Chapter 27
Theo looked down at Olivia lying so still and surrounded by beeping monitors.
He smoothed her hair back from her bruised face, noting the welt at her forehead, her swollen cheek, and her split lip.
The skin of her jaw was already turning a dark shade of purple and looked suspiciously like fingerprints.
His hand clenched involuntarily with helpless rage.
Her throat was covered with a white sterile dressing, although patches of blood had already begun to seep through, and he could see bruising spreading out from underneath the surgical tape holding the dressing in place.
He took her hand gently, unable to ignore the bruising banding her wrists.
“Has Theo moved yet?” Erica whispered as she walked into the hospital room holding a bouquet of flowers.
“No,” Jake replied as he stood watching them with folded arms and an inscrutable expression.
“The mayor sent these.” She set them down on a nearby table. “She said she’d be by to visit with Olivia once she’s awake.”
He stared at her silently.
“This is not her fault, Jake,” she told him pointedly.
“I didn’t say it was,” he replied tightly.
“You don’t need to say anything.” She frowned. “I can see it written all over your face.”
“I don’t need to say it then, do I?” His gaze turned back to Olivia and Theo.
She sighed. “How’s Olivia anyway?”
“Louisa says she’s stable. We won’t know what he drugged her with until her bloods come back. Her wounds are mostly superficial and should heal quickly. Her vitals are good, so there’s nothing to do but monitor her and wait for her to wake up.”
“How’s she doing?” Mac strode into the room.
“Still asleep,” Jake replied. “Have you found Walcott yet?”
Mac shook his head. “We’re searching the woods and keeping an eye on his house and credit cards. He has to surface sooner or later.”
“You’d better hope you find him before I do.” Theo turned to look at him calmly. “Because if I get my hands on him, I’m going to kill him.”
“Is he serious?” Mac turned back to Jake.
Jake shrugged. “I might just help him,” he replied.
“Christ.” Mac scrubbed his hand over his face. “What a mess.”
“Will you guys shut up and go away?” Olivia croaked.“Some of us are trying to sleep,”
“Olivia.” Theo breathed heavily as he turned swiftly back toward her.
“I’ll go get Louisa.” Erica disappeared from the room.
“Olivia,” Theo repeated softly. “Look at me.”
She opened her eyes slowly, her gaze slightly glazed as she tried to focus on his face.
“Hey,” she whispered, reaching out and tracing the faint indentation at his chin. “You didn’t answer your phone.”
Frowning in confusion, he cast his mind back to earlier. Erica had said that just before Olivia was taken, she had left her alone and gone outside because she was trying to call him and Jake.
“Jake lost his signal, and I forgot to charge mine.” He caught her hand as it absently traced the stubble at his jaw and pressed her palm to his cheek. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me.”
“It’s not your fault,” she murmured as the memories of her last few moments of consciousness began to surface. “Theo.”
“Yes,” he murmured as he gently brushed a stray lock of hair from her temple.
“I saw my dad,” she whispered.
“Your father was at the cabin?” Mac interrupted, stepping closer to the bed.
Olivia’s eyes turned on him, noting his face and uniform, and she shut down, her gaze becoming instantly guarded.
“No more questions.” Louisa breezed easily into the room. “Not until I’ve checked my patient. I’m sorry, Captain McCallister, but you’ll have to wait.”
Olivia’s gaze shifted to her friend as she moved to the side of the bed and checked the ribbon of paper attached to the monitor.
“Hey, sweetheart.” Louisa smiled as she leaned over the bed. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I got run over by a truck,” she croaked, her hand moving to her neck and finding a dressing covering most of her throat.
“Your throat’s pretty bruised.” Louisa’s expression hardened. “That butcher wasn’t exactly gentle with the syringe.”
“Sit up,” Olivia whispered, struggling to rise.
“Hold on.” Louisa raised the bed, and both she and Theo grasped her gently under the arms, helping her up, as Erica passed them a couple of plump pillows, which she tucked behind her gently.
“Thirsty.”
Theo poured her a cup of water from a nearby pitcher and held the straw to her lips so she could take a sip.
“Thank you,” she replied tiredly, slumping back against the pillows.
Louisa took a small penlight from her breast pocket and checked her pupils.
“Well, it looks like you’re going to be fine,” Louisa told her. “Most of your injuries are pretty minor, mostly bruising. We were a bit concerned about that knock to the head, but we ran a CT while you were out, and it turns out you do have a brain, so it’s all good.”
Olivia managed a small smile.
“We’re still not sure exactly what he gave you. It was probably some kind of sedative, so you’re going to feel pretty sleepy until it wears off completely. We’ll monitor you for the next twenty-four hours and then you should be okay to go home.”
