Chapter 27
COMING TOGETHER
“Thanks,” Arden said ten days later. “I appreciate everything.”
She’d just hung up with Officer Lancaster. She knew nothing was going to come of her tire nor the cameras at the hospital.
She’d been parked in a blind zone. Something she wouldn’t do again, even if that meant parking further away.
Not ideal when she knew someone was out to scare her, but the hospital security had said they’d come get her and walk in or out with her if she called and let them know.
She found that odd until she realized Blaze had spoken to them about it.
Sweet of him to do it, but unnecessary.
The last thing she wanted or needed was someone else spending more time watching her moves.
The fact life had been quiet on that front helped some.
Her personal life, that was getting better. Nicer.
Happier.
“What has you smiling? Seems to me you were more frustrated than anything when you hung up right now.”
She looked at her boss, Katherine. Her department knew what had happened to her car. The notes, that was only told to Katherine.
“Isn’t that the name of the game here?” she asked, her grin still in place.
“At times, but I overheard you on the phone and it sounded as if you were talking to the police. Any leads on anything?”
“No. I’ve tried to think of who else it could be.
Since I’ve been here, the only person who really gave me a hard time was Abigail Oliver’s mother and her boyfriend.
But nothing that I thought would lead to this.
That was Officer Lancaster saying that both of them were at work when my tire was slashed so it couldn’t have been them. ”
“And you hate anyone is being questioned, because if they weren’t annoyed with you before, now they will be, and it will make it harder for you to do your job?”
“Exactly that. I know Abigail is living with her grandmother now. Last I checked with social services, things were good, but I can guarantee now we won’t see them again.
Or they will be on their best behavior there.
I’d be willing to bet they avoid this hospital altogether if they have a need for one. ”
“You’re probably right, but we take the safety of our staff just as seriously as our patients. I’m sorry this is happening here.”
“Me too.”
“What about old cases from your last job?” Katherine asked.
“I gave that information to the police also. It was touchy and I had to talk to my old supervisors and inform them. It’s taken time for any information to be released, but looking back, there wasn’t anyone that I really worried about.
I left the job because I was moving here, not because I was having issues there. ”
Was she burning out? Sure, everyone in this field felt that pain.
But her personal life was more on fire than her professional one.
The move was to get things on track with Gracie more than her career. She could have stayed at her last job but didn’t want the longer commute that meant losing the time with her daughter.
Once she knew she had the job here, it was just a matter of finding a home. The townhouse almost fell into her lap with a fast closing.
For her, it was a sign that everything was coming together.
Until it wasn’t.
“I hope they find who did it. Or at least it stops now.”
“No kidding. I hope that too.”
The phone rang on her desk. No one else was around in her shared office. She was positive if they were, her boss wouldn’t have come in to talk to her.
She reached over to grab it. “Hi, this is Maddy in the ER. Is there someone who could come down? We’ve got a potential DV situation.”
“On the way.” She hung up and turned to Katherine. “DV in the ER.”
“Just another thing to brighten your day,” Katherine said. “You didn’t say what had you smiling?”
And she wouldn’t right now either. “Just trying to think of the good things in life.”
Katherine grinned. “That’s the best way to get through.”
She got up from her desk and went to the ER. She was bound to see Blaze since he was working.
Last week, he’d come down to dinner twice and since he’d had Saturday off the past weekend, he’d spent some time with her and Gracie going to the park, then out to lunch.
Her daughter wasn’t thinking anything of it and was more excited to see Blaze than she was half the time.
It just told her she had to make sure Billy knew she had a boyfriend before she let Gracie know the true status of their neighbor.
When she got to the ER, she moved over to the charge nurse, three others behind the counter working also. One guy and two girls.
She tried to keep track of the names, but it didn’t always work.
“Hi, Arden,” Maddy said. “Shelly, come on over and fill Arden in on what is going on.”
“Come over here if you don’t mind and I’ll show you what is on the screen,” Shelly said.
