Flee, page 11
Mandy shook her head, surprise in her eyes. “I figured you’d quit once you inherited all that money from Mr. Davis.”
“How do you know about that?” Dawn hissed, taking a seat with Mandy. She thought it was still a secret. One she wasn’t in too much of a hurry to expose.
Mandy narrowed her eyes at Dawn. “Dr. Walden and I were the ones who signed the paperwork. That cute lawyer needed someone to declare Mr. Davis of sound mind. We were the witnesses to his signature.”
“You and Dr. Walden?” Dawn asked. Her breath hitched.
Mandy nodded. “Yeah. I figured you knew that. Or did something change?”
“Have you seen Dr. Walden today?”
Mandy sneered at Dawn. “No. Why?”
“She’s missing. Sue said she saw Dr. Walden’s car, but no one’s seen her.”
“That doesn’t mean she’s missing. You’re being pretty dramatic.”
Dawn shook her head and pulled her phone out of her pocket. “I don’t know that I am.” Dawn walked out of the room and called the only person she knew would take her seriously.
“Stevens,” he answered, sounding like he didn’t know who was calling.
“Gage?”
“Dawn?”
“Hi.”
“Hi.”
Dawn’s cheeks burned. She felt like a teenager with a crush. But that wasn’t why she called. “Hey, sorry. Hi. Um, one of the doctors from here might be missing.”
“Missing? What do you mean, missing?” Gage was all business with that bit of information.
“Well, I might be overreacting, but I haven’t seen one of our doctors here all day. Another nurse swore she saw her car.”
“What doctor?” Gage asked. His tone said he knew the answer already.
“Dr. Walden. The one you had sign the will.”
Gage swore under his breath. “Let me make a call. Are you at work?”
“Yeah. I’m just getting lunch.”
“At work, or are you leaving the facility?”
“No, I’m… I’m at work. I’m not leaving.”
“Don’t leave, Dawn. Stay inside, make sure someone knows where you are at all times. Don’t go in any stairways or elevators alone. Stay in public places as much as possible.”
“You’re scaring me, Gage.”
“I know, and I’m sorry, but until we know if Dr. Walden is missing or just involved in something and no one’s seen her, I don’t want you alone.”
“Okay,” Dawn breathed. Fear trickled down her spine and settled in her gut like the lunch she’d planned to eat.
“Is this your phone number, or are you calling me from Angel’s Grove?”
“It’s my number.”
“Okay. Keep your phone with you. Don’t go anywhere without it. I’ll call you back as soon as I know something.”
“Okay.”
“Dawn?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m glad you called me. You can always call me, okay?”
“Thanks.”
“We’ll talk soon.”
“Okay.”
Gage hung up, leaving Dawn staring at her phone and wondering how in the hell something that should have been good news had messed up so many things in her life. She was a billionaire, and instead of being able to enjoy it, she was trapped at work and worried one of her coworkers was in danger because of her.
Dawn walked back to the break room and opened the microwave. She carried the tray to a table and sat down, barely processing what she was doing.
“What’s going on?” Mandy asked.
Dawn shook her head. “I don’t know.”
“Did something happen to Dr. Walden?”
“I don’t know.”
“Is someone going to come after me?” Mandy half-screeched.
Dawn looked up at her. She wasn’t close to Mandy. Mandy always seemed a bit selfish and too good for everyone else, including the patients. She was good at her job, but the job was a stepping stone for Mandy. “I don’t know anything, Mandy. All I know right now is you are one of only a few people who knew Mr. Davis named me as the one to inherit his fortune, a fortune I never knew about until after I was told it was mine. A fortune his son is very upset didn’t go to him. I don’t know what happened to Dr. Walden, and I don’t know if there’s a reason to worry. What I do know is I’m not going anywhere alone today. I’m going to be aware of my surroundings, and I’m going to do my best to stay alive through today, and tomorrow, and all the days after that.”
