The Doctor Delivers

“And the man today? The doctor said he threatened you.”

“Not exactly. He scared me by the way he stared at me, like he was going to hurt me, and he had a huge knife, but all he asked was where Emily was.” Before the policemen could speak, she hurriedly added, “I know that’s not a threat—” she spared the doctor a look “—but somehow I think he’s connected to her kidnapping.”

“You could be right. Can you describe him?”

“Yes.”

“If I can borrow the phone, I’ll call the station, see if we have any information on the kidnapping and request a police artist to come over.”

At her nod, Detective Ramsey stood and crossed to the phone.

Dr. Hathaway put a glass of milk in front of her along with a plate of oatmeal raisin cookies.

“We’ll help you eat those cookies,” he said with a grin, “but you’ve got to have one or two, okay?”

“I just finished breakfast,” she protested.

“That was several hours ago, and we both know you’re a little behind in the nourishment department.”

She blushed, aware of the other detective’s sharp look. She certainly didn’t want to explain anything else to these strangers. Including the fact that she’d talked to Emily after her escape and thought Emily was trying to contact her again.

She gasped and stared at the doctor. What if he mentioned the message from Mrs. Tremble?

He’d been watching her. “What?” he asked, kneeling beside her chair and reaching out to feel of her forehead. “Your throat hurt?”

“Uh, yes, a little.”

He snapped his fingers. “I forgot to give you the antibiotics.” He stood and pulled a pill bottle out of his pocket. “Here, take one of these morning and night until they’re all gone.”

Detective Ramsey returned to the sofa. “The police artist will be here in about fifteen minutes. Now, Ms. Colton, the kidnapping is being handled by the FBI. Our superintendent was quite surprised to discover anyone here knew about it.”

She nodded.

With barely a pause, he continued, “Which made him wonder why someone involved in the kidnapping would come all this way to ask you about Ms. Colton.”

Liza had been lifting the milk glass to her mouth to help her swallow the pill, and his question caused the glass to wobble, splashing milk on the coffee table.

Dr. Hathaway quickly steadied her hand and helped her take a drink. It gave her time to think of her answer.

“Thank you,” she said softly. She used a napkin to wipe up the spill. “I’m sorry, gentlemen. I’m a little weak today. To answer your question, Emily and I are very close, more like sisters than—than cousins. I suppose if—if she escaped from whoever took her, they would expect her to come to me.”

“And you haven’t seen her or talked to her?” Detective Wilson asked, both men’s gazes fixed on her.

In spite of the temptation to look at the doctor, Liza faced her inquisitors and quietly said, “No. I’ve neither seen her nor talked to her. But I wish I had.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Ramsey said, nodding. “But do you have any idea where she might’ve gone if she escaped from whoever took her?”

“No,” she said shaking her head. “But it’s a good sign, isn’t it? I mean, if the bad guys are looking for her, that means they don’t have her, doesn’t it?”

The two detectives exchanged a look. Then Ramsey said, “The ransom was paid yesterday, Ms. Colton. They didn’t catch the guy who collected the money and your cousin hasn’t been found.”

“Maybe the man you saw today was her boyfriend,” the second detective suggested.

“No! He was—he was in his forties and ugly.” The doctor raised one of his eyebrows and she hastily said, “I don’t mean ugly as in not handsome. I mean…not nice.” She swallowed and rubbed her throat. Then she whispered, “Emily is only nineteen. She’s so sweet, so gentle. She wouldn’t have anything in common with this man.”

The doctor got up to sit on the arm of her chair. “Lean back and breathe deeply, Liza. You’re getting all tensed up again. And don’t talk so much.”

She did as he asked and closed her eyes. His closeness helped her to take a deep breath. Strange how quickly she’d come to rely on him.

“We’ll try to wrap this up quickly, Ms. Colton. We checked on the messages you’ve received here. One from your mother and another from a Mrs. Tremble. Can you tell me what they had to say?”

Nick felt the tension rise again in her. He quickly said, “If you don’t mind me explaining, officers, to save my patient’s throat, I spoke to her mother last night after she left the message here. Her mother is also her manager and she was concerned about Liza’s schedule. There was no mention of Liza’s cousin.”

“And Mrs. Tremble?”

“I don’t know who the woman is, but I can assure you Liza hasn’t spoken to her. She spent the night in the hospital and received no calls. I’ve been with her since.”

“Ms. Colton, if you could just—”

“Housekeeper,” she said, her voice raspy again.

“And have you returned her call?” Ramsey asked.

She shook her head and pointed to her throat.

“Oh, that’s right. Besides, she said she’d call today, didn’t she?”

Liza nodded again but didn’t try to speak.

“Is that all the questions, gentlemen?” Nick intervened. “I’d like her to save her voice to describe the man for the sketch artist.”

