When a Man Loves a Woman (Indigo) (9 page)

“Got depressed. Ain’t never had no support at home. My mother wouldn’t forgive me for getting pregnant with two ‘black bastard’ babies. That’s what she calls ’em. She threw me out. Didn’t have no place to go other than to Scooter’s.”

Vic drew in a deep breath. “Is Scooter running drugs?”

Valerie’s gaze drifted from A.J. to Vic and she pursed her lips.

“Valerie,” A.J. reminded her gently, “Vic and I want to help you—and your babies—but we can’t do that if you don’t help yourself.”

“You don’t understand the streets, Dr. B. You talk and you end up dead.”

“But you’re going to slowly kill yourself if you continue living like this,” Vic whispered.

“I know,” Valerie acknowledged, her voice a mere murmur.

A.J. stood to his feet. “Valerie, Vic and I know someone who could help you.”

Valerie’s eyes widened. “Who?”

“His name is Lieutenant Zach Tate,” A.J. advised.

“B-But he the police,” Valerie cried out in fear.

A.J. patted Valerie’s shoulder. “He’s a friend, first and foremost. He’ll help you just like Vic and I are trying to do.”

“I-I don’t know…”

A.J. offered a gentle smile. “What do you want most in the world, Valerie?”

“I-I don’t want my babies to end up like me.”

Vic made an urgent appeal once again. “Then let us help you, sweetie.”

Valerie shook her head, slid down in the bed, and pulled a white sheet up to her chin.

A.J. gathered a blanket at the foot of the bed and pulled it up, tightly tucking it around Valerie’s slender body. “Whenever you’re ready to talk to me or Vic again, let one of the nurses know. They’ll be able to contact us. Okay?”

Valerie nervously glanced between A.J. and Vic. “I-I just don’t want nothin’ to happen to my babies.”

A.J. nodded. “If that’s what you truly want, then the power to make certain nothing happens to them is left up to you. You have to make a call to the right people who can help your babies. Do you understand who you need to call?”

Valerie gave a slight nod.

A.J. smiled. “We’ll come back and see you tomorrow.”

* * *

Vic sat in the passenger seat of Baptiste’s white BMW X5 as they drove south on Interstate 880. “Baptiste, Valerie knows more than what she’s telling us.”

A.J. never took his eyes off the road and smiled. “I know that.”

“B-But, Baptiste, we need to go back and talk to her some more. Today.” She glanced up at his profile, stressing her last word with urgency.

“We’ll talk with her again.” A.J. took the Twenty-ninth Street exit and pulled into the parking lot of a rundown housing project in East Oakland, circling until he found a parking space. After leaving Valerie’s hospital room, he and Vic had gone back to the nurses’ station to look at Valerie’s chart and locate her address.

“Baptiste—”

“It won’t be today, Honey.” He steered the vehicle between two faded white lines, then put the gear in park.

Vic sighed heavily and threw her hands in the air. “Why not?”

A.J. cut the engine, turned, and braced his arm along the back of the passenger seat. “Patience, woman.” Leaning forward, he kissed the tip of her nose. “That’s something you’ve got to learn.” He cut off whatever comeback she was about to make with another quick kiss and opened the driver-side door. “Come on. Let’s see if we can find Valerie’s babies.”

Accepting his hand when he came around to assist her out the car, Vic looked up at him, surprised by his calm reaction and response. “How do you know they’re here?”

A.J. shrugged causally. “Valerie told us.” He laced their fingers together. “Come on.”

After they’d walked the building a couple of times, Vic finally located Valerie’s apartment. As she and Baptiste headed to the front door, they saw three Oakland police officers exiting with two small infants. A woman followed behind them.

Vic rushed toward the woman. “Excuse me, ma’am. Is everything okay?” Before the woman could answer, Vic quickly added, “My name’s Victoria Bennett. I’m a registered nurse.” She looked at Baptiste to introduce him, but he’d already extended his hand.

