California Moon

Shannon glanced at the young doctor’s ashen face, and realized there was no way he could handle another death tonight.

He stepped next to Shannon. Eyes vacant, he looked at her patient. “Good job, Riley.”

“I’ll take him up to X ray myself,” she said, glancing at the paramedic behind her as he pulled a sheet over the dead man’s face.

Police and state troopers scurried in the hallway as Shannon and the paramedics wheeled their patient out of ER.

Brushing past a holstered gun, she shivered. How ironic. Guns and lifesaving equipment in the same room.

Police officers jammed the doorway, forming a blockade against the approaching local news-station reporters who couldn’t wait to film gruesome live shots of bloody bodies for their early-morning newscasts.

Minicam lights blasted Shannon in the face. She froze. “What the—” Shielding her eyes with her hand, half covering her face, she turned away and quickly pushed the gurney toward the elevator. Accidentally, she bumped into one of the reporters.

“Hey, watch it,” he growled.

Her mouth went dry. “Sorry,” she said tensely. She avoided eye contact with the man by keeping her head down.

“Hey, is that one of them?” He turned on his camera.

Shannon felt the blood drain from her face. Though her hands were shaking and her knees quivered, she pulled the sheet over her patient’s head. “Please don’t,” she said meekly.

“I was only doing my job,” the heavyset young man said defensively.

“Me, too,” she mumbled, hurrying past him.

Grumbling, the cameraman turned away.

Shannon made it to the elevator in a flash and impatiently depressed the button twice. She could hear the barrage of questions and the distinct voice of the chief of police, Jimmy Joe Bremen, talking to Dr. Scanlon as they emerged from the ER.

“Did he say anything before he died?” Jimmy Joe asked, pushing aside his underlings.

“No.”

“Did you remove the bullet?”

“Yes,” Dr. Scanlon said wearily.

“Forensics will want it. The body as well.”

“I understand.”

Jimmy Joe’s large belly heaved up and down when he spoke and his lungs rattled, reminding Shannon of the pneumonia he’d had last winter when he’d been admitted to the ER with a high fever. He was the most demanding and stubborn patient she’d ever attended.

She hit the elevator button again.

She realized now that Chief Bremen had lied to Dr. Timmons when he said he hadn’t touched a cigar for over a year. What bothered her most at the time was that he lied so effortlessly and convincingly. She didn’t trust him and it gave her the jitters to be anywhere near him.

Jimmy Joe pressed past the reporters into the hall and Dr. Scanlon followed.

The reporters swarmed.

“What about the other John Doe? Did he say anything? Did you find anything on him we might have overlooked?”

“No, nothing. Should I have?”

Jimmy Joe scratched his head. “Hell, I don’t know. These two fellas were in a bunch o’ trouble, but without any identification and no witnesses, we’re at a loss.”

A brash young female reporter stuck a small microphone in Dr. Scanlon’s face. “What have you got, Doctor?”

“Other than the fact that I place the gunshot wound at around midnight since he hadn’t yet bled to death, the only other medical specifics I can give you at this time is that one man is dead and the other barely alive.”

Jimmy Joe pressed his index finger in Dr. Scanlon’s bony chest. “When the other one comes around, I want to know about it.”

Dr. Scanlon frowned, rubbing the sore spot. “Of course, but it won’t be any time soon. He’s comatose.”

Jimmy Joe slapped his gray hat against his trousers as he walked toward the elevators. “I’ll check on him in the morning.”

“It is morning, Chief,” Dr. Scanlon said wearily.

Jimmy Joe smiled wanly. “Then I’ll call you later,” he said and ordered his men back to the station.

The elevator doors opened. Shannon secured the gurney, IV and respirator on the elevator.

“Appears it’s going to be a nice day,” Jimmy Joe said, watching her as she pushed the gurney into the elevator.

She held her breath, feeling his eyes free-falling across her backside.

Shannon rammed her thumb against the fourth-floor button and glanced down at her patient. When the doors slammed shut, Shannon exhaled with relief. “Safe once again.”

3

Ben Richards was the newest addition to the Shreveport Police Department, and therefore drew the unlucky assignment of standing guard over the comatose John Doe at St. Christopher’s Charity Hospital.

“I suppose you want to get reassigned,” Jimmy Joe said, exhaling heavily as he spoke.

“No, sir. I’m quite satisfied.”

“Satisfied?” Jimmy Joe eyed him suspiciously.

“Absolutely. If this is where you need me, then this is where I’ll be,” Ben said firmly.

“Good. You let me know the minute that guy comes around. I’ve got some questions that need answering,” Jimmy Joe continued. “You’ve only been here a few days…”

“And everyone else is needed for more important work?” Ben offered.

“That’s right.” Jimmy Joe smiled. “Glad to see you understand.”

“Of course. No problem.” Ben clasped his hands behind his back.