Pinch Me

Chapter Ten

Saturday morning, Laura got the distinct impression that she must have been an early riser. This time she beat sunrise by about ten minutes.

As she started to get out of bed, a stray thought popped into her mind from out of nowhere.

That’s why Sunday morning dives are always so freaking painful.

She froze, struggling to pull more from the recesses of her brain.

It was an absolutely true statement. The very depths of her soul told her it was.

Unfortunately, she had no idea what the hell it meant.

After a few minutes, when she realized no more was forthcoming, she let out a disappointed sigh before she continued her journey out of bed and to the bathroom.

Last night, watching Rob sleep, she felt relief that the pain she’d read on his face seemed to vanish. He almost looked happy, at peace.

She hadn’t had the heart to wake him up, wanting to just lay there and stare at him. To have him to herself for a few minutes.

To see him free of the emotional pain this whole situation was obviously causing him.

After using the toilet and getting undressed so she could take a shower, she studied herself in the mirror. As it had so many times before, her hand went to her throat. It still felt like something important was missing, and not just a necklace, or a view of skin unblemished by bruises and stitches.

How could I be so attached to a necklace? But maybe she had been. Maybe it was very sentimental to her because Rob gave it to her.

Closing her eyes, she realized she had no trouble visualizing his face, hearing his voice in her mind. He had to work today but would stop by later that evening for an extended break, courtesy of his captain. Shayla was coming in that morning to stay with her, and Rob had arranged for Carol to stop by that evening until Rob arrived.

She felt a little nervous about Carol’s visit. Despite knowing her relationship with Carol went back decades, she felt closer to Shayla, and not just because Shayla had spent more time with her at the hospital.

In her heart, she felt closer to Shayla. And she suspected this was something that pre-dated the attack.

She was now completely free of tubes and Hep-Locks, meaning she could stand in the shower and enjoy the feel of the warm water sluicing over her without any assistance needed.

Freedom.

A feeling of restlessness settled over her. She wanted to be out. To be free. Despite the risks presented by not having a deputy guarding her all the time, recovering a few memories yesterday had buoyed her spirits. The cards and flowers and even a few stuffed animals that now threatened to crowd her out of her hospital room were heartfelt and appreciated, but they did zilch to jostle any stubborn memories loose.

Maybe being home would trigger even more. Being able to lie in her own bed. Shower in her own bathroom. Cook her own food.

I’d kill for a grilled cheese.

Her eyes popped open again as she laughed. Another random thought she knew to be true.

It wasn’t much, but she’d take the win.

Laura was dressed and back in bed by the time Shayla arrived a little after seven thirty, once again fully loaded with food containers. The containers holding the cookies and other goodies from yesterday were still stacked on the bedside table next to the phone. Laura had been offering them around to the nurses and aides who came in, not wanting them to go to waste.

“Good morning, sunshine!” Shayla brightly greeted her.

Laura was about to answer her when the room phone rang. When she answered it, a hysterical man’s voice yelled, making her pull the phone away from her ear.

“Laura? Laura, is that you? Are you okay? What happened?”

Fear hammered in her heart, freezing her. She was about to drop the phone when Shayla snagged it from her hand.

“Hello?” she demanded. “Who is this?”

Laura could hear the man’s frantic tone but not make out his words. Shayla unloaded the food containers onto the bed tray table and walked around to the other side, the phone cord stretched to its limit at the end of the bed. “This is Laura’s friend, Shayla Daniels.”

As the man spoke some more, Shayla’s expression relaxed. “Hold on.” She pulled the phone from her ear. “It’s your brother, Bill,” she explained, before getting back on the phone to talk with him.

She spent a few minutes updating him about Laura’s condition even as her own phone began ringing in her purse, Shayla ignoring it as she talked.

After a few minutes, she said, “Hold on.” She turned to Laura. “He’d like to talk to you.”

Her pulse had finally slowed to something resembling normal. “Did he calm down?”

She smiled. “Yes, he’s calm.” She held out the phone.

Laura tentatively reached for it. “Hello?”

The man breathed a sigh of relief. “Hi, Laura.” He did sound calmer. “I’m sorry, sis. I didn’t mean to scare you. I didn’t get back until late last night and I finally played my messages. I tried calling Rob’s cell, but it went to voice mail. He’d left the hospital information on one of his messages.”

She tried to absorb all of that and couldn’t. “Okay.”

“Shayla told me you still don’t have much of your memory.”

“No.” She tried to think back to the memories of the funeral and realized his voice did sound familiar. “Not much.” Laura was aware of Shayla tsking at her cell, which she’d dug out of her purse. She stepped into the bathroom to make a call.

“Do…” His voice choked and broke. “Do you remember me?”