“Stay alive?” she screamed. “You think someone’s trying to kill you? They could come for me? Why the hell did you drag me into this?”
“I didn’t do anything! I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t plan it. And I sure as hell don’t want anyone to be hurt because of it.”
Mandy shook her head with disgust. “This is all your fault.”
Dawn’s stomach tightened, rejecting the food she hoped to eat. She pushed the tray away and shook her head, fighting the tears welled up. “I didn’t do anything.”
“If you hadn’t gotten so friendly with Mr. Davis, he wouldn’t have named you. If you’d treated him like all the other patients and just did your job and moved on, none of this would be going on. I’m supposed to be getting engaged soon. I’m going to get married. My life is just starting. I’m not going to get killed because of you!”
“What is going on in here?” Sue hissed from the door.
Mandy swung her frantic gaze to Sue. Her chest heaved with each breath. Her hands tightened into fists. She looked wild and savage.
“I’m sorry,” Dawn said.
“She’s going to get all of us killed,” Mandy snarled, her voice breaking on a sob. “It’s her fault Dr. Walden is missing.”
“What are you talking about?” Sue caught Mandy as she collapsed and turned her attention to Dawn. “What is she talking about?”
“Mr. Davis left me his estate, his company, and all his money. His son is angry and wants it back. The lawyer said the son doesn’t know I’m the one who inherited everything, but Dr. Walden and Mandy were the ones who signed the will, so Mandy thinks…”
“Oh, no,” Sue breathed. “We have to do something. Call the police. Someone.”
“I already did,” Dawn said.
“What did they say?” Sue asked.
“It’s being looked into. I would guess someone will be here soon. I hope.”
“Here? Someone is coming here?” Mandy cried.
“The police, honey,” Sue said, leading Mandy to a chair. “We’re safe in here. No one gets in without ID and a reason.”
“I’m too pretty to die,” Mandy crowed.
“I know, honey, I know,” Sue said, as if being pretty was a reason to live.
Dawn threw her lunch away and left the two of them alone. She was only adding to the stress of the situation. Plus, she wanted more answers.
Dawn called Gage again.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I just… one of my coworkers blames me for this. I needed to hear a friendly voice.”
“You are not to blame, Dawn. Not even a little bit. Robert should have told his son, and you, about the change. And regardless of that, Trevor is responsible for his actions.”
“Do you think he hurt Dr. Walden?”
Gage’s silence was enough of an answer, but he spoke anyway. “It’s possible. The police are on their way to Angel’s Grove since someone said they saw her car. Another team is going to her house.”
“What if they don’t find her?”
“They’ll find her, Dawn. I know they will.”
“Okay.”
“Dawn?”
“Yeah?”
“Can I take you to dinner tonight?”
She sucked in a breath, surprised at the request. Her heart thumped hard at the possibility of dinner with Gage, but her brain knew it was a bad idea. “I work a twelve-hour shift today and tomorrow. I’m usually pretty exhausted when I get home.”
“When’s your next day off?”
“Monday.”
“How about Monday then?”
She smiled despite the situation. She could still hear Mandy crying in the break room. Her stomach rumbled at the missed lunch and twisted with her fear. She had patients to see and a busy day left, plus an impending visit from the police.
But none of that mattered. None of it meant she couldn’t live her life and enjoy time with a kind man who was proving to be there for her more than anyone else in her life. “Yes.”
“Good. Marcus just texted me they’re at Angel’s Grove. I’m going to tell him to ask for you. Captain Marcus Patrick is the one looking into all of this. Check his ID.”
“Okay. Thanks, Gage.”
“See you Monday, Dawn.”
Dawn hung up with a smile, immediately feeling guilty for the excitement coursing through her.
She checked in at the nurse’s desk and told Terry she was going up front to meet someone. It would be all over the floor by the time she got back that she’d inherited billions of dollars and put them all at risk.
Maybe it was time to start thinking about a job change.
