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CHAPTER THIRTY: CICELY

When I arrive at the hospital, I wait in front of the doors leading to the ICU. I realize that I didn’t ask Veronica for a description or give her one of me. I’m considering how I’ll recognize her when the elevator door opens and a girl with blonde hair and purple streaks steps out. She looks around to get her bearings before locking eyes with me. I’m reasonably sure I’m looking at Veronica Parsons.

“Veronica?” I ask, stepping forward and offering my hand.

“Roni. Please. You’re Cicely?”

“I am. I wondered how I would recognize you, but your hair gave you away. You and your grandmother both like purple?”

Roni chuckles. “My conservative parents weren’t too happy with me when I dyed my hair. However, my grandmother loved it so much that she went out the next day to get her hair dyed a smoky lavender. My parents were appalled, but I thought it made her look young and hip. More importantly, it made her feel younger. My grandmother is my best friend.” Roni’s bright smile slips as her eyes shift to the plaque displaying the words Intensive Care Unit.

“I don’t know if she’s your grandmother, but her hair color is unique. When I saw the photo, I thought it might be her. Are you ready to go in?”

She shakes her head, then gives me a sad smile. “I don’t want to go in. I doubt I’ll ever be ready, but I’ll do it. She’d do it for me.”

Using my badge to unlock the door, I lead her inside and straight to Jane Doe’s room. Roni takes one look at the figure and sobs. “Oh, Grammy, what did they do to you?” She rushes forward and places one hand on her grandmother’s arm while using the other to stroke her hair.

“You’re positive it’s her?” I ask softly.

She nods as tears drip down her cheek. “It’s her. What happened?” She lifts her grandmother’s bandaged hand and stares at me.

“Someone beat her badly. They burned her fingers. I think they wanted to keep her identity hidden. Are you her emergency contact?”

She shakes her head. “My father is. They’re vacationing in Italy. I’ll call them and tell them what happened.”

Grabbing pen and paper, I write down Lisa Kemper’s contact information. “This is the number for the hospital administrator. They can reach her, and she can fill them in. Her husband was the doctor who treated your grandmother. He’ll be able to go into the details.”

“Thank you.”

“Cicely?”

I turn to see Lisa standing at the door. “Mrs. Kemper. This is Veronica Parsons. She identifies Jane Doe as her grandmother, Valorie Parsons. I gave her your number so her parents can contact you.”

“Oh, my dear, I’m so sorry about your grandmother. She’s in good hands. My husband and Cicely are taking care of her. She’s healing and needs time,” Lisa assures the young woman. She grabs several tissues and places them in Roni’s hands. “Have you spoken with the police yet?”

“I filed a missing person report but haven’t told them I found her.”

“Why don’t you let me call them. They’ll want to speak with you, too, but you can do it later after you’ve had time.”

“That’s a good idea. I still need to finish cataloging everything stolen from her home. I wondered how they got the combination to her safes. Now, I know. The bastards hurt her to get them. I hope they rot in hell. Did they steal from the other woman, too?”

I nod as Lisa turns her attention to me. “What woman?”

I gesture toward the next room where Bevery Harriman remains in a coma. “Ms. Harriman. Her nephew went to her home yesterday and discovered she, too, had been robbed.”

“Do the police know?” Lisa asks.

I’m on shaky ground here, so I avoid telling the truth. “I would imagine so.”

“Hmm. Okay, I’ll head back to my office and call the police. I’m thrilled that we know who these women are and have been reunited with their families. Please have your father contact me as soon as possible. Will you be here?”

“I want to pack a few things for her, including some of her favorite books. She’ll hear me if I read to her, right?”

“Yes. Many people have woken from comas and said they heard the voices of family and friends who visited. Reading to her will help you both feel better.”

We leave the ICU and take the elevator to the lobby. As we’re riding down, Roni turns to me. “You mentioned seeing my grandmother in a photo along with another victim. Can I see it?”

I pull the framed photo out of my purse and hand it to her.

“I’ve seen these people before. My grandmother has a similar photo on her wall. She showed it to me the last time I visited her. They’re all members of the same church group. She calls them her “Pussy Posse.”

“Pussy Posse?” I ask with a chuckle.

Roni rolls her eyes. “You have to know my grandmother. She can be very outlandish and loves to shock people. She claims shocking people makes them pay more attention. Can’t argue with her. When she said the name, she grabbed my attention. She gave them the name because they all work on a charity to help end human trafficking. They’ve held several events. They held this one about six months ago. They raised almost $2 million. She was very proud of their accomplishment.”

“This is Beverly Harriman,” I say, pointing to the image of Frodo’s aunt. “Do you know the other women?”

“I know her,” Roni says, pointing to the woman next to her grandmother. “Constance McLean. She lives near my grandmother. They’ve been friends for years.”

“Do you have her phone number?”

“No, but I know where she lives.” Roni stares at the photo and then glances at me. “You think she might be in danger.”

“I don’t know. It seems like too much of a coincidence that two women from the same group were attacked in the same way.”

“Let’s drive over there and check on her. Now you have me worried. I’ll drive and drop you off back here. Will that work?”

I nod and follow her out of the hospital. Climbing into her Cooper’s passenger seat, I consider the risk that we’re taking. I almost suggest calling the cops, but decide against it. The Family wouldn’t be happy if I brought the cops into this. I could call Third, but I’m reasonably sure he’d tell me to leave it alone before promising to have one of his men check on the woman. But I don’t want to wait. The more I think about it, the more concerned I become. Roni’s grandmother arrived in the hospital only three days after Beverly. Valorie arrived two days ago. If the pattern holds, we could have another victim tomorrow. I don’t know if I could live with myself if I didn’t try to stop something from happening to Constance. If Constance isn’t the next victim, maybe she can help us identify the other women. Then I’ll call The Family.

Constance McLean lives in a massive estate near Beverly Harriman. It isn’t quite as grand, but still a beautiful home set slightly back from the road. Roni drives by without stopping, so we can observe her home. We share a look when we notice the gate isn’t fully closed. There’s no more than an inch between the locks, but it’s open.

“That can’t be good. What should we do?” I ask.

“Let’s park and walk. We might be able to see more that way.”

I nod in agreement. Roni continues and pulls over between Constance’s house and her next-door neighbor.

“We can’t be too long or security will flag us,” Roni says. “Although, maybe that’s not such a bad thing. We could send them up to Constance’s if they stop.”

I pull out my phone as we approach the gate. It’s unlocked. From our vantage point, we can see the front door. It’s open. Parked near the door is a moving van with its rear door open. As we watch, two men step outside the house carrying a large frame between them.

“Shit. We’re too late,” Roni whispers. “Should we call the cops?”

“The cops will come with sirens on. They’ll scare the men away. What if Constance is in the van, or they kill her before taking off? Let me call a friend. He’s a biker. He can bring his men to surround the place. I trust him more than I trust the cops.”

Roni nods. “Okay, do it.”

Pulling out my phone, I call Chrome. He doesn’t pick up, and the call goes to voicemail. I almost hang up, but decide to leave a message. I tell him where I am and what’s happening. Just before I end the call, I hear something behind me. Turning, I see a familiar face, but I can’t place him.

“Well, look who we have here. Chrome’s Old Lady. You have a lot to answer for, bitch.”