Chapter 8
As hard as he tried to recall, his memory of the accident remained hidden in shattered fragments. The officers stood over him, pad and pen in hand, awaiting his account. He closed his eyes in concentration and struggled to speak.
“It was an older model four-door sedan. I remember it only had one headlight, on the right side. It happened so fast, and it was very foggy.”
“Did you happen to get a visual of the driver? Male or female? Young or old? Any passengers in the vehicle?”
Noah rubbed his forehead and started to cough. He had no memory of the accident.
“Detectives,” Ashley interjected. “Please. He needs to rest.”
“We understand, ma’am. Thank you for your time.” The detective pulled a card out of his wallet. “If any other memories or information come to mind, please give me a call. This is the direct line to my office phone.”
The card read, Detective Mark Stevens. Placer County Police Department.
“Yes sir. We definitely want whoever did this to be brought to justice.” She twisted her ring. “I understand accidents happen—but a hit-and-run? Who could live with themselves after that?”
Detective Stevens shook her hand. “We’ll do our best to find some answers, ma’am.”
Noah laid his head on the pillow, mentally and physically exhausted.
Hank scowled across the interrogation table at the detectives. Two uniformed guards by the door, hands on their revolvers.
“I told you over and over. I don’t recall nothing except my car was outside my house Christmas Eve and gone the next morning.”
“Mr. Peterson, we discovered that your car, the one found burned out in the woods outside town, is the same car that almost fatally injured a firefighter on Christmas Eve.”
“Wow! You guys are like Hawaii Five - 0,” Hank rolled his eyes and slapped his hand on the table. “I’m surrounded by idiots. Obviously, the person who hit the firefighter is the same person who stole my car and then tried to cover up the evidence.”
Detective Stevens stared directly at Hank. “Sir, we have reason to believe you hit the firefighter, left the scene, torched the car, and then tried to cover it up by reporting your vehicle as stolen.”
“You don’t have one bit of evidence. My car got stolen, end of story.” Hank rose from his chair, clenching his fists. “Nobody calls me a liar.”
Fury roared through his body as he started to circle the table toward the detectives.
The detectives stood behind the table, hands on their weapons. More guards entered the room.
Hank sized them up and stopped his advance. “You’re holding me here with no evidence. I demand a lawyer!”
Dr. Fisher knocked on the door Ashley looked up as he entered the room and put down the magazine she was reading. Crossing the room with wide steps he smiled at Ashley and walked over to the side of the hospital bed, He shook Noah’s hand. “How’s my favorite patient?”
“A little restless.” Noah grinned. “Any word on when I can bust out of here?”
“Not yet, but I do have your latest lab results here. Your white blood count is in the normal range, but I think we should continue the full course of IV antibiotics. We want to be extra cautious because of the high risk of bone infection with femur breaks like yours.”
Noah couldn’t hold back a sigh. He was thankful to be alive, but he couldn’t wait to be unhooked from all the tubes and go home.
“You’re doing great.” Dr. Fisher smiled encouragingly.
“Agreed.” Ashley smiled back. “Hey, how was church on Sunday? Were you able to go with Sabrina?
“Ash, don’t be a busybody.” Noah winked at her.
“Hey now. I’m your medical provider.” Dr. Fisher tugged on the collar of his lab coat and flushed. “No questions about my love life, okay?
Ashley nudged Noah. “Hey, love life. What do you think about that?”
“Awesome.”
“What’s awesome?” Sabrina entered the room and sanitized her hands at the dispenser next to the door. “Hi, Jake.”
“Hi.” His face lit up. “What’s awesome is that I was about to tell these two that if Noah continues to improve at this rate, he could be homeward bound by next week.
“Wonderful news.” Ashley grabbed Noah’s hand. “Finally, home together as a family. The girls will be thrilled!”
“A couple of things we need to discuss. You’re stable enough now to have surgery on your legs.
We need to have an orthopedic surgeon do an evaluation.
You may need some hardware, rods, and pins, and casting after they close the open femur fractures.
Maybe some skin grafting. The extent can’t be determined until the procedure. ”
“How soon do you think that will happen?” Ashley asked.
“I’ll request an orthopedic consult. Hopefully, within the next few days. I’d like to take you out of traction as soon as possible.”
“Amen to that, brother.” Noah turned his torso from side to side. “Crazy how much it bothers a person to lay in bed. Every muscle hurts, and I’m not doing anything but lying here.”
Ashley leaned down to kiss his cheek. “Your poor body’s been through an awful lot this past week.”
