Dawn in Eclipse Bay

chapter 16

They were standing in the busy hallway outside Arizona’s hospital room. Monitors beeped and pinged. Lights winked on computer screens. High-tech equipment gleamed. Eclipse Bay Community Hospital had moved with the times, Gabe thought.

He noticed that everyone around him who wore a name tag and a stethoscope appeared purposeful and competent and a little high on adrenaline. Those who were not decked out with a name tag and a stethoscope looked worried. Civilians, Gabe thought. He and Lillian fit into that category. Definitely worried.

Sean Valentine, Eclipse Bay’s chief of police, on the other hand, fell into some middle zone. He had the same purposeful, competent air that marked the members of the hospital staff, but he didn’t look as if he were enjoying an adrenaline rush. There were deep lines around his eyes and mouth. The marks weren’t caused by Arizona’s problems. Sean always looked as if he anticipated the worst. Gabe figured the permanently etched expression was a legacy of his days as a big-city cop in Seattle.

“Probably came home and interrupted some SOB who was trying to break into her cabin,” Sean said. “The bastard must have grabbed the first available heavy object and used it on the back of her skull.”

“Whoever he was, he can’t be from around here,” Gabe said. “Everyone in town knows that it would take an armored tank and a battering ram to break into A.Z.’s cabin.”

“Could have looked like a challenge to some dumb-ass kids from Chamberlain who’d had a few beers,” Sean speculated. “Or maybe a transient found the place and didn’t realize it was actually a small fortress.”

“He could have killed her.” Lillian’s anger vibrated in every word and in every line of her body. She was very tightly wound at the moment.

“The blow was a little off,” Sean said. “Fortunately for A.Z. She’s concussed but they say she should be okay. They’re going to keep her here at the hospital for a couple of days for observation.”

Lillian looked at him. “Are you sure we shouldn’t take that message she left on my machine seriously?”

“I take everything seriously,” Sean said. “Way I’m made, I guess. But I gotta tell you that a call from A.Z. claiming that she was being tailed by an institute spy does not give me a whole heck of a lot to work with. In her world, institute spies are everywhere and they’re all trying to follow her.”

“There is that,” Lillian agreed reluctantly.

“Another thing,” Sean added. “There’s a small flaw in A.Z.’s logic here. Assuming the institute actually employed spies, none of them would need to tail her in order to find out where she lives. Everyone in town knows where her cabin is located. All anyone looking for her would have to do is ask a few questions down at Fulton’s Supermarket or the video rental shop.”

“Nobody ever said A.Z.’s logic holds up well under scrutiny,” Gabe said.

Sean’s face twisted briefly in a wry smile. “Nope.”

Lillian gave them both a quelling glance. “A.Z. operates in a parallel universe but within that universe, her reasoning is consistent and logical.”

Sean looked wary. “Meaning?”

“Meaning that something scared her enough to make her use a telephone and leave a message on an answering machine. She would never willingly do that if she could avoid it. She’s convinced that all phones are tapped. She doesn’t even have one in her house.”

“Tapped by institute spies?” Sean asked politely.

Lillian exhaled unhappily. “Yes.”

“I think I’ll go with my theory of an interrupted burglary in progress for now, if you don’t mind. But if you get any more useful information from her when you talk to her, let me know.”

He nodded to Gabe, then turned and walked off down the hospital corridor. Lillian watched him until he turned a corner and disappeared. Then she looked at Gabe.

“He’s probably right, isn’t he?” she said.

“Probably.” Gabe hesitated. “You have to admit, it’s a simpler explanation than one involving vast government conspiracies. When it comes to this kind of stuff, cops prefer simple because most of the time that’s the right answer.”

“I know. And we are dealing with A.Z. here. Whatever the answer is, it can’t possibly be as mysterious as she thinks it is. Come on, let’s go see how she’s doing.”

“Sure.”

He walked beside her to the doorway of the hospital room. Arizona was stretched out on a bed. She looked so different in a hospital gown, he thought. In all the years he had known her he had never seen her in anything except military camouflage and boots. She had always seemed curiously ageless, sturdy and vigorous. But now, bandaged and helpless, her gray hair partially covered with a white bandage, she looked her age. A wave of anger swept through him. What kind of bastard would hit an elderly woman on the head with a wrought-iron planter?

A nurse wearing a tag inscribed with the name Jason leaned over A.Z., taking her pulse. When he was finished he lowered her wrist very gently to the sheet and moved toward the door. Behind him, Arizona stirred restlessly but she did not open her eyes.

“Are you family?” Jason asked quietly.

“No.” Lillian looked toward the bed. “I don’t think she has any family. We’re friends. How is she doing?”

“She’s got a nasty headache and she’s confused and disoriented. Pretty much what you’d expect after a severe blow to the head.”

“A.Z. always seems confused and disoriented to people who don’t know her well,” Gabe said. “Has she said anything?”

Jason shook his head. “Just keeps talking about something called a VPX 5000.”

