Cold Case Tracker, page 10
Immediately, the dog released his grip and leaped off the boat. Hudson began to swim back to the island. The small speedboat sped off and in a moment was gone from view. It seemed the man had seen Jackson coming and decided that dealing with both an RCMP officer and his K-9 partner was more than he’d bargained for. Relief filled Jackson’s core.
Thank You, God.
Hudson reached the island just before Jackson did and scrambled up onto the rocks. Jackson slowed the boat to a crawl so he could stop safely without running aground.
“Amy!” he called. “Are you all right?”
“Jackson!” Her voice was faint and weaker than he’d ever heard it before. “I’m... I’m here.”
Worry filled his core. She’d said “here.” Not that she was okay.
Hudson disappeared behind an outcrop of rocks. Jackson cut the engine entirely, drifted up to the island and dropped anchor. Then he leapt off the boat and made his way across the slippery ground in the direction Hudson had gone. Finally he saw her. Amy was sitting on the ground, soaking wet and shivering. Her body was curled up in a protective ball, with her knees pulled up in front of her and her arms wrapped around them. Pain wracked her features. Her face was so pale, he thought she’d faint.
Hudson sat beside her, with his head held high, his ears alert and his body pressed up against her. The dog woofed softly in greeting but didn’t leave Amy’s side.
Good dog.
“Hey, Amy,” he said, softly. “It’s okay. I’m here now and I’m not going to let anything happen to you. Now, we need to get you in the boat and back to shore. Are you hurt? Can you walk?”
She looked up into his face. Anguish pooled in the depths of her eyes. Jackson’s heart lurched.
“I think I’m in labor,” she said. “The closest clinic is over an hour away...and Skye’s coming now.”
* * *
Time passed in a blur of fear and pain for Amy as Jackson gently helped her back into the boat and ferried her and Hudson to shore. He moored the boat at Gemma’s dock. Then he scooped Amy up into his arms and slowly carried her back to the cottage as Hudson trailed them protectively. She wanted to protest that she was capable of walking on her own but then felt the pain of another contraction rip through her body. She clenched her teeth and did her best to hide it, but somehow Jackson knew immediately.
“How many contractions have you had so far?” he asked.
“Five,” she said. “Thankfully, that one wasn’t as bad or long as some of the others.”
She could feel her heartbeat beginning to slow, and the painful anxiety that clutched like a fist inside her chest started to loosen its grip.
Jackson climbed up the back steps carefully. Then he slid the back door open and they walked inside the cottage.
“Are they coming faster?” he asked. “Are the contractions getting longer?”
She shook her head. “No. They haven’t been steady. Just painful and scary.”
“Okay,” he said, “right now we focus on keeping everything nice and calm, while I call 911.”
Jackson laid her down gently on the couch, draped a blanket over her, and helped her out of her wet shoes and socks. Hudson parked himself on the floor in front of her defensively. Jackson pulled his phone from his pocket, and then carefully eased himself down on the couch under Amy’s head so that she leaned back against his chest like a pillow. She hadn’t even realized he’d grabbed a towel from his bag until she felt him gently running it over her sopping wet hair with one hand while he dialed with the other.
“Yes, hello.” His voice was both steady and commanding. “My name is Jackson. I’m an RCMP sergeant.” He rattled off a police badge number. “I have a twenty-eight-year-old civilian who’s seven months pregnant—”
“Thirty-four weeks,” Amy interjected weakly.
“Thirty-four weeks pregnant, with a history of high blood pressure and who’s having painful and irregular contractions.” He paused for a moment and seemed to be listening to the dispatcher. “We’re in Clearwater, Ontario. Over an hour drive from the nearest medical clinic and a two-hour drive from the hospital in Huntsville.”
Suddenly, pain swept over her again. She clenched Jackson’s hand so tightly she could feel her nails digging into his skin. She’d have expected him to yelp in pain or push her away. But instead his thumb gently brushed against the back of her hand, as he glanced at the clock on the wall and counted the seconds as they ticked. Then the pain stopped and he filled in the dispatcher. There was a long pause as Jackson listened to whatever they were saying in response.
“We need to get in the truck and go,” Amy said. “I’m not having my baby here.”
“We don’t want you having her on the side of the road either,” Jackson said, softly. “Thankfully, your contractions are uneven and we still don’t even know if you’re in active labor. If Skye is going to come into the world today, we’re a lot safer here, in a nice warm cottage with running water and professional help on the line, then if there was some kind of emergency on the side of the highway.”
Jackson leaned forward and she felt his lips brush against her temple in a comforting kiss.
“What I need you to do right now is focus on taking slow, calming breaths and seeing if we can get your heart rate down,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “The fact the contractions are erratic and seem to be slowing down is a very good sign that this might just be false labor. The dispatcher is arranging for emergency medical help, and it might take an hour for them to get here. But I’ve got a paramedic on the line right now who’s not going anywhere until we’re sure you’re okay. Right now, all you’ve got to focus on is resting and breathing. You’re not alone. Hudson and I are here, and we’re with you every step of the way.”
