Forgetting Jane (19 page)

“I’ll kill her myself if I ever see her around you,” she yelled at him.             

That was it. He grabbed her wrist and twisted her around, so her front was plastered to the vehicle. He rattled off the Miranda while she tried kicking him, but failed. He tightened his grip around her arms.

“Caroline, I warned you. Now you’re going to jail.”

“You have no right. Get these fucking handcuffs off me!” she screeched. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“This is twice now you have threatened a person’s life.”             

“Please, Eli. I promise to not say a word.”

“Of course not. Because anything you say can be used against you. You have the right to an attorney. Enough said?”

“Fuck you, Chief.”

“Well, that’s a start.” Eli opened the back door and pushed her in. She tried to kick him again but stopped her bluster when he slammed the door on her.             

Eli purposely drove around the entrance of the hospital where a few nurses stood watching the scene play out. Caroline kicked the front seat until she saw the women she worked with. She then ducked down, but kept on yelling expletives at Eli.

Her ranting didn’t stop. Her screaming became louder as he dragged her out of the truck and into the station.

W
ith all the shrieking Caroline did, Ryan, who was nodding off at his desk, jolted awake. He almost fell off his chair.

“Ryan. Where’s James?” Eli asked as he held Caroline by her arm.

“Cell one.”

“Good. Now book Caroline Weaver with the intent of bodily harm and stalking.” He winked at Ryan, who cracked a smile and nodded once.

Ryan cleared his throat and asked, “Should I set up the same transport to Madison?”

“Yes.” He loosed his grip on Caroline’s arm and pass her to the officer. “Behave yourself, Caroline.”

Her face contorted into a snarl. “Fuck you, Chief.”

“Take Miss Weaver to cell two.”

Ryan had to pull her all the way to the back. Her yells turned into sobs as he closed the doors. It took only a few minutes before he emerged from the holding cells.

“What a stray cat. She tried to scratch me.” Ryan wiped his forehead with the palm of his hand. “How’s your shoulder?”

“It’s good. Why don’t you head home?”

“Got it. Beth will be here in a couple of minutes,” Ryan said as he grabbed his hat and coat.

Within minutes of Ryan’s departure, there was yelling and wailing from the back. Eli opened the door a crack and heard his father telling Caroline to shut up.

Eli laughed. How funny to know that James was getting his reward
with Caroline in the cell next to his. He closed the door and sauntered into his office.

As he switched on the light, the files which had been in the upper cabinets and the paperwork on his desk lay mangled on the floor. Pieces of paper were ripped up and scattered like confetti all over the room. “What the hell?”

Even Henley’s hunting magazines were torn in half. He radioed Ryan immediately. “Who was in the station when you got here?”

“No one. Why?”

“Just curious, thanks.” Then he remembered about Tom. “Did Tom come in?”

“He was here for a few minutes, then took off.”

“Ten-four.” He dropped the radio on his desk and looked around. Whoever trashed the office had to be looking for something specifically. They only went for one row of files that Henley had worked on and all the magazines he had owned. The second pile of paperwork was untouched.

What was in this office they were looking for? What was valuable enough to risk getting caught? The only thing Eli could think of was the map and photos of the unsolved cases found, and he had those with him.

If Eli was right about the connection with Jane’s case and all the unsolved murders, then that damn map had to be some key that unlocked the answers. As he did a slow pace around the room, he came to the conclusion that the next logical place to look for clues was at Henley’s house. But he had to do it discreetly. When? Eli wasn’t sure, but right at that moment, he needed coffee to clear his head.

Eli headed to the storage room when he noticed the metal door that led to a narrow alleyway out back was slightly ajar. He immediately took out his gun and carefully checked the doorway. It was empty and so was the alleyway.

He slid his gun back into his holster and took a better look at the jam and lock. The door appeared to have been pried open with a crowbar. Bits of splintered wood from the frame lay on the ground and the metal framing was scratched up and bent inward.

He turned his attention to the worn handle, which was also gouged. The intruder got in and ransacked his office. Eli rushed over and checked the gun case.

