Chapter 2 #2
“Still, we can’t go jumping at conclusions and having you leaping out of your hospital bed halfcocked,” he muttered.
“I don’t want nurse Ratchet coming back and putting you in restraints like she threatened.
Promise me that you will let the police handle this and I will keep you informed.
The probability that the abduction was with Travis’ group is slim. ”
She stared at him and shook her head.
“How can you be so certain you’re right?”
“Intuition,” she said. “A gut feeling.”
He pointed his finger at her. “I’ll see you that and raise you my own feeling that you’re wrong.” And with that he was out the door.
Jillian hoped and prayed he was right and that she was just being paranoid.
That Travis was with his buddy Carlos having a wonderful time at Zoo Miami today.
That they were eating lunch and seeing the exotic birds and nothing bad had happened to the Playland field trip group.
It was bad enough that Detective Simons had contacted Mr. McGinty about her accident on his honeymoon in the Cook Islands.
She didn’t want to interrupt him again to inform him his son had been abducted while she was in the hospital.
Closing her eyes, she tried to think happier thoughts, but she was disturbed when the door opened, and a tall stranger entered her room.
A very handsome, tall stranger with chestnut brown hair that swept away from his face and deep blue eyes fringed with thick lashes. Why were men always blessed with those?
“Jillian Grant?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said, surprised she even made a sound because her mouth had gone dry at the sight of this man.
He really was handsome, and it had been a long time since she’d reacted like this to anyone.
She hoped he wasn’t picking up on her difficulty.
Was she staring at him? She hoped not. Swallowing, she glanced down at the thin coverlet to make sure her legs were covered. Hospital gowns were not modest.
“I’m Nick Bardou from the Wolf Agency. I believe Detective Simons mentioned I was coming.”
Looking back up she smiled. “He said a guy with the Brotherhood Protectors was, but he didn’t give a name.”
“He didn’t have that information since I don’t work directly with Hank Patterson.
Hank called my boss Kenneally who reached out to me because I’m local.
From the file I was sent on you it sounds like you’ve been through the ringer,” he said coming forward but stayed a respectful distance away.
“I’m sorry this has happened to you, but I promise to keep you from danger here on out. ”
“Tell me about yourself,” she said.
“I’m a medically retired JAG officer, but I still manage cases from time to time for my former command unit when they need someone to step in,” he explained.
“I like working for the Wolf Agency because it allows me that freedom. Enough about me for now, I want to hear more about you that wasn’t in the file that Hank had sent to me.
I’m sure that Detective Simons didn’t have the full story or you wouldn’t have been almost ran over today leaving the precinct after giving your statement from a second mugging attempt yesterday. ”
Her back bristled at his words. “I don’t know why you think I am hiding something,” Jillian said feeling defensive. “I told Detective Simons everything I knew when he interviewed me both times.”
“Are you sure? Was there something you might have thought was unrelated at the time or insignificant that you left out?” Nick asked. “Think about it for a moment. Has anything out of the ordinary happened in the past weeks that you brushed off?”
The word insignificant stood out and she thought for a moment before slowly nodding. “Now that you put it that way…”
“Yes?”
“I have received a few odd threatening letters in the mail.”
“How so?” he asked, stepping closer to the bed and pointed to the empty chair.
She nodded and he sat, pulling out a notepad and pen from his pocket.
“The first letter said, ‘I remember what you did, and I will repay you one day.’ The envelope was addressed to me, but there wasn’t a return address, and it was postmarked Fort Lauderdale.
I don’t know anyone who lives there. So, I didn’t think much of it,” she said.
“Then the second letter came, and it said ‘You shouldn’t have said what you did. It caused much pain and sorrow, and you will regret it.’”
“Same postmark?” Nick asked.
“No, this one came from Key West.”
“Interesting,” he said. “Was there another?”
“No.”
“Do you still have these letters?”
“Yes. I put them aside for some reason. Maybe because they didn’t make sense and I was trying to figure out what they meant,” she said.
“But you didn’t think to mention either of them to Detective Simons?” he asked.
“I didn’t think about them when he was questioning me about the muggings,” she said.
“As you said, they were out of the ordinary and if you hadn’t asked me specifically, I wouldn’t have remembered them because at the time they didn’t seem to matter much.
I didn’t really believe my life was in danger. ”
“But it is, Miss Grant. I hope you see that now,” he said.
“I do. And I realize how foolish I have been not to have paid more attention to those letters, especially with the attempted muggings,” she said. “But I don’t know what I have done to anyone to make them want to hurt me.”
“These days you may have not said anything out of line to cause someone to go after you,” Nick said. “Are you active on social media?”
“Not really. I’m a nanny,” she said. “I spend all my time taking care of Travis or working on my advanced education degree now that he is older. I’m taking a few online courses while he is in school and day camp in the summer.”
“And your employer is okay with you doing that?” Nick asked.
“He’s actually the one who encouraged me to continue my education goals once Travis was older,” Jillian explained.
“I started working for Mr. McGinty when I graduated with my bachelor’s when I couldn’t get into the master’s program right away.
Early childhood development is very selective, and they only take so many applicants at a time, but since then they have started an online program which allows more applicants to apply and be accepted. ”
Nick nodded. “That is great for you. Now back to these letters. You said they were from different postmark locations, but what about the handwriting? Were they the same?”
“They were printed. Laser using the same font style,” she said.
“Stamps on the envelope?”
“American flag. The envelopes were the peel and seal type, so no licking for any touch DNA from saliva,” she said.
“How could you tell they were the peel and seal type?” he asked.
“Those are always straight across, whereas regular ones are V-shaped,” she said.
“True,” he agreed. “You are very observant, Miss Grant.”
