Hiding in Plain Sight, page 14
“That’s fine. I’ll catch a ride with Sanders.” Garrett tossed Liam the keys. “I’ll need some time before I meet up with you at the hospital.”
“Okay. Call me if you learn anything.” Liam took her arm, guiding her toward the SUV. “I shouldn’t be bringing you along,” he said, half under his breath.
“Why not?” She glanced at him before sliding into the passenger seat. “I don’t see how visiting the hospital goes against the rules.”
“I’m on official police business,” he pointed out. “Not that I think our suspect will be talking anytime soon.” He shut the door and jogged around to the other side.
She wasn’t sure what to say to that, so she remained silent as Liam drove to the hospital. She’d expected lights and sirens, but he didn’t use them. Thankfully, the overall traffic seemed light.
“I’m sorry you had to shoot him,” she said, breaking the silence.
“I didn’t intend to hit him.” Liam’s tone was grim, and he rubbed his hand over his face. “He shot first. When he fired again a second time, I instinctively returned fire to prevent him from coming after me again. He stayed in the trees for a while, probably waiting for a second chance to hit me, but then he came out, holding his belly...”
She reached out to touch his arm. “He’ll be okay.”
Liam gave a tense nod but didn’t say anything more. She understood his moral dilemma. Yes, he’d been under fire, more than once, considering the squad car had been hit several times even before the gunman fired at him in the woods. But causing harm to a human being wasn’t something anyone wanted to do. Not unless they absolutely had to.
“Pray with me.” Liam’s abrupt request caught her off guard, but she readily clasped his hand. “Lord God, please spare this man’s life. Amen.”
“Amen,” she added. She kept her hand on his as a silent show of support. “I take it we still don’t know his name?”
“No, but once we get his fingerprints in the system, I’m hoping we will.”
“If he has an arrest record.”
“Yeah. Maxwell did, so I’m thinking this guy probably will, too. It makes sense that whoever hired these guys chose them specifically because of their criminal backgrounds.” He glanced at her. “Try not to worry about it. We’ll figure out who hired him and why.”
“It’s hard to imagine my biological father doing something like this.” She frowned. “I don’t see how my mother could have been a serious threat to him. Or to anyone, really. She was more of a harm to herself.”
“Keep in mind, she was only sixteen back then,” Liam said gently.
She winced. “Yeah, but he probably didn’t know that. I mean, why would he? Davy said she used a fake ID to get hired at the strip club in the first place. They can’t be held responsible for not knowing the truth.”
“Most likely,” Liam agreed.
They arrived at the hospital a few minutes later. The place was bigger than she’d imagined, considering the population of Green Lake wasn’t that large. Liam parked the SUV and they walked inside.
Here, unlike the Amish Shoppe, her plain dress, apron and kapp drew much attention. She told herself to ignore the curious gazes and felt bad knowing this was what the Amish endured on a regular basis.
Mostly the looks were simply curiosity, but there were some derogatory expressions as well. As if choosing the plain and simple life was something to be looked down upon.
To her shame, she felt certain that might have been her attitude, too. Before she really understood what the Amish were all about.
Davy’s words echoed in her mind. When you give up technology and the distractions that go along with it, you begin to understand what is important. Like having a closer relationship with God and, of course, with your family.
Yes, the more time she spent with the Amish, the more she understood they were stronger than most people she’d encountered in her life.
Stronger in faith, and in spirit.
They deserved to be admired, not that they were seeking that from the outside world. All they wanted was to be left alone to raise their families as they saw fit. To survive and thrive.
Wasn’t that what she’d wanted, too?
“Stay here for a minute,” Liam said.
“Okay.” She took a seat in the emergency department waiting room while he went to find information on his suspect. It didn’t take him long to return.
“He’s in surgery,” he said. “And he remains in critical condition.”
“He’ll pull through this, Liam. Trauma doctors are very good at what they do.”
“Yeah, I know.” His smile appeared forced. “You mentioned visiting Leah. She’s up on the third floor.”
“Let’s head up there, then.” She tried not to let her reluctance show. This was why she’d insisted on coming, and it was the right thing to do.
Not easy, but right.
Liam escorted her to the third floor, but when he moved to follow, she put a hand on his arm. “I’ll take it from here. Better I face them alone.”
“Okay. I need to make a few calls anyway.” He glanced around. “Why don’t you meet me down in the lobby? Where we came in?”
“I will.” She swallowed hard and forced herself to walk toward Leah’s room. The door was closed, but she could hear the murmur of voices inside.
She paused outside the door, then lifted her hand to knock. She heard something like “Komm,” so she turned the handle and went inside.
The room held at least six people hovering around Leah’s hospital bed. She recognized Ezekiel Moore, the elder who’d given her and Elizabeth a ride to the Amish Shoppe, and realized he must be Leah’s grandfather. The family looked at her in surprise, except for Leah and Ezekiel, who recognized her.
“My name is Shauna McKay, and I’m here to apologize for Leah being hurt. The man who stabbed her did so by mistake. I was the one he was looking for. I’m the one who should be here, in the hospital.” She felt her eyes well up with tears. “I’m truly sorry, Leah. I know I’m to blame, and if there’s anything I can do, please let me know.”
