A Roux of Revenge (32 page)

A swift shadow passed in front of the lights. A moment later all sound stopped. Silence. Eamon had somehow stopped them. He must have climbed into the
cab of the combine and shut the vehicle down. Lucky cried in relief. She fell to her knees, still holding Janie upright. The rising sun cast its light through the windshield of the combine. A man sat in the high cab of the vehicle, his jaw slack, and stared at the large man who had suddenly appeared next to him.

A few feet from where Janie lay, the light glinted off the blades of the machinery,
its metal maw constructed of five long, almost triangular, blades. Between the long blades were shorter thick ones topped by layers of rotating metal teeth like a prehistoric beast—a terrifying sight. Lucky didn’t want to think what those blades could have done to them.

The farmer climbed down from his cab and with Eamon following headed for the spot where Lucky struggled with an unconscious
Janie. Lucky recognized the same man she had seen arguing with Ernie White at the festival.

“What the . . . ?” he said. “What’s going on? You folks have no business fooling around out here like this. You could’ve all been killed. I wouldn’t have seen you until it was too late.”

Remy caught up with them, breathless from running and falling off the truck. “I tried to stop you. Couldn’t you
hear me?”

The farmer turned to him. “Can’t hear a thing in there. I wear these,” he said, indicating large ear covers slung around his neck to muffle the sound. “Can’t see very much either. This corn is too tall. I’m just glad this fellow jumped on the combine in time.”

Eamon knelt and gently put his arms around Janie. Without a word he lifted her and carried her across the field heading
for the parking lot.

“You gonna take that little girl to the hospital?” the farmer called after them.

“That’s where we’re headed,” Remy replied, running to keep up with Eamon and Lucky.

Lucky rushed ahead of Eamon and opened the back door of her car. Eamon, still holding Janie, slid into the backseat. He cradled Janie’s upper body in his arms. Lucky supported Janie’s legs and once
both of them were safely inside, she shut the car door.

She turned to Remy. “You’re coming with us?”

“Of course.” He jumped into the front seat, wiping blood from his face with his shirttail. “Where are we taking her? The Clinic?”

Lucky had already considered their options. “I think we should go straight to Lincoln Falls. We don’t know what’s in her system or what injuries she has.”
Lucky was relieved she wouldn’t have to see Elias, but more importantly, the emergency room at the hospital would be faster and better equipped to deal with Janie’s condition. “We’re almost halfway there.”

“She’s hit her head,” Eamon said from the backseat. “She must have fallen. There’s some blood. We just don’t know how long she’s been out in that field.” He gently pushed Janie’s hair away
from her face. “How long will it take to get there?”

Lucky glanced in the rearview mirror. “Not long. We’re five miles from the hospital. She’ll need an X-ray, maybe a lot more. But they’ll be able to run tests right away. And she might be in shock and dehydrated. The ER’s the best place now.”

Lucky followed the winding road up and over the mountain and then finally down into Lincoln Falls,
passing under an umbrella of ancient trees brilliant with yellow foliage. The last time she had driven this road, she had been with Jack. Elias and the other specialists had been attempting to diagnose his health problems. She only hoped they’d be as fortunate this time with Janie.

She glanced in the rearview mirror. Eamon’s jaw was clamped shut, a look of fear on his face.

“I hope you
know where this place is,” he murmured quietly.

“I do. Don’t worry.” Lucky drove as fast as she could through the first few blocks toward the center of Lincoln Falls. When she reached the corner where the post office stood, she made a right turn on the street that would lead straight to the emergency room of the hospital. Remy was just as anxious, but he remained silent. Ignoring the sign
pointing to a parking garage, she pulled up at the ambulance entrance directly in front of the automatic doors.

Remy hopped out and opened the back door. He gently guided Janie’s feet to the ground; one foot was still bare. Lucky ran toward the entrance, rushed inside and waved down an orderly who quickly located a wheelchair. He followed Lucky out the emergency doors to the parking lot.