“Yes, of course. What’s wrong with Ms. Colton’s throat?”

Nick looked at Liza, knowing he could refuse to say anything, but he feared to do so might make the men suspicious. And he had figured out that Liza was hiding something. “It’s a combination of a slight infection and exhaustion. It seems she gave up eating or sleeping once she was told about her cousin’s disappearance. She’s been very concerned. It doesn’t take the body long to deteriorate under those conditions.”

A knock at the door signaled the arrival of the artist. Nick opened the door and invited him in. The two detectives, after greeting the man, picked up their cups of coffee and moved to the window to talk quietly.

Nick returned to the arm of Liza’s chair. Her welcoming smile warmed his heart. She wanted him close. He reached for her glass of milk. “Take a drink before you try to speak again,” he suggested.

She took the glass from him and took a long drink. Then she greeted the artist.

With gentle, perceptive questions, the artist drew Liza out as she described the man. Nick helped, since he’d also seen him. When the artist finished and held up the resulting sketch, both Nick and Liza agreed that he’d done a good job of drawing the man.

The two detectives came back to stand behind the sofa and look at the sketch.

“Do you recognize him?” Liza asked. When she looked at the sketch she gulped, her eyes wide with fear. The drawing was dead-on: a big, burly man with a full head of coal-black hair.

Nick reached for her hand and held it against his thigh. “Rest, Liza. Your throat is sounding worse again.”

“No, ma’am, but he looks like a rough character, like an out-of-shape ex-fighter. He’d be pretty noticeable here in Saratoga Springs. We’ll see if we can pick up a trace of him. I suspect he bribed one of the employees downstairs to give him your location. The doctor said he only told the hotel, with a warning not to let out the information, and the Music Hall people, with the same warning.”

She nodded.

They sent the artist back to the station, with a request that he only show the sketch to the chief.

After he’d left, Ramsey sat back down on the sofa. “Now, Ms. Colton, what are your plans? Are you leaving the city?”

The lost look on her face bothered Nick. He wanted to pull her into his arms and promise to keep her safe. A ridiculous thought! He had nothing to do with Liza Colton, popular singer. She probably had tons of people to keep her safe.

Like her mother? he wondered derisively. That woman wouldn’t waste of moment of concern for her own daughter.

“I…don’t know. Doctor—”

Nick took over. “My patient isn’t well enough to travel yet. She’ll stay in town for another day or two, I’m sure. But we’ll let you know when she returns to New York City.”

“You have a place there?” the detective asked.

She nodded. Then she added, “An apartment.”

“Is that where Mrs. Tremble is?”

Nick felt her tense again. That name had set off her tension the last time.

“California,” she whispered.

“Well, if you’ll give us a number where you can be reached when you go back to New York City, we’ll keep you updated on anything we find out,” Ramsey said. Then he stood. “We’ll go and let you rest.” He started to walk to the door. Then he stopped and looked at Nick. “You going to stay with her? I don’t think that man will come back, but—”

Nick interrupted him as he felt Liza grow even more tense. “I’ll be with her.”

“Thanks, Doc. Call us if anything comes up.”

“I will,” he assured him as he stood to escort them to the door. When he closed the door behind them, he turned to look at his patient.

He had a question or two for her. But the exhaustion on her face stopped him. Satisfying his curiosity wasn’t as important as her health.

“Time for you to rest, young lady.”

Her eyes popped open and she shot him a worried look.

“Don’t worry. I’ll stay here and keep an eye on you. There’s a golf tournament on that I want to see and you just happen to have a big screen TV”

“I— Thank you. I shouldn’t be tired,” she whispered, “but I am.”

“Need me to carry you to bed?” he asked, ignoring her protest.

“No!” she said with a gasp. She pushed herself up from the chair, then wavered.

Nick reached out to steady her. “Okay, just take my arm and we’ll stroll to the bed.”

She put her hand on his bent arm. He loved the warmth of her near him, her depending on him. You’re being foolish, he warned himself. The moment she gets well, she’ll be focused on her career again and have no need for you.

But she needed him now.

Liza fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow, comforted by the last words she heard the doctor say. He’d keep watch until she woke up.

Five hours later, she stirred, not sure what had awakened her. The late afternoon sun was pouring into the room from the opened draperies. Was that what had bothered her? Or had there been a noise?

Immediately, fear filled her. Was the doctor there? Had that man returned? Or maybe the phone had rung. Maybe Emily had called and she’d missed it.

She sat up in the bed, still tired, but a little more awake.

“Dr. Hathaway?” she called, and waited anxiously for him to open the bedroom door. Relief poured through her when he did. She checked her watch. It was just after four o’clock. She was going to owe him a whopping bill for round-the-clock care.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, smiling at her.

Such a handsome man. It would be easy to have him around, she decided, to look at if nothing else. “Fine. Has anyone called?”

