Chapter 6
Amanda glanced at the clock and shoved another file into the drawer. She figured she had time to file another half a dozen charts before Jesse arrived and they left for Carol's funeral. Amanda had just picked up another folder when a knock sounded on her office door. Turning, she saw an unfamiliar woman standing at the door. Amanda motioned for her to come in.
"I'm sorry to bother you," the woman said, stepping inside, "but the receptionist was gone. Are you Doctor Amanda Bentley?"
"Yes, I am."
"I'm Doctor Trisha Ferguson from St. Elizabeth's Clinic in Portland."
"It's so nice to meet you. I can only imagine what a difficult time the past few days has been for you and your staff."
Trisha nodded. "The whole world has seemed a little off kilter since Detective Bryton visited. And then Dawn coming in. We can't imagine anyone who would do this to Carol. She was well liked by the staff and the patients loved her. Do the police have any leads?"
"Nothing substantial. They found Carol's car finally. The prints were smudged and they're not sure if they belong to the murderer or someone different altogether since the car was stripped by the time they found it."
"What about her purse? Dawn said that hadn't been recovered."
"It's still missing, but the police have traced her credit cards. They discovered she stopped about four hours north of LA and bought a couple of books. That's probably also when she called Mark to let him know when she'd arrive. Then closer to LA she stopped for gas and at an ATM. We don't know if she needed more cash or if by this point she was being forced by someone to withdraw the money."
"Wouldn't there be a camera at the ATM?"
"Normally yes, but this one was inside a convenience store so a camera was never installed. And the store cameras didn't give a clear shot of the machine."
"Amanda? Are you ready?" Jesse entered the path lab.
"As ready as I'll ever be." Amanda introduced Jesse to Carol's coworker. "Would you like to ride with us?"
Trisha hesitated. "I don't want to intrude."
"You wouldn't be," Jesse assured her. "I'm sure Mark and Steve will be anxious to meet you and talk to you. They seem to want to talk about Carol, but it's hard for us because we didn't know her well."
"How are Doctor Sloan and Lieutenant Sloan?"
Jesse and Amanda exchanged a glance. On the drive to Amanda's from the beach house two nights before, they had discussed this very topic. They both had been concerned that Mark and Steve weren't taking care of themselves.
"They're.struggling. As you probably know, they didn't see much of Carol, but that didn't mean they didn't love her. Just the opposite. There wasn't anything they wouldn't do for her. I think they're still in shock."
"I'm more worried about Steve than Mark," Amanda admitted. "He's an intensely private person, not one to let what he's feeling show. I'm really afraid he'll keep everything inside and not let anyone support him."
"He's got Mark," Jesse said confidently. "They've seen tough times before and have always gotten through them together."
"I know, Jesse, but I'm still worried. Steve always thinks he has to be the strong one and go it alone, but we wouldn't think any less of him if he'd ask to lean on one of us. It would be nice to be able to be there for him like he's always been there for us."
A short while later Trisha Ferguson silently agreed with Amanda's assessment. As soon as the funeral had ended, Jesse had brought her forward to meet Carol's father and brother. They both had been kind and gracious and, as Jesse had suspected, eager to talk about Carol. However, just below the surface Trisha could see the strain especially in Steve. She wished she could be as confident as Jesse that Mark and Steve would mourn and heal together, but already they seemed to be at different places in the process.
"Thank you so much for being here," Mark was saying. "You have no idea what this means to us."
Trisha returned her attention to Mark. "All of our staff and even some of our patients would've come if we could've figured out a way to get everyone here. Carol was loved because she was so loving. She made everyone feel very comfortable." She paused. "We wanted to do something in her memory so our donation has gone to a domestic violence shelter in Portland. It was one of her favorite causes."
"Thank you. That was very generous."
"We're also going to have a memorial service tomorrow night. It was the idea of St. Elizabeth's parish priest. He suggested it as a way to bring a sense of closure for some people and I agreed."
"Would you mind if we came?"
Trisha was taken aback. "No, not at all, but I didn't mention it so you'd feel obligated to come."
"In many ways Carol was almost like a stranger to us. This will give us a chance to get to know her better won't it, Steve?"
Steve shook his head. "Dad, I'm not sure."
Mark turned to his son. "Don't you want to meet some of the people who knew your sister? Knew her better than we did?"
