“Right.” Jennie clamped her lips together, grabbed a couple of carrot sticks, and headed for the stairs. “I’m going to take a shower. See you in a few minutes.”
Jennie took the stairs two at a time. In spite of the tragic aura the day’s events had cast over her, she was looking forward to the diversion. Food, a movie, and a hot tub sounded wonderful. In the shower, she relished the warm spray of water, imagining it washing away the griminess outside and the worry within. Whatever Scott had gotten himself into was no concern of hers, and she had to stop worrying about him—at least for a few hours.
When she’d finished showering, Jennie blow-dried her hair and dressed in clean jeans, a white t-shirt, and a black crocheted vest. She picked up the pad she’d taken notes on earlier and jotted down a brief description of the day’s events and listed the clues. Nothing made much sense, but writing it all down would help her remember the details later.
Hearing a vehicle crunch to a stop in the driveway, Jennie set her pad aside and peered out the window. Two guys jumped out of a shiny plum-colored truck with turquoise scrollwork and a forest scene on the side. The wheels came up to the driver’s waist. It had a rack of lights on top of the long four-door cab. The driver, Algie, Jennie guessed, reminded her of a telephone pole with arms. The other, Kyle, was almost as tall but stockier. Lisa would definitely not be disappointed. “If you aren’t interested, Cuz,” she mumbled to herself, “maybe I will be.”
“Jennie, they’re here,” Megan yelled up the stairs. “Coming.” She hustled down the stairs, eager to meet her companions for the evening.
Kyle’s grin practically reached his ears when Megan introduced him to Jennie.
“This is so cool. I saw you on television—on that missing person’s show. You were trying to find your dad.”
Jennie winced. “That was probably the biggest mistake I ever made. My dad didn’t want to be found.”
“You mean he ran away from home?”
“No. He was an undercover agent with the DEA working on a major drug case. He had to change his identity to protect us, and I blew his cover. But everything worked out okay.”
Lisa lifted her heavy mop of golden red curls off her neck and let them fall back again. “She’s been in the news a lot lately. Jennie has solved nearly as many cases as the police this year.”
“She exaggerates.” Jennie tossed Lisa a put-a-sock-in-it look. “Well, you have, Jen. And I have a feeling you’re going to solve this one too.”
“You mean the release at the Sutherlands’?” A frown etched Algie’s features. “You don’t want to get involved with those guys, Jennie.”
“I’m not involved, but thanks for the warning. I don’t want to believe Scott could have anything to do with this whole mess, but he doesn’t seem to have much of an alibi.”
“You really care about him, don’t you?” Megan looked at Jennie as if she knew exactly what she was going through.
“Yes, but I feel like an idiot for letting him get to me the way he did. Um … can we talk about something else?”
“Sure, dinner’s getting cold anyway,” Megan said.
“Then let’s eat.” Kyle grinned first at Jennie, then Lisa, extending both arms. “Ladies? May I escort you to the table?”
“Why, I’d be delighted.” Lisa took one arm, Jennie the other. Dinner was as good as it smelled. The light banter went on between the five of them all through their meal. Kyle and Algie entertained them with stories of their summer adventures, which included several raft rides on the Rogue River and hiking around Crater Lake.
“I love the woods,” Lisa said after they’d told them about their near escape from a bear who’d invaded their camp. “The last time Jennie and I went hiking, Jennie got shot at and fell into the Lewis River. Went right over a waterfall.”
“And you’re alive to tell about it?”
Jennie eagerly added her story to the growing collection of tales. “We were crossing the river on a log when a bullet hit it. I had some first-aid supplies in my backpack. God must have sent a guardian angel to protect me because instead of landing on the rocks, I fell into a deep pool behind the falls. I managed to climb onto a rock, but I nearly froze to death. For a while I thought I was trapped in the cavern. I finally decided it was either die there or try to make it out. I managed to find a way back through at the side of the falls where the force of the water wasn’t so great.”
“She got life-flighted into Portland,” Lisa added.
