Stranded

and you’re lucky I’m not charging you, because you’re a pain in the ass and you can’t afford me.” Then Gwen pointed to the onion, indicating that Racine should get back to work.
    Amazingly she did, but of course, she couldn’t do it silently.
    “So have you heard from Maggie or Tully?” Racine asked.
    “Both of them have been checking in with me almost every night.”
    “Alonzo’s been filling me in on the details. Pretty crazy stuff. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to the victims he chooses. Male, female, different ages, occupations, and backgrounds. I’ve been beating my brain trying to find some common denominator. There doesn’t appear to be any connection in where they’re taken or their destinations. I even had Alonzo do a vehicle comparison. You know, thinking maybe all of them drove Fords or SUVs.”
    “And?”
    “Nothing. Alonzo can’t come up with anything and that guy is like the king of data. Best guess is that he’s a long-haul trucker who enjoys killing a smorgasbord of travelers.”
    “Can we please keep food references out?”
    Gwen glanced up to see Racine had been chopping like a pro. She seemed to have no problem with kitchen prep as long as she kept her mind on work.
    Gwen’s cell phone started ringing and she did a quick hand wash before answering.
    “This is Gwen Patterson.”
    “Gwen, it’s Dr. Halston. I apologize for calling you at home.”
    “Oh, that’s no problem,” she said, but immediately realized that she’d never had a personal phone call from her doctor, after hours or otherwise. Someone from Dr. Halston’s staff usually called toset up appointments or answer questions and her nurse always called to go over test results.
Results
. Something was wrong. She knew it before Dr. Halston continued.
    “I got the results for your mammogram and there’s … well, a questionable area on your left breast. I’d like to set up an appointment for a core biopsy.”
    “Biopsy? That sounds serious. Are you saying it could be cancer?”
    “It might be nothing. But I’d rather we err on the side of caution.”
    “I guess I could make time late next week.”
    “Gwen, I think we should do it before next week. I’ll have my nurse call you tomorrow and set something up.”
    Gwen wasn’t quite sure what else Dr. Halston had said after that. When she ended the call she turned around and saw Racine staring at her. Then she did the strangest thing, something that Gwen would never have expected of the tough and often crass detective. Without a word, Julia Racine walked over to Gwen and hugged her.

CHAPTER 44

    KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY
    VETERINARY SMALL ANIMAL HOSPITAL
    MANHATTAN, KANSAS
    Maggie handed Creed a bottle of Mountain Dew and took her place beside him in the reception area. The waiting was excruciating. It was going on three hours since they had talked to the young surgeon, Dr. Towle. Her team of students and professors were still in surgery working on Grace.
    Earlier the internal medicine chief resident, Dr. Smee, had examined Grace then ordered an assortment of tests, scans, and X-rays while the surgical staff prepped. Though they wouldn’t know the full extent of Grace’s injuries until she was under anesthesia, they were able to tell Creed that Grace’s left hind leg had sustained the worst of the impact. It was broken in at least two places.
    “I’ve heard good things about this place,” Creed said, breaking the silence.
    Maggie didn’t tell him that he had already said that twice before.
    “You sure I can’t get you something to eat?”
    He shook his head. Then he added, “You don’t have to stay. I’m okay.”
    “I’m not here for you. I’m here for Grace.”
    She saw the corner of his mouth hitch up. It was the closest to a smile she’d seen since morning.
    “She likes you,” he said.
    “I like her. She’s not stubborn like her master.”
    That garnered a full smile. “Don’t count on it. Hannah says all our dogs have a streak of my stubbornness.”
    “Is Hannah your wife?” Maggie asked without thinking. Thankfully Creed didn’t seem to care.
    “She’s my business partner.”
    Maggie knew there was more to the relationship. She could tell by the way he had said Hannah’s name. She waited. But Creed didn’t offer anything else.
    When she went in search of a vending machine she had checked in with Tully. He was still back at the ravine. Detective Lopez had called in a CSU team and the county medical