“Her new camera,” Lillian said. “She was very excited about it.”

On the bed, Arizona moved slightly. She turned her head on the pillow. Her face was drawn with pain. Her cheeks were slightly sunken. “Lillian? Gabe?”

“Right here, A.Z.” Lillian went to the bed and patted Arizona’s hand. “Don’t worry about anything. You’re going to be fine.”

“My VPX 5000.” Arizona’s voice had lost its usual hearty timbre. She sounded a thousand years old. “I can’t find it.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Lillian assured her. “You’ll find it when they let you go home.”

“No.” Arizona gripped Lillian’s hand with gnarled fingers. “They said someone hit me. Probably the institute spy. I’ll bet he took my VPX 5000. Gotta get it back. Can’t risk having it fall into the wrong hands. Pictures. Of the new wing. They’ll destroy ’em.”

Gabe went to stand at the bed. He leaned on the rails. “Tell you what, A.Z., Lillian and I will go back to your cabin and see if we can find the camera. Maybe you left it in your truck.”

“Gotta find it.” Arizona’s eyes fluttered closed. “Can’t let the bastards get it.”

An hour later, after a fruitless search of the interior of Arizona’s aging pickup, he closed the door on the driver’s side and pocketed the keys. He watched Lillian come down the cabin’s porch steps and start toward him.

“Any luck?” she asked.

“No. What about you?”

“I went over every square inch of the porch and checked the flower beds around it. It’s gone, unfortunately. I hate to have to give her the bad news. She was so thrilled with that camera.”

“She may be right. Whoever hit her probably stole it. Maybe he figured he could get a few bucks for it.”

“If he’s got any sense, he won’t try to unload it anywhere near Eclipse Bay,” Lillian said. “Sean Valentine will be watching for it and so will everyone else in town.”

“I’ll do some research online,” Gabe said. “Maybe I can find another one to replace it for her.”

Lillian flashed him a grateful smile. “That would be wonderful.”

He liked it when she smiled at him like that, he thought. He liked it a lot. That smile had a very motivating effect on him. He took a long, slow breath and then he took her arm.

“It’s getting late,” he said. “Be dark soon. Let’s go back to your place and get some dinner.”

Another squall struck just as Gabe halted the car in front of the cottage. Lillian pulled up the hood of her cloak, opened the door, leaped out and made a dash for the front porch. Gabe was right behind her. She stopped in front of the door, shook rainwater off her cloak and rummaged in her purse for her keys.

When she got the door open, she headed straight for the mudroom, intending to hang up her cloak so that it could drip dry.

Gabe followed, stripping off his jacket. When they reached the mudroom she did not bother to switch on the overhead light. There was enough illumination from the hall to see the row of metal clothes hooks beneath the window.

“I don’t know about you,” she said, “but I’m starving.”

“I’ll open the wine. You can do the salad tonight.”

“It’s a deal.” A damp draft sent a chill through her. “It’s cold in here. Why don’t you start a fire before you-” She broke off abruptly.

“What’s wrong?”

“No wonder it’s cold in here. The back door is open. I can’t believe I forgot to lock up. But I’ve been distracted a lot lately.”

She crossed the small space to push the door closed.

“Wait,” Gabe said quietly, pointing to the door.

He reached out to switch on the mudroom light and then moved past her. She watched him lean forward slightly to examine the door frame.

“Damn.”

“What is it?” She moved closer. “Something wrong?”

“Yeah. Something’s wrong, all right. Looks like A.Z. wasn’t the only one who got hit by a burglar today.”

She didn’t answer him, just stared, disbelieving, at the deep gouges in the wooden door frame and the broken lock.

“You sure there’s nothing missing?” Sean Valentine asked for the second time.

“No, not as far as I can tell,” Lillian said.

Gabe leaned against the kitchen counter and watched her answer Sean’s questions. She sat hunched on the kitchen stool, knees drawn up, feet propped on the top rung.

“I went through the whole house,” she added. “Nothing looks as if it’s been touched. Of course, we don’t keep anything really valuable here because the cottage is empty for weeks, sometimes months, at a time. Still, there’s the old television and the new answering machine. And all the stuff I brought with me from Portland. My painting supplies. Some clothes.”

“Nothing that would bring a burglar a lot of fast cash, though.” Sean looked down at what he had written. “You know, these guys aren’t known for neatness. They usually leave the place in a mess. Maybe he got scared off before he could get inside. A car coming down the drive would have done it. Or someone taking a walk along the bluff with a dog.”

Gabe considered that. “Think that after he got nervous here, he went looking for another, more isolated house to break into? A.Z.’s place?”

“And got surprised again. Hit Arizona and took off with her fancy camera.” Sean nodded. “Makes sense.” He flipped the notebook closed. “I’ve been interviewing people all day. So far no one has noticed any strangers acting suspiciously. But that still leaves a bunch of college kids and unknown transients. The camera is my best hope. If someone turns up with it, I’ll have a lead.”

