Gone Before Goodbye (Love &Mystery in the--6-oh-3 Book 1) (22 page)

Noah’s phone buzzed. He pulled up a text from Teagan.

I’m okay. Sitting with Lucy at the hospital. No change in condition. Found Lisa’s bracelet in flowers in the room.

Why did a woman in a coma have the teenager’s jewelry? Was it another kind of threat?

He called Paul. The officer confirmed he was outside Miss Watson’s door and just spoken to Miss Raynes, who was safe and still visiting her friend.

Noah hung up and texted Teagan. On my way
.

Noah raced for the hospital and Teagan. She said she was fine, but until he saw for himself, he wouldn’t trust the message. He didn’t stop for the elevator, but took the stairs two at a time. On Lucy’s floor, he found Paul leaning against the desk of the nurse’s station, oogling a young RN.

The officer’s smile vanished, and he snapped upright when he spotted Noah’s stern expression. “Detective Cassidy. You’re here? Any news?”

“Why did you leave your post?” Without waiting for an answer, Noah turned to the nurse. “What’s the number for Lucy Watson?”

“She’s in—”

“301,” Paul finished. “I can see her door from here.” His voice rang with confidence, but his eyes flickered with concern.

“Go to your position, Officer.”

“Yes, sir. I was picking up the paper and going right back.” Paul gripped the newspaper in his hand and returned to sit.

Noah crossed the floor and entered the room. Stacey Smith hovered over Lucy. He wheeled to a stop. Why was she here? 

She broke into a smile of recognition. “Detective, hello.”

Movement on the other side of the bed snagged his attention. Sitting in the corner was Teagan. Next to her, stood the night table with the vase of yellow flowers.

“Detective Cassidy came to visit.” Stacey patted the pasty hand of the comatose dark-haired Lucy Watson. She reminded Noah of Snow White.

“Maybe he has good news about arresting the driver who hit you.” Stacey looked up at him. “Do you, detective?”

“I’m afraid not.” He walked around the bed to join Teagan and faced Stacey. “Did you bring the flowers upstairs?”

“Me?” She raised one shoulder in a half shrug. “I left them at the desk downstairs, remember? I don’t know who brought them up, but Lucy enjoys them, don’t you?”

“Lucy’s nurse thinks a volunteer carried them upstairs.” Teagan was clasping her hands tightly together on top of her purse as she spoke to him. “Thanks for coming, Noah.”

“Are you okay?”

“I always am. I’ve been waiting to hear Lucy’s prognosis from her doctor. The nurse informed me he’d be available soon. That was over an hour ago.”

“I told Teagan that Lucy can understand every word we say. Can’t you?” Stacey smiled into the immobile woman’s face.

“Let’s speak in the hallway so we don’t disturb Lucy with our talking.” Noah waited for Teagan to rise. He wished they were far away from Stacey, who was protesting their conversation wouldn’t bother the motionless patient.

When Noah ignored her, Stacey bent to Lucy’s ear. “They don’t want us to hear them. I still hope it’s good news.” Stacey tilted her head to the side and watched them cross the white floor. “From their faces, I’d guess the detective has bad news. I hope no one else is missing or been run over by a car.”

“Miss Smith.” Noah nodded at Stacey as they exited.

“Come back soon,” she called to them.

Noah clenched his jaw and let the door swing shut after him. Paul glanced up at him, but Noah ignored him to guide Teagan to the end of the corridor away from the hub of the floor’s activity.

They stopped in front of a window that overlooked the parking lot. She leaned against the fawn-colored wall as though she needed support. He wanted to put his arms around her but here was not the place.

“Did—” they said at the same time.

“You first.” She gestured to him.

“The chief met with a judge and procured search warrants for Jake’s apartment based on your ID of Lisa’s clothes in his trunk. Sorry, nothing turned up.”

“I guess I should be happy.”

“I’ve more. Hines and I searched the Bodell home and property. No evidence of Lisa ‘s presence, but I wondered if this bowl looks familiar.” He pulled up the picture on his phone.

Teagan blinked at the image. “Where did you find my aunt’s fruit dish?”

“In Travis’s bureau.  I looked on Craigslist before I came and found it for sale. I’d say Travis was making money selling at least one of your possessions, maybe more. The night you saw him, he might have been planning to rob you. Maybe he saw you upstairs and changed his mind.”

