by Freya Barker
"Hey Doc, I was just coming to look for you." His deep rumble washes over me like a soothing balm.
"You were?"
"Heard from Stacy that Fox just went in for surgery. I'm sorry. I wanted to come by earlier, but got caught up with a phone call."
He rests his hand on my shoulder and the heat it generates radiates all the way through my body and sends an involuntary shiver down my spine. Oh damn, Naomi. How inappropriate!
"Were you on your way somewhere or can we sit down? I'd like to know about Fox and I have some stuff to share with you too."
"I was gonna kill some time in the ER but I have nowhere to be. I hate to say it, but how about a coffee at the cafeteria? Not my favorite place but I need to stick close by in case..."
"No need to explain. Let's go."
With his hand finding its way from my shoulder to the small of my back in one long stroke, setting off even more inappropriate bodily reactions, Joe guides me in the right direction.
On my second cup of coffee while toying with the remnants of my appropriately named 'Morning-glory' muffin, since it was starting to wreak havoc on my stomach, I try to tie in what Joe tells me with what I already know.
"So you're thinking that this murder trial James was working on may have somehow been the 'trouble' he was referring to?"
"Look, I'm just guessing here, and I might know more once I've had a chance to look over the transcripts. But it seems highly coincidental that a high-profile murder trial, which goes completely off the rails after the suspicious death of a key witness, and the disappearance of the accused's defense attorney within days of the resulting acquittal, would not be connected somehow." Joe regards me carefully, gauging my reaction. I simply nod. Having him confirm my suspicions makes me feel better, even if he just painted a disturbing picture.
"I can see that. What I don't get is if you can see that, and I can see that; how come the Phoenix PD isn't seeing that? Especially when you add in the break-in around the same time?"
My mind is spinning with all the possible scenarios and frankly, it's scaring me to death. I've always known that James was sticking his neck out for some of the vilest creatures on God's earth, but he always preached that everyone deserved his day in court and I had to admit that I was of a mind that you were innocent until proven guilty. Most of the time. But then my mind jumped from murderers to Fox and the fear that his abrupt departure from Phoenix and these events also coincided, suddenly caught my breath.
"Doc? Naomi? What's wrong?" Joe's voice barely penetrates all the terrifying thoughts that are jumbling through my mind.
"Naomi. Look at me." The stern tone and the two firm hands grabbing hold of my face and bringing me nose to nose with him help me focus.
"Fox," I manage and I see confusion, then realization settles in Joe's eyes, right before he rests his forehead against mine.
"First we get him through surgery, then we have a talk with him. In the meantime I'm going to have a talk with Gus Flemming. There is only so much I can do on my own time and this is way out of my professional jurisdiction, but with his private security company he has much freer reign. Okay?"
He looks me in the eyes intently and even though I am now even more of a nervous wreck, I give him an affirmative nod. With a kiss on my forehead he releases me.
"Well, well, well. Isn't this sweet. Although a little tacky, I have to say, with your son in the operating room, to be sneaking off for a little private time with someone else's boyfriend. You're lucky I'm not the jealous type."
Oh, she did not just... I'm half out of my chair to deck our hospital administrator when Joe puts a firm hand on my shoulder and pushes me back down.
"Once again, Jenna... so out of line and far off the mark. Not to mention outrageously inappropriate and insulting to Naomi. Every time I think you couldn't possibly drop that bar any more, you manage to lower yourself even further. Don't you have any pride? Any fucking common decency? Nice display of professionalism for a hospital administrator. Oh, and a quick reminder—since you seem to need it—I am not, nor was I ever your boyfriend. If you have a beef with me, you take it up with me, but leave Naomi out of it." The venom is unmistakable as Joe's voice rises during his tirade in Jenna's face.
Jenna's face is turning beet-red and her mouth has dropped open, primed for a response surely. Her hand comes up and reaches for Joe's arm, but taking one look at the forbidding expression on his face, she drops it quickly, lifting her chin in the air instead. With a glare through slitted eyelids in my direction, she turns and marches straight out of the cafeteria, without another word. Joe sits back down in the chair beside me, running his hands through his hair.
