Pushing Up Bluebonnets Page 5

  The woman thumbed at the deputy. ''Ask him.'' She then entered the unit without another word.

  Kate and I turned and walked over to the deputy, who had picked up a People magazine and was paging through it.

  ''Hi,'' I said as I approached with Kate on my heels. ''I was the one who identified Miss Richter and I'm working with Chief Boyd on this case. I'm a private investigator.'' I handed him a card.

  His name badge read DEPUTY WELLS and

  though I was the one talking, his gaze was on Kate as he stood.

  The man was built, not to mention hot. And tall enough I'd need a stepladder to look him in the eye. He said, ''Funny, Coop didn't mention you when he asked for county help to protect JoLynn Richter. I'm Greg Wells, by the way. Who's your friend?'' He smiled down at Kate.

  I could almost feel the heat of Kate's blush. ''Dr. Kate Rose. I've had a little experience with head-trauma victims and am here to evaluate her.''

  Nice little twisting of the truth, I thought. Kate might be getting back to her old self after all.

  ''I think Miss Richter has a bunch of doctors already.'' The deputy looked back and forth between us. ''I take it you two are related?''

  ''Sisters. And I'm not a medical doctor,'' she answered. ''I'm a clinical psychologist.''

  ''Last time I looked in her room, the girl was in a damn coma. How do you work with sleeping people?''

  ''That's not why we've come, Deputy Wells,'' I said. ''My sister—''

  ''Excuse me,'' said the other guy who'd been sitting in the waiting room. He was now standing behind Kate. ''I couldn't help but overhear. JoLynn is my cousin.''

  Wells looked at him, obviously surprised. ''Why didn't you say something?''

  ''I had no idea you were here for JoLynn,'' he answered. ''The police think she's still in danger, then?''

  ''We're taking precautions,'' he replied.

  Compared to Wells, the new guy was so skinny he could lie under a clothesline and not get a sunburn. Not bad looking, though. Baby face, hazel eyes dotted with gold, and plenty of highlighted hair—unlike Wells, whose receding hairline reminded me of low tide. The cousin's designer polo shirt was coral, his khakis were unwrinkled and he smelled very metrosexually nice.

  ''What's your name?'' Wells asked him.

  ''Scott Morton. My mother is Uncle Elliott's sister. I promised my uncle I'd stay here until he could get free.'' He looked at me. ''Uncle Elliott never mentioned any investigator to me, either.''

  ''Chief Boyd probably didn't have a chance to tell anyone,'' I said quickly.

  Wells smiled. ''Why don't we clear this up? I'll call up Coop and ask him about all three of you.''

  6

  My stomach fluttered as Wells made the call. Oh, what a tangled web and all that crap. But after Wells told him who was waiting in line to see JoLynn, he listened for a second before handing the phone to me. ''He wants to talk to you.''

  ''Why are you at the hospital, Abby?'' Cooper asked. Seriously, the guy ought to get his obviously stressed vocal cords checked.

  ''Can't help myself,'' I answered. ''I'm a sucker for anyone who's written to me for help.''

  ''Pro bono?'' he said.

  ''If that's what I need to do, yes,'' I answered.

  ''I called a friend at HPD and he says you're smart and know your way around a whodunit. I have to admit I could use someone like you.''

  ''Why, Cooper Boyd. I'll bet you're not afraid to ask for directions, either.''

  He laughed and said, ''I'm not sure how visiting a comatose woman can help solve an attempted murder, though.''

  I told him how Kate and I work together, that she'd had training in the psychological aspects of brain injury and wanted to evaluate JoLynn for herself.

  ''I'm up for anything, so go for it,'' he said. ''I'll tell Wells you're good to visit. He tells me Scotty is there, too.''

  ''Um . . . yes. But you sound amused.'' I fought the urge to look over at Scott Morton.

  ''Nerdy kid but nice. He came with the bail money for Matthew, Richter's son, one time last year. I've been told Matt used to be a regular visitor to our local facility—local facility meaning jail. Drinking and public lewdness—which translates to pissing on the main street in Pineview. Anyway, his father sent him to rehab. He sobered up and got married.''

  ''I see. Interesting,'' I said.

  ''Scott standing right there, huh?''

  ''You got it.''

  ''Take him in there with you. If by chance her condition has an effect on him, I'd like a report on his reaction. Hell, I'd like a report on anyone's reaction. Richter was cold as stone when I told him about JoLynn. 'Course, I've met him a few times at town events and that's the way he always seems.''

  ''Should I hand you back to the deputy?''

  ''Yes. And thanks, Abby.''

  ''No problem.'' I gave Wells the phone and looked at Scott and Kate. ''We can go in, but I'm guessing only if and when the staff gives the okay.''

  That okay didn't come for a half hour and then we were told we had five minutes max.

  Kate went straight to JoLynn's bedside, but Scott hung back, as pallid as if he'd had a visit from Dracula on the way in here.

  ''My God,'' he whispered.

  JoLynn's bruises were changing to the icky stage—all blotchy with yellow and brown beginning to taint the purple and black.

  ''Pretty nasty, huh?'' I said quietly.

