Forgotten Memories (SWAT: Top Cops Book 4) (7 page)

To Creighton? Was the guy who’d kidnapped Gabby actually Creighton Bennett?

Shane shot to his feet, unable to believe how wrong he’d been. Considering her photographic memory, Gabby surely knew the name of the man her mother had been married to before Richard.

And he’d been a total idiot to have bought her claim that she didn’t know anyone by that name.

He strode purposefully across the room toward the guest bathroom at the end of a short hallway, not far from Richard’s office. Remaining calm wasn’t easy. “Gabby? Are you all right?”

He heard water running for a long minute before she responded in a muffled voice. “Yes. I’ll be right there.”

Shane paced the small hallway, glancing at his watch twice before the bathroom door opened, revealing Gabby’s pale and drawn face.

“I need to sit down,” she said, brushing past him to return to the living room.

His anger faded a bit when he saw how terrible she looked. Maybe there was more to the story. He reined in his temper but sat down on the other end of the sofa, leaving a considerable space between them.

“Tell me what’s going on,” he said. “Who was your mother married to before Richard?”

Gabby’s wide green eyes narrowed with confusion. “What do you mean? She was married to my father and then to Richard. Although I was shocked that she married Richard so soon. Barely six months after she met him.”

He hardened his heart against the anguish in her gaze. “Stop it,” he said sharply. “Why can’t you be honest with me? There’s no reason to keep lying. Your mother married Creighton Bennett before she married Richard, isn’t that right? Maybe Creighton was a terrible man. Maybe he abused your mother and she ran away. I tried to explain this to you before, Gabby. You need to tell me the truth now, otherwise you’re just digging yourself deeper into a web of lies.”

Oddly enough, he was glad to see the fire in her eyes replace the wounded confusion. “Don’t be ridiculous!” she snapped. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. I told you I don’t know Creighton. And my mother didn’t marry anyone else between my father and Richard. There wasn’t enough time. She remarried less than a year after my father’s death.”

Was it possible she was telling the truth? In his entire career, Shane had never felt this torn up by a victim.

Maybe because Gabby was more than just another victim.

“I’m not supposed to tell anyone,” she said. “But it’s clear you don’t trust me, so I hope you keep this information confidential. After my father died, my mother and I were taken away from our house by federal marshals.”

Federal marshals? He was stunned speechless for a long moment. “Witness protection?” he gritted out. “Why?”

Gabby winced and pressed her fingers more firmly into her temples. “I don’t know, and stop glaring at me like that! I was eight years old at the time. What I do remember is that we were told my father had died and that we needed to disappear. So we were given new names and sent across the country to live in Chicago.”

Whatever Shane had expected, it wasn’t this. “Witness protection,” he repeated. “And you don’t know anything more about what your father was involved with?”

She winced and squeezed her eyes shut. “No. I’m sorry, but just thinking about that time brings on a terrible migraine.” Several moments passed before she finally said, “And what does it matter anyway? That was twenty-one years ago. Nothing that is happening now has anything to do with something that took place back then.”

Shane disagreed, but the pain etched in her features concerned him, so he changed the subject. “How did you and your mother end up in Milwaukee?”

“Richard did sales for a national company and traveled a lot back then. He met my mother in Chicago, apparently she was one of his buyers, but his home base was here. When he proposed to my mother, we relocated to Milwaukee. It all happened so fast...” Her voice trailed off, despair shadowing her eyes.

Shane couldn’t hold back any longer. He moved closer to wrap his arm around her shoulders. She held herself stiff at first, but then relaxed, resting her forehead on his chest.

Her citrusy scent filled his senses as he gazed down at her, debating with himself on whether or not to believe her.

And more important, whether he could find a way to convince Griff and Nate to believe her. He knew from past experience the feds never discussed the people they placed into witness protection. They claimed that maintaining supersecrecy, even from other branches of law enforcement, was the main reason they’d never once lost a witness in the entire history of the program.

Which meant they only had Gabby’s word to go by.

