Submerged

by Cheryl Kaye Tardif

  "I know."

  "I'll never forget you."

  "I know that too."

  He stared into the mirror, willing her to stay.

  "Remember what you always used to tell me after you came home from a really brutal day?" she asked.

  He shook his head.

  Jane smiled again. "You said, 'life is for the living.' And it is. You have a lot to live for. You're a good man with a good heart. People need you. Especially now."

  "No one needs me."

  "She does. And her kids."

  "Rebecca needs me—another addict in her life? No, I doubt that very much."

  Jane nodded. "She still needs rescuing."

  "What do you mean? She's safe now."

  "Someone tried to kill Rebecca and her kids. Someone ran her of the road intentionally." She paused and stared deep into his eyes. "You know what that means."

  Did he?

  "Shit!" he said. "They're going to try again."

  Marcus shoved the car into reverse and spun it around, heading for the road. Thunder cracked nearby, and he felt the earth quiver beneath the car.

  Time to get the hell out of here.

  A quick look in the mirror convinced him that his passenger was gone. He'd deal with his apparent mental break later. Right now he had to get to the hospital.

  As he sped down the rough road, he searched the seat next to him for his phone. Where the hell was it? Last time he had it was when…

  I gave it to Colton.

  He slapped the steering wheel. "Shit! Shit! Shit!"

  Once reporters picked up the story, whoever wanted her dead would know he'd failed. And Marcus bet ten-to-one the guy would be back to finish the job. Rebecca would need a guard on her door. The kids too. If he hadn't lost his cell phone, he could've called Zur and warned him. But Zur knew the driver had come back. He'd know Rebecca was still in danger.

  Wouldn't he?

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Near Hinton, AB – Saturday, June 15, 2013 – 12:48 AM

  In the ambulance, Rebecca turned her head and watched her children sleep.

  "They'll be fine, Mrs. Kingston," the female paramedic said.

  "What's your name?"

  "Gabrielle. Gabbie." The woman jerked her head toward the other paramedic. "That's Ashton."

  Rebecca smiled. "You have kids, Gabbie?"

  The woman nodded. "One."

  "I almost lost mine tonight."

  "But you didn't."

  "No." Thanks to Marcus.

  "We'll be at the hospital in about an hour," Ashton said. "Try to get some rest."

  "Easier said than done," she muttered.

  Truth was, she was afraid to fall asleep. Afraid this was all a dream and she'd wake up and find herself still trapped underwater in the car. The thought made her muscles compress, and she struggled to take a breath.

  Breathe…

  Rebecca had no idea how long they'd been driving, but at least now she could feel her feet again. She was also so warm that she had started to sweat, but the paramedics didn't want her to remove the blanket.

  She reached out and touched Colton's hand. It was warm now. He looked so small and vulnerable with the oxygen mask over his face. Ella too.

  "We're almost there," Ashton said. "Let us know if you feel any discomfort."

  She nodded. "I'm fine."

  "Are you okay to talk?" Gabbie asked, picking up a clipboard and pen.

  "Yes."

  "Detective Zur asked us to take down a quick report while we're en route to the hospital, providing you're up to it. Is that okay?"

  "Yes."

  "Do you remember anything that you haven't told the police?"

  Rebecca shook her head. "No."

  "And you don't know anyone who owns a truck like the one that hit you."

  "No."

  "Anyone have a grudge against you? Former friend, coworker…lover, maybe."

  Rebecca blushed. "Not that I know of. And to clarify, I don't have a former lover. I've been with Wesley for years. And only him."

  Gabbie's brow arched. "You told Detective Zur you were sure your husband had nothing to do with the attempt on your lives, yet medical records show you've had a number of injuries that are conclusive with abuse."

  "The detective knows about this. I told him. It's one of the reasons I'm getting a divorce. The main reason. Yes, he has hurt me in the past, but Wesley is not the kind of person to outright murder someone."

  Gabbie and Ashton exchanged skeptical glances.

  "I'm telling you," Rebecca said, "he would never try to kill me and his children. He loves Ella and Colton."

