In Plain Sight

by R E Gauthier

  Chapter Forty-One

  “To deny is only to delay, so accept and proceed.”

  She didn’t even remember getting into her car or starting it up as she drove as fast as legally possible to get to Johns Hopkins Hospital. Doc had told Rachel when she called him that Miranda had been rushed to the hospital almost an hour ago. Jess Harrington had called him from Miranda’s phone, saying she had collapsed and had been unconscious for several minutes.

  Her patience slipped once again and another expletive came to mind, she hated traffic. Nikki sat beside her and had been quiet the whole drive. They waited for the light to turn green so she glanced at her best friend and saw that she too looked worried.

  “What do you suppose happened?”

  “I don’t know but it couldn’t have been good. Maybe she had one of those spells like last night. Didn’t Doc say he thought she went somewhere outside of the hotel?”

  “Yeah Rachel said that she had been rushed to the hospital and Jess is with her and is extremely upset, according to Doc’s summation.”

  “Oh that doesn’t sound good.”

  “Yeah I know the last thing I need to do today is to be railed out by her again.” She flinched imagining the tall auburn woman berating her after what happened last night. Wondering if Miranda told her, of course she told her.

  After a long arduous drive across town they pulled into the hospital visitor parking lot and she grabbed the parking validation card from the automatic parking valet machine. Once parked in the space she hurried to the Emergency Room entrance; not even slowing down for Nikki to catch up.

  Scanning the entrance she looked for anyone who could help her find out about Miranda’s condition. Her eyes fell upon a tall thin familiar figure; Doc turned looking grim.

  “How is she? Where is she? What happened?” Kelsey fired the questions at her frowning friend.

  “I don’t know. They took her into do a CT scan and all I know is she collapsed while having a massage.”

  “A massage...? Nikki asked before Kelsey had a chance to formulate the same words.

  “Yeah she called and said she and her friend, Jess would be going out for a Spa day. I told her that is was a great idea, to help her get her mind off of this case. Sometimes getting away from what you are trying to remember makes it easier to go back and then recall what...”

  “Doc please, it’s not important how it works, just how did it happen? Was it like last night?” Kelsey blew out a held breath and pushed her fingers through her wind-blown hair. Don’t take it out on him. Calm down.

  “I only know; she collapsed after she rushed from the massage room. Jess didn’t go into the specifics.

  “Could your earlier session with her have triggered this response? You showed her pictures of the six women, could that have caused her more stress?”

  “Mack I’m not sure

  “Where is Jess?” Nikki asked glancing around, clearly only interested in one thing at the moment.

  Kelsey frowned, one besotted agent was enough.

  “She’s over at admittance giving them all of Miranda’s insurance information; she’s Miranda’s legal next-of-kin.” Doc indicated down the hall and they saw the tall auburn woman standing at the admittance counter looking as formidable as ever.

  “Wow. I’m sorry Mack but I find her even more attractive when she so in charge.” Nikki commented.

  “Really Nikki, I don’t think now is the time to be thinking about what she looks like or how she makes you feel.” The woman scares the hell out of me, and I have to deal with her if I want to see Miranda.

  Just then Jess turned and looked their way, agitation evident on her face.

  “Agent MacGregor I won’t go into everything I want to talk to you about but you sure have a lot of nerve showing up here like you care.”

  Feeling her face heat; she forced herself to keep looking at the face of Jess Harrington as she continued her descent upon them. She had been several feet from where they stood but it seemed as though she had descended down from a loftier perch. She exceeded the woman’s height by a few inches but she felt as though she looked down on her. She bristled when Jess had arrived in front of them and sent her a dismissive look.

  “I do care.” And no three words had ever been truer. Her whole being screamed how much she cared, but Jess didn’t seem to hear her, or see her as she talked to Nikki.

  Growing increasingly impatient with the two women, she felt her anger bubbling. Don’t let her treat you like this.

  “If you two would please focus on the reason why we are all here. I’d like to know what is going on with Miranda.”

