Baltimore 03 - Did You Miss Me?

pointing a gun in Ms Montgomery’s face and I reacted. And no, there’s nothing I have to disclose.’ Not now anyway .
    ‘All right. What’s your next step?’
    ‘I’m going back to the scene at the alley. The priority is finding Ford and Kimberly. I doubt the Millhouses have stashed them in their basement. And I doubt they’re going to simply tell us. We need all the data we can get to encourage their compliance.’
    ‘I agree. Keep in contact. And tell Miss Montgomery that we have every available resource working to bring her son home.’
    ‘Thanks. I will.’ Joseph hung up and listened. Daphne had grown very quiet behind the curtain. He wanted to give her space, but he was going out of his mind worrying, imagining the worst. And that she wore a wig was now back in the front of his mind, tying knots in his brain. Why? What was wrong with her? Was she sick? Dying? Did she have cancer? Something worse? What would this stress do to her?
    He’d pulled the curtain back an inch to peek in when a young blonde wearing a white coat approached. She looked familiar. Her nametag said ‘Dr Charlotte Burke’.
    ‘Just a minute please,’ he said softly, stepping in front of the curtain’s edge.
    Burke looked up, studying his face. ‘I’m the doctor Daphne requested.’
    ‘You know her then?’
    ‘Yes, from the women’s center. I’m on the board.’
    Now he remembered where he’d seen her. It had been at a fundraiser and the doctor had been standing next to Daphne who’d worn a gown of the deepest blue he’d ever seen. The same color as the suit she wore today, actually. Maybe it’s her favorite color . It’s certainly mine . Daphne had looked like a goddess that night. Burke he barely recalled. ‘You look different here,’ he said.
    Burke smiled up at him. ‘I get that a lot. Are you okay, Agent Carter?’
    ‘I’m fine.’ He drew a breath. ‘She hit her head. Didn’t feel too deep a wound, but she might have some broken ribs, from the impact of the bullets. She was wearing Kevlar . . .’ He could see that she already knew all of this. ‘I’m rambling. I’m sorry.’
    ‘I’ll take good care of Daphne. Don’t you worry.’
    He swallowed hard. ‘You need to know . . . She might be sick. She’s wearing . . .’ He leaned down to whisper. ‘A wig. I don’t want her embarrassed, but I’m not sure why she’s wearing it. If she’s on meds, chemo . . . I thought you should know to check.’
    Burke nodded, her gray eyes remaining calm. ‘Thank you. If you’ll excuse me . . .’
    ‘Wait. Her son has been abducted. I’d love to tell you to give her something to sleep, but I need her sharp.’
    ‘Got it. Now, let me pass, Agent Carter. I need to tend to her.’ She pushed past him and standing there, feeling helpless, he listened, shamelessly.
    ‘Hey, girl,’ Burke said quietly. ‘What can I do for you?’
    ‘Get me out of here. Please. I have to get out of here. I have to find my son.’
    ‘That agent lurking outside said you hit your head. Let me see if you need stitches. And then I’ll get you out of here.’
    ‘Agent Carter.’ The male voice had come from behind him and Joseph turned to see an orderly standing next to the elevator with Stevie Mazzetti, who lay on a stretcher. One leg of her pants had been cut away, her thigh heavily bandaged.
    ‘Stevie.’ Joseph rushed to her side, grabbing her hand. ‘Are you okay?’
    ‘Just pissed off.’ Her eyes fought to stay open. She was so pale. ‘Need surgery.’
    ‘Shit. What did the bullet hit?’ She’d been gushing like a damn geyser at the scene.
    ‘Artery. Dammit. Am not happy ’bout this.’
    ‘Neither was Maynard,’ Joseph said, remembering the PI’s face.
    Her jaw tightened. ‘Damn that man.’
    ‘You mean you don’t . . . You and Maynard aren’t . . .’
    She forced her eyes open and stared at his face. ‘Don’t go there, Carter. Don’t.’
    ‘Okay.’ He wanted to take a step back. Her eyes were wild, whether from the pain or something she’d been given for it, he couldn’t say. ‘You just sleep now.’
    ‘Wait. Don’t go yet. I have a message. From Clay. He said to tell you that he was going to . . . somebody’s house. Two-something. Notification.’
    ‘I understand.’ The elevator opened, the orderly giving him a move-your-ass look.
    ‘Joseph.’ She grabbed onto his sleeve. ‘If I die—’
    He was surprised to hear her fear. ‘You’re not going to die,