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  “We’ll do what we can.”

  Hunt came back at six. He tipped his hat at the nurse’s station and they waved him over.

  “You may want a cup, Hunt. She’s a feisty cuss. Pretty pissed off about the restraints.”

  “So I’ve noticed. Why the cup?”

  “She got Darin pretty good. Sent her dinner flying, too.”

  “She hasn’t eaten?”

  “Can’t get her to. She refuses to let us feed her. I told her we couldn’t take the restraints off. Can’t get an IV back in her either. Hate to drug her up again to do it.”

  “Bring me a tray.”

  “Lord help you.”

  He walked into her room, but she didn’t turn her gaze from the window. “Mandy?” She quickly turned her head to him then frowned. “So that is your real name.”

  “They should promote you to detective. Fancy work there, cop.”

  “There’s no Amanda Gentry in Iowa. I was curious if your first name was even real.”

  “Did I say Iowa? I meant Idaho. You know...I get so confused with those ‘I’ states.”

  He tossed his hat on her nightstand and sat in the chair again. “I need answers so I can get back to my job. As much as I love babysitting you, I do prefer real police work.”

  “Afraid some speeders are going to go crazy down Main Street with you missing?” He held up a gold locket on a chain and she instantly grew still. “Where did you find that?”

  “Where do you think I found it? It was in the grass where I found you.”

  “Give it back.”

  “I’ll give it back when you start talking.”

  “There’s nothing to tell you. I got jumped and beat up. Did you find a purse? No. That’s because the shithead that beat me took that, too. Is this some kind of sick, twisted Vermont custom? Women that get mugged and beaten get shackled to hospital beds while they heal? That’ll teach me to leave Ohio.”

  “I thought it was Idaho.”

  “Fuck.” She closed her eyes and rested her head back on her pillow again.

  “Muggers don’t usually give their names. You said Bennett, and I want to know who that is.”

  The nurse came in with the dinner tray and looked as if she knew she was interrupting. She placed the tray on the rolling table then walked out of the room as suddenly as she had entered it.

  Mandy hadn’t turned back to Hunt to answer him, nor did she acknowledge the nurse’s presence while she was there. She glanced over at Hunt when he unbuckled her restraint.

  “You need to eat something. Then we’re going to talk.”

  “I’m not hungry.”

  “You eat or I’ll stick a needle in your ass myself and practice my IV skills and cram it through the tube. Capiche?”

  “I eat—you give me my necklace back.”

  He opened the locket up. The picture was of her and a girl around two years old. “Who’s the kid?”

  “Who do you think it is?”

  “Your daughter would be my guess. Where is she?”

  “Not in Vermont. I didn’t care for the hospital plan your Blue Plus offered.”

  Hunt allowed himself a grin. He stood up and wheeled her dinner tray and table over to her. “You eat. I’m right outside. I’ll be back in a bit and give you the necklace, and we’ll talk. You try to fling the tray at me and I’ll be right back with that needle.”

  She looked down at the plate. “What? No Jell-O?”

  “You have fifteen minutes of peace. Enjoy it.”

  Hunt was actually surprised to find Amanda still in bed when he came back. She had eaten almost everything and pushed the rolling table aside.

  “How was dinner?”

  “Do you really want to talk about the shitty food?”

  “How about we try again with your name?”

  “Jane Doe.”

  “I thought we already determined you name was Amanda.”

  “That’s right. Last name is Hug-n-kiss.”

  “Amanda Hug-n-kiss. Clever.” He reached for her hand to get it back in the restraint but she pulled it away. “Fighting me isn’t going to get you anywhere.”

  “Let me go to the bathroom at least. They won’t let me go.”

  “Didn’t they offer you a bedpan?”

  “Do you like to do your business with company?”

  “I’m a dude. I don’t care.”

  “Well I’m not. Just give me three minutes. I don’t do the male ritual of reading a novel while I sit.”

  “Sports section fan myself.”

  “Would you knock off the sarcasm?”

  “You first.”

  “Look.” She let out a heavy sigh. “Please? Afraid I’ll beat you with a toilet paper tube?”

  He gave her a hard stare, then walked to the bathroom and gave it a good once over. He came back, reached for her other restraint and undid it. “I’m waiting in the room by the door. You have three minutes and you leave the bathroom door cracked open.”

  She hopped out of bed and ran for the door, closing it as much as he asked, without saying thanks.

  Hunt stood quietly as she flushed then washed her hands. After turning the light off, she walked back to the bed and climbed in. Hunt walked over and again reached for her arm.

  “Is that really necessary?”

  “If you were me, would you trust you?”

  “I won’t be able to sleep like this.” She finally gave in and gave him her arm.

  “You should have thought about that. A few well-placed lies and you could have been out of here by now.”

  “You mean a well-placed kick.”

  “That, too.” He finished fastening her other arm and sat back down. “I believe we were at your name.”

  “Smith.”

  “Husband John?”

  “How did you know?”

  “Nice.” He kicked his feet out in front of him. “Despite what you may think, I can do this all night.”

  Chapter Four

  “What did you do with my necklace?” Amanda asked, after giving up on her silent standoff with Hunt.