  Jess turned and glared.

  “You have a lot of nerve talking to me about focusing on Miranda. I’ll have you know that she is in this hospital because of your ineptitude for running a FBI taskforce and also for making my friend so confused her mind is jumbled and shattered. Don’t even get me started on how this case is being conducted. She should have been to see a doctor as soon as she fainted the first time.”

  Doc spoke up and told Jess that he had monitored her closely and had seen nothing leading up to last night or today that would warrant a doctor to examine her. The irate woman didn’t seem to be appeased. Kelsey knew that Jess had every right to be upset about what had happened but she wouldn’t beg for this woman’s forgiveness.

  “You may rest assured that we put forward our best efforts to take care of Miranda...I mean Miss Gauthier’s well being and mental stability as we conducted our investigation. She saw the killer and we need her as a key witness to solve this case or at least once we have the killer in custody we can get her convicted with her testimony.”

  “I once told you your assurance doesn’t mean much to me and again I feel it is lacking. I can’t tell you much about her condition until the doctors come and tell me. I do know she was conscious and sounded lucid when we arrived here about an hour ago. I don’t know how she collapsed or why. I just know that the masseuse said she got very upset and rushed from the room. She followed her to witness her faint to the floor only moments later.”

  “Damn”, she said. Her fainting last night and then again today; worried her; I hope what happened between us last night didn’t make it worse.

  The appearance of a man in a white coat effectively ended their conversation.

  “Jess Harrington, I’m Doctor Franklin; the neurologist assigned to Miss Gauthier’s case. May I have a few words with you?” He indicated a cluster of chairs in the corner.

  She only had her FBI credentials for reasons why she wanted to hear what he had to say about Miranda’s condition. She hoped that would be enough or she would have to resort to groveling at Jess’s feet.

  “Doctor Franklin, I am FBI Senior Special Agent Kelsey Macgregor and Miss Gauthier is a key witness in a case we are investigating, I would like to be present when you discuss her condition; if you don’t mind.”

  He looked awkwardly to Jess and then back to her.

  “It is quite alright Doctor, I’ll give her permission.” Jess said signing out her annoyance.

  “After reviewing Miss Gauthier’s previous medical history and the CT, MRI and blood analysis we performed today I have concluded that she is likely experiencing the effects of multiple traumatic brain injuries.”

  Jess sent a furious look in her directions and she felt the weight of the doctor’s words as she spoke.

  “Doctor, are you able to tell when she has suffered these injuries?” Jess asked.

  “From the degree of remodeling comparison to two other injuries I would say she sustained the recent one approximately eight weeks ago.”

  Kelsey’s mind did the math; she would have still been living with Katherine Montgomery. Had Kate hit her?

  “Would that explain the headaches and blackouts?” She asked and was rewarded with another dagger stare from Jess.

  “It would and I’m also seeing marked elevations in her epinephrine and norepinephrine and a decrease in cortisol leading me
to believe she is also suffering from Post Trauma Stress Disorder. We sometimes see this develop after a traumatic brain injury.”

  “So she has been suffering for eight weeks without treatment. What could have been done for her? Jess asked looking more furious which each passing moment.

  “In most brain injuries the only treatment is supportive, pain relieve and rest. In Miss Gauthier’s case she did have a slight bruising of the brain and a small hematoma that caused more pressure but no surgical intervention would have been required.

  “Doctor, Miranda also may have witnessed a brutal murder. Could seeing someone killed cause the PTSD?” Kelsey asked signaling Doc to join them.

  “A severe traumatic event would most definitely exacerbate the slow bleed and pressure on the brain and start a hormonal cascade. We see the exact symptoms in war victims with brain injuries.”

  “So you’re saying that nothing could have been done for her to prevent what has happened? Jess asked as she looked like she wanted to bore a hole into her.

  “It’s quite possible that she only experienced headaches in the beginning and remembering the traumatic event may have made them worse or triggered the blackouts.”