  ''Who would do that to her? She's the sweetest person on earth,'' he said.

  I gauged his reaction as Boyd had asked me to do and the words authentic shock came to mind. But that didn't mean he hadn't engineered the murder attempt—it meant only that he hadn't realized the human toll taken after a person experiences a powerful impact with a large immovable object.

  ''How are you two related again?'' I asked.

  ''She's my cousin.''

  ''You two grow up together?'' I probed.

  ''No. She's only been back with us for about a year.''

  ''I don't understand,'' I said.

  ''I'll leave the explanations to Uncle Elliott. What matters is that she recovers.'' He walked over to Kate's side and picked up JoLynn's hand.

  I followed, looked at my sister. ''What do you think?'' I asked.

  ''She responded to painful stimuli when I pinched her arm. Moaned a little when I whispered in her ear. She's not in a deep coma.''

  ''That's good news, right?'' Scott said.

  ''As I said in the waiting room,'' Kate replied, ''I'm not a medical doctor. You should talk to her physician.''

  ''I did,'' Scott said. ''He said I'm not next of kin and he's waiting for Uncle Elliott to arrive to report on her condition.''

  ''And when do you expect Uncle Elliott?'' I asked.

  ''I thought he'd already be here. We're the only two who—'' He pursed his lips, looked down at his shiny loafers. ''He'll be here soon.''

  Family issues? I wondered. According to what I'd already learned, there was plenty of family. ''You certainly got here quickly,'' I said with a smile, hoping he'd open up a little more.

  ''I didn't want her to be alone. I wish they'd let me sit with her so I can be here when she wakes up, but the answer to that request was an emphatic no. But she will wake up.'' His lips tightened but not before I saw them quiver.

  Scott seemed like a supersensitive guy. But maybe his concern was an act.

  A nurse opened the door, interrupting my thoughts. ''Your time is up,'' she said softly.

  He squeezed JoLynn's hand before letting go and I noticed her forehead crease ever so slightly. Seconds later the three of us rejoined Deputy Wells in the waiting room.

  Wells looked at Scott. ''You need some Dramamine, kid? 'Cause you look like you're about to toss your lunch.''

  ''I'm fine.'' Scott seemed distracted, lost in his thoughts.

  Wells addressed Kate then. ''You work a miracle in there, Doc? She tell you what happened?''

  ''Sorry to disappoint you,'' Kate answered.

  No matter how hot this guy
might be, he'd never get out of the batter's box, much less to first base, with my sister. You do not make fun of Kate's job—unless you're me. I'm the only one she takes a ribbing from on that front.

  ''Come on, Abby. We need to get back to Aunt Caroline,'' Kate said. ''Nice to meet you two.''

  She started toward the corridor and I followed. ''Listen, I think Scott could be a help. Can you call me when Aunt Caroline's ready to be released and I'll head back to Methodist then?''

  ''Sure. But I need to get out of here. I don't like that deputy one bit.''

  ''Gee. Who would have known?'' I said.

  Her fair skin colored again. ''That obvious, huh?''

  ''He liked what he saw and was trying to be funny. You're gorgeous, after all. Men notice and that's normal.''

  She blinked several times and I could tell she was fighting tears. Kate needed to get over her last romantic debacle—and soon.

  ''I'll call.'' She turned, walked quickly toward the elevator and nearly slammed right into a man with steel gray hair who was coming at her at about the same swift pace.

  He then rushed by me and said, ''Have you got that doctor's pager number, Scott?''

  Uncle Elliott, I presumed.

  ''I saw her. She's hurt bad.'' Scott's eyes filled.

  Jeez. First Kate, now him.

  Wells stood and offered his hand to the new arrival. ''Greg Wells. Montgomery County Sheriff's Department.''

  ''Elliott Richter. I can't thank you enough for being here to protect my granddaughter. I'm arranging for security and private nurses to start as soon as possible.''

  Granddaughter, huh? So she was probably Katarina's child. I noticed Scott had his cell phone out, probably to page the doctor, but before you could say Verizon, a scrubs-clad medical person came out of the ICU and noticed the phone. ''No cell phones,'' she said sternly, then hurried down the corridor.

  Scott snapped the phone shut. ''I'll go to the lobby, make the page and wait for Dr. Vickers to answer.'' He still looked taken aback by seeing JoLynn and probably needed a break from this place.

  ''Thank you,'' Richter said.

  Meanwhile, I'd been quietly inching closer to Richter and now said, ''Abby Rose. I was the one who—''

  ''Yes,'' he said, looking a little surprised. ''Chief Boyd told me you discovered it was our JoLynn. Thank you so much, Ms. Rose. But why are you here?'' He was a handsome, distinguished man and I was betting his woven blue shirt cost as much as my entire wardrobe.

  ''Please, call me Abby. And I'm here because, well, after I saw JoLynn, I couldn't get her out of my head. I'm a PI specializing in adoption searches and she wrote to me last year asking for help.''

  Richter looked bewildered by this information. ''She wrote to you?'' he said.

  ''Yes. I recognized her handwriting from something she scribbled on my business card—the card found in her car. What is her adoption situation, by the way? She didn't elaborate in her letter.''

