In the midst of the madness, Eve Sloane had been a ray of sunshine. Within hours of starting work at the Ryerson Center, she had the reception desk and appointments system running like a charm. Despite the shock of Jennifer’s death and the ensuing police investigation, Eve’s pleasant personality and organizational skills had enabled the other staff to focus on their work.
The next morning, she arrived at the same time as Leon and Flora, looking slightly mussed up. “Let me guess.” Leon held the door open, so she and Flora could enter the building ahead of him. “Scape?”
He already knew it was a safe bet.
“Isn’t it always?” Eve sighed as she brushed a few leaves from her hair. “He ran off just as I was about to leave this morning. Luckily, I managed to get him back after a short chase through the trees.”
Although Eve rolled her eyes when she shared hilarious stories about her troublesome pet, it was obvious she was as fiercely attached to him as Leon was to Tiny.
“I’m not a goat expert, but couldn’t you leave him to find his own way home?” Leon asked.
“Goats are supposed to have a strong homing instinct, but, for some reason, Scape doesn’t have that ability.” Eve shrugged off her jacket as she spoke and took up her position behind the reception desk. “I’m always worried he’ll get lost.”
They had arrived early at the center in response to a request from Laurie. The police chief had asked Eve to contact all Ryerson Center employees and get them to attend a meeting. With impeccable timing, she walked through the doors with her husband at her side.
Cameron’s expression was concerned as he approached Flora. “How are you?”
Her smile was tight. “I’ve been better.”
He nodded. “Your safety, and that of the other staff, has to be the priority.”
They went through to the conference room, where most of the other employees were gathered. Since the seats around the large, central table, were already occupied, Leon, Flora, and Eve stood at one side. Laurie and Cameron took up a central position where they could be seen by everyone.
Before they started to speak, the main doors opened, and Flora gasped. “Raj! What are you doing here?”
“The same as you.” He only managed half a smile because of the bruises and swelling to the right side of his face. “I work here, remember?”
Flora crossed the room to his side. “Will it hurt if I hug you?”
“I’ll risk it.” He held out his arms and they exchanged a quick embrace. Leon caught a glimpse of emotion on Raj’s face and guessed he was hiding just how much the attack had affected him.
The nurse gave up her seat for Raj, and he eased carefully into it. Leon studied the other man’s face. There was a deep cut across his right cheekbone with vivid bruising around it. That side of his face was so swollen that his eye was completely closed.
“Is everyone here?” Laurie asked Eve.
Eve consulted a checklist. “Everyone except Dr. Vivien McAuley. I tried calling her, but she didn’t answer so I left a voicemail message.”
Laurie glanced at Cameron. “I think we should start and bring Dr. McAuley up to speed later.” He nodded, and she turned to address the assembled group. “This meeting is not intended to alarm you, but I feel it is only fair to inform you that I am linking the attack on Dr. Laxman to the murders of Jennifer Webster, Joy Valeski, and Lilith Bronson.”
There was a murmur of surprise and consternation around the table. Laurie waited for a moment or two to allow the impact of her words to sink in. “There is a possibility we are dealing with a killer who has a grudge against the Ryerson Center.”
“Does that mean we are all in danger?” The question came from Julie Ricks, the physiotherapist.
“I can’t rule out that possibility.” Even though Laurie never shied away from the harsh messages, her calm manner made them less frightening. “But I called this meeting to talk about how we can protect you.”
“I’m here on behalf of the trustees,” Cameron said. “We’ll do whatever it takes to ensure your safety.”
“Maybe if we knew how Raj was targeted it would help others avoid the same situation,” Leon said.
“Dr. Laxman, do you feel able to share your experience?” Laurie asked.
“Sure, if it helps,” Raj said. “I was working late, catching up on paperwork. When I came out of the building, I went straight to my car. As I unlocked the driver’s door, I heard a noise and turned my head. Chief Delaney thinks that could have saved my life.”
Laurie nodded. “It seems likely the attacker intended to hit Dr. Laxman over the back of the head.”
“When I turned, he got me on the side of my face instead,” Raj said. “Even though I was stunned, I didn’t go down. I knew if I did I was lost. He hit my shoulders and body with a baseball bat, but I fought back. As soon as I did, he ran off.”
“Did you get a look at him?” Leon asked.
“No. He had a dark mask or balaclava over his face,” Raj said.
“You could have been killed, Raj.” Julie Ricks looked slightly queasy.
Leon glanced at the faces around the table. Even without Julie’s comment, it was obvious that everyone was aware of the seriousness of the situation.
