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  Twenty minutes? For some reason he thought it had been just a few minutes ago. “Are they still here?”

  “I’ll check for you, but you have to stay calm,” the nurse said firmly. “The doctors spent a lot of time reconstructing the brachial artery in your arm. I can guarantee they won’t appreciate having you damage their hard work by trying to get out of bed.”

  “Just find Rachel and Joey for me,” he managed, not bothering to explain that he couldn’t move his left arm if he tried.

  The nurse left the room and it seemed like a long time before she came back carrying a small IV bag. “I have your antibiotic here,” she said as she logged into the computer. “Just give me a few minutes here, okay?”

  He did his best to give her the time she needed to scan his wristband and the medication, before she hung it on the IV pump. Only when she finished did he ask. “Rachel and Joey?”

  “I’m sorry, but apparently they went home,” she said, her tone full of sympathy.

  Home? How? As far as he knew Rachel didn’t have any money or a vehicle. Had she hitched a ride with someone? Borrowed money? What?

  He stared at the four walls surrounding him, feeling totally helpless. He was in no condition to follow Rachel, to make sure she and Joey were still safe. Had the police arrested Errol? He certainly hoped so. No doubt they’d be here soon to get his statement about the events that had transpired outside of Uncle Wally’s cabin.

  Still, he couldn’t believe Rachel and Joey had left without saying goodbye.

  * * *

  Exhaustion weighed heavily on Rachel’s shoulders as she and her son made their way back down to the hospital waiting room. She needed to figure out a way to get home, no easy feat since Chicago was about three hours from Madison. A taxi was probably out of the question, which left a bus or a train.

  When she asked the woman at the front desk about a train, she shook her head. “Sorry, there’s bus service to Chicago, but no train.”

  Of course there wasn’t a train. Why would anything be easy? She was about to ask about borrowing a phone, when the police officer who’d brought her and Joey to the hospital arrived. “Ms. Simon? Could we talk for a few minutes?”

  Did she really have a choice? She forced a smile, knowing that her bad mood wasn’t Officer McCarthy’s fault. “Sure.”

  “Let’s talk in the chapel across the hall,” the policeman suggested. “There’s more privacy.”

  She nodded and drew Joey along with her as they crossed over to the chapel. She sank into a wooden pew and gazed at the simple yet beautifully crafted stained glass cross over the mantel. She imagined this room was used by many family members praying for their loved ones to get better.

  Unfortunately, Nick didn’t want her anywhere near him while he was recovering. He’d rather face his unknown future on his own.

  She forced herself to push away her painful thoughts. “What can I do for you?”

  “I just want to go through the events one more time,” Officer McCarthy explained. “We found the dead body of Gerald Ashton, as you mentioned before. But we still haven’t found the man you referred to as Dr. Karl Errol. And I have to tell you, the vehicle that was parked there is gone, too.”

  She shivered, hoping Karl had taken the car to parts unknown. Although certainly they could trace the car’s license plates? Officer McCarthy assured her they were looking for the vehicle. So she took a deep breath and began describing the events of the night before. Midway through, Sean McCarthy interrupted, asking her to start at the beginning.

  With a sigh, she went back to the night Joey was kidnapped, explaining what they’d done. The officer’s expression was grim by the time she finished. “I’m not sure if that cop of yours deserves a medal or a demotion,” he said. “You’re lucky things didn’t turn out worse.”

  She thought Nick definitely deserved a medal, but she didn’t say anything. “Look, Officer McCarthy, Joey and I need to figure out a way to get back to Chicago.”

  “I can give you a ride to the bus station, if that helps,” he offered.

  She smiled wanly and nodded. As much as it went against the grain to ask for handouts, they’d need money for bus tickets. “Would you loan me the money for tickets? I promise I’ll pay you back.”

  There was the slightest hesitation before he nodded. “Sure, no problem.”

  Relief at having one problem solved was overwhelming. “Thank you so much,” she whispered.

  Officer McCarthy looked uncomfortable but gave a brief nod. “Okay, let’s go then. I’ll come back later to get Butler’s statement. He’s not going anywhere soon, and I’ll probably get a more coherent story once he’s feeling a little better.”

  Thinking of Nick made her sad all over again, but she tried to hide her feelings from Joey. They followed Officer McCarthy to where he’d left his car, parked right in front of the hospital in a clear no-parking zone. The traffic around Madison was crazy busy and the ride to the bus station seemed interminable. Staring out the window to calm her frayed nerves, the Christmas decorations reminded her that the holiday was only two days away.

  Inside the bus station, Officer McCarthy used his credit card to pay for their tickets, and then he handed them some cash. “Get something for you and the boy to eat,” he said roughly. “And I hope you have a merry Christmas.”

  Tears pricked her eyes at his kindness and she’d already made a note of how much money she owed him. “Thanks again, for everything,” she said softly. “And I hope you have a merry Christmas with your family, as well.”

  He gave both of them a nod before making his way back outside. She sank into one of the hard plastic chairs inside the bus station since the next bus didn’t leave until twelve-thirty in the afternoon. Thankfully, just a few hours more and they’d be on their way home.