A.J. smiled. “Gail, it’s been a long time.”

Gail Bishop, a caseworker with Social Services, slipped her hand inside A.J.’s. “You’re right. It has been a long time. How are you, Dr. Baptiste?” She turned and offered Vic a smile. “Dr. Baptiste and I have known each other for quite a few years. Unfortunately, it’s because we worked on child abuse cases when he was over at Children’s Hospital.”

Vic nodded and was glad a relationship existed between Baptiste and Gail. Perhaps she’d be willing to provide more information than she normally would. “One of our patients, Valerie Watkins, lives at this address. Are those her babies?”

Gail nodded sadly. “Yes, they are. We received a call a short time ago from an anonymous source advising that Ms. Watkins’s children were at this address unattended.”

Vic glanced over her shoulder and saw the police officers strapping the infants into car seats. She turned back to Gail. “Ms. Bishop, their mother was injured earlier this morning and has been admitted to Highland Hospital. She asked us to come here and check on her babies.”

“I understand that, Ms. Bennett,” Gail said, “but without proper adult supervision, I have no other choice but to remove them and place them in Child Protective Services.”

A slight frown creased A.J.’s brow. “What about Valerie’s relatives, Gail? Could the children be placed with them?”

Gail nodded. “That’s the plan, Dr. Baptiste. It’s always best to place children with their biological relatives, if possible. I’ll work on that just as soon as I get back to my office.”

“Could we just see them before you take them away?” Vic asked and pointed at the police car.

With the social worker’s permission, Vic and Baptiste walked over and stared down into the faces of two fraternal twin girls. Vic guessed they were probably about eight months old. Sleeping peacefully, they were totally oblivious to the chaos and uncertainty going on in their lives.

Vic placed her hand against her mouth and turned to look up at Baptiste. “Oh, my God. Look at ’em. They’re so precious.”

A.J. ran his finger along the sides of their soft, chubby cheeks. “Yes, they certainly are.”

Vic walked back to Gail and extended her hand. “Thank you, Gail. Do you think there’s any way we can keep in contact with you regarding Valerie’s babies?”

Chapter 9

“T-One and T-Two ain’t here, right?” Zach, A.J.’s brother-in-law, asked the question in a strained but controlled voice as he stood in the vestibule of A.J.’s home later that evening. After listening to A.J. and Vic recount what they’d done after leaving the hospital, he tapped his foot against the hardwood floor, sucked his teeth, and waited for an answer.

Vic stood next to Baptiste. They held hands like two children who had been caught in an act of mischief and shook their heads sideways. She swallowed hard, real hard, before glancing over at Baptiste. Then, she found the courage to answer Zach’s question. “Uh…Ray has them.”

“Umm-hmm,” Zach mumbled, nodding stiffly, glancing back and forth between them. “Are y’all crazy?” he yelled at the top of his lungs.

A.J. blew out a soft breath and ran his hand across the top of his head. “Zach, we can—”

“Hush!” Zach snapped and followed the order with a string of oaths.

Vic grimace. “Listen, Zach—”

“You, too!” Zach stalked off toward the dining room.

Vic whispered to Baptiste, “Think he’s mad at us?”

A.J. nodded. “Oh, yes.”

Seated at the dining room table, Zach yanked his jacket back and reached inside for his notepad and pen, glaring at Vic and A.J. until they settled in their seats. “All right, Starsky and Hutch, roll this back to the beginning for me.”

After leaving Valerie’s apartment, Vic had called Zach on her cell phone on the way home and asked him to stop by A.J.’s house because they’d uncovered some information about the hit-and-run.

Zach twirled his pen between his fingers. “And you say Valerie referred to the guy who beat her up as Tony?”

