Part 26 (2/2)
A flash of hope surged through Barbara, then ebbed away as quickly as it had come. The sadness in Mary's voice betrayed the truth.
”She's dead, isn't she?” she said, her voice breaking.
Mary bit her lip, praying that perhaps Kitteridge had misunderstood the radio call he'd overheard. If Judd was taking Jenny to the hospital, there must still be hope. ”I-I don't know. Apparently Judd found her in one of the ca.n.a.ls-”
Barbara gasped, her right hand covering her mouth.
”He's taking her to the hospital,” Mary said quickly, recognizing her own cowardice in being unable to tell Barbara exactly what Kitteridge had told her.
Barbara clutched at Mary's hands. ”I have to get there,” she said, lurching to her feet. ”My baby-”
”I'll drive you,” Mary said.
Michael was on his feet again, this time moving toward the patio door. ”I'll find Dad-”
”No!”
The single word resounded through the room like a shot. Michael froze. ”No, Michael,” Barbara went on, her voice breaking. ”I can't stand the idea of you going out there again. I want you with me...” Her words trailed off into a sob, and Michael went to his mother, clumsily slipping his arms around her.
”I'll go,” Kelly said. Then, before her own mother could say anything, she spoke again. ”Don't worry, Mom. I won't go anywhere near the swamp. Dad and Grandpa said they were going to look by the ca.n.a.ls, and if I can't find them, I'll get help. Just take Mrs. Sheffield to the hospital. Please?”
Mary hesitated, but then made up her mind. There was something different about Kelly, as if the hours in the swamp had not only terrified her, but made her grow up in some strange way. ”All right,” she agreed. As Kelly left through the patio door, Mary led Barbara and Michael through the kitchen into the garage.
Five minutes later Mary pulled into the parking lot next to the clinic. Barbara was out of the car even before it came to a full stop, running across to the emergency entrance. Judd Duval's squad car still sat in front of the door.
Inside, Barbara's eyes searched frantically for a nurse, but she saw only Judd, sitting alone on a chair, writing on a sheet of paper attached to a clipboard. When he looked up, his eyes widened in surprise, but then he rose to his feet.
”Miz Sheffield-”
”Where is she?” Barbara cried. ”Where's Jenny? Where have they taken her?”
Judd moved toward her. ”Miz Sheffield, maybe you better sit down.” His hand closed on her arm and he tried to guide her to a seat, but Barbara pulled herself free as Jolene Mayhew, looking harried, pushed through the doors from the treatment rooms in the rear, and Michael, followed by Mary Anderson, rushed through the front doors.
”Jolene?” Barbara asked. ”Where's-” She froze when she saw the look on the nurse's face, her last shred of hope dying within her. ”No,” she sobbed. ”Oh, please, no...not my little Jenny. Not my baby...”
Jolene hurried across the room to her while Michael stood frozen just inside the door. ”Oh, Barbara. I'm so sorry. Dr. P's in with her, but...” Her voice trailed off.
”No,” Barbara sobbed. ”She can't be dead. Not Jenny! I want to see her.” She started toward the treatment rooms, and Jolene tried to stop her. Michael, too, stepped forward, but Mary Anderson intercepted him, putting her hand on his arm.
”Let her go, Michael.” For a moment it seemed as if Michael hadn't heard the words, but as his mother disappeared through the swinging doors that led to the back of the building, he nodded mutely and let Mary lead him to a chair. He sank into it and looked up to see Judd Duval sitting across from him.
”My sister,” he breathed. ”Jenny...is she-”
Judd's head bobbed slowly. ”She was in the ca.n.a.l,” he said. ”Right near my place. I was just leavin', on my way to work. She-”
But Michael had stopped listening. There was something about Judd, something in his eyes, that was wrong.
With a deep certainty, Michael knew the deputy was lying.
When Barbara came into the room, Warren Phillips was bent over Jenny's body, his stethoscope pressed to her bare chest. Barbara gasped as she stared at her daughter, and the truth finally closed in on her. Jenny was so still, her skin so horribly pallid.
”No,” Barbara sobbed, lurching toward the examining table on which her daughter lay. ”Oh, no...” She reached out and touched her daughter's face, her hand reflexively pulling back as she felt the coldness of Jenny's flesh.
”Barbara,” Warren Phillips said, coming around to support the distraught woman, easing her into a chair next to the door. ”Barbara, I'm sorry. There's nothing we could have done. When Judd found her, she must already have been in the water for nearly an hour.”