Eli let out a sigh of relief when all guns and ammunition were accounted for. There was nothing valuable in the station except for those guns stored in the back. Whoever broke in had only his office in mind.

It made no sense. But lately, nothing seemed to. More things had occurred in Beaver Ridge in the past few months than ever before.

Beth walked in and disrupted his thoughts. “What the heck happened here?” she asked, shaking her head.

“Someone broke in through the back door and ransacked my office. Beth, get the fingerprint kit and check if you can get something off the door and frame. I’m going to have a talk with our guests.”

Beth let out a snort. “Yeah, I heard you dragged Caroline Walters in here. I would have loved to see that. She is such a b—”

Eli interrupted and frowned. “Beth. The kit?”

“Yes, Chief.”

He had to smile as Beth turned her back to him. She was right. Caroline was a bitch.

Eli headed back to cells, and heard someone vomiting. It had to come from James. He was glad that the cemented back room kept the noise contained.

The air was cool and dark in the three-celled room. The long fluorescent lights overhead flickered every few minutes, which gave the light green walls the hue of pea soup. There was a creep factor about the space.

Eli walked the length of the aisle while he kept his eyes on his father and Caroline. She was sound asleep, but his father was leaning over the toilet, throwing up. The green walls had an adverse effect on drunks. It was a sobering experience for most.

“Good, you’re up.” Eli stood in front of the cell door. No empathy was shown for the man.

“What the fuck do you want?” James said between gags.

“I want to know if you saw or heard something odd since you’ve been here?”

“Why would I tell you anything, pig?”

“Do you really want to start that?

“Fuck you,” his father jeered.

“Off the record. Your sorry ass will see bars for a long time. But you know that isn’t good enough for a piece of shit like you. If it was up to me, I’d kill you myself but not before beating you down like you did to mom. You should feel lucky to be alive.”

James’s laughter echoed off the walls. “Do I really give a fuck what you say? Besides, I was defending myself when you pulled out your gun and tried to shoot me.” Chunks of whatever he had eaten earlier slid down his chin and dropped to the floor.

“Do you think that’ll stick, old man?”

“You think you’re untouchable because you have that badge. I’d like to see how you deal without it.” James gagged between words. He tried to stand but collapsed on the cot.

“You have no clue what I’m capable of. Give me a good enough reason to drag you out of your cage.”

James got up again. He tried to flip the small cot on its side but failed and dropped onto the thin mattress.

“They are bolted to the floor,” Eli said with a chuckle.
Idiot
.

“Boy, you don’t have the balls. You’re like your mother.”

“Ah, but I’m also like my father.” Eli smiled.

“Prove it.” James shot up from the cot and crammed his face between the bars. His mouth twisted in a snarl. “No good piece of shit. You are just like your whore of a mother.”

Eli knew all James was doing was goading him, but he couldn’t help it and took a step forward.

His father reached out through the bars but Eli shifted around and caught James by his arm and twisted it. “The only whore in this family is you.” He yanked at his father’s arm until James fell onto his knees.

With James’s face contorted in pain, Eli leaned in and whispered in his father’s ear, “If you ever get out of jail and come near me, I’ll be there to beat you back in.” He took a deep breath and released him. Eli stepped away from the cell and eyed the old man.

James quickly scooted away from the bars and kept quiet.

Sniffles caught Eli’s attention and turned toward Caroline. She was watching him. He walked over to her cell. “Are you going to be a good girl?”

Caroline sneered and then turned away. “Kiss my ass.”

“You wish.” Eli shook his head and walked off without second glance.

As he got to the doorway, James demanded to know where his girlfriend was.

“Who?” Eli turned around and asked.

“Her name is Nadia. Don’t remember her last,” he said, winded. “Where do you have her?”

“We don’t have her anywhere. Where did you leave her last?”

“I…don’t know.”

“Don’t know or can’t remember?” Eli chided. “What does she look like?”

“Long brown hair, gorgeous ass, and can suck a mean dick,” James cackled.