"Jesus... I'm sorry, Doc."
I'm still reeling at the little shit storm that just played out in front of me, and suddenly the scene I walked into in the hallway a few weeks back comes through a little clearer. Shit.
"It's a like deja vu all over again, isn't it?" I try to lighten the sticky weight that's left behind, but the flare of Joe's eyes tells me I may have missed the mark. It's then I remember our dinner date a few years back, interrupted by his wife and I cringe. Fuck me.
"I meant to the run-in in the hallway a few weeks ago... I wasn't talking about... shit, Joe. Just let me get my boot off so my foot fits better in my mouth," I mumble, but Joe bursts out laughing.
"What's funny?"
"You. Us. This. It's all pretty messed up; like the universe is conspiring against us. Good thing I'm up for a challenge."
He grabs my hand and looks me straight in the eyes.
"Promise me, Doc, that I'll have a chance to explain everything to you. There never seems to be a good time, and now is not one either, but I really need a chance to clean the lines of communication. Starting with the history of my very ex-wife, Brenda."
I'm too rattled to do anything other than agree without argument. Too many questions are bouncing around and I really don't have time for this right now. I should have one focus only, and that's my son.
Joe promises he'll call or pop in later before walking me to the waiting room, where I am greeted by not one, but three sets of arms around me.
"Hey girl, we were wondering where you were off to. Thought it might've been an emergency, just didn't think it was one so fine." Arlene throws her head back and laughs as Joe throws up his hands and backs out of the room, mouthing 'later' at me. Emma is punching Arlene in the arm telling her to behave, while Katie gingerly lowers herself into a chair, trying to hold her big pregnant belly in place. My girls have come to hang with me.
I met Emma first when a truck tried to run her down in the streets of Cortez a couple of years ago and she was brought into the ER. She's married to Gus Flemming, owner of GFI, the security company Joe is hoping to call for help. Arlene is her best friend and owns the diner in Cedar tree. She had her own emergencies that brought her to the hospital, and even though I had met her through Emma already, she and I became closer then. Arlene belongs with Seb Griffin, amazing cook and co-owner of the diner. Not to mention a gorgeous walking art canvass of a man.
Katie is my special girl. She's pretty kick ass and worked free-lance as a private security specialist for GFI for years before she incurred a devastating brain injury that landed her in a wheelchair. Her road was long and dreadfully painful but she was able to regain almost full mobility with the help of an amazing man, and now husband, Caleb; with a bonus baby on the way.
These girls have all been through so much and yet have stayed so strong. They amaze me every day. I've never met a bunch of more loving and genuine women.
"I love you guys," I tell them through my tears, so very grateful for my friends.
CHAPTER FIVE
"Joe! Been a while. You here to see Gus? He's in the window booth."
Beth has been at the diner for about as long as I can remember. I remember crushing on her when I was a teenager, and my parents would bring me here for lunch on Sundays. She was working the kitchen then. My parents have both since died
and the old owners of the diner left for warmer Florida years ago, selling the place to Arlene, even the diner itself is not the same after the renovations earlier this year. Heck my crush disappeared the same way my pimples had but Beth was still here. Still loud, still in your face and still always cheerful.
"Hey Beth, good to see you. Yeah, I'm meeting the big man. I'll just have a coffee and whatever Seb's cooked up for special today. I don't even need to know. Surprise me." I smile at her.
"Coming right up."
"Joe. How's life?"
Gus and I have been friends for over twenty years. As far back as the Denver Police Academy, when we were both new and bright-eyed recruits. We worked for the Denver Police Department for a few years as uniformed cops, before we both got fed up with big city politics. I found my way back to my home ground and into the Montezuma County Sheriff's Department and Gus ended up going private, doing security detail, investigations and bail skips from Grand Junction. He relocated to Cedar Tree in the last two years, moving his main office here, while leaving a small crew behind in Grand Junction.