“Sounds like you lead an exciting life, Jennie.” Kyle sent her a look of pure admiration.
Jennie’s lips curled in a reflective smile. “I guess I have.” And it isn’t nearly over yet, she mused. As much as she wanted to forget Scott and enjoy the evening, she couldn’t stop the overwhelming notion that something even worse was about to happen.
After dinner they piled into the truck, the two guys in front and the three girls in back. Algie’s truck was loaded with amenities including a state-of-the-art CD player, which he cranked up to ear-splitting volume, a radar scanner, and a cell phone. The one thing it didn’t have was good shocks. They bounced along the lonely stretch of road into Thompson, which luckily was only seven miles away.
Once inside the theater, Kyle settled himself between Jennie and Lisa. Megan sat next to Lisa, and Algie grabbed the end spot on the aisle. Jennie watched the movie with bittersweet memories. It so reminded her of Dolphin Playland and of Scott. The hero’s love of the whale touched her deeply. Seeing the whale soar over the boy and on to freedom at the end just about broke her heart. Scott was so much like the young boy Jesse. A chip on his shoulder and a big heart. Tears blurred the screen. Oh, Scott, what’s happened? Jennie knew in her heart that Scott hadn’t hurt Mr. Sutherland. She doubted he’d released the mink, but if he hadn’t done it, then why …
Kyle took hold of her hand, drawing her out of her reverie. He gave her a look of compassion as though he understood what she was thinking. She wouldn’t tell him she hadn’t been crying about the movie. She just smiled at him and pulled her hand away to dig a tissue out of her pocket.
Try as she might, Jennie couldn’t recapture the light mood she’d been in earlier. A strange quiet seemed to have settled over all of them. Maybe they were just winding down. They piled into the truck again for the trip home. Lisa closed her eyes and tipped her head back against the seat. Jennie rested her elbows on her knees in the cramped quarters and stared out the window. The road was dark and lonely. Most of the clouds had dissipated, giving way to a sliver of a moon and a bazillion stars. Algie clicked on his brights, lighting up the roadway. A flash of light off the side of the road brought Jennie up short. “Wait!”
Algie slammed on the brakes. “What—”
Lisa jumped “What’s wrong? You scared me half to death!”
“I saw something—back there. A reflection.”
“It’s probably a can or a piece of aluminum foil or something.” Algie inched ahead.
“You think we should check it out?” Kyle asked.
Jennie felt foolish. She had no idea why the flash seemed so important, only that it did. “It might be nothing, but I’d like to go back and look.”
“Okay.” Algie slipped the truck into reverse and moved back several feet. He hit the switch on the searchlights on the top of the cab. “We’ll be able to see better with these.”
Kyle got out and opened the door for Jennie.
She took his hand and jumped to the ground. Her gaze scanned the roadside, coming to rest on a wrecked motorcycle some thirty feet off the road in the wide ditch. It was partly submerged in the shallow water.
Kyle must have seen it too. “That rearview mirror must be what caused the reflection you saw, Jennie.”
Jennie didn’t answer. All she could do was stare in horror at the bike she now knew to be Scott’s and the body that lay beside it.
12
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br /> Jennie mentally climbed out of the rock slide of emotions that had just dumped themselves all over her. You can’t all apart now, McGrady. He needs you. This was not just Scott, but an accident victim. “Get an ambulance!” she managed to shout while she rushed ahead of the others. Algie was already punching the numbers in on his cell phone.
“Scott!” Crouching down beside him, she yelled his name again and shook him. No response. She bit hard into her lower lip, forcing herself to place her fingers on the side of his neck to feel for a pulse. “Come on, Scott, please don’t be dead.”
She couldn’t find a pulse. “I need more light!” she shouted. “Do you have a flashlight or something?” Placing her hand to his mouth, she thought she detected a faint breath.
“Hang on, I’ll turn the truck at an angle.” The engine roared to life, and Algie aimed the searchlights at them.
