Stolen Innocents (The Shadow Series Book 2) (45 page)

“Are you ready to go home?” Jack asked, knowing what the answer might be.

“God, yes! Are they letting me go?”

“Yeah, the nurse will be in shortly.”

The Captain turned to Jack and reached for his hand. Jack shook it firmly as he looked the Captain in his eyes.

“Jack, thank you. You should be very proud.”

“I am. We all are.”

“We’ve just promoted your boys to the rank of Deputy and they have been nominated for an award of valor.”

“It’s an honor, Sir.”

“Hey Dad,” Liam called. “Will Tommy be getting out today, too?”

Jack’s face took on a more somber light.

“No, son. Tommy has a way to go yet.”

“Is he going to be okay?”

“I sure hope so,” said Jack.

***

Tommy Morrow was sound asleep when Bridgette and Angus walked into his hospital room. Bridgette had been released from the hospital the evening before and wanted to check in on her family. Tommy’s skin was off-color still, but his vitals were remaining strong. Out of instinct, Bridgette pulled back Tommy’s hospital gown to inspect his wound. The bandage was stained dark red, and it was time for the nurse to come and change it.

“Press the call button,” Bridgette said to Angus. He did so without complaint.

“He’s stabile, but that wound is having difficulty healing which could be problematic,” said Angus.

A nurse entered Tommy’s hospital with urgency in her step.

“Is everything okay?” Nurse Rita Carter asked.

Bridgette knew her well.

“Well enough. He is ready for a new dressing…”

“Okay, let’s take a look.”

The nurse agreed with Bridgette’s opinion and retrieved new gauze and bandages.

“Is it healing properly?” Bridgette asked her colleague.

“Take a look yourself,” said Rita as she pulled off the old dressing.

It was a nasty wound that would leave a brutal scar, thanks to Angie’s rusted serrated hunting knife.

“He was stabbed with a rusty, serrated knife, so we’ve been fighting off infection. He has a temperature of 103. We are trying to bring the fever down and eradicate the infection.”

“Overall, it looks like he’s healing well; it’s just the infection that has me concerned.”

“We’re keeping an eye on him.”

“Please take care of my boy,” Bridgette said with worry in her eyes.

***

Thanks to the headway that Liam had made while in the hospital, the majority of the case paperwork was already complete. Adam and DiNolfo ensured that all the evidence was bagged, marked and archived, except for the jewelry box, which had mysteriously disappeared.  Meanwhile, the Captain got the go ahead from the state to permanently block off all access points to the Wilhamette mines. Since they were technically state property, they could not fill them in with concrete until authorization was received. The crater that now stood in the middle of the Forest of York exposed the heart of the mine and all the debris that lay within. Tons of pounds of debris, rock and tree limbs covered the mine floor. Angie’s body was trapped. It took six hours to excavate the body and lift it to the ground behind Monte’s café. Unfortunately, Joe had lost his shortcut to work, but he was happy to give it up as long as his family and friends were safe.

Roger O’Mara agreed to identify Angie’s body. Jenna DiNolfo rode him to the medical examiner’s office herself. DiNolfo urged Gwen O’Mara to come as well, but she outright refused. Upon returning home, Roger was so angry that he stormed up to Angie’s room with a sledge hammer and gutted the room. He plans on turning it into a play room for Cory. Tiffany and Courtney’s rooms still remain intact. Meanwhile, Jesse Trafford was sent to Pennington Prison for five years for drug possession and is expected to be up for parole in 2003. Hunter McCord was sentenced to fifteen years at Pennington Prison for drug trafficking and possession. He is expected to face the parole board in 2007. Adam and DiNolfo raided McCord’s trailer and found nothing at first, until they came upon the stove. DiNolfo remembered that McCord said that he kept his money in a cashbox in the non-operating oven. She opened the oven door and it wasn’t a cash box that she found, but bags upon bags of drugs. Marijuana, cocaine, meth, the list went on and on. It was a location where he could easily destroy any evidence of his stock pile.  There were drugs in the refrigerator, cabinets, under the bed, in the couch cushions. When Jenna and Adam were done bagging and marking everything, the Captain estimated that they had lifted over $600 thousand in drugs from McCord’s trailer – The biggest drug bust on Skole County record.

After learning of the large amount of drugs seized from the property, DiNolfo quipped, “What the hell was he doing living in a trailer?!”

“It’s a good way to keep a low profile, I guess…” said Liam, who was also baffled by the find.

Everyone at Morrow Manor was now focused on getting Tommy home, alive and well. Jack no longer cared if Tommy walked at graduation. He just wanted him to live.

Chapter              32

June 28, 2000

Morrow Manor

Fox Hollow, PA

6:15 P.M.