“A little. Not much. I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t apologize, hon. I’m going to make some phone calls as soon as it’s a reasonable hour out here and shift some of my charters. Then I’ll get a flight there as soon as I can.”

She struggled to remember. “You’re from Montana.”

He sounded sad. “That’s right. A little town at the northern entrance to Yellowstone called Gardiner.”

She didn’t know what else to say to him. “You might want to call Rob and tell him all the flight stuff. I’m…” She nearly choked up at the thought. “I’m sort of useless right now.”

“I will. As soon as I have it.” There was a moment of silence that felt so uncomfortable to her she knew it had to feel twice that for him.

She felt badly she couldn’t console him, knowing it was her situation making him feel the way he did.

That she’d disrupted his life the way she’d disrupted the lives of everyone close to her.

Her fault or not, it didn’t take the emotions away.

She thought about the psychiatrist’s business card, which she’d tucked away in the drawer of the table next to her bed. “I’ll tell Rob you called.” That sounded lame to her ears, but she didn’t know what else to say.

Shayla emerged from the bathroom, giving Laura the perfect excuse. “I need to go. I have someone here.”

“Okay, sis. I love you.”

She knew she had to say it back to him. The former version of her no doubt had loved him. “Love you, too.”

She hung up and looked at Shayla, who wore a wry smile.

“Your other half was trying to call me to warn us your brother was going to call, and he might be upset when he did.” She tucked her phone back into her purse.

Laura smiled. “A little late for that, huh?”

“Well, he was finishing up on a call. Eh, a run. They were working an accident and Bill apparently tried to get in touch with him just a few minutes before Rob got back into the ambulance. Rob tried to call here first but got a busy signal.”

Laura’s stomach rumbled. “So, breakfast?”

Shayla’s smile widened. Laura could tell her friend took great pride and pleasure in bringing her the tasty food, so there was no way in hell she wouldn’t eat it.

Besides, she was a great cook.

Det. Thomas stopped by to talk with Laura after lunch. She didn’t miss the glance Shayla gave him before excusing herself to go down to the coffee kiosk in the lobby.

Unlike the first time Laura talked with him, she felt no nervousness, no fear. Not about him, at least.

He offered up a warm, kindly smile. “I hear you’ve gotten a few memories back.”

“Nothing helpful, unfortunately.” She picked at the sheet on the bed. “I don’t remember who did this to me.” She finally raised her gaze to meet his. “Have you come up with anything?”

“Lab said DNA results may be ready as soon as Monday.”

“That’s good, right?”

“I don’t know.” He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, hands clasped together. “I need to prepare you. I suspect whoever attacked you might be involved in other crimes.”

She froze as she stared at him, the chill settling deep in her core. “He’s a serial rapist?” When he seemed to be searching for the answer, she added, “He’s a serial killer.”

She didn’t need to phrase it as a question because she read the answer in his expression.

Eventually, he nodded. “I don’t have confirmation yet. It’s just a suspicion.”

“But you wouldn’t be mentioning it to me unless it was a pretty strong suspicion.”

He nodded.

“How am I supposed to keep myself safe? Whoever did this to me might be someone I know.”

He sat up. “I wanted to talk to you about getting a concealed carry permit.”

“You want me to carry a gun?”

“And look into getting an alarm.”

She let out a snort. “I don’t even know if I like guns, much less if I’ve ever shot one before.”

“Several shops in the area hold classes. And I can see if I can get a rush put on your concealed carry license paperwork.”

“You think he’ll try again.”

He sounded like he was trying to pick his words carefully. “I’m saying that I think you should take every precaution you can. Including being proactive with your personal safety.”

“Do you think he’ll come after my friends? Or Rob?”

Thomas didn’t answer at first. She was getting ready to ask the question again when he sat back in his chair. “I interviewed several of your friends last night. Ones that Rob said are the closest to you and him. I would suspect the men can handle themselves.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“I have no idea what might happen simply because we don’t know who did this or what connection they have to you, or what knowledge they have about you or your friends. I strongly suggest taking whatever steps you can to protect your privacy, though.”

“I didn’t before this?”

“I didn’t say that. Rob indicated you were pretty savvy in that regard and didn’t share a lot of personal information online.”

Shayla returned. Laura didn’t miss how she glanced at the detective before looking away and taking another chair on the far side of the room.

Laura looked at her. “He says I should start carrying a gun.”

She thought Shayla was going to choke on her coffee. “What?”

“Is that something I used to do?”

Shayla looked quickly back and forth between Laura and the detective. She had to ask it. “What are you not telling me, Shayla?”

Thomas spoke up. “Mrs. Daniels was there last night when I talked with everyone. I met with them at her house.”

Shayla looked relieved not to have to be the one to admit it.

Laura sat up in bed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want to worry you.”