Scott was lying prone, dried blood on his face and hands. His helmet lay beside him intact. Maybe he’d taken it off or forgotten to fasten it. But she couldn’t think about that. She forced the random thoughts out of her head and concentrated on what she needed to do. She unzipped his jacket and placed her ear to his chest. Detecting a heartbeat, she released the breath she’d been holding. Jennie glanced up at the others. “He’s alive. Thank you, God.” Jennie continued to check him for injuries. His skin felt cool and clammy, and he still wasn’t moving. Blinking back tears, she struggled to stay calm. His leg stuck out at an odd angle.
“Looks like his leg’s broken,” Kyle commented.
Jennie had already surmised as much. She shrugged off her jacket and draped it over him.
“Maybe Al and I could put him in the cab where it’s warm.” Kyle hunkered down beside her.
“No. It’s too risky to move him.”
“She’s right. Here, this might help.” Algie handed her a silver emergency blanket. “We keep a first-aid kit in the back of the truck,” he explained.
“Thanks.” She left her own jacket in place and wrapped the silver blanket around Scott as best she could.
“Ambulance is on the way. Shouldn’t be too long.”
“I take it this is the guy who was supposed to hang out with us tonight?” Kyle took his jacket off and put it around Jennie’s shoulders.
Jennie huddled under it, thankful for the warmth. The jacket was almost as comforting as a pair of arms might have been.
“No wonder the sheriff couldn’t find him,” Lisa said. “Do you think he’s been out here very long?”
“Hard to say.” Algie shivered and stuffed his hands into his pockets. “The ditch is deep, and with the brush and grass he’d be easy to miss. If Jennie hadn’t caught sight of the reflection …”
Jennie shuddered at the thought. Moisture from the cold, damp ground seeped into her jeans at the knees. “You guys should wait in the car. No sense all of us freezing our buns off.”
“No way,” Lisa said.
“We’re here for the duration, Jennie,” Kyle agreed.
They stood in a half circle around Jennie and Scott, shielding them. Tears filled her eyes and trickled down her cheeks.
Moments later she heard the sirens—saw the flashing lights. She brushed away her tears and greeted the rescuers with a concise report on Scott’s condition—just as she’d been trained to do. In a matter of minutes the paramedics had Scott stabilized and loaded in the back of the ambulance.
Jennie insisted on riding along. She wanted to be there if—no, when he woke up.
Lisa gave her a hug. “We’ll follow you to the hospital. Um—do you want us to stop and pick up your car? That way if the guys want to leave …”
“Sure.” Jennie dug her keys out of her backpack and handed them to Lisa. “Just be careful with it.”
“I will.” Lisa hugged her again. “He’ll be all right, Jen. I know he will.”
“Yeah. I hope so.” Jennie climbed in beside the paramedic and Scott.
Kyle settled an arm around Lisa’s shoulders and steered her in the direction of Algie’s truck. Nice guy, Jennie thought. They both were. Megan was lucky to have them as friends.
The doors closed and they were off—sirens blaring. The others went to pick up Jennie’s car, then met her at the hospital. There they waited in the emergency room. There wasn’t much to say. Jennie gave Kyle back his jacket and settled in a chair in the corner. She was barely aware of the conversation between Lisa, Kyle, Megan, and Algie. The girls were bringing them up-to-date on Scott’s supposed involvement in the case. Jennie didn’t want to speculate. All she wanted was for Scott to be okay.
Sheriff Parker came in thirty minutes later and headed straight for Jennie. “Heard we had a hit-and-run.”
“Looks that way.”
“How is he?” The sheriff’s face was tight and drawn—like she’d been on a couple of all-nighters.
“Aside from having a broken leg and a concussion, I’m not sure. The doctor is still with him.”
“Sorry I couldn’t get here sooner. Had another release up north. Been out there for the last two hours.”
“Another one?” Megan groaned. “When is it gonna stop?”
“It probably won’t—not as long as there are fur farmers and animal rights activists.” Tess lowered herself into the chair, settled her right leg on her left knee, and began to massage her ankle.
“Who was it?” Algie asked.
