Family in the Crosshairs Read online

  “Ah.” On the contrary, Alan Grayson had said he talked about the merger with his colleagues and staff, but they were against the idea. “Then it’s probably not something I should discuss further now.”

  There was an uncomfortable silence as Flora tried to gauge the impact of her words on Leon. It was impossible. His expression was closed, those dark eyes shuttered. The only giveaway was the deepened crease at the corner of his mouth.

  After a moment or two, he nodded at her untouched ice cream. “You should eat that. It may not contain any scotch, but it’s really quite good.”

  So she did. Ice cream for lunch, the company of a handsome man and her twins’ laughter. For a brief half hour, she allowed herself to enjoy those things and put thoughts of a stabbing, mysterious calls and the strange behavior of Leon’s boss to the back of her mind.

  When they left the ice-cream parlor, Leon needed to go back to the daycare center for his car. When Flora headed the same way, Stevie clung to her, shaking his head.

  “Stay with Mommy.”

  Deciding he had been more troubled by his accident than she had realized, she decided to take the boys with her.

  “I’m working from home on paperwork today. I’m sure he’d be fine going back to daycare, but I’ll keep them with me for the afternoon.”

  “These incidents can be more of a shock for the parent than the child,” Leon said. “Try not to worry. Stevie will soon forget all about it.”

  Since the twins had started chasing each other in and out of the decorative hedge bordering the Ice Creamery, it seemed likely Leon would be proved right.

  They went their separate ways and Flora walked the short distance down Main Street toward the intersection with Lake Drive. She followed the road along the edge of Stillwater Lake, keeping her attention on the twins. A sense of pride gripped her as she approached the pretty, cream-and-blue painted house with its small porch and huge, protective trees lining the lot. Our place. The street was quiet, and she had a good view of it as she walked along the sidewalk with a child at each side. Even so, it wasn’t until she got up close that she could tell something was wrong.

  She slowed her stride, but it was too late to shield the boys from the sight of the destruction awaiting them.

  Frankie noticed it first. “My garden...broken?”

  He was right. When they first moved in, Flora had bought two large wooden planters, placing one to each side of the front step. Under her supervision, the boys had taken responsibility for their own garden, planting herbs and tending to them each day. Now, the contents of the wooden boxes were scattered across the white-painted boards of the porch. Each of the plants they had taken such pleasure in caring for now lay twisted and crushed as though a heel had ground it underfoot.

  As she sank down onto the top step, clutching her sobbing twins to her, the scents of ruined herbs and disturbed earth filled Flora’s nostrils. But it wasn’t the physical scene that was strongest. Whoever had caused the damage had left something more behind, something sour and malignant.

  This emotion had come her way once before. It had been present in the courtroom on the day they sentenced Danny’s killer. It was at its most overpowering when the drug dealer’s girlfriend had screamed threats of revenge at Flora as they took her lover away to the cells.

  It was hatred.

  * * *

  “Why would a doctor go uninvited to a patient’s house?” Tegan Jackson cast a furtive look over her shoulder as she spoke into her cell phone. “Joy didn’t show for an appointment. Next thing, she’s lying dead on her kitchen floor. It’s all over town...”

  Leon cleared his throat as he approached the desk and the receptionist gave a little start before hurriedly ending her call.

  “That conversation had better not be what I think it was.” He nodded in the direction of Tegan’s cell. “Whilst you work for this clinic, you will not repeat malicious gossip about another medical professional, do you understand, particularly when the implication of what you’re saying is that Dr. Monroe is a murderer?”

  Tegan hung her head, her expression miserable. “But it must be true. Even Dr. Grayson was talking about how Dr. Monroe out at the Ryerson Center—”

  Stifling the curse that rose to his lips, Leon made his way along the corridor to the office of the Main Street Clinic’s senior partner. These days, Alan Grayson rarely scheduled any appointments with patients before noon. Leon couldn’t remember the last time he had seen his colleague in the morning, usually the busiest part of the day. Although it was Thursday, Alan hadn’t put in an appearance yet that week. His absences were becoming longer and more frequent. The thought, like so many to do with the Main Street Clinic’s senior partner these days, troubled him, and Leon paused, considering what it could mean.