“Pig,” Caroline snapped.

James looked over at Caroline and smiled. “Awe, sweetheart, don’t be jealous. You can suck me off anytime.”

“You can suck your own—“

“That’s enough,” Eli rushed. “I’ll ask around.” He walked out.

He walked back into his office and began cleaning up the floor.

His radio chirped. “Come in, Chief.”

“What’s up, Tom?”

“Get to the hospital. They found a dead nurse in one of the psych rooms.”

Eli’s jaw clenched tight and hands curled into fist. “I’ll be right there.” He dropped the balled up papers and ran out of the station.

S
ilence filled the hospital as Eli made his way toward the elevator. Fear and worry was apparent on every nurse and doctors’ faces. He guessed the news had spread.

Eli stepped out of the elevator to the third floor and noticed Tom right away. The deputy met him halfway.

“The dead nurse’s name was Georgia Hammond. Her neck was broken and her body was shoved in the bathroom of room 304. There was a patient in the room, but he was heavily sedated. He didn’t see or hear anything.”

“Who found her?”

“First shift nurse.”

“How long?” Eli asked.

“The coroner said she’s been dead no more than a few hours. What the hell is going on here? Who could have done this? Eli...”

Eli never saw Tom so emotional. “What’s going on with you?” He touched the deputy’s shoulder.

“I— I had a date with her this Friday,” the deputy choked out. “I really liked her.”

Eli scratched the back of his neck. “Sorry, man.”

“I guess it wasn’t meant to be.” Tom walked away, wiping at his eyes.

Eli felt sorry for Tom.

Tom was always flirting around. Eli had never seen the deputy in a serious relationship. Maybe he was right— it wasn’t meant to be, or just poor damned luck.

Eli turned his attention to the room where the nurse was found. Aside from the patient’s bed—which the frazzled patient was removed from, and the body of the dead nurse on the floor in the bathroom, nothing seemed out of place. He stuck his head in and checked out the bathroom. Everything seemed normal.

What is normal?
Looking down at the dead nurse, her eyes glazed with death. He had seen this before, in Iraq. Eli hated when they died with their eyes open. It was as though they questioned why you were alive and not them.

Eli turned away and noticed the coroner coming in.

“Dr. Farley,” he addressed and stepped out of the large man’s way.

“Chief.”

“What do you think?” Eli asked, trying not to look at the nurse’s face.

Dr. Farley bent over as best he could in the small space and checked out the body from her wide open eyes, fingers and left foot, from which she had lost her shoe. “From a quick glance, she didn’t struggle much, but I’ll clean under her nails for particulates. Her neck—the C3 or C4 vertebrae were broken. Probable cause of death. I won’t know for sure until I do an autopsy.”

“Just let me know on anything you find.”

The coroner gave a nod and then returned his attention back the body. Eli wasn’t doing any good standing there, watching the man work. He stepped out of the room.

Without a doubt, this was a blatant attempt to get to Jane. Eli was relieved that he made the right choice by removing her, but the sad part was a woman had died in her place. However, he wasn’t about to let this death stab at his conscience. He stepped out of the room and saw Dr. Rollins standing by the desk.

“Find anything?” Rollins turned and asked, his tone was coated in sadness.

“Nothing so far. Dr. Farley’s in there right now, looking over the body. But whoever did this was looking for Jane,” Eli said in a low tone as he walked up next to him.

“I agree. So what are you going to do?”

He looked the doctor square in the eyes. “Nothing.”

The doctor’s forehead wrinkled tight. “Why? If Jane’s in danger—I think we all are.” His voice raised an octave, shaking.

Eli pulled the doctor away. “Calm yourself. I know we are all at risk, but I truly believe this bastard is only after Jane. The nurse was an accidental casualty but we still have to keep up the pretenses that Jane is still in the hospital. We have to keep it that way.”

“Not the maniac who did this atrocity in my hospital. He knows now that Jane isn’t here. What good would it do to keep up this lie? Does it take another nurse to die before you let out the truth? You have to do something else, Chief.”

