Tangerine Morning: Jezzica's Story (Serenity Cove Series) (27 page)

I hated playing the tough guy, but the victim might not survive. “You kids go home. Your parents will be calling us next.” Three faces simultaneously flashed disappointment.

Harrison rocked on the heels of his shoes, shoving his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. “Uh, Chief. We found the body.”

Tommy stood straight. “Yeah, we—”

“Go—stop whining.” They moped to their cars, gunned their engines, and sped up the path in a cloud of roiling dust.

The ambulance stirred up more dirt and pulled into one of the parking spots the teens had reversed out of minutes earlier. The EMTs jogged over. “Where’s the victim?”

“A female down by the water.” I pointed toward the path. Without comment, they grabbed a stretcher. I drew a heavy breath before following. Finding bodies was an unusual occurrence in Serenity Cove.

***

Inquisitiveness had me up and out the door early to check on the woman we’d rescued the night before. It looked to be an accident, but I couldn’t be sure until I heard it from her. The drive along the coastal road was quiet, the fog from the night before beginning to burn off. I detoured through McDonald’s for a caffeine fix and gulped it down by the time I reached the turnoff.

The Serenity Cove General Hospital sign always struck me as a big name for a small, single level building. It saved lives, and we were lucky to have it—or blessed as my sister Maggie would say.

A familiar figure sat at the front desk. “Hey, Thelma—where’s Doc?” Thelma Jacobson, the hospital’s receptionist, could often be found fluffing pillows and giving unsolicited advice. I’d gone to school with Thelma’s kids—her son Mark and I graduated the same year. She was a petite woman with the same caring smile and orange hair she’d always sported.

“Hi yourself, Logan. Doc is in with Samantha, your rescue. Doc says she’s deaf. First room on the right.” She nodded toward the hospital hallway.

I tipped my cap and headed down the corridor.

“My—that man is sure easy on the eyes.”

I recognized the voice of Evelyn Carter, a physician’s assistant, behind me. Odd, I hadn’t noticed her at the desk.

“Why he’s still single is a mystery to me—what’s wrong with the young women around here?” Thelma raised her voice.

The boost to my male ego energized my steps. I lengthened my stride until I paused at the opened doorway. Doctor James Hollingsworth stood at the end of the patient’s bed, making notations on a chart. I moved in closer. “How’s our patient?”

“Sustained a light concussion and bruised ribs, along with lacerations. She’ll need to take it easy for several days.”

“Thelma mentioned she’s deaf?”

Doc pushed his pen into his coat pocket. “That’s right. But she lip-reads amazingly well.” The patient whimpered. My inability to make sense of her mutterings left questions firing through my brain.

“Did she say
baby
?”

“Sounded like
baby
to me. We know she’s not pregnant from the precautionary tests we ran.” Doc scratched his salt-and-pepper beard. “Come to think of it, she didn’t mention a child when we spoke earlier, either. Probably still not thinking too clearly.”

“We secured the area last night. Didn’t see anything to suggest she was traveling with a baby. I’ll make a run back to the cove, though.”

Doc slapped the file closed. “Give me a heads-up on what you find.”

“No problem.” I gave the patient a final glance before leaving to investigate the scene.

I reached the cove and found three cars parked up top on the berm. Only one was unfamiliar. It had been there the night before—I’d told Alec to run the plates. I hooked a U-turn and parked in front of the black SUV, and called the station. While I waited for Nicole, the only female officer with our department, to get back to me, I scouted the area.

My cell beeped with a text. “
The vehicle is registered to a Samantha E. Forrester. Also, Alec said he contacted Arnold to have it towed.”
Arnold would keep it in back of his auto repair shop, the closest thing the town had to an impound facility.

My reflection bounced off the window of the SUV. I shaded my eyes and peered inside—no car seat or paraphernalia to suggest she’d been traveling with a child. A whimper caught my attention. I knelt to see a dog cowered underneath, near the wheelbase. Unable to reach the mass of fur, I flattened and crawled partway under the vehicle until I could urge him out. The dog was a Sheltie, wearing a vest with
Hearing Dog
written on it. Rubbing the dog’s head, I flipped the tags over and read them. Goldie—Samantha Forrester—with an address in Stone Valley. About a five-hour drive, if she hadn’t made too many stops. “Come.” I patted my leg. “Let’s go see your person.”

Goldie followed me to the truck. I opened the driver’s door and waited as she climbed in, leaving a trail of dusty paw prints across my seat. She settled into the passenger side as though securing her position of co-pilot. I amused myself on the drive, thinking of Thelma’s response when I showed up with a dog. I swung a left into the hospital parking facility and slipped into the assigned spot for the SCPD. I picked Goldie up, hiding most of her vest. “Let’s go annoy Thelma.”

We pushed through the glass doors and came face to face with her. “Logan Edward Delatorre, just what do you think you’re doing? This is a hospital.” Thelma stood to her full five-foot stature, glared over the rims of her glasses and leveled a stare at me—the same one she had used when her son and I were teenagers. “And what’s with that smirk on your face?”

“Goldie—say hello.” I eased her paw out toward Thelma. “She belongs to the woman we brought in last night.” With a chuckle, I pointed to the dog’s vest.

Thelma let out an annoyed huff as I scooted down the hallway. I marched into the room with my arms full of dog. The patient shifted her gaze from the window toward us, as though she had sensed our arrival. Her eyes danced with excitement as she reached for the dog. “Come here, you.”

The animal wiggled from my grasp and leaped onto the bed. Samantha cuddled the Sheltie, rubbing her face against the dog’s fur. “Baby, you’re here.” Her voice held little of the deaf accent I had expected.