Morrow Manor was a flurry of activity as everyone got ready for Steeplechase’s Senior Prom. Bridgette was dressed in a classic black evening gown with her red curls falling gracefully down her back. She pinned boutonnieres on Shane and Blake as they waited for their dates to arrive. Jack and Frank stomped down the steps in their tuxedos looking nothing short of dashing. Bridgette squealed with delight when she saw them.

Frank laughed, “We clean up real nice.”

“Where is he?” asked Jack nervously.

Frank shrugged his shoulders.

“He should have been here by now…”

“Relax. They just left. Everything is going to be fine,” said Bridgette as she adjusted her brother’s tie.

“Aunt Bridgette!” Tristan called from upstairs.

“What’s wrong?”

“Help.”

“Baby, what’s wrong?” asked Jack from the bottom of the stairs.

“Not you. Just Aunt Bridgette. Help me get into this contraption,” said Tristan referring to her prom dress.

Bridgette laughed as she rushed upstairs to help her niece.

Blake and Shane stood by the fireplace admiring each other’s attire. Blake looked dapper in a black tuxedo that was topped off with a fedora. Meanwhile, Shane rocked a white tuxedo complete with perfectly white sneakers and a pair of shades. To say that they were excited was an understatement.

The front door of Morrow Manor burst open as Joe and Jenna entered the foyer with broad smiles. Joe was dressed in a classic black tuxedo with a navy blue vest. It matched Jenna’s midnight blue evening gown perfectly. For the first time in a long time, she let her hair down and her wavy brown hair fell just past her shoulders. The adults all laughed at each other’s excitement. They felt like they were going to their own prom, and not the kids.

“Damn, aren’t we the best lookin’ chaperones ever?!” exclaimed Joe.

“Are the kids on their way?”

“Yeah, all the dates are on their way!”

“Now we wait.”

***

“This is a torture device!” Tristan exclaimed as her aunt helped her into a boned corset that would help her dress lay properly.

“I know what you mean… I feel like I’m being choked.”

“Okay, and now for the dress…” said Bridgette excitedly.

Tristan eyed the gown bag nervously as Bridgette began to unzip it.

***

Jack could hear the sound of tires over gravel before he even looked out the window.

“They’re here!” he said excitedly.

Frank swung open the door to Morrow Manor, beating Jack to the punch. Everyone crowded the porch as they waiting for the car to come to a complete stop.

“I thought you’d miss it!” yelled Jack to Adam as he opened the door to squad car E7. Adam had a big smile on his face.

“Miss it? Of course not!”

Liam gingerly got out of the car and walked slowly to the house. Adam meanwhile opened the back door of the cruiser where Tommy was waiting. Everyone applauded when they saw his tired but smiling face.

Adam popped the trunk and retrieved a wheelchair, which he helped Tommy into.

“Welcome home, Tommy!” Jenna exclaimed.

“Good to see you back home,” Frank said as he patted Tommy on the shoulder.

Jack, whose nerves were utterly shot, had to try to keep his emotions in check. He finally had everyone home.

“1…2….3…. Lift!” said Adam as Frank and Joe helped him lift Tommy onto the porch.

“Do you want to go inside to rest, or do you want to watch everyone?”

Tommy shook his head.

“No, I want to see Tristan off…”

“Alright, sit tight. I see the limo coming now…”

Blake’s stomach lurched as he saw the black limo pulling up the long gravel driveway.

***

“Jesus Christ… You look like your mother…” said Bridgette as she admired her niece in the mirror.

Tristan took this as a compliment since her mother was always known for her beauty and grace.

“I hear Cole downstairs… It’s just about time.”

Tristan’s stomach twisted with anxiety.

***

Cole was the first one out of the limo wearing a broad smile on his face. He looked incredibly dapper in his black suit and red rose boutonniere. He greeted everyone excitedly as he walked up the steps to the house.

“Alright… It’s time to see who Blake is taking to the prom. Finally…” Frank quipped with a smile on his face.

Blake’s cheeks blushed unforgivingly and he couldn’t help but grin.

“Will the lucky lady please step out?” said Frank.

Everyone gasped in surprise. Natalie Piedmonte stepped out of the limo wearing a beautiful lavender chiffon gown with her brown hair pinned high atop her head. Blake waved at her and led her in the house as Cole gave Blake a look.

“Don’t get no ideas…” warned Cole with a stern voice.

“Hands above the waist!” Blake said to Cole.

“I could say the same to you!” Cole quipped.

Cole him a disgruntled look. Blake raised his hands in the air, and waved them around, implying, no problem.

“Shane… Who are you taking to the prom?” asked Adam.

“Pfft! I’m going stag!”

Frank rolled his eyes at his son.

“I plan to dance with
all
the ladies tonight!”

“Sounds like Tristan is ready…” said Jenna as she looked inside.

Bridgette walked down the stairs carefully, trying not to fall in her three inch heels.