Читать книгу His Badge, Her Baby...Their Family? - Stella Bagwell - Страница 9

Chapter One

She let out a groggy groan. “Detectives? Have I done something wrong?”

Dear God, it was Geena! His Geena!

His ex-wife was lying in bed, her lost gaze vacillating from one man to the other, making it plain to Vince that she didn’t recognize him at all. How could that be?

“Uh—excuse us just a moment,” he blurted, then grabbing Evan by the arm, he hustled the other man out of the room.

The moment they were standing on the other side of the door, Evan gripped him by the shoulder. “Vince! What in hell is going on with you? You’ve got to get a grip. The way you’re behaving, she’s not about to trust one word to us!”

Shaking his head, Vince wondered if his legs had turned into a pair of wet noodles. His insides were shaking. His mind whirling like a raging storm. “There’s something you need to know, Evan. That woman in there—it’s Geena! My ex-wife!”

Stunned confusion swept over Evan’s face. “Your ex? That’s crazy, Vince! She might resemble Geena, but it can’t be her. You just spoke to the patient, and I didn’t see a flicker of recognition on her face.”

“Damn it, don’t you think I saw the same thing! She looked as blank as that wall behind you! But it’s Geena. I’m positive about that.”

Evan glanced anxiously at the closed door. “We’d better go back in before she gets even more suspicious and rings for a nurse. No,” he quickly corrected as he eyed Vince. “I’ll go back in and question her. You’re not in any shape to deal with this right now.”

Annoyed that Evan considered him too weak to handle the situation, Vince scowled at him. “She’s my ex. I’ll do this job. You just back me up.”

Evan studied him for a long moment, then nodded. “If that’s the way you want it. I’ll be right behind you.”

Trying not to let himself think too much, Vince opened the door and walked back to the bed with Evan following close on his heels. By now Geena had elevated the head of the bed so that she was in a half-sitting position.

Vince’s gaze was taking a furtive survey of her face when something else caught his attention. Although she was covered completely, it was very evident that her belly was far from normal size.

She was pregnant! And from the look of her, she couldn’t be far from her delivery date.

His mind racing in a thousand directions, he pulled a leather holder from the side of his belt and held it up so that she could view his badge.

“Sorry about the interruption,” he said. “Let me start this over. I’m Detective Vincent Parcell. And this is Detective Evan Calhoun. Do you feel like answering a few questions?”

Working as a detective for many years had taught Vince how to read the subtle expressions and reactions on a person’s face. Now as he carefully watched a mix of doubt and confusion flicker in Geena’s eyes, it was clear she didn’t recognize his name or the sight of him. She had no clue she was looking at her ex-husband, and the reality of that cut him like a knife.

“My head hurts,” she mumbled. “But I’ll try. Why are you here, anyway? I wrecked my car. That isn’t a crime, is it?”

The soft, raspy sound of her voice hadn’t changed, Vince thought. Neither had her lovely features. Her smoky green eyes were still veiled by thick brown lashes and her plush pink lips bracketed by a pair of faint dimples. The proud thrust of her delicate chin was just as he remembered, along with a perfect little turned-up nose. Oh, yes, this was his Geena all right, he thought grimly. At least on the outside.

He answered her question, “No. It’s not a crime. Not unless you were driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Or you were driving recklessly.”

Her gaze focused on his face, and Vince could see confusion swimming in the green depths of her eyes. But to his immense relief, she didn’t appear to be drunk.

“I told the highway patrolman I didn’t remember what happened. I only recall crawling away from the car. There was a small explosion and then the flames started. They were small at first, but then the fire grew so big I couldn’t see the car. By the time the firemen and paramedics got there, everything was burned. That’s all I know.”

Vince exchanged a grim look with Evan before turning his attention back to Geena. “So can you tell us your name and address?” he asked gently.

A deep frown furrowed her brow, and Vince could see she was struggling to think.

“I’ve been trying very hard to remember, but I don’t know who I am or where I came from.”

Fear and regret were laced through her words, and Vince could only imagine the terror that had to be consuming her thoughts. Right now she was in an unfamiliar place where every face was that of a stranger. Her baby was coming soon, and she clearly had no idea how to locate the father. At this point, the Geena he’d been married to would have been sobbing hysterically. Either she’d drastically changed, he decided, or the accident was playing havoc with her normal demeanor.

I can tell you exactly who you are. You were my wife for five years. You made love to me and slept in my arms.

Shaking away the voice in his head, Vince asked, “Has a doctor spoken to you about your injuries?”

Her eyes misted over, but she swallowed hard and quickly gathered her emotions. “Yes. He tells me I have a concussion and it’s caused me to have amnesia. He couldn’t find anything else wrong. My baby is okay. But I don’t remember anything about my pregnancy—when I’m due, or even the father! It’s maddening!”

The uneasy feeling that had come over Vince when he’d first walked up to the scene of Geena’s accident had suddenly grown to a menacing cloud hovering over his head. What was he going to do? He couldn’t simply blurt out that he knew who she was, or that she’d once been his wife. She’d gone through a traumatic accident. No telling what the shock might do to her. No, Vince decided, before he could even consider revealing that bit of truth to her, he needed to speak with her doctor.