Eamon said nothing, but he shook his head, refusing the help. He carried Janie through the sliding doors and, ignoring the clerk at the intake desk, headed for a small examining room. He laid Janie gently on the gurney. Remy followed in his wake.

Eamon turned to Remy. “Go find the doc. Quick.”

Remy nodded nervously and scooted out of the room as Eamon covered Janie with a soft white
cotton blanket he found in a supply cabinet.

Remy rushed to the clerk’s window. “We need a doctor. Right away.”

The clerk patiently replied, “We’ve already called. Dr. Norden’s on call today. He’ll be right out to examine your friend.” Turning to Lucky, she said, “Someone will have to fill out these forms. I’ll need an insurance card, some ID, whatever you have. Are you family?”

“I’ll
fill in as much as I can,” Lucky replied. “And no, I’m not family, but I’ll get you the information you need.” She settled into a molded plastic chair and, balancing the clipboard on her lap, started to fill in the spaces with a ballpoint pen that didn’t work very well. She completed as many blanks as she could and then reached for her cell phone. Belatedly, she remembered she had left it with
Jack.

Remy was standing outside the door of the examining room. She called to him, and he hurried over. “Do you have a cell phone with you?”

Remy patted his pockets. “No. It’s in my trailer. I didn’t take it with me when I went out to check on the horses.”

“Never mind. I’ll ask the clerk if I can use hers.” She hurried back to the intake window. The clerk hit a button, and the door
to the small chamber opened.

• • •

L
UCKY QUICKLY DIALED
Miriam’s home number. Miriam answered on the first ring. “We’ve found Janie.”

“Oh, thank God,” Miriam sobbed. “Where is she?”

“We’re at the hospital in Lincoln Falls. The doctor’s with her now. I don’t want you to panic, but she wasn’t conscious when we found her.” Lucky had no intention of describing to Miriam the close call
with the combine in the cornfield. That could wait till later.

“Where did you find her?”

“In the cornfield.” Lucky hesitated. But finally decided it would all come out in the end. “She didn’t run away, Miriam. She was abducted.”

“What? Why?” Miriam cried. “Who would want to hurt Janie?”

“It’s a long story, and I’ll fill you in later.” Lucky felt exhaustion creeping over her. Her
muscles ached, and her eyes burned from lack of sleep. “We don’t know exactly what happened, but she might have been drugged. We think she tried to escape and hit her head in a fall. We just don’t know how long she’d been in that field.”

“We? Who’s with you?”

“I’ll tell you later, okay?” Lucky peeked down the hall. “Miriam, I just saw the doctor come out of her room. I’d like to talk to
him. Right now I just need her insurance information if you can give me that over the phone.”

“Of course. Of course. Hang on. I’ll go find the card.” Lucky heard the telephone receiver bang heavily on a table and then Miriam’s heels clacking as she ran down the hall. She was back in a minute. “Here it is.” Miriam recited the company name and policy number.

“Thanks, that’s all I need.”

“I’ll be right there,” Miriam answered.

Lucky hesitated. “Miriam?”

“Yes?”

“You should know. Eamon’s with her.”

“Eamon?” Miriam’s voice had dropped several registers.

“Yes. If it hadn’t been for him, we wouldn’t have found her.”

Miriam was silent for a long moment. “I’m on my way.”

“Drive safely. There’s no need to panic. She’s in good hands,” Lucky replied, but Miriam
had already hung up.

• • •

A
LL THREE OF
them were seated on hard plastic chairs that lined the corridor. Waiting. Janie had woken up, confused and disoriented. She had been given an IV saline drip and now had been wheeled away for a CAT scan. Eamon had insisted on going with her, but the nurse was very firm and barred him. When Janie realized who was in the room with her, the light of
recognition filled her eyes, but she said nothing.

Remy had found a nearby coffee shop and returned with three cappuccinos. The coffee was making Lucky’s hands shake, and it still wasn’t doing a very good job of keeping her awake. She had managed to call Jack who was at the police station with Nate. She wanted to tell him they were fine and they had found Janie. Jack had been up all night
as well, but he sounded a lot more chipper than she could have managed. Daniel, he said, had taken off for the travelers’ campsite as soon as he heard Nate’s siren, and Jack didn’t mention Daniel’s involvement in subduing Devlin, who was now in custody.