  Leon had returned to Stillwater four years ago. He had spent the first twelve months trying to drink his hometown dry. Damn near succeeded, too. The second year had been a desperate fight to get sober. Years three and four had been about attending AA meetings, getting his life back on track and remaining in recovery.

  When he looked back on what had helped him reach the point he was at now, there were two people without whom he wouldn’t have made it. One was Bryce Delaney, Laurie’s brother-in-law. Leon and Bryce were both veterans of the war in Afghanistan. Bryce had been an explosive ordnance disposal specialist, while Leon had been an army doctor. Bryce’s career had been brought to an end by a roadside bomb. Leon had been given a medical discharge for mental health reasons. He had retained his medical license to practice because his issues had never placed his patients at risk. Although they had manifested themselves in a search for oblivion at the bottom of a bottle, his mental health problems had been triggered by the death of his wife in a car crash.

  Bryce had been there whenever Leon needed him. Still was. Recognizing post-traumatic stress disorder through his own problems, Bryce had been the person to get Leon into rehab and counseling. For a long time, he had also been the only person in Stillwater who had believed Leon could get sober. Back then, even Leon himself hadn’t been convinced, which made Bryce’s faith in him even more remarkable.

  The other person who had gotten him here—and kept him here—was Alan Grayson.

  Initially, Leon had owed his job at the Main Street Clinic to the fact that his return to sobriety had coincided with a series of misfortunes, or life changes, for other doctors at the practice. Faced with a recruitment crisis, Alan had taken a brave decision and approached Leon with a job offer. It had started out as a short-term position. To everyone’s surprise, Leon had repaid Alan’s faith in him. He was good at his job and popular with his patients and maintained his sobriety. He had quickly become an indispensable member of the team.

  Even at the start of his employment at the Main Street Clinic, Leon could tell Alan was struggling with personal problems. A man of enormous charisma, he was getting by on a professional reputation that was outdated. The once-thriving clinic was barely surviving. Out of loyalty to the man who had picked him up from rock bottom and given him a chance when no one else would, Leon did everything he could to keep things going. It was a thankless task when the person in charge seemed to be sinking deeper into his own mountain of cares with each passing day. His impression was that the problems were financial and he wished Alan would confide in him, but they didn’t have that sort of relationship.

  Yesterday, when Flora had dropped the bombshell news that Alan had been offered a way out, Leon hadn’t known how to react. At first glance, it had sounded like the ideal way to solve their problems, yet she’d said Alan had turned it down. No matter how hard he had tried, Leon hadn’t been able to come up with a good reason for the decision. Setting aside the gratitude and respect he felt for Alan, he and his colleagues were entitled to some answers about why their boss hadn’t at least discussed an option that impacted their future.

  As for the rumor he had ju
st heard Tegan discussing... Leon knew what small towns were like. He had grown up in Stillwater and had been the subject of scandal-mongers more than once. While he hadn’t welcomed the Ryerson Center, the thought of Flora being the receiving end of that sort of vicious lie made him burn with anger. The image of her face rose before him and he fought the instinct to charge down Main Street giving the true version of events about Joy’s death to anyone who would listen.

  The idea that Alan would promote such a story had him even more concerned. It couldn’t be true. Tegan must have gotten it wrong. Their boss was going through a tough time lately, but Leon had always thought of him as an honorable man. Holding on to that thought, he knocked on Alan’s door.

  When he didn’t get the customary response to enter, he waited a few moments before trying again. Deciding Alan must be taking a call, he went back to Tegan’s desk.

  “Can you ask Alan to let me know when he’s free to see me?”