Hudson nuzzled her hand. Then the German shepherd laid his head on the couch beside her belly as if reassuring both her and Skye that he was there. Amy tried to pray but was unable to put words to the cries of her heart, beyond calling out to God for her and her baby’s safety.
“How can I help you?” Jackson asked.
“Talk to me,” she said.
“About what?”
“Anything,” she said. “Something lighthearted. Just distract me with something.”
“Okay.” She felt Jackson shift beneath her as he reached over the back of the couch for something on the shelf behind him. There was the gentle rustle of pages. Then he began to read.
The book was one of Ajay’s old adventure novels, featuring the same mystery-solving brothers as the book she’d found the note in back in the camper. In all the chaos that had happened in the past few hours, she hadn’t really given herself time to think about the fact that Gemma’s brother had had feelings for her when they were younger. But now she could feel the memory of it fluttering in the back of her mind.
Jackson’s voice began to rise and fall in a soft melodic cadence as he read. She closed her eyes and rested in the comfort of his arms, as his words moved around her. Time ticked past, her breathing slowed, the pain stopped and then she began to feel the gentle flutter of Skye moving inside her.
Eventually Jackson stopped reading. “Have the contractions stopped?”
“Yes, and Skye’s kicking.”
“Thank You, God,” he whispered.
He glanced at the clock on the wall, then he shifted the phone to his ear, and she remembered that there’d been someone waiting on the line the whole time.
“Okay, it’s been half an hour since the last contraction,” Jackson said. “The baby’s kicking. I think we are good. Yup, okay, I’ll get her to eat something and then will drive straight there. Thank you so much. I really, really appreciate everything. And if anything changes, I’ll call right back. Thank you again.”
He hung up and set the phone down on the table.
“She’s called off the paramedics,” he said, “which is good because there was a major accident on the highway north of Huntsville and they’re short-staffed. We’ve got an appointment at a medical clinic in South River. They’re the closest place that has the kind of facilities to make sure you and Skye are okay. It’s about an hour from here, and I’ll take you there as soon as you’re ready.”
South River was also only fifteen minutes away from the Pine Crest Retirement Home and near where Gemma’s car had been found.
“Emergency services have already contacted the clinic and let them know to expect us,” Jackson went on. He slowly eased himself up from the couch and set a large pillow behind Amy’s head for her to lean back on. Then he stepped over Hudson and started for the kitchen. “I’ll also text my colleagues Caleb and Blake and ask them to meet us there. They’re probably delayed by the accident on the highway, so they should arrive there around the same time we do.”
She stretched slowly.
“Are we going to stop in at Pine Crest Retirement Home while we’re in South River?” she asked.
“I am,” Jackson said. He stopped and looked back but didn’t quite meet her eyes. “Hopefully, I’ll be able to find out why Gemma was heading there and what her interest was in the case. I’ll take Caleb with me. But I think it’s better that you rest.”
She couldn’t argue with that, even though part of her really wanted to go. But she couldn’t exactly rest and play detective at the same time.
But I don’t want you to leave me alone at the clinic. I want you to stay there with me!
The thought crossed Amy’s heart. But she pressed her lips together and stopped herself from saying it.
Jackson wasn’t her boyfriend or her friend—let alone her husband or someone who’d stepped up to take any responsibility to care for her and Skye. No matter how safe and comfortable she’d felt in his arms, he wasn’t a part of her life. He was just a stranger and police officer who’d happened to be there and stepped up to help her.
So what if she was drawn to him? And if she admired his kindness and generosity? Or how quick he was to leap in and help her, or how attentively he listened? After all, she’d married Paul and he’d turned out to be a liar who broke people’s hearts and tossed them away like garbage.
How could she ever trust her own judgment ever again?
“The paramedic said it’s important you eat something,” he said. “Do you still have a hankering for crackers and peanut butter? Or are you craving something else? I make a mean scrambled eggs.”
“No to the eggs, thank you,” she said. “But I’ve got some leftover macaroni and cheese in the fridge if you don’t mind reheating it.”
“No problem, milady.” The cop doffed an imaginary hat and gave a slightly goofy grin. “Your wish is my command.”
She felt a weak smile cross her lips.
Jackson’s legs twitched as if he was about to turn and walk away. But instead he stood there, just outside the kitchenette, looking at her. Somehow her own gaze was locked on his green eyes, and neither of them looked away. Something deep moved through her core. It was a feeling she’d never felt before. This man had protected, sheltered, calmed and comforted her. He’d helped her through the scariest moments she’d ever known and it hurt to know he was about to leave her life.
But she had a habit of leaping into things without paying attention to where she was going. And maybe that was fine when booking last-minute travel arrangements, but the growing life in her belly told her it was no way to make decisions about anything that really mattered.
No, she could not trust her feelings for Jackson—or any man—right now. And maybe she never would.
“Macaroni and cheese would be great,” she called, realizing she was repeating herself but finding her brain lost for words.
She watched as Jackson busied himself in the kitchen, heating macaroni and cheese for her and making a peanut butter sandwich for himself. Odd how he always moved so comfortably around the cottage. Putting dishes away the night before and getting different ones out now. Grabbing a random book and reading it.