  He ignored my question, saying, ''Chief Boyd merely said you were an investigator who helped him. Anyway, I thank you for everything you've done and for your continued interest, but I think we can take care of JoLynn now.'' Richter turned back to Deputy Wells.

  I was being dismissed. But maybe not because this guy was an arrogant SOB. Nope. I've learned to read people pretty well since I started investigating, and I'd seen fear in Richter's intelligent blue eyes before he'd turned away.

  I cleared my throat. ''Um, Chief Boyd asked for my help and I've agreed. He's stretched pretty thin up there in Pineview.''

  ''I can hire someone, since you seem to specialize. I already have people lined up, so one more person won't be difficult to find.''

  ''Who will you hire? Will they care as much as my sister and I do?'' I said.

  ''Now I'm confused,'' he said.

  ''My sister, Kate, is a psychologist and she evaluates my clients. She could be a big help when your grand daughter wakes up—and from what Kate said after visiting JoLynn a few minutes ago, she's not in a very deep coma. She'll probably need psychological support to deal with the emotional and physical trauma when she regains consciousness, wouldn't you say?''

  Richter didn't speak for a few seconds. Then he smiled. ''You're a good businesswoman, Abby. You've played to my weakness. I want the best money can buy for JoLynn, of course, but you can't put a price tag on commitment and caring. Perhaps we could talk later.''

  I handed him my card, deciding he needed time to check me out for himself. ''I'm sure you want to visit JoLynn now. Call me.'' I nodded at Wells. ''Nice to meet you.''

  Then I walked back to Methodist so Kate and I could take Aunt Caroline home. I'd rather have visited a little longer with Elliott Richter—for the distraction and for the mystery. I wondered if he had any ideas about who tried to kill his granddaughter—and perhaps even more important, did he know why someone would want her dead?

  7

  I arrived home around two p.m. with my patience in shreds, partly due to Aunt Caroline's nonstop whining on the way back to her house and partly because my stomach had been growling for the past hour. We'd finally left my aunt in the capable hands of her best friend, Martha, after we purged Aunt Caroline's refrigerator of all the ice cream, syrups and sugared drinks. We hadn't found so much as a stalk of celery during the cleanfest. Kate had agreed to do the grocery shopping, which meant she would arrive back at Aunt Caroline's with all things green and yellow. Thank God I wouldn't be there to hear my aunt's rebel yell—a sound similar to what I let loose with after I've slammed my fingers in the car door.

  Diva was sitting by the answering machine when I came in the back way, tail swishing as if to say, ''Where the hell have you been? People are calling and talking on this thing and you know how that annoys me.''

  I scratched her under her chin. ''I must have food before all else, Diva.''

  She walked along the granite countertop and met me at the refrigerator. Guess she was hungry, too. I ate from a bowl of grapes while I found a half can of Fancy Feast and one slice of leftover pizza. After Diva was served, I ate cold pizza while listening to the single message.

  ''Abby, this is Scott Morton. Chief Boyd gave me your number and I was hoping to slip out and pay you a visit. My uncle hasn't told you the whole story about JoLynn. Text messaging me with directions to your office would work best.''

  Hmm. Interesting. One little mystery on top of another. I loved it.

  Forty-five minutes and half a bag of Cheetos later, I saw Scott Morton on my security monitor screen. I let him in and we went to the living room, since the office was, well, more than messy.

  After he had a Dr Pepper in hand, I took the recliner and he sat adjacent to me on the sofa. He said, ''First, I wanted you to know that Uncle Elliott has people checking up on you already.''

  ''Figured as much,'' I answered.

  ''It's not that he's sly or mean-spirited or anything. He's simply careful.''

  ''Probably a very smart man,'' I said.

  ''True, but I think he's wasting time when you and Chief Boyd could be working on finding out who did this to JoLynn. This person might try again, right?''

  ''I don't see how. Sheriff's deputies, private security and private nurses would be hard to get by.''

  Scott chewed a thumbnail. ''You're right. I worry, that's all. Anyway, you should know the story. Because wherever she was before she came to our family might have something to do with what happened to her and what might happen next.''

  ''She was adopted?'' I said.

  ''You know that already?''

  ''I figured as much. Go on.'' I leaned back in the overstuffed chair.

  ''My mother is quite a bit younger than her brother— that's Uncle Elliott. Anyway, he had a daughter—Katarina. I was five or six when she died. She had cancer, but before that, she'd left home for a couple years. I don't know why. Uncle Elliott never talks about it—in fact no one talks about much of anything important from the past in our family. But she came back and was already pretty sick by then.
''

  ''She was about eighteen when she left?''

  He stared at me, confused, then finally said, ''You already knew?''

  ''I do my research, but tell me about this absence. Is that when JoLynn came into the world?''

  He slowly smiled. ''Yeah. Katarina gave her up for adoption before she returned to the ranch. JoLynn told me when she first arrived about a year ago that she'd hired some detective agency in Houston and they located us for her. I've never seen Uncle Elliott so happy. You'd have thought he'd gotten Katarina back.''