  "He know you were going away with them?" Ashton asked.

  She blinked, trying to remember her conversation with Wesley. Dread washed over her. "Well, no, not exactly. He knew I was going away. The kids were supposed to be with…" Her voice trailed away. No! It couldn't be Wesley!

  Was she in denial? Could Wesley have orchestrated the murder attempt? Was he really that eager to be rid of her?

  Gabbie checked her pulse. "Supposed to be where, Mrs. Kingston?"

  "With my sister."

  Wesley had known she'd planned to go away and the kids were supposed to stay with Kelly.

  "You and your ex fight recently?" Gabbie asked.

  "Not really."

  Rebecca thought about the missing money. Wesley was a gambler, an out-of-control, desperate addict.

  And desperate people do desperate things.

  "What is it, Mrs. Kingston?" Gabbie asked.

  "I…he…he needed money. He always…needs money. He…gambles."

  The ambulance hit a pothole, and she was overcome by a fit of coughing. When it subsided, she said, "It's getting harder…for me…to breathe."

  "We need to give you more oxygen," Ashton said.

  As he set a mask over Rebecca's nose and mouth, another episode of lightheadedness surged over her. "Don't…let me…drown."

  The paramedic's face swam into view. "Her lung's collapsed."

  "Hold on, Mrs. Kingston," Gabbie said, her face fading in and out.

  More words drifted by. "Pneumothorax…chest tube…"

  In a blink, the lights went out.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Hinton, AB – Saturday, June 15, 2013 – 2:10 AM

  Marcus parked close to the emergency entrance of the hospital. He noted the two patrol cars nearby. Both were empty.

  That's a good sign. They must be inside.

  He strode through the doors and made his way to the intake desk.

  "Fill out this form and take a seat in the waiting room," the receptionist said without looking up.

  "I'm not a patient," he said. "An ambulance brought in a mother and her two kids. I need to know where they were taken."

  The woman scrunched her face and peered over wire-rimmed glasses. "And you are?"

  "Marcus Taylor. The guy that pulled them out of the river."

  "One moment, please." The woman picked up the phone, dialed, said something into the receiver, then hung up. "The boy and girl are on the third floor, room 312."

  "And their mother?"

  "She's in surgery. Collapsed lung."

  "Damn it."

  "Mr. Taylor, the police are with the children. They want to talk to you."

  "Detective John Zur?"

  The receptionist nodded. "And another officer."

  Marcus sprinted to the main elevators. He stabbed the button, watched the numbers slowly tick down from 4 to 3. It stopped at 2. With a frustrated groan, he spun on one heel and headed for the stairs. He took them two at a time.

  On the third floor, he followed the signs to room 312.

  A police officer stood guard outside the room. Another good sign.

  Marcus flashed his ID at the man. "Marcus Taylor. I work at the 911 center in Edson. I found the mother and kids."

  The officer nodded and opened the door. "They're waiting for you."

  The first thing Marcus saw was two kid
s propped up against starched white pillows in the beds. Both were grinning, their faces flushed and healthy.

  When Colton saw him, the boy's face lit up like it was Christmas. "It's Marcus!" he said to his sister.

  Marcus moved toward the beds. "Hey, you two. Enjoying the hospital food, I see."

  "The nurse gave us green Jell-O," little Ella said.

  Even though he'd only seen her briefly in the ambulance and had spent a small amount of time with Rebecca, he could tell Ella was the spitting image of her mother—all blonde hair, blue eyes and pretty face.

  John Zur was seated in a chair next to Colton's bed. "They're both doing fine, Marcus. They've polished off a plate of chicken and fries." He let out a short grunt. "And they've been talking my ears off about some superhero dude who saved them. Don't suppose you know anything about that, do you?"

  Marcus grimaced. "I didn't see anyone in tights and a cape."

  "We meant you," Colton said, laughing.

  "Yeah, thanks, buddy." Marcus ruffled the boy's hair. It was dry this time. "Listen, I have to talk to Detective Zur. We'll be right outside in the hall."

  After he closed the door, Marcus nodded at the guard, then turned to Zur. "We have a problem, John."