SEVEN

T
he throbbing in Gabby’s head was so intense, she felt as if her skull might explode from the pressure. In the subconscious portion of her brain she realized she was physically leaning against Shane for support, soaking up his strength instead of being afraid.

She tensed again when he gently smoothed his hand over her back, and she tried to relax, taking several deep breaths. Listening to the steady beat of his heart helped calm her nerves, but obviously she couldn’t stay here like this forever. She needed to move, and when she did, the headache would get worse.

It would take more than willpower to make this headache go away.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his deep, husky voice rumbling close to her ear.

“Yes,” she whispered, since any and all movement hurt. “I probably need my medication. Will you please take me back to the hospital?”

There was a long pause before he spoke. “Sure. Just give me a few minutes to see if there’s anything else that I need from Richard’s office before we go.”

She was shocked at the urge to curl her fingers into his shirt as if to make him stay. What was wrong with her? Shane needed to do his job and she needed to put distance between them. She pushed herself upright, trying to summon a smile. “Okay. I’ll wait here.”

His gaze searched hers for a minute as if to make sure she was really all right, before he rose to his feet. She sank back against the sofa cushions and closed her eyes again. Usually darkness helped her migraines, although it had been years since her last one, so she was definitely out of practice in dealing with them.

Relaxation techniques used to help, so she took more slow deep breaths while imagining she was swinging in a hammock by the beach, listening to the waves rolling in.

The pain eased to a more manageable level by the time Shane returned roughly fifteen minutes later. She opened her eyes, not surprised to see he had several thick file folders in his hands.

“Did you find something else?” she asked.

Shane shrugged. “More evidence that your stepfather was in financial trouble. I see lots of money going out and not much coming in. Did Richard like to gamble?”

For a moment the neon sign of a well-known Vegas casino flashed in her mind, immediately followed by a rolling wave of pain. She quickly shoved the image aside. “Not that I’m aware of, although I can’t say I’d be surprised. As I mentioned before, we weren’t very close.”

“Yeah, I remember. You haven’t talked to him since your mother’s funeral, right?”

She swallowed hard and nodded. “Yes, that’s right. Even before then, we weren’t a close-knit happy family. Richard liked things to be done his way, which really bothered me. But my mother certainly didn’t seem to mind, which only bugged me more. Thankfully, I ended up working most of the holidays anyway, so I had a good excuse to avoid them.”

Shane frowned. “I can’t imagine not getting together for family events and holidays.”

“I know. Your sister, Leah, always talks about how much fun you had together, and she’s even more excited now that she’s married Isaac.” Gabby pushed herself to her feet, wondering why she was telling him all this. Her feelings regarding family, or lack thereof, wasn’t at all pertinent to his investigation. “Can we leave now? I’m more than ready to get out of here.”

“Do you need help? My hands are full, but you can take my arm,” he offered.

“I’m fine.” Gabby was determined to walk outside under her own power. She didn’t like the way she was falling apart around Shane. First last night, after the kidnapping, when she’d allowed him to carry her inside the hospital to her call room, and now succumbing to a crippling migraine headache.

She was stronger than this. She didn’t lean on others for support, not even after a devastating event. Her mission in life was to take care of others, to heal the injured. She was fully capable of looking after herself.

At least she had been, until two men with guns had kidnapped her outside the hospital parking lot. Hours later and the entire incident still seemed surreal.

“Do you want me to drive around to the front of the hospital where the pharmacy is located?” Shane asked.

“No, I have some medication left over in my bag. Although they’re a little old, so they might not work as well. But they’ll do until I can call my doctor to request a refill on my prescription.”

“All right, then we’ll head to your call room, since that’s where we left your stuff.”

“Okay.” The thought of going back to the hospital was reassuring. Being questioned by the police, baring her secrets to Shane, wasn’t at all part of her comfort zone. But working on trauma patients, being in the OR, reading up on the latest trends in trauma care—that was normal.

She needed to remember that this nightmare would be over once Shane and his fellow SWAT-team members found Creighton. And it would be in her best interest to help them in any way possible.

