Carol's Image (31 page)

“That’s good though,” Jon added. “Laurie’s had enough excitement for the year.” Earlier the elementary school’s kitchen had caught on fire and Laurie had to assist in the rescue of her students.

“Oh my god, yes! I’m so glad this little tyke wasn’t in her class. Wasn’t a bad cut, but boy, did it bleed! And what a talker. He couldn’t hold still long enough for me to numb him, and he talked the whole time. How she deals with twenty-six of those little guys everyday – I don’t know how she does it!”

Jon laughed as they headed toward the nursing lounge saying, “Yeah, but I bet she says the same thing about our jobs.”

Walking into the break room, they saw Sofia sitting with her feet on a chair and drinking flavored water instead of coffee.

“Damn, girl,” Jon accused. “You look like you just got off a shift, but you haven’t even started. Carol and I are the tired ones around here.”

“Yeah, well, you slugs don’t have two kids at home and another one on the way.”

The words hung in the air for a moment before Carol shrieked and launched herself toward Sofia, grabbing her in a huge hug. “Oh my god, you’re pregnant!”

Grinning, Jon walked over putting his arms around both women, joining in the hug.

They all talked for just a few minutes before Sofia had to go on duty. “We’ll get together soon,” she promised. “I can do virgin-drinks at Smokey’s. I’ll even let you bring Mr. Sexy Ass Dick so I can have some eye candy to drool over!”

Carol blushed once again, knowing she would have another name to warn Tom about as she wrapped Sofia in another embrace, using one hand to pat Sofia’s tummy.

Jon walked Carol to her car, making sure it was all clear. Hugging her goodbye, he trotted off to his truck.

Carol was on cloud nine.
Another baby for Sofia. Perfect.
She couldn’t help the direction that took her mind, to Tom. The man who stole her heart but gave her back her life. She couldn’t help but grin to herself as she settled into her car, remembering how he wouldn’t let her be clueless. Glancing in the rear view mirror she thought,
He helped me see me. I like who looks back at me. I like the image I see.

A tapping on her car window snapped Carol out of her musings. Jumping, she turned her head around sharply to see Bert standing next to her car. He appeared nervous and stepped back to give her some space.

“Bert, what do you want?” she asked sharply, hating the tone of her voice.
Ugh, Tom has me suspicious of everyone around.

“Miss Carol, I’m so sorry to disturb you. I know your boyfriend don’t want me around, but I don’t know who else to ask for,” Bert said, anxiously glancing around.

Lordy, he’s looking around to see if Tom is going to jump out and arrest him.
Carol rolled down her window, feeling safe in the daylight. “Bert, what do you need?”

“It’s momma. She’s doing poorly today and refuses to go to the doctor. She doesn’t have good insurance, doesn’t have a family doctor, and refuses to go into the hospital. You’re the only nurse I know, and I just hoped you would come, real quick like, and check her out. I promise if you think she needs help, I’ll force her to go in myself.”

“Is she at home?” Carol asked, not wanting to drive to Bert’s house alone.

“Oh, no. I got her over there in my car. She just don’t want to go in, but I saw you and thought that you could help. Can you come over, please?” he begged, twisting his hands together.

Sighing, Carol rolled up her window and got out of the car. “Okay, Bert. I’ll take a look at her, but if she is really that sick, I will definitely be insisting that she go into the hospital. And they take patients without insurance, so she doesn’t have to worry about that.”

“Oh, Miss Carol. Thank you so much,” Bert said, moving away to show her to his car. They walked from the employee parking lot to the next lot over, for visitors. Bert led her to an old green car that had seen better days. Opening the back door, he leaned in saying, “Momma. I’ve got a real nice nurse here to take a look at you. She’s a friend, and her name is Carol. So momma, you let her check you out, okay?”

Bert’s mother was wrapped in a blanket in the back seat, and as he moved out of the door frame, Carol leaned in. “Mrs. Penski, my name is Carol and I am a nurse here. I just want to see how you are feeling.” Carol moved forward and placed her hands on the blanket to pull it back when she quickly realized that there was nothing but a pillow under the blanket.

“Bert, what are-.” Carol felt a sting in her hip as she was turning to see what game Bert was playing. Then…blackness.

*

Jake answered his cell when the PI called back. “Yeah?”

“Man, you are not gonna like this. Bastard gave me the slip.”

“How the fuck did he do that?” Jake growled.

“Sat here watchin’ their car when momma came out by herself with some groceries and she drove off. Cal must have planned this, slipped out the back and had a ride waitin’.”

“Follow her. Keep an eye on the house. Call if you see him.”

Jake was explaining to Tom what the situation was with Cal when Tom’s phone rang.

Tom looked down as he answered, seeing Laurie’s number on the screen. “Hey Laurie, what’s up?”

“Tom, I am so sorry to call you at work, but I just wanted to know if you have heard from Carol? She got off work an hour ago, and we were supposed to meet up at Bernie’s, but she never showed. She’s also not answering her phone. I just…well, it’s silly, but I was just worried.”

Tom, feeling the cold prickle of fear slide down his back, tried to keep his voice calm. “I haven’t heard from her. I’ll check it out. Let me know if you get ahold of her. Thanks, Laurie.” Hanging up, he relayed the information to Jake, and they rose at the same time, grabbing their jackets on their way out of the door.

Arriving at the hospital parking lot, Tom immediately saw Carol’s car. Looking in, he saw her purse lying in the passenger seat. The cold prickle now became a cold rush as the fear washed over him.

“Security cameras,” Jake growled, while Tom called Jon.