“I’ll call in a favor and get a few extra men to patrol the hospital.” Eli blew out a hard breath and rubbed the back of his neck before he spoke again. “Doc, as of right now, Jane’s safe and so is everyone in the hospital.”

“I will not lose another person, Chief.” Dr. Rollins walked away before Eli could respond.

Concern knocked Eli in the gut. Keeping everyone in this town safe had always been the big priority. But Jane? Eli wasn’t sure if he’d be capable of closing this case—not without someone else dying.

Eli met up with his deputy at the entrance of the room. “What do you got?”

“Nothing. I talked to the night staff at the front desk. No one saw anything out of the ordinary. I also checked the security footage and didn’t see anything odd,” Tom said as he lifted his hat off his head and scratched the top of his scalp.

“So, we have nothing,” Eli countered.              

“Nope. But whoever it was, was looking for something, or someone. Jane was in this section, wasn’t she?”

Eli nodded. “Yeah, but she was moved to another wing a few hours before it happened.” He wanted to tell his deputy that Jane was safe at his house; instead he kept with the lie.

“So, where is she now?”

Eli swallowed the deceit and spoke evenly. “I don’t even know where she’s at right now. It’s safer that way.” Eli didn’t look at him when he spoke.             

“Oh,” Tom furrowed his brows slightly. “Well, at least she is safe.”

“I know it’s unusual but as for now, it works.” Eli watched Tom wipe the sweat off his brows.

“If it works, it works. I’ll meet you at the station?”

Eli’s stomach churned. “Okay.” He trusted this man. Then why not tell him the truth?

He shook off the question and waited until the coroner left with the body. He went through the room from top to bottom and knew he’d find nothing. 

He was right.

***

As Eli stepped out into the cold, he took in a few deep breaths and let his guilt run out of his system. Right before he got in his truck, Magda called him.

“Jane’s gone,” Magda said in a frantic shout.

“What do you mean she’s gone?” Panic surged up and knocked the breath out of him.

“Jane isn’t in the house. I searched top to bottom. I even checked the barn. My car is still parked inside it. She’s outside somewhere, walking around.”

His heart faltered before it pounded hard like an erratic drummer.
Please, let her be safe.

“When did you last see her?” Eli’s fear spiked as he jumped into his car and sped off toward the house.

“I put her to bed in your room about an hour ago. I sat there with her for a little bit. We talked about what happened. I guess I fell asleep. Then the next thing I knew, I woke up and she was gone.”

Eli gripped the steering wheel tight. “What were you two talking about?”

“She asked what happened outside. Jane said she didn’t remember anything, so I told her. Then she asked about Beaver Lake and how far was it from here.” Magda’s eyes welled. “Do you think she went there?”

“Maybe. Magda, keep an eye out. Call me if she comes back. I’ll head to the lake.” He snapped the phone shut and floored the gas pedal.

The idea of Jane being found by the bastard wore heavily in his heart and head. The urgency to reach her before she was seen flooded his system with anxiety. He wrenched the wheel to the left onto the road that led to the lake.

As he turned down the gravel path to the lake, Eli flashed on his bright and craned his neck from one side to the other to see if he was able to spot Jane. He drove past the ridged line where vehicles normally parked. His truck ran over brush and small skeletal trees until he saw the lake fully in his view.

He saw her, kneeling by the water’s edge. She faced the tall reeds, weathered pussy willows and cattails. She didn’t move. Her skin was ghostly white, reflective off the headlights.

Eli jumped out of the truck and ran to Jane. He sat down next to her.

“Jane, what are you doing here?” he asked with expelled breath. He tried to stay calm but his pulse was so erratic, it gave him a head rush.

Eli put his shaky hand on her shoulders. Through her thin cotton nightdress, her skin was icy cold to the touch.

“Jane.”

She didn’t react to Eli’s hard tone. It took all of a few seconds to notice her eyes. They were as black as onyx. Her body was stiff and her lips were blue. Panic trickled down his spine. He was scared for her.

