She stayed in that position for more than fifteen minutes before resolving to get herself together.
“Jen.” Raleigh composed herself long enough to make a phone call. “What are you doing tonight?”
*****
Cass made camp at Mike’s side beginning at the break of dawn and hadn’t left his side. Mitch and Terry left when she arrived to get some sleep, but a few other game wardens came by periodically to check in.
“Hi Casey.” Ben popped his head into the room. “How is he?”
She lifted her head from its slumped position.
“He’s here.” She sat upright. “And better than yesterday.”
“Good.”
“Do you have any leads on Jen?”
Ben shook his head. “No. We’ll track her down tomorrow when we can get some answers from the corporate offices.”
She nodded her head, her face void of emotion.
“Do you have any family coming to be with you?” Ben figured the delay of family members was likely due to the great distance they lived away. That was the only explanation as to why she’d be alone.
“All we have is each other. We don’t have any other family.”
Mike’s parents passed away when he was in his twenties. His brother was claimed in Iraq four years prior and Cass’s mother’s side of the family were not welcoming toward their granddaughter. His ex-wife, if anyone could find her, would not be welcome at his side, or Cass’s.
“Oh.” Ben didn’t know what to say in response to that.
“He’s all the family I need.” She took Mike’s hand and clutched it tightly.
Ben took a seat with her. It was his shift. Terry arranged shifts of sorts so someone was with Mike. And also so Cass wouldn’t be alone. Terry neglected to tell Ben that Mike had zero family. No wonder poor Cass was having such a hard time. If she lost Mike, she truly would have nothing.
“Why don’t you get some fresh air, get some sleep, or go for a ride.” He passed her his truck keys. “Whatever you need to do. It’s the Blue Toyota parked in Section B. Don’t hurry, I’m not going anywhere.”
Cass wiped her eyes.
“You’d loan me your truck?” she said surprised. She’d only met Ben two times, both of which were on this day.
“Take it. Go.” Ben nodded toward the door.
“I won’t be long.” She needed a short reprieve.
“Hey.” Ben grabbed her attention before she left. She stopped in the doorway. “Don’t come back here for at least six hours. Get some sleep, shower, grab something to eat. Take care of yourself. He needs you.”
“I need him too.” She hesitated then walked down the hallway.
Ben sat in a chair by Mike’s side then pulled up another one to perch his feet on.
“You need to wake up.” Ben sighed. “It’d be a lot easier to figure out what the hell happened to you if you could tell us bud.”
The ventilator continued its job and Ben laced his hands behind his head. There was no television in his room, no sort of entertainment whatsoever. Ben’s phone it was. A rousing game of Words With Friends.
*****
“Raleigh. Raleigh. Raleigh!” A curvy dark haired woman in her late twenties yelled. “Earth to Raleigh, hello.”
“Jen...” Raleigh’s eyes slightly opened. “What are you doing here?”
“Trying to get your drunk ass back in the house. Its midnight and we want to go home.” A half a dozen people gathered their belongings from around her heated in ground pool.
“Go home.” She rolled off of the chaise lounge onto the cement covered deck.
“You need to learn your limit girl.”
“The cement is my limit.” Raleigh laughed at herself.
“No more Jose for you.”
“Did you say more Jose for me? Where is he?”
Jen couldn’t help but laugh.
“Jack come here.” Jen called to one of the handful of people at their little pool party. “Give me a hand getting her drunk ass inside.”
Jen and Jack brought Raleigh inside. Jen was nice enough to help change Raleigh’s very intoxicated ass and then put her on the couch.
“By the way…” Raleigh pulled the covers up over her. “If anyone calls and asks, you were in Maine this weekend and you didn’t see anything.”
“What?” Jen didn’t understand.
“You were in Maine. The police might call or something.”
“What?!” Jen stepped back. “The police? You used my name again?”
“There’s no sense in talking to her right now.” Jack piped up. “You can verbally berate her tomorrow.”
“Oh, you bet I’m going to. I can’t believe you Raleigh!”
“Just your first name, they prolly won’t even figure it out. I love you.” Raleigh puckered her lips.
“Yeah, well, I don’t love you right now.”
“Where is she?” Aiden opened the front door and hurried into the living room.
“Let’s go.” Jack put his arm around Jen. “Thanks for coming Aiden. She’s on the couch. Good luck.”
“How much has she had to drink?”
“That bottle of Jose on the counter, without any help.” Aiden looked over at the large bottle.
“In how long?”
“Maybe two hours.”
“Bollucks.” It wasn’t possible for her to drink that amount and still be coherent.