Vic sat in the chair next to Zach. “Yeah. That’s what she called him at first, but then it was like she suddenly realized she was using his real name and referred to him as, uh…” She paused, placing her index finger next to her temple. “Scooter?” she exclaimed, snapping her finger the moment she remembered, positive that was the name Valerie had said. “That’s it. Scooter. Zach, Valerie also said he was driving the car that hit me and Nicole.”

“Scooter?” Zach drawled, astonished.

Sitting on the opposite side of the table, A. J. frowned. “That’s right. Do you know him?”

“Humph, if it’s who I think it is, yeah, I know him,” Zach snorted with disdain. “He’s a wanna-be drug dealer and a high school dropout. Betcha he’s barely seen his eighteenth birthday. For the last few months, he’s been a drug runner over in East Oakland. Been trying to nab him for a while. Real name’s Tony Grice.”

“Zach, did you hear what I said?” Vic cried impatiently, placing her hand on his arm. “He was driving the car that hit me and Nicole.”

Zach had paused for a moment to jot something in his notepad, but stopped writing and lifted his head. “I heard ya there, Baby Girl. I’ma get to that in a minute.” His gaze shifted back to A.J. “Did she say where Scooter was?”

“No,” Vic chimed in quickly. “Now what do we need to do to catch him?”

“Victoria.” A.J.’s voice was slightly stern.

It was only the second time since she’d known Baptiste that he’d ever called her by her given name. He was upset with her about something then. She knew without a doubt he was mad now. “Baptiste, I’ll be careful.”

A.J. shook his head. “No, you’ll keep out of this. Let Zach and the Oakland police do their job.”

“Baby Girl—” Zach nodded at A.J—“I gotta agree with brother-in-law this time. The folks this Scooter character works for is known to blow stuff up, and I ain’t talkin’ with a Molotov cocktail, either. Understand what I’m tellin’ ya?”

Vic’s jaw tightened, and she braced her hands on the table. “So, y’all gonna just let Scooter get away with beating that poor child half to death?” Her gaze angrily darted between A.J. and Zach. “She’s trying to turn her life around and get away from him.”

Zach tucked his pen behind his ear. “Listen up. First of all, y’all gotta remember I’m on ya side in this. I trust ya instincts, all right?” He focused on his notepad, deep in concentration. “Tell ya what, I’ll arrange for police protection around the clock as long as Valerie’s in the hospital.”

“But, Zach,” Vic cried out in frustration, “that’s only a day or two, at the most.”

A.J. walked over to Vic and placed his hands on top of her tightly balled fists. “Listen, I’ll contact Cates and Harrison. Maybe between the three of us we can stretch things out for her to stay there the rest of the week.”

Vic shook her head, glancing over her shoulder at Baptiste. “Valerie doesn’t have health insurance, and you know once the hospital staff gets her halfway stabilized, they’re gonna boot her out the door.”

“If I can convince Harrison and Cates, her bill will be covered. Don’t worry about that,” A.J. promised.

Vic sighed. “But she can’t stay there forever. What happens after she’s released?”

Zach cleared his throat. “Listen, the first thing we need to do is get her to open up to us. If she’s got information on Scooter’s operation, perhaps the D.A. would be willing to go light on her.”

“Do you think that’s possible?” Vic asked, hopeful.

Zach sighed. “It’s worth a shot. This Scooter’s got the brain cells of an ant and likes to front. He’s young and wants to climb the meat chain for the folks he’s dealin’ for. Plus, he talks too much. When ya work the streets, ya have to learn to keep ya mouth closed.”

“Zach,” Vic said, “I want to go back and talk with Valerie again.”

“
Victoria,
” A.J. growled in a dangerously soft voice.

“Baptiste, let me finish my thought here before you start in on that ‘I’m impatient’ speech again.” Vic grabbed his right hand and laced their fingers together. “Maybe if the two of us go back and talk to her again, you know, present a united front, she’d open up to us some more.” When she noticed the hesitant look on his face, she pleaded, “Come on, Baptiste. Please. She came to the clinic when she didn’t have any place else to go. Besides, she told us stuff and didn’t know us from Adam. She’s scared and alone, and I believe she trusts us.” She rubbed her neck with her free hand. “There’s something about her, Baptiste. I don’t know. It’s like…”

A.J. moved behind Vic and took over her massaging efforts. “Like what,
mon amour
?”