Next, Lucky called Meg to tell her she had an unexpected day off. And finally, she called Sage, already at the restaurant, to say the same
thing. She filled him in as briefly as possible, promising to explain more later.

“Really?” he said. “That’s great news. Don’t worry about me. I can get some soups ready for tomorrow, and then I’ll take the rest of the day off too. You need any help out there?” he asked.

“No. Thanks, Sage. We’ll be fine now. Miriam’s on her way. We just don’t know yet if they’ll want to admit Janie.”

Lucky took a last sip of her cappuccino, doing her best to scoop the frothy milk from the bottom of the paper cup, and leaned her head against the wall behind her. She felt her eyelids grow heavy, and before she knew it, she had slipped into a light sleep. She was dreaming of spinning metal blades and woke with a jolt when Remy nudged her gently. She looked up to see Miriam standing in the
entryway.

Eamon rose from his chair.

Miriam stared at him. Her face was white. “Where is she?”

Eamon walked toward her. “She’s getting some tests right now. She’s groggy, but she’s coming to.”

Miriam stood rigidly. “Who did this to her?”

“It’s a long story,” Eamon replied. “Why don’t we sit outside, and I’ll tell you all about it.”

Miriam turned to Lucky. “Can you come
get me as soon as she’s back?”

Lucky nodded in agreement. “I’ll find you right away.”

“Lucky?” Remy asked. She turned to look at him. “Who
is
that guy?”

Lucky smiled, realizing that Remy had been with them all night yet had never asked. “That’s Janie’s father.” She watched Remy’s eyebrows shoot up. “Her real father. I guess there’s no harm in telling you now. I don’t think any of this
will be a secret any longer.” She outlined the barest of facts for Remy. When she finished, Remy whistled and collapsed against the back of his chair.

“I had no idea all this stuff was going on. Sage never mentioned anything, but I guess he wouldn’t. Did Sophie know all about it?”

“She picked up on some stuff when we were with Janie at the Harvest Festival, so I had to tell her part of
it.”

Remy nodded. “I always thought Janie was real cute.” He smiled sheepishly at Lucky. “I still do, but I knew she’d never give me the time of day, at least not when I first met her. I was a real jerk then, so I don’t blame her.”

“I think Janie’s got some growing up to do herself right now.” Lucky reached over to squeeze Remy’s hand. “You never know what can happen.”

The elevator
doors at the end of the hall opened, and a different orderly emerged, pushing Janie down the corridor in a wheelchair. Her complexion had regained some color. She was conscious, and she smiled when she saw Lucky and Remy. Remy stood up nervously to greet her.

Lucky walked toward her. She leaned over and kissed Janie on the cheek. “Your Mom’s here. I’ll go get her.” Lucky turned away and headed
for the door to the emergency entrance. Before she stepped on the mat that would release the glass doors, she saw Miriam sitting on a concrete barrier. Tears were running down her face. Eamon’s arm was around her shoulders. Lucky hesitated, not wanting to interrupt them, but she had promised Miriam she would let her know immediately when Janie was back. She took a step, and the doors whooshed
open. She hoped that maybe now the healing could begin for all of them.

Chapter 48

J
ACK DROPPED A
heavy log onto an already flaming hearth and shifted the fireplace screen back into place.

Janie sat next to Eamon on the cushioned sofa. Miriam was across from them in
a rocking chair, gazing at them both. Seated together, the resemblance between father and daughter was unmistakable.

Remy was excitedly relaying the events of their early morning search for Janie while Janie sat wide-eyed. When he reached the part of his story where Lucky and Janie were almost trapped by the combine, Miriam looked as if she were about to faint.

“But it was really Eamon
who saved them. He just hopped on that combine, pushed the farmer out of the way and managed to shut it down. You wouldn’t believe what those things look like. Layers of metal blades. They wouldn’t have stood a chance.”