Silent Vows
Page 3
The sight was awesome, mystifying to the point where Myra didn’t hear his next words until he repeated them.
“I said, the world is full of opportunists. Any person found hurt on property owned by a corporation as large as the Magicland theme park is going to be under suspicion.”
“And I am under that watchful eye?” She pulled her gaze from the panoramic view and met his.
Opportunist? He thought she was after something from him, or whoever owned the land she’d been found on.
He didn’t believe her lies. She would ponder the irony of that later. “Why should I care if you don’t believe me? ‘Tis the truth.”
“Sitting in this deluxe hospital suite on someone else’s dime would certainly give one that feeling.”
“What do you mean?”
“Who do you think is paying for all of this?” He spread his hands at the room. “You’re sitting in a private room in an overcrowded hospital. These cherry wood furnishings and plush blankets aren’t exactly standard hospital issue.” He walked over to a bank of electronic devices. “There’s even a CD player in here,” he mumbled.
The comfortable room was small by her standards. Her room at home was three times as large. Perhaps she was receiving special treatment and didn’t know it.
If someone else paid her way, he or she might not be able to care for themselves or their family. In her time, one would be happy to care for the sick or injured if able, but Myra wasn’t sick and instantly felt guilty for her lies.
“Perhaps, I should leave.” She tossed back the blanket to get out of the bed and noticed her bare thighs and naked feet, then quickly covered herself back up. “If you’ll excuse me?”
Officer Blakely held her gaze, his emotions masked. A slight tremor went through her when he didn’t budge.
“Where will you go?” he asked.
She opened her mouth only to shut it without uttering a word.
“Listen, lady, I’m sure your overnight stay in the hospital isn’t going to break anyone’s bank.” He moved closer to the door. “Twelve hours will give me time to look up this name, maybe something will come up. Or you’ll remember who you are in the morning.”
She wasn’t listening. Her eyes gazed beyond him. “So are you staying?”
She closed her eyes. “Do I have a choice?”
“I’ll be back tomorrow. If you remember anything, call this number.” He took out a card, walked back to the bed, and handed it to her. His fingers barely brushed hers.
A vibration went up her arm at the contact. The lump in her throat eased into submission.
He pulled his hand back in alarm. His surprised expression met hers the instant their fingers touched. “If I’m out, the department will contact me.” She studied the card.
When he turned to leave, she stopped him.
“Officer Blakely?”
He peered back with a thoughtful stare.
“I truly have no idea where to go.” She spoke the truth.
The blue in his eyes glistened, his gruff expression shifted. She peered closer, her Druid gift sought his thoughts. For a brief moment, Blakely believed her. He said nothing, nodded, turned and left the room.
Chapter Two
‘Believe none of what you hear and only half of what you see.’ That was a cop’s motto.
Todd had clocked out, changed clothes and drove to his favorite watering hole. He sucked down a longneck beer and pondered Jane Doe. Next to him, Jake sipped his Scotch and tried to get Todd to change the subject.
“Let it go until tomorrow. It’s not like she’s going anywhere.” Jake had a few years on Todd and one failed marriage under his belt. His two kids visited him every other weekend and for one month in the summer. Even with alimony payments, he still felt the need to find wife number two. Fortunately for Todd, no candidate was sitting in the seat at the bar next to them or Todd would have been talking to himself. With an eligible woman in the room, Jake’s attention span was nil.
“Something isn’t right,” Todd continued.
Jake rolled his eyes and shook his head. “What isn’t right?”
“Her story is bogus. Who wakes up in the middle of an amusement park? No one saw her go down. It isn’t like Atlantis Island is that big. Someone would have noticed an unconscious woman.”
“But someone found her there, right?”
“No, she was found wandering the streets near the Gods of Mythology attraction. She only said she woke up on the island. I’ll check their surveillance tapes tomorrow.”
“I’m sure the lawyers already have them. You might need to check with the boss and subpoena them.” Jake ordered a second round.
“Possibly.”
“So she was found in the park, no injuries and no signs of sleeping in the elements?”
“Right. No forced entry, she could have found a corner and hid in it until the park closed.”
“She would have been picked up on a camera somewhere. I know I wouldn’t be able to stay in one place all night long in the middle of that park. I’ve always wanted to climb on top of the T-Rex.”
Todd took a long drink, sat back and scratched his five o’clock shadow. “The thing is...I don’t think she has any idea about Magicland’s worth or influence.”
His partner grunted his disbelief.
“No, really. She threatened to leave the hospital when I told her someone else was footing her bill.”
“But she didn’t,” Jake said.
“Because she had nowhere to go. You should’ve seen her. Something in her eyes spoke the truth when her mouth didn’t. Weird and doesn’t fit with the rest of her story.”
“Could be a domestic violence thing, and she’s trying to get away from the old man.”
“Maybe.” Todd’s head started to pound despite the beer. After hours of investigative work, he was no closer to the truth behind Jane Doe.
“So, tell me about your date with Sheila.” Todd changed the subject.
A large, dark-skinned woman shuffled her way into Myra’s room first thing in the morning. “I’m Keisha from social services.” “Good morning,” Myra pushed her plate of food away and diverted her attention to the woman at her bedside.
“I see they have chorizo today,” Keisha nodded toward the food. “Not the healthiest breakfast served in the hospital, but it is one of the better tasting.”
