This story is purely a work of fiction. Any resemblance to person's living or dead, or to events that may have occurred, is purely coincidental.
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Mark Stevens
I would like to welcome my previous as well as hopefully new readers back to enjoy this story. However, should you have not read any of the Porterville books before you should do so
- Porterville 2. Murder in Porterville 3. Silver Candlesticks
All three stories are stand alone, however, a lot of the same characters from the first book return for more adventures.
To my old readers: Welcome back. To my new ones, welcome aboard.
Chapter Six
Britt followed Devon down the hall, his mind in a frozen state. When they entered the Emergency area, Britt's brain returned to life.
Alice and Brian met them in the waiting room. After Brian had made his call to Devon about Catherine's accident, the police chief next called his new wife. Alice gave Britt a hug, and Brian gave Britt's shoulder a squeeze.
"They're waiting to talk with you," Alice told Britt.
"How...what..."
"Just go, Buddy," Brian said.
Britt walked up to the window and explained why he was there.
"Can I see her?" he asked.
The lady behind the window told him to take a seat. "I'll have someone right with you, Mr. Williams."
Britt returned to the others and waited.
A man soon came through the swinging doors and walked over to the group. Looking around, he asked, "Mr. Williams?"
Britt stood to his feet. "I'm Britt Williams."
The man told them to have a seat and introduced himself as Doctor Pierce. He said, "Mrs. Williams has been involved in a very serious accident. At this point, she is awake, but not alert. We've taken some X-rays. We'll know more when we get the results back."
"Can I see her?" Britt asked.
"I think that would be a good idea," the doctor agreed.
When Dr. Pierce told Britt to follow him, Britt said, "Come with me, Devon." He reached for the man's hand.
The doctor frowned. "I think it best to keep it to family."
A look of determination appeared on Britt's face. He explained that Devon was his partner and added, "And for that matter, everyone here is family."
"Very well, then. However, let's keep it to just the two of you for the time being." Then in a softer voice, Dr. Landon Pierce said, "Just for now. The rest of you can see Mrs. Williams later."
Britt and Devon followed the man through the swinging doors and down a short hallway. He soon came to a stop and turned to the two men.
"Go slowly with your mother," the doctor advised. "She's still a little confused. It may take some time for that to go away."
Britt pushed the sliding glass door open and entered the room with Devon on his heels. They reached the bed where Catherine Williams lay. Britt studied his mother. Her face was pale. Britt was suddenly sick to his stomach. This couldn't be his mother. His mother had always been the picture of health. He hadn't known her to have a sick day in her life. He took a deep breath, hoping it would make the nausea go away.
Catherine was lying with her hands at her sides. Britt reached down and placed his warm hand over her cold one.
"Mom?" His words were little more than a whisper.
Catherine's eyes had been shut. Hearing his voice, she slowly opened them. When Britt came into her vision, she whispered his name.
Devon stepped up to the bed and placed his hand on Catherine's other one.
Catherine tried to give her son's partner a smile. "Thank you," she whispered. "For coming."
"Don't try and talk, Mom," Britt said.
Britt gave his mother's hand a squeeze. Then he leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "We love you, Mom," he said softly.
Catherine tried to look around the room. Turning her eyes on Britt, she asked, "Am I in the hospital?"
"You are, Mom," Britt answered.
"Why? Am I sick?" Catherine's face once more took on a look of confusion.
"You are," Britt answered. "Do you remember what happened?"
Catherine didn't answer for a moment. Finally she said, "I went downtown to pick up some pastries from Kathy's shop. I had ordered them to take to the Center tomorrow."
For years Catherine had volunteered three or four days a week at the Senior Citizen Center. She and some other ladies would meet there and work on a quilt. She loved to quilt, and she really enjoyed visiting with the ladies as they worked together.
"What do you remember, Mom?"
Catherine was silent for a moment. Then she said, "I remember parking the car. The next thing I know, I'm waking up here."
"I haven't got all of the information yet, but Brian was telling me you were hit by a car."
"I was?" Catherine ran a hand down her stomach. "That must be why I'm so sore."
The glass door made a noise as it slid back. Doctor Pierce and a nurse joined them in the small room. The doctor gave them all a warm smile.
"Mrs. Williams, I have good news. No bones seem to be broken. You are a very lucky woman."
Britt turned to his mother and said, "I always knew you were one tough cookie." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
Doctor Pierce said, "However, I would like to keep you in the hospital overnight, Mrs. Williams. We'd like to keep an eye on you. At the moment, I don't see any reason why you shouldn't be able to go home tomorrow. Do you have any questions?"
Neither Catherine nor her son had anything. The doctor left the room.
Devon walked around Catherine's bed and took her hand in his. Smiling gently, he said, "I'm so relieved you're going to be okay, Catherine."
"That makes two of us, Dear," Catherine assured the man she loved as much as she did her own son.
There was a knock on the glass. Britt motioned for Brian and Alice to come inside.