Jesse wasn't positive but he could've sworn he saw Steve wince at Mark's words. Mark didn't seem to notice. "Okay, Dad," Steve said reluctantly.
The issue settled to Mark's satisfaction, he turned back to Trisha. She told him to call her at the clinic when they knew what time they'd arrive so she could pick them up at the airport. She also promised to get the key to Carol's apartment from Dawn so they could stay there if they wanted. Steve, meanwhile, seemed to retreat further into himself only nodding occasionally when something was said.
Jesse pulled Steve aside as Amanda and Trisha headed for the car. "Are you okay?"
Steve shook himself out of his lethargy. "Sure," he told Jesse. "It's just been a rough few days, you know?" Jesses nodded. "See you back at the house?"
"After we drop Trisha at the hospital. She left her rental car there and has to get back to the airport."
For the rest of the afternoon, Jesse covertly watched Steve. He kept thinking back to Amanda's statement about how Steve typically kept his emotions locked inside and wondered if he'd been too optimistic in predicting that Mark and Steve would weather this tragedy together. Thinking back over the past few days, Jesse could only recall a few times when he'd seen father and son together and even then they'd only spoken a few words to each other. At the time Jesse had chalked it up to the fact that with their relationship few words were needed between the two men. Now he wasn't so sure. When Steve slipped out to the deck, Jesse followed.
For a few minutes, Jesse just enjoyed the spring breeze and the brilliant sunset. Finally, while still gazing at the ocean, he began to speak.
"Being an only child, I know I can't even begin to understand the pain you're feeling right now and that makes me feel so helpless. You're my best friend and I don't know what to do or say to ease that pain except to let you know I'm here for you. And so is Amanda. Don't shut us out, Steve. You don't have to carry the whole load by yourself. We don't care if you're not always strong. You're only human and we want to help you if you'll let us."
Steve continued to stare stoically at the ocean giving no indication he'd even heard Jesse. Frustrated, but unwilling to let his friend know it, Jesse turned to go back inside.
"Jess?" Steve's voice came suddenly.
"Yeah?"
"For not knowing what to say, you said a lot, and I appreciate it. Thanks."
His heart feeling lighter than it had in several days, Jesse merely nodded and slipped inside to share his success with Amanda.
Amanda glanced at the clock and shoved another file into the drawer. She figured she had time to file another half a dozen charts before Jesse arrived and they left for Carol's funeral. Amanda had just picked up another folder when a knock sounded on her office door. Turning, she saw an unfamiliar woman standing at the door. Amanda motioned for her to come in.
"I'm sorry to bother you," the woman said, stepping inside, "but the receptionist was gone. Are you Doctor Amanda Bentley?"
"Yes, I am."
"I'm Doctor Trisha Ferguson from St. Elizabeth's Clinic in Portland."
"It's so nice to meet you. I can only imagine what a difficult time the past few days has been for you and your staff."
Trisha nodded. "The whole world has seemed a little off kilter since Detective Bryton visited. And then Dawn coming in. We can't imagine anyone who would do this to Carol. She was well liked by the staff and the patients loved her. Do the police have any leads?"
"Nothing substantial. They found Carol's car finally. The prints were smudged and they're not sure if they belong to the murderer or someone different altogether since the car was stripped by the time they found it."
"What about her purse? Dawn said that hadn't been recovered."
"It's still missing, but the police have traced her credit cards. They discovered she stopped about four hours north of LA and bought a couple of books. That's probably also when she called Mark to let him know when she'd arrive. Then closer to LA she stopped for gas and at an ATM. We don't know if she needed more cash or if by this point she was being forced by someone to withdraw the money."
"Wouldn't there be a camera at the ATM?"
"Normally yes, but this one was inside a convenience store so a camera was never installed. And the store cameras didn't give a clear shot of the machine."
"Amanda? Are you ready?" Jesse entered the path lab.
"As ready as I'll ever be." Amanda introduced Jesse to Carol's coworker. "Would you like to ride with us?"
Trisha hesitated. "I don't want to intrude."
"You wouldn't be," Jesse assured her. "I'm sure Mark and Steve will be anxious to meet you and talk to you. They seem to want to talk about Carol, but it's hard for us because we didn't know her well."
"How are Doctor Sloan and Lieutenant Sloan?"
Jesse and Amanda exchanged a glance. On the drive to Amanda's from the beach house two nights before, they had discussed this very topic. They both had been concerned that Mark and Steve weren't taking care of themselves.