“It’s like she’s been placed smack dab in our lives for some reason.”

Zach plucked his pen from behind his ear and pulled his notepad closer. “All right, I’ma let y’all slide on this one, but I want ya to be careful, hear me?” He settled back in his chair and flipped to a blank piece of paper. “Let’s go back to the night of the accident. Ya say Valerie told ya she was in the car that night?”

A.J. and Vic nodded simultaneously and shared with Zach the information Valerie had told them.

Zach nodded and closed his notepad. “If y’all really want to help her, get her to talk to me.” He looked sternly at Vic and A.J. “Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes,” they answered in unison.

* * *

Valerie?” Vic called out as she opened the door to Valerie’s hospital room on Tuesday, a little past noon, with Baptiste right behind her.

“Vic…Dr. B. That y’all?” Valerie answered.

Vic and Baptiste walked inside. They’d received a call from one of the nurses on duty that morning who told them Valerie wanted to talk with Zach.

“Hey there, sweetie,” Vic replied cheerfully.

“How are you feeling today, sweetheart?” A.J. placed a vase of flowers on the table next to the bed.

Valerie smiled, and her eyes lit up when she saw the huge bouquet. “Better.” As she looked at the roses, her eyes became misty. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, baby,” Vic replied, swatting away a tear of her own.

“I-I did what you told me to do, Dr. B.,” Valerie said, sucking in her breath.

A.J. nodded. He knew Valerie had placed the call to Child Protective Services and told them her children were left alone. He sat on the edge of the bed, lifting her trembling hand inside his. “I’m very proud of you. What you did took a lot of courage.”

Valerie choked back tears. “A-Are they okay?”

“They were sleeping when we got there, but they looked good,” Vic answered. “Valerie, your baby girls are beautiful. What are their names?”

“Brianna and Chloé,” Valerie said proudly.

Pulling up a chair to the side of the bed, Vic asked, “You ready?”

Releasing a long exhale, Valerie nodded.

A.J. left and returned a few moments later with Zach. “Valerie, this is Lieutenant Zach Tate.” He glanced over at Zach who stood on the opposite side of the bed. “Zach, this is our friend Valerie Watkins.”

Zach extended his hand. “Valerie, pleased to meet ya.”

Valerie nodded.

Vic stood and stepped away from the bed. “Dr. B. and I will be right down the hall. Okay?”

“Vic,” Valerie uttered in a trembling voice.

Vic walked back over and ran her hand across the top of Valerie’s head. “Everything’s going to be just fine. Dr. B. and I are here for you.”

* * *

After leaving Valerie’s hospital room, Vic asked Baptiste if they could check in on Nicole, the other hit-and-run victim, while they waited. They took the elevator from the third floor up to the intensive care unit located on the sixth floor. As soon as they rounded the corner, Vic’s eyes widened, her spine grew rigid, and she stopped mid-stride.

“What’s wrong,
mon amour
?” Concerned, A.J. glanced between Vic and the man exiting the doors of the intensive care unit.

Vic’s tone was icy. “Evans, what the hell are you doing here?”

Ron Evans, Vic’s ex-husband, stopped and fumbled with the stethoscope in his hands, almost dropping it in the process. “I-I’m here consulting on a patient,” he finally managed to stutter.

Vic was so angry at seeing Ron that she didn’t say another word. Instead, she stepped backward.

Ron took two steps forward, but halted when A.J. stepped directly in front of him, blocking his path to Vic. He peered around A.J.’s massive frame. “W-What are you doing here, Vic?”

A.J. answered instead. “We came to check on Nicole Broussard.”