“Otherwise, zip, right?” Lillian asked morosely. “I’ve heard that these kinds of burglaries often go unsolved.”

“That’s true in big cities but not so true in a small town where you’ve got a more limited group of suspects.” Sean stuffed the notebook into the pocket of his jacket and started toward the door. “I’ll let you know if I come up with anything useful. Meanwhile, get that back door fixed.”

Lillian nodded. “I’ll ask the Willis brothers to come over here tomorrow and take care of it.”

Sean paused at the door. “Folks are usually a little nervous after a break-in.” He angled a brief, meaningful glance at Gabe. “Nice for you that you won’t be here alone tonight.”

Lillian gave him a basilisk stare from her perch on the stool. She did not say a word.

Sean did not move. But, then, that was only to be expected, Gabe thought. A basilisk could turn a man to stone with the power of her gaze.

“I mean, you’ll be a lot more comfortable with Madison here,” Sean muttered. “Not nervous or anything.”

Lillian continued to glare.

“Right, she won’t be alone.” Gabe pushed himself away from the counter. “I’ll walk outside with you.”

He did not know why he felt obliged to rescue Sean. A guy thing, maybe. Or maybe he just didn’t like the way Lillian had reacted to Sean’s assumption that she was sleeping with him. She looked ticked. For some reason that irritated him.

Sean cleared his throat. “Sure. Got to get going. Things to do.”

Gabe crossed the kitchen in a few long strides. He had the front door open for Sean by the time the police chief reached it.

He moved out onto the porch after Sean and closed the door behind them. They stood in the yellow light and looked at the cars parked in the drive.

“Guess I stepped in it back there,” Sean said.

“Yeah.”

“Sorry about that.”

Gabe braced a hand on the porch railing. “Not like it’s a big secret.”

“Secrets like that are a little hard to keep here in Eclipse Bay. Especially when a Harte and a Madison are involved.”

“I know,” Gabe said.

Sean looked thoughtful. “Folks in town are sort of assuming that you’re planning to marry her in order to get your hands on a piece of Harte Investments.”

“Dangerous things, assumptions.”

“You can say that again. I generally try to avoid them in my work, but once in a while I slip up.” Sean zipped his jacket and went down the steps. “I’ll be in touch.”

A long time later Gabe awoke to the sound of rain on the roof. He knew at once that Lillian was not asleep.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m not sure.”

“I was afraid of this.” He levered himself up on one elbow and reached for her. “Are you upset because Sean Valentine guessed that we’re sleeping together? Honey, this is a small town and we haven’t exactly tried to hide.”

“It’s not that.” She locked her hands behind her head and stared up into the shadows. “I mean, I’m not real thrilled with the fact that Sean and everyone else in town thinks you’re trying to sucker me into marriage so that you can get your hands on a third of Harte Investments-”

“Valentine didn’t say that. He just sort of observed that you and I are having an affair.”

“It’s what he was thinking. But, to tell you the truth, I’m getting used to people thinking that.”

He wondered if that was a good thing. Did he want her thinking that their affair was fine just as it stood? “So, the gossip isn’t what’s keeping you awake?”

“No.”

“All right, why can’t you sleep? The break-in?”

“Yes.”

He flattened his hand on her soft, warm belly. “There’s nothing to worry about. I wired the mudroom door shut, remember? Besides, if the guy didn’t find anything worth stealing the first time, he’s not likely to come back.”

“I know.”

He did not like the disquiet that threaded her words. “What is it?”

“Something like this happened to me in Portland.”

He stilled. “A break-in?”

“I discovered it when we went into town for the Montoya dinner. I got the feeling that someone had been inside my apartment.”

He sat up very fast. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me? Did you call the cops?”

“No. There was no evidence. My door hadn’t been forced open the way it was here. Nothing was missing.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes. I figured it was the cleaning people. I called them and I was right. A schedule mix-up. But there was a smear on the bedroom closet mirror and well-”

“Well, what?”

“I guess that after what happened tonight, I can’t help wondering, that’s all.”

“Remember what I said about the simple answer usually being the right one. Sounds like whoever cleaned your apartment left a smear. It happens. As long as there was no sign of forced entry or theft, I think we can assume that the break-in here had nothing to do with the cleaning day mix-up in Portland.”

“I’m sure you’re right. Guess I’m just a little nervous after what happened, that’s all. You know, what with one thing and another, I’m not getting a lot of painting done lately.”

He lay back against the pillows and gathered her against him. She snuggled close. He stroked her slowly, his hand gliding down her spine to the curve of her hip, letting himself enjoy the warmth and the sensual curves of her body.

“What you need is some artistic inspiration,” he whispered.

“You may be right.” She put an arm around him. “Unfortunately, it isn’t always easy to find.”

He moved his hand on her again, savoring the shiver that went through her. Then he eased her onto her back and came down on top of her. “Luckily for you, I am prepared to give my all to art.”