44

Susan grabbed the cane and hobbled as fast as her injured leg would allow. Though she needed the cane more than she liked to admit, it wasn’t as awkward as swinging herself along on crutches. When she was belted in, Parkhurst turned the ignition, hit the overheads, and stomped the accelerator.

At Kelby Oliver’s house, he zipped into the driveway, scattering gravel. As she climbed from the Bronco, she gritted her teeth against the pain. He took off, his gun held alongside his leg. At the screened porch, he proceeded more cautiously. She was behind him when he went into the kitchen.

Abruptly, he stopped. “Pony in the house. One down.”

Cary Black lay slumped in a corner, propped against the cabinet. The phone receiver dangled, making the beep-beep-beep noise as a reminder to hang up. The horse nuzzled Cary’s cheek, then raised its head and looked at them. They did a quick run through, room by room. No one else inside. Where was Faye Turney?

Parkhurst slipped his gun back in the shoulder holster and radioed for an ambulance. Susan knelt and put her fingertips against the corner of Cary’s jaw. Pulse rapid, but strong.

“Cary?” No response.

He went outside to check the area. She waited with Cary. What the hell had happened? Did someone hurt her? Was she released from the hospital too soon and had some kind of relapse? Did concussion victims have relapses? Where was the ambulance?

Five minutes later, a siren screamed its way toward the house, up the driveway and got cut in midwail. Two young males in navy blue jumpsuits came in and stopped at the sight of the horse.

“Why is there a pony in the house?”

She told him to look at the victim. “Her name is Cary Black.”

One paramedic knelt and put a stethoscope to Cary’s chest, the other slapped a blood pressure cuff on her arm and pumped it up. Plastic tubing went around her neck to administer oxygen.

“Ma’am? Cary? Can you hear me?”

Cary’s eyelids fluttered. “Mitch…”

“Just take it easy. Don’t try to move.”

She struggled. “Mitch … fell…”

“Just relax. You had a fall.”

“Hurt … Mitch … fell … creek … help…”

Susan knelt beside her. “Did Mitch hurt you?”

“Creek … help…”

“Take it easy,” the paramedic said. “We’re going to help you.” He lowered his voice and said to Susan, “We need to get her to the hospital.”

Cary clutched Susan’s hand. “Creek. Help him.”

The paramedics loaded Cary on the gurney and rolled her out to the waiting ambulance. Susan, one hand on Ginger’s halter, led the horse out and to the barn.

She was headed back to the house when Parkhurst trotted up. “Did you see a creek?”

“I saw a bridge and heard water trickle.”

“Cary was saying her husband fell in the creek.”

He handed her his flashlight and went to the Bronco for another one. “Take it easy.” He shined his light on the uneven stone path. “Good place to twist an ankle.”

He took off. She followed more slowly.

“Somebody’s in the water!” he called a moment later.

Carefully, she made her way to the edge of the bridge, shined her light down at the water, then up at the underside of the bridge. Old wooden bridge, but she couldn’t tell much more. Too dark.

Parkhurst clambered down the bank and splashed over to the body that was facedown in the water. Mitch Black, Susan assumed.

Placing his flashlight on a rock, Parkhurst squatted beside whoever it was. She dropped her cane and picked her way down to the creek, grabbing at low-growing vegetation to keep from falling. When she reached the water’s edge, Parkhurst was doing chest compressions. She waded toward him. The water wasn’t deep, only five or six inches. She took over the chest compressions to give him a rest.

He shined his light on the victim’s face and then out over the creek and along the bank. “Another ambulance on the way. But…” He shook his head, then resumed CPR. She went back to the house to show the paramedics where to go.

*   *   *

Cary Black was admitted to the hospital for observation and it was the following afternoon, Sunday, before Susan was allowed to question her. Cary explained why she was running and hiding, told of the bus ride, getting to Hampstead, Kelby missing. “I didn’t know what to do. If I went to the police Mitch would find out where I was.”

“You assumed her name.”

“I didn’t intend to, it just happened.” Cary explained her need for books and getting a library card in Kelby’s name, getting the job of taking care of Dr. Farley. She asked about Ginger.

Susan assured her Ginger was fine. Ronny Wells had the horse at the ranch. Susan asked about Faye Turney and Cary said Faye had decided to leave early.

“Mitch?” Cary said.