Elle Returns: The Sequel: A Psychological Thriller Read online

  With a curt nod, he opened the door and stepped outside.

  Elenore remained on that couch until she heard his patrol car crank up and back out of the drive.

  She pushed to her feet and trailed across the small space to the detective’s bedroom.

  His bed had been made, and as promised, a small scrap of paper with his cell number lay on the nightstand next to the phone.

  The room smelled of him: a clean, pleasant scent that reminded her of a foster home she’d stayed in at eight years old. The man and woman who’d cared for her had been good to her. They’d dressed her in frilly dresses and shiny white shoes.

  Elenore recalled standing in front of a mirror, twirling in a circle to admire the pretty pink dress she wore.

  Little did she know, it would be the last time she’d ever wear it.

  After the courts sent her back to her father, Elijah had thrown out her new dresses and shoes. He’d informed her that only hypocrites and church folks wore such attire.

  Elenore had wanted to cry, but she’d refrained. She had learned at an early age not to anger her father with tears.

  It wasn’t long after that when he’d begun truly hurting her at night.

  The phone rang next to the bed, sending Elenore scrambling back a few steps.

  She blew out a shaky breath and moved to open the second drawer of Evan’s dresser.

  The answering machine picked up on the fourth ring. “You’ve reached Evan. Leave me a message at the beep.”

  “Hi, Evan, it’s Amanda. I haven’t heard from you in a while. How’s life down there in Hickville? Give me a call.”

  So, the detective had a girlfriend. Elenore retrieved a gray T-shirt and a pair of black silky-looking shorts from Evan’s cache of clothing.

  She closed the drawer and made her way to the small bathroom. The mirror was still steamed up from Evan’s shower.

  Stripping out of the clothes she’d been given by the guy back in Montgomery, Elenore turned on the shower and stepped under the spray.

  The hot, steamy water hit her scalp, assuring her of washing away any remnants left by the guy in Montgomery who’d drugged her.

  She shuddered, plucking up a bottle of shampoo and washing her hair. She then grabbed the liquid soap and followed up with her body. Yet, no matter how hard she scrubbed, she didn’t feel clean.

  Elenore switched off the water and pulled the curtain back when a sharp pain abruptly sliced through her abdomen.

  She cried out, her knees buckling beneath her.

  Another pain gripped her, taking her breath and sending spots dancing before her eyes.

  Both her hands cupped her abdomen in an attempt to ease the agony rolling through her.

  And then she noticed the blood; so much blood. My baby!

  Elenore’s entire body began to tremble with the knowledge of what was happening. She was losing her baby.

  “Noooooo,” she cried, her voice hoarse with agony. This couldn’t be happening. Not again.

  More cramping consumed her, leaving her in agonizing torment. “Ah, God…”

  Chapter Six

  Evan couldn’t concentrate. He’d spent the past two hours thinking about Elenore and the consequences of what he’d done. He had covered up a murder. And not just one murder. But several.

  He told himself he’d had no choice. He couldn’t allow Elenore to spend the rest of her life in prison or possibly die in the electric chair. Not after everything those sorry excuses for human beings had done to her.

  Elenore wouldn’t be able to go back to her farm. At least not until the sheriff located those bodies beneath the barn and deemed Elijah responsible.

  But how would Evan cover up the fact that Elenore was no longer in the mental hospital?

  Blowing out an exhausted breath, he stood and left the station.

  He ran into Charlie on his way back to his patrol car. “Deputy Taylor. How are you?”

  “Fine, Detective. I was just about to go feed the animals out at the Griffin farm. You wouldn’t happen to know how much longer Elenore is going to be in that hospital, would you? The sheriff is eventually going to send animal control out there to seize the animals if she’s not back pretty soon.”

  It took considerable effort for Evan to remain aloof when he wanted to growl his answer, right up in Charlie’s face. “I’m not sure, Charlie, but I’ll see what I can find out today.”

  With that, he skirted the deputy and got into his patrol car without another word.