She blew out a breath. “I bet the bowl was tucked in one of the barrels or trunks in the cellar. What else can happen today?”

“You found Lisa’s bracelet in Lucy’s room?”

“The bracelet was hidden in the pot of lilies on her bed stand. It’s the same bouquet Stacey brought to the hospital for her.”

“And Stacey happens to visit Lucy.”

“Stacey denied putting a card, gift, or message with the flowers.” Teagan’s face paled. “I think the heart has blood spatter on it.

“What?”

“I slipped the jewelry in my purse when Stacey got water for the bouquet.” Teagan pulled out the tissue-wrapped chain and pendant. “I did my best to protect it, but why put the bracelet in the flowers?”

“Might have been to get rid of it and to try and freak someone out.” He held the pendent in his palm and unfolded the covering.

Teagan shuddered. “Tell me I’m overreacting and the brownish-red stain is paint on the silver heart.”

“I’ll assign a man to watch the security video and note who handled the flower pot. The lab will confirm the rest for us.”

“Confirm if the stain belongs to,” she gulped, “Lisa.”

He sensed her stress level rising. “Let’s go outside for a walk.”

She pushed away from the wall. Now that he’d seen her, relief was pouring through him, along with the urge to comfort and reassure her. The nurses and Paul tossed glances at them as they passed.

When they reached the safe distance of the elevators, Noah debated telling Teagan that if Seth kidnapped Lisa, he might use her to settle a criminal debt. Teagan might be right. Lisa was alive, but in another life, the girl would never survive long. He couldn’t float the idea unless he had proof. “I wish I had a better report.”

“I hope Travis and Lisa haven’t gotten into something they can’t handle.”

“There’s a good chance Travis is armed with a knife. So if you run into him, keep on running and call 9-1-1.”

“I wish this would end.” She rubbed her forehead.

“You should go home. I’ll take you.” At least they’d get a little time together if he drove her.

She shook her head. “I have my car. Besides, today we got a lead. The person who put the bracelet in the flowers must have seen Lisa. She always wore it.”

“We’ll find out,” he said as they waited before the elevator. “I’ll get the hospital’s security videos.” 

At the ding, the doors slid open and they stepped inside for the ride to the lobby. Teagan glanced at the numbers changing on the panel as they glided downward. “Talking to Stacey and worrying about Lucy have sapped my energy.”

They headed to the walkway in front of the hospital, and Teagan picked up the conversation. “I’m surprised Stacey hasn’t gone back to work; though, she hoped to get an update from Lucy’s doctor to bring to Matt.”

As they strolled along the sidewalk, the heat and humidity enveloped them. He guided her to the shade on the side of the building where they were alone. The fragrance of the cut lawn permeated the air. Lines tugged at her mouth as he put his arms around her.

He skimmed his palm over her blouse and curled his fingers over her hip, enjoying her curves and her firm breasts. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her chin against his chest. The urge to be with her, enjoy more of her, consumed him. He wanted to take her somewhere, to escape from their problems and be together. Seize the moment, he told himself and focused on the expression of longing in her brown eyes to block out the sound of the traffic floating across the air toward them.

She raised her face to him. Her lips parted, inviting him to taste them.

The whisper of shoes against the blades of grass warned him. He swung around to the fist coming at him and ducked to the side, taking Teagan with him. The crunch of bones hitting against the brick wall was followed by a howl.

Noah released Teagan, drew his gun and leveled it on Vic Taylor. “Don’t move.”

Vic stood shaking his hand with reddening knuckles that had come into contact with the solid building instead of Noah’s chin. Vic’s lower lip jutted out with distaste, and his face reddened with rage. “Is this how you search for my niece, Cassidy? Miss Raynes, is this how you show concern for Lisa?”

“I’ve had enough of you.” Noah took a menacing step toward Taylor

“Don’t. Please.” Teagan gripped his arm and tugged at him to stop.

“Afraid, Cassidy?” Vic taunted.

Teagan pushed forward. “Of course he’s not. What’s wrong with you?” She demanded.

Vic inched a safe distance from them while he eyed the gun still in Noah’s hands.

“Why did you try to hit Detective Cassidy?” Teagan shook her finger at him. “He wasn’t doing anything to you.”

“Nothing is what he’s doing to find Kara. How can you forget Lisa?” The man spit out the accusation.

