Threat of Darkness(36)

 “It won’t matter what excuse the guy decides to give for swinging. Assault on a cop will land him in jail.” John reached for the radio clipped to his belt, reported the threat of an armed and dangerous suspect and gave Southerland’s description. In the distance, sirens already wailed.

 Samantha folded her arms across her chest and gave him a lopsided smile. “That went well, don’t you think?”

 “Yeah, great.” He eyed the quivering child who had once again assumed the balled-up pose he’d struck while hiding under the bed. “Suppose you introduce me to Danny here and tell him I’m one of the good guys. I’d hate to have to go through another wrestling match with him. He is one tough kid.”

 “Gladly.” The expression of gentleness and empathy on Sam’s face as she addressed the little boy touched John’s heart. “This is the kind of nice person I was talking about when I said police officers are your friends, Danny. He wasn’t trying to hurt you. He was trying to help you.”

 Tears were sliding down the child’s flushed cheeks. “Daddy hit him.”

 “Yes, he did. And he’s going to be in trouble for doing that,” Samantha explained. “It’s not right to hit.”

 “My daddy hits me.”

 “We know,” she said. “You don’t have to talk about it anymore right now if you don’t want to.”

 John was puzzled until she turned her glance his way and explained, “The court order came through via fax while I was in the office a few minutes ago. Danny won’t be going home until the authorities determine it’s totally safe for him there.”

 From the doorway there came a sharp intake of breath. Auburn-haired Lindy Southerland, Ben’s wife, was standing there, trembling and gaping at them as if she couldn’t decide whether to stand her ground or turn and flee.

 Danny spied her, shouted, “Mama!” jumped off the bed, raced across the room and leaped into her open arms.

 She held him close for a few moments, whispered soothing words and stroked his back to comfort him, then looked up.

 There were tears in her wide, green eyes when she focused on Samantha and John to ask, “What do you mean he can’t go home? What have you done to my baby?”





TEN

The timely arrival of social worker Brenda Connors saved Samantha from having to explain the details of the legal protection order to the distraught mother.

 Instead, Sam stuck with John to make sure he was going to be all right. As soon as he had spoken with the first of the newly arrived officers regarding his role in the altercation, she took his arm and directed him down the hall to the E.R.

 While Samantha was helping fill out the necessary paperwork, another nurse ordered him onto a gurney, took his vitals and put an ice pack on his temple.

 Samantha was pleased to see that his color was good when she rejoined him a few minutes later. “How do you feel?”

 “Besides embarrassed, you mean?” He winced and shifted the ice pack.

 “Yeah. Besides that. Any headache, blurred vision, other unusual symptoms?”

 “Not that I can tell.” He started to try to get up.

 “Hold it, mister. You can’t go anywhere until a doctor sees you.”

 “You know as much as a guy like Weiss would. What became of him, anyway?”

 “Last I heard he was cooling his heels in the staff lounge, sitting there talking to himself.”

 “Good. I’d rather not end up as his patient. He’s probably so mad at me he’d slap me in the hospital just for spite.”

 She shook her head slowly, thoughtfully. “No, he wouldn’t. He may be fooled by his buddy Ben, but he’s still a good doctor. He won’t order any tests or treatment he’s not certain you need.”

 The curtains parted and a younger medical man entered. “Who won’t? Are you two conspiring in here?”

 Smiling a greeting and feeling immensely relieved, she introduced the two men in spite of their official name tags. “John, this is Dr. Adams. He’s new to our staff.”

 To her surprise, her old friend began to eye the broad-shouldered, dark-haired physician as if he were sizing up a rival. Well, well. That was an interesting reaction. It would also be an encouraging one if she were at all eager to renew their formerly close relationship.

 She wasn’t, of course. John Waltham had made his position clear. In thinking back over their recent conversations, she tried to recall one of the many instances when he’d insisted that any attention he paid to her was purely business. For example…