He touched her cheek. “Can you hear me, Jane?” This time, he kept his voice low and even.

“Yes, Elias. I hear you.” Her teeth chattered from the cold.

He moved in front of her. “Why are you out here—and how did you get out here?” He had a gentle grip on Jane’s arms. He didn’t want her to pass out.

“I needed to know where I was found.” Jane stared off toward the edge of the lake. “I want to leave.” Jane stood up and turned to him.

“Oh, Jane.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to the truck.

“Find him, Elias, before he kills again.” Jane slumped in his arms.

He tried lifting her up but almost dropped her when his sutured shoulder burned and strained under Jane’s weight. He ignored the throbbing and carried her to the truck.

He laid her down in the back seat and wrapped the blanket tight around her from head to toe. Eli got into the driver’s side and sped off back toward his house.

Jane remained passed out throughout the ride. Eli made sure no one was around before he carried her into the house. Magda was in the living room when he raced in. She moved out of the way, to let Eli put Jane down on the couch.

He saw the distress across Magda’s face. This was not the time to tell her about the nurse.

“What happened?” Magda rushed forward and touched her forehead. “She’s ice cold.”

“She was at the lake. I think she was—God, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think she was possessed, again.”

Her eyes became wide when he admitted possession. “There are many explanations, Elias,” Magda said as she checked Jane’s pulse.

“She didn’t sound like herself and her eyes… Magda, you had to see them, they were black. Like before.

“Are you sure?”

“I know what I saw. And I have seen Jane this way before.” Eli paced the room, rubbing the back of his neck.

“When?”

“Once at the hospital, yesterday and earlier this morning.” He sat down on the overstuffed chair, then stood right back up. He couldn’t sit still. “Who in their right mind would come out naked in this weather and pummel someone with a log? I think—no, I
know
she was possessed.”               The bitterness of belief on his tongue made him cringe a little. He had always been a logical person, but no matter how much he didn’t want to believe, he knew what he saw and heard.

“Elias, if that’s true, then who is possessing her?”

“I don’t know.” He blew out a laggard breath. “I think my mother yesterday. Not sure at the hospital. But at the lake, Jane mentioned she was the first. I think it’s the first victim. I can’t be sure. But she told me to find him before he kills again.” He moved his shoulder around to loosen his cramping muscles.

“Let me see your shoulder.” Magda pushed his shirt back to expose his battered skin. “You popped a few stitches. I’ll fix it but you can’t be lifting anything, including Jane.” She scuttled out of the room and quickly returned with her medical bag.

“Elias, as much as I’m open minded about the hereafter, I’m not sure I believe that Jane was possessed. I know she has issues and maybe her head injury is causing her to sound and act different.”

He sat back in the chair. “Believe it. You know I’m the biggest skeptic. I saw her with my own eyes, Magda. Jane had to be.”

“Possessed or not, I worry for her health more. She is getting paler with each passing day. Not eating much and sleeping even less. If she gets worse, it’s my duty to her to bring her back to the hospital.”

“I’m worried too, Miss Magda, but we cannot take her back. Her life is still in jeopardy.”

Magda touched his cheek. “You’re falling for her, aren’t you?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know,” he said in low voice.

Magda gave him a small smile. “Don’t kid yourself. I see it, Elias.”

He stayed quiet and distant while she sat and took care of Jane.

It was only for a few minutes but it was too much for him to take in. “I’m leaving.”

“Don’t leave yet. Help me bring her upstairs. She needs the rest, then I’ll sew you up.”

He nodded. “I’ll put her in my room.”

“I don’t—”

“Please don’t argue with me. I promise not to bother her,” Eli said. “My bed is more comfortable than the one in the other room.” He wrapped Jane’s arm around his good shoulder and carried her upstairs.

He laid her on the bed and covered her with the blanket. He gave her a soft kiss on her forehead.

When he came back down, Magda had her instruments ready on the kitchen table. He sat and endured her poking. She replaced the ripped stitches and covered his wound with a new gauze pad.