A little over an hour later, they were sitting at a quiet corner table at Casa Rustica, a cozy Italian place not far from their lodgings. Sue had ordered chicken marsala, but Lin felt like a plain plate of spaghetti with marinara sauce and a tossed salad would satisfy her need for comfort food. They ordered wine to accompany the meal, but decided not to add an appetizer. “I don’t think I need to add any more calories,” Lin remarked. “I managed to take off a few pounds over the winter and I want to keep them off, if I can. I need to get back into a regular exercise routine too.’’
“Someone told me about the Broyhill Wellness Center here in town. It’s associated with the medical center. I heard it was non-profit; the memberships are flexible and quite reasonable apparently. I think we should look into that, maybe tomorrow. If both of us commit to go regularly, we can keep each other on track,” Sue explained.
Lin was certainly in agreement with that. Last year she’d suffered a severe shoulder injury that required surgery, and she’d found exercise essential in keeping her shoulder flexible and strong.
Their food arrived, and, for several minutes there was no conversation. They were both ravenous and dug right in. Finally, the edge off her appetite, Lin sat back, “I simply cannot stop thinking about that young woman and I don’t want to wait until tomorrow to find out how she is. I’m going to call the hospital and ask about our blanket. Maybe I can learn something more.”
“I doubt any information is going to be released other than to family or law officers,” Sue replied, “but you can call if you want to.”
As soon as they left the restaurant, Lin did just that. She reached a receptionist in the emergency room and launched into her inquiry about the blanket. Sue walked ahead of her to the car. The young woman put Lin on hold while she made inquiries. When she returned to the line she sounded happy, “I found your blanket. The patient is currently in surgery, but the blanket was left down here with her belongings. If you can come by, I’ll have it here for you at my desk.”
Lin smiled as she got into the car, “We’re off to the hospital to retrieve our blanket. The girl is in surgery so at least she’s still hanging in there. Maybe we can learn more when we get there.”
Sue smiled and shook her head. There was no stopping Lin once her curiosity about a situation took hold, but Sue had to admit she wanted to know more about the girl and what happened also.
They arrived at Watauga County Medical Center and located the ER lobby. The young woman at the reception desk smiled as they approached. “I’ll bet you’re the ladies who lost the blanket. I have it right here.” She pulled a large plastic bag from beneath the counter and walked around to hand it to them.
“Thanks so much for getting it for us,” Lin said, “We hope the young lady is going to be ok. We’re really worried about her. Do you know when she might be out of surgery?” Maybe she’ll think we’re family Lin thought to herself.
“No ma’am, she’s been there a while now, but I don’t know anything about it. We still have her listed as a Jane Doe. Do you ladies know her? We’d love to get more information, maybe her name?”
Lin had to admit, “No, we don’t actually know her. We did find her injured and stayed with her until help arrived, but we don’t have any more information. Hasn’t the Sheriff’s department found out who she is yet? I thought they were going to check in her car?”
“If they know anything, they haven’t contacted us yet,” the receptionist responded. About that time an older woman with a stern look came by. “You need to get back on the desk Cindy.” She turned toward Lin and Sue.
“We really can’t give out any information except to family members, and, in this case, we really don’t have any information to share anyway. You ladies will have to ask the Sheriff’s department later, perhaps they’ll know more.” She turned and walked quickly down the hall.
“So much for that,” Sue said as they left the building. “Guess we’ll have to wait to learn more.”
“I guess, but it was worth a try. At least we got our blanket back,” Lin responded, “but it’s all bloody from being wrapped around the victim so we’ll need to wash it. I think the lodge has a laundry room maybe. We can check.”
By the time they’d located the laundry it was growing rather late so they elected to save the task of washing the blanket until the next morning. They both went to bed and Sue was soon asleep, but Lin found she couldn’t stop thinking about the young woman they’d found. Tired though she was, sleep just wouldn’t come to her restless mind. Finally, she decided to read hoping that would help her to relax. She located her IPad with its Kindle app. Its bright screen meant she wouldn’t need a lamp, and there’d be no light to disturb Sue.