“Even though you didn’t see his face, did you form any other impressions about him?” Leon knew the police would have already asked Raj these questions, but he was keen to get as much information about the assailant as he could.
“It all happened so fast.” Raj frowned in an effort to remember. “He was about my height, so average for a man. I didn’t get the sense that he was heavy-set or muscular. Other than that, I didn’t notice anything. There was nothing distinguishing about him, but I was kind of distracted by that whole fighting for my life situation.”
“What if he wasn’t waiting specifically for Raj?” Julie asked. “What if he was just hiding in the shadows, waiting for the next person to leave the building?”
It was a good question, and every eye turned toward Laurie for the answer. “I can’t rule anything out,” she said. “Which is why you all have to be careful. Don’t work late on your own. When you leave the building, do it in pairs or groups. Consider vehicle sharing until we have this person in custody.”
“But when will that be?” Julie’s voice rose on a note of hysteria. “I mean, surely the center should close until he’s caught?”
Cameron looked around the room. “That has to be your decision. My concern is that, if we close the Ryerson Center, we risk leaving the people of Stillwater, and the surrounding area, without vital medical services.”
“What do you propose?” Leon asked.
“Since the police are all involved in the investigation, the trustees have agreed to employ a private security firm until this is over,” Cameron said. “But, if anyone feels they can’t continue working here while the attacker remains at-large, we will allow you to take a paid leave of absence. Your employment at the Ryerson Center will be protected until the investigation is concluded and we’ll be working to ensure that local people have access to a full range of medical services.”
Silence fell over the room, but no one moved. Even Julie, who had appeared nervous, remained in her seat.
“My job is to care for people.” Flora’s voice was quiet but determined. “I don’t know what this person’s motive is, but he’s not going to stop me.”
There were nods and murmurs of agreement.
“I don’t want to alarm anyone.” Eve looked at the clock on the wall as she spoke. “But it’s past the time Dr. McAuley would usually be here, and her first appointment is in ten minutes.”
“Can you contact her?” Flora asked. Although she was turned away from him, Leon could hear the concern in her voice.
“I’ve tried, but my calls are still going direct to voicemail.”
The morning dragged by. In between seeing her patients, Flora checked in with Eve to see if there was any news about Vivien. The answer was the same each time. “Chief Delaney said she’d call when she has any information.”
“She hasn’t called, so what does that mean?” Flora asked Leon, when they grabbed a half-hour lunch break in her office.
“Maybe that she doesn’t have any information?”
“Has she found Vivien? Not found her? Is Vivien okay? Not okay?” Flora pressed a hand to her forehead. “I don’t know whether hearing nothing is good, or bad.”
He took her hands in his, drawing her to him. As always, his nearness acted like a balm, soothing her and reducing her anxiety. “Let’s accept it as a positive sign. There’s nothing else we can do right now.”
She leaned against him. “I just have a picture of him running off after attacking Raj, still looking for a victim—”
“Hey.” Leon lightly gripped her chin, tilting her face up to his. “Don’t torture yourself with this. It’s interesting that this person has never attacked you directly. He’s burned your house, gone after people around you, but not attacked you?”
She nodded. “If I wasn’t so tired, I might find that interesting. Even scary.”
The afternoon passed in a blur. Several emergency cases cropped up and needed to be seen as well as the scheduled appointments. By the time Flora was able to draw breath, it was 5:00 p.m.
“Chief Delaney is in the conference room. Dr. Sinclair and Dr. Laxman are already there,” Eve said, when Flora finally emerged from her office.
Flora headed for the meeting room with a sinking heart. She knew before she got there that this wasn’t going to be good. If Vivien had been found alive and well, Laurie could have called to give them that information. The fact that the police chief had taken time out of a busy murder investigation to show up in person was not a hopeful sign.
“We’re tracking Dr. McAuley’s phone. There is no sign of her at her home, and her vehicle is missing.” Laurie came straight to the point before Flora even sat down.
“That means the murderer could have gotten to her the same way he did to Jennifer,” Flora said. “She could have been killed in her own car.”
“Before we jump to that conclusion, let me ask you what you know about Vivien McAuley.” Laurie looked at Flora, then Raj. “I’m assuming you met her for the first time when you all started working here at the Ryerson Center, is that correct?”
Flora looked at Raj and saw her own confusion reflected on his face. “Yes.”
“Did she share any information about her background?”
“She told me she was from Minnesota,” Raj said. “And she went to medical school in Nebraska.”
“I’m not sure I ever heard her talk about her family.” Flora made an effort to remember. “She’s a very private person.”
“Why is this relevant, Laurie?” Leon asked.