  Waiting was the worst, but finally they boarded the bus and settled into their seats. The bus was busy with what looked like college kids heading home to their families. The ride to Chicago took much longer than she’d anticipated, partially because of the frequent stops and then because of the heavy traffic the closer they came to the city.

  While they were stuck in a snarling traffic jam, Rachel realized that she didn’t have her house keys. She hadn’t been home since the night of Joey’s kidnapping. She’d left her mangled car with the keys in it at the scene of the crash as every ounce of energy had been focused on finding her son.

  With a groan, she rested her forehead on the cold glass window and realized she’d have to take a taxi to her office to pick up her spare set of keys. Yet another delay before she and Joey would finally get home.

  She could hardly wait.

  * * *

  Nick stared at Officer McCarthy in horror. “What do you mean you didn’t find Errol? And now my car is missing? Are you telling me he’s still out there on the loose?” The monitor above his head sounded an alarm and he took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart.

  “Yes. That’s exactly what I’m telling you. The only body we found was Gerald Ashton’s. He died of a gunshot wound to his chest.”

  Nick momentarily closed his eyes, feeling bad that he’d taken a life. He’d been protecting Rachel and Joey after being wounded himself. But that didn’t really make him feel better.

  “Where’s Rachel? And Joey? We need to keep them safe in case Errol decides to come after them.”

  “I took them to the bus station, bought them tickets to get home and gave them a little extra cash so they could get something to eat.”

  “You what?” Nick shouted, and this time, he didn’t care about the beeping alarms. He tried to throw off the covers and make his way to the side of the bed, but it wasn’t easy when his left arm was wrapped up tighter than a mummy. The doctors had explained the numbness was due to some sort of pain block they’d put in, which made him feel even mor
e like an idiot for the way he’d acted toward Rachel.

  But nothing was going to stop him from doing the right thing—now.

  “Mr. Butler!” his nurse cried as she came running into the room. “What are you doing?”

  “It’s Detective Butler,” he ground out between clenched teeth, trying to ignore the sweat that beaded on his brow. “And I’m getting out of here.”

  “You can’t leave!” The nurse looked appalled and she crossed the room to push him back into bed even as she called out for help.

  Frustrated to discover he didn’t have the strength of a gnat, he threw a desperate glance at McCarthy. “Help me out, here. Don’t you understand? Rachel and Joey are in danger as long as Karl Errol is still on the loose! The guy is working for Global Pharmaceuticals.”

  “I’m calling your doctor,” the nurse threatened, acting as if she hadn’t heard a word he said. Or maybe she just didn’t care.

  “Yeah, you do that,” Nick said with a disgusted sigh. “Because I’m pretty sure I have the right to leave against medical advice.”

  “Only if you can make it out of here without passing out cold,” the nurse said tersely, holding his gaze with bold determination.

  “Now, just hold on a minute,” McCarthy said, holding up his hand and trying to wedge himself between Nick and the nurse. “If you really think Ms. Simon and her son are in danger, I’ll help you. No need to act like a lunatic.”

  Nick couldn’t help feeling like a lunatic. He couldn’t explain the bad feeling he had about the way Rachel and Joey had left him. Without saying goodbye. Without having Karl Errol in custody. That creep actually had his car!

  “Fine,” he bit out, knowing that he didn’t have the strength to stay seated on the side of his bed for much longer. “What’s the plan?”

  “How about if I send some backup out to meet Ms. Simon and her son at the Chicago bus depot,” McCarthy offered. “They can drive her home, stick around a bit to make sure everything’s all right.”

  It was a start, but not good enough. “We need to get to Chicago, ASAP. I need you to help me get out of here,” he said to McCarthy. “I’ll need help since I can barely keep myself upright. We need to get to Rachel before Errol does.”

  “I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” McCarthy hedged.

  “I do. Trust me—I’ll take full responsibility for my decision.” Last year, Jonah had been in a similar situation, leaving the hospital against doctor’s orders. And he’d been fine.

  Nick had to believe everything would work out fine this time, too.

  Dear Lord, please give me the strength I need to keep Rachel and Joey safe.

  * * *

  Rachel held on to Joey’s hand tightly as they navigated the crowds at the bus depot. Without luggage, it was easy to push her way through the swarming mass of people to the door, and before long they found their way to the taxi stand. Now that they were back in Chicago, she couldn’t wait to get home. But first a quick trip to her office building.

  Her desperation must have shown as a taxi came barreling to a stop right in front of her. She thought she heard someone call her name but then figured she was imagining things. She urged Joey in first and climbed in after him.

  “Where to?” the cabbie asked in a thick Middle Eastern accent.

  “Simon Incorporated,” she told him, rattling off the address. He nodded and pulled out into traffic, earning a loud protest from the guy behind him.

  She almost closed her eyes, because the taxi drivers in Chicago were maniacs behind the wheel, and she always expected to get in a crash. But somehow, miraculously, they always managed to get to their destinations unscathed.

  “Are we home yet?” Joey asked plaintively. She knew he was exhausted, and he’d truly taken everything in stride better than she could have expected.

