Chapter 30
CHAPTER THIRTY
Audrey kissed Carter goodbye, then closed the garage door behind him as he reversed out of the driveway. She immediately headed upstairs to her room and peeked out the window to make sure he was gone before she grabbed her phone from her nightstand.
She had thought about it off and on for the past twenty-four hours, and something about the situation just didn’t sit well.
Audrey brought up the home screen on her phone, then selected the number for the VA.
After making her way through the automated system, she tapped her nails impatiently against the nightstand as she waited for the call to connect.
Three rings later, Stella’s honeyed voice floated over the phone.
Relieved that it was Stella who answered, Audrey let out a little sigh. “Hey, lady. It’s Audrey.”
“Oh,” Stella breathed. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m good, thanks. Still a little sore, but it shouldn’t be anything to worry about.”
“That’s good. When are you due back?”
“If everything goes well, probably another week or so.” Sooner if she could swing it. She hated sitting around with nothing to do. “I actually have a favor for you in the meantime, if you don’t mind.”
“No problem,” Stella replied readily.
“If possible,” Audrey said slowly, “I’d like to keep this just between us. I don’t want anyone to think I’m working off the clock.” She used the excuse that would hopefully make sense and not rouse any suspicions.
“You got it,” Stella replied. “What do you need?”
What Audrey was about to do was a horrible idea, not to mention completely illegal, and she mentally crossed her fingers, hoping that Stella wouldn’t ask too many questions.
“Well, since I’ve got some time off, I offered to take a look at something for a friend’s father.
I was wondering if you could check the system for a patient… ”
She already knew Tripp’s file was in the system, but what about Keane’s? Though she knew he had been in the military at one point, he may not have utilized the VA. All she knew was that she needed to get her hands on his chart to see if there was some kind of link.
Was there anything outstanding in their medical history?
Were they a rare blood type? All she really needed was to determine if Keane was in the system.
If he was, she would have Stella print off a copy for her so she could pick it up.
While she was there, she could make a copy of Tripp’s file in the data room.
She didn’t want to involve Stella any more than absolutely possible, and this was the safest way.
“Okay…” She heard the hesitation in Stella’s voice, and Audrey bit her lip, hating to drag her into this without any evidence of what exactly she was looking for. “Patient name?”
“Merrill Keane.”
“Let me check.” Audrey heard the keyboard clicking in the background as Stella worked her magic. After a long moment, she came back on the phone. “You’re right. He was actually a patient of Dr. Rodriguez at the branch over on Pennsylvania Avenue.”
Audrey closed her eyes, unsure of whether that was a good thing or bad. “I really appreciate your help, Stella. Would you mind printing off a copy of his file and just leave it in my mailbox? I can swing by later and pick it up.”
“Do you need anything else?”
“No,” Audrey replied. “You’ve done enough. Thank you so much.”
What did this mean? It could still be a complete coincidence.
But something felt… off about this whole thing.
Three sets of remains found close together, two of whom were ex-military and patients of the VA.
She knew it was a stretch, but she had to know for sure if there was a connection here, no matter how small.
It could be nothing—or it could be everything.
Audrey tapped her nails on the screen of her phone before drawing a deep breath and heading downstairs.
John had removed himself to the living room in front of the huge TV, and she took a seat on the edge of the couch.
“I need to drive over to the VA and pick up some files. Would you like to get out of the house for a bit and come with me?”
“Sure, if you wouldn’t mind some company.”
She smiled as he lowered the recliner and pushed to his feet. “Of course not.”
Together they made their way to her car, which Carter had retrieved from the coffee shop a couple of days ago. She slipped behind the wheel, feeling more than a little guilty for not telling Carter what she planned to do. He would literally kill her if he found out she’d left the house.
So, he just wouldn’t have to find out—at least, not yet.
It was part of the reason she’d invited John.
She knew the older man was feeling cooped up, being stuck in a house that wasn’t his.
She knew that feeling well. Besides, having John with her made her feel better knowing that she wouldn’t be alone, even if she was only going in for a few minutes.
Forty minutes later, she parked in the lot behind the VA and turned to John. “Would you like to come in or stay here?”
He waved her off. “I’ll just stay here if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.” She left the car running and the air conditioning on as she opened the door and slipped out. “I’ll be back in just a few minutes.”
She felt exposed being out there in the open all alone, and hurried around the building, breathing a sigh of relief once she was inside. It was irrational, she knew, but she couldn’t help it. The last time she was out in public, she was shot at—she really didn’t want a replay.
Stella lifted her gaze when she heard the door open, and she greeted Audrey with a smile and a little wave as she approached the desk. “You look great.”
“Thanks.” Audrey returned her smile. “Have I missed anything?”
“Same old thing here,” Stella said. Then, almost as an afterthought— “Oh, I almost forgot.” She searched her desk for a moment then handed a card to Audrey. “Nate’s mother passed away, if you’d like to sign this.”
“Of course.” Audrey opened the card and wrote a little sympathy message, then signed it and handed it back. “How’s he holding up?”
Stella lifted one shoulder. “I don’t know. I’m really not even sure what happened.”
“Sucks.” Audrey made a little face, then tipped her head to the side. “Anyway, I’ll let you get back to it. Thanks again for your help earlier.”
“Anytime.”
Stella winked, and Audrey slipped behind the little fold-down counter and into the small room where they kept patient records. Quickly, she skimmed the shelves for the “T” section, then pulled the file folder containing Robert Tripp’s information from the bookcase.
Shooting a quick glance around, she copied each page of his chart, then replaced the folder.
Scooping up the small stack of papers, she slung her purse over her shoulder and slipped out of the room.
She grabbed the rolled-up files from her mailbox as she passed, then made her way around the counter.
As she left, she waved to Stella, who was engaged on the phone. Stella shot her a smile and a wave, and Audrey turned to head out. As she did so, she almost bumped into Dr. Kellerman.
“Whoa.” He put a hand on her shoulder to steady her.
“Sorry about that.” She took a quick step backward and forced a smile to her face, though her heart was racing in her chest.
Kellerman studied her for a long moment. “How are you feeling?”
“Good, thanks.”
“You sure? You look a little pale.”
Audrey let out a strained little laugh and made a fanning motion near her face. “Must be the heat. It’s miserable out there today.”
He nodded a little, and his gaze dropped to the papers in her hand, then went to the records room.
His eyes met hers again, sending her pulse into a flurry.
Oh, God. If he discovered she was taking patient files, she could not only lose her job but face a lawsuit for breach of privacy. She needed to get out of there—now.
“Well, anyway, I just had to stop in for a few things.” She made a show of fishing for her keys. “See you later.”
Audrey clutched the papers tightly in her hand and turned, fighting the urge to run as she headed out the door, all the while feeling his eyes painting a bull’s-eye on her back.