"Complicated. How about yours?"
Gus laughs. "I hear you, man, although I can't complain. The last few months have been fairly quiet. I'm almost bracing for the next shit storm to hit."
Beth walks over and sets down my coffee. "Seb's got some fried rice thing for lunch. Indonesian. He calls it Nasi Goreng. I think he's making that shit up. You sure you still want some, Joe?"
"Sounds good to me. You order yet?" I ask Gus, chuckling.
"I'll have some of that stuff too, Beth, please?"
"Two Nasi Goreng coming up. Your funerals," she mumbles as she walks away, sticking her pencil behind her ear, as always.
"So, you mentioned something about needing my help?"
Gus never was one to beat around the bush so I quickly outline the events of the past couple of days, Naomi's description of the message left by her ex, and her findings from his place of work and the Phoenix PD. Then I tell him what I've come up with so far.
"I'm walking a fine line here, Gus. Aside from a very faint connection to a vandalism case that her son happens to be involved in, I have no business looking into this stuff in any official capacity. I've pushed the limit as far as I can by requesting the trial transcript be sent to my office, even if I asked them to be addressed to me personally and not the county sheriff. But something is off here. I can sense it, and that boy of hers knows something or saw something, but he won't open up to Doc. I saw her this morning and she's terrified, though she hides it well."
"Doc, huh?" Gus lifts his eyebrows. "You finally set her straight? ‘Bout fucking time you did. I still don't understand why you let that drag on for so long."
"Made a start but I wasn't gonna go there with her son in surgery, Gus. Made her promise to hear me out this time though."
He had been on my case for a long time, trying to get me to clear the air with Naomi, and being one of the very few people always aware of my situation, he's been frustrated. He finally gave up trying to push me but with Naomi becoming one of his wife's friends, I guess it must've been awkward at times. Fuck. Can't believe I never really considered that.
"I'll set it straight. This situation has gotten way out of hand. Sorry man."
Gus waves his hand.
"Just finally go get the damn girl."
"We're aiming for friends, Gus. Just friends," I emphasize, trying to ignore the part of me that's always craved more from her. The asshole across from me just snorts.
"Alright. So I will put out some feelers for you. Might be a couple of days, but we'll keep an eye out for your girl."
My glare doesn't have any impact on a snickering Gus. Ass-wipe.
The rest of our lunch is spent in relative quiet, eating this Nasi Goreng-shit Seb cooked up. Rice, chicken, diced vegetables, fragrant with spices and spicy enough to leave a nice glow, topped up with a fried egg. Damn that's good.
I tag Beth to get me an order for takeout; I'm thinking dinner tonight.
I'm halfway to my office, when I spot Michael Vincent, the kid we picked up with Fox at Crow Canyon, running across the road and into Cortez City Park. I look at my dashboard clock and see it's just one forty-five in the afternoon. No way in hell he's done with school already and the high school is on the other side of the Walmart Plaza. I check for traffic and cross the lanes, pulling into North Park Street where I know kids like to hang out at the water fountains. Parking my truck, I can see Michael meeting up with two others just outside the washrooms and duck inside. Fucking kid. I knew he was into some shit. I quickly radio in to Carol who will send a head's up to the Cortez PD, but I'm not waiting around.
Just as I get to the public washrooms, the door slams open and the two unknowns take off running. I'm tempted to pursue, but am more concerned with Michael, who's not coming out. When I push open the door, I see him lying curled up under the sink, in a rapidly spreading pool of blood.
"Jesus!"
"Carol!" I yell into my radio, "Got a kid down. Get an ambulance down here, STAT!" before dropping down and scanning the boy for injuries. The garbled moaning coming from his battered face is encouraging. He's still alive at least. I try to calm him down.
"Michael. Ambulance is on the way, buddy. You're gonna be ok, I've got you."
But I'm questioning the truth of my own words when he tries to roll back and I see the large hunting knife stick out of his abdomen.