“Do you have any idea why you were on the highway leading into Carson City?” he continued. “Where you were going?”

With a miserable shake of her head, she said, “No. And now everything I had—my ID, my vehicle—they’re gone!”

As her voice rose to a frantic note, Evan stepped up to Vince’s side, as though to say he believed she’d had enough questions for one night. But Vince had already come to that conclusion.

Trying to sound as positive as possible, Vince said, “Don’t worry. By tomorrow you’ll probably start remembering. And if you don’t, we have ways of figuring out all these things.”

The expression on her face was the same imploring look she’d given him years ago when she’d begged him to give up being a lawman. The look in her eyes had torn at him then, just as it was tearing at him now.

“I hope you’re right. Without my car or money I can’t go anywhere,” she said, then let out a miserable groan. “Dear God, what am I thinking? Money or transportation won’t solve my problems. I wouldn’t know where to go to find my home!”

Her home had once been with him, Vince thought. Now she was a lost little thing without a clue of her past or future. Nothing about this felt real.

Evan slanted her a reassuring smile, which was just what she needed at this very moment. But try as he might, Vince couldn’t follow his partner’s example. His face felt frozen.

Evan must have realized Vince had become dazed with it all, because he suddenly spoke up. “Don’t worry. We’ll figure out where you belong. Right now you need to rest. Vince and I will be back tomorrow.”

The words didn’t appear to give her much relief, as she touched fingertips to the bandage on her temple and closed her eyes.

“Thank you,” she said glumly.

“No thanks are needed, ma’am. We’re just doing our job,” Evan told her.

Vince couldn’t bring himself to say another word. He was too busy fighting the urge to pull her into his arms. What in hell was coming over him? This woman had been completely out of his life for six years. He shouldn’t be feeling anything except the need to find her family.

Turning on his heel, he strode out of the room and didn’t stop until he was several feet down the corridor. He was leaning a shoulder against the wall and wiping a hand over his face when Evan came up behind him.

“That woman isn’t putting on an act, Vince. She truly doesn’t remember.”

Vince squeezed his eyes shut and tried to shove away the raw emotions tearing through him. “Yeah. That much is obvious.”

“You didn’t know she was in the area?”

“Hell, no!” Vince muttered. “I would’ve already told you.”

“Sorry I asked. I know we don’t keep things from each other. But I thought—well, from everything you’ve told me about your marriage, I realize she’s a bit of a sore spot and you might not have wanted to bring it up.”

Vince let out a heavy breath before turning to face his partner. “I don’t have a clue what reason she might have for coming to Carson City,” he said, then let out a rueful groan. “Clearly she doesn’t, either.”

“So when are you going to tell her? I mean, who she is. That might be a start to easing her mind. And who knows, maybe she was on her way here to see you.”

Evan’s suggestion brought him up short. “That’s crazy! She couldn’t have been coming here to see me. After we divorced, all ties between us were dropped. For all she knew I could’ve been living in Alaska.”

“Hmm. You know as well as I that if she wanted to locate you, all she needed to do was make a quick computer search and she would’ve known exactly where you lived.”

Shaking his head, Vince started walking in the direction of the elevator. “That’s true. If she’d wanted to locate me. But I’d bet money she was driving into Carson City for some other reason. So let’s go see what our data tells us about Geena.”

Evan caught up to him. “You know she’s Geena, but what is her last name now? Yours? Her maiden name? A new husband’s name? This might not be simple.”

Vince didn’t expect anything about Geena’s case to be simple. In fact, he figured being shot again would be easier to handle than dealing with his ex-wife. But he’d never shirked his duty or asked to be taken off a case just because he found it to be uncomfortable. And he wasn’t about to start now.

“No. But let’s hope it will be.”

Without warning, Evan reached over and caught Vince by the arm.

Stopping in his tracks, Vince looked at him. “What now?”

A sheepish expression crossed Evan’s face. “I hate to bring this up, Vince, but do you think Geena might have been drinking? Alcohol would explain the accident.”

Vince let out a long breath. He’d told Evan more than once that Geena’s drinking had been a huge part of the reason he’d called it quits on their marriage. Vince could easily understand why Evan was questioning her sobriety now.

“Believe me, Evan, when I saw that it was Geena lying in that bed, the thought of alcohol definitely ran through my mind. She was clearly confused. But that could’ve been a result of the concussion. Anyway, I certainly hate to think she’d be drinking in her pregnant condition. But we won’t know for sure until a detailed toxicology report comes back.”

“And that will probably take two weeks,” Evan replied.

Not wanting to think what might happen between now and then, Vince nudged his partner toward the elevator. “Come on. We have work to do.”

* * *

Inside the hospital room, the young woman waited until she was certain the two detectives weren’t going to return, then slowly climbed out of bed. In spite of a swimmy head and a sore back, she managed to make it to a private bathroom located in one corner of the room.

To her relief there was a small mirror hanging over the lavatory. Clinging to the cold sink, she leaned forward and studied her image in the mirror.

