Chapter 19

Nate flipped his phone shut and stared down at Kyle. He was sleeping peacefully now but something had caused him great fear. Nate had come to the hospital hoping to find Ashley as well as ask Kyle some questions. When she wasn’t there Nate was immediately concerned. This is where she was supposed to be. Where she’d been all day. Granted it was late, almost midnight at this point but Ashley hadn’t said anything about leaving.
Nate didn’t like the idea of talking to Kyle without Ashley. He knew he wanted and needed answers but he didn’t want to traumatize the boy. He’d been through so much. Ashley had an amazing way with kids. It was a gift. Why God would choose to take her only son from her was still a mystery to which Nate had always wanted answers. Nate believed that God had a plan in everything. That His hand was always there. That nothing was outside of God’s plan. But this, could the death of a father and son have been in God’s plan?
Kyle stirred and Nate pulled the covers up to his chin. The lights on Kyle’s side of the room were off but where the second bed should be light filtered in from the wall. Nate reached up and turned the other light off. Now it was dark in the room with just the moonlight streaming in through the slats in the window blinds. Nate sat down in the green hospital chair at the end of Kyle’s bed.
“Where is Kayla, God? Where is she hidden? Please care for her tonight. Comfort her. Protect her. Keep her from the evil that is surrounding her.” The prayer ran through Nate’s head again and again. He had no idea what kind of evil they were really facing. Jonathan’s body had held a lot of clues. The trunk of his car certainly held traces of Julia Lambert. But where were the other girls?
When Nate had shown Kyle a picture of Jonathan the boy had wet the bed. His heart had begun to race so fast that three nurses had rushed the room, two of them giving Nate dirty looks, the other scolding him for disturbing their patient. Nate had apologized and stepped out to let them care for Kyle. Jonathan was definitely involved but with him dead it left more questions then answers. If Jonathan was the only one Kyle saw then he would get nowhere.
Nate did have a mug shot of Todd Purcell, Jonathan’s known associate, but he was afraid to show it Kyle. What if it scared him more? That was why Nate needed Ashley. That and the fact that something had happened to Kyle today. Not that the boy had said anything but Nate could just feel it. And then to have Ashley missing. Things weren’t adding up.
For what seemed like an eternity Nate waited for Ashley to return. She hadn’t told him where she was or Nate would have offered to go and pick her up. Instead she seemed to indicate that she already had transportation and would be there shortly. Maybe she had rented a vehicle.
Feelings for Ashley still surfaced every now and then. Nate had thought about her plenty over the last ten years. Had wanted to call her numerous times but just hadn’t found the courage. He didn’t know what to say to her. Didn’t know how to help her grieve. On top of that he didn’t want to appear to be taking advantage of her with her husband gone. Surely she knew how Nate felt about her. How much he cared and possibly loved her. With no husband, she was single again. But would she accept him? Maybe he was too scared of being rejected a second time.
Commotion from outside Kyle’s hospital room caught Nate’s attention. Two voices were talking two the security guard, a male and female. Nate recognized the woman’s voice as Ashley’s. Jumping out of his chair, he opened the door, nodded to the security guard and allowed Ashley to step inside. To Nate’s surprise Michael followed close behind her.
“What’s going on? What’s wrong with my son?” Michael’s voice filled the room absorbing all quiet.
Nate held up his hands. “Keep your voice down. Kyle is fine. At least right now.”
Michael pushed past Nate and threw back the curtain surrounding Kyle. When he saw Kyle slowly breathing he pulled the curtain back and turned back to Nate. “What’s the deal? You told Ashley that something was wrong.”
“How did you know?” Nate looked back and forth from Michael to Ashley. What was in their eyes? He couldn’t tell.
“We were together. Now, tell us what’s so important,” Ashley said and for the first time since walking in the room Ashley took her hands off her neck revealing a gauze bandage underneath. The bandage, once white, now had a reddish tint to it.
“What happened to you?” Nate moved towards Ashley, stopping in front of her he pushed her hair back behind her shoulder and looked down at her neck.
“I got a cut. What’s the matter?” Ashley tried to keep her voice low but she was having trouble controlling her emotions. Nate wondered what had happened to her today.
“We found Jonathan Gardner’s body today. He was shot. We believe Julia Lambert was with him and now she’s gone.” Nate directed his words towards Michael. He didn’t say “I told you so” out loud but he wanted to.
“You found another body?” Ashley asked.
“Yes, Jonathan’s.”
“I mean, other then that?”
“No, we believe that whoever shot Jonathan took the girl with him.”
“It’s more than one man,” Ashley said. “That would rule out a pedophile. They would never choose to share.”
“Even two men? Maybe they fought and one wanted the girls to himself?” This is why Nate needed Ashley. Even though she specialized in talking with children she was still a Forensic Psychologist. Her insights would be invaluable.
“Highly unlikely. Pedophiles may discuss things on line but no one is going to admit to stealing and killing girls. A partner is a possibility but considering that you found Jonathan’s body in plain sight with a gun shot wound it doesn’t sound like they had an argument. On top of that if they still have three girls alive there would be enough to go around.” At Michael’s gagging motion, Ashley added, “I’m sorry; I don’t mean to put it like that…”
“What does any of this have to do with Kyle?” Michael cut in on Ashley’s apology.
