Truths Unveiled - By Kimberly Alan Page 0,77
neighborhood… Nothing. Mark said they saw each other right after school.”
Tom checked the time. School ended three hours ago. Where would he go? And why? “Did you call the police?”
“Yes.”
“All right. Meet me at the police station. I’m out at the county line so it will take me about a half hour to get there. Call if you hear anything else.” Tom was about to disconnect the line when he thought of something else. “Where’s Mark?”
“Right here. I’m taking him to the neighbor’s house when we hang up.”
“Okay. Please put him on the phone.”
“Hi, Dad.”
“What’s up, Buddy,” Tom said, trying to remain calm. Inside, he felt like an erupting volcano. “You okay?”
“Yeah, Dad.”
It killed Tom that they had such a formal relationship. Getting this one to talk about anything was like pulling teeth. “How did school go today?”
“Fine.”
“Something happened. Didn’t it?”
Silence. “Come on, Mark. You’ve got to tell me. Why did your brother take off? What was he upset about?”
After a moment, Tom heard a sigh.
“I don’t know exactly,” the boy started. “But I think some kids teased him.”
“About?”
As Tom asked, he realized he already knew the answer. The newspaper articles. “It was about your mom and me. Wasn’t it?” Dear Lord. Please forgive us both. I am so sorry.
He clenched a fist, wanting to smash it into something. Why can’t I just get this right?
Holding back the sobs lodged in his throat, Tom tried to sound reassuring. “It’s going to be okay, Mark. I promise. Now, help your mom. Try to think where A.J. may have gone, and call me or her if you get any ideas.”
Uttering a short, continuous prayer for both his sons, Tom drove even faster. Intent on getting back to Middleton, he almost missed the latest call over the radio.
“Car 390 on the air for the 911.”
“390 is on, go ahead Dispatch.”
“390, handle the Middleton 911 on Marsh Road for struck pedestrian.”
“Roger. En route.”
A few minutes later, Tom heard, “390 is on the scene.”
“Roger, 390.”
Tom spent his entire adult life handling rescue calls. He knew the drill by heart. Though still driving way beyond the speed limit, he envisioned his medics doing their jobs. Soon, they would contact the hospital to let it know they were coming in. He liked to listen to these transmissions, which his staff called ‘patches.’ They enabled him to critique his staff based upon the reports they gave.
Tom dialed the medical center’s frequency on the truck radio. At the same time, he listened to the portable radio transmissions between Dispatch and the medics. He also prayed A.J. showed up before he reached the police department.
“390 to Dispatch. We’ll be transporting one party, priority one, ALS.”
Advanced life support, Tom noted, hearing the sirens in the background over the radio. The ambulance was en route with it patient to the medical center.
“Roger 390,” Dispatch responded. “One party, ALS.”
“Dispatch, is Medic One on the air?”
“Affirmative, 390.”
Tom raised a questioning brow. What would they want with him? It sounded like a routine call.
“Go ahead, 390,” he cut in.
“Medic One, please call Dispatch on a private line.”
Tom’s subconscious understood the message before his brain and body reacted. Something had happened. Something very bad.
“Please God,” he prayed aloud, over and over again. “Please don’t let it be A.J.”
A wave of perspiration drenched his forehead and rolled down his back. He punched in the station’s number on his cell phone.
“Middletown Dispatch. Officer Woodworth speaking.”
“It’s Tom, Sarah. What’s wrong?”
There was a slight hesitancy before she spoke. Tom used the time to fit in another desperate prayer about A.J.
“It’s Susan Murphy. She’s the struck pedestrian.”
“What?” He heard her words but needed to make sure. He’d been so convinced it was A.J.
“It’s Susan. And it’s bad.”
Tom felt so grateful and relieved that he uttered another prayer and drove the truck into the breakdown lane. Then the news sunk in on a different level.
Susan? She was hurt? They may have their differences, but he didn’t mean her that type of ill will. His sons’ faces came to mind. How would they react? Then he remembered A.J. was still missing. He aimed the truck back toward the road and switched on the lights and sirens.
“I’m on my way, Sarah.”
Truths Unveiled
Truths Unveiled
Chapter Forty-Six
The ride seemed endless. Tom listened to 390 patch into the medical center and knew Susan suffered critical injuries. She’d been hit by a delivery truck and remained unconscious. The ambulance arrived about five minutes before he did. He raced through the automatic door, practically right into a nurse he knew.