would have happened,” Camille cried, dabbing her eyes and wiping her nose with tissue.
“Don’t blame yourself, Cam,” Maggie said.
“If you want to blame anyone, blame the criminals that abducted her.” Isabel stroked Camille’s shoulder.
“Where’s Peter?” Jonathan asked, glancing around the yard.
“Up there by the door.” Emily pointed to him standing at the foot of the porch. “He’s videotaping them bringing Molly out.”
Maggie looked confused. “Videotapin’? But he doesn’t—”
“Look! Here they come!” Isabel shouted over the chaotic roar from the crowd on the lawn.
“Step aside, make way,” one of the officers commanded.
The crowd parted as the paramedics brought the gurney out the front door and down the few steps to the walkway.
“Stop!” Camille hollered, running up to the gurney.
“Step back, ma’am,” the officer ordered, sticking his hand out to block her.
“That’s my daughter!”
“Hold up, fellas,” the policeman requested, dropping his hand.
Camille bent over her daughter and stroked her matted red hair. “You’re going to be okay, Molly, sweetie. Daddy and I are here for you.”
Jonathan stepped to the gurney as well, his eyes glistening, wiping his sleeve across his face, while Peter stood at the foot of the metal contraption, continuing to tape.
“Ma’am?” One of the paramedics lightly touched Camille’s arm. “We need to get her to the hospital. “Would one of you like to ride with her?”
“You go, honey,” Jonathan suggested. “I’ll bring the car. We’ll need it later.”
Camille nodded appreciatively. Her hand remained fixed on Molly’s shoulder as she stayed beside the gurney, keeping up with the paramedics as they rushed to the ambulance.
“I’ll be right behind you!” Jonathan called after her.
“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather have one of us drive you, Jon?” Colin asked.
“That’s probably best. Peter, can you drive me?” Jonathan’s voice was noticeably shaking.
“Absolutely. Let’s go.”
“I wanna come too,” Maggie said. “Camille’s gonna need me at the hospital.”
“The rest of us will get there as soon as we can.” Emily set her hand on Jonathan’s shoulder. “We all want to be there for you and Camille.”
“Okay, let’s roll.” As Peter walked away with Jonathan and Maggie, he pulled his high-tech glasses off and he turned them around to face toward himself. “This is Peter MacKenzie signing off. You got that, Ellis?”
“Loud and clear.”
CHAPTER 20
It was almost midnight when Colin and Emily made it to the hospital. The visitors area was overrun with their close circle, waiting for any news about Molly. Tests had been run, vitals monitored, but nothing yet to report except that she had still not woken up.
Alex came strolling down the hallway with a box full of coffees.
“Thank you, hon.” Isabel took a cup from her husband.
“Anyone else?” He set the box down on the coffee table. “I made sure there are packets of sugar and creamer in there, too.”
The doctor pushed through the heavy swinging doors. “Mr. and Mrs. Hawthorne?”
“That’s us.” Camille and Jonathan bolted from the chairs and rushed over to the doctor.
“I’m Dr. Reed. Your daughter has not gained consciousness yet, but she seems to be resting comfortably. If you’d like to come in and see her for a few minutes, that’d be all right.”
“Yes, please.”
“Can any of the rest of us see her, too?” Emily asked.
“For now, let’s just take her folks in.”
Camille and Jonathan clasped hands and followed the physician.
Watching her friends hurry away, Emily was unable to shake the feeling that she was partly responsible for their daughter lying in that hospital bed. She wrapped her arms around herself in a self-comforting gesture.
Colin must have sensed her need because he placed his arm around her shoulders and drew her in. Responsively, she wrapped her arms about his lean torso and laid her cheek against his chest. Clinging to each other, he gently kissed the top of her head as they stood in contemplative silence.
“Emily?” Isabel softly laid a hand on her friend’s arm.
Emily raised her head and extended her hand to Isabel, who took hold of it.
“Alex told me that when he went to the cafeteria for the coffees he saw Delia down there.”
“Why would she be here? Especially this late?” Emily looked up at Colin.
“Remember I told you Jerry Banderas was in the hospital,” Isabel replied. “I’m guessing it has something to do with him. I wonder if he took a turn for the worse.”
“Can you check on him?” Emily asked.
“I’m not family, but maybe I can play the FBI card and wrangle some details out of the nurse.”
~*~
Isabel took the elevator to the fourth floor. An older, heavy-set African-American nurse was reviewing papers on