“I have to be as a Nanny to a little boy,” she said. “Travis is a great kid, but do you know what mischief he’d get into if I wasn’t?”
Nick chuckled. “I can only imagine.”
“Exactly.”
“Where is he today?” Nick asked.
“He’s on a field trip at Zoo Miami with Playland Day Camp,” she said.
“However, Detective Simons received a call that there had been a child abduction at the zoo, and he rushed away, or he would have still been here when you came. I’m worried that the abduction could be Travis.
Detective Simons said I am jumping to conclusions. ”
Nick nodded. “I understand your concern. I’ll reach out to my Brotherhood Protector contacts and see what I can find out on this account and if it should be Travis, I’ll call in more help. We won’t leave it up to the police.”
“You’d do that?” Jillian said.
“Absolutely. Mr. McGinty would expect nothing less from his old pal Hank Patterson.”
“Old pal?” Jillian repeated.
“He served with Hank and my boss Kenneally.”
“I see.”
“So, as I see it, I need to do everything in my power to keep you and Travis safe and if he has been abducted then I need to bring him home in one piece.”
Jillian tried to smile, but found the swelling made it difficult. “Thank you.”
“Now. You get some rest. That is what is going to get you out of this hospital room and back home quicker than anything. I’m going to find a nurse to get an update on your situation,” Nick said.
“Good luck,” she said.
He chuckled before leaving the room.
She closed her eyes, aware that her racing heart had slowed and the tightness in her shoulders had relaxed.
She hadn’t even noticed her shoulders had been that tense.
“Maybe having a Brotherhood Protector to help isn’t such a bad idea,” she murmured as sleep folded around her. “’specially one so handsome.”
Jillian’s eyes fluttered open, and she was surprised that the sun was shining brightly into the room making it much warmer than it had been earlier. She turned her head and found Nick sitting in the chair beside her bed. “How long have I been asleep?”
“Several hours now, which is good,” he said.
“Any word from Detective Simons?” she asked.
“No. But I put a call in asking for an update since I was checking in with him,” Nick explained. “I’m hoping he will call me back eventually.”
Jillian yawned. “Sorry. I shouldn’t be tired after sleeping so much.”
“You have been through a traumatic situation. Your body is trying to adjust,” Nick said. “I did speak to the head nurse, and she said that Physical Therapy was supposed to come see you sometime today to get you up and walking.”
“Really? She didn’t want me out of this bed earlier when Detective Simons got word of the child abduction at the zoo and I was worried that it might have been Travis. I didn’t react well. I tried to get up.”
“I see,” Nick said. “I can see you doing that. You really care for the child.”
“I do. Like he was my own,” she said. “I’ve been with him since he was two.”
Nick nodded. “It would be hard not to when you’ve been with him for six years.”
“Yes.” A tear rolled down her cheek as she recalled Travis’ confession to her about how he wanted her to be his mother instead of Abby. And it would take time for Travis to see that Abby could be the mother he needed and not her.
“Is something wrong?” Nick asked.
Jillian wiped away the tear. “Just remembering what Travis said to me last night. He’s the sweetest kid.”
“We’ll get you home to him as soon as we can,” he said. “The nurse said you’ll be discharged as soon as PT finishes with you.”
“Really?” she said not believing that could be possible.
“That is what she said.”
As if on cue that door opened and two people from Physical Therapy came in and began to work with Jillian.
They fitted her for a boot to support her left leg and ankle and got her up out of bed mindful of the catheter that was still in place so she could walk around the room.
They even fitted her right shoe with a padded sole to make the boot and her shoe the same height.
Once PT left, the nurse returned with a light-colored sweat suit and a plastic draw string hospital bag. “Sorry, but your clothes were cut off in the ER to get to your injuries. Let me help you get dressed,” she said turning to look at Nick. “If you don’t mind leaving the room.”
“Of course,” he said.
“I’ll remove the catheter first and then we’ll put on your underwear,” she said, reaching for a pair of latex gloves from one of the three boxes on the wall. Within minutes, Jillian was dressed, and except for some minor pain, felt almost normal.
“I’ll get your discharge papers. That should give you a few moments to rest,” the nurse said, removing the latex gloves and tossing them into a bin. Nick passed her as she left.
“Looks like you were right, they are discharging me,” she said.
“Yes. Should I get my car?” he asked.
“I wouldn’t be in a hurry,” she said. “I hear ‘Be right back’ can take a long time.”
Half an hour later they were on their way to the McGinty house.
Jillian was sore, but she was glad to be going to her own bed for the night.
And she was looking forward to seeing Travis and hearing about his adventures at the zoo.
After a quick stop at the pharmacy to pick up her medication, they were once again on their way home.
But as they pulled up in front of the house an apprehension rose in her stomach at the sight of Detective Simons getting out of his car.
“Oh Lord,” she said. “I knew. I knew when he got that call it was Travis.”
“You don’t know that for sure,” Nick cautioned her. “Don’t go borrowing trouble before it is warranted.”
“Why else would he be here?”
“Maybe he called the hospital to check on you and found out you were released so he came over to see you?” Nick suggested.
“He could have just called.”
Nick turned off the engine and opened his door. The detective came over and opened Jillian’s door. He offered her his hand. “I’m glad to see they released you today.”
“Thank you,” she said.
“Let’s go inside,” Simons said.
“Yes, I’m anxious to see Travis,” Jillian said pushing past the detective and hobbling on her boot toward the front door where Mrs. Hudson had appeared, her face ashen. “Mrs. Hudson? Where’s Travis?”
“Don’t you know? Didn’t the detective tell you?” the housekeeper asked.
Understanding hit Jillian with the force of a blow just before she screamed, “No!” and everything went black.