Alice hurried over to the bed and took Catherine's hand. "Are you alright, darling?" she asked. She kissed Catherine on the cheek.
"The doctor says I'm going to be fine. I'm just very sore. My body feels like it's been run over by a truck."
Brian stepped forward. He gave Catherine a big smile. "The doctor told us you're going to be alright. We're so thankful."
"Brian, you didn't need to take time from your busy day to come see me," Catherine told him.
"Nonsense. You are a dear lady to all of us." Brian turned to Britt and said, "I'm sorry, Britt, but I need to ask Catherine some questions. I promise to keep it short."
"What do you want to know, Brian?"
"Can you tell me what happened?"
Catherine closed her eyes for a brief second. When she opened them, she said, "Brian, I only remember that I was going to pick some things up at Kathy's shop. I remember parking the car in front of her store. My mind's a blank after that."
Brian gave the woman a smile. "Don't worry about it. I just want to find out who did this to you. And trust me, I will," he added.
Brian's cell phone rang, and he and Alice left the room.
A nurse came in followed by Britt and Devon's friend, Marty Wilcox, known to the hospital world as Doctor Marty Wilcox.
Their doctor friend walked over and gave Britt a hug. He said, "I just heard about your mother. Is there anything I can do?"
Britt thanked the man for dropping by. He said, "Doctor Pierce wants to keep Mom overnight to make sure they haven't missed anything. He seems to think she will be alright, with the exception of being very sore."
Marty walked over to Catherine's bedside and said, "Catherine, if there is anything at all that we can do for you, please let us know."
Before Catherine could answer, the nurse asked them to step out of the room for a bit. "Give me about half an hour and then you can return. I'll take good care of your mother," she told Britt and gave him a smile.
Outside the room, Marty wanted to know what had happened to Catherine.
"We really don't know, Marty. Evidently she was hit by a car in front of Kathy Applebee's pastry shop. She doesn't remember the accident."
"God, I'm so sorry, Britt." Marty put a hand on Britt's shoulder. "I mean it. If there is anything at all I can do, please, let me know."
"I appreciate that, Marty. We both do," Britt added giving Devon a look.
Britt and Devon told their friend goodbye and went to join Alice and Brian out in the waiting room. When they got there, they discovered Alice was alone.
"Is everything okay?" Alice asked coming to meet them.
"Not too bad, all things considering," Britt answered.
"They're working with her at the moment, but you can go back and see her in half an hour," Devon told his sister.
"Where's Brian?" Britt asked.
"He received a phone call and had to leave," Alice answered. "He said something came up and it was necessary for him to go."
Half an hour later the nurse came out and told Britt they were moving his mother to a room. She gave him the room number and said they could visit Catherine shortly.
Britt was relieved to hear the news. His heart was finally returning to its normal pace and his face had color once more. He couldn't remember the last time he had been as scared as he was when he entered the hospital.
His cell rang. He answered it and then became very quiet. A few minutes later the call ended.
"That was Brian," he said for Devon and Alice's benefit. "He wants to meet Devon and me out in the parking lot in ten minutes."
"Did he say what about?" Devon asked.
Britt shook his head. "Just that he might have some information concerning Mom's accident."
A short time later Britt and Devon walked out of the hospital. They discovered Brian waiting for them. They joined him inside the police cruiser.
"I'll get right to the point, guys. A man's body has been discovered outside of town about five miles. He hasn't been identified yet, but we think he might have been driving the car that hit Catherine. An eyewitness who saw Catherine get hit has identified the car."
Chapter Seven
"Do you think the man hit Mom intentionally?" Britt asked. "Or was it just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time?"
Brian told Britt that he really had no idea at the moment, adding, "However, if I was guessing, I would probably have to say the dead man and Catherine have nothing in common. Other than the fact he hit her on his way out of town."
"The man didn't have any identification on him?" Devon asked.
Brian shook his head. "No, he didn't. And there wasn't any paperwork in the car, no registration forms. Nothing."
Brian's phone rang, and he answered the call. A minute later he ended his conversation.
"We found out the man's ID. His name is Jacob Crawley. He's from Little Rock."
Britt's full attention was focused on Brian. "Little Rock? I wonder why Little Rock?"
"I'm not sure, but I can guarantee we will find out. I'm going to get to the bottom of this. I can promise you."
Britt thanked the police chief, and he and Devon entered the hospital once more. When they reached the emergency department, they were told that Catherine had been taken up to her room. A nurse was just coming out of the room as they arrived. She gave them a smile as she passed them.
Alice greeted the two as they entered the hospital room. She said, "Catherine's all settled in. They've given her some pain medication, so she's a little drowsy."
Britt walked over to the hospital bed. He looked down at his mother and felt a tug at his heart. He was so sorry for what she was being put through. He placed a hand over her arm.
Catherine opened her eyes. "Hi," she said softly. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I can stay awake."
Britt leaned over and kissed his mother on the cheek. "That's okay, Mom. They've given you something to help make you feel better. Close your eyes and don't think about us. I love you, Mom," he ended quietly.