I call Carol back on the radio. "Carol. Get hold of Les Vincent and tell him I'm bringing his son in to the ER. Have him meet us there. Make sure you talk only to him. No messages."
"Oh Joe... Yes, yes of course I will." A smart woman with too much experience, Carol knows exactly what it is I'm not saying. I don't know if this boy is gonna make it.
I manage to change into a spare shirt I carry in my truck, before Les storms into the ER, but there's nothing I can do about his son's blood spatter all over my uniform pants. He takes one look at me and freezes on the spot, all color draining from his face.
"Hey... They're taking care of him, Les." I'm trying to reach him but he seems to be stuck staring at the fucking blood on my pants. "Les! Snap out of it man. Michael is alive and they are working on him; okay?"
No matter how much I dislike the guy, this is not something I'd wish on anyone, so I walk up to him and carefully grab his arm, guiding him over to the waiting area.
"What happened?" His voice cracks and he needs to clear his throat.
I tell him exactly what I saw, not leaving out a single detail. I also explain that since this happened within Cortez town limits, it will likely be a Cortez PD investigation, but that we'd probably join forces if it turns out this was in any way connected to the incident up on Crow Canyon. His eyes flick to mine at the mention and he quickly looks away again.
"I'll never forgive myself if that turns out to be the case," he says quietly.
"What are you saying?"
"I warned him not to talk to you, not to get in the middle of an investigation with an election year coming up next year. Maybe if I'd have let him talk..."
I interrupt him here, "Look, you don't know that. First focus right now is your son and you can't afford to waste time on guilt. He needs you. So focus."
"Right. Okay." He seems to get himself together just as one of Naomi's colleagues comes into the waiting area.
"Sheriff?"
"Yes, this is Les Vincent, Michael's father."
"Good. Mr. Vincent, your son has some facial trauma that we are not as concerned with right now as we are with the injury to his abdomen. An ultrasound shows that the knife has done substantial damage to some of his organs and he is bleeding into his abdominal cavity as well. We have to operate on him to see the extent of the damage and repair what we can. The OR is being prepped and the anesthesiologist is ready for us. All we need is your consent."
"Yes, do whatever you need to do to save him. Can I see him before?" The man is close to his breaking point, and as he walks aw
ay with the attending doctor, my heart aches for him.
"Mom?"
Fox's raspy voice pulls me from my thoughts.
"Hey, baby. How are you feeling?"
He's been slowly waking up from the anesthetic for a few minutes now, struggling to cling to consciousness.
His surgery took a little longer than expected and by the time Dean came to give me a report in the surgical waiting room, I was starting to get a bit worried. Luckily the girls were doing their best to keep me distracted. The delay had been caused by some bone shards that had travelled, and needed to be removed before he could properly set the bones and affix the plate and screws to keep everything in place. Fox might have to have another surgery in a month or two to remove them again, once the bone has sufficiently healed, but for now he was good to go. The girls left with promises to check in later when I come to see Fox in recovery.
"Sore... Thirsty..." he croaks.
"The thirst we'll call the nurse in for, she's in charge of your medication, but I can give you a bit of water."
I push the call button to get one of the nurses' attention and bend the straw in the water cup so he can take a sip.
"Not too much at once, love. You don't want to bring it back up," I caution him when he starts gulping it down.
When the curtain around us opens, I expect it to be one of the two attending nurses, but am surprised to find Jenna poking her head in.
Seriously?
"What can I do for you, Jenna?" I know I sound bitchy, but come on. After this morning's scene in the cafeteria, I thought for sure she'd leave me the hell alone.
"Just wanted to inform you of a change to the schedule you may have missed. You're on overnights, starting at nine tonight. And also, that request for time off? I'm afraid that won't be possible on such short notice."
At that she pulls the curtain shut and disappears, leaving me stunned. Then I get mad and am about to haul ass after her when Fox pipes up beside me.
"She just fucked you over, didn't she Mom?" his voice still raspy from drugs. "What did you do to her?"
