Shirlee McCoy - Running Scared

He crossed the room and pulled her into a gentle hug. She’d always been athletic and strong, a gymnast who’d pushed her body to the limit and who’d attended college on a full athletic scholarship. Now she was frail, her body too thin and delicate. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” She returned the hug and stepped back, looking up into his eyes.

“For not thinking about how difficult this trip would be on you.”

“On me? What about you? You’re the one who’s just found his son again.” She frowned, and Kane knew she would never admit that the cancer had robbed her of her strength, never admit that was the reason she was tired. She was strong, tough and independent, and the last thing she would ever accept was pity.

“True, but I’m still hopped up on adrenaline, and there’s no way I can sleep. You take the other double bed in the bedroom. I’ll take the pull-out in here.”

“I’m sure you want to be in the room with Eli,” she responded, crossing to the small refrigerator and pulling out a bottle of water.

True, but he wasn’t sure his son wanted him there.

He didn’t say that, just poured more coffee from a half-full pot and shook his head. “I’ll only be a few yards away from him, and you can get some sleep while I do some work. I’ve got a half-dozen clients I left hanging when I flew out of New York, and I need to let them know their cases are still being handled.”

“All right, but if you want to boot me out of bed later, just wake me up.” She smiled wanly, and for the first time since they’d gotten on the plane the previous day, Kane really looked at his sister. Her skin wasn’t just pale, it was parchment white, her freckles standing out in stark contrast. Her clothes hung off her narrow frame.

“Are you okay, Jen?”

“Besides being exhausted? Yes.”

“I mean really okay.”

“You mean is the cancer back. I went to the doctor two weeks ago for a three-month check, and my numbers all look great, so stop worrying.”

“Did the doctor say anything else besides that your numbers look good?”

“No, and even if he had, now wouldn’t be the time to discuss it. You have your son back, Kane. You’ve got what you’ve been dreaming of for years. That’s all you should be thinking about.”

“I have what I’ve been dreaming of, but that doesn’t mean I can’t worry about you. So, what, exactly, did the doctor say?”

“Nothing except come back in three months. Just like every checkup. Now, stop worrying.”

A sharp knock at the door stopped Kane from asking more questions. He frowned, crossing the room quickly and peering out the peephole. Up until now, the press had been respectful, waiting outside the hotel and asking questions when he emerged or calling to see if he’d be willing to give an interview, but he didn’t expect that to last forever. “Yes?”

“Mr. Dougherty, it’s Deputy Rick Lesnever, Spokane County Sheriff’s department.”

“Do you have ID?” Kane asked, opening the door and nodding as the deputy flashed his badge. “It’s a little late for a visit isn’t it, Deputy?”

“We’ve had an incident, and the sheriff wanted me to come ask you a few questions.” The deputy was young, maybe mid-twenties, and he looked nervous, his gaze jumping from Kane to Jenna and back again.

“Incident?” Kane asked, stepping aside and letting the man in.

“Maggie Tennyson said you were out at her place a little after nine tonight.”

“That’s right.”

“She was attacked a couple hours later.”

“Attacked by whom?” Kane asked, his mind racing back to the moment he’d met Maggie. She’d been nervous, edgy and scared, but he’d chalked that up to being approached by a stranger on a dark, deserted road. What he hadn’t been able to explain was her need to stay anonymous, her obvious concern that someone would know Kane and Eli had been to visit her.

He’d wondered what she was hiding, but he hadn’t pushed for answers.

He should have.

“We don’t know. We’re hoping that you might be able to help shed some light on that.”

“You don’t think my brother had something to do with it?!” Jenna exclaimed, her eyes flashing with irritation.

“Mr. Dougherty isn’t a suspect, but we’re hoping that he may have seen something—”

“What’s going on? Is Ms. Tennyson okay?” Eli peered out of the bedroom, his hair mussed. Barely four feet tall and probably less than fifty pounds, Eli looked younger than nine, but his eyes were old and filled with anxiety.

“She should be fine,” the deputy responded, smiling kindly at Eli. “We just wanted to ask your father a few questions.”

“But you said she was attacked. That means someone hurt her.” Eli stepped out of the room, his pajamas hanging loosely on his thin frame.

“Maybe you and the deputy should discuss this somewhere else,” Jenna suggested, shooting a look in Eli’s direction.

She was right, of course. Discussing what had happened to Eli’s favorite teacher while he was listening wasn’t a good idea, but leaving Eli seemed like an even worse one to Kane.

He knew it was irrational, knew that Eli would be fine with Jenna for however long it took to answer Deputy Lesnever’s questions, but knowing it in his head and believing it with his heart were two different things. “Why don’t you go back in the bedroom, Eli? I’ll come in after the deputy and I are done talking and let you know what’s going on.”

“She’s not okay. If she was okay, you wouldn’t make me go away while you talk.”

“Of course she’s okay. Deputy Lesnever wouldn’t lie, would you, Deputy?” Jenna said, moving close to Eli and putting an arm around his shoulders.

“No, I wouldn’t. She’s fine. The doctors are keeping her in the hospital overnight for observation, but she’ll probably be going home tomorrow.”

“She’s in the hospital? But you said she was all right!” Eli’s voice rose an octave, and he shrugged away from Jenna’s arm.

“She is, but—”

“I really think you should discuss this somewhere else,” Jenna said again, and this time Kane knew he had to listen. Eli had been through enough. He didn’t need to hear details about what had happened to Maggie.

“How about we step out in the hall?”

“I’d rather not stand in a public area. We can discuss things in my patrol car.”

Kane hesitated, then nodded. He couldn’t be near Eli 24/7 no matter how much he wanted to. Normalcy had to be established. Routine. If Kane hovered, he might do more damage to his already-damaged child.

“Will you go see Ms. Tennyson?” Eli asked.

“I don’t think—”

“Please, Daddy. I just want to know for sure that she’s all right.” Daddy?

The word brought Kane back five years to the morning of Eli’s disappearance. He’d kissed his son goodbye before heading to the office, smiling when his son shouted, “I love you, Daddy!” as Kane closed the apartment door and left him with the nanny.

He hadn’t heard the word again until now, and hearing it filled him with a bittersweet mixture of joy and sorrow.

“I can’t leave you here alone, Eli.”

“He won’t be alone, Kane. I’m here, and I promise this is where we’ll both stay. No going anywhere except to bed. Right, Eli?” Jenna offered, and Eli nodded his agreement. Kane hesitated, his thoughts going back to the old farmhouse and the woman who owned it. Maggie Tennyson had done what no one else had dared. She’d listened to Eli, dug for answer and found them. Now she was in the hospital, and Kane knew he couldn’t ignore the fact any more than he could ignore his son’s impassioned plea.

“Okay. I’ll go, but you have to mind your aunt while I’m gone. No wandering around outside. Okay?”