“I never forget her. Ever.”

Noah’s anger ebbed at the sight of Teagan, the tiger. Then it was time to take charge. “I’ll handle him now.”

Their gazes connected and he saw her silently pleading to let Taylor go, not cause a scene. He hesitated and then stepped back. “Taylor, you owe Miss Raynes and me an apology.” Noah kept his weapon trained on Taylor to make it easier for him to pay attention. “I always work a case by the book. I suggest you leave before I change my mind and arrest you for attempted assault. You can thank Teagan for my decision to let you go.”

“Miss Raynes, be careful.” The man shifted his gaze over the grounds as though afraid or hoping someone was watching. “Detective Cassidy, You haven’t fooled me. You’re no more searching for my niece than the groundhog looks for his shadow. Lies. Miss Raynes, the man is using you. Think about it. Would he be interested in you if you weren’t always around while he looked for your foster teen? You’re a convenient distraction.” He spun around on his heel and fled.

Noah holstered his gun. “The man’s certifiable.”

“I guess we all act strangely under severe stress.” She glanced away from him and bit her lip.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’ll just go home and hope I don’t run into Taylor anywhere else.”

“I’ll call Paul to follow you. He’s on duty until six tonight. Then another officer will take over for him. Taylor won’t get near you.” Noah dug out his cell phone and spoke to the officer.

She clutched her keys in her fist. “If you’d arrested Vic, he’d have made himself look like the victim and crucified you in his blog.”

She was telling the truth. Taylor had the attention of many in Hawick Falls with his controversial posts, and Noah didn’t need the notoriety of the editor’s piece pointed at him. They crossed the lot to her vehicle. Once they reached it, he checked her car for unwanted passengers. At least he was satisfied nobody was hiding inside to ambush her.

“Noah, what was Vic Taylor doing at the hospital?” she asked as he held her door.

“I could give you several theories, but I’d vote for following one or both of us.”

Teagan sat up on the sofa and rubbed her eyes. Daylight had fled long ago and the darkness had taken over the house, except for the outside light filtering in through the living room window.

She’d fallen asleep. Fragments of dreams spun in her head and ended with Vic Taylor’s snarling face. All afternoon she’d been unable to shake the feeling of someone watching her.  Was it Taylor? Had he followed her to the hospital, home, everywhere?

She turned on the lamp and shut the book she’d tried to read. A fragment of her last dream burst into her mind. A blood-spotted heart dangled around the neck of a burned corpse.

“No!” Jumping up, she paced the floor until the image faded.

She glanced at the clock. It was almost eleven. Jogger meowed from the threshold between the living room and the kitchen. The cat was overdue for her supper. “Tuna delight dinner, coming up.”

She crossed to her pet who ran for the refrigerator in the dark room. The motion detector light flashed on in the backyard and spilled through the window above the sink.

Teagan froze. What was that? Her thoughts leaped, searching for a reason for the light. Had Travis returned? What about the creep who left the burned body at her table. No, it was probably a neighbor’s dog who’d escaped outside. 

She angled to the side of the window but only caught the edge of a blur of black. Could it be Travis? Just to be sure, she whirled around, scrambled to the coffee table, and grabbed her gun. Perspiration dripped from her chin as she crept across the floor and cracked the kitchen door enough to slip into the mud room. In a few more steps, she’d be able to peek out the screen door. She’d prove to herself she was overreacting, or catch whoever treated her home like a graveyard.

The last thought filled her with anger. Stuffing her hand in her pocket, she hit the number for the duty officer sitting in front of her house. His phone rang.

Who the heck was in her yard? Why didn’t the officer answer? Turning the knob, she pushed the door open a slit for a better view, and peeked out across the grass.

Five feet from her, a person was bent over the bulkhead. He was twisting something in the keyhole. He was trying to break inside, and he could be in her house in a few seconds. She’d had enough. Anger poured through her, boiling her blood, and clouding her brain. She shoved her cell in her pocket. Leveling the barrel of her weapon on the target, she blinked at the sweat dripping into her eyes and shouted, “Stop or I’ll shoot.”

The man straightened and his eyes widened as he turned to her. He was about five-seven, wore a torn T-shirt, work gloves, and sweatpants. The overhead lamp illuminated his white hair. He shot a glance toward the woods before his gaze returned to land on Teagan’s gun.