“Nope. Oh, I take that back. Your mother called, but she didn’t want to talk to me.” He grinned like a little boy who’d done a magic trick. “She hung up.”

She couldn’t help smiling back. Making her mother disappear would be a magic trick indeed. Cynthia normally traveled with Liza, but she’d been negotiating an appearance on a talk show in Chicago and had left her here in Saratoga Springs.

“Anyone else?”

“Nope. I didn’t awaken you for lunch. Are you hungry?” he asked, watching her.

She laughed, her voice a little shaky, still with a huskiness that wasn’t normal. “I think all you try to do is fill me up with food.”

“Well, so far I haven’t done such a good job. You missed lunch. Why don’t you slip on your slacks and we’ll go to the restaurant downstairs.”

“No! I mean, I need to be here in case I get any calls,” she whispered, avoiding his eyes.

He left the door and walked over to her bed, sitting down on the edge as he’d done in the hospital.

“Before we make any decisions about dinner, I think you’d better answer a question for me.”

She supposed she owed him that at least, since he’d done so much for her. With a hesitant nod, she watched him.

“Who is Mrs. Tremble?”

Four

He could feel the tension rise even without touching her. He wanted to assure her to forget his question, that it was important for her to relax. But he also wanted to be sure he wasn’t helping her break any laws. So he waited.

“You promised you wouldn’t tell,” she reminded him.

“I won’t help you break the law, Liza.”

She shook her head. “I’m not—I wouldn’t do that.”

“Then answer my question.”

She hesitated again. Finally, she said, “I think it’s Emily.”

“Your cousin? The one you believe was kidnapped? Why didn’t you tell the police?” He frowned at her.

“I…it’s complicated.”

“How?”

“I’m not sure it’s her, and if it is, I don’t know what her situation is now.”

“How could her situation be worsened by the police knowing?” he asked. “Surely you don’t suspect the police would harm her?”

“No,” she whispered, “but they might make her go back home.”

Her answer gave him pause and raised a lot more questions. “So you think someone in the family caused the problem?”

She shrugged her shoulders and looked away from him.

“Liza, you’re not making sense.”

She faced him this time, but her eyes had pools of tears in them. “That’s the problem. No one will believe her if—if what I think happened is true. No one.”

“No one but you.”

“Doctor—”

“I think it’s time you called me Nick, Liza. We’ve passed way beyond the doctor-patient relationship.” More than he wanted, he assured himself. He should just leave, but he couldn’t. She was too alone, too defenseless.

“I know I’ve become a real burden, Nick, and I appreciate all you’ve done for me.”

“Yeah, well, let’s get back to the subject. Why are you the only one who believes this Emily?”

“Because her story doesn’t make sense.”

Nick gave a heavy sigh and rubbed his face before looking at her again. “Look, Liza, I’m trying to help you, but you’re not giving me much to work with.”

“You’re right,” she said with a smile that didn’t hold a lot of warmth. Sitting up a little straighter in the bed, she said, “I’m sorry I’ve taken up so much of your time. I’ll call your office and leave an address to mail your bill.”

Feeling like the kitten he’d been cuddling had suddenly grown claws, he stared at her. “You want me to leave?”

“I can’t explain the situation to you, so I understand why you wouldn’t want to be involved.”

Frustrated, he stood, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Fine. I’m sure you— Damn it, Liza, what are you going to do? I can’t leave you here alone. What if that man comes back? Do you want me to call Detective Ramsey and have him assign a guard?”

“No! I’ll—I’ll manage on my own.”

“Sure! All ninety pounds of you,” he growled.

“I weigh more than that,” she objected.

“Are you going back to New York?”

Slowly she shook her head, as if making her decisions as they arose with no prior planning. “No, I don’t think so.”

He studied her, trying to think what to do. Slowly, he said, “I think you should disappear.”

“What?”

“If you had a place to go where no one would find you, except Emily, assuming Mrs. Tremble is Emily, that would be best, wouldn’t it? Just for a few days.”

“But I don’t know of anywhere,” she said, her voice almost a whisper again.

He sat back down on the edge of the bed. “But I do. Someplace where you’ll be safe and have someone to keep an eye on you until you feel better.”

“Where?” she asked, frowning.

“My house.”

Her green eyes huge, she pushed against the back of the bed, putting as much space between them as possible. “I won’t live with you. You’ve been kind, but I don’t— Sex isn’t part of the bargain, Dr. Hathaway.”

Liza stared at the handsome man sitting beside her, suddenly feeling much more vulnerable. She’d slid off her slacks for her nap. Now she wished she hadn’t done so.

His reaction to her words was interesting. Under a light tan, his cheeks were red.

“That’s not what I meant!” he assured her.

She lifted her chin and waited.