Jen and Jack exited without further argument.
“You are more than a full-time job.” Aiden looked down upon her.
“Why do you keep moving? Stay still!” She laughed. Aiden stood as still as a statue in front of her.
“This is going to be another long night, isn’t it? I deserve a raise.”
“You’re my best friend.” She smiled at him.
“That’s sad,” Aiden said under his breath. Truth was, she’d become his best friend too. It was sad that he was twenty-three taking care of her, she who was thirty-two. It was clear who the mature adult was in their relationship. “What happened after I dropped you off?”
“Nothing.”
“There has been a lot of nothing going on these past few days,” he said. “You’re smashed. There is only one reason you drink. At least this time you stayed home.”
“They wouldn’t take me to town.” She scrunched her eyebrows.
“They’ve brightened up.”
Aiden retrieved a bottle of water, Alka-Seltzer, and a waste basket. He placed them by the couch knowing how the routine worked.
“Are you mad at me?”
“There’s no sense wasting my breath on you. We’ll talk tomorrow. Get some sleep.”
She pouted.
“Good night, Miss.” He turned the living room light off and laid down on the loveseat adjacent to her. She was already passed out.
Thirty minutes passed.
She coughed and got sick on the couch, not coming close to hitting the garbage can.
“I don’t get paid enough,” Aiden told himself again. What scared him was that she never woke up while getting sick, or after the fact.
“Raleigh.” Aiden gently tried to rouse her. “Wake up.” She didn’t move. Her color was pale as a snow and her face dripped with sweat.
“Miss, wake up. C’mon. Talk to me.” He tried to jolt her. No reaction. Aiden looked over at the size of the bottle she’d consumed again. “Shit.”
Aiden knew she’d be pissed be for calling an ambulance, but he didn’t know what else to do. She vomited again, this time it soaked his pant leg. She never flinched. Never came too. Aiden checked her breathing and wiped the vomit from her mouth to ensure she didn’t choke. He felt her forehead. Cold and clammy. It wasn’t the job of the other people at her little gathering to babysit her, but Jesus, it was irresponsible to watch her drink to such excess and not attempt to stop her. Once she had a buzz on, her judgment went out the window.
“I need an ambulance at 233 West Enson Drive.” Aiden knew there would be hell to pay when she
came around, but he preferred she live and he’d deal with the consequences for his actions later.
“Yes, my friend, I do believe she has alcohol poisoning.” He’d never seen her so bad off. Drunk, yes. Sick, yes. Her current state, never. Aiden gave the information the dispatcher requested then got off the phone. With a towel he cleaned her up the best he could. Still she didn’t move. Her body was completely lifeless.
“Raleigh, what have you done to yourself?” He pushed her bangs from her face and waited for the ambulance to arrive. Hopefully they could keep the incident out of the press.
CHAPTER FIVE
MONDAY
It was Ben’s day off technically, but he’d comp his time. He was on a mission to find Jen and the truth.
“Yes, I’ll hold,” Ben said. He’d been on hold for nearly thirty minutes, bouncing from receptionist to receptionist. Everyone he talked to didn’t know where to direct him. Finally someone in Human Resources was useful enough to direct him to the office where the phone was assigned.
“Tom Irving’s desk, how may I assist you?”
“I’m looking to speak to Jen, I was directed to this extension.”
“Who is asking?”
“My name is Ben Anderson, I’m a Maine State Trooper.” He paused. “This must be Jen.”
“You have the wrong person—”
“We need to talk.” Ben wasn’t warm and fuzzy.
“There’s been a misunderstanding—”
“Is your name Jen?” Ben’s voice became less patient.
“Yes, but—”
“Then we need to make arrangements to talk. If you don’t want to cooperate, you are free to call your lawyer and we’ll take it from there.”
*****
Aiden sat at her bedside pissed off. He couldn’t feel bad for her, she’d done it to herself.
“I’m sorry.” She looked like death. “You don’t have to stay.”
“Would you like me to call your family, or Tom?”
“No,” she answered. “I don’t want anyone.”
“I’ll gladly leave then.” Aiden stood.
“I didn’t mean you.” She exhaled.
Aiden stared down at her.
“I didn’t sign up to be your parent. I can’t continue to do this job, it’s not worth what you’re paying me. I’m stressed out all the time; I don’t have a personal life. You were certainly right about my sex life. I can’t even have a pet because I can’t depend on the ability to go home at night. I’m at your side more than I am not. I didn’t marry you. And even if I did, I’d divorce you as quickly as I could!” Aiden ran his hands through his hair.