That did the trick. After only a couple of chapters of her favorite author’s most recent mystery, she found herself nodding off. She barely managed to close the IPad and place it on the nightstand before falling into a deep sleep.
Chapter 3
When Lin opened her eyes the next morning it was almost nine. She couldn’t believe she’d slept that late. She must’ve been really tired after their long and somewhat stressful day. She glanced around the room; there was no sign of Sue. She must’ve gotten up and gone out already. Lin saw no note so she figured Sue couldn’t be far away.
She hastily got up and made for the shower. By the time she’d finished Sue was back. She’d brought coffee from the lobby—fresh and hot. Lin gratefully took a sip and then turned to finish drying off. “Why didn’t you wake me?” she asked.
“Oh, you were really sawing logs when I got up, and I knew you were still awake when I drifted off last night. I wasn’t sure when you actually went to sleep so I decided not to disturb you. I’ve had a nice walk, but I’m getting hungry so hurry up and get ready. Sally has a nice continental breakfast buffet out there; there’s even a waffle maker available.”
Lin hastened to dry her somewhat unruly, curly hair and donned some slacks and a T-top. She slipped on some sandals and was ready to go.
It was almost time for the breakfast buffet to be shut down, but there was still plenty of food. Sue made herself a waffle, and Lin decided to toast a bagel to have with cream cheese.
Spotting a stack of newspapers on the desk, Lin went to grab one. It was the Charlotte Observer, and she found no mention of the incident with the young girl found on the Parkway.
“I guess there are too many unknowns for this to be much of a story yet, at least beyond this immediate community, and it was probably too late yesterday for it to make the local paper this morning.”
They both lingered over second cups of coffee and read the news of the world and the state. It was nice to relax, but Lin felt herself growing increasingly restless. She really wanted to know if the girl they found yesterday had been identified yet, how she was doing physically, and whether or not this fellow “Pete” had been found.
She was just about to try to call the sheriff’s office or the park ranger Mark Scott when Sue intervened, “Lin you have to be patient. You know we’re going to hear from someone today, but they said it might be later. We’ll find out more about this, I feel sure.”
“You’re right, I know. That’s how I get into so many difficult situations. I can’t seem to control my curiosity,” Lin confessed. “ I need to stay busy until we’re contacted about this. What do you suggest that we do?”
“Give me your car keys,” Sue said, “I have an idea.”
Soon they were riding out into the mountain countryside. They headed for the little community of Valle Crucis where Sue pulled into the old Mast General Store. It was the parent store of the one they had visited in downtown Boone, but this one was a genuine, original country store complete with a pot-bellied stove and a sprawling porch where a few musicians were busy tuning up their instruments for a jam session later. The merchandise was similar to the store in town, but this place boasted old-fashioned soft drink chests and a still-functioning rural post office. Fortunately, the barrels of candy had been m
oved to a nearby annex so they weren’t as tempted to indulge. After leaving the store they continued to explore the countryside.
Sue pointed out the patterned quilt squares painted on several of the barns. This “tour” of painted designs was planned by the local arts council to encourage visitors to enjoy the beautiful rural areas surrounding the towns. “Where did you find out about all this?” Lin queried. “You’re a regular high country tour guide.”
“After my walk this morning, I spent some time looking at some brochures and travel guides at the lodge.” Sue confessed. “There’s really quite a lot to see and do around here, especially on a beautiful day like today.”
By late morning they returned to the lodge where their hostess greeted them. “Someone has been trying to reach both of you. Some guy from the park service.” Mark Scott had left a number for them to call.
“Do you have a few minutes?” he asked when Lin reached him by cell phone. “I’d like to come over to the lodge and meet with you both, if there’s some place we could talk there.” The manager agreed that they could talk in the lobby. Most of the weekend guests had left for home and things were pretty quiet.