Wavy blond hair touched a slender neck and shoulders. Slanted green eyes, full pink lips and pale ivory skin. This was the image she’d seen every day of her life for the past twenty-nine years. So why didn’t she recognize herself? And if she didn’t know her own name, how did she know her age? It was crazy!

Oh, God help her, she prayed. She was terrified to think what might happen to her and her baby. Did she have loved ones waiting for her, wondering why she hadn’t arrived home? Or maybe she had no home and she’d been running from something or someone!

In spite of the slivers of cold fear racing down her spine, sweat popped out on her forehead and upper lip. A wave of dizziness prompted her to grip the edge of the sink even tighter.

She was clutching the cold porcelain, wondering how she was going to make it back to the bed without falling, when she heard a soft gasp behind her.

“Young lady! What are you doing out of bed?”

From the corner of her eye, she could see a nurse hurrying toward her. The fact that help had suddenly arrived caused her to sigh with relief.

“I—I wanted to look in the mirror,” she attempted to explain to the nurse. “To see what I looked like.”

The nurse wrapped a supportive arm across her back and gently guided her away from the sink. “Now isn’t the time to be concerned about your appearance! You’re concussed. You’re not to get out of bed without a nurse’s assistance!”

“You don’t understand,” she tried to explain. “I didn’t know what I looked like! I don’t even know my name!”

“Don’t get excited,” she ordered. “It will only make everything worse for you and your baby.”

After she’d helped her safely back into bed, the nurse spread a thin sheet and blanket back over her and pulled up the bed railing. From a pocket at the foot of the bed, she collected a clipboard and scanned the information on the top two sheets of paper.

“Hmm. I see. I was told you had a concussion, but I see here that you’ve also been diagnosed with amnesia.” She looked up, her smile empathetic. “When you said you wanted to see what you looked like, you really meant it.”

As the nurse walked up to the head of the bed, she noticed the woman appeared to be in her late twenties or early thirties. Thick auburn hair was twisted into a messy bun atop her head, while bright blue eyes peered compassionately back at her.

“Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Until I looked in the mirror, I didn’t even know what color my hair was. But oddly enough, I think I remember my age. I believe I’m twenty-nine. I don’t know why.” She looked anxiously to the pretty nurse. The name Marcella was written on the name tag pinned to her breast. “Do you think that age is correct?”

The nurse’s smile deepened. “Hard to tell. I’d estimate you a bit younger. But I wouldn’t worry about any of that. You’ll be remembering soon. I’ve seen these sorts of injuries before. Most of them fix themselves fairly quickly. In the meantime, what are you going to call yourself?”

“Oh. I’d not thought about that. I guess I’m what you’d call a Jane Doe.” Feeling even more forlorn, she passed a protective hand over her belly. The baby continued to move with frequent vigor, so she had that much to be thankful for. “But I don’t much like the idea of being tagged with that moniker.”

“I wouldn’t like it either. So let’s call you something else. Like Alice,” the nurse suggested.

“Alice? Why that name?”

Chuckling, she dropped the clipboard back into its holder at the foot of the bed. “Well, I have an idea that right about now you’re feeling like you’re in wonderland. Do you recall the story Alice in Wonderland?”

In spite of her anxious situation, she managed to chuckle along with the nurse. “Guess there are some things in my brain that haven’t left. I do remember the childhood story,” she said, then smiled. “Okay, Alice it will be.”

With an encouraging pat on her shoulder, the nurse reached for the blood pressure cuff hanging behind the head of the bed. “All right, Alice, let’s take your vitals and then I’ll let you get some rest. But promise me one thing. Do not get out of bed unless you press your call button and ask for help. We don’t want anything to happen to you or your baby.”

“I may not know who I am or where I came from, but I know I want my baby very much. I promise not to get out of bed again unless someone is here to help me.”

“Good girl. Now you’re making sense.”

While Marcella took her vitals, Alice managed to keep her emotions together, but once the woman left the quiet room, tears began to stream from the corners of her eyes.

Naturally, the nurse was concerned about her and her baby’s welfare. It was her job to see that her patient recovered. But why weren’t any of her family or loved ones walking through the door? Was she that far from home? Had she been lost?

Suddenly overwhelmed with exhaustion, she closed her eyes and tried to remember even the smallest glimmer from her past. But her memories were like a blackboard that had been swiped with a felt eraser. Faint white marks were still evident, but none of them were clear enough to make sense.

The only distinct image she possessed was that of Detective Vincent Parcell. Even in her clouded confusion, she’d noticed his thick brown hair and strong, tanned features. His warm brown eyes had studied her in a way that had made her want to pull the sheet all the way up beneath her chin. He’d not said much, but when he had spoken to her, his voice had been a low, rich baritone that had rumbled through her like a familiar melody.

The detective with him had been an attractive man, and nice to boot. But meeting him hadn’t affected her in the same way as Vincent Parcell. Somehow, someway she’d felt certain their paths had crossed before tonight.

But that was a ridiculous notion, she thought. He was merely a man who was trying to help her get out of this strange wonderland she’d fallen into. And no matter how he’d looked or sounded, she was going to have to trust him to lead her back to the real world.