  "You mean the driver?"

  "Exactly. It's unlikely this was a random hit and run. On the way here I realized that whoever wants Rebecca dead isn't going to be happy when he discovers he failed."

  "And he'll most likely try again," Zur said with a nod. "I thought the same thing. We'll keep a guard on her room once she's out of surgery."

  "Hear anything about that?"

  "They said it'll be a few hours. Meanwhile, I've been questioning the kids. The daughter doesn't remember much."

  "She had an asthma attack and was unconscious for the whole ordeal." Marcus shook his head. "Probably a good thing. Did Colton recall anything?"

  "Nothing other than those flying pigs." Zur let out a chuckle. "Angelo's Pork Farm?"

  "Angelo Pucelli. Guess he thought he was an angel—hence, the logo. Moved to Calgary about seven years ago, after his wife was diagnosed with leukemia."

  "The place has been closed since then?"

  "Yeah." He stared Zur in the eye. "Jane and I used to go there."

  "Weird coincidence."

  Marcus thought of Jane's ghost in the back seat of his car. "You don't know the half of it."

  "Why, what's going on?"

  "I'll tell you later maybe. It doesn't really relate to this case." He leaned against the wall and peered down the hallway, looking for anyone who seemed suspicious. "You think he'll be stupid enough to come here?"

  "Maybe. Rebecca's going to be here for a few days, recovering."

  "What about the kids? And their father?"

  "We contacted the RCMP in Fort McMurray, where her husband allegedly went to find a job. They're looking for him."

  "You think it's the ex?"

  "Usually is. But he's a sick bastard if he's willing to kill his kids too."

  "Rebecca said that was a last-minute decision. Her sister was supposed to look after them so she could go away on her own. That's what she told the ex."

  "So he thought she was alone?"

  "Yeah, but the sister bailed, and Rebecca took Colton and Ella with her. Very last-minute. Wesley Kingston didn't know."

  "He's looking more and more like our number-one suspect."

  "You going to arrest him?"

  "There's not enough evidence against him. We will bring him in for questioning though." Zur's cell phone buzzed. "Yeah…okay…tonight? No problem…thanks."

  After Zur hung up, Marcus said, "They find Wesley Kingston?"

  "Yeah. Exactly where he said he'd be. He was in interviews earlier, then went to a bar. Left his phone at the hotel. He's driving back. He'll be here in about eight hours."

  "I'd like to be there when you interview him."

  "Marcus…"

  "Please, John. I want to hear what he has to say. You do all the asking. I'll keep my mouth shut."

  Zur grunted. "Is that even possible?"

  "Ha ha."

  An attractive doctor in her forties approached. "Are you Mr. Kingston?

  Marcus shook his head. "He's about eight hours away."

  The doctor paused with one hand on the door. "Are you a detective?"

  "Superhero."

  "He's the guy that rescued them," Zur said. "The kids are calling him a superhero, and now he thinks he can fly."

  The doctor smiled. "They've got drugs for that."

  Marcus gave Zur an exaggerated grimace, but said nothing. The woman didn't know he was a recovering addict.

  "Any word on the mom?" Zur asked the doctor.

  "Last thing I heard, all was going well. The surgery could take two to six hours." She cracked open the door, then looked over her shoulder. "We're moving the patient in the room next door. We'll put the mom there so she can be close to her kids."

  Zur gave a nod. "We'll have guards on both doors."

  "Thank you," Marcus added.

  She went into the room and the door swung shut. Marcus stared at it and chewed his bottom lip.

  "Dr. Burns has already been checked out," Zur said. "As have the day nurse, the night nurse and Dr. Monroe, the surgeon operating on Mrs. Kingston."

  "I figured as much."

  "Then why do you look so worried?"

  "Some guy's got it in for Rebecca and her kids. And she's in surgery fighting for her life yet again. Why shouldn't I be worried?"

  "She'll be fine, Marcus."

  "I sure hope so."

  "Make sure this guy gets in to see Rebecca Kingston once she's out of surgery," Zur said to the guard. "Access to both rooms, anytime." He smiled at Marcus. "Now go visit the kids."

