Help Me, Hold Me: Full Heart Ranch Series #5

by Barbara Gee

  “Did you come up with any possibilities?”

  “A few. I just talked to the chief of police in New Orleans, and he’s going to check them out. Here’s one.” Tanner pointed to his screen, where he had Google Earth open. He zoomed in on a large building. “This is an empty warehouse owned by Tate Holdings. They have a lot of properties, but this one is only three quarters of a mile from Elliot’s house, in a fairly secluded area. He could’ve easily cut through a few yards, then through this park, and by the time he hit the street right about here, he’d have blended in with everyone else. Then he could’ve veered off into this alley, away from all the activity, and been to the warehouse in minutes.”

  “Isn’t that a pretty obvious place for him to run, though?” Vince wondered.

  “It would be, only it doesn’t seem to be common knowledge that the Tates bought the building a few months back. That might have made him feel safe going there.”

  “What are the other options?”

  Tanner brought a different area up on his screen. “He has an ex-girlfriend who lives here.”

  “He has information about exes on his work server?”

  Tanner smiled. “Nah, but there’s a personal computer connected to the server, probably so he can access the printer. There’s a lot of interesting stuff on that hard drive, including lots of, shall we say, media files of women. Seems he fancies himself an amateur photographer and videographer. Names were included in the files, so I looked up addresses. Miss Shelli Adams lives right here, which is an easy jog from Elliot’s house.”

  “Would she let him in?” Vince asked skeptically.

  “Who knows if she was even home, but he might know where the spare key is kept. Or maybe they parted on good terms. Although from what the chief told me, that isn’t usually the case with him and women. Quite a number of them have filed complaints against him, but his money always makes the charges go away.”

  “So, you think the warehouse is the best bet?”

  “That, or he could’ve called for a ride, from an acquaintance, or even an Uber. If that’s the case, he’s out of the area altogether. However, the chief doesn’t think he had time for that because they got a large number of cops into the area real quick and they were watching for that kind of thing. They’re checking with all the cab companies, and working to get a report on the local Uber drivers. They’ll talk to all of them, just in case, but they think it’s more likely Elliot’s gone to ground somewhere close to his house. Which brings us back to the warehouse, or the ex’s place.”

  “That’s another thing I’ll trust you on. You know the criminal mind better than me.”

  Tanner minimized the Google Earth tab and opened another file. “I also wanted to show you this. It’s something Callie should probably know.” He scrolled down. “I poked around in all the files Elliot opened in the last two weeks. This folder was at the top of the list. It’s named ‘Dad.’ There are a lot of files and I haven’t gotten through all of them, but I found this.”

  Vince leaned forward and studied the document Tanner brought up on the screen. “Is this a medical file?” he asked.

  “Yeah. There’s a lot of pages. Want me to summarize?”

  “Please.”

  Tanner scrolled down and pointed at the screen. “Chronic kidney disease caused by a condition called ‘malignant hypertension.’”

  “High blood pressure?”

  “A really severe form of it, and not very common. If it’s not treated quickly and correctly, it can cause organ damage, and that’s what happened with Howard. He didn’t get diagnosed soon enough, and it caused some pretty serious kidney damage, which means he’s having dialysis several times a week. Worse than that, there’s some significant heart damage. Things don’t look good for Mr. Tate.”

  “Yeah, Gary told us that this morning. When did he get diagnosed?”

  “Eight months ago. And as you might guess, his dear son Elliot is poised to take advantage.”

  Vince frowned and rubbed his sore neck. “In other words, he sees this as his chance to completely take over the Tate businesses?”

  “Yep.” Tanner brought up another document. “This is a DNR form. Which means ‘Do Not Resuscitate.’ Which means—”

  “Don’t revive him if he codes,” Vince finished for him. “I remember that from when my grandmother had heart surgery. So….Howard actually signed that?”

  “Not yet. Elliot’s also trying to get a medical power of attorney form drawn up. That would allow him to make medical decisions for Howard if he’s unable to do it himself.”

  “Surely Howard wouldn’t sign that either.”