“When we found out that Dr. McAuley was missing, I naturally instigated a search for her. I also did a background check. Five years ago, Vivien McAuley and her husband, David, were involved in a car crash in Colorado Springs. They were taken to the nearest hospital, where David died of devastating head injuries. Vivien, who wasn’t seriously injured, refused to believe that he could not have been saved. Distraught with grief, she threatened to sue the doctors who treated him. Not content with that, she vowed to ruin the non-profit organization of which the hospital was a part.”
“Let me guess,” Leon said. “That hospital was part of the Mountain States Health Group?”
“Yes.” Laurie flipped through her notes. “After Vivien’s lawsuit was unsuccessful she took an ER job in Cheyenne. From there, she came here to the Ryerson Center.”
“Wouldn’t this have shown up on her pre-employment background checks?” Flora asked.
“Vivien hasn’t broken any laws,” Laurie said. “I doubt she’d have been given the job here if the trustees knew she’d sued the company, but there isn’t a question about that on the application form. I’m guessing there will be in the future.”
“Are you saying that Vivien, having failed to get her revenge by conventional means, deliberately targeted the patients and staff of the Ryerson Center?” Leon asked.
“No.” Flora spoke before Laurie could reply. “I’ve only worked with Vivien for a short time, but I can’t believe she’s a killer.”
“I agree,” Raj said. “She is a kind, compassionate person and a dedicated doctor.”
“Could Vivien have been the person who attacked you?” As Leon spoke, Flora focused on his calm voice, using it to keep her grounded. Vivien? How could this be happening?
Raj fell silent for a moment. “I honestly never considered that it might have been a woman.”
“But it could have been?” Laurie said.
“Vivien is as tall as me, so I guess so.” Raj sounded like the words were dragged from him reluctantly. “But, if she is the killer, why would she run now?”
“Maybe she was afraid she went too far when she attacked you?” Laurie said. “Possibly she believed that, since the attempt on your life went wrong and you fought back, you would be able to identify her.”
“So now, as well as searching for Alan Grayson and Luella French, you are also looking for Vivien McAuley?” Flora battled to keep the incredulity out of her voice.
“I know it must seem we are adding to the list of questions instead of finding answers.” Laurie’s voice was sympathetic. “It’s often like this in a big case. Before we get a breakthrough, it can feel like there are so many threads we will never untangle them all. Right now, finding Dr. McAuley has become the number one priority. She’s either a suspect, or she is in danger.”
When Laurie had gone, Flora leaned back in her chair. Her insides were like ice water, her thoughts slow, as though what she had just heard had made them clumsy.
“I know you’ve both had a shock and you don’t want to hear this about a colleague you like and respect.” Leon leaned forward, his hands clasped lightly on the table in front of him. “But Vivien had vowed to cause harm to the Mountain States Health Group. Why would she come and work for one of its medical centers unless she intended to carry out that promise?”
“Even if her intention was to do some damage, I just can’t see her as a killer,” Flora said.
Raj nodded. “My imagination won’t stretch far enough to picture her attacking me.”
Leon got to his feet. “One thing is for sure. We won’t solve anything by sitting here worrying about it. It’s been a long day. Let’s go home.”
It was only as Flora accompanied him from the room that she realized that, when he said the word “home,” she thought naturally now of his house. Her already low mood dropped several degrees further. Could she really have lowered her guard so far without noticing?
Flora had known when she accepted Leon’s offer of protection that she was vulnerable. Even so, she had believed she was strong enough to give in to the attraction between them and deal with the consequences later. Now she was starting to doubt her ability to do that.
She knew Leon cared for her. He didn’t need to say the words out loud. But he had been upfront about his inability to offer her anything long term. She had believed a temporary relationship was enough for her, and this was a bad time to find out that wasn’t the case. Her heart had been through so much, and the fear of losing another man she loved was like a knife tearing through old scars. Could she recover from that? Was she willing to risk it—for herself or her boys?
She glanced at Leon’s profile as they walked to the car. Somewhere along the line, her feelings had changed. She wanted more. Maybe he did, too. If she was willing to take the next step, would he be prepared to take it with her?
As several days passed with no incidents and no news of Vivien, Leon wondered if Flora was beginning to reluctantly question her own judgment about her colleague. She went about her daily routine with all her usual determination but was quiet and introspective. When she thought no one was looking, he would catch a downcast look on her face that was at odds with her usual sunny approach.
Physically, she was as warm and responsive as always, but he sensed an air of detachment about her that troubled him. It was as if a new barrier had arisen between them and he had no idea where it had come from.