Ron nodded. “She’s the patient I’m here consulting on.”

“Baptiste, let’s get out of here,” Vic shouted angrily, standing in the hallway with her back to him and Ron.

“Doctor?” Ron pointed to the stethoscope draped around A.J.’s neck.

A.J. nodded slightly. “Pediatrician.” Then he briefly explained to Ron how he and Vic’s path connected to Nicole’s.

Vic whirled around and tossed a seething look at Ron, a renowned pediatric neurosurgeon specializing in the treatment of brain tumors. Suddenly her eyes flared, and she knew in addition to the traumatic brain injury Nicole had sustained from the crash she must have a brain mass, too. It was no surprise to her that the physicians at Highland Hospital had flown Ron out from New York. He was one of the best in his field.

“Baptiste.” Vic shouted louder this time than she had before as nausea hit her stomach.

Ron moved around A.J. with tentative steps and inched closer to Vic, “Could I talk—”

“Go to hell,” Vic shot back and stalked away.

* * *

Tears streaked down Vic’s face as she tossed her clothes inside an open suitcase on the bed in the guest bedroom at Baptiste’s home, not noticing that half of them had landed on the floor. After leaving the intensive care waiting area, Baptiste had checked in on Valerie again, then driven back to his home. Vic had sat in the passenger seat, empty, hurt, and confused. She’d cried softly during the entire drive.

A.J. walked inside and stood behind her. “You don’t have to leave.”

She didn’t bother to turn around. “I-I gotta get out of here.”

At that moment, the only thing she could think about was how her heart had gone out to Nicole when she’d visited her the other day; how she’d prayed for her to live, unaware of her condition; and how of all the doctors on the planet, Ron would have to be the one consulting on her case. A heaviness of spirit she hadn’t felt in a long time washed over her and her hands shook so badly, the blouse she held almost landed on the floor, too.

A.J. gently wrapped his arms around her waist. “Stay. Let me see you through this.”

Vic held on to her tears, determined this time to deal with the situation alone. She refused to let him or anyone else see her pain. “I-I can’t.”

“Why?”

Her chest grew tight, and she heaved trying to regulate her breathing. “Living here with you is not setting a good example for the girls.”

He didn’t buy her explanation and knew it was her way of retreating to do what she always did—deal with a painful situation in solitude. Turning her around, he saw such anguish reflected in her eyes that it was almost more than he could bear. “If you want to cry, scream or whatever, go ahead. There’s no one here but us.”

It took a moment for the meaning of what he’d just told her to register. “W-Where’d they go?”

“I called Pop and asked if the girls could spend the night with him and Mama Z.”

A lone tear managed to slip down the slope of her cheek. “Baptiste,” she sobbed, “my babies shouldn’t have to be uprooted from their home because of me.” Wiping her face with the back of her hand, she began to panic. She knew how close Baptiste’s family was and how they shared information with one another. “You didn’t tell Alcee—”

“No,” he interrupted, shaking his head furiously. “I told you before that I’d never betray your confidence.” He took the blouse that was balled tightly in her hand and placed it on the bed. “Stay.”

“Baptiste, w-why did I have to see Ron now?” she cried out in frustration, slamming her fists against her thighs. “Why?”

“Baby, I don’t know. There are a lot of things in life we’ll never know the answers to, but you have to believe me when I say time has a way of healing wounds.”

“Time?” she shouted back and plopped down on the side of the bed. “I marry a man who ends up sleeping with another man, and just when I’m getting over that pain, he pops back into my life.” She shook her head. “You’re wrong, Baptiste. Time can’t heal that.”

“But time will heal the hurt you’re feeling now,” he said quietly, sitting next to her and folding her trembling hand inside his. “Honey…” He paused, searching for the right words. “Like it or not, Ron is the best doctor to treat Nicole’s brain tumor, and he’s here doing the job he’s trained to do.”