Debby Giusti - Plain Truth

“A few partials. Whether we’ll be able to identify anyone from them is the question. They’re probably Dr. Jacobsen’s or the nurse who works for her. I told you that we took the doc’s prints earlier. We’ll get the nurse’s tomorrow. Won’t take long before we know if we’ve got a match. I’m sure Sergeant Abrams will keep you informed.”

“He’s got my number.”

An engraved invitation embossed with a caduceus logo and printed on heavy ecru card stock caught Zach’s attention. He leaned closer, not wanting to touch anything on the desk until Taylor had finished his work.

“Cordially invited... Medical Symposium... Atlanta...” The event was scheduled for the upcoming Friday.

Zach rubbed his jaw. Somehow he couldn’t see the rural doc fitting in at what appeared, from the fancy invitation, to be a rather highbrow event. Although maybe there was more to Ella Jacobsen than he realized.

The sound of footsteps caused him to look up as she entered the office. She was wearing gray slacks and a matching rust-colored sweater set. From the damp hair that curled around her face, he guessed she had taken time to shower.

As she stepped closer, he inhaled a fresh floral scent that contrasted sharply with the stale air in the clinic. A roomful of law enforcement types working extended shifts late into the night didn’t do much for air quality.

“I appreciate you driving me to the hospital.” Her apologetic smile looked more like a grimace. “I doubt there’s anything wrong with me other than some scrapes and bruises, yet I always encourage my patients to be examined after any significant injury. I wouldn’t be much of a doctor if I didn’t practice what I preached.”

“Going to the hospital is a good decision.”

She glanced at Officer Taylor. “I usually don’t leave my desk in such disarray.” She tugged a strand of hair behind her ear. “I saw the man standing over it. Maybe he went through my papers.”

Taylor pointed to an open cabinet. “Looks like he was going through your patient files, too, ma’am.”

“I can’t imagine why.”

“Have you treated anyone recently that might not want their diagnosis revealed?” Zach asked. “Most folks don’t want their medical information to end up in the wrong hands.”

“I deal mainly with Amish children. I can’t think of anything significant that my patients or their families would want to keep secret.”

“What about the twins’ condition? Is there any reason for that not to get out?”

Dr. Jacobsen shook her head. “Not that I know of.”

“Maybe we’ll find a match with one of the prints,” Taylor said.

“Are you going to talk to my nurse in the morning?” she asked.

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll get her prints then.”

Zach pointed to the door. “If you’re ready?”

She took a step forward and then hesitated. “I need to tell someone to turn off the lights and lock up when they leave.”

The concern for her clinic was understandable. “I’ll talk to Sergeant Abrams,” Zach said. “Wait here and I’ll be back in a minute.”

He hurried to the treatment room where Corporal Powers stood with his back to the wall and his arms crossed over his chest. Antagonism was clearly written on his face. Abrams saw Zach and stepped into the hallway.

“I’m taking the doctor to the ER in town,” Zach explained. “She’s worried about her clinic and asked that the lights be turned off and the doors locked when you leave.”

Abrams nodded. “We’ll be here until the crime scene folks are finished. Could take most of the night, but tell her I’ll make sure we leave the place secure.”

“Hopefully, we’ll be back before then, but knowing how slow emergency rooms can be, it might be hours before she’s seen.”

Abrams smiled knowingly. “Our local hospital isn’t known for speed, so you’re probably right. I’ll contact you if we learn anything.”

Pointing toward the treatment room, he added, “Corporal Powers is anxious about his wife. He plans to stay at the hospital on post. I imagine someone from your office will question him more thoroughly.”

“I’ll contact the CID,” Zach assured the cop. “One of our people will visit Powers at the hospital. We’ll contact his unit and ensure he’s getting some support from their end. I’ll check on his daughters and in-laws after the doc is treated. He’s not a flight risk, and we know where to find him.”

“I’ll tell him to expect someone at the hospital.”

Zach returned to the office, where the doc stood, her eyes wide as she looked around her, no doubt, once-tidy space. What had the assailant wanted? Two women were injured, one seriously, and medical files had been accessed.

In spite of what Abrams had suggested, the guy hadn’t broken in looking for drugs. He wanted information or else to do harm. Maybe both. If only the Freemont police would uncover evidence they could use to track down the assailant. Until then the doctor needed to be careful and on guard, lest the guy return to do more damage.

Zach would keep watch, too. He didn’t want anything else to happen to the doc.

THREE

If she made her patients wait this long she wouldn’t have any. Ella sat in the exam room and hugged her arms around her chest, grateful that Zach hadn’t deserted her. His frustration with medical personnel was evident by his frequent sighs and the pointed questions he asked the nurse concerning the lab results and CT scan. Yet he’d tried to buoy Ella’s spirits and never complained about his own discomfort.

Of course, the nurse didn’t have any way to speed up the lab technologists handling her specimens nor the CT techs, who had probably already given the results to the doctor. But Ella was beginning to feel as frustrated as Zach. Considering the number of patients in the waiting room when they’d arrived at the hospital hours ago, and the number of people who passed by in the hallway, if she received her test and lab results by lunchtime she would consider herself fortunate.

Not the way to run a hospital. Quin would have been equally as annoyed as the special agent, although her husband wouldn’t have hung around while she was being treated. He would have mumbled some excuse about needing to get to his research, and left her to find her own transportation home.

Ella shook her head at the memory of what their life together had been like, and then let out a lungful of air, mentally refusing to dwell on the past.

A tap sounded at the door.

She sat up straighter and raked her hand through her hair, not sure who to expect. “Come in.”

The door opened, and Zach stepped into the exam room, carrying a white paper bag. “Two coffees from the cafeteria, one with cream and sugar, and two breakfast sandwiches. Egg and sausage sound okay?”

“Sounds delicious. How did you know I needed food?”

“Just a hunch.” He glanced at the clock on the wall and then handed her a coffee and sandwich. “Patients could starve to death while they’re waiting in the ER.”

“I’ll remember that in case I’m ever a hospital administrator.” She accepted the food he offered.

“You’d be a good one, for sure.”

She was taken aback by his comment. He was probably just being nice and making idle chitchat, but she was so accustomed to Quin’s negativity that she hadn’t expected anything as affirming and supportive. For some reason, she suddenly wanted to cry.

She blinked back the tears that stung her eyes, feeling totally foolish as she removed the plastic lid and took a sip of the hot brew. “Coffee was just what I needed.”

Hopefully, he hadn’t realized the emotional turmoil that had taken her by surprise. She blamed it on fatigue and her recent brush with death. If only her memory would return, so she could grasp exactly what had happened.