It’s a sign! Maybe he can still take me home. “Oh, hey. You know, I was just thinking about asking you for a ride after all—”
“Becca, listen to me. I’m on my way to you right now. You need to stay in a safe place. Stay inside and off the street. I’ll come into the ER for you when I get there.” His car motor revved in the background.
Tingly goose bumps broke out over her body. “Why? What happened?”
“I’ll explain when I get there. Just do what I’m telling you.” His tone was stone cold and tight.
“Okay.” Dread flooded ice along her nerve endings, and tears stung the backs of her eyes. “Is it Charlie?” she whispered.
“No. You stay somewhere secure, you hear? Becca?”
“Yeah. I will.”
The line went dead.
Chapter 10
As she lowered the phone, Becca glanced around the courtyard. The sunny spring day suddenly seemed so out of place, almost sinister in perpetuating the lie that everything was good, nice, pleasant.
“What’s the matter?” Janeese asked, frowning.
“I don’t know. My friend’s on his way to get me, but he wouldn’t say why.” Becca ran her hand over the puppy’s ears and neck, the soft texture of her coat giving Becca something else to think about. Something besides the bad news Nick was bringing her way. It had to be Charlie. Didn’t it? But Nick said it wasn’t, and he wouldn’t lie to her. What else could it be? Maybe my house is bugged after all? “He told me to stay inside, to stay somewhere safe. Maybe it has to do with the break-in?”
“Holy shit, girl. Well, let’s go in the break room, then.” Janeese wrapped her arm around Becca’s shoulders and guided her. “Should you call the police?”
“I wouldn’t know what to say.” Not yet, anyway. A sour taste rose up the back of Becca’s throat. She swallowed, hard, but it wasn’t enough to wash away the rising tide of panic. “I can’t take the dog inside, though.”
“Don’t even worry about that. You stay in the room with her until your friend comes, and it’ll be fine.”
Becca nodded, and so many worst-case scenarios paraded through her mind that they accumulated into a deafening rush of white noise that left her feeling strangely detached. In fact, the only thing she could really feel was the dog’s warmth and softness, the gentle rise and fall of her breathing.
Janeese swiped her ID and opened the exterior door to the break room, and Becca was relieved to find the room empty. “You wait here. I’ll go find Donna and send her back,” Janeese said.
That was good. Becca needed to talk to the head nurse anyway about taking some time off. “Thanks. Oh, my friend’s name is Nick Rixey. Can you buzz him in when he gets here?”
“Yeah. Be right back.” Janeese slipped into the hallway, the hustle and bustle of the emergency department spilling in through the open door.
When it shut, Becca put the puppy on the floor. “Want some water, pretty girl?” The answer was an enthusiastic yes, if the speed with which the puppy drank was any indication. Whatever was going on, at least this whole area was secure. No one could get back into the ER without being admitted by the desk nurse or swiping a UMC badge. Just hang on for a few minutes, Bec. Nick will be here soon. She heaved a breath. “Stay here for a minute, ’kay?”
The dog looked up, cocked her big ears, then dove back into the dish Becca had set down for her.
Becca slipped into the adjoining locker room and wound her way to the second row. It was a good thing she’d had this lock so long, or the fog hovering around her brain would’ve kept her from remembering the combination. She removed the lock, grabbed her purse, and resecured the door.
Woof!
Jogging back to the break room, she hoped no one else had heard the animal. No doubt the puppy would be a big hit with the other nurses, but Becca didn’t want to disturb any of the patients. She pulled open the door to find her new best friend sitting and waiting right on the other side.
“Don’t worry, I’m here,” Becca said, crouching down and petting the scruff of her neck. “You need a name. What am I going to call you?” The dog tilted her head to the side as if trying to decipher the words.
The door to the hall opened, and Becca cut her gaze across the room.
A bald-headed man in a facilities uniform stood in the breach. “ ’Scuse me,” he said.
For a moment, she braced for trouble, but then she saw the badge clipped to his shirt pocket. “Can I help you?” Becca said, standing.
He looked around the space. “Doing a check for lightbulbs that need to be replaced.” He pointed to the fluorescent ceiling fixture in the corner by the exterior door, dark where all the others were illuminated.
“Oh, of course.” She hefted her purse up on her shoulder and shooed the puppy away from chewing on her fingers. Mouthy thing.