“I’ll be there in about half an hour,” Mark said and ended the call.
Sally started brewing a fresh pot of coffee. She even produced a tray of pastries left from the morning’s buffet. “I’ll be in the office if you need anything,” she said, “What’s your meeting about, if I may ask? I’m just curious.”
Sue caught Lin’s eye as if to caution her about what she revealed. Lin agreed that, until more was known, it was best not to say too much about yesterday’s incident. She turned to their hostess, “ There was an accident on the Parkway yesterday, and we happened to be in the area. I think the ranger just wants to know what we might have seen. Thanks for the coffee and pastries, that was very thoughtful.”
“Oh, you’re quite welcome,” Sally replied, “let me know if you need more of anything.” She retreated to the office to catch up on paperwork leaving Lin and Sue to wait for Mark Scott’s arrival.
When he finally got there the young park ranger seemed a little worse for wear. The dark circles under his eyes revealed that he’d probably not slept very well. His eyes perked up at the sight of the coffee and pastries though.
“I’ve just come back in from the Parkway,” he said as he poured himself a mug and grabbed a frosted doughnut. “I didn’t get any breakfast this morning, this is great.”
“You’ll have to thank the manager of this place for these,” Lin responded, “she’s been a great hostess. This is a great place to stay.”
“Kinda costly if you’re volunteering for the summer isn’t it?” Mark asked.
“Well, it’s the most reasonable place we found, but we’re only here for a few more days,” Sue added, “after that we have a house lined up.” She explained their rental/caretaker arrangement as she refilled her own coffee.
Mark finished his doughnut and then took a blueberry muffin, but he placed that to one side and pulled out his notepad, “I guess we should get started, could you tell me again exactly what you saw and did yesterday? I need to fill in any gaps I might have in my notes. I need to hear it from both of you.”
Sue and Lin each recounted their experience in turn as the young ranger carefully took notes. Lin was still feeling antsy. She was dying to ask about the girl’s identity and condition and whether or not the missing Pete had been located, but she managed to control herself until Mark appeared to be finished with his note taking.
“May we ask you a couple of questions?” she said when it appeared he was done. “Do you know anything about the young woman’s condition? Have you found out who she is yet?”
“She had surgery last night, I believe, to repair her shoulder and arm. She was shot with what we think was a 20 gauge shotgun. Did a lot of damage, but no vital organs were involved. Luckily you found her and helped stop the bleeding. That probably saved her life. It’s going to take a long time for her to heal fully, lots of therapy, but eventually she should be OK according to the surgeon,” Mark offered.
Sue spoke up, “What about that huge gash on her head? She had some other cuts and bruises too.”
“We think that somehow she went over the edge of that drop-off at the overlook. Maybe the force of the shotgun, or maybe she just fell as she was trying to get away from the shooter. Possibly she hit her head. She has a slight skull fracture and a concussion. Somehow though she managed to crawl back up. That must’ve been shortly before you saw her fall at the roadside. We’ll know more when she wakes up and we can talk to her. Right now she’s still unconscious.”
Lin was itching to ask for more details, but then maybe they weren’t known yet. “Who is she? Were you able to identify her from the car?”
“Actually, it’s not her car. She may have been with the owner. It’s registered to a Peter Dunne from Charlotte. He may be a student here. We’re still looking for him but no luck so far. I’ve got to get back out there to help with the search,” Mark added as he rose to leave, “Thank you ladies for the information and please thank the manager for the coffee and pastries.”
As the young park ranger left the building, Lin turned to Sue. “I feel as if we ought to do something for that young woman. Here she is lying unconscious in a hospital without anyone knowing who she is. She has no family there to be with her because the authorities don’t know whom to notify. She must live or work somewhere around here, maybe she’s a student, but probably no one has reported her missing. I wish we could help.”
