certificate. Your client is looking at life in prison for murder.”

  Dr. Stanford and the lawyer both sat in silence for a moment. Then the doctor leaned over and whispered in his lawyer’s ear. The man nodded and cleared his throat. “My client would like to make a deal. He’ll give you the name of the actual killer if he can be charged with a lesser crime—perhaps falsifying a record.”

  Cole looked over at Dan, who shook his head. “We don’t do deals. The DA’s office has to decide that. But if Dr. Stanford wants to come clean now, we’ll make a recommendation for a lesser charge. That’s the best we can do.”

  The lawyer turned a questioning gaze toward Dr. Stanford, who finally took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay. I’ll tell you what I know.”

  The doctor bit down on his lip, then began to speak. “I was the one who delivered Teresa’s babies at the hospital because she’d had some problems during her pregnancy. Everything went well with the birth, and she was dismissed the next day and went back to Wings of Hope to recuperate.”

  Cole looked up from writing down what the doctor was saying. “Did she take the babies with her?”

  He shook his head. “No, a social worker was there waiting for the babies to be born. It was my understanding that all the paperwork had been signed, and the adoptive parents were in the waiting room. As soon as the twins were pronounced healthy, the social worker took them to the new parents, and they left the hospital. When Teresa left the hospital the next day, I examined her one more time and told her I’d see her in my office in six weeks for a checkup. I didn’t give her another thought until...”

  “Until what?” Cole asked.

  “Until I got a call from Greg Richmond to come to Wings of Hope the next day. When I got there, he took me into one of the patients’ private rooms, and I saw Teresa lying on the floor. There was a pool of blood under her head. It was obvious that she’
d been shot and that she was dead.”

  “So what did you do?”

  “I told Greg we had to call the police. He said he couldn’t let that happen. Teresa had decided to renege on the agreement to give up the babies, and she had threatened to go to the police when he told her that the adoptive parents had paid a lot of money for those babies, and he wasn’t about to give it back. Teresa became hysterical because she didn’t know about the money. He had forged her signature on the endorsement and deposited the money in his account. He told me that he ended up locking her in her room while he left to call a friend of his who came and took care of the situation.”

  “You mean he killed her?”

  The doctor nodded. “That’s what he told me had happened. He wanted me to sign the death certificate to say that she had died of a blood clot. I didn’t want to do it at first, but Greg told me his friend was a professional hit man and he could just as easily take care of my family if I didn’t cooperate.” The doctor began to cry. “I have a wife and two daughters, and I knew he meant what he said. I couldn’t let them be hurt, so I signed the death certificate, and he called a local funeral director who was a friend of his. Greg paid him to bury the body without any questions, and he did.”

  Dr. Stanford sagged back in his chair and closed his eyes. Cole stared at him for a moment before he stood and walked to the door. He opened it and spoke to the deputy who had been stationed in the hallway. “Deputy, I’ve placed this man under arrest. I’ll need you to get him processed. Dan and I have another stop to make.”

  The deputy nodded and walked into the room. “Will you stand, please?”

  Dr. Stanford got to his feet and winced as his hands were pulled behind his back and handcuffs were snapped in place. He looked over at his lawyer, and Cole saw the same expression in the doctor’s eyes that he had seen dozens of times from people who’d participated in a crime and were beginning to see what their choice had brought them.

  “Will you go see my wife and tell her what happened? Tell her I love her and that I’m sorry.”