  “Doctor she repressed the memory of the night her ex-lover was killed and we’re attempting to help her retrieve it. Our Behavioral Profiler is a board certified Psychologist and he has been in charge of hypnosis and recovery sessions. This is Doctor Thomas Branson. Doc, Doctor Franklin.”

  “Well Doctor Branson I have read some of your articles in the Psychological Medicine, you have some very interesting theories I’d like to discuss with you sometime.”

  After the introductions another discussion about Miranda’s condition ensued and Kelsey stood by impatiently.

  Nikki approached and spoke to Jess and her affects on the glowering woman was instantaneous. Jess calmed and looked more relaxed.

  “Doctor is Miranda able to have visitors and in her condition is she able to be questioned?” Kelsey could wait no longer she had to see Miranda.

  “I have given her a light sedative because she seemed quite agitated about being here.”

  “Miranda hates hospitals, she spent quite an awful lot of time in one twice in her life and she gets anxious when she’s even near one.” Jess explained.

  “Well she will be sedated somewhat and may not be able to do much talking and questioning her may stress her unduly.”

  “Could I see her? I promise not to mention the case. I only want to see how she is doing and let her know I am here.” Kelsey directed her plea to both the doctor and Jess.

  The doctor agreed and Jess; being her only legal advocate, glared at her but Nikki said something softly in her ear and she relented.

  “Just be sure you don’t upset her. If you do it will be the last time and that’s my promise Agent Macgregor.

  She left then before Jess could change her mind. Walking down the hall she could feel the aura of the author and found the room the nurse had indicated she’d be in.

  In the dimly lit private room she saw the petite woman lying in the hospital bed sleeping soundly. She didn’t want to disturb her but stood over her and looking down at the peaceful look on her face, her heart lurched. She had felt so hopeless and now looking at Miranda lying there made all the strong feelings she felt earlier that day come crashing back. Her heart ached, her eyes began to tear up, and she reached down to lift a lock of hair off of her forehead. I like the new haircut. It framed her small face and helped accentuate her high cheekbones.

  “Don’t stand over me like that you make me nervous Agent MacGregor,” Miranda said in a raspy voice, barely audible.

  “I didn’t want to disturb you, just checking in and making sure you’re okay.”

  “You’re so caring and gentle, have I told you that yet? I told Jess but she didn’t believe me.”

  “I’m not surprised. She doesn’t like me very much.”

  “She doesn’t know you like I do.”

  Miranda looked so relaxed and it reminded her of the day they met. That day the same sleepy look had been rather cute but today she felt the tug of something primal in her looking at the drowsy woman.

  The expression on Miranda’s face changed and as if on cue her mind filled with images and emotions that threaten to knock her off her feet. I’m reading her again. Miranda is scared, anxious and she saw a laughing mouth and then red.

  “I saw the killer, I saw who killed Kate,” Miranda said and it took her a moment for it to register in her head.

  “You saw the killer at the Spa?” Trying to make sense out of what the author had just said.

  “No I saw her face in a memory I think, I saw her kill Kate. She’s blonde and had blue eyes; she laughed at Kate before she killed her.”

  “You are sure you saw her face?”

  “Yes, I distinctly remember seeing her face that’s what happened before I collapsed.”

  “Have you seen this woman before? Do you know who she is?”

  “No I don’t know who she is but I’m sure if you show me a picture of her I would recognize...”

  “So she wasn’t the woman you saw me with last night?” She wished she hadn’t mentioned Race because the look on the author’s face now tore her heart in two. I’m so sorry Mo Chridhe.

  “No, But I saw...”

  “What the hell is going on here? Agent Macgregor you had specific parameters coming into this room and you seemed to have forgotten every single one of them,” Jess Harrington said as she stormed into the room.

  “I can assure you...”

  “There you go trying to assure me again and you don’t know the first thing about it...”

  “Please Jess she didn’t do anything wrong I just told her I saw the killer’s face.”

