Hard to believe we're already up to Chapter 85.
Chapter 85.
Before they left the diner, Anita asked Jessica whether or not she wanted to file charges against Carruthers. "I really don't need that to arrest him for assault, you had plenty of witnesses, but if you'll come down to the station tomorrow morning, we can quickly do the paperwork."
Jessica bit her lip. "Will he be in jail?"
Anita nodded. "You can also file a restraining order against him in case he makes bail."
"Might be a good idea," Wilson said. "But it's your decision. You were the one he threatened."
"It's not just for my safety. I worry about what he'd do to Bruno if he ever got a hold of him again." She sighed. "Okay, I'll be there in the morning." She smiled. "After I vote."
Jess gave Carruthers full name and address to Anita. "I don't have his phone number with me. It's in Bruno's file at the clinic."
"That's okay." Anita put a hand on her arm. "I have to go back to Snow Hill tonight, but I'll have one of my colleagues pick him up."
"Thanks." Impulsively, Jessica hugged Anita.
Hadley waited outside the diner to accompany Anita to Snow Hill.
Anita slipped into the driver's seat. "I doubt I can do any good, but after today, I don't trust the police there to find Steve."
Hadley sat in the passenger seat. "You have to try."
"We'll start where I last saw his car. Maybe someone saw him drive away."
"But where would he go?"
Anita shook her head. "Not a clue."
There weren't many other cars on the road and they reached Snow Hill in record time. Anita drove to Lorelei's apartment. The parking spot where Steve's car sat for over a month was empty. She looked around the area but didn't see the car.
"What's it look like?"
"A Honda Civic, 2011 or 2012. Silver."
Hadley guffawed. "Try spotting that in a crowded parking lot somewhere."
"Yeah, tell me about it." She thought for a moment. "There's one more place I want to check." They got back in the car and drove to the hospital. "The senator's still here, right?"
"So Wilson said."
"Maybe Steve will try to contact the aide. They were supposed to rendezvous in The Garden at one point."
They took the elevator to the third floor and walked down the hall to the entrance of The Garden. At this late hour, no one would be out there, or should be. The place was empty. No Steve. They'd known the aide wouldn't be there, not with so many people looking for him.
"Should we try the senator's room?" Hadley asked.
"Doubt they'd let us in, but whoever's outside can probably tell us if Steve was there."
"I have an idea."
Hadley could guess where Wilson's patient was kept away from prying eyes. There weren't many secure private rooms at Snow Hill Mercy.
As they expected, a guard sat near the door, screening visitors. "Can I help you?" he asked, standing but not in a threatening way despite the gun at his side.
"I'm Dr. Remy Hadley, an associate of Dr. Wilson's. He asked me to check on the patient." Hadley showed him her hospital badge.
He looked from it to her face and nodded, but put a hand up to stop Anita from moving closer.
"Anita Morrow, I'm with the Shelby PD and formerly of the FBI. As you know, we're looking for an aide to the senator." She also had ID that satisfied him.
"I'll go in and check on the senator," Hadley said and entered the room.
"Has this man been here this evening?" She showed a photo of Steve.
The guard studied it. "Yeah, he was here earlier, but didn't have permission to enter, said something about losing his FBI credentials."
Anita nodded. She should have figured he'd use those IDs, but they'd been taken when he was arrested. "How long ago?"
"Maybe twenty minutes." He checked his watch and then a log on the floor near his chair. "Eighteen minutes ago."
"Which way did he leave?"
"That's what was so interesting. He didn't head toward the elevators." The guard pointed down the hallway that intersected the one they were in. "That way."
"Thanks."
Hadley rejoined her. "The senator hasn't heard from the missing aide."
Anita nodded. "Steve went thataway."
"Do we need a posse or a horse?" Hadley quipped.
"No, we can pursue him on foot." They reached the intersection and turned the corner. "Happen to know where this leads?"
"Besides more patient rooms, to the stairway."
Cameron tossed and turned for hours. When she finally fell asleep, her dreams were filled with an election where she received no votes at all. Neither did Will. The new town council was finally in Owen Marshall's control.
The clinic was empty. All her former patients left for a new doctor, not House, but someone Marshall brought in from out of state.
"I thought they liked me," she told Carol in an empty waiting room. "Nobody can like me," she told House every night. "Why didn't they like me?" she asked everyone sitting in the booth at the diner.
"Cameron, Cameron," slowly a voice penetrated her sleep. "What's wrong?"
She looked up at House, his face full of worry. "I had an awful dream about the election. House, nobody liked me well enough to vote for me."
He scowled. "That's a stupid dream. How could anyone not like Compassionate Cameron." He wiped a tear from under her eye. "Go back to sleep. You'll see how much they like you tomorrow."
She couldn't fall asleep again. Her mind sifted through all the possible outcomes of the election.
Election day dawned dreary and cold. "I hope the weather doesn't keep people from the polls," Cameron said.
She and House ate breakfast in their kitchen
"Still nervous about the outcome?" he asked.
She nodded, chewed her toast and swallowed. "I'm not even sure whether I want to win or lose."