  She fiddled with some papers. “Dr. Grayson isn’t here.”

  “Pardon?”

  “He’s gone.” Her lip wobbled. “He cleared out his office on Tuesday. He came in early and left before you got here.”

  Leon ran a hand through his hair as he tried to process what she was saying. Gone? As in...gone? “And it didn’t occur to you to share this with me until now?”

  She hung her head. “Dr. Grayson told me not to say anything until you asked where he was. He told me to reassure you that he still owns the practice, but he won’t be coming back to Stillwater anytime soon.”

  Leon was trying to process that information. Alongside picturing his already bulging workload expanding even further, he was trying to work out how Alan had managed to spread any information about Flora’s alleged role in Joy’s death. Leon and Flora had found her body on Monday evening and, according to Tegan, Alan had cleared out his office early the following day. It seemed like too much of a coincidence that he was also casting suspicion on Flora at the same time.

  His thoughts were interrupted as the phone on Tegan’s desk rang. Taking a deep breath, she answered it with her customary sing-song greeting. “Main Street Clinic. How may I help?” Covering the mouthpiece with her hand, she looked up at Leon. “It’s for you. It’s Chief Delaney.”

  Chapter 4

  Stillwater City Hall was a majestic structure housing the mayor’s office, the police department, the Clarence Delaney Memorial Hall and other municipal services. Flora gave her name to the clerk at the front desk and was escorted up a wide staircase to Chief Delaney’s office.

  As she approached, the door opened, and a tall, dark-haired man stepped out of the room. Flora had met him only once before, but Cameron Delaney was unmistakable. As a trustee at the new medical facility, he’d been one of the interviewers when she’d applied for the job at the Ryerson Center. Cameron had asked her about the challenges of moving from a big city to a smaller town. Looking back, she guessed neither of them could have anticipated anything that had been thrown her way so far.

  Cameron greeted her with a smile, his perceptive eyes scanning her face. “I hear your first few weeks in Stillwater have been eventful.”

  “You could say that.”

  “Look, my sister-in-law is having an awareness day at the weekend for the animal sanctuary she runs. Why don’t you bring your kids along? It’ll be fun for them and you’ll get a chance to relax away from the pressures of work.”

  After the whispering behind hands she’d encountered over the last few days, the friendliness in his eyes was like a breath of fresh air. “I’d like that.”

  They both turned at the sound of footsteps and Flora’s heart gave a glad little bound as Leon approached.

  For the last three and a half years her heart had felt like a molten weight in her chest, and now all of a sudden it was bounding? It was hard to explain, but, as Flora met Leon’s gaze, the exchange that passed between them made the world feel a little bit lighter. Some of the tension that had been holding her spine rigid eased and she even managed a smile.

  After a quick greeting to Leon, Cameron departed. Flora didn’t have time to say anything before Laurie emerged from her office.

  “Oh good, you’re both here. I thought, since you were together when you found the body, I could bring you up to speed with the investigation and ask you some questions at the same time.” Her keen eyes went from Leon’s face to Flora’s. “But that’s up to you.”

  “Works for me.”

  As Leon spoke, Flora noticed that he seemed distracted. The flash of intuition startled and scared her at the same time. She barely knew this man. How could she already be so in tune with him that she could read his moods? It didn’t matter how, or why. She was. And that was the scary part. With everything else going on in her life, she could do without this connection to someone who clearly had so much emotional baggage he was staggering under its weight.

  “It’s fine with me, too.”

  That was another thing. Every nerve in her body was on high alert. Since her arrival in Stillwater, her house had been broken into and her garden had now been vandalized. Both incidents had been reported to the police, but also, her medical center’s receptionist had quit on the first day without giving a reason, one of her patients had been murdered and a nasty smear campaign had started up implying that Flora was responsible for Joy’s death. Trusting a stranger, particularly one who might be antagonistic toward her, probably wasn’t the smartest thing she could do right now. But she did trust Leon. Not only that, but she also felt safe with him. A self-confessed recovering alcoholic and hell-raiser with a world of hurt in his eyes.