“’Tis quite spicy.”
“I said, the world is full of opportunists. Any person found hurt on property owned by a corporation as large as the Magicland theme park is going to be under suspicion.”
“And I am under that watchful eye?” She pulled her gaze from the panoramic view and met his.
Opportunist? He thought she was after something from him, or whoever owned the land she’d been found on.
He didn’t believe her lies. She would ponder the irony of that later. “Why should I care if you don’t believe me? ‘Tis the truth.”
“Sitting in this deluxe hospital suite on someone else’s dime would certainly give one that feeling.”
“What do you mean?”
“Who do you think is paying for all of this?” He spread his hands at the room. “You’re sitting in a private room in an overcrowded hospital. These cherry wood furnishings and plush blankets aren’t exactly standard hospital issue.” He walked over to a bank of electronic devices. “There’s even a CD player in here,” he mumbled.
The comfortable room was small by her standards. Her room at home was three times as large. Perhaps she was receiving special treatment and didn’t know it.
If someone else paid her way, he or she might not be able to care for themselves or their family. In her time, one would be happy to care for the sick or injured if able, but Myra wasn’t sick and instantly felt guilty for her lies.
“Perhaps, I should leave.” She tossed back the blanket to get out of the bed and noticed her bare thighs and naked feet, then quickly covered herself back up. “If you’ll excuse me?”
Officer Blakely held her gaze, his emotions masked. A slight tremor went through her when he didn’t budge.
“Where will you go?” he asked.
She opened her mouth only to shut it without uttering a word.
“Listen, lady, I’m sure your overnight stay in the hospital isn’t going to break anyone’s bank.” He moved closer to the door. “Twelve hours will give me time to look up this name, maybe something will come up. Or you’ll remember who you are in the morning.”
She wasn’t listening. Her eyes gazed beyond him. “So are you staying?”
She closed her eyes. “Do I have a choice?”
“I’ll be back tomorrow. If you remember anything, call this number.” He took out a card, walked back to the bed, and handed it to her. His fingers barely brushed hers.
A vibration went up her arm at the contact. The lump in her throat eased into submission.
He pulled his hand back in alarm. His surprised expression met hers the instant their fingers touched. “If I’m out, the department will contact me.” She studied the card.
When he turned to leave, she stopped him.
“Officer Blakely?”
He peered back with a thoughtful stare.
“I truly have no idea where to go.” She spoke the truth.
The blue in his eyes glistened, his gruff expression shifted. She peered closer, her Druid gift sought his thoughts. For a brief moment, Blakely believed her. He said nothing, nodded, turned and left the room.
Chapter Two
‘Believe none of what you hear and only half of what you see.’ That was a cop’s motto.
Todd had clocked out, changed clothes and drove to his favorite watering hole. He sucked down a longneck beer and pondered Jane Doe. Next to him, Jake sipped his Scotch and tried to get Todd to change the subject.
“Let it go until tomorrow. It’s not like she’s going anywhere.” Jake had a few years on Todd and one failed marriage under his belt. His two kids visited him every other weekend and for one month in the summer. Even with alimony payments, he still felt the need to find wife number two. Fortunately for Todd, no candidate was sitting in the seat at the bar next to them or Todd would have been talking to himself. With an eligible woman in the room, Jake’s attention span was nil.
“Something isn’t right,” Todd continued.
Jake rolled his eyes and shook his head. “What isn’t right?”
“Her story is bogus. Who wakes up in the middle of an amusement park? No one saw her go down. It isn’t like Atlantis Island is that big. Someone would have noticed an unconscious woman.”
“But someone found her there, right?”
“No, she was found wandering the streets near the Gods of Mythology attraction. She only said she woke up on the island. I’ll check their surveillance tapes tomorrow.”
“I’m sure the lawyers already have them. You might need to check with the boss and subpoena them.” Jake ordered a second round.
“Possibly.”
“So she was found in the park, no injuries and no signs of sleeping in the elements?”
“Right. No forced entry, she could have found a corner and hid in it until the park closed.”
“She would have been picked up on a camera somewhere. I know I wouldn’t be able to stay in one place all night long in the middle of that park. I’ve always wanted to climb on top of the T-Rex.”
Todd took a long drink, sat back and scratched his five o’clock shadow. “The thing is...I don’t think she has any idea about Magicland’s worth or influence.”
His partner grunted his disbelief.
“No, really. She threatened to leave the hospital when I told her someone else was footing her bill.”
“But she didn’t,” Jake said.
“Because she had nowhere to go. You should’ve seen her. Something in her eyes spoke the truth when her mouth didn’t. Weird and doesn’t fit with the rest of her story.”
“Could be a domestic violence thing, and she’s trying to get away from the old man.”
“Maybe.” Todd’s head started to pound despite the beer. After hours of investigative work, he was no closer to the truth behind Jane Doe.
“So, tell me about your date with Sheila.” Todd changed the subject.
A large, dark-skinned woman shuffled her way into Myra’s room first thing in the morning. “I’m Keisha from social services.” “Good morning,” Myra pushed her plate of food away and diverted her attention to the woman at her bedside.
“I see they have chorizo today,” Keisha nodded toward the food. “Not the healthiest breakfast served in the hospital, but it is one of the better tasting.”
“’Tis quite spicy.”