It was almost like he’d been there before.
Had he? It was also strange the way he sometimes surprised her by knowing just a little bit more about her and Gemma than she’d have expected. An unsettling feeling tickled the back of her neck. Just how long had he been investigating Gemma? Had he been watching them? Had he been lying to her?
She watched as he pulled the macaroni from the microwave, stirred it, then spooned it into a bowl. No, Jackson was a good man. A nice guy. He’d never given her any reason not to trust him. Her own broken heart and mind were just playing tricks on her.
She reached for the book he’d been reading, hoping the words would settle her mind just like it had when Jackson had been reading to her. Instead, her eyes caught the large blue letters scrawled inside the cover. They were in the same handwriting as the letter she’d found the night before.
Do not touch!
This means you!
This book is property of Ajay
aka Arthur Jackson Locke
Just like that she felt the blood freeze in her body, as a kaleidoscope of small random pieces that had been swirling around her mind suddenly coalesced into one solid picture.
Her gaze rose to the man behind the counter.
She looked past the beard, a nose that had once been broken and the green eyes no longer puffy with bear spray. She’d been both foolish and blind.
Jackson had been lying to her. Her heart hadn’t learned a thing after Paul’s betrayal but had instead led her astray again.
The man who had come to her rescue, kept her safe and promised to help her find her missing friend was Gemma’s brother.
NINE
Jackson stepped around the kitchen counter holding a bowl of warmed macaroni and cheese in his hand and watched as the color drained from Amy’s face.
“What happened?” He set the bowl down on the table in front of her. “Is everything okay?”
Oh no. Had she somehow figured out that Gemma might already be dead?
But Amy’s lips curled as if she’d just tasted something wretched. She wasn’t feeling a pain like the hollow one in his chest. She was angry.
“You’re a real piece of work, you know that?” She pushed herself up to standing. Instinctively, he stepped forward to help her but the fury that glinted in her eyes like daggers told him to stay back. “You lied to me! This whole time!” Her voice rose. “You’re Gemma’s brother, Ajay!”
He opened his mouth to respond.
But she spoke before he could get the words out. “Don’t you even dare deny it!”
“I’m not about to deny it!” Jackson said. His words flew out rapid-fire, in fear she’d run out of the room before he managed to get them all out. His heart was racing so quickly he almost felt dizzy. “You’re right! I’m Gemma’s brother. In all the chaos of the attempted kidnapping and bear spray, I momentarily forgot to tell you my name was Ajay, because everybody calls me Jackson now—”
“Ha! Jackson Finnick?” Sarcasm dripped in her tone.
“No, Jackson Locke,” he said, “and I should’ve told you that the moment I ran into you behind the store yesterday.”
“Yeah, you should have!”
“I know! But I panicked, and I’ve been winging it ever since,” he admitted. “I was afraid that if you knew who I was, you wouldn’t let me help you and you’d refuse to tell me anything about what happened to my sister. For all I knew, you might’ve bear sprayed me again and told me to get lost.”
She pressed her lips together, as if she was about to fire back a retort and had barely managed to catch herself. Whatever she had been about to say, he was pretty sure it wouldn’t have been good.
“Look, when I came up here to look into what happened to Gemma, I never expected to run into you,” he said. His voice rose. But not like he was yelling. More like he was drowning and begging her to throw him a lifeline. “I didn’t know you were living here and running the store for her. I paced back and forth in front of the store for ages trying to figure out what I was going to say when I walked in the door. Remember, the police officer who interviewed you initially thought you might be hiding something, and I was afraid you wouldn’t tell me what I needed to know to find her.”
“So, you lied to me because you were afraid I’d lie to you?” she asked. “You prejudged me and assumed I wouldn’t forgive you for the dumb things you did when you were young, because you can’t forgive yourself.”
No. Maybe. That wasn’t true, was it?
“I was afraid you’d feel like you had to choose sides between me and my sister,” he replied, “and that as usual you’d choose her and that would keep me from finding her alive.” And now it may be too late. “I always intended to tell you.”
“When?” She crossed her arms. “When exactly were you going to tell me?”
He ran his hand over the back of his neck.
“Honestly? Just before we met up with Caleb and Blake, so you’d have somebody safe to leave with if you never wanted to see my face again.”
She rocked back on her heels. Something softened in her gaze.
“You’re so hard on yourself,” she said. “All your talk earlier back in the bookstore about how you were such a terrible kid that you could never be a father is ridiculous. Yes, you were a troubled teenager, but I never thought you were irredeemable. Until I found out you lied to me, I was really impressed with who you were as a person. You were kind and thoughtful, and from what Caleb said, your colleagues think you’re a really great cop.” Then suddenly her words caught on her lips. Her eyes widened. “When I called your unit to verify your identity, Caleb lied to me about who you were, too!”
“Trust me—” Jackson raised his palms “—there’s no big conspiracy here. Caleb was just trying to have my back.”
“What about the other cop?” she said. “Blake?”
