Unintended Consequences - By Marti Green Page 0,39
changed. Now, with the Cover All Kids program in Pennsylvania, they’d have been able to get health insurance for her, if not for free then for a very low cost. But back then …” He stopped speaking and stared out the window.
After a few moments, Tommy asked, “What happened to her? Did she die?”
Samson turned back to Tommy. “I’ve often wondered that myself. I assume she did. I never heard from her parents after the hospital turned her down for treatment, so I couldn’t tell you with certainty. But even with treatment …” He shook his head. “Her prognosis wasn’t good.”
“I don’t suppose you still have her medical records.”
Dr. Samson shrugged. “I’m sure I do, somewhere. I’ve moved the older files to my garage.”
“Do you think you could take a look for Angelina’s?”
The doctor nodded. “If I find them, I assume you’d like a copy?”
“You’ve read my mind.” Tommy stood up to leave. “Thanks, Doc. You’ve been very helpful.”
“Wait a moment. You can’t go off without explaining why you’re asking me these questions. Do you know something about Angelina Calhoun? Is she alive?”
Tommy sat back down. “That’s the million-dollar question, Doc. Her father is facing execution in five weeks for murdering her.”
“My God! That’s impossible. He was devoted to that child. Both her parents were.”
“Yeah, well, he says he didn’t kill Angelina. Claims he and his wife drove her to the Mayo Clinic and then left her there with all her medical records, hoping they’d treat her for the cancer.”
“I suppose that’s possible. She would have been turned over to Child Protective Services. If they couldn’t find her parents and knew of her medical condition, the state would have paid for her treatment. But—leaving a sick four-year-old alone in another state and just walking away? I can’t imagine the Calhouns doing that.”
Tommy chuckled softly. “You know, Doc, I couldn’t imagine it either. I thought he had to have made up this nutty story. And maybe he has. But he told the truth about Angelina being sick and him not being able to pay for her care. And I’ll be damned, but I’m starting to believe the crazy son of a bitch.”
As he made his way through the hospital corridors and out to the street, the doctor’s words kept running through Tommy’s head. He’d been so certain Dani had sent him off on a fool’s errand. Now, for the first time, he entertained the idea that George Calhoun might be telling the truth. There were still many unanswered questions, but foremost was the one that would be hardest to answer: Who was the little girl found buried in the woods nineteen years ago?
Tommy walked toward the sea of vehicles in the parking lot. Now, where’s my damn car? When driving his own car, he always found it easily: his dark blue pearl Lincoln Navigator stood out tall and proud above the other, mostly small, gas-saving vehicles. He felt entitled to a big car; five children and a wife took up a lot of room. Now, though, he had a rental car, a silver-gray Hyundai that looked like every other car in the lot. And how the hell could he be expected to remember the license-plate number? He walked in the direction from which he remembered coming and took out the remote and pressed the emergency button. A piercing sound came from his left, and as he turned in that direction he saw flashing headlights. “There you are,” he muttered to himself as he strode over to it. He reached for the door before noticing a white paper flapping under the windshield wiper. Expecting to see a flyer for some business, Tommy pulled it out and began to crumple it into a ball. But out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the red ink scrawled on the page, unfolded the sheet, and read: “IF YOU WANT TO STAY ALIVE, DON’T STICK YOUR NOSE WHERE IT DOESN’T BELONG. THIS IS YOUR ONLY WARNING.”
He opened his briefcase, pulled out a plastic evidence bag and, holding the tip of the paper with a tissue, carefully slipped the note inside and sealed the bag. He scanned the parking lot but didn’t see anything unusual, just rows of empty cars. He looked out to the street, and again nothing caught his attention. As he turned back around, he glanced toward the hospital entrance and caught sight of Billy leaning against a tree, a cigarette dangling from his lips, staring right at him. Tommy