  "Thanks, John."

  "You might regret those words." Zur cocked his head toward the door. "Those two are hyped up on chocolate pudding and Jell-O. Have fun. I have to check in at the station and file my initial report. I'll be back later to check on everyone."

  "See you."

  "Oh, I almost forgot." Zur hunted around in his jacket pocket. "The boy gave me your cell phone. Said you lent it to him."

  "Yeah." Marcus tucked the cell phone into his back pocket. "Thanks."

  "That's a really nice picture of Jane and Ryan."

  It took a second for Marcus to realize what he meant. "The screen saver."

  Zur nodded, then gave a quick wave and vanished down the hallway.

  Marcus waited for the doctor to leave before he entered the room. Inside, he was greeted by wide smiles and giggles.

  "What are you two up to?" he asked, suspicious.

  "Dr. Burns said we get to have more pudding after supper," Ella said.

  Marcus laughed. "She did, did she? Lucky you."

  "When's Mom going to be here?" Colton asked.

  "What did Dr. Burns say?"

  "She said Mom had to have an operation." The boy stared up at Marcus, while nervously plucking the blanket. "Is she going to be all right?"

  "Definitely. She's a tough one, your mom."

  "Will you wait here until she comes?"

  Marcus nodded. "Got nowhere better to be. Besides, I wanted to ask you some questions."

  "Aw," Colton groaned. "I already told that police guy everything I remember."

  "Sometimes memories are sneaky things." Marcus made a face and curled his hands into claws. "They hide out of sight. Until something makes them come out." He moved closer to the beds, and the kids shrieked with laughter.

  He grinned, hoping no one would come and tell them to quiet down. There was nothing better than the sound of laughing children. God, how he missed that sound.

  He perched on the side of Colton's bed. "So tell me, were you excited to go on this trip with your mom?"

  Colton shook his head. "Not at first. We were supposed to stay at Auntie Kelly's, but my cousins got sick." He grinned. "I was happy about that. Not that they were sick, but that we didn't have to go there." />
  "You don't like staying at your Auntie Kelly's?"

  "Colton doesn't like playing with babies," Ella interrupted. "But I do."

  "Babies can be fun," Marcus said, ignoring the sneer that crossed Colton's face. "But maybe not for Colton. You like doing other things. Guy things, right?"

  "Yup," Colton said with a nod. "I wanted to go to see the bat cave at Cadomin."

  "So when your mom said you got to go, you were happy."

  Another nod.

  "Did you tell your dad where you were going?"

  "I tried calling him when we were in the car." His mouth quivered. "Underwater. But he didn't answer."

  "So you never let him know you were going to Cadomin."

  "No."

  "When you were driving, did you see anything strange?"

  "Those flying pigs."

  Marcs laughed. "You've got good eyesight, kid. That's how I knew where you were." He patted the boy's arm. "When you were driving, did you stop anywhere?"

  "At a gas station."

  "And you all went to the bathroom there?"

  "Yeah."

  "Was the door unlocked?"

  "We went inside for the key," Ella cut in.

  "Did either of you see or talk to anyone inside?"

  "No," they said.

  "Did you see anyone outside?

  Ella shook her head. So did Colton, but then he crooked his head to one side as if he were thinking.

  "What?" Marcus prodded.

  "When my mom was getting the key for the bathroom, I saw a man outside."

  "What was he doing?"

  "Watching me. Like he thought I was gonna steal something."

  "Did you tell your mom about the man?"

  Colton shook his head. "I didn't want her to think I was gonna steal something."

  "Did you tell Detective Zur about the man?"

  "No. I forgot until now."

  "What did the man look like?"

  Colton shrugged. "I guess he looked like a normal guy."

  "What color hair did he have?"

  "Don't know."

  The boy's fingers gripped the sheets so tensely that Marcus knew he'd get nothing out of him if he remained this tense. He needed to lighten the mood.

  "Okay…did the man have clothes on, or was he naked?"

  The boy's eyes widened and he let out a snort. "Clothes on, silly."