The sooner she was able to combat this headache and return to her usual routine, the better.

* * *

Shane glanced at Gabby as he pulled into the parking structure. “Are you okay to walk?”

“Of course. I’m fine.” Her voice was firm, but her pale face and trembling fingers told a different story.

He could appreciate her stamina and her determination to stand on her own two feet, but it occurred to him that Gabby needed a lot more emotional support than she realized.

Spiritual support, too.

He was relatively new when it came to going to church, but now that he prayed on a regular basis, he couldn’t imagine how he’d survived without God’s strength and support. But he wasn’t an expert on faith and had no idea how to even broach the possibility with Gabby.

Still, having her entire life revolve around work wasn’t healthy, so he knew he had to try. Not that he was minimizing her career, far from it. Her chosen profession was admirable. But at what cost?

He couldn’t help wondering if her headache was a culmination of pressure and stress. Not that he should care so much either way. His heart wanted to protect her, even though his head told him that was a bad idea.

He escorted Gabby to her call room and propped his shoulder against the door frame as she carefully removed the cedar box of personal items, then rummaged through her duffel for the medication.

“Do you need some time to rest?” he asked gently, after she swallowed the pill.

She grimaced. “I’d like to, but I need to check on Richard. See if there’s been any change.”

Shane straightened from the door frame. “I’ll go with you. If he happens to be awake, I have several questions for him.”

Gabby’s brow puckered in a frown. “Listen, Shane, in my experience most people with head injuries don’t remember much prior to being hurt. Richard may not be able to give you the information you need.”

“I understand, but I still need to talk to him. But I won’t do anything that interferes with his ability to get better, okay? If he becomes upset, I’ll stop.”

“Okay.” Gabby slowly rose to her feet. “Let’s go.”

Shane wished he could force her to rest, but all he could do was to follow as she led the way through a maze of corridors to the other side of the hospital. She took the elevators to the fifth floor and then walked down a corridor to a room that had her stepfather’s name outside the door.

She paused, as if to gather her strength, before pushing the door open. “Richard?” she called in a soft voice. “It’s me, Gabriella.”

There was no response from the patient stretched out on the bed. Richard Strawn looked older, more fragile against the white sheets, wearing a hospital gown and a bandage over the wound on his temple.

Shane hung back as Gabby stepped up to the bed. She reached down and took Richard’s hand in hers. “The doctors and nurses are taking good care of you,” she murmured. “I made sure to ask for the best.”

Richard still didn’t respond, and Shane heard Gabby sigh. She glanced at him over her shoulder. “He won’t be answering questions anytime soon.”

Yeah, he got that. He swallowed his frustration at the fact that their best lead was lying unconscious and might never remember anything that could help them find Creighton. “Do you think his head injury is worse?”

“I don’t know,” she whispered helplessly, turning back to stare down at her stepfather.

Shane stepped up beside her and gently squeezed her shoulder. “We should pray for him,” he suggested in a low voice.

“Pray?” Her startled gaze caught his. “I don’t know much about that. And I don’t know that Richard believes in God, either.”

He shifted, feeling a little embarrassed, but at the same time, he didn’t want to back down. “Well, I do believe and I think it’s important for us to pray for him.”

She hesitated but then nodded. “All right.” She bowed her head and clasped her hands in front of her.

Relieved that she hadn’t refused outright, Shane closed his eyes for a moment, searching his heart for the proper words. “Dear Lord, we ask that You please heal Richard’s injury with Your grace and goodness. Also we ask that You continue to provide knowledge and strength to the doctors and nurses caring for him. And please help guide us on Your chosen path. Amen.”

“Amen,” Gabby echoed.

Shane was touched that she’d responded verbally to his prayer and hoped that she’d found a little peace, especially after everything she’d been through.

“Do you want to talk to his doctor again?” he asked when she remained quiet beside him.

“Not right now.” She hesitated then asked, “Do you really think God cares about whether or not Richard recovers from his injury?”

