Shaking Off the Dust (17 page)

“Wake up, Miss Campbell, we have more to discuss,” Jack ordered.

I heard another set of lighter footsteps running into the room.

“Dr. Shimodo is going nuts in there. He is shouting for us to help his girlfriend, insisting that Hannah’s sick. He is adamant that her heart rate is out of control and is demanding to be brought to her to help.” A woman’s voice. That must be Rachel.

Jack reached over, then lifted my head, and I threw up on him. I hadn’t planned on that. The woman felt for my pulse. “Shit, Jack, her pulse is in the one-nineties. I’m bringing Shimodo in until EMS gets here.

You need to call now.”

I think I sort of zoned out, because I felt cool fingertips at my wrist. “Hannah, I’m going to lift your head and try carotid massage. Just try bearing down for me.” Takeshi leaned in and I felt a cool paper towel wipe my face. I managed not to throw up as he lifted my head and set it against his chest. He massaged the left side of my neck.

His voice was fierce. “Have you been withholding her medication? We’ve been in your custody for over thirty hours. Did you provide her with her heart medications? Are you trying to do her harm? She can’t help if you kill her with your tactics. Didn’t you read her report? She was hospitalized for cardiac arrhythmias. The first week of her medications are crucial and no time to be withheld from her.”

He used his other hand to lay his palm across my forehead. “Hannah, you’re going to have to try and bear down.”

I tried, but I was too tired.

He stopped massaging my neck. “How much longer before EMS arrives?” He sounded worried.

“Minutes,” Rachel answered.

“Tom?” Takeshi called quietly. “Use both your hands on her face and back of her neck, your coldness my cause a vagal response if you hold it long enough.”

While Tom cooled off my face, Takeshi started pressure points to my wrist. I don’t know how long it went on, I’d lost all track of time.

The paramedics arrived and applied an EKG monitor, cutting my shirt off. I didn’t even care. They put me on a cot. Tom and Takeshi never stopped what they were doing.

“Her heart rate’s one-ninety-four. We need to shock her out of this rhythm, BP’s seventy-six,” the paramedic announced and started to apply pads. I was not looking forward to another jolt of electricity passing through my body, but my head was so fuzzy, everything seemed to be noise in the distance.

Tom’s hands chilled my body. I shivered hard and when it passed, I felt my heart rate drop. It was still rapid, but not as fast.

“That’s better, one-forties. Have them recheck her BP,” Tom said.

“What’s her blood pressure now?” Takeshi asked.

The medics took my pressure. It had improved. I felt better after the oxygen.

“She should be on a beta-blocker. These people withheld her medications.” I’d never heard Takeshi’s voice take that tone. Of course, I hadn’t known him that long, but I would have guessed it was an uncommon occurrence. Takeshi knelt down by the cot and held my hand as they started the IV.

“I forbid you from ever doing that again.” He bent over and kissed my forehead. “They better take exceptional care of you.” He surveyed the table where I’d thrown up and the empty coffee cup. “And I bet you gave her nothing but coffee since she’s been here.”

I was so proud of him, I thought, as I fell asleep.

I woke up to someone pinching me hard. I tried to pinch them back, only they were out of my reach and kept bothering me with questions. My eyes wouldn’t stay open.

I was awake, with a start, in a small room. It didn’t resemble a regular hospital area, but it was a hospital bed.

“Tom?” I croaked and he was with me.

A pleased expression spread across his face. “Let me tell Takeshi you are awake. He’s been worried.

Then I’ll flash right back.”

I examined my surroundings. There were IV fluids hanging, going into my arm. Recognizing all the medications, I settled in to wait for Tom.

He blinked back, sitting on my bed, but avoiding touching me. “He was relieved. He demanded Rachel allow him to come see you. She was calling Jack when I left.”

“How long have I been sleeping?”

“Almost eight hours. I kept signaling to Takeshi that you were asleep. He worried, but that pleased him.

They put him in a holding cell for about six hours after you were taken to the hospital. He slept a couple of hours, but mostly he bugged me to find out if you were doing okay. You certainly have sparked his protector traits. He was like a crazy man for a while. He lectured them for a full hour. Soon as I’d think he’d finished he’d start up again. I believe it was a way to vent his frustration, but I was impressed.”