For a long moment no one said a word. Then Leah spoke. “Ach, Shauna, ’tis not your fault, but the hand of the man wielding the knife, ja?”
Surprisingly, her family members nodded in agreement. Ezekiel added, “We are grateful for your concern.”
Shauna bowed her head, feeling blessed by their forgiveness.
Thank You, Lord!
* * *
Liam waited on hold while Garrett put a rush on getting the victim’s fingerprints into the system. “Okay, looks like we have a hit,” Garrett said. “Pete Norman, age thirty-five, did prison time for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.”
The news wasn’t a surprise. “Is he an Illinois resident?”
“Yep, last known address in Chicago.” He heard the clacking of computer keys. “He doesn’t own a black Ford pickup truck, though. The vehicle on record with the DMV is a Honda Civic.”
“Of course not—that would be too easy,” Liam muttered. “I need you to search for connections between Maxwell and Norman. These guys must have done time together or something. We need to understand who may have hired them.”
“On it,” Garrett agreed. “I haven’t shared this information with anyone else. Just in case there is a leak somewhere.”
“Thanks.” Liam thought about that for a moment. “If the person who hired Norman doesn’t realize he’s been injured, we may have some extra time to investigate.”
“Maybe,” Garrett agreed. “Although we did use the radio to discuss the gunfire and the perp being wounded.”
The brief flash of relief faded. “You’re right.” He sighed heavily. “I hate thinking that someone within law enforcement might be involved.”
“Or someone with connections,” Garrett countered. “We have no real proof that a cop is involved. Anyone could get access to a police scanner.”
“I know, I know.” He tried to think through this logically. “I just hope we get a break from the gunfire long enough for us to figure out who is behind this.”
“And who the next hired gun might be,” Garrett added. “Because you know this isn’t over.”
“Very true.” Not a happy thought. “Keep me updated on anything you uncover. Especially if there’s a man by the name of Warren or Douglas involved.”
“I’ve been going through the list of black Ford trucks. So far I haven’t found any owned by a man named Warren or Douglas,” Garrett admitted. “I’ll keep looking, though.”
“Thanks. I know the leads are slim, but that’s all we have for now.” Liam didn’t think he’d ever been involved in a more frustrating case.
“Are you heading back here?” Garrett asked.
“Yes.” Liam glanced at his watch. “Shauna is visiting Leah. I’ll drop her off at the Amish Shoppe and then come back in. I know it’s Saturday, but all overtime will be approved.”
“The guys would work without the extra pay,” Garrett said. “Anyone shooting at one of us deserves to be held to the full extent of the law.”
A faint smile creased his features. “Thanks, Garrett, but assure them that while I appreciate the sentiment, they’ll be duly compensated for the extra hours they’ve worked.”
“Okay, see you later.”
Liam disconnected from the call and glanced at his watch again. He was feeling impatient, but Shauna deserved to have some time with Leah. He felt just as bad as Shauna about how Leah was injured.
The only good thing to come out of the early-afternoon events was that they’d found the man who’d hurt Leah. When, not if, he recovered, Pete Norman would do jail time for another assault with a deadly weapon.
Along with the attempted murder of a cop.
He paced the length of the lobby, thinking about whether he should take Shauna and David back to his place again or go back to the original plan of having her stay with Elizabeth.
Putting his cousin in danger didn’t sit well. Especially after Leah’s injury.
His phone rang, and he quickly answered. “Harland.”
“Sheriff, this is the ER doc you spoke to earlier,” the female voice said.
“Yes, Dr. Olson.” His stomach clenched. “Do you have news related to our gunshot wound victim? His name is Pete Norman, by the way.”
“Yes. I wanted to let you know his condition has been stabilized,” she said. “The word came down from the OR that they’ll need an ICU bed for him after surgery.”
“Thanks, I appreciate that.” Liam had requested to know if their victim would be admitted, as he intended to have a deputy sitting at his bedside. Norman might be injured, but he was still in police custody. And it wasn’t unheard-of for victims to attempt to escape while being in the hospital. “Do you have a time frame? I’ll need to get a deputy up from Green Lake to sit with him.”
“The OR staff indicated he’d probably be transferred over in an hour,” she said. “I hope that’s enough time for you.”
“It is, thanks.” He quickly called Garrett back. “Norman will be finished up in surgery within the hour. They’re planning to admit him to the ICU. I want a deputy at his bedside 24/7.”
“Got it. Turmick offered to take the first shift.”
“Works for me, thanks.” Liam lowered the phone, impressed by his team’s willingness to chip in, even on the weekend. He didn’t want to believe any of them could be the source of the information leak.
Yet Maxwell had been killed for a reason. Someone thought he’d break down and talk after being arrested.
If only he hadn’t returned fire, injuring Norman. They could be interrogating him right now, and planning to go after the person responsible, rather than waiting for him to get out of surgery.
At least the guy had survived. Liam silently thanked God for that.