  Evan glanced at his watch to find it only ten o’clock in the morning. Not only was he beyond exhausted, but he felt like a lifetime had passed since discovering those bodies hidden beneath that barn.

  With a weary sigh, he pulled away from the curb and headed toward the local grocery store in town.

  Charlie would find Elijah’s truck soon. And all Hell would likely break loose.

  * * * *

  Evan arrived home a little after eleven a.m. He plucked up the four plastic bags of groceries he’d purchased and strolled up to the front door, wondering why he hadn’t heard anything about Charlie finding Elijah’s truck.

  Juggling the groceries, Evan fished out his house key and let himself inside. “Elenore?”

  He noticed the bathroom door was shut as he moved through the living room and stopped in the kitchen.

  Putting the food away, Evan called out to her once more. “Hey, I brought you some food. I hope you’re hungry.”

  Once the groceries were put away, Evan trailed over to the bathroom door to knock. “Elenore?”

  A soft sound came from inside.

  Evan’s heartbeat kicked up a notch. “Are you okay in there?”

  The same sound resonated from the other side of the door.

  “I’m coming in,” Evan announced, twisting the knob only to discover it locked.

  Taking a step back, Evan slammed into the door with his shoulder, splintering the wood at the lock.

  He burst inside to find a naked Elenore in the fetal position in the tub. “My God!”

  She lay in a pool of blood, her body trembling in obvious pain. Had she tried to kill herself?

  He checked her wrists but saw no evident wounds.

  His next thought was of her pregnancy. Was she losing her baby?

  “Hold on, sweetheart. I’m going to get you some help. You just hold on.”

  Scooping her up from the tub, Evan rushed to his room, grabbed a blanket from the foot of his bed, and covered her nakedness.

  This would be the second time he’d have to show up at Wexler General Hospital, carrying an unclothed Elenore.

  Another thought struck him. How would he explain having her in his possession? Especially after he’d told Charlie he hadn’t seen her.

  He would deal with that later. For now, he had to get Elenore to the hospital before she bled out. “You’re going to be okay, sweetheart. I promise.”

  Bursting outside, Evan hurried to his personal vehicle and gently placed Elenore in the back seat. He then climbed behind the wheel and started the engine.

  His cell phone rang as he backed out of the drive.

  Evan straightened the wheel and sped east toward the town’s small hospital.

  Fishing his cell from the clip on his belt, he noticed the sheriff’s number on the caller ID. Charlie had obviously found Elijah’s truck. “Ramirez.”

  “Detective. What’s your twenty?”

  Evan thought about how much to tell him, then decided on half the truth. “On my way to the hospital with Elenore Griffin.”

  The sheriff grew quiet for a moment, then, “What are you doing with Elenore? I thought she was at the hospital in Montgomery.”

  With a calmness he didn’t feel, Evan stated, “Apparently, she left the hospital after finding out that she’s pregnant and then walked to Wexler. She showed up at my place, bloody and in pain.”

  A brief pause ensued. “Jesus. That poor girl. I’ll meet you at the hospital.” Donnie ended the call.

 
The last thing Evan wanted or needed was the sheriff underfoot. What if Elenore slipped up and told the hospital staff a different story than he’d told the sheriff? And how come Donnie didn’t mention Elijah’s truck?

  And then Elenore’s pain-induced voice floated up from the back seat. “I won’t let you down, Detective.”

  Evan’s heart squeezed in his chest. There she was, huddled in the backseat in obvious pain, and she worried about letting him down.

  Without taking his gaze from the road, Evan responded. “You could never let me down, Elenore. You just breathe. We’re almost there.”

  Her answer was a soft cry from the next bump in the road.

  Evan ground his teeth in frustration. The infuriating roads shouldn’t be in the shape they were in. Especially not in town. “I’m sorry, Elenore. I’ll be more careful.”

  Why on earth hadn’t Charlie called in about Elijah’s truck? It took everything Evan had not to call the deputy. But of course, that would be entirely too obvious.