  Now it was definitive, Race hadn’t killed Kate and their other victims but a blonde woman with blue eyes and had access to the missing knife, had. She needed to get back to the hotel to ask Race who this woman could be. Battling with the need to stay with Miranda was the need to see this case through but Jess’s glare helped her decide.

  “I’ll go since I am only upsetting Jess, rest Miranda and once our investigation has found a potential suspect we’ll need you to identify her.” Without even thinking about it she leaned in and kissed the author’s forehead and left the room.

  ***

  Miranda hated feeling drugged and whatever they had given her made her very drowsy and she just wanted to sleep. She had been so happy to see the gorgeous agent looking down at her when she woke earlier. She looked so worried, at least she doesn’t hate me after the note I left her. Her drug addled brain had not missed the look in her eyes when she leaned in and kissed her. She still cares for me.

  Jess stayed with her and sat quietly for nearly a half an hour after Kelsey left but she knew she wouldn’t be able to stay silent much longer.

  “That Agent MacGregor is an infuriating woman. Did you start talking about the case or did she mention it?”

  Stifling a yawn she smiled weakly.

  “I brought it up first when I saw her I knew I had something important to tell her. I just blurted it out. I can’t believe I actually remembered anything it must be these drugs relaxing my mind. You really shouldn’t be so hard on Kelsey; I’ve been hard enough on her.”

  “Today you said you put her off but she didn’t look that put off. You’ll have your hands full getting rid of her.”

  “What...? You mean that peck on the forehead?”

  “No not the peck on the forehead. I saw the way she looked at you and you didn’t see how she acted out there wanting to come in here and see you.”

  She couldn’t help but smile and think about how she wanted the agent to feel about her but she knew that she had to stop thinking about her that way.

  “I don’t think the agent knows what she wants and if she knew I’m sure the last person she needs is a messed up woman like me.”

  “Randi you’re just under a great deal of stress but you had
a huge breakthrough and that should make everything easier on you. With some therapy and rest you’ll be right as rain again.”

  “Speaking of rest you should go and let me sleep. I know you’re worried but the doctors want to keep me overnight and discharge me in the morning, I couldn’t be in a safer place; I’ll be fine. Go back to the hotel, sleep and have room service in my room on the FBI and you can pick me up in the morning.”

  “Okay but only because you look exhausted and will likely sleep better if I’m not here. I love you, you know.”

  “I know and I love you too. Now leave and take my cell phone and ring with you, I don’t trust leaving them in the locker here.”

  “Sweet Dreams Randi, I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

  Miranda allowed her mind and body to slip into sleep and as she did two familiar Gaelic words filled her heart; Mo Chridhe.

  Chapter Forty-Two

  “The getting there is more important than being there.”

  When Kelsey and Nikki arrived back at the hotel, Rachel and Doc met them in the smaller conference room next to the larger Pisces Room where the taskforce met for briefings. Nikki had been brainstorming in the car about questions they needed to ask Race when they got back and rapidly inputting data on her tablet and accessing the FBI mainframe. Kelsey could only remember Miranda’s words; I saw the killer.

  Doc spoke first as the two of them entered the room.

  “Mack I’m sorry I should have told you about Miranda’s dream the other day and I should have seen that she needed more than our sessions. I should have seen the stress it caused her today; I could have prevented all of this and would…”

  “Doc, please we can’t do this right now. I’m sorry I yelled at you. Going over all of the things we should’ve, could’ve and would’ve isn’t helping, we have all made mistakes on this case and now we just need to regroup and soldier on.” Kelsey needed everyone in the right frame of mind now that they were this close.

  Her own mind was assembling part of clues and evidence and what they had learned to day. She now understood why Miranda had acted as she had, been so upset. They knew where she was the night she saw Kate murdered, knew what she had done and gone. They knew Race had contact with their killer and that blonde, blue-eyed woman had motive and opportunity, they just needed to find out who she was, what, why and how she had done it.