Barbara heard the words, but her mind refused to accept them. She sat still, her eyes fixed on her daughter. When she finally spoke, her voice was nearly inaudible. ”But there must be something-she can't be dead. Not Jenny. She was in bed-I put her to bed. I tucked her in.” Her eyes finally strayed from Jenny, coming up to peer desolately at Warren Phillips. ”She's sleeping. She's not dead. She's just sleeping.”
Phillips laid his hand gently on Barbara's shoulder. ”Where's Craig, Barbara? Is he with you?”
Barbara's head swung slowly from side to side. ”He-He's out looking for her,” she said hollowly. ”He's out looking for Jenny.” It wasn't possible-she couldn't be sitting here, staring at her daughter's corpse, while Craig was out somewhere in the barely dawning light, searching for their little girl, hoping to find her any minute. But it was true.
It was Jenny lying on the table.
Her beautiful daughter, whom she'd kissed good night only a few short hours ago.
She stood up, willing her legs to support her, and moved slowly to the table, looking down into Jenny's face.
She reached out again and gently stroked the little girl's forehead, then bent, brus.h.i.+ng the cold lips with her own. She backed away, her eyes never leaving Jenny's expressionless face, and sank once more onto the hardness of the chair. ”Can I stay here?” she asked. ”Can I sit with her until Craig comes?”
”Of course,” Dr. Phillips replied. ”And I'll get you something-”
Barbara shook her head. ”No. Please, no. Just let me sit with her. I'll be all right. I will...I know I will...” As tears began to run down her cheeks, Phillips silently left the room, closing the door behind him.
Thirty minutes later Craig Sheffield arrived, accompanied by Ted, Carl, and Kelly Anderson. As the Andersons joined Mary in the waiting room, Craig spoke to Jolene Mayhew, then went to the room where his wife still sat with Jenny. He paused at the door, his eyes fixing on his daughter, trying to comprehend the reality of what had happened. He heard Barbara's broken voice, murmuring quietly: ”My fault. It's my fault.”
”No,” Craig said, turning to his wife, dropping down next to her, gathering her into his arms. ”Don't say that, darling. Don't even think it. It was an accident, honey. It was just a terrible accident.”
Barbara shook her head, refusing to be consoled. ”It wasn't, Craig. If I hadn't been so stupid stupid-if I'd only realized she might be listening!” Her arms went around him, and she clung to him. ”Take me home, darling. Please take me home.”
Craig helped Barbara to her feet and led her down the hall to the waiting room, where Warren Phillips was talking quietly to Michael and the Andersons. As Craig and Barbara came in, Phillips rose to his feet.
”I'm taking Barbara home,” Craig said, sounding dazed, as if he wasn't quite sure what he was saying. ”Then I'll come back. I'll come back and...” His voice trailed off. Come back and what? She was dead. His baby, his princess, was dead. He gazed at Phillips, who immediately knew what was going through Craig's mind.
”You don't have to come back, Craig,” he said. ”We'll take care of everything here. There will be some papers, but right now they don't concern you. Just take Barbara home. If you need anything, call me.” He scribbled on a prescription form and tucked it into Barbara's purse. ”Just in case she can't sleep.”
Craig nodded and turned away, the shock of what had happened numbing his mind. Immediately Carl Anderson stood up. ”I'll drive them,” he told Ted. ”You take Mary and the kids. We'd better all go to the Sheffields'. I don't think they should be alone right now.” He glanced at Phillips. ”If there's anything that needs to be done, you let me know. Craig's been a good friend for a long time, and I don't aim to let him down now.”
Phillips nodded agreement, and a moment later the waiting room emptied out. When they were alone, with only Judd Duval still there, Phillips spoke to Jolene. ”Call Orrin Hatfield, and tell him we need him,” he said. ”I can sign the death certificate, but given the circ.u.mstances, we'll need a coroner's report.”
”I already called him,” Jolene replied. ”He's on his way.”
Phillips nodded, turning immediately to Judd Duval. ”There's no need for you to stay,” he told the deputy. ”Orrin can pick up your report after he's finished his own examination.”
Judd, looking relieved, hurried out of the hospital. Phillips turned back to Jolene. ”Call Fred Childress,” he said. ”Have him send a hea.r.s.e.”
He was just starting back toward the room in which Jenny Sheffield lay when Orrin Hatfield arrived, his eyes still puffy from sleep. ”What's going on, Warren?” the coroner demanded. ”Jolene says you got a six-year-old girl who drowned in the ca.n.a.l?”
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