"I love you all," Catherine whispered. Her eyes closed as the medicine took over her body.
The three carried on a conversation, making sure their voices were low so they wouldn't disturb Catherine. Britt appeared restless, as he began pacing around the room.
Alice finally said, "Britt, why don't you and Devon try and find out what is going on? I will gladly stay here with Catherine. I don't think she will be alert for some time, but I can be here in case she needs anything."
Britt hugged the sister of the man he loved and said, "I really appreciate that, Alice. I would like to try and catch up with Brian. You will call if anything changes with Mom?"
"I will," she promised as she gave her brother a hug. "Take care of him," Alice told her brother.
The two left Alice alone with Catherine and went in search of Brian. Once inside the car, Britt pulled out his phone and gave Brian a call. When the police chief answered, Britt asked where he was and could he and Devon meet him somewhere.
"I'm back at the police station. Come on down."
Devon backed the car out into the street and drove them to the Porterville Police Station. Parking in front of the building, the two men hurried inside. They were met by Alesha Gray. The woman walked up to the counter and raised the gate.
"Come on in, guys," she greeted. "Chief Poteet is waiting for you in his office."
They thanked the woman and made their way to Brian's office. They discovered the chief sitting at his desk.
He motioned for them to step inside his office.
"First of all, how is Catherine?" Brian asked.
Britt told the man his mother was resting peacefully with Alice watching over her.
"I have a little information. I talked with Dad, and he was able to find out a thing or two. Do you remember Dad telling about one of his earlier cases involving a woman that had been found dead in her home? The one where they never were able to determine whether she had died of an accident, or if she had been murdered?"
"I remember," Britt answered.
"Well, get this. At the time of her death, Jacob Crawley was the woman's gardener."
Britt's eyes opened wider. "No shit?"
"That's right," Brian replied. "Dad looked the case up. He's going to scan some documents and send them to me. Hopefully they will help us get to the bottom of this mess."
Britt asked, "Brian, would it be possible for me to have a look at this man?"
"I think I can work that out. Give me a moment." Brian picked up the telephone and punched in a number. "Hey, Diane," he said into the phone, "have a question for you. Would it be alright for me to drop by and take another look at the victim? I'd like for Britt to have a look as well."
Diane Baxter, the forensic doctor, had worked with Britt before on another case. She readily agreed to the visit.
Brian ended his call and stood to his feet. "Let's go," he said. "Diane's waiting for us."
They rode over to the hospital with Brian in his police cruiser. When they reached the hospital, they followed the police chief to the Forensic area where they were met by Diane Baxter.
The doctor greeted them with a smile and said, "I'm so sorry to hear about your mother, Britt. How is she?"
"She was resting when we left. Alice is with her."
"What have you found out, Diane?" Brian asked.
The three men followed the doctor over to a figure covered with a white sheet. She pulled the cover back.
"As you can see, the victim's been hit with a blunt object. A fairly heavy one, I think, by the indention left on his skull."
Brian asked Britt and Devon if the man looked familiar to either of them.
"I've never seen the guy before," Britt said. Devon didn't recognize him, either.
Diane asked Brian if he had been able to locate any of the victim's family.
"Not yet," Brian answered. "I'm going to get back with my dad and see if he can come up with anything."
Britt was thoughtful for a moment. Finally he said, "It is rather odd, don't you think? By that I mean odd that the man was connected in some way to the woman in Little Rock and the way that she died?"
"I find it very odd," Brian agreed.
"If there is anything I can do to help, Brian, just let me know."
"I appreciate that, Britt. I may just take you up on your offer."
The men left the forensic area and headed for Catherine's hospital room. Once there, they discovered Catherine still asleep. Alice stepped out into the hall with them.
"She hasn't moved since you guys left," Alice informed. "At the moment she appears to be comfortable."
"Good, that's what she needs," Devon told his sister.
"Alice, if you need to leave, I'm sure Mom will be alright," Britt said. "I have a few things to do, and then I'm coming back to be with her. I probably will spend the night in her room."
Alice told him she had no other plans. "I'll stay until you return."
Britt thanked her, and the men left her to guard over Catherine.
Arriving back at the police station, Britt and Devon got out of the police car and headed for their own vehicle.
"Brian, please, will you let me know if you discover anything more? I'm going out to the house to pick up my laptop. After that, I plan on being with Mom at the hospital."
Brian gave Britt his word and disappeared inside the building.
Devon drove them home where Britt picked up his laptop.
Devon followed him back outside. He said, "I'm going back to the office for an hour or so. There are some things I need to take care of. I will join you at the hospital when I'm finished."
Britt gave the man a kiss. "Thank you, Love. I really appreciate you."
"Well, I think of Catherine as my mother as well. There's nothing I wouldn't do for her. For either of you," he added.
They got into separate vehicles and headed out in different directions. Catherine Williams weighed heavily on each of their hearts. The woman was very dear to both men. They loved her as any two sons could love their mother.