  Five minutes later, Evan pulled to a stop outside Wexler General. Déjà vu was instant. The last time he had been there, he’d carried a naked, bloodied Elenore inside, just as he was about to do again.

  Chapter Seven

  Elenore hurt, and not solely from the physical pain ripping through her body. Her heart ached as well. She was once again losing her unborn baby.

  A tear slipped from the corner of her eye. Maybe she was being punished for killing those people hidden beneath the barn.

  The car door opened, and Evan’s face suddenly appeared in her line of sight. “Put your arm around my neck.”

  Elenore raised her trembling arm and did as he asked.

  “Good girl,” he whispered, leaning deeper inside the car and lifting her.

  Elenore bit back a cry, her body curling in on itself.

  “Shhhhh. It’s okay,” Evan consoled, straightening with her in his arms.

  Other voices could be heard, loud in their urgency.

  “In here!” one of them ordered.

  Lights beamed from overhead as Evan hurried to do their bidding.

  The sound of a curtain being jerked back reached Elenore’s ears a second before a woman barked, “What have we got here?”

  Evan carefully laid Elenore on a soft surface. “Her name’s Elenore Griffin. She’s pregnant and losing a lot of blood.”

  The woman’s face appeared above Elenore. “Hi, Elenore. My name is Lindsey. I’ll be taking care of you. Can you tell me how long you’ve been bleeding?”

  Elenore tried to shake her head. “A-a few hours.”

  Pity registered in the nurse’s eyes. “Okay, honey. Do you know how far along you are?”

  “N-no.”

  “That’s okay,” the nurse assured her. “Try to take slow, deep breaths. The doctor will be right in.”

  Elenore waited for what seemed hours for the doctor to arrive. She attempted to breathe through the probing hands of the nurse, answering as many questions as she could.

  The curtain was abruptly pulled back once more, and a tall, gray-haired doctor Elenore recognized stepped in close to her bed. “Hello, Elenore. I’m Doctor Perdue. Can you tell me how far along you are in your pregnancy?”

  Evan answered for her. “She doesn’t know. She only recently found out she’s pregnant.”

  The doctor turned his head in Evan’s direction. “Are you the father?”

  “No, sir, I’m not.”

  “Then I’ll ask that you wait in the waiting room.”

  Elenore didn’t want the detective to leave. She attempted to voice the words, but he had already turned away.

  She stared at the place Evan had been standing while the nurse proceeded to administer an IV in her left arm.

  The doctor brought Elenore’s attention back to him. “I’m going to give you something to help you relax while I check you, okay?”

  Elenore didn’t respond. She understood full well what a check entailed, and it sent nausea rolling through her.

  * * * *

  Elenore awoke to the memory of what had happened. She’d lost her baby.

  A deep sadness settled inside her. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t prevent the tears from welling up in her eyes.

  She tried to convince herself that it was for the best, but her heart rebelled against it. No matter who the father, that baby had belonged to her.

  Elenore allowed the tears to spill down her cheeks, the emptiness inside overwhelming.

  A sharp, stinging pain suddenly came from her lower abdomen. She lifted the cover draped across her and carefully pulled up her hospital gown. A row of stitches could be seen along her skin.

  Blowing out an unsteady breath, she lowered the covers and glanced to her right to find Evan sleeping in a chair next to her hospital bed. He hadn’t left her, after all.

  She slowly took in her surroundings, recalling the last time she’d been in that same hospital. She also remembered Evan keeping a vigil as he did now.

  What did she do to deserve his loyalty? It couldn’t be that he expected sex from her. She’d thrown herself at him, just as her father demanded, yet Evan had rejected her advances.

  She dried her tears. Perhaps that was why she felt safe with him. He was the only man she’d ever known that didn’t expect something from her.

  His eyelids fluttered open. “You’re awake.”

  Elenore opened her mouth to speak, but her throat felt dry and scratchy, so she nodded instead.

  Evan pushed to his feet and handed her a cup of ice chips. “Here, have some of this. It’ll make you feel better.”