He hadn’t spoken about Karen again since his first attempt to open up to Flora about his past. He wasn’t sure why. In that instant, he had felt ready to tell her everything. In many ways, he still did. But events had overtaken them. Was now the right time for him to pour out his heart? More importantly, was Flora in any frame of mind to hear the truth about his past?
Even though things had quietened down, the investigation was still ongoing. His head was telling him now was not a good time to make any decisions about the future. At the same time, his heart was giving him other messages.
Being with Flora and the boys had opened up a whole new world to him, one he had never dared dream he would see. Within a short space of time, they had become his family. At first, he had been afraid he was using them to replace what he had lost when Karen and the baby died. But he was able to take a step back and view the situation objectively. Flora, Stevie, and Frankie were important to him in their own right, not as substitutes for anyone else.
They were a little team who had slipped into his life and taken over his heart. Almost without noticing how it had happened, he found himself missing the boys when they weren’t around. He would automatically plan child-friendly activities and look forward to the chaos they brought to his once peaceful life.
He had grown accustomed to stepping over discarded toys. All his belongings were now placed above toddler height. He understood that Stevie and Frankie would wipe their hands, mouths, and noses on his clothing. Refereeing unreasonable squabbles had become part of his everyday life. He’d even learned it was wise to spell out any words that might trigger an outburst of “want.” Every time he heard the twins call him “Dr. Leon,” his heart soared. Their laughter was one of the sweetest sounds he’d ever heard. When he tried to picture his life without them, he found it impossible.
Even so, Flora was at the center of everything. She had thrown Leon off his dull path and forced him to look at his life differently. And he liked this new view. More than anything, he liked having her at the center of it.
Since there were also three-year-old twins in his new vista, any periods of introspection were short lived. Bedtime was always interesting and, on this particular night, Stevie and Frankie were more determined than ever to prolong the inevitable.
Having requested toast for supper, Stevie promptly gave his to Tiny, then started to cry. “Tiny ate my supper.”
Leon turned away to prepare more toast, only to be interrupted by the sound of more crying from Frankie. “Stevie ate my supper.”
“This could be a long night,” Flora said, as she and Leon each carried a twin toward the bedroom.
Two bedtime stories later, the boys were still wide awake.
“Want a song.” Frankie wriggled around in his bed like a pajama-clad worm.
“Okay.” Flora tucked the bedclothes around him again. “But you have to lie still and listen.”
“Want Dr. Leon to sing a song.”
“Uh.” Leon sent a helpless glance in Flora’s direction. “Singing is not one of Dr. Leon’s strengths.”
She smiled. “They won’t care. It’s like a story—they just want to listen to your voice.”
Leon sat on Stevie’s bed, dredging his memory for the words of a song his mother used to sing to him at bedtime. Feeling slightly self-conscious under the gaze of his audience of three, he began to sing. After a few lines, Stevie reached up and placed a hand over his mouth.
“Sing better, Dr. Leon.”
“That’s the best I can do.” Leon’s voice was muffled by the small fingers covering his lips. He met Flora’s eyes and found hers were brimming with laughter.
“Mommy do it.” Stevie turned his head to look at Flora.
She came to sit beside Leon and he rested his chin on her shoulder as she crooned a lullaby in a soft voice. Stevie’s eyelids began to droop, and a glance across the room showed that Frankie was sprawled across his bed, already asleep.
It was a moment of perfect peace. They were caught up in the center of a horrific murder inquiry, but, for Leon, the rest of the world had drifted away. There was just this. Serenity, comfort, and warmth. Everything he needed was right there within his grasp. In that room. If he had the courage to take it.
Flora’s voice grew quieter, then ceased. She drew Leon’s arm around her waist and they sat in silence for a few more minutes, checking that the twins were really asleep. Finally, she gave a long, slow sigh. “I think we’re safe.”
Once they’d sneaked from the room, Leon paused outside the door. “Three-year-old music critics. My self-esteem is in tatters.”
Flora rose on the tips of her toes to press a kiss onto his lips. “Don’t worry, I still—” He didn’t know what she’d been about to say. After a heartbeat’s hesitation, she recovered quickly. “Like your singing.”
“You do?” He gripped her hips, drawing her closer. “Wow. No one’s ever said that to me before.”
Her eyes twinkled with mischief. “When I said ‘like,’ I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. I don’t think you’re quite ready to perform publicly.”
He placed a hand over his heart. “You just crushed my hopes of a music career.”
She chuckled, the sound reverberating through both their bodies. At the same time, Leon’s cell phone buzzed. He rolled his eyes and reached into his pocket.
“It’s a message from Laurie. She’s on her way over. She’s gotten more information about Alan Grayson’s departure from Stillwater, and it seems likely that the investigation will take a new course.”