Laura choked back her anger, not sure if it was even justified or not. “Well? What else should I know?”

“It’s not a bad idea,” Shayla quietly said. “I think Rob does have a gun. I don’t remember you talking about shooting, but you aren’t anti-gun as far as I know. And,” she quickly added, “Clarisse said Sully taught her how to shoot. I’m sure he’d be willing to take you shooting and teach you. He’s a retired cop.”

A wave of exhaustion flowed through Laura. It felt like there were a million things she should know, beyond who attacked her, and the thought of relearning them overwhelmed her. She slumped back against her bed. “Whatever,” she quietly said. “If Rob says it’s okay, I’ll do it.”

Thomas stood and stepped closer, giving her hand a paternal squeeze. “I know this isn’t easy—”

“That is the fucking understatement of the year.”

He tried again. “Look, I know you don’t know me. But the people I talked to last night, it’s obvious how they feel about you. To a person they love you very much. Anyone would be lucky to have a fraction of that many people concerned about them. They’re worried about you, and they want to do anything they can to help. They’re just waiting for Rob to tell them it’s okay to step forward.”

She looked up at him. “So give me your professional opinion as a cop.” She glanced at Shayla before focusing on him again. “What’d they think about Rob?”

He offered her a kindly smile. “They all agreed he’d die for you. And I suspect they’d all step forward to alibi him if your attacker turns up murdered.”

Shayla let out a snort. “Screw that,” she muttered. “We’d help him bury the fucker’s body.”

Laura started out laughing, but it immediately turned into more tears. She hated that, hated not being in control of her emotions on top of everything else.

Thomas chose that moment to take his leave as Shayla stepped forward to put her arms around Laura and console her.

“I hate this,” she tearfully sobbed against her friend’s shoulder. “I hate all of this. I want my life back.”

“It’ll happen,” she said. “We’ll get you there. He’s right, there are two things you don’t need to question. Rob loves you, and we all love you.”

“I keep hoping someone’s going to just pinch me and wake me up from this nightmare.”

Shayla kissed her forehead. “Believe me, if we could fix this for you, we would. In a heartbeat.”

After leaving the hospital, Thomas headed back to Englewood to talk to the neighbor, Tom Edwards. Fortunately the man was home, even though his wife was out.

“I’d like to run through your statement with you again.”

He didn’t miss the caution in the man’s face. “All right.”

“Why didn’t you head next door immediately when you heard the first noises?”

“Because…” His shoulders slumped a little. “I didn’t think much of it.”

He needed to play his hand. “Mr. Edwards, I’m aware of extenuating circumstances regarding Laura Spaulding and Rob Carlton’s relationship. That is not a factor in my investigation. Would you like to restate, unofficially and off the record, what happened?”

Relief filled the man’s face. “Let me tell you something, before I say anything else. We’ve had them over for dinner, and been to their place for dinner, several times. They’re a sweet couple. I know Rob would not hurt her if his life depended on it.”

“We have completely eliminated him as a suspect, Mr. Edwards.”

The man nodded. “I heard the door slam, but it was the screaming that got my attention. She never screams. They don’t raise their voices, either one of them. Ever. And it sounded like they were pounding on the walls.”

“But you’ve heard other things?”

“Rob would never hurt—”

“I don’t care if you’ve heard Rob spank her, all right?”

The man drew back a little, but nodded again. “Okay. Just so we’re clear.”

“We’re clear. I’ve already discussed that with Rob. I need to know exactly what you heard and saw.”

“Like I told you that night, his hair was lighter than Rob’s, and I think he was a few inches shorter than Rob. He wasn’t built like him, either. Thinner.”

“Did you hear anything he said to her before the screaming and other noises started?”

“Not clearly. It was the yelling that caught my attention first. Like I told you, they never raise their voices. Well, laughter. I’ve heard that. Playful squeals from her. Never screaming. Never crying like that.”

He shook his head. “I’m not saying they don’t ever disagree with each other. They love to debate things. I’ve seen them go head-to-head at dinner sometimes. But even then, when Rob looks at her, you can see the love in his eyes. Pride. Like he thinks he’s the luckiest son of a bitch in the world to have her.”

Thomas tried to ignore that and the pain of loss it dredged up in his own soul. “And you’ve never seen anyone hanging around who didn’t belong here?”

“No. They have friends over, but I’ve seen them all plenty of times. They’re very friendly.” He rubbed at his chin again. “I’m just glad we got home when we did. We’d been out of town for two weeks and got back home that morning. If we hadn’t been here…” He shook his head. “Our cars were here while we were gone. A friend took us up, and we took an airport limo home.”

Even though he’d left his card before, Thomas handed the man another one. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Edwards.”

“I hope you catch him.”

He glanced over at Laura Spaulding’s door. “So do I.”