"Winning will have more affect on your life."
"On our life together. How do you feel about attending official functions?"
"Long as there's good booze and food." He sipped his coffee. "Besides, Pamela and Anna will be there. Hopefully Will and Sharon too."
"Oh, I'm sure they will." She gathered the dishes and took them to the dishwasher. "Guess we should stop by a polling place on our way to our offices."
"Guess so."
They drove separately, stopping at the high school and parking in the area designated for voters. It took a while to find open parking spots but finally they headed in.
House hadn't been inside the high school since it had been used as a treatment facility for all of the cases the previous June. The gym was now set-up with voting booths and long tables where people signed it. The current council members and a large number of volunteers handed out ballots. He got his from Anna, who pointed to an empty booth for him to use.
The ballot was shorter than any he'd seen in New Jersey printed only in English, rather than Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, several Asian languages and others, reflecting the lower number of immigrants in the area. Four names were listed for the council seat and two for mayor. It took him thirty seconds to vote.
He looked around for Cameron. A cluster of people, including one with a video camera, had to be surrounding her or maybe Will. Sure enough, a break in the crowd revealed her slim figure and beaming face. A swell of pride filled his chest.
After Jessica voted, and on her way to work, she stopped at police headquarters.
"What brings you in here this morning?" Chief Anderson asked.
"Is Carruthers in custody?" She looked past him. "I told Anita I'd be here this morning to file charges and also get a restraining order."
"Her office is down that way, second on the left."
Jessica nodded her thanks and strode the few feet to Anita's door. She was on the phone but when she spotted Jess, she waved her in and to a seat. Less than a minute later, she ended her call. "Glad you came in."
"What happened with Steve last night?" Jess sat in the chair Anita indicated.
"He's in the wind. Thought we might find him at the hospital, but he'd been and gone." Anita rubbed her forehead. "But we did arrest Carruthers last night. He protested, of course. One aggressive guy."
"I'll sign whatever it'll take to keep him here." The veterinarian rubbed her hands together.
Anita smiled and took out several sheets of paper from her desk drawer. "This one's to file charges against him, and the next one is for a restraining order."
Jess read through both, entered details as needed, and signed each. She smiled and handed both sets of forms back.
Anita scanned them and nodded. "These should do. His lawyer is coming in later today. Guess he had one ready to fight you over Bruno."
Jessica smiled. "The Humane Society examined the dog and someone will testify about Carruthers abuse."
"Good."
House's waiting room wasn't as busy as the previous day, but he had a steady stream of patients. In between, Naomi said, "Can't wait to find out the results of the election."
"The media seemed to be betting on Cameron."
Naomi nodded. "I voted for her. She'll do great things on the council, mark my words."
"She was needlessly worried about the outcome. Still occasionally shows her old self-doubt." He remembered when she first applied to work with him and all he could see was eye-candy. He'd told her so, making her doubt her worth as a doctor, but lately he'd occasionally let her know how much he valued her. Others did too, and they'd show her by voting for her.
"Hope you're planning a celebration." Naomi's words brought him back to his office. "We enjoyed the party at your house last weekend. Rachel's still talking about the library."
He shrugged. "She knows she can stop by any time to borrow books." Rachel was a bright girl and would appreciate their collection.
"Mr. Thomas is next." She handed him a folder, and he returned to the exam room with another patient.
After she voted, Cameron went straight to the clinic. Her fears proved groundless, since the waiting room was full. But not everyone was a patient. A few people came by to tell her they'd voted for her. A few more were reporters from as far away as Salisbury.
Relieved, she spoke to each of them, then excused herself to see to her patients. Clinic went on as usual.
Carol grinned at her every time she handed Cameron a patient folder. All morning, the flood of patients, well-wishers and reporters went on, making her wonder why everyone was so interested in an election of members of a small town council.
"What brings you to Shelby?" she asked a newsman from Quantico, Maryland.
He shrugged. "Boss sent me to cover your election, considering it was delayed when ballots were stolen."
Her determination to forget the election as she worked went out the window. Even many of her patients wished her well or said they'd voted for her.
Elation overcame any annoyance when she prepared to leave the clinic at noon to go to lunch at the diner, but before she could, Anna and Pamela arrived with grins on their faces.
"We've finished our stints at the polls," Anna said, "And decided to take our new fellow council member to lunch."
"But the votes weren't counted yet."
Pamela nodded. "We'll have to go back to help with the counting, but we have a few hours until then. Can you spare an hour for lunch?" She looked around the empty waiting room.
"Of course," Cameron said. "I always enjoy spending time with you." As they walked out and to Pamela's BMW, she asked, "Do you really think I'll win?"
"There's no doubt in my mind." Pamela clicked the car open and they got in.
"Now, there's a new bistro on Hamilton Street or we can go to Gaspar's."
Cameron had never been to either, but she'd noticed Gaspar's, not far from House's office. "Let's try Gaspar's."
"You'll love it," Pamela assured her. "We can dine at the bistro another time."
"I still think we're celebrating way too soon."
"Oh, Allison, have faith," Anna said.