  “Probably not. Howard Tate didn’t get where he is in the world by being stupid. I’m sure he knows there’s a chance his son wouldn’t have much interest in making decisions that would actually save his life.”

  “Then what’s Elliot up to?” Vince asked.

  “Good question. I saw all these forms and figured he had a plan, but wasn’t sure what. So, I took a look in the folder called ‘Legal.’ I found out the names of his primary attorneys, and then went into his email and looked for correspondence with them. It didn’t take long to find the person helping him with his daddy problems.”

  Tanner put his computer on the weight bench between them when Izzy came and slid onto his lap. He looped his arm around her waist and she kissed his cheek. He grinned at her, but kept on talking.

  “Elliot’s big plan is to hide the power of attorney form in with a bunch of other documents that need Howard’s signature. He told his lawyer it’s much easier to get things past Howard now that he’s sick.”

  “What a loving son,” Izzy said sarcastically. “How close is Howard to an episode that would leave him incapable of making his own decisions?”

  “That’s the thing,” Tanner said, “he’s obviously sick and his quality of life has diminished, but death isn’t imminent. He probably has a couple years before he’s too ill to think for himself. So, I poked around a little more, and saw that Elliot has done quite a bit of research on ways he could force the issue. Things like over-dosing on currently prescribed meds, so it looks like an accident.”

  “How would he orchestrate that though?” Vince asked. “He doesn’t live with him, and probably doesn’t even visit that often.”

  “No, but he has plenty of money to pay off someone who does live with Howard.”

  “Howard has a girlfriend?”

  “No, but he has home-health nurses coming in, for in-home dialysis and whatever else he needs.”

  Vince shook his head, despising Elliot Tate more with each sentence that came out of Tanner’s mouth.

  “You think Elliot’s paying off someone Howard’s trusting to take care of him?”

  “Unfortunately, that’s exactly what he’s doing. I even know who it is. A young lady who needs the money and likes the attention of a rich man like Elliot.”

  “Gross,” Izzy said simply.

  “I hope you’ve shared all this with the cops down there,” Vince said.

  “I did. There’s even more evidence than what I’ve shown you. More than enough to convince Howard Tate what his son is up to, and to add to the charges Elliot is already facing.”

  Vince stood and paced to the window, his hands on his hips. “So, once he’s caught, he’ll be put away for a long time? A real long time?”

  “He should be, but remember, he has a whole passel of attorneys who’ll be more than happy to collect their fees while dragging things out for as long as possible. It could make things ugly for Callie.”

  Vince wiped a hand down his face. “That’s just great. Just what I wanted to hear after a long, exhausting day.”

  “When we’re talking the kind of money the Tates have, nothing’s easy,” Tanner said regretfully.

  Izzy stood up and walked over to Vince, rubbing his back sympathetically. “Do you think Callie’s going to want to meet her father?”

  Vince shrugged. “Right now she’s not exactly incline
d to, but I know her pretty well. Once she has a chance to get used to the idea, she’s going to start thinking about the fact that he had nothing to do with what happened to her, and how he’s mourned her so hard all these years. I seriously doubt she has it in her to turn her back on him completely.”

  “No,” Izzy said softly, “I don’t think she does either. Her heart is so big.”

  Tanner closed his computer and stood. “The chief of police said her dad will be told everything by the end of the day. That Callie’s alive, and about all Elliot’s plotting. It’s going to be a lot for him to handle.”

  “Yeah. I feel sorry for the guy,” Vince admitted. “I hope he has some support.”

  Izzy gave him a hard hug. “We’ll be praying for you and Callie,” she promised. “Please let us know how she’s doing, and if there’s anything we can do to help.”

  Vince nodded. “I will. It would help if she could come home. Everything seems worse at the hospital.”

  “We’ll pray for that too,” Izzy said.

  “If you don’t have plans for this evening, you’re welcome to come to our place for dinner,” Tanner said. “Izzy has something in the crockpot that smells pretty amazing.”

  Vince appreciated the invitation, but he needed some time alone to absorb what Tanner had shared with him, and to try to figure out how to tell Callie.