Shane nodded. “Yes, I do. God cares about all of His children, even those who may not have found their way to Him yet.”
Like you
, he almost added, catching himself in the nick of time.

Gabby glanced up at him and he was relieved to see that the haze of pain had faded a bit from her eyes. Maybe her medication had kicked in, after all. “I don’t think Richard has been going to church on a regular basis.”

He shrugged. “But there’s always a first time,” he pointed out. “If Richard recovers, he may decide that faith is important, especially after this close brush with death.”

“Maybe,” Gabby said, although her gaze was full of doubt. “I haven’t really thought about God and faith much over the years. When my mother was placed in hospice care after her treatment for colon cancer failed, her pastor came to visit. Richard scowled at the poor guy the entire time, so the pastor didn’t stay long.”

Shane’s heart went out to her. Losing her mother to cancer couldn’t have been easy for her. “I’m sorry that you had a bad experience, but I believe that your mother may have gotten the prayers and support she needed to be at peace with her death.”

“She did seem to be at peace with her decision. She refused more chemo once the cancer had spread to her liver and kidneys,” she admitted. “Richard blamed me for the way she gave up because I was honest with her regarding her chances of surviving.”

Shane tried to squelch a flash of anger on Gabby’s behalf. “He was just lashing out at you because of his grief, nothing more.”

Gabby grimaced but continued to stare down at her stepfather. “In the past few years, I’ve watched many family members pray for their loved ones. I always imagined they were part of a close-knit family who truly cared about each other. I have to confess, I never expected to be here like this for Richard.”

“Faith can be comforting for both the patient and their family members.” Shane fought the urge to put his arm around Gabby’s shoulders to offer comfort. He curled his fingers over the side rail, instead. “Gabby, I know that you and your stepfather haven’t been close, but it’s important to forgive those who have hurt us. We should try to be like God and Jesus, who forgave those who had forsaken and betrayed him. He would like us to try to do the same.”

Gabby was silent for a long moment. “You don’t know what you’re asking,” she said finally.

“I know it’s not easy—in fact, I’m still struggling with the concept of forgiveness too,” he told her. “My fiancée left me six months before our wedding for another man.”

Gabby’s eyes widened in shock. “That’s terrible.”

“Yeah, it wasn’t fun, and I lost a couple grand as a side bonus. For years I resented her, but since I’ve started attending church, I’ve been working on forgiveness.”

“I give you a lot of credit for being able to do that,” Gabby said. She stepped back from the bedside and he wasn’t surprised when she changed the subject. “My headache is still lingering, so I think I’ll return to my call room for a while.”

“I’ll walk you back,” Shane offered, disappointed at the way she was pulling away from him.

“Suit yourself,” she said, turning and heading toward the door.

He followed her as she made her way to the call room, once again taking back hallways and stairwells that were used only by hospital staff.

Shane knew he should be happy that she’d agreed to pray with him at all, but he couldn’t help wishing for more. Clearly, whatever had caused the rift between Gabby and her stepfather was something so bad that she couldn’t readily find forgiveness.

Getting romantically involved with Gabby wasn’t an option, but he couldn’t ignore the fact that she needed help finding a way to God and faith.

And if he could manage a way to accomplish that, while keeping her safe at the same time, he would force himself to be satisfied with that.

* * *

Gabby was far too conscious of Shane’s presence beside her as she headed for the call room. Her headache still plagued her, but not nearly as badly as it had earlier.

Shane’s words about forgiveness echoed over and over in her mind. Trying to find a way to forgive Richard was one thing.

Forgiving Damon for nearly raping her was something completely different.

“Do you want something to eat?” Shane asked as they passed the cafeteria.

Her stomach lurched and twisted. “No, thanks. But you can grab something if you like. There’s no reason to follow me back to my call room.”

Shane shrugged. “I’ll grab something later.”

She suppressed a sigh and rubbed her temple. When one of her colleagues, Dr. Noah Graham, walked out of the cafeteria, she was surprised when he called out to her. “Gabby? Do you have a minute?”