  What does that say about my judgment?

  As a doctor she had witnessed the nightmare ways in which drugs and alcohol could destroy lives. Involvement with an addict, even one in recovery? As far as she was concerned, that could endanger a life.

  Why was she even having these thoughts? Yes, she trusted Leon. That didn’t mean she was contemplating a relationship with him. She could enjoy his company while keeping her distance emotionally.

  Laurie took a seat at her desk, indicating the two chairs opposite. She had several pages of type written notes in front of her, to which she occasionally referred.

  “Dr. Lamb completed the autopsy yesterday. His full report will be available in a few days, but the main thing we need to know is that Joy Valeski was murdered. Having seen the body, I don’t think any of us were in any doubt about that. She was in good health, apart from a few minor complaints typical of a woman of her age.”

  “Was she unconscious when she was stabbed?” Leon asked.

  “Yes. She was hit over the head with a blunt object. Dr. Lamb thinks we’re looking for something similar to a baseball bat.” Laurie flipped through her notes. “Joy was lying on her side when the killer slashed at her neck with one of her own kitchen knives. The blade, which we found under the table, was about seven inches long. It severed her jugular vein and carotid arteries. The autopsy report confirms that, although there were twelve other stab wounds, that was the injury that caused her death.” Laurie sent a sympathetic look in Flora’s direction. “I’m aware that there has been some vindictive gossip directed at you following Joy’s death. I know police inquiries aren’t going to help the situation.”

  Flora thought of the kindly woman who, on her first visit to the Ryerson Center, had brought home-baked cookies and a recipe for apple pie. Dealing with the gossip wasn’t pleasant, but the truth would come out...eventually. “I want to help you catch the person who did this.”

  Laurie nodded approvingly. “Is there anything you can tell me about Joy Valeski that might shed any light on this inquiry?”

  “I only met her a few times. She brought my family homemade meals when we arrived in Stillwater, and when she switched to my care we had an initial consultation to review her treatment and medication.” Flora thought back to that meeting, casting
a glance in Leon’s direction. This wasn’t going to be easy. In the brief time she had known him, his loyalty to the man he worked for at the Main Street Clinic was all-too-apparent. Nevertheless, she had information that could be relevant. She took a deep breath. “Joy told me she felt she had received unnecessary or inappropriate treatment from Dr. Grayson over a period of several years.”

  She felt the weight of Leon’s gaze in the silence that followed. Laurie made a few notes before looking up. “Did you find anything to support that claim?”

  “She was being treated for Crohn’s disease, and my initial assessment suggested she didn’t have that condition. Because of that, I made some changes to her medication,” Flora said. “I also asked a colleague to see her and provide a second opinion. That was the appointment she missed.”

  Laurie pursed her lips. “Had Joy made a formal complaint against Dr. Grayson?”

  Flora risked another glance in Leon’s direction. His expression was unreadable. “She told me she was considering it. I said I couldn’t advise her.”

  “Leon?” Laurie turned to him. “Do you have anything to add?”

  “Not on this subject.” His voice was normal, apart from his usual slight hesitation, but Flora noticed a residual tightness in the fine muscles around his eyes. “Joy Valeski wasn’t my patient and, although she was a friend, we never discussed her medical care. But there is something you should know about Alan Grayson, something that may be relevant to your investigation.”

  Laurie gave him a sympathetic glance. “Anything you can tell me, no matter how minor, may be helpful.”

  “I don’t think this is m-minor.” Leon’s voice had a hollow note to it and the way he stumbled over the word gave away his discomfort. Flora experienced a fierce desire to grasp his hand. “Alan hasn’t seen any patients since last week and I found out this morning that he emptied his office on Tuesday. I have no idea when, or even if, he plans to return.”