The thought sent a pang through her heart. Dawn loved what she did. But she hated the idea of anyone being in danger because of her.
She’d have to think about that.
A tall man was at the desk when Dawn turned the corner to walk down the hallway. He flashed a police badge at the man behind the bulletproof glass, keeping visitors out unless they were allowed. Harold was a large man who used to be in the military and had a soft spot for elderly patients. He spoke softly and kindly to all the guests, making each of them feel safe and cared for. He’d give his life to protect Angel’s Grove.
Dawn’s phone buzzed with a text. She pulled it from her pocket and saw the request from the desk to meet a visitor.
She texted back that she was almost there, and Harold turned to see her with a wide smile.
“This is Captain Marcus Patrick,” Harold said. “He said he needs to speak to you.”
“Did you check his ID?” Dawn asked.
Harold blanched slightly but nodded. “I did.”
“And he is who he says he is?”
Harold nodded. “Unless he has a good fake, yes.”
Dawn looked up at the captain. The man didn’t blink, and didn’t argue at her appraisal. She scanned him carefully, not that she would have known if something was off, but it made her feel better. “Who called you?”
His lips quirked up. “Gage Stevens.”
“And why are you here?”
“Dr. Walden is missing.”
“Dr. Walden is missing?” Harold snapped. “What? Since when?”
“Did she arrive at work this morning?” Captain Patrick asked Harold.
Harold shook his head. “Not since I’ve been here, but that’s not unusual. She works odd hours at times.”
“Do you have security footage of the parking lot?”
“You think something happened to her?” Harold asked.
“We’re looking into every possibility.”
Harold nodded and buzzed the door for Captain Patrick to enter the building. With both men in the small office space, Dawn felt crowded. She started to back up, but Captain Patrick grabbed her arm.
“I’d like to keep you close, Dawn. Please.”
Dawn hesitated, but she nodded when she saw the kindness in his gaze. If Gage trusted him, Dawn would, too.
Harold cued up the video from the night before. He zipped past shift change, slowing down to confirm none of the people walking out were Dr. Walden. Two hours after the others left and the new shift arrived, Harold stopped.
“There she is,” Harold said, pointing to Dr. Walden.
The doctor waved to the man behind the desk and walked out the front door. The door camera followed her for a minute, then she went out of frame as she stepped off the curb toward the employee section of the lot.
“Do you have more cameras?” Captain Patrick asked.
Harold shook his head. “Only the one pointing at the road. We can see if she drove out.”
The view on the screen changed to the road coming into Angel’s Grove. Harold went to the exact time Dr. Walden walked out the door and let it play. Six minutes after she walked out the door, an SUV pulled out. More time passed and Harold sped the video ahead, but Dr. Walden’s vehicle never left.
The tension in the small space built higher and higher until Dawn asked, “Did she leave in that SUV?”
“I’d say it’s likely,” Captain Patrick said. “Do we have a shot of the SUV arriving?”
Harold clicked a few more buttons and retreated to before shift change. Forty minutes before employees started arriving, the same SUV pulled into the lot. It parked out of view of the cameras, and the windshield was too dark to see who was in it, but Dawn already knew the answer to that question.
It had to have been Trevor. And he took Dr. Walden.
Captain Patrick flashed her a look that said he’d come to the same conclusion. “Is there somewhere we can speak?”
Dawn nodded and turned to walk out.
Captain Patrick thanked Harold and handed him a card. He asked Harold to send copies of the videos they just watched to the email address on the card, then followed Dawn to the small room off the front hall where they typically told family their loved one had died.
Dawn sank onto one of the chairs, folding her hands in front of herself. “She’s dead, isn’t she?”
Captain Patrick nodded. “I would guess she is, but until we have confirmation, we can’t go there.”
Dawn looked up at him, shocked he would admit that.
“I know I shouldn’t have said that, but I also believe you are in danger, and this is proof.”
“What about Dr. Walden?” Dawn snapped.
