Walk Through the Valley (Psalm 23 Mysteries) (6 page)

“What if you’re wrong and your boss is involved?”

Christopher took a deep breath. “Then the sooner he’s brought to justice the better it will be for everyone else, including that girl’s family.”

Jeremiah had too many problems of his own to get involved, especially since the press was going to be crawling all over this mess until it was over. He shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t help.”

Christopher looked stricken. “I thought...Cindy said we would get to the bottom of this when I talked to her at the church.”

“Cindy has some family stuff to deal with. She can’t help you now either. Good luck to you,” Jeremiah said, moving toward the door.

For a moment Christopher just stood where he was, and Jeremiah began to think he was going to have to throw the other man out bodily. Finally, though, Christopher walked over. Jeremiah held open the door, and as soon as the other man was outside he closed and locked it.

I’m done with you
, he thought to himself.

Cindy was relieved that the plane ride was over quickly. She was also grateful to Martin for keeping her distracted for the duration of the flight. As the plane taxied to the gate he pulled a business card out of his suit pocket and handed it to her.

“If you need anything, give me a call. I’ll be in town for a few days.”

“Thanks,” she said, pocketing the card. She wondered what it said about her and all her experiences the past couple of years that she was still slightly suspicious of his motives. She wished she wasn’t, but she couldn’t just
dismiss out of hand the fact that killers had tried to get close to her in the past to find out what she knew.

That couldn’t be the case here, though. This guy couldn’t have been targeting her since she herself hadn’t known she was heading to Vegas until the phone call. They had driven straight to the airport, and she’d barely made the flight.

“I’m serious now. Vegas is a hard place to be by yourself especially when you’re worrying about family. If you need to talk or even just need a recommendation on a good hotel close to the hospital, let me know.”

She nodded. She hadn’t even thought that far in advance. She wondered where her parents were staying. She’d probably end up with them even though that thought made her shudder a bit. “I’ll keep it in mind,” she said to him, forcing a smile.

He nodded, seemingly satisfied. Maybe he just was a nice guy. A minute later they were parked at the gate, and she stood and shuffled toward the front of the plane with everyone else. She walked beside Martin as they headed toward baggage claim and ground transportation. She shook her head as they passed rows of slot machines. First and last chance to win for passengers coming and going. When they reached the carousels that were spewing out people’s luggage, he gave her a wave before turning aside to collect his bags.

Cindy walked outside and followed the signs to the taxi stand. “St. Mary’s,” she told the driver.

A minute later they were away from the airport and edging into snarled traffic. Everywhere around her was the flash of neon, lighting up the night sky. Between the sea of taillights and the glaring signs she felt half-blind. Besides tons of cars on the streets, throngs of people were walking by. The city felt alive, pulsing with its own mechanized heartbeat. She couldn’t help but wonder for a moment what it was like to live there. All the hurry, all the hype, and everywhere the flashing lights.

After what seemed a lifetime the driver finally turned onto a street with less traffic. Two minutes later he was pulling up outside the main entrance of the hospital.

Cindy paid him with hands that shook, and she realized her pulse was again racing out of control. She checked her phone, but there were no new messages. She had feared that her father would have called and told her that it was too late, Kyle was already dead.

She took a deep breath, got out of the cab, and marched into the hospital. She went up to the reception desk. “I’m looking for Kyle Preston,” she said, her voice cracking. “I’m his sister.”

The woman behind the counter gave her a pitying look that made Cindy’s stomach clench fiercely. “I’m so sorry for what happened,” she whispered.

Time seemed to stand still. “Is he dead?” Cindy asked, her own voice sounding like she was drawing the syllables out one minute at a time.

The woman took a deep breath. “No, but he is in the ICU.”

“You didn’t even have to look him up,” Cindy noticed.

“Your brother has a lot of fans here,” the woman said. “About a year ago while he was filming one of his shows here he ended up saving a little girl’s life. He was almost drowned in the process. He’s a hero.”

Cindy felt her stomach clench even more, and she wanted to double over with the pain. She was beginning to
sweat, and she felt like she was going to be sick. She hadn’t heard about that incident. Her mom was always bragging about everything Kyle did. Apparently, though, she had been smart enough not to tell Cindy about that one.

“Which way?” she asked, her voice little more than a raw croak.

The nurse pointed to one of the hallways. “Halfway down there’s an elevator. Take it to the second floor, and when you get out turn left. You’ll find a check-in desk at the end of that hallway.”

“Thanks,” Cindy said. She headed toward the elevator, feeling like she was some sort of automaton. She could barely feel her legs, and yet they kept moving, taking her closer and closer to her brother.

Up on the second floor she found the check-in desk where the woman had said it would be. The man sitting at it gave her a sad smile. “Kyle’s sister?” he asked.

She nodded, practically too numb to care how he knew that. He handed her a clipboard with a sign-in sheet.

“Just put your name down, and then I’ll take you to the observation room.”

She wrote out her name and handed it back to him. Then she followed him through a door after he entered his pin into the keypad next to it.

Seconds later he was escorting her into a small room that had half a dozen chairs all facing a large window. Through the window she could see into a hospital room, and she could tell that there was someone lying on a bed, surrounded by machines. Standing next to the window were her parents. Her mom’s short brown hair was the same color as Cindy’s. Her dad, who was a good six inches taller than both of them had black hair shot through with silver streaks. They were standing together, shoulders almost touching, unmoving like some statue dedicated to grief and vigilance.

The nurse left, and Cindy stepped farther into the room. “Hi,” she said.