  “Almost. We’re going to stop by my office first, so I can pay the taxi driver and get our house keys,” she said in a hushed voice, hoping the driver didn’t understand English very well. She didn’t think he’d have agreed to take her anywhere knowing that she didn’t have anything more than ten dollars in her pocket, courtesy of Officer McCarthy’s donation. She intended to get a check in the mail to him first thing in the morning, thanking him again for helping her out.

  Joey sighed heavily but didn’t whine or complain.

  The traffic worked against them again, and she kept a wary eye on the time, hoping they’d get there before the office building shut down for the day. It was almost five o’clock in the evening and already pitch-black outside, except for the brightly lit buildings and the various Christmas decorations, of course.

  She chewed her lower lip nervously. Hopefully, even if everyone was gone, the security guards would let her upstairs. Maybe Gerry hadn’t had time to completely take over her company. Just the thought of explaining how Gerry had died was enough to overwhelm her.

  It was five-fifteen when the taxi driver pulled up in front of her building. “Keep the meter running...I’ll be right back.”

  “No! You pay first!” he protested.

  “Look, I promise you I’ll be back. We need to get home. I don’t have a car.”

  He stared at her with eyes black as midnight but then he nodded. “If you not back soon, I come after you.”

  She breathed a tiny sigh of relief. “I will, I promise.” Sliding out from the backseat, she waited for Joey to join her and headed inside.

  Carrie, the perky receptionist, left promptly at five, but there was a security guard seated in her spot. Being inside the office building after being gone for so long seemed a little strange yet, at the same time, blessedly familiar. “George, how are you? How are the kids?”

  “Great, Ms. Simon, just great. What are you doing here so late?”

  “I forgot something up in my office. Would you mind letting me use the master key?” She hoped and prayed that Gerry hadn’t told everyone to keep her out of the building.

  “Sure, no problem.” George held out a key. “Just bring it back when you leave.”

  “I will.” She didn’t hesitate, but went straight over to the bank of elevators. The doors opened immediately, taking them all the way to the tenth floor without a single stop.

  She unlocked the door, noting that the entire office area was completely dark, as if everyone had gone home early. And considering it was nearly Christmas, she understood why. She flipped on lights as she walked down the hall to her office.

  Her door stood open, which she thought was a little odd. Edith always kept the door closed and locked when Rachel wasn’t there. Then again, the woman had given her notice. For all she knew, Edith hadn’t even shown up for work today.

  Hovering in the doorway, she reached inside to flip on the lights. She blinked for a moment so that her eyes could adjust before crossing the room to her desk and rummaging for cash and her keys. Joey plopped into her desk chair, spinning from side to side.

  She was relieved to find her secret stash of bills was right where she’d left it. She grabbed the money and the spare set of keys.

  “I’ve been waiting for you, Rachel.”

  The voice came from the hallway, and she swallowed a scream when she jerked her head up to see Karl Errol standing in the shadows. Her heart dropped to her stomach when she realized he’d traded the rifle for a small handgun, which he pointed directly at her. From this distance it would be hard for him to miss.

  “Karl!” She faced him in the doorway, making sure to keep Joey behind her, hoping her son would figure out a way to slide down behind the desk. All the while, she kept her eyes locked on the research scientist. She couldn’t believe Karl was here. How did he know that she’d stop by on her way home? Or had he planned to wait for her all night, surprising her in the morning? She swallowed hard, wishing she’d asked George to come up with her.

 
How long did she have to stall here before the cabbie came looking for his money? Or would he simply give up and drive away? She tried not to think the worst. “I’m so glad you’re all right. We looked everywhere for you!”

  “Yeah, right. You left me there to die, Rachel,” he sneered with obvious reproach. “Good thing I still had the distributer cap for the car, hmm?”

  “What do you want, Karl?” she asked, fed up with pandering to his ego. “What more could you possibly want from me?”

  “I need to finish what I started,” he said enigmatically. “I always finish the job.”

  “Why?” she asked helplessly, tired of the games. “Haven’t you caused enough damage? You’ve ruined my company’s reputation, and for what? Love? You don’t have the faintest idea what true love is. Josie never would have accepted your love if she knew what you’ve done.”

  She couldn’t help thinking of Nick. How she’d left him in the hospital without even giving him a chance to explain what he’d gone through. Maybe he had shut her out, believing the worst about the damage to his arm, but sooner or later, he would have come around. If she’d learned anything about faith, it was that leaning on God’s strength could help you through the darkest days. She was suddenly ashamed of her actions. She should have stayed. She should have given him a second chance.

  Should have told him how she felt.

  Now she could only hope and pray she wasn’t too late.

  “Do you honestly think that Detective Butler won’t figure out that you’re the one who killed me?” she continued, since Karl hadn’t responded. “He’s not stupid, Karl. I promise Nick won’t rest until he finds you and makes sure that you spend the rest of your life behind bars.”

  “I have protection. My boss will protect me.”

  “Protection? From your boss? William Hanson, the CEO of Global? Or the Mafia?”

  The way Karl reacted to William Hanson’s name let her know she’d nailed it correctly. For once she didn’t mind being wrong about the Mafia connection.