“We will do whatever we can to find her. I know this is not an easy situation. Did you recognize the vehicle? Do you have any idea who could have been behind Dr. Walden’s presumed disappearance?”
Dawn shook her head. “I don’t recognize the vehicle, but we both know who was in it.”
Captain Patrick raised an eyebrow at her.
“I’m not stupid, Captain. I know it was Trevor Davis. I know he killed Dr. Walden to confirm I’m the one his father left everything to. I’m assuming you know that as well. Otherwise, it’s unlikely the police captain would have shown up for a woman who’s only been missing a few hours.”
Captain Patrick rubbed the back of his neck. “There are a lot of moving pieces in this, Ms. Patterson.”
Dawn laughed mirthlessly. “Meaning I’m not really important. I’m just a pawn in this thing.”
Captain Patrick’s face pinched with his agreement. “I wouldn’t put it that way.”
“How would you put it, Captain?”
“We’ve been chasing this organization for a long time. You’re the most recent target, and we will do everything we can to protect you.”
“But you don’t think you actually can. Is that how it is?”
“I didn’t say that.”
Dawn shook her head and stood. “You didn’t have to.”
“Ms. Patterson—”
“Captain Patrick, at least have the courtesy to tell me the truth. Are you doing anything to make sure Trevor Davis ends up behind bars? Anything that will put an end to whatever it is he’s doing?”
“This is an active investigation. One that I’m not at liberty to discuss.”
“Which means no. Great to know, Captain. Thanks. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to work.”
“Ms. Patterson?”
Dawn stopped just outside the door and looked back at the captain.
“Please be careful.”
Dawn nodded. She had no intention of dying.
The rest of her shift was less eventful. Dawn sent Gage a quick text letting him know Captain Patrick showed up and did nothing. Then she turned her phone off and tried to shake off her frustration.
By the time Dawn got home, she was exhausted and starving. She turned on the TV for background noise and stuck her leftovers in the microwave. She grabbed her food and sank onto her couch. She took a bite and got lost in the cooking show she was watching, marveling at the talent of the chefs she watched.
Two hours later, Dawn woke with a start. The TV still played softly. Her neck ached from sleeping slumped over on the couch. She stood and stretched, then she heard a noise.
A soft rattle. Then the slide of metal on metal.
She looked at her door. The knob moved slightly.
Someone was trying to get into her apartment.
12
Dawn scrambled for her phone and dialed nine-one-one. She stared at the doorknob, trying to figure out what she should do. Block the door? Grab a knife? Scream?
“Nine-one-one. What is your emergency?” the voice on the other end of the line said.
“Someone’s trying to break into my apartment,” Dawn whispered.
“What is your address?”
“Three-oh-nine West One Hundredth Street. Apartment four-eighty-nine.”
Clicking echoed through the phone. “Is there somewhere you can hide?”
“Hide?” Dawn hissed. “It’s a studio!”
“Do you have a bathtub?”
“He knows I’m here. He’s after me.”
“Do you have something you can use to defend yourself?” the woman asked. “The police are on the way.”
Dawn looked around the apartment. Her only option was a knife. Or a frying pan. “Nothing that’ll do much harm. Not without getting close. I don’t know if I can do it. I’m a nurse. Hurting someone goes against everything in me.”
“I understand. Hopefully the person will leave when they hear the sirens.”
Dawn strained to hear. The rattling hadn’t stopped, and she didn’t hear any sirens. “How long until they’re here?”
“Less than two minutes,” the woman said. “Are you Dawn?”
“How… How do you know that?”
“Your name comes up with your address.”
“Oh, okay.”
“I’m Mackenzie. With your permission, I’d like to call Captain Patrick. He’s the police captain.”
“I met him earlier today. Why are you calling him?” Dawn kept her voice low as she stared at the door and waited for someone to throw it open and come at her. The knife in her hand was heavy. The metal warming in her palm despite the chill coursing through her.