“I have a housekeeper, Mrs. Allen, and a large house that I’m redoing. There’s lots of room, and Bonnie— Mrs. Allen—is always complaining because I don’t entertain. You could move into the guest quarters, and she’d have someone to fuss over.”

“No, thank you.” She kept her response quiet, not wanting to even hint at the response her body was making. It had been a long time since she’d felt any interest in the opposite sex. She’d been engaged once, sure she’d found her true love.

Until her mother had bought him off.

Robert had decided a million dollars in his pocket now was much better than hoping to inherit from her parents one day.

And she’d decided true love was a lot of malarkey and wanted nothing to do with the men in the world. Until Dr. Nick Hathaway had come to her rescue. She wasn’t even sure how he’d become so important to her, but the fact that he interested her was warning enough.

“So you’re going to go to another hotel? If you’re half as well-known a singer as my nurse says you are, you’ll be recognized.”

“I’ll wear a disguise and go under a different name.”

“With credit cards that have your real name? How will you pay for anything?”

“I’ll get cash from an ATM,” she said, jutting her chin out and pressing her lips tightly together.

“That will work for a little while. Except if Mrs. Tremble is your cousin, she’ll be calling this afternoon. Where will you tell her you’ll be? You don’t have much time.”

“Stop it! You’re—you’re being difficult!” she exclaimed in frustration. She knew she was impulsive, not given to advance planning. Her mother ranted about how necessary she was to Liza’s career because Liza didn’t think ahead.

The problem was her career was more for her mother than her. Now, the kind doctor who had protected her had disappeared and someone who pushed her, just like her mother, had taken his place. He appeared stunned when she said so.

“I’m not— Well, maybe I am, but for your own good.”

“That’s what my mother says, too.” She glared at him.

As if memories of his conversation with her mother came back to him, he frowned, staring at her. Finally, he said, “I didn’t mean to upset you. Why don’t you get dressed and I’ll drive you to my house. Once you meet Mrs. Allen, you won’t have any doubts about my intentions.”

“I can’t leave in case Emily calls,” she returned. She really wasn’t trying to be obstinate, as her mother often assured her. But the call from Emily was too important.

She sighed with relief when he nodded, as if she’d made sense.

“Then I’ll call Bonnie and you can talk to her.” He reached for the phone.

“No! I don’t want you on the phone in case Emily calls.”

“I could go down to my car and get my cell phone, but it really isn’t necessary.” He dialed zero. “Operator, my friend, Ms. Colton, is expecting an important call. Can you break in if I’m making a local call?” He paused, then added, “Good, thank you.”

He hung up the phone and looked at her. “The operator promises she’ll interrupt if a phone call comes in for you. Is it all right if I call my housekeeper now?”

She nodded but couldn’t help asking, “What happens if there’s an emergency?”

He pulled back his jacket to show her the beeper on his belt. “They get my attention this way.”

She noticed that he waited for her approval before he picked up the phone again, leaving the choice up to her. Something her mother never did.

She nodded, not bothering to try to speak. All the talking was making her throat tight again. Besides, if she started talking, she might babble about her gratitude for his behavior. Normal behavior. It would tell him more than any words how difficult her relationship with her mother was.

When someone answered after he’d dialed the number, he greeted the person with warmth. Then he quickly explained that a friend was concerned about causing too much trouble by staying with him. He asked his housekeeper to assure his guest she wouldn’t mind. He handed the phone to Liza.

“Hello?” she said cautiously, her voice still husky.

“Hello, I’m Mrs. Allen, Nick’s housekeeper. I’ll be delighted to have a visitor. I never have enough to do.”

“But he says—”

“You’re a woman!” the lady exclaimed, interrupting her.

“Yes,” she said, waiting for the lady’s explanation.

“I’m sorry, but it’s been so— I mean, we’d love to have you stay with us.”

So the doctor had his own secrets? Somehow that made her feel better, though it should’ve worried her. “Mrs. Allen, I’m a patient of Dr. Hathaway’s, not really a friend. I hope that doesn’t bother you?”

“Not at all, dearie. It’s very quiet here. You’ll get a lot of rest. I hope he’s told you we’re redoing the house. But there’s a lull right now in workmen. The recent rains put them behind on their other job and they won’t be back for a week or two, so it will be quiet.”

“I see. Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“Not at all. Will you be— Uh, the guest quarters are quite private.”

Liza knew exactly what the woman wanted to know. And she wanted to make sure there were no misunderstandings. “The guest quarters sound perfect, thank you, Mrs. Allen.”

“Wonderful. What shall I fix for dinner? Is there anything you don’t eat?” The woman’s voice was filled with eager enthusiasm.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I have to stay here until after I receive a phone call, so you’d best not count on me for dinner. But I eat just about everything.”

Nick reached for the phone, his large, warm hand covering hers. She jerked back from his touch. She’d already discovered she liked it. Too much in the short time they’d been together.

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