“It’s his nature to care about people, Tom. He stuck around you and that took true commitment.” My lips twitched as I tried to keep a serious face. He really had become a friend, and I enjoyed his company.

He laughed. “He does more than care about you, Hannah. He’s a man in love if I ever saw one. I’m jealous, because I think I could have fallen for you myself, if I’d bothered to get to know you when I was alive.”

“We all protect ourselves, Tom. You didn’t let anyone get close. I did the same thing. I still do. It’s too hard to pick up your heart once it gets kicked around.”

“Don’t kid yourself, Hannah. You’re in love with him and, no matter what you say, you’re praying it will last a lifetime.”

“I never implied I wasn’t. And for me it will last a lifetime. All I meant was that I would understand if it doesn’t last for him.” My eyes began to tear up, but I blinked them away. “Now, tell me everything you found out.”

He quirked up his eyebrows. “It’s been amazing, because I can see everyone’s computer screens and hear phone conversation. Hell, I cruised right into the director’s office and listened while he was briefed and read along while he went through several reports.”

“Cough it up, Tom.”

“Oh, by the way, they are watching you. Jack and Bill have been taking turns at a monitor next door.

The camera is on the sprinkler up there.” He pointed to the ceiling.

I followed his arm with my eyes and waved. “Which one’s watching now?”

He popped out and in again. “It’s both. Jack must have gotten Rachel’s phone call that you were awake.”

“Hi, Jack. Hi, Bill. Why don’t you join Tom and me? You believe in him, so just do the reasonable thing.”

“So here’s the big thing. The Spanish professor, Takeshi’s colleague in Madrid, was so impressed with the stuff they sent on you that he told his uncle, who happens to be a high-level government official. No surprise that it went up the Spanish government chain of command. Eventually, the agents investigating

the plane crash were told of this psychic American woman who can talk to ghosts and relates details of the people and baggage handler for that plane. Now the Spanish government is demanding that you and Takeshi be brought there as a vital part of the investigation.”

“Wow. When?”

“As soon as possible. That is why they were pressing so hard, but afraid to use more physical techniques.”

“How’d you find out those details?”

“I listened in on the briefing the director got. He wasn’t happy. Called the boys into his office and chewed their butts out good for letting you nearly die. He took Thornton off the case. Let him know his hard-boiled tactics would not work here. Bill admitted that they believed your story. I thought they were just waiting for you to wake up.” Tom’s face took on an especially pleased expression. “Now, for the other part of my scavenger hunt.”

“There’s more? You have been a busy boy.”

“You commanded.” He touched my hand. “I went back to the evidence room. I found four women, who were hanging out together. Ladies of the night.” From the expression on his face, he expected me to be impressed. “All around case number 674170-P. The same psychopath killed them. He worked at a burger joint in the area where they did their business. Three of them are from Pittsburgh, the last, Cindy, lived in Boston. He relocated there and Cindy knew him from the diner near where she lived. He moved all of their bodies in his car. Cindy can even tell us where he lives now, because he had her blood underneath his nails and wiped it on a rug in his apartment. The four of them go to his car and hangout.

She checks his apartment periodically. The case is now two years old and we can solve it.”

“My God, Tom, that’s incredible.”

“Think they’ll be impressed?”

“I am. Jack, Bill, bring me Takeshi and I will give you information that can solve case evidence number 674170. If Shimodo doesn’t come, I don’t say a word. Oh and I know I’ll be heading to Madrid in a few days, so please don’t continue the power games. We can help you. I won’t do it without Takeshi with me and neither will Tom.”

It was an hour before the door opened. Jack, Rachel and Bill came in with Takeshi following behind them. He scanned my face and then he was at the bedside reaching for my hand.

“You got some sleep.” It was a statement.

“You didn’t.” I scooted over, making room for him next to me.

He sat on top of the bed, his back against the headboard. I scooted under his arm. He nearly crushed me as he pulled me up into his arms, but I didn’t mind.

“We’re ready to hear about case 674170,” Jack said.

“Tom’s been down in the evidence room. You have a lot of ghosts there by the way. Four women are all victims of the same man.” I repeated everything Tom told me, sentence after sentence. “According to

them, bloodstains in the trunk allow the women to be at the car anytime. One of them can also be in his apartment, because her blood is on his rug. They gave Tom the license number of his car and his address.”