"They're.struggling. As you probably know, they didn't see much of Carol, but that didn't mean they didn't love her. Just the opposite. There wasn't anything they wouldn't do for her. I think they're still in shock."
"I'm more worried about Steve than Mark," Amanda admitted. "He's an intensely private person, not one to let what he's feeling show. I'm really afraid he'll keep everything inside and not let anyone support him."
"He's got Mark," Jesse said confidently. "They've seen tough times before and have always gotten through them together."
"I know, Jesse, but I'm still worried. Steve always thinks he has to be the strong one and go it alone, but we wouldn't think any less of him if he'd ask to lean on one of us. It would be nice to be able to be there for him like he's always been there for us."
A short while later Trisha Ferguson silently agreed with Amanda's assessment. As soon as the funeral had ended, Jesse had brought her forward to meet Carol's father and brother. They both had been kind and gracious and, as Jesse had suspected, eager to talk about Carol. However, just below the surface Trisha could see the strain especially in Steve. She wished she could be as confident as Jesse that Mark and Steve would mourn and heal together, but already they seemed to be at different places in the process.
"Thank you so much for being here," Mark was saying. "You have no idea what this means to us."
Trisha returned her attention to Mark. "All of our staff and even some of our patients would've come if we could've figured out a way to get everyone here. Carol was loved because she was so loving. She made everyone feel very comfortable." She paused. "We wanted to do something in her memory so our donation has gone to a domestic violence shelter in Portland. It was one of her favorite causes."
"Thank you. That was very generous."
"We're also going to have a memorial service tomorrow night. It was the idea of St. Elizabeth's parish priest. He suggested it as a way to bring a sense of closure for some people and I agreed."
"Would you mind if we came?"
Trisha was taken aback. "No, not at all, but I didn't mention it so you'd feel obligated to come."
"In many ways Carol was almost like a stranger to us. This will give us a chance to get to know her better won't it, Steve?"
Steve shook his head. "Dad, I'm not sure."
Mark turned to his son. "Don't you want to meet some of the people who knew your sister? Knew her better than we did?"
Jesse wasn't positive but he could've sworn he saw Steve wince at Mark's words. Mark didn't seem to notice. "Okay, Dad," Steve said reluctantly.
The issue settled to Mark's satisfaction, he turned back to Trisha. She told him to call her at the clinic when they knew what time they'd arrive so she could pick them up at the airport. She also promised to get the key to Carol's apartment from Dawn so they could stay there if they wanted. Steve, meanwhile, seemed to retreat further into himself only nodding occasionally when something was said.
Jesse pulled Steve aside as Amanda and Trisha headed for the car. "Are you okay?"
Steve shook himself out of his lethargy. "Sure," he told Jesse. "It's just been a rough few days, you know?" Jesses nodded. "See you back at the house?"
"After we drop Trisha at the hospital. She left her rental car there and has to get back to the airport."
For the rest of the afternoon, Jesse covertly watched Steve. He kept thinking back to Amanda's statement about how Steve typically kept his emotions locked inside and wondered if he'd been too optimistic in predicting that Mark and Steve would weather this tragedy together. Thinking back over the past few days, Jesse could only recall a few times when he'd seen father and son together and even then they'd only spoken a few words to each other. At the time Jesse had chalked it up to the fact that with their relationship few words were needed between the two men. Now he wasn't so sure. When Steve slipped out to the deck, Jesse followed.
For a few minutes, Jesse just enjoyed the spring breeze and the brilliant sunset. Finally, while still gazing at the ocean, he began to speak.
"Being an only child, I know I can't even begin to understand the pain you're feeling right now and that makes me feel so helpless. You're my best friend and I don't know what to do or say to ease that pain except to let you know I'm here for you. And so is Amanda. Don't shut us out, Steve. You don't have to carry the whole load by yourself. We don't care if you're not always strong. You're only human and we want to help you if you'll let us."
Steve continued to stare stoically at the ocean giving no indication he'd even heard Jesse. Frustrated, but unwilling to let his friend know it, Jesse turned to go back inside.
"Jess?" Steve's voice came suddenly.
"Yeah?"
"For not knowing what to say, you said a lot, and I appreciate it. Thanks."
His heart feeling lighter than it had in several days, Jesse merely nodded and slipped inside to share his success with Amanda.