She moved behind the counter, smiled at Steven, who she remembered since there weren’t a lot of male nurses, then noticed Erika’s name tag and sent a grin back to the younger nurse before she moved onto a patient.
“What do we have?” she asked.
“Female, age thirty-two, potential broken wrist, waiting to send her to X-rays, abrasion on her cheek, and the start of a nice shiner.”
Arden let out a breath. “What did she say happened?”
“That she was rushing into the kitchen, tripped, ran into the wall and caught herself.”
“The wall punched her?” she asked, scanning the notes.
“That’s her story. The same as when she was in here six months ago for bruised ribs and jaw. Said she slipped on the steps then.”
“Not very creative. Any other history?”
“No. Not here.”
“But other hospitals?” she asked.
“A few years back in Albany. Some of the same pattern, but looks like a different guy or emergency contact back then.”
“It’s a vicious cycle. I’ll see what I can find out. Any word when she’ll be sent to radiology?”
“About an hour, maybe. They are backed up. I’ve got a splint on her wrist with ice. The doctor hasn’t been in yet to see her. Should be soon, could be while you’re in there.”
She nodded and moved to the room the woman was in, then pushed the curtain aside. “Miranda?” she asked. “I’m Arden Bellamy, a social worker for the hospital.”
“I told the nurse that I tripped and fell into the wall.”
“I know. But they are worried. Everyone is just doing their job. Are you here alone?”
Miranda put her head down. “Yes.”
She looked at the swollen fingers under the ice pack. “Can you tell me what caused you to trip into the wall? You had to have been going fast for that much damage. It was last night, correct?”
“My phone was ringing,” Miranda said. “I’ve got a bad habit of running for it when I should just let it go.”
She hadn’t seen that part on the report. Just that Miranda was rushing to the kitchen.
The last thing she wanted to do was make an assumption. Could be the phone was in the kitchen.
“And you slipped? Tripped? Caught yourself on the wall?”
Miranda was thinking. As if she couldn’t recall what it was she’d said before. “I don’t remember. It just happened so fast. One minute I was running, the next my face hit the wall.”
“Your face before your wrist?”
Which wouldn’t make sense if she caught herself on her hands first.
Miranda shook her head. “I don’t remember clearly. I’m sorry. I was upset.”
Again, not in the report. “Upset over what? Were you home alone?”
“No. Chris was with me.”
“Your boyfriend?”
“Yes. He was home and helped me up when I fell.”
“You fell also?”
She could see Miranda was getting flustered and it wasn’t what she wanted either.
“I must have. He pulled me up.”
“I’m sorry for all the questions,” Arden said, her voice softer. “You don’t have to protect anyone. You don’t have to be afraid. If you feel unsafe at home or anywhere, we are here to help. You just have to let us know.”
“I’m fine.”
The curtain moved and Blaze came in. “Hi, I’m Dr. Ridgeway. I hear you had a mishap with a wall?”
“I did,” Miranda said. “I’m fine. I’m not sure why I’m getting asked all these questions.”
Blaze looked at her, then turned back to the patient. “Miranda. You know we can tell by the marks on your face if a wall or maybe a... fist did them. A backhand or a palm?”
Tears filled Miranda’s eyes. When you put the truth out there along with the facts, it was harder for people to hide a lie.
“He didn’t mean it,” Miranda said. “He had a bad day at work and I was in a mood and was yelling at him. I shoved him first.”
Her shoulders slumped. “Do you feel unsafe at home?” she asked.
“No.”
She lifted her eyebrow at that answer.
“This is your second ER visit in six months,” Blaze said. “We can call the police in.”
“Please don’t. I’ll tell them it was an accident. They can’t do anything if I don’t press charges and I’m not going to.”
Arden let out a breath. Their hands were tied. She’d seen it way too many times.
Hell. She’d been there.
Not the physical. But she sure the hell didn’t feel safe and when that popped into her mind, she knew what she had to do.