  He dug into his shirt pocket and pulled it out, then opened up the locket and held it in front of her. “I’ll ask you again. What is your name and who is the kid?” She looked up at him as if she wanted to say something, but she never opened her mouth. “Who beat you, Amanda?”

  She closed her eyes for a minute and sighed heavily, then opened them back up with a frightened look. “You were right. She is my daughter. Her father kidnapped her and I’m trying to get her back.”

  “Bennett is the father?”

  “Sure.”

  “Sure?”

  “I mean yes.”

  “He kidnapped her? Why haven’t you involved the police?”

  “I tried. You pricks wouldn’t listen.”

  “Here?”

  “Not here. Home. I only tracked him to here.”

  “Ohio?”

  “You think I’m stupid enough to blurt it out like that? Give me some credit.”

  “Where then?”

  “New York.”

  “You chased him from New York to Vermont?” he said in a tone that clearly stated he didn’t believe a word she was saying.

  “I didn’t chase him. I did a lot of tracking around. She’s been gone for two weeks.”

  “Why wouldn’t the authorities help you?”

  “Because he’s her father. We’re not divorced. We’re not going through a custody battle. They said there isn’t anything they could do. They say he’s probably taken her on a vacation and will come back.”

  “And you don’t believe this?”

  “He’s already tried to kill me twice. Why should I believe something as stupid as that?”

  “Tried to kill you?”

  “Did you or did you not find me left for dead?”

  “A concussion is hardly life threatening.”

  “I was dead for all he knew.”

  “Where does he have her now?”

  “I d
on’t know.”

  “How did you end up by the Ace Bar?”

  “He grabbed me by the strip mall and got rough in the car. I escaped the car when he slowed down. I guess I hit my head when I jumped out.”

  “And rolled onto the grass by the hedge?”

  “Look…I don’t know. I was unconscious.”

  Hunt took a notepad out of his pocket and flipped it open. “From the top. Your name.”

  “Amanda Smith.” He raised an eyebrow at her. “I’m serious. No more games. Smith is really my last name.”

  “Where in New York?”

  “Brooklyn.”

  He put the book down. “You don’t have an east coast accent. In fact, you sound more like you’re from Iowa.”

  “I was born in Iowa. Moved to New York after college. Look…are you going to help me get my daughter back, Barney Fife, or do you want to play the state capital game next?”

  He stood and placed the necklace back in his pocket. “I’m running out to my car to make a call. I’ll be back in a minute. If you even think about trying anything funny, concussion or not, you’ll be spending the night in a cell. Got it?”

  “Try your intimidation technique on someone else, Kojak. Where am I going to go?” She gave the restraints a pull to make her point.

  Amanda didn’t really have to go to the bathroom; it just was nice to be free. She could probably take that stupid oaf cop, but she wasn’t ready to risk it. The drugs had finally worn off and even though she wouldn’t admit it, she was starving. The meal was horrible, but it helped calm her growling stomach.

  She went through the bathroom drawers as quietly as she could. All she found was a bobby pin and an emery board. A real nail file might have helped—this wouldn’t. She threw it back in the drawer and shut the light off.

  As soon as Hunt left her room, the orderly came in again. She immediately gave her shoulder a jerk, which helped to produce some tears. A car accident in high school and too many years of abuse had left her with a trick shoulder. Her right shoulder popped in and out slightly with ease and minimal pain. The trick worked great in bars when she was younger; now it was about to get her something other than a shot of tequila bought for her on a bet.

  “What happened?” Darin asked.

  “My shoulder hurts!”

  He felt the front then the back and let out a whistle. “Feels dislocated. I know how to get it back in for you. I’m actually in physical therapy rotation right now.” He reached for her, but then hesitated. “I shouldn’t be doing you any favors after that nut shot.”

  “I’m sorry.” She conjured up more tears. “Please. The pain is unbearable. I don’t know how I did this. Will you please help me?”

  He unfastened her left arm and reached for her shoulder. As soon as he had a hand on each side, she brought her leg up and kneed him hard in the skull. He went down and she hurried to unfasten her other arm. As he sat up, she picked up the small lamp on the nightstand and crashed it on his head as well.

  He was out cold.

  Fifteen minutes later, Hunt was walking toward her room and was surprised at all the commotion going on. “What happened?” he asked as he rushed in. An orderly was on the floor with a nurse kneeling next to him. Another one was looking out a window, but turned and answered him.

  “She clocked Darin again. Got him in the head with a lamp this time.”

  “How did she get free?”

  Darin sat up. “She was hollering that her shoulder hurt. I was sure it was dislocated so I unhooked her to try to pop it back in. I thought maybe she was pulling too hard on the restraints or something and hurt herself good.”

  “Dammit! I told you not to take them off for anything! Did anyone see which way she ran?”

  “The only way she could get past us would be down the west wing past maternity. Security was called right away. She can’t have gotten out.”

  “You’d better hope not.” Hunt took off toward the west wing.

  Swiftly gathering her clothes, she ran out the door not looking back to see if anyone saw her. There were no shouts; she was home free until they found the orderly.