Noah groaned. “I look forward to being able to sit up and move around.”
“I hear you, man.” Dr. Fisher turned to Sabrina with a gentle smile. “They’ll need some durable equipment at home. A hospital bed with a support bar, wheelchair, shower chair, and so forth. You know the drill. I’ll write the orders. Can you coordinate the equipment?”
Sabrina nodded. “Consider it done. What about skilled nursing at home?”
Ashley looked at Noah. “I’m his one-on-one RN at home.”
Noah protested. “Ash, it might be too much with your job and everything. I have tons of sick leave and vacation credits. My coworkers have been amazing in donating sick leave and vacation credits. After that is used up, I can apply for extended disability leave. Our medical insurance would cover skilled nursing at home.” He grasped her hand gently in his.
“You don’t need to do this, babe. I love that you are willing, but it’s too much with your job and the girls too.
You don’t need to worry, babe. Michelle, my supervisor in the NICU, and I have been talking.
She’s been so supportive, and the paperwork for Family Medical Leave is in process.
I also spoke with the school nurse, whose position I’ll be taking over, and explained the situation.
She insisted on staying on for a few more months, so we have plenty of time for you to heal.
” Her eyes glistened. “Your parents have offered to stay as long as we need help. Besides, you are my most important patient.”
“Aw. So sweet.” Sabrina gushed. “I’ll leave you lovebirds alone and check in with you after I make some phone calls.”
Dr. Fisher and Sabrina waved and spoke softly to each other as they left the room.
Noah didn’t even wait until they were down the hall to pull Ashley back down for a kiss. “I love you, Mrs. Smith.”
“Love you, my husband. So thankful for a second chance.”
The next day, at the vehicle impound lot, Detective Stevens took measurements of the damage to the right front of the car. The vehicle hadn’t been completely incinerated. He took pictures and recorded crash measurements.
“Well, isn’t that a surprise? Look here!” He pointed his pen at the busted left headlight. “A one-eye, which happens to be on the opposite side of impact.”
“Uh huh.” Detective Stevens traced a stain across the right passenger side. “I’m willing to bet these stains are blood. Not from an animal. No singed fur or other fragments like bone. This looks to me like one huge sideswipe on the right.”
He took out another long swab and container to wipe the stain. “Take some close-ups of this. See how the stain pattern splatters and fans out all along the side of the car?”
Gonzalez snapped pictures from all angles. “Pretty characteristic of a hit-and-run.”
“Definitely got the vehicle,” Detective Stevens said in a firm voice. “Now we figure out which of our suspects was the driver.”
“Opening the rear door, Detective Gonzalez examined the crowded back seat, still piled with remnants of burned clothing and fast-food containers. “I doubt anyone could even sit back here. What a junk pile.”
“Good point.” Detective Stevens snapped his fingers. “So that narrows it down to a single driver or a driver and a passenger. Maybe father and son?”
“Looking more and more likely. I suspect someone is hiding behind being a bully, and someone else is hiding behind fear.”
Detective Gonzalez spoke up. “That Hank Peterson is a loose cannon. Did you see the expression he gave his son when we were putting him in the back of the cruiser?”
Detective Stevens started the vehicle. “Poor kid was terrified, and Hank’s got quite a rap sheet for smacking people around. Want to stop by the hospital again and see if Mr. Smith can talk?”
“Yeah. We need to nail this down before Hank Peterson makes bail. He’s one scary dude.”
Simone, the day shift RN, knocked on the door as she entered. Noah turned the volume down on the TV as she approached his bedside.
“Mr. Smith, the sheriff’s detectives are back and wondering if you’re available to talk with them. They said they found some evidence they’d like to discuss with you. What do you think? Are you feeling up to it?”
Noah winced as he took a sip of water and rubbed his throat. “Not sure how long my voice will last, but I’ll try.” Noah pressed the bedside control, easing the head of the bed up slightly. He had to peer around his legs, which were dangling in traction.
Simone glanced around the room. “Do you want your wife here?”
Noah grinned. “I was finally able to shoo her out to go home and take a shower and a nap. I’m okay... Send them in.”
The officers came in a few minutes later, and Noah switched off the TV.
“Hello, Mr. Smith. I’m Detective Stevens, and this is Detective Gonzalez. We spoke earlier, but there’ve been some developments we wanted to discuss with you.”
“Thanks for seeing us, Mr. Smith. We’ll make this short so you don’t get overtired,” Detective Gonzalez said politely.
“I want to help as much as I can. Please, have a seat.”