He was exhausted. Following their road trip he had enough time to unpack his belongings and sneak a brief nap, only then to be awoken by Jen. And then he sat in the hospital for the better part of twelve hours. She was no longer in her drunken stupor, but would take several days to fully recover.
“I’ll give you a raise.” She sat upright and swung her feet over the side of the bed.
“It’s not about the bloody money. It’s about the stress you put me under. You’re worse than a child!”
“I’m sorry.” She hated herself for what she’d done. A sad, pitiful, pathetic loser. That’s what she was.
“Sorry isn’t enough this time.” He walked to the window. “I think it’s perhaps time you look for another assistant. I’m not going to watch you continue your downward spiral.”
He looked back at her with piercing eyes.
“I’m done drinking, never again. I promise you that.” She was sincere. The thought of alcohol made her feel nauseous.
Aiden didn’t respond.
“Eighty thousand.” She threw out a ridiculous number, double what he made at that present time.
He turned and looked at her. “You’re still drunk. You’d promise anything at this point.”
“Not that drunk. You’re worth more.”
“I know.” He walked to her bedside. “This is the last time you pull this shit.”
“I promise.”
Though Aiden was apprehensive, she’d made it worth his while.
“I will stay for now.”
“Thank you.”
He retook his chair.
“Yeah, yeah.”
One of the medical staff checked on her and delivered her the good news. She was being released. After they instructed her and Aiden on how to continue her care at home, she’s be released.
Raleigh begged the staff to keep her little visit quiet and until that point it had been. She didn’t have high hopes it wouldn’t be scoffed up by the media somehow. Tom would be pissed and she didn’t know how he would react, hopefully he wouldn’t find out.
They went through the discharge process and Aiden helped her duck out to his car.
“Jen has been trying to get ahold of you. She sounds very angry. Do you know what that is about?”
They drove toward Raleigh’s home.
“I think so.” Oh yes, she knew.
“Do you want to use my phone to return her call?”
“Not right now, I’ll call her later.” Except she’d disconnected her cell and had yet to get a new one from HR. Well, she still had her good old house phone, she’d call Jen later from there.
Aiden situated Raleigh at her house and headed home. He was going to have some Aiden time.
When the buzzer rang at her gate, Raleigh barely had fallen asleep. She ignored the noise. She wasn’t moving. The buzzing continued.
She got up and looked at the monitor.
“Raleigh, open the gate. Now.”
Raleigh leaned her head forward against the door.
BZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
The gate opened.
*****
“Good to see you back with us.” Terry stood beside Mike. He received a call at noon informing him of Mike’s condition. They’d brought him out of sedation, but he still had a tube placed down his throat and was heavily medicated. He recovered faster than the doctors could anticipate, or explain at that point. Cass was on the other side of the bed and looked like she’d won the lottery. “You’re one tough ‘ole bird.”
Mike attempted a smile.
“How are you feeling?”
Mike shook his head slightly. He hurt all over. He felt more broken than a crash test dummy. His lungs felt like he’d swallowed fire, his chest like a moose stepped on it. His shoulder had been dislocated and set, while he was unconscious thankfully. Throw in a broken wrist, some minor burns, and a serious concussion and it completed the laundry list of injuries.
“I know you can’t talk, so don’t try, but I have a few questions we need to try to get through.”
Mike waited.
“Do you remember anything about the accident?”
With his hand, he motioned that he wanted a pen. Terry withdrew a notebook and pen from the pocket of his pants.
Driving Lk Rd. Car came fast at me, at least 90+ in middle of rd. Tried to get out of way. Don’t remember after.
Terry read the very illegible scrawling.
“What kind of car was it?”
He couldn’t remember. Damn, why couldn’t he? Mike was frustrated with his memory. Remember damnit! What kind of car was it? Who was it?
“You don’t remember.” Terry sat down. “Maybe you will in time.”
I remember hearing a woman’s voice. He wrote.
“What did she say?”
Mike shook his head. He didn’t remember, nor did he see her face. And he wouldn’t be able to identify the voice if he had to. He only remembered it was a woman and the voice brought him comfort.
Did Ben find her?
Terry looked at the notepad.
“She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and works for Subaru as a receptionist apparently. Ben said she wasn’t cooperative at first, but she came around with a little pressure. They are going to have a phone interview when she gets out of work. It’ll give her enough time to get her story together.”
***
**
SLAM
The front door closed violently.
A Courtesy Call (Green Division Series Book #2) Page 4