“How long have I been here?” Olivia frowned.
“Several hours already,” Theo replied.
“Where’s Beau? You shouldn’t leave him at home on his own, he’s only a puppy.” She frowned.
“Relax,” Louisa replied as she scribbled some notes on Olivia’s chart. “He’s fine. He’s in the staff lounge being spoiled rotten by my interns.”
“Oh.” She smiled. “Okay then.”
“Olivia.” Mac stepped forward. “I know you’re tired, but I really do need to ask you a few questions.”
“Me first,” she replied, her eyes narrowing.
“Okay.” Mac nodded.
“Where’s Chief Walcott?”
“We haven’t found him yet,” Mac admitted.
“Unfortunately for us, he grew up in those woods, so he knows them better than just about anyone. It may take us a while to find him. But the good news is, he has no food or supplies. He can’t hide out in the woods indefinitely, especially with the weather turning.
Sooner or later, he’ll surface. Trust me, we will find him. ”
“Why should I trust you?” Olivia snapped. “Look what happened last time.”
“I know you have no reason to trust me, Olivia, but I really am on your side here.”
She shook her head. She knew it probably wasn’t the guy’s fault, but she’d really had enough of cops and Thomas Walcott in particular.
However, she wasn’t stupid enough to ignore the situation.
She knew as long as Walcott was on the loose, she was in danger, so whether she liked it or not, she needed the police on her side.
“Fine, ask.” She shrugged.
“Why don’t you start by telling us what happened?” Mac said gently.
“I was down in the parking garage waiting for a ride home.” She stared at Mac.
“Erica went outside to make a phone call. I heard a noise, and the next thing I knew, I woke up in a cabin in the woods with Thomas Walcott for company. He was crazy before, but now he’s almost completely unhinged.
He’s convinced the body you found today was James Talbot. ”
“His lover?” Mac clarified.
“You know about that?” she replied with some surprise.
“Yeah, I know,” Mac replied contemplatively. “So, you think Walcott’s confused?
“It’s like he’s getting the past and present mixed up.
The victims then and the victims now are all the same, and he’s also getting me mixed up with my father.
At one point, he was convinced I killed James.
He couldn’t seem to reconcile that I was a child at the time.
He sees me as I am now, but back then, if that makes sense.
He’s completely lost touch with reality. He was using me as bait.”
“Yeah, we pretty much figured that.” Mac scratched his chin thoughtfully.
“The cabin was the place he hung out with my dad and James when they were kids. He knew my dad would find him there. He said he couldn’t trust the system, so he’d have to take matters into his own hands. He planned to keep me alive long enough to get to my dad, then he was going to kill me.”
“That’s not going to happen.” Mac shook his head. “I’ve assigned an armed guard to watch you at all times until Walcott is in custody.”
“No,” Olivia replied. “I want Jake, he’s the only cop I trust right now.”
“Sorry, I can’t do that. I need him. The department’s in a hell of a mess. I need him on the murders. He seems to have a remarkable level of knowledge about a case he wasn’t actually assigned to.” He tuned his gaze to Jake.
“I thought someone should actually be investigating the murders since Chief Walcott seemed to be busy amusing himself by stalking Olivia,” Jake relied defiantly.
“And that’s exactly why I need you.” Mac scratched his jaw consideringly. “You seem to be the only one in the department with a brain.”
“As flattering as that is”—Jake’s eyes narrowed—“I need to know Olivia is going to be safe.”
“She will be,” Mac answered. “How about two armed guards brought in from outside? We’ll borrow a couple of guys from the County Sheriff’s department.”
“Fine,” Jake conceded.
Olivia frowned. “Uh, when you two are quite done deciding my life for me.”
“We just want you safe.” Mac turned back to Olivia. “You said you saw your dad at the cabin?”
“Yeah,” she replied carefully.
“What happened?” Mac asked curiously.
“I didn’t really hear much of what they said.” Olivia shrugged. “I was pretty drugged up.”
Actually, she’d heard every single word, but they didn’t need to know about that. She certainly couldn’t mention magic in front of Captain McCallister, or he’d think she was crazy too. She’d have to tell Theo and Jake later when they were alone.
“My dad wasn’t alone, though. He had the pale-haired man with him. He called him Davis.”
“The man who the Feds think helped him escape Morley Ridge?” Mac frowned.
“That’s right.”
“Okay, I’ll run the name Davis and see what we come up with,” Mac replied. “Although if your father is the killer, we’re now into uncharted territory.”
“What do you mean?” she asked in confusion.