“I came here today to show Kyle a picture of Jonathan and see if he recognized him as the man that took Kayla. I also have another picture I want him to look at but I don’t want to show it to him without Ashley around.”
“This is why you call us down here?” Nate didn’t miss the irritation in Michael’s voice.
“I didn’t call you, Michael. I called Ashley because I need her help talking with Kyle.”
“I’m with Michael, Nate, you said something was wrong. Were you trying to scare me to get me here quicker?”
“No. It seems that the guard was distracted at some point today. Something happened in the elevator and the guard left his post. When he returned he found numerous nurses in Kyle’s room. It seems that Kyle had some kind of an episode.”
“Why didn’t they call me?” Michael demanded.
“The nurses got his heart rate under control. That wasn’t the problem. It seems that someone stopped in Kyle’s room. Whoever it was scared Kyle so badly he hasn’t spoken since. That’s why it’s so important that you’re here, Ashley. I was hoping you could talk to him.”
“Who came in here?” Michael demanded.
“I don’t know, that’s why I’m here,” Nate said.
“I think I do,” Ashley’s voice was barely above a whisper. Her hands went to her throat as she spoke as her eyes wouldn’t look above the wheels on the empty hospital bed.
“What do you mean?” Nate asked.
“Someone attacked me in the elevator today, Nate. Michael and I were leaving and someone stopped the elevator. He threatened me with a knife. Gave me a small cut and I hit my head as he left.”
“What? Why didn’t you call me?” Words built up in Nate’s mind but he coudn’t let them out. He looked from Ashley to Michael. Was he missing something between them?
“I’m sorry, I was out of it. I don’t remember what happened…” Now Ashley’s wandered over to Michael. Nate was missing something between them. How did Nate always get the wrong end of the stick? What was him that Ashley was always attracted to someone else around him? Ten years with no real boyfriend or husband, she comes to Florida and falls for someone else? How is that possible?
“Michael, do you remember anything?” Nate fought hard to keep emotion out of his voice, mostly anger.
“I didn’t see him, he had a ball cap over his face and he hid behind Ashley. When he dropped her I was more concerned with Ashley then about the person who did it.”
“You didn’t chase him?” The anger was harder to control then he thought. “Did you call the police? Notify hospital security?”
“I’m sorry I was more concerned with Ashley at the time.”
“But you didn’t think to have her checked out by a doctor? You were in a hospital and you didn’t call for help? What were you thinking?”
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t. I took her home and she seemed okay. If something had gone wrong I would’ve called someone.”
“More wrong then being stabbed in the throat?” What was wrong with this man? Nate glanced at Ashley. She had slumped down on to the hospital bed and wouldn’t look at either man. Instead her gaze fell on the curtain that separated them from Kyle who was still sleeping on the other side despite the loud talk. Nate wasn’t surprised given the medication the boy had required to calm him down. He could only hope that he would wake up in time to identify another suspect. Despite the late hour on a Friday Nate was not done with work for the week, not by a long shot.
“I’m sorry; I thought I could take care of her. What if the man came back and tried to hurt her again? At least at my house I could protect her.”
“But what about your son? Didn’t you think of him?”
“I’m sorry; I didn’t think this was related at all. The man threatened Ashley to stay away from Kyle; I had no idea why he would have any reason to show up in Kyle’s room. It doesn’t make sense.” Michael appeared as agitated as he sounded. He was pacing in the tiny space and running his hands through his hair as though trying to convince himself he had made the right decision. Nate knew he had made the wrong decision. What was this man thinking?
“If the two cases are related he would have every reason to show up and see Kyle. At nine years old, Kyle doesn’t need to be threatened by a knife. Just an unfriendly face showing up in his room would be enough to keep him quiet.”
“But how would it be related?” Ashley’s voice had still not gone above a whisper.
“I have no answer for that right now. It seems highly unlikely but I can’t ignore any possibility. Maybe Jimmy has a connection. Maybe someone is just trying to mess with your mind. I have no answer for that.”
Stirring from the other side of the curtain caught Nate’s attention.
“Daddy?” The room went quiet at the sound of Kyle’s voice.
“Daddy’s here buddy, what’s up?” Michael pushed back the curtain and smiled down at Kyle. Kyle looked pale and there was no look of life in him. What had this boy been through?
“A bad man was here today…” Kyle wasn’t talking to his father, he was looking at Ashley. In response, Ashley slid off the empty bed and sat on Kyle’s. She held his hand and ran her fingers through his hair. Kyle’s color came back almost immediately and even gave Ashley a small smile. Ashley returned the gesture. Nate couldn’t help but think there was something between them.
The three of them would make a nice, happy family. The thought crossed Nate’s mind unbidden and he shoved it aside. The truth was if Donnie and Aidan were still alive Ashley’s family would look just like this with Nate on the outside. Maybe that was how it was always meant to be.
“Hey, Kyle, can you tell me who was in here today?” Ashley asked.
“A bad man.”
“Was it Jonathan?”
“No, that was one bad man.”
“There was more than one?”
Kyle looked out the window and then back at Ashley. “Two men took Ashley. The other man came in my room today.”
“What did he say?” Ashley asked as she stroked Kyle’s arm.
“He said if I talked to you again he would kill you.”