Then he glanced at his watch again. Only twenty minutes had gone by, but he’d expected Shauna to be here by now. The Amish elders spoke mostly in Pennsylvania Dutch, although some had learned English words out of necessity. The younger generation were more fluent in the English language—a requirement when selling goods to the tourists in the area.
Liam waited another painstaking five minutes before striding to the elevator. His nerves were on edge, and with good reason. He’d only fired his weapon a few times in the line of duty, and he’d never seriously injured a suspect.
Until today.
On the third floor, he looked up and down the hallway but didn’t see Shauna. Had he missed her in the lobby? Maybe she’d used the restroom.
To double-check, he strode down toward Leah’s room. The door was open, but he knocked anyway.
“Komm,” a weak female voice said.
“Leah?” He smiled at the group of family surrounding her. “I’m sorry to bother you. I’m looking for Shauna.”
The Amish exchanged concerned glances. Finally Leah said, “Shauna left a while ago. Mayhap ten minutes?”
The tiny hairs on the back of his neck lifted in alarm. “Thank you.” He spun on his heel and headed back down to the lobby.
He walked the length of the lobby but didn’t see any sign of Shauna. Turning, he went to the public restrooms, hovering near the doorway until a woman stepped out.
“Excuse me, but I’m looking for my friend Shauna. She’s wearing a dark blue Amish dress, white apron and white hat. Is she inside?”
“No. I’m sorry. I was the only one inside.”
Liam waited until she left, then opened the door to check for himself.
It was empty. He returned to the lobby, his heart thudding painfully in his chest.
Where was Shauna?
FOURTEEN
Leah’s family had prayed for her.
Shauna had been caught off guard when Leah’s entire family had bowed their heads, praying out loud for her safety as well as for Leah’s quick healing. They’d spoken in the lyrical Pennsylvania Dutch, yet she’d recognized many of the words, either from context or those she’d learned from Elizabeth.
That a group of strangers, people she’d never met before, cared about her enough to pray over her was amazing.
Humbled in the presence of their faith, Shauna hadn’t known what to say or do. All she could manage was to offer a heartfelt thanks before quickly leaving the hospital room. Instead of taking the elevator, though, to return to the lobby, she’d chosen to take the stairs. She’d wanted some time alone, without other people nearby, to absorb the experience.
There weren’t enough words to describe the various emotions reeling through her. All she could think about was how grateful she was for this opportunity she’d been given, experiencing life within the Amish community.
Her intent had been to apologize to Leah, but instead she’d gotten far more than she’d deserved in return. She hoped to have time later to talk to Elizabeth, to try to understand more about the Amish culture and their beliefs.
Maybe she could even learn some Pennsylvania Dutch.
The stairwell she’d taken led all the way outside. It wasn’t her intent, but now that she was here, she saw the sidewalk leading around the building to a side street. She walked in that direction, still thinking about what had transpired upstairs.
A crisp October breeze cooled her flushed cheeks. She lifted her face to the partially cloudy sky, thinking about God. About how much she’d heard about Him in the short time she’d been in Green Lake. She wished her mother was still alive, not just so she could make amends, but to help her mother find God the way Davy had.
The way she was beginning to.
So many regrets, yet there wasn’t anything she could do about them now. Except to learn from her mistakes, of which she’d made many. Time to focus on the importance of family—and she made a silent promise to stay in touch with Davy once this nightmare was over.
After a few minutes, she’d pulled herself together enough to put the past to rest. Liam was waiting for her in the lobby, and she knew they had to get back to the Amish Shoppe to pick up Davy and Elizabeth.
As she turned, a man emerged from the shadows. At first she assumed he was an employee of the hospital, but he abruptly grabbed her and hauled her up against his chest, wrapping his arms so tightly around her she could barely breathe.
“Help!” she screamed, but her voice was weak, and the man roughly clamped a hand over her face. When he dragged her backward, panic surged.
No! This couldn’t happen! Help me, please! Shauna struggled against her assailant, using her elbows and her feet to lash out against him. But he was strong, built like the dark-haired man who’d stabbed Leah, and he effortlessly dragged her the short distance to what she realized must be a service road, where a long, dark sedan was waiting.
He forcefully thrust her into the car so recklessly she smacked her head on the edge of the car roof, at the same spot where she had several stitches from the car crash. Her kapp slipped off, and pain zinged through her head. She tried to ignore the discomfort as the sedan lurched forward, moving down the road.
How had they found her? Had they been following her the whole time?
“Who are you?” she gasped, turning to face her attacker. He was built like a tank, but it wasn’t the dark-haired man who stabbed Leah. This guy had shaved his head bald and had narrow, beady eyes.
“My name isn’t important,” he said with a sneer.
“Then where are we going?”
“To meet my boss.”
“Who is your boss?” She belatedly realized the bald guy was wearing a cop uniform. It was black in color, like the ones Liam and his deputies wore, but it looked different. It took a moment for her to realize there was an emblem on his sleeve for the Chicago Police Department.
Liam and Garrett had been right about law enforcement being involved. She wasn’t sure how a cop from Chicago had gotten the information he had, but it was clear he and the driver of the sedan had known to look for her at the hospital after the dark-haired guy had been shot.