  “Thanks, but I think I’ll grab something to-go from the cafeteria, then turn in early. The last two nights have been pretty brutal.”

  Izzy looked a little bit contrite. “You should have told me, I might have taken it a little easier on you.”

  “Nah, I needed it. After a hot shower, I’m going to feel great. Thanks for everything, guys. I’ll be in touch.”

  Vince left, made his stop for food, then drove the short distance to the staff cabin he’d been staying in since arriving at the ranch. It was quiet and private—just what he needed.

  He ate quickly, showered, and fell onto the big, comfortable bed with a sigh. His body was happy, but his mind was still churning.

  Ah, Callie. Things are getting more complicated and I don’t know how to help you.

  Then he pictured her with Brittany and he couldn’t help but smile. If anyone could make Callie forget her troubles for a little while, it would be Brit.

  He gave a jaw-cracking yawn, stretched out arms and legs that still felt a pleasant warmth from his workout, and gave in to sleep.

  CHAPTER 37

  “Oh my word, I feel like a new person. A real person, not a disgusting sick body with traces of three-day-old blood still in my hair.” Callie put the arm not sporting a cast around Brittany. “I owe you, Brit. The nurses would have never had time to help me take a shower.”

  “Just don’t implicate me if your doctor gets mad,” Brit said, steering her to a chair and picking up a brush for her hair.

  “Hey, the nurse gave us permission. He even unhooked the IV line for us, and taped this connector thingie up to keep it dry.” Callie held out her arm and examined it. “I kinda hope they forget to hook it back up. I don’t think I even need fluids anymore, and I like being untethered.”

  “Well that nurse is off shift now and he might not have noted he gave us permission in the chart.”

  “I’m sure it’s fine.” Callie closed her eyes and sighed. “That feels so good.”

  “Yeah, until I get too close to one of these nasty gashes,” Brit said, picking up a section of hair and brushing it carefully. “You’ve got an impressive number of staples back here.”

  Callie had a flashback to how she’d gotten those gashes, one from the rock and one from O’Riley’s boot. She did her best to hold back the shudder caused by that unwelcome memory, and quickly changed the subject.

  “Um, thanks for bringing me these clothes, too. No more flashing my rear when I go to the bathroom. And no, I never did that when Vince was here.” She grinned and rubbed her palms over the soft, pale blue flannel pants. The pants, along with the white cotton tee were perfect, and Callie hoped the nurses wouldn’t mind that she’d ditched the hospital gown.

  “I really think you’re going to be able to go home tomorrow. You’re doing so well, and you’re not even hooked up to the monitors anymore.”

  “Dr. Young said I need to have one more round of cognitive testing, remember? That’s not scheduled until tomorrow morning, then it’ll probably take forever for someone to interpret it and share the results.”

  “Well, I suppose you can handle waiting until the day after tomorrow, if that’s necessary,” Brit said, settling Callie’s damp but tangle-free hair over her shoulders. “Do you think you’ll need to wear a helmet for a while after you leave? I mean, your skull is cracked.”

  “Oh my gosh, no!” Callie’s phone buzzed and she lunged across her bed to grab it off the table on the other side.

  Brit laughed. “Expecting to hear from someone in particular?” she teased.

  Callie read her text and grinned. “Yes, and he’ll be here in a half hour. Thank goodness. I told him it was fine to wait until noon or so, but I’m glad he’s not.” She sighed a little dreamily. “How can I miss him so much?”

  “Well thank goodness he allowed me a little time with you,” Brit said, pretending to be in a huff. “He’d have never been able to help you shower.”

  Callie blushed at the very thought. “No. Definitely not.”

  Brit giggled. “He’ll reap the rewards though. You smell fantastic.”

  “Thanks to your shampoo and shower gel.” Callie sent a quick text to let Vince know she was counting the minutes, then accepted Brit’s offer to go get them coffee from the café on the first floor.