Jack took notes on every bit of information I repeated, although I suspected they also recorded from the mic on the sprinkler. He left as soon as I finished. Bill and Rachel stayed.

“Do you have more information on the plane crash too?”

“Don’t you get it yet?” I said. “We don’t even know what questions to ask. Tom can talk to the ghosts left behind from the crash and they all believe they are still here because they know something. They just don’t know what. We came to you because you can ask the right questions, you can fit all the pieces into something coherent. Most of what he saw and knows means nothing to him. You need to solve this so Tom and all those others can move on, go into the light.

“We’ve been in your care for how long? And now is good time to feed us a hot meal and let Takeshi sleep. We’re done talking until then. You check out the information
we
gave you. Then come back. I think you will realize what a help we can be to each other.”

Rachel went to the door, beckoning for Bill to follow. “For the time being you can stay together in here.

I’ll have food sent in,” she said.

I scooted farther over and whispered, “I can’t believe they’re giving in. Now get out of your pants and get your butt in this bed with me, and if anyone tries to wake you once we’ve eaten, there will be hell to pay.” I considered that for a moment. “Well, maybe you might not want to. I might be stinky.”

He took off his shoes, socks and the clothes they’d given us to wear, then slid into bed with that uncanny grace he had in all his movements. His arms opened for me to lie against him, and I did. Sometime later sandwiches and bottles of water arrived.

Takeshi watched me like I would disappear before his eyes. I insisted he face away from me, and curled against his back. I hadn’t planned to go back to sleep, but I did.

Something woke me, or maybe I’d just gotten all the sleep I needed. The bed was warm, and I was comfortable and drowsy. I smelled that spicy scent that was my man, so I inhaled deeper. I moved a little and saw that he was on the edge of slumber, responding to my small movement, but not quite awake.

I lay there alert, but afraid to move and rouse him from his much-needed sleep.

“You awake, Hannah?” Tom called quietly. “Ah, you are!”

I lifted my chin from Takeshi’s back and stuck out my tongue at him.

“You are such a tease. I’ve been sticking with Jack. They verified all the information I gave them. They ran the license number and address, and used his driver’s license to identify him in Boston. Then they verified his living address in Pittsburgh for the first three murders. Local Boston PD picked him up for questioning. His car is impounded and they got a search warrant on his apartment. Jack’s so excited he’s about ready to wet his pants. Apparently, he was one of the detectives on their cases.”

The door to the room opened, and Rachel and Bill came in with food trays. “We let him sleep five hours.

We’ll make sure he gets more sleep later,” Bill said.

A third man followed them in with a folding table and two chairs. They set it up then Bill and Rachel put down the trays.

I reached my arm over Takeshi, twining my fingers with his until he was scooting up in the bed. I followed suit by sitting up and stretching. “There a bathroom nearby? I need to be unhooked from the IV.”

The guy who’d set up the table and chairs nodded and left. A nurse came in and unhooked me. She escorted me to the locked bathroom behind a door in the room. When I came back out, Takeshi was dressed and sitting at the table.

The nurse drew my blood. She didn’t say much and from the expression on her face, she assumed I was a criminal.

The meal tasted like hospital cafeteria food, but it wasn’t a sandwich and was still warm.

“What now?” Takeshi inquired as we ate.

Bill and Rachel brought in two more chairs.

“The doctor will not release Hannah into our care until he’s rechecked her.” Bill tried to sound as if that wasn’t a problem. “If everything’s improved, he’ll allow you to go to Spain under the vigilant eye of a health professional. Rachel explained that Dr. Shimodo is a neurologist and would be watching over her.

He forbids us from offering you anything with caffeine in it.”

Now that I was rested I could appreciate that Bill had a warm and friendly voice. I turned to Rachel for my first real look at her. Her long blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail at her neck, I would guess her age to be in the late twenties. She wore a dark blue pantsuit, her face bare of any makeup I could detect. She was not beautiful, but striking, with a perfect nose and dark green eyes. I couldn’t stop from turning to Takeshi. I’d mentioned him falling for an FBI agent. I hoped he’d forgotten all about that. He had spent most of his time in her company though.