Judy Christenberry - The Doctor Delivers

He seemed to intuitively know she was feeling quite weak. Easing her into a nearby chair, he waved the officers back to the sofa. Then he hurried to answer a knock on her door.

Liza tensed, wondering if the knife-wielding stranger from the hospital had followed her back here. Instead, a waiter rolled in a cart. The doctor handed him some money and escorted him to the door.

“I ordered coffee,” he told the detectives, “and a snack. Ms. Colton needs to eat. This is her first time on her feet and she’s weak.”

“I wouldn’t mind a cup of coffee myself,” one of the detectives said before turning to her. “Can you tell me what the problem is, Ms. Colton?”

Liza licked her lips, fearful of what she had to say. She looked at Dr. Hathaway again, and he nodded in support. “My—my cousin was kidnapped several days ago. At least, that’s what the ransom note said.”

The men exchanged looks. “What is your cousin’s name?” one of them asked.

“Emily Blair Colton.” She noted the doctor’s eyes narrowing, as he recognized the name. She added, “My uncle is Joe Colton. He’s a former California senator.” She knew his name would be much more recognizable than Emily’s. He was a multi-millionaire, as well as politically active.

“And the man today? The doctor said he threatened you.”

“Not exactly. He scared me by the way he stared at me, like he was going to hurt me, and he had a huge knife, but all he asked was where Emily was.” Before the policemen could speak, she hurriedly added, “I know that’s not a threat—” she spared the doctor a look “—but somehow I think he’s connected to her kidnapping.”

“You could be right. Can you describe him?”

“Yes.”

“If I can borrow the phone, I’ll call the station, see if we have any information on the kidnapping and request a police artist to come over.”

At her nod, Detective Ramsey stood and crossed to the phone.

Dr. Hathaway put a glass of milk in front of her along with a plate of oatmeal raisin cookies.

“We’ll help you eat those cookies,” he said with a grin, “but you’ve got to have one or two, okay?”

“I just finished breakfast,” she protested.

“That was several hours ago, and we both know you’re a little behind in the nourishment department.”

She blushed, aware of the other detective’s sharp look. She certainly didn’t want to explain anything else to these strangers. Including the fact that she’d talked to Emily after her escape and thought Emily was trying to contact her again.

She gasped and stared at the doctor. What if he mentioned the message from Mrs. Tremble?

He’d been watching her. “What?” he asked, kneeling beside her chair and reaching out to feel of her forehead. “Your throat hurt?”

“Uh, yes, a little.”

He snapped his fingers. “I forgot to give you the antibiotics.” He stood and pulled a pill bottle out of his pocket. “Here, take one of these morning and night until they’re all gone.”

Detective Ramsey returned to the sofa. “The police artist will be here in about fifteen minutes. Now, Ms. Colton, the kidnapping is being handled by the FBI. Our superintendent was quite surprised to discover anyone here knew about it.”

She nodded.

With barely a pause, he continued, “Which made him wonder why someone involved in the kidnapping would come all this way to ask you about Ms. Colton.”

Liza had been lifting the milk glass to her mouth to help her swallow the pill, and his question caused the glass to wobble, splashing milk on the coffee table.

Dr. Hathaway quickly steadied her hand and helped her take a drink. It gave her time to think of her answer.

“Thank you,” she said softly. She used a napkin to wipe up the spill. “I’m sorry, gentlemen. I’m a little weak today. To answer your question, Emily and I are very close, more like sisters than—than cousins. I suppose if—if she escaped from whoever took her, they would expect her to come to me.”

“And you haven’t seen her or talked to her?” Detective Wilson asked, both men’s gazes fixed on her.

In spite of the temptation to look at the doctor, Liza faced her inquisitors and quietly said, “No. I’ve neither seen her nor talked to her. But I wish I had.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Ramsey said, nodding. “But do you have any idea where she might’ve gone if she escaped from whoever took her?”

“No,” she said shaking her head. “But it’s a good sign, isn’t it? I mean, if the bad guys are looking for her, that means they don’t have her, doesn’t it?”

The two detectives exchanged a look. Then Ramsey said, “The ransom was paid yesterday, Ms. Colton. They didn’t catch the guy who collected the money and your cousin hasn’t been found.”

“Maybe the man you saw today was her boyfriend,” the second detective suggested.

“No! He was—he was in his forties and ugly.” The doctor raised one of his eyebrows and she hastily said, “I don’t mean ugly as in not handsome. I mean…not nice.” She swallowed and rubbed her throat. Then she whispered, “Emily is only nineteen. She’s so sweet, so gentle. She wouldn’t have anything in common with this man.”

The doctor got up to sit on the arm of her chair. “Lean back and breathe deeply, Liza. You’re getting all tensed up again. And don’t talk so much.”

She did as he asked and closed her eyes. His closeness helped her to take a deep breath. Strange how quickly she’d come to rely on him.

“We’ll try to wrap this up quickly, Ms. Colton. We checked on the messages you’ve received here. One from your mother and another from a Mrs. Tremble. Can you tell me what they had to say?”

Nick felt the tension rise again in her. He quickly said, “If you don’t mind me explaining, officers, to save my patient’s throat, I spoke to her mother last night after she left the message here. Her mother is also her manager and she was concerned about Liza’s schedule. There was no mention of Liza’s cousin.”

“And Mrs. Tremble?”

“I don’t know who the woman is, but I can assure you Liza hasn’t spoken to her. She spent the night in the hospital and received no calls. I’ve been with her since.”

“Ms. Colton, if you could just—”

“Housekeeper,” she said, her voice raspy again.

“And have you returned her call?” Ramsey asked.

She shook her head and pointed to her throat.

“Oh, that’s right. Besides, she said she’d call today, didn’t she?”

Liza nodded again but didn’t try to speak.

“Is that all the questions, gentlemen?” Nick intervened. “I’d like her to save her voice to describe the man for the sketch artist.”

“Yes, of course. What’s wrong with Ms. Colton’s throat?”

Nick looked at Liza, knowing he could refuse to say anything, but he feared to do so might make the men suspicious. And he had figured out that Liza was hiding something. “It’s a combination of a slight infection and exhaustion. It seems she gave up eating or sleeping once she was told about her cousin’s disappearance. She’s been very concerned. It doesn’t take the body long to deteriorate under those conditions.”

A knock at the door signaled the arrival of the artist. Nick opened the door and invited him in. The two detectives, after greeting the man, picked up their cups of coffee and moved to the window to talk quietly.

Nick returned to the arm of Liza’s chair. Her welcoming smile warmed his heart. She wanted him close. He reached for her glass of milk. “Take a drink before you try to speak again,” he suggested.

She took the glass from him and took a long drink. Then she greeted the artist.

With gentle, perceptive questions, the artist drew Liza out as she described the man. Nick helped, since he’d also seen him. When the artist finished and held up the resulting sketch, both Nick and Liza agreed that he’d done a good job of drawing the man.