  She could hardly wait to see Vince. She’d missed him ever since he’d walked out of her room last evening, but more than that, now that she was clean and feeling almost herself again, she longed to be close to him. She wanted to feel his arms around her, his warm, strong body against hers. With everything going on in her life right now, she needed more than just his hand holding hers. She needed him to hold her tight and shelter her, at least for a while.

  Did that make her a weak, needy female? So be it. She needed Vince to lean on right now, and she didn’t mind admitting it.

  When Brit returned with two steaming cups, they sat cross-legged on the bed, paging through a magazine from Brit’s bag, drinking their coffee, and talking about Brit’s plans to repaint a bedroom and bathroom in her house.

  When Callie checked the time on her phone for the twentieth time, Brittany rolled her eyes.

  “Five minutes, Callie. He’ll be here in five minutes. Just relax.”

  “Ugh,” Callie said on a sigh. “Am I totally pitiful?”

  “Yeah, but I can’t blame you. If I had a guy like Vince Abbot on the hook, I wouldn’t want to be away from him either.”

  Callie pushed her hair behind her ear and turned a page. “I didn’t even know it could be like this,” she said. “I mean I had absolutely no idea.” She bit her lip, then gave her friend a sheepish smile. “I’m in love, aren’t I?”

  “Oh yeah, girlfriend. Head over freaking heels. You’re darn lucky I think he’s good enough for you, or I’d be throwing a major wrench into this whole thing right about now.”

  Callie winced. “Elliot Tate is enough of a wrench. I can’t even tell you how much I wish Grandpa had kept that journal to himself. But since he didn’t, I can’t ignore it. I have to figure out how to handle my lovely new family.”

  “At least you don’t have to go through it by yourself. Vince will be with you all the way. I truly believe that.”

  Callie nodded slowly. “Yeah, I do too.”

  Brit looked over at the doorway and smiled wryly. “Well, well, Prince Charming returns.”

  Callie turned her head in time to see the man she’d been pining for walk into the room. Her lips parted and her eyes widened as she drank him in. His slightly tousled walnut hair, the vivid blue eyes, the gorgeous smile. Her gaze slid down over his black tee shirt with the Minnes
ota Wild emblem across the chest, and the long, long legs in perfectly fitting jeans.

  “Okay, so I’m just gonna go on and skedaddle,” Brit said. “The girls and I will be back this evening, Cal.”

  “Uh, yeah, okay. Thanks for everything.”

  “Yeah, thanks, Brit,” Vince added, not taking his eyes off Callie.

  Brittany picked up her bag and left, and Vince walked closer to the bed, the corners of his mouth turning up. “What happened to my sick girl?” he asked. “You look so good.” He looked around the room and waved a hand. “No more monitors?”

  “Just one IV, which is currently disconnected so I could take a shower,” she said, lifting her left had to show him. “Brit brought me clothes and helped me shower. I feel like a new woman.” She scooted to the edge of the bed and slowly stood up, swallowing hard when an expression of intense relief and longing crossed his face.

  “Welcome back, baby,” he said softly, opening his arms and folding them gently around her when she stepped into him.

  Tears immediately flooded Callie’s eyes and she pressed her face against his shirt, holding onto his waist for dear life. He held her while she cried quietly, running his big hand down over her hair, over and over, careful to avoid the injured areas on her scalp.

  “I missed this,” she said with a sniff. “I’m sorry I’ve cried all over your shirt, but I’ve needed this for three days. There’s nothing like having you hold me when I’m hurting.”

  “I hate when you hurt,” he said roughly.

  She swallowed against the ache in her throat. “I don’t want to be Lila Tate, Vince.”

  “You aren’t. You’re Callie Grace Green. Jeremiah’s granddaughter. Child of the Double Nickel ranch and resident of Barlow, North Dakota. Nothing you learned yesterday changes that.”

  She sighed sadly. “But it’ll change the future. When Elliot is found and arrested the whole sensational story will come out and I’ll be dragged into it. Everyone will want to know about the poor little heiress who was abducted from the palace by her evil big brother and plunked down on a ranch in Nowhere, North Dakota. Can you imagine the headlines? And then there’s my…..parents. I don’t have the slightest idea what I’m supposed to do about them.”