“I’m not sure what we could do,” Sue spoke practically. “Most likely she’s in ICU at this point, especially having just had major surgery; no one would be allowed to visit her anyway, except family. Lin, you’re just going to have to give this one some time. Sooner or later she’ll be identified, her family will be contacted, and things will work out. I’m sure we can go to see her later, when she is better and has been moved to a regular hospital room where she’s allowed visitors. Meanwhile, patience is called for.”
“I just wish I had as much patience in these situations as you do,” Lin remarked, “you’re right, as always. I just find it hard to let these things go.”
“You don’t have to let it go entirely,” Sue smiled, “just wait until there is actually something concrete for us to do. Meanwhile, I’m going to the room and read that new book I started before all this came up.”
“And I think I’ll take a walk to get rid of some of this restlessness,” Lin replied.
***
It was almost six o’clock Sunday evening when Lin and Sue decided it was time to find something for supper. Sue had spent the afternoon reading and napping. Lin had walked from the lodge all the way to the university and then had enjoyed walking through the grounds there, admiring the lovely beds of blooming flowers and the shady park-like areas that graced the campus. There were few students about on a Sunday afternoon. Everything was calm and peaceful which she found relaxing. When she returned she found Sue asleep and had decided to take a nap herself. Both had skipped lunch, and now were quite hungry.
“We need to visit the market again while we’re out,” Sue reminded Lin. “We’ll have to pack our lunches for work here. No apartment to return to or nearby fast food spot on the Parkway.”
“I have an idea,” Lin suggested, “the manager here told me that the Harris-Teeter store over on Blowing Rock Road has a salad bar, pizza bakery, and even an Asian food bar in addition to a deli. Why don’t we shop there for lunch stuff and pick up something for dinner to bring back here.”
“I’ll vote for that,” Sue replied, grabbing her purse and heading for the door.
Later, when the shopping was done and they’d polished off the slices of pizza and bowls of salad they’d purchased for their evening meal, Lin realized that Neal had said he’d be calling her sometime that evening. She hated to admit that she’d been so wrapped up in the events of the weekend that she hadn’t really thought about him at
all. Now she checked the clock. It was almost eight; he’d probably be calling soon, being aware of the time differential.
“I think I’ll go down to the lobby to get some coffee,” Lin announced, “care to join me?”
Sue winked at her knowingly, “No, but if you’ll lend me your car, I think I’ll make a run to the CVS pharmacy down the street. I need some shampoo and some other toiletries and I’d like to get them now. Might be too busy once our week gets going. Do you need me to pick up anything for you?”
“I think I’m good for now,” Lin said as she tossed Sue the keys.
Lin had just had time to fill her mug with fresh hot coffee and settle herself in one of the easy chairs that adorned the lodge’s rustic lobby when her cell phone buzzed. It was Neal. She answered, eager to hear his voice and talk to him, but somewhat undecided about how much to tell him regarding the events of the weekend.
Neal sounded tired but happy. Graduation had gone well, the speaker had even been fairly interesting. He gave Lin a run down on all of his weekend activities. Finally, he paused, “You’re probably bored with all of this by now, tell me what you and Sue have been doing on your last weekend before you become working volunteers. This may be your last free weekend for awhile.”
“Perhaps,” Lin laughed, “but we only work about twenty or thirty hours each week so we’ll have ample time off, it just might not fall on Saturdays or Sundays. We played tourist and spent Saturday enjoying sights on the Parkway, even had a picnic lunch,” she offered.
“Sounds like you had fun,” Neal responded, “I hope I can get there sometime soon. I’ve never visited there and I’ve heard it’s beautiful.”
“It is, I hope you can come, the sooner the better,” Lin really missed him. She felt a little guilty. She’d not mentioned their finding the girl who’d been shot. Neal knew her very well and she knew he’d be concerned about her getting involved in any new, possibly criminal matter. Nevertheless, she’d promised herself that she would always be honest with him and that included not hiding anything so she began, “We did have a troubling encounter as we were coming home from our picnic.”
Fogbound: A Lin Hanna Mystery Page 4