“The Caseys. They’re about twenty miles west of here. Small operation. Eight thousand or so mink. Family business. The owner’s son got beaten pretty badly, but he was able to give us a good description of the guy who beat him.”
“At least we know it wasn’t Scott.”
“Well, we don’t know for sure, the hit was around four this afternoon. You found Chambers on the road west of here, around nine-thirty, right?”
“They released the mink in daylight?” Megan asked.
“The owners are out of town for the weekend. We have a neighbor trying to get ahold of them. He’s keeping an eye on the place in the meantime and has hired a guard.”
The doctor Jennie had spoken to earlier ambled into the waiting room, his scrubs stained with blood. “Ms. McGrady?”
Jennie stood. “Finally. Can I see him?”
“For a few minutes.”
“Is he awake?”
“Drifts in and out. We need to get him casted, then we’ll put him in a room. I’d like to keep him overnight. If everything checks out, he can go home in the morning.”
“I’d like to see him first.” Tess was on her feet, all official again. “Need to ask him some questions.”
Jennie bristled. “You’re not going to arrest him, are you? I mean—with all he’s been through. It’s not like he’s going anywhere.”
“Relax, Jennie. I’m not a tyrant. He may have some pertinent information on Mr. Sutherland and more important, whoever hit him. I’ll talk to him tonight. The arrest, if I make it, can wait until morning.”
“Can I go with you while you question him?” Tess smiled. “You really like this guy, don’t you?”
“I … he’s a friend. I told you that.”
Tess gave her a knowing smile. “Sure. But much as I’d love your company, I need to talk to him alone. I won’t be long.”
Tess followed the doctor into the emergency room, and Jennie paced back over to the water cooler, poured herself a cup, swallowed it in two swigs, and tossed the cup in the trash. The wait was excruciating. Not only was Jennie anxious to see for herself that Scott was okay, she was also curious. What had happened to him? Had he gone to see Mr. Sutherland? Who had run into him? What was going on? The circumstances surrounding this case were getting more and more bizarre.
While sitting with him alongside the road, Jennie had made a decision. She believed in Scott and knew that if he had helped with the release it had been for a good reason. She took a
deep breath. You’ll find out soon enough. The door to the emergency room opened and Tess came out.
“He’s asking for you, Jennie.”
“Thanks. Did you learn anything—about the hit-and-run?”
“No. It was dark—around seven. Said all he saw were the headlights.”
“Do you think someone hit him on purpose?”
“Looks that way.”
“But why?”
“When we find the driver, we’ll find the answer to that one. For now, all we can do is examine the evidence.” Tess turned Jennie toward the emergency room. “You go on in there and hold his hand. Leave the investigation to me.”
Jennie nodded and went through the double doors. The room was like any other ER in a small rural hospital, three or four patients tucked behind partially closed curtains, medical personnel hustling from one place to another. There were about six cubicles. Scott was in the one at the far end of the room. For some odd reason, Jennie’s heart thumped heavily inside her chest, and her palms were sweating. She felt like a performer with a severe case of stage fright and took several deep breaths to calm herself down while she walked the wide hallway. The curtain was open so she gingerly stepped inside. A lab tech was drawing Scott’s blood.
“Hi.” The word squeaked past the lump in her throat.
Scott turned his head to look at her and stretched out his left arm. Jennie stepped up to the stretcher and took his hand. “’Bout time you showed up, McGrady.” He closed his eyes, wincing as the needle punctured his skin.
“I’ll be done in a minute.” The tech released the tourniquet and dropped it in her tray. After drawing three vials of blood, she pressed gauze to the injection site and withdrew the needle. Placing tape across it, she instructed him to hold it tightly for a minute or so until the blood had a chance to clot.
When she’d gone, Jennie turned her full attention to Scott. “You look terrible.”
A smile brightened his craggy features. “Thanks a bunch.”
“What’s the deal, Scott? What’s going on? You wanted me to believe you were involved, but I know you didn’t release those mink, and I know you didn’t harm Mr. Sutherland.”
Desperate Measures Page 9