Both her parents jumped as though startled. Her dad turned around and strode forward quickly to hug her. “Glad you made it okay,” he said. “We weren’t sure when you were coming.”

“I came as fast as I could,” she said, realizing that she had never called them to let them know she had gotten a flight.

Her mom turned slowly and stared at her as if she wasn’t really seeing her. Her blue eyes were awash with tears and her entire face was red and puffy from crying. She nodded at Cindy then turned back to the window.

When her dad released Cindy she forced herself to walk up to the window and look into the next room even though she didn’t want to.

Kyle was in the hospital bed. What she could see of his face was chalk white and the rest was covered with bandages. It looked like one leg and both arms were in casts.

“Can we go in and see him?” she asked.

“No, this is as close as they’ll let us,” her dad said. “I think they’re afraid that we’ll get in the way if...”

He didn’t finish his sentence, but she got the implication. If he took a turn for the worse and the doctors and nurses had to rush in. They could also be afraid of exposing him to any germs in the state he was in.

“What’s wrong with him?” she asked. It had to be more than just a few broken bones.

“There’s been internal bleeding and there’s some damage to some of his organs. I...I don’t remember which ones,” her dad admitted.

What stupid stunt had Kyle pulled that ended like this? She had always been terrified that his recklessness would cost him. Would cost all of them.

“What happened?” she asked.

“It was a car accident,” her dad said.

She turned, surprised. “A car accident? Was he doing some exotic car racing adventure or something?”

Her dad shook his head solemnly. “Nothing like that. He and his girlfriend were driving home from dinner at her parents’ house. They live here. A car ran a red light and plowed into them. The other driver took off.”

Cindy was stunned. All the crazy stuff her brother had pulled over the years. All the needless risks. And here he was fighting for his life because of a hit-and-run driver. It seemed absurd.

“His girlfriend, is it Lisa?” she asked. It was still hard to say that name. She was glad her brother had found someone to care about, though, even if she did share the same first name as their dead sister.

“Yes, Lisa,” her dad said. From the sound of his voice when he said her name she could tell he was having a hard time with it, too.

“Where is she?”

“She’s in a different room. She’s pretty banged up, too, but she was riding in the passenger seat and the car...the car was hit on the driver’s side. The doctors think she’ll be okay.”

“Are her parents here?” Cindy asked.

“Yes. They’re the ones who called us actually. They’re...nice.”

“Nice?” Cindy asked, noticing her father’s hesitation.

“Yes. Odd, but nice.”

She wanted to ask in what way they were odd. Actually she wanted to talk about anything other than her brother there on the other side of the glass fighting for his life.

Her dad looked at her. “You haven’t met Lisa yet, have you?”

“No,” Cindy admitted. “Kyle told me a little about her. He said she was an interior designer, that she was a genius.”

“He’s right about that. Lots of important people hire her. She’s very sweet, though. She redid our entire living room and dining room area a few months ago. Wouldn’t take a cent for it either.”

Cindy nodded and turned back to the glass. She should go say hello to Lisa, meet her. She didn’t feel up to it at the moment, though. She said a quick prayer for strength and that Kyle would recover so he could be the one to introduce them.

Her phone buzzed, and she pulled it out of her purse. Jeremiah had texted her.

Did you make it safe?

Yes. At hospital
, she texted back. After a moment she added,
Will call later
.

Okay
.

She put her phone away, and looked at her parents. How long had they been standing in front of the glass? Being in the observation room for just five minutes was terrifying her. What was it doing to them? There was nothing any of
them could do but watch and wait and send dozens of whispered prayers heavenward.

A half hour dragged by and there was no change. She felt completely helpless in a way she hadn’t in a long time. She was beginning to realize that she was hungry as well. The lunch she and Jeremiah hadn’t managed to have was hours and hours ago. She pressed a hand over her stomach as it growled.

“I need to get something to eat,” she finally said quietly so as not to startle her parents again.

Her dad stirred and turned to look at her. “There should be a cafeteria around here somewhere. I’ll go with you.”

“Okay. Mom?”

“I’m not hungry,” her mother said without turning away from the glass.

“We’ll bring her something to eat,” her father said.

Fifteen minutes later the two of them were sitting down at a table in an isolated corner of the cafeteria. Even though she was starving, the meatloaf on Cindy’s plate looked a lot less appetizing than it had sounded. She made a face as she dunked a bite in ketchup.

Across from Cindy her father picked up his hamburger and began eating. From the way he was doing it, she doubted he was even tasting the food, but rather just going through the motions of eating. Her own nerves were strained to the breaking point, and she couldn’t even begin to imagine what he was feeling.

Her dad’s eyes shifted to her as he swallowed the bite he’d been chewing. “How are things with the rabbi?” he asked.

“Okay,” Cindy said, wondering why he was asking.

“Kyle told us he was an interesting fellow. Intense.”

“He certainly is intense,” Cindy said with a sigh.

“This is your first real long-term boyfriend, isn’t it?”

The question caught her completely off-guard. “He’s not my boyfriend,” she finally managed to sputter.

Her father frowned. “I thought Kyle said he was.”

Cindy rolled her eyes. “Kyle’s been trying to get us together since he met Jeremiah a few months ago.”

“Odd. That’s not the impression he gave. Just as well, I guess, your mother wasn’t too keen on the idea.”

“What’s wrong with... you know what, never mind,” Cindy said.

She was suddenly very relieved that she had told Jeremiah not to come. This much awkward neither of them needed.