A Courtesy Call (Green Division Series Book #2) (5 page)

The fact this “Jen” ran from the scene said all he needed to know.  Innocent people don’t flee the scene of a potential crime.  Jen was their girl.  Jen was the one who’d done this to Sergeant Kerr.  And Jen could rest assured once the pieces were put together her tattooed ass would be brought to justice.

*****

Mitch barely slept a wink.  With all the contraptions making noise and the hellatiously uncomfortable metal chair, it was an impossible feat.  He’d nod for a moment only to be roused by one of the many sounds of the hospital.

Mitch spoke with Chance earlier in the morning.  Cass finally succumbed to sleep, purely from exhaustion.  Chance was in no better shape except she hadn’t slept at all.  She wanted to be with Mike, but wasn’t going to bring little Tuck to camp out with her. 

Footsteps approached.

“I have coffee and donuts.  We’re perpetuating the stereotype this morning.’”  Terry passed them to Mitch.

“Thanks, I’ll take it.”  Mitch immediately sipped on the sludge.   

“
Doctor said his O2 levels have gone up.”

“That’s a good sign.”  It meant Mitch’s condition was improving.

“He said something else that was interesting.”

“What’s that?”

“Mike has injuries on his chest that aren’t consistent with the accident.”

“I’m not following.”  Mitch sat up straight in his chair, his attention peaked. 

“He can’t explain it either.  It doesn’t fit.”

*****

“What’s this about you wanting to have your number changed?”  Aiden started the Audi.

“Telemarketers.  My phone has been ringing non-stop lately.”

“I noticed that yesterday.  Someone was very keen on trying to get in contact with you.  The number I saw on the caller ID wasn’t a one eight hundred number though.”  Aiden didn’t believe her motives.  “It doesn’t have anything to do with what
didn’t
occur yesterday?”

“Someone obviously gave my number out.”

“Mhmm.” 

Raleigh didn’t address his accusations.   

“I’m going to take a nap.  The lovebirds in the suite next door kept me awake all night long.”

“All night?”  Aiden repeated.

“All night.”

“Lucky bastards.”

“Tell me about it.”  Raleigh slid her sunglasses over her eyes and rested her head on a travel pillow.  “Wake me when we get to N.C.”

Aiden drove 20 mph over the speed limit and shaved off a considerable amount of their travel time.  It was 5pm when they rolled into her yard.

Aiden threw the Audi in park and jumped out, immediately tending to their luggage.  Her vehicle was unpacked in less than five minutes and simultaneously his was loaded.

“It certainly is good to be back in civilization.  Please don’t take me to that hellish place again.”  Aiden pleaded.

“I won’t.  I promise.”  Raleigh did not have any plans of returning to Maine anytime in the near future.

“I going to pop on over to my flat and unpack.  Is there anything else you need?”

“My fridge is empty—”  She wasn’t going to further put Aiden out.  He’d been through enough in the past 48 hours.  “I’ll order some takeout, you go home.”

“I don’t mind dropping by the market.”

“No, no.  Go home.  Take a couple days off.  You’ve put your time in.”

“I’ll talk to you in the morning.”

She closed the door and kicked off her sandals.  The tile floors were cold on her bare feet, but preferable to the shag carpeting that adorned it when she’d bought the house as a fixer-upper. 

The fridge contained a few groceries, none of which looked appetizing.  Salad mix, raw fruits and vegetables, some tofu, and some lentils.  Yum.  The only thing that made her tongue salivate was a bottle of Jose Cuervo.  Bad things happened when she and Jose hung out together.  She closed the door and retrieved a take-out menu from a drawer.

Mesa Valley Tex-Mex.  Perfect.  Damn, wouldn’t that go good with some Jose? 
NO RALEIGH. 
She pushed the Tex-Mex menu back in the drawer and pulled out a pizza shop menu. 

Thirty minutes later her extra cheese, broccoli, chicken, bacon, and ranch pizza arrived, along with mozzarella sticks, onion rings, and buffalo fingers. 

If only Jeeves could see me now.

For a fit and svelte woman, the food went down quickly and disappeared with the exception of a few pieces of pizza and a buffalo wing.  She could easily win an eating contest if she tried.   Or, at the very least, become a “fat American” by Aiden’s standards.

She picked up her iPad and began reading a book by Ben Collins.  The book was about a character on the television show
Top Gear
.  But the book didn’t hold her attention.  She was too anxious about the events from the day prior.  It was 7pm and too early to go to sleep.  What to do?

A swim in her pool.  That would relax her tension.  She took the stairs two at a time and went to her bedroom.  Her closet was organized thanks to her wonderful housekeeper Marta.  She had a selection of three bathing suits.  One to tan, one to swim, and one to flaunt herself, on the rare occasion she decided to be ultra-feminine.  She picked the flaunting bathing suit then walked toward the doorway, but something caught her attention.  A photo. The picture was a snapshot of a happier time in her life.  Lucas Davenport had her wrapped in a tight embrace and leaned against the hood of their Subaru Impreza rally car stealing a kiss.  It was their first championship together and Raleigh remembered it like it was only yesterday.  The picture jogged so many memories.  The only bad memory she had of Luke was their last day together.  She picked up the photo frame and stared down at it. 

“I miss you.”  Tears formed in her eyes and she couldn’t keep them at bay.  “I wish you were here with me.  I wish that every day.  And I’m really wishing that right now.”  Her words were broken with quiet sobs. 

“I don’t understand why you were taken from me.  It’s not fair.  It was my fault.”  She pulled the photo into her chest and leaned back, sliding down the wall.  She clutched the photo and stared upon it.  “I miss you.”

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.”