Page 55 of Protecting the Newborn

“Is everything okay?” Joelle and Gracelyn blurted out at the same time.

Apparently, Joelle was just as much on edge as she was. “The power went out at the hospital,” Gracelyn explained. “We’re okay, though,” she quickly added when Duncan shot her a pleading glance. He obviously didn’t want his pregnant wife to worry about him. “I just wanted to make sure everything was all right there.”

“We’re okay here, too,” Joelle assured her. “No power outages. No signs of anyone trying to get near the house. Abigail just had a bottle and is asleep.” She paused a moment. “Is Allie out of surgery?”

“Not yet.”

“Okay, keep me posted,” Joelle said, and she paused again. “You think the killer messed with the power, don’t you?”

Gracelyn considered lying, but Joelle was a cop and would likely see right through that. “It’s something we’re considering. But the three of us are together, and we’ll stay that way to give each other plenty of backup.”

“All right.” Joelle’s voice was more than a little shaky now. “Just be careful, and tell Duncan I love him. Wait, don’t do that,” she quickly amended. “Because that sounds like a goodbye. Tell him to come home when he can.”

“I will,” Gracelyn assured her. She ended the call and relayed the message. “Joelle says to come home when you can.”

Duncan made a sound of agreement, but heaven knew when that would be. For the moment, though, they weren’t going anywhere. If the killer was indeed in the building, then it was best to stay put and have him or her come to them. Three against one. Well, three against an army, if the killer had backup.

But Gracelyn had to pray that wouldn’t happen.

Duncan was looking to the left of the hall while Ruston was keeping an eye on the right. Gracelyn was between them and volleyed glances in both directions and at a stained glass window high on the wall across from them. She seriously doubted it would open, but it was possible someone could shoot their way through it. If that happened, she’d have a fairly good shot to stop anyone coming in that way.

A phone rang, the sound slicing through the silence, and Gracelyn saw the screen of Duncan’s cell light up. “It’s Anita Denny,” he said, referring to one of the reserve deputies he’d posted around the hospital.

Duncan answered it, sandwiching the phone between his ear and shoulder while he continued to keep watch in the hall. He hadn’t put the call on speaker, probably because he didn’t want the sound of the deputy’s voice to interfere with the sound of any approaching footsteps. That, and he likely didn’t want Anita to give away anything that might help a killer pinpoint their location.

“Are you okay?” Duncan asked, and there was plenty of alarm in his voice.

Oh, mercy. Something had happened.

“Describe him,” Duncan insisted a moment later, and then he paused, no doubt to listen to what Anita was telling him. “And you’re sure it was a man?” Another pause, followed by some muttered profanity. “All right. Stay put, and I’ll get someone to you,” he said, ending the call.

“Who do you need me to call or text?” Ruston immediately wanted to know.

“Text Woodrow,” Duncan was quick to say. “He’s with the medical examiner and can be here in about fifteen minutes. I want him to go to the east side of the hospital to check on Anita. She says she’s okay, but I’m not convinced.”

“What happened to her?” Ruston asked Duncan while he sent the message to Woodrow.

“Someone tossed some rocks from the roof of the hospital. A few of them hit her, and when Anita looked up, she saw a man looming over the side. Just the top of his head, though, not his actual face. Anita called out to him, but he disappeared from sight.”

So, it could be either Devin or Tony. Or someone that Charla had hired.

Or none of the above.

Gracelyn wanted to believe this was some kind of prank. But it didn’t feel like one at all.

“Who can I call to get someone onto the roof?” Gracelyn wanted to know.

“Anita’s already done it,” Duncan explained. “Two hospital security guards are headed up there now. I’m contacting Dispatch to see who they can get up there to help them.”

Gracelyn had no idea if the guards could handle something like confronting a killer, but she suspected the confrontation wouldn’t happen. The killer wanted Ruston and her, not the guards. So, maybe this was some kind of distraction? Certainly, the killer wasn’t hoping to lure them up to the roof, too?

But maybe that would work.

Partially, anyway.

If the killer managed to hold the security guards hostage, Duncan might go up there. Might. And that would leave Ruston and her alone. But even then, they certainly weren’t defenseless.

Duncan had just made his call to the dispatcher when Gracelyn heard something that had them all stopping cold.

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