Chapter 30

THIRTY

THURSDAY

A slow rhythmic thumping dragged Beth out of a deep sleep. The room was dark but heavy drapes covered the windows. It could be any time between dusk and dawn. She sucked in a deep breath and winced at the pain in her throat. The memory of the attack flooded her mind and she rolled onto one side to stare at her bedside clock. The thumping got faster and something cold touched her arm. She sat up and grasped her aching head, one hand flailing for the touch light on her bedside table. A bark almost split her eardrums, and she stared into Bear's big brown eyes. His paws were on the edge of her bed and his face and doggy breath a few inches away. The dog always had this loving expression on its face and seemed to smile at her. She stretched out one hand and smoothed the fur on his head. "What are you doing in here?"

"Waiting for you to wake up, I imagine." Styles filled the doorway and the smell of coffee drifted toward her. "Wolfe's orders were to check you every two hours overnight. He was concerned about the bump on the back of your head from where you fell. That guy must have weighed three hundred pounds, I'm surprised he didn't break every bone in your body."

Beth searched around for her alarm clock. "My clock seems to have gone missing. What time is it?"

"Almost noon. I didn't want you getting up at six and heading to the gym." Styles handed her a cup of coffee, dragged a chair from in front of her dressing table, and sat down beside the bed. "Wolfe was reluctant to give you a shot to make you sleep, but as both he and Nate couldn't determine any signs of concussion, they both decided that making sure you had a long sleep would be more beneficial than leaving you to toss and turn around in pain all night."

Trying frantically to recall everything that had happened during the examination and the hours she'd spent at the local hospital having X-rays and an MRI on her skull, Beth did recall drifting off for a time on a hospital cot. In fact, that was the last thing she remembered. They had left Wolfe to deal with the transportation of the body to his office in Black Rock Falls, and Nate, Styles, Jo, and Carter had accompanied her to the hospital. She'd had her little chat with Jo as she waited for the hospital to get organized. She recalled Wolfe coming to see her after the MRI, and explaining everything was okay but she would be sore and sorry for herself for a few days. She recalled him giving her a shot and then nothing. She sipped the coffee. Styles had made it ready to drink, and she appreciated it greatly. "How did I get here? Last thing I remember is being in the hospital."

"Carter carried you, and I opened doors." Styles smiled at her. "He's asleep in my apartment. We took turns watching you all night. Jo stayed over in the apartment upstairs. We'll need to keep it ready for them in the future. I had plenty of spare bed linens and rustled them up some coffee and fixings for the night. TJ sent breakfast along, so everyone is good for now." He pointed to a bottle on the nightstand. "Nate prescribed some pain meds for you and something to take down the swelling. Your neck and ribs are badly bruised."

Everything hurt and Beth nodded. "Tell me about it. I feel like I've been hit by a train." She allowed the warm coffee to bathe her sore throat and leaned back against the pillows. "So I guess visiting the neighboring towns to look for Shoebridge is out of the question today?"

"Yeah, well it is for now and it might be a waste of time." Styles sipped his coffee and eyed her over the rim of his cup. "It seems that Amber, Cash's new receptionist, is more efficient than we gave her credit for. She has already contacted the sheriffs of the towns and asked them to watch out for anyone fitting the description of Shoebridge or the doctor. She has contacted all the local mines and left Shoebridge's name with them just in case he does try to take a job in his current name. She mentioned that people come and go on a daily basis in the mines, so it would be very difficult for them to pinpoint if he was one of the new men that they'd hired over the last week or so. Security guards were a dime a dozen. They didn't last long because the workers find them invasive, which leads to resentment and trouble in town at times, so usually the security guys don't last too long in the position."

Beth placed her cup on the bedside table. "What about a new doctor? He'd be easier to find."

"Apparently not. Unless he opens a new practice in town, he would hardly get a passing glance." Styles shrugged. "Many of the doctors who visit these outlying towns are on a rotation basis or they just fill in at some of the local hospitals, so rarely the townsfolk get to know them. They're just glad to have one available when they need them. I believe Nate is the only doctor in these parts who has a practice in the middle of town. The mines have their own medics, and if it's anything serious, they can go to the local hospital. It seems to be the way of things of late. It seems that doctors are in short supply."

Beth pushed both hands through her hair and then threw back the blankets. She still wore the clothes that Styles had taken to the sheriff's office for her, apart from her coat and woolen cap. "I need to take a shower and then get something to eat."

"We'll head over to TJ's for lunch." Styles pushed to his feet and collected the cups. "Carter has already been in contact with Kalo. He mentioned a few ideas he wanted to toss around with you when you're feeling better."

Clearheaded, Beth headed for the bathroom. "I'm okay. Go and wake Carter. I'll be ready to leave in fifteen." She stopped with one hand on the door handle and turned to face him. He was always there, like a rock she could depend on. She needed to thank him, say something, and she chose her words with care. "Thanks for watching out for me. I appreciate you more than you know. Bear too. He is one special dog."