  More than grateful, Elenore accepted the cup. She sucked on some of the ice chips and then faced Evan once again. “I lost the baby.” Her voice cracked on that last word.

  “I know,” he softly responded with sadness swimming in his eyes. “I’m really sorry, Elenore.”

  More tears surfaced, but she blinked them back. The last thing she wanted was to cry in front of Evan. Especially after everything he’d already done for her. “You don’t have to stay with me, Detective. You haven’t had any sleep, and—”

  “Don’t you worry about me, Elenore. You just concentrate on getting better.”

  A light knock on the door signaled the doctor’s entry. He nodded to Evan before approaching Elenore’s bed. “Good morning, Miss Griffin. How are you feeling?”

  Elenore set her cup of ice chips on the bedside table, unable to meet the doctor’s gaze. “I’m okay. I just want to go home.”

  “I understand.”

  The doctor stepped in closer. Elenore could feel him peering down at her.

  “I’d like to discuss your surgery,” he continued in a confident voice. “If you would rather we speak in private—”

  “The detective can stay,” she blurted, not wanting Evan to leave her alone with the man.

  The doctor glanced at Evan and then focused on Elenore once more. “If you’re sure.”

  Elenore could only nod. What if the detective didn’t want to stay?

  She chanced a peek in his direction to find him staring back at her. He sent her a reassuring look.

  Elenore returned her attention to the doctor. “I’m sure.”

  “Very well, Miss Griffin. We were forced to do surgery yesterday due to the amount of blood you were losing, along with the damaged uterus we found during the ultrasound.”

  He waited a heartbeat, probably to let her process his words, and then continued. “We were unable to save the baby. I attempted to repair the damage, but it was too extensive. Your uterus had to be removed, and you were given two pints of blood during surgery.”

  Elenore knew she should feel some sort of emotion from the doctor’s words. He’d just told her he’d removed her uterus, which meant that she would never be able to have children of her own. But a numbness settled around her heart that refused to be penetrated.

  “Do you have any questions for me?” the doctor continued, peering down at her.

 
Elenore shook her head, silently willing him to leave.

  He must have sensed her wishes. He turned to go. “I’m truly sorry for your loss.”

  As soon as the door shut behind him, Evan stepped in close to her side. “Elenore?”

  She couldn’t quite meet his gaze, especially with her emotions riding the surface. “I need to be alone.”

  He moved to touch her hand, but she pulled it back. If he touched her now, the protective shield around her heart might shatter. “Please go.”

  With a heavy sigh, he stepped away from her side and left the room.

  Chapter Eight

  Evan reluctantly left Elenore’s hospital room in a daze. She’d just been told she would never be able to have children, yet she’d shown no outward reaction to the news.

  He was sure that she felt something by the gathering tears she tried so hard to hide.

  He stepped out into the waiting room to find Sheriff Donnie King sitting in a chair, reading a magazine.

  Thankfully, the sheriff had been called away the day before, preventing Evan from dealing with the many questions he’d known would come.

  “Sheriff,” he murmured, trailing over to where the man sat.

  Donnie lifted his head, placing the magazine on the table in front of him. “How is Elenore?”

  Evan could practically smell the man’s suspicions. “She underwent emergency surgery yesterday.”

  With his eyes narrowing, Donnie pressed, “Why would she walk all the way from Montgomery and show up on your doorstep?”

  Taking a seat across from the man, Evan responded with, “Probably because I’m the only person she knew to come to. Her father sure wouldn’t help her, and as far as she knows, neither would anyone else in town.”

  It was obvious that Donnie held strong to his suspicions, but he didn’t press the issue. “Are you coming in to work today?”

  “Yes, sir. I’ll be in shortly.”

  How come the sheriff hadn’t mentioned anything about Charlie finding Elijah’s truck? “Any news from the APB on Elijah?”

  “Regretfully, no. I mean, he couldn’t have gone very far. It’s not as if he has the funds to run from state to state. At least not that I’m aware of.”