They hurried into the hospital, finding Marcus. He admitted that he saw Carol make it to her car, but he did not see her drive away. Jake filled in Marcus on their concerns and he called the head of security. Marcus let them in the security office, where the security administrator was already pulling up the security tapes.

Tom watched, dread filling his heart as he saw Bert approach Carol’s car.
No, angel. No. Don’t get out of your car.
The voices in his head warred with what his eyes were watching. He saw Carol walk away with Bert in the direction of another parking lot. Growling, “Next camera,” he ordered the security admin, as the man was already pulling the next camera up on their screen.

They watched in silence as Carol and Bert approached his car and opened the door to the back. Tom saw Carol lean in, then what he saw next stopped his heart. “Noooo, goddamn it!” he roared as they saw Bert’s hand move forward, jabbing toward Carol’s hip. She immediately slumped forward into the car, and Bert pushed her the rest of the way in before getting in the driver’s seat and taking off.

Jake was already on the phone to the station, filling in the chief who was immediately putting out an APB on Bert’s car. Flipping his phone shut, he looked over at Tom. Tom wasn’t moving. Not a muscle. He was simply staring at the screen of the monitor, which showed the empty space where Bert’s car had been. Jake knew Tom was staring at the place where Carol was last seen. He put his hand on Tom’s shoulder, forcing him to turn away from the monitor and focus on Jake’s face. “Get it together, man. We’ll get her.”

As though hit with a cold bucket of water, Tom’s eyes cleared, and he suddenly snapped out of his stupor.

Neither man believed in coincidence, and the thought hit them both at the same time.
Where the fuck are Bert and Cal?

*

When Tom and Jake arrived at Mrs. Penski’s house, Jake kept warning Tom to stay cool and keep his mouth shut. “Do not fuck up this case. You can’t officially investigate now because of Carol. Let me do my job. You got me, man?” Jake asked. Glad to see the other patrolmen there, Jake needed Tom to keep his focus.

Tom glared at Jake, not answering him as they knocked on the door announcing their presence. Mrs. Penski answered the door, looking surprisingly forlorn instead of her former defiance.

“Know why you’re here. Don’t know what I can tell you though. Cal made me take him to the store and then leave without him. Don’t know where he is. Don’t care where he is. That’s boy’s been trouble since he was little.”

“We need to know the whereabouts of Bert.” Jake stated.

“My Bert?” she asked, eyes narrowing. “He ain’t got nothin’ to do with Cal leavin’.” Her eyes jerked nervously toward Tom as she heard him growling.

“Mrs. Penski, we have video evidence of Bert kidnapping a woman from the hospital parking lot. We need to know where he is, and we need to know now. You helpin’ us will help him,” Jake calmly explained.

“Hospital? That pretty nurse Bert and Cal were interested in?” she asked, her eyes moving between Jake and Tom. She licked her lips nervously and began twisting her hands together. Shaking her head, she moaned to herself, “Oh, I told Bert to stop it. Ain’t no way no pretty nurse was ever gonna wanna be with him. ’Bout had him convinced to finally leave her alone, when Cal came here the other day and stirred Bert all up again.”

Tom could hear the roar of his heart screaming in his ears. His training knew that witnesses sometimes have to be handled slowly. With care. Cautiously. Letting them tell their story in their own time.
But this is not fuckin’ one of those times,
he wanted to scream at Jake.

Jake, sensing that Tom was ready to explode, moved slightly in front of him, effectively blocking Mrs. Penski’s view of Tom. Probing gently, he continued, “We know Bert was interested in Ms. Fletcher, but what was Cal’s interest?”

Wrapping her arms around her waist as though to protect herself from what was to come, she began to rock back and forth. “Cal found some pictures of her that Bert had taken. Not bad pictures, mind you. Just some pictures that he took following her around town. It was all innocent like – he never mean no harm. He just kept saying she was so purdy and so nice. Sometimes people aren’t so nice to Bert, him bein’ kindda slow and all.”

She hesitated, gathering her thoughts so Jake prodded her again. Looking up, she snarled, “It woulda been fine if Cal hadn’t gotten involved. He recognized the pictures of the nurse from when he was in the hospital. I think he kinda fell for her too, but he didn’t let on to Bert. He convinced Bert that if he had that nurse all by hisself, then she would have to fall in love with him, but I think Cal just wanted Bert to get that girl so Cal could have her.”

Tom’s pounding heart threatened to stop at that moment. It was one thing to think that Bert had gotten Carol. While Bert wasn’t harmless, he didn’t think that Bert would actually hurt Carol. But Cal?
Oh god. If she gets in the hands of a notorious drug dealer and prostitution ring leader.
Tom could feel his breath leave his body all in one great whoosh, and his legs threatened to give out.

Encouraging her to keep talking, Jake said, “Mrs. Penski, you’re doin’ great. You’re helping Ms. Fletcher, and you’re helpin’ Bert.” Knowing that Bert was the key to getting Mrs. Penski to talk, he prodded, “Where did they talk about going? Where do you think Bert was heading?”

“You’ll take care of my Bert? You’ll make sure he’s okay? Don’t care no more about Cal, but Bert’s different.”

“I’ll do all I can for him,” Jake promised. “Where are they going?”

“Not sure. I figure Cal is heading back to Richland. He told Bert that he’d meet up with him somewhere there, and he’d help him win the nurse over. Don’t know where Cal’s place is though.”

Thanking her for her help, he turned her over to the other officers and grabbed Tom’s arm steering him back to the truck. Tom was already on the phone to Shane while Jake was on his phone to the chief.

The chief had already been in contact with the Chief of Police for Richland, and they were on the lookout for Cal to return. Now that there was a possible kidnapping involving Cal, the police could pick him up as soon as they found him.