Chapter 2 #3
“No, that’s not necessary.” He hoped and prayed he wasn’t lying.
The fact was that having Miles there wouldn’t help much.
Trevor could watch over Bailey, and he could enlist the help of his family to figure out what was going on as far as the mysterious black truck.
He knew Miles needed to keep this job and risked losing a large bonus if he didn’t fulfill his contract.
“I promise I’ll stay close. If her condition changes, I’ll call you. ”
“Yeah, okay.” Miles sounded mollified. “Thanks, Trev. I owe you one.”
“No worries. Besides, you’d do the same for me.”
That made Miles laugh. “As if I’d have to with your eight siblings tripping over themselves to watch over you. I guess that’s one of the benefits of having a large family.”
Since that was true, he couldn’t argue. “One quick question, though. What do you know about Clark’s death?”
“What do you mean?” Miles sounded surprised. “The cops deemed it an accident.”
“That’s what I thought.” He would have pressed for more but didn’t want to raise Miles’s suspicions. “Just checking. I’ll be in touch again tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Trev. Tell Bailey I love her.”
“Will do.” Trevor ended the call, then went over to clean up after Archie. He couldn’t help but wonder if Bailey’s husband’s death was connected to her recent crash. Without Bailey’s memory, though, finding a link would be difficult.
But not impossible. Once she was discharged, he’d take her home. Maybe he’d uncover some clues there that would help.
He sent a quick text to Doug and Griff, asking if they could dig into Clark Miller’s background when they had time. Bailey had taken back her maiden name after losing Clark. He was on his way back into the hospital when Griff called.
“What’s going on?” Griff asked.
Trevor sighed and quickly provided the scant details he had.
“I know it’s not much, but I’m concerned about Bailey.
First, she saw some guy following her, called him Black Hat because he wore all black, including a black cowboy hat.
Then she sees a black truck behind her and ends up upside down at the bottom of a culvert. ”
“Yeah, that does sound suspicious. I’ll see what I can dig up. Keep your phone on.” With that, Griff ended the call.
Satisfied he’d done what he could for the moment, Trevor called Archie over and headed inside. His K9 eagerly followed. True to her word, Emily had contacted the neurosurgeon who was at Bailey’s bedside when he came in.
“I’d suggest putting yourself in familiar places,” the doc was saying. “Most patients remember on their own. If yours hasn’t returned in a few days, you should return to the hospital so we can do another scan.”
“Thanks, doctor.” Bailey’s lips smiled, but her gaze remained concerned. She apparently wasn’t thrilled with his response.
“You may want to see a psychiatrist,” he added. “Stress accompanied with trauma can prevent memories from returning. It’s almost as if your mind doesn’t really want to remember and has put a block in place to prevent that from happening.”
“But I do want to remember.” Bailey’s voice rose. “I feel like I need to remember. That there’s something important that I need to remember.”
“Easy,” Trevor warned. He found her comment interesting and wondered if her mind was protecting some secret. “Maybe you’re pushing too hard.”
The neurosurgeon eyed him for a moment, then nodded. “That’s true. The more you relax, the more likely you’ll remember.”
Bailey didn’t say anything more, but her expression spoke volumes. As the doctor left, Emily returned.
“Okay, I have your discharge orders,” she said cheerfully. “You’re to take it easy, which includes staying off work for at least three days, and return to the hospital if you have any changes in your condition.”
“I understand.” Bailey still didn’t look satisfied. Then her expression softened. “Thanks for everything.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll leave you in Trevor’s capable hands.” Emily bent over to remove the cardiac leads from Bailey’s chest and the fetal monitor from around her abdomen. He turned away to give her privacy, bending to give his K9 some attention.
When Bailey was dressed in her clothes and ready to go, he grabbed her purse and escorted her outside. His SUV was parked close to the building. When she was settled in and Archie was in the back, he slid in behind the wheel and started the engine.
“How far away do I live?” she asked, as he pulled out of the parking lot.
“Not too far.” For a moment, he considered taking her to a hotel. Then he remembered the doctor’s suggestion that she be in familiar surroundings. “I know the way.”
She fell silent, as if the events of the evening were catching up with her. He glanced at her often as he drove. When he pulled up to her small house, she looked at it with interest.
“I live here?”
“Yep.” He tried not to be disappointed that she didn’t remember it. He opened the back hatch for Archie, then went around to help her out. She dug in her purse and pulled out a key ring.
When they reached the front door, he put the key in the lock, then froze. The door hadn’t been locked. Asking Bailey if she remembered locking it wouldn’t help, but he quickly put his hand out to stop her from coming too close. “Stay back.”
“Why?” She sounded cranky. He stepped in front of her and pushed the door open.
The house had been tossed. Her belongings were turned over, broken or searched. It was confirmation for what he’d already suspected. Bailey’s going off the road was no accident.
Someone had tried to kill her.