“Why don’t I do an exam now?” Blaze said. “Then we’ll send you down for X-rays. Arden, can you give us a minute?”
“Yes.” She moved out with her laptop and went to stand at the nurse’s station where she could see into the room when Blaze was done.
“She’s not going to do anything, is she?” Maddy asked.
“No. It doesn’t seem that way.”
“It’s frustrating and we see it too often.”
“We do. All we can do is ask and offer. You can’t force someone to do something they aren’t ready for or think isn’t a problem.”
She waited at the desk, Shelly moving over and shaking her head, then Steven rushing back and forth, several other nurses she didn’t know the names of. Aides along with it, even maintenance people.
Her eyes were on everything and everyone without reason.
She asked if Miranda felt safe and here she was looking for anything or anyone without cause in a place where she’d felt safe.
Now she didn’t.
“Are you okay?”
She turned her head. “Yes. Why?”
“You seemed to be looking out into space,” Erika said. “I know those days. This job just gets to you.”
She smiled at the younger woman.
No way she was letting anyone know what was going on in her life.
“I’m used to it. It’s sad when you can’t help as much as you want. Even if you give it everything, the results don’t necessarily change.”
“No,” Erika said, shaking her head. “My boyfriend, sometimes he just doesn’t get it when I come home worked up or drained.” Erika leaned in and put the side of her hand to her mouth. “Maybe even losing my patience with him. His job is nothing like mine.”
“What does he do?”
“Toby is a gym teacher at an elementary school.”
“Oh,” she said, smiling. “My daughter’s favorite subject. I can see where that’s not a very stressful job.”
“No,” Erika said, rolling her eyes as if it’d been a topic she’d discussed with her boyfriend. “He doesn’t know what it’s like to be serious about something like we do. I mean, he’s good about it, but just doesn’t get it. You know, men don’t always.”
She turned her head to see Blaze coming out, her eyes latched onto his. “Some men get it more than others.”
“Did you get anywhere?” Shelly asked, moving over.
“Sorry,” she said. “I didn’t.” Blaze came closer. “Did you?”
He shook his head. “No. She’s not budging. Not much more we can do.”
“I’ll try some more,” Shelly said. “Can I bring her down to radiology? They called and said they were ready when we could get her down.”
“Go ahead,” Blaze said.
Shelly moved away, and Erika did the same, leaving the two of them standing at the desk with Maddy clearing her throat.
She turned to the older woman. “Yes?”
Maddy leaned over the counter closer to them. “You two are going to set off the alarms pretty soon. Seriously, how long are you going to deny it?”
“Nothing to deny,” she said, putting a smile on her face. She needed it. Even if for only a moment.
“Really?” Maddy asked. “You’re admitting you’re in a relationship?”
She looked at Blaze, who said, “Doesn’t seem there is a reason to hide it. Not that we were.”
“That’s right,” she said. “We weren’t or aren’t. Just not being vocal about it.”
“Like giving her a kiss right here,” Maddy whispered.
“Not happening,” she said.
“Nope,” he said. “And I’ve got patients.”
“I’ve got work to do too. You know where I am if you need me down here again, but I don’t think Miranda is changing her mind.”
“Probably not,” Maddy said and went back to her computer.
She turned to leave, her laptop clutched to her chest, but Blaze’s voice stopped her.
“Any updates? You said you were going to call Tate today.”
“I did.” She let out a breath, her fingers gripping the metal in front of her tighter. “Nothing. I knew it’d happen. No witnesses. Nothing on the security tapes either. Just me, the car, and that damn note.”
His jaw flexed. “You think it was random? That someone just singled you out to do this to? Or they have the wrong person?”
“I’m trying to consider that,” she said, her tone low and weary, making sure no one else could hear them. “I keep telling myself it was some prank, someone being stupid. And that maybe, whoever it was… got it out of their system.”
“Yeah,” he muttered, his eyes narrowing. “Me too.”
But they both knew better.