“The way her tail’s thumping, she seems excited to see you, too.” I grinned at the happy reunion.

“Evelyn said you would find her. Thank you so much,” she said, blinking back tears. “I’m Samantha Forrester.” She extended her hand.

When our hands clasped, a bit of static crackled through the room. “Logan Delatorre. My pleasure.” Her eyes were as blue as the sea roaring along our coast. I took a quick step back. “I’ll go see about a snack for Goldie.” Thelma came in balancing a tray with food and water for the dog, before I could make my escape.

“On the floor okay? Or maybe you’re going to fix the dog up in the other bed.” Thelma directed an ornery glance my way, as she blithely ignored my best turn-on-the-charm smile.

Samantha cast a questioning glance from me to Thelma. “Thank you. On the floor is fine.” She removed the dog’s vest and nodded to me. “Will you set her next to the food?”

We watched as the dog lapped up the entire bowl of water in less than a minute. Thelma smiled at Samantha. “I’ll be back later to take her for a walk.” She exited the room, tossing me an over-the-shoulder glance. I winked at her, knowing Goldie would be well cared for.

Samantha laid back, her golden hair draped over the edge of the pillow, looking the way I suspected an angel might. I dragged a chair over next to the bed. “I need a statement from you about what happened out at the cove.” I realized I’d glanced toward the window and reminded myself to face Samantha as I spoke so she could lip-read.

Her smile said she understood, a multi-watt smile that shot a surge of adrenaline through my veins. Taking a deep breath I repeated the question.

“Sure. Although there’s no great mystery involved.” She shrugged.

I pulled a notebook from my pocket. “Just need to complete my report. Start with your name and address, then tell me how you fell.”

She relayed the information and paused until my pen stilled. “Arriving at night wasn’t real smart—and not part of my original plan. I was running late, and when we reached Serenity Cove, it was already dark. We had scarcely passed the city limit sign when Goldie pawed my leg, letting me know she needed a pit stop. When we reached the cove, it looked like a good place, so I pulled over. I followed Goldie along the dirt path. Near the bottom, I lost my footing.” She winced as she pressed on her ribs, taking a moment before continuing. “Not one of my brighter ideas, going down a rocky trail in high-heeled boots. At any rate, I tumbled and slid down the embankment to the water’s edge. The next thing I remember, I was in the back of an ambulance with sirens blaring.”

“You’re positive it was an accident? You didn’t see anyone around the area before you fell?”

“Absolutely sure. If Goldie could talk, she’d confirm my story.” A shy smile crossed her face. “Not my finest performance—makes me a contender for the klutz-of-the-year award.”

“You’re not the first person to plummet down that footway.” I shoved the notebook into my pocket. “I’m relieved you weren’t attacked. I’d hate to think we had a criminal on the loose. I’ll need a copy of your driver’s license for identification purposes.”

I was surprised to see her open the drawer of the bedside table and pull out a small wallet.

“Being I was traveling, I had it in the pocket of my jeans.” Had she read the questioning look on my face?

Evelyn breezed into the room, set a tray with meds on the over-bed table, and motioned toward the door. “Our patient needs to rest now.”

“I’ll drop by tomorrow.” I nodded to Samantha and patted the top of Goldie’s head. Next, I went in search of Doc—I’d neglected to call him.

He was leaning against the front desk, talking with Thelma. “Hey, Logan. I hear you found
baby
.” He chuckled with a smug grin on his face.

I raised an eyebrow at Thelma. She shrugged and smiled.

I had no reason to question Samantha’s story, but I had to do my job. “The patient claims the fall was an accident.” I eyed Doc closely to gauge his take on the situation.

“Nothing to make me doubt her story.” Doc tugged on his graying beard. “No reason to think anything else. If she had a place to stay, I would release her in the morning. But being she doesn’t want to inconvenience anyone to come all the way from Stone Valley, she’ll be spending a few days here. Can’t take any chances.”

“How about her parents?”

“According to Samantha, they’re both deceased. Her only family is an elderly aunt in Stone Valley. Her ribs will be painful for a while, but she won’t be down long.”

I turned to Thelma. “I need a copy of the patient’s ID.” I handed her the license Samantha had given me.

She slid it in the copier behind her, and handed me the printout. I folded the paper and slid it into my pocket. “Thanks. Would you return her license?”

“Will do. You get some rest.” Always the caretaker. I still appreciated how she’d helped out after my mother died. I’d never pitched a baseball game without Thelma sitting in the stands beside my grandparents.

I slapped the edge of the desk. “I’m out of here. Let me know if there’s any change.”

I put the truck into gear and headed toward Main Street. I’d learned early in my career not to get personally involved. Yet, Samantha had connected with the protective side of my nature. I ignored common sense and followed the streets to my sister’s shop.

Chapter Two
 

For almost thirty years, I’d perceived my emotional house to be built of brick. Sadly, not unlike the story of The Three Little Pigs, when the wolf showed up at my door and commenced to huff and puff, my house came tumbling down—the bricks nothing more than mere straw. ~ Journal entry

Life had turned chaotic with no input from me, long before the accident. Nothing in my experiences prepared me for this calamitous turn of events. Prayers for guidance were met with only silence. Insecurity raged, leaving my emotions shredded, like climbing a steep mountain without a rope and ending up gripping rock with bare hands.

Goldie brushed her paw against my knee—her way of alerting me someone had entered the room. I glanced up as the physician’s assistant strode through the door. A scent of efficiency followed her.