  She made it down the two flights of stairs and snuck into the laundry room when she saw security at a nurse’s station. Rather than changing into her clothes, she tossed them in the trash can and took a set of clean scrubs off a shelf. She crawled out a window and was crouched behind a hedge when someone came running her way. Sitting as still as possible, she looked through the bushes. A police car was parked right in front of her, along with the man that was, without a doubt, Hunter.

  Chapter Five

  Hunt reached his car and continued to look around for any sign of Amanda. He was about to call the station for backup when an ambulance came screeching beside him. Deciding to wait for it to pass, he was startled by a tugging at his utility belt. His gun was slipped from his holster and as he spun to seize it, stared into its barrel.

  “Give me your keys.”

  “Amanda, this isn’t going to get you anywhere.”

  “I say otherwise. Hand over your fucking keys!”

  “They’re in the ignition.”

  Mandy glanced through the window then turned back to him. “That’s not so bright.”

  “We have that small town trust thing going on.”

  Hunt looked over as two doctors approached. Mandy grumbled, “Shit!” She lowered the gun. “Get in the back.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me. Get in back! I won’t have you calling for help the second I leave.” She clicked the safety off of the gun to let him know she meant business.

  Hunt opened the back door and got in. Before he closed it she said, “Toss your radio in the bushes.”

  He unclipped the portable radio and again did as he was told.

  “Your mace and nightstick too.”

  He reluctantly added them to the hedge.

  She kicked the door closed. “Try to open it.”

  He pulled the lever and leaned into the door. It didn’t budge. The inside locks were set. Hunt cursed to himself for leaving it that way. Amanda hurried to the driver’s door and got in. It started up and she took off, squealing the tires as she left the curb.

  “You mind telling me how you think this is going to help your situation?”

  “Shut up! I need to think.”

  “I’ll say. You sure as hell haven’t done much of that since I found you. Do you want me to name off all the laws you are breaking?”

  “How about you exercise my right to remain silent?”

  “You don’t have that right.”

  “I don’t?”

  “You haven’t been officially placed under arrest.”

  “Oh. I’m sorry. You want to get right on that?”

  “Sure. You can pull over anywhere.”

  Amanda laughed. “If you are the best your town has to offer, this is pretty pathetic.”

  “The fat lady ain’t singing yet, sweetheart.”

  “Just shut up. I need to figure out where I am and get to my car.”

  “Black BMW four-door?”

  “How did you know that?”

  “It was reported last night for being in a private lot. Got towed to impound this morning. I got the message before you decked poor Darin again.”

  “Shit! I suppose there’s no way to get it.”

  “Well shucks, ma’am. Us here rednecks only got us four of them there cops and one of ’em is watching the bad guy vehicles. You could try clubbing Otis with a lamp, but I don’t think he’d take kindly to it.”

  “A simple no would have done.”

  “It had Pennsylvania plates. This is a lucky guess, but I take it New York was a lie, too.”

  “Guess so, genius.”

  Hunt took the necklace out of his pocket and opened it up again. “Quite a cutie pie.”

  “Put that away. As soon as we get out of here, I want that back.”

  “The kid isn’t so bad either.”

  “Knock it off
. Is this a new approach that I’m unaware of? Try to pick up the prisoner?”

  “I’m pretty sure that I’m the one playing prisoner right now.”

  “Just leave that alone and put it away.”

  He refused to do as he was told. “She part Italian?”

  “I said put it away.”

  “Striking eyes. Must be her dad’s.”

  She slammed on the brakes, causing him to sail into the partition Plexiglas with a thud.

  “Sonofabitch!”

  Just as rapidly as she had stopped, she hit the gas and accelerated forward, causing his body to be thrown backward this time.

  “Drive much?”

  “I said to put it away,” she demanded.

  Hunt did as he was told. He was quiet for a few minutes, but couldn’t take the silence. He was curious about this woman. “So, is this abuse thing new, or have you always put up with it?”

  “From cops or my ex-husband-to-be?”

  “Your husband. You know I only did what I had to. If you hadn’t run, none of this would be happening.”

  She shrugged. “No. It wasn’t a habit of his to beat me.”

  “Why did he take off with her?”

  “Because he found out I was going to.”

  “Can I ask why?”

  “You can ask, but I don’t need to tell you anything. It’s none of your fucking business.”

  “Does everyone have such a grand vocabulary where you live?”

  “I didn’t realize I was in the Bible belt.”

  “You’re not. We have a lot of sweet little old ladies heavy in the church scene, and we tend to watch our mouths. Never been much for swearing.”

  “Too fucking bad for you.”

  “You kiss your kid with that mouth?”

  Again she slammed the brakes, causing him to go flying forward. She picked the gun up and pointed it at him. “You mention my daughter one more time and I’ll blow your face off. You got me?”

  “Loud and clear,” he said with no emotion.

  Chapter Six

  Amanda was looking for a way out of town. She didn’t want to be seen behind the wheel in the police cruiser. No doubt the whole town knew every cop car and every policeman that belonged in it. As if Hunt read her mind, he spoke up.