Shay stood and looked down at the beauty lying back against the pillows. “Why would David try to kill you?”
“I asked him for a divorce,” Katie sighed.
Returning to the doctor’s lounge Shay tried to sort out Katie Brandt’s accusation. Dr. David Brandt was a highly respected physician and one of the kindest men Shay had ever encountered. She had been with the hospital for three years and no one had ever mentioned that David was married. Shay wondered if the woman was delusional. Her wounds were certainly real, but Shay couldn’t see David harming anyone.
##
David Brandt walked through his palatial home searching for his wife. It took him fifteen minutes to look in all the rooms and outside. Katie was gone. He wondered where she had gone. How she’d gotten out of the house.
He returned to his den and called the police. “Yes, this is Dr. David Brandt. I need to file a missing person’s report.”
David waited patiently as he was transferred to the right person. After several minutes a female spoke into the phone.
“Dr. Brandt, this is Detective Beverly Wyatt. How may I help you?”
“Beverly, thank heaven I got you. My wife is gone again. I have no idea where she is.”
“Don’t worry Dr. Brandt, I’ll do a quick check of the hospitals and jails. I’ll get back with you.”
A call rang in before David could put down his phone. He smiled when Shay Copeland’s face appeared. “Hello, darling,” he cooed.
“Dr. Brandt we have a patient you must see. Can you come to the hospital right now?”
Shay’s doctor voice told David to move quickly. “I’ll be right there.”
##
Shay was tired but she didn’t intend to leave without talking to David. They had been dating over a year and had started discussing marriage. Something that was out of the picture if he was married.
“Honey, what’s going on?” David burst through the emergency room doors. “How serious is it?”
Shay motioned for him to follow her to the elevators. “I have a patient I desperately need you to examine,” she informed him.
Shay studied David as the elevator glided to the sixth floor. He was extremely handsome. His six-foot frame was slender and muscular like a cyclist. His thick black hair had a hint of silver at the temple. He was every woman’s dream.
The ding of the elevator interrupted her reverie. “Room 601,” Shay led the way to the patient’s room.
Katie was sleeping on her back. The soft sweetness of the woman’s face made Shay’s breath catch.
David looked at Katie. His eyes darted between Katie and Shay. “Why is she here?”
“Someone brutalized her.” Shay watched David’s face closely as a darkness spread across it.
“Is she okay? What happened?” He whispered.
“Let’s go to the doctors lounge. We can talk over coffee.” Shay led the way from the room.
##
They carried their coffee to a table in the corner of the lounge. Shay wasn’t certain where to start. David hadn’t indicated that he knew Katie and his concern for her as a patient seemed sincere.
“Do you know her?” Shay finally asked.
David stirred cream into his coffee. “She’s my wife,” he mumbled.
“That seems like pertinent information one should know while dating,” Shay scowled. “I mean, what future can one have with a married man? And where has she been? No one seems to know you’re married.”
“They know,” David avoided looking into her eyes. “They just don’t talk about her.”
“Why not?”
“Katie has some mental problems,” David sighed. “She’s been in an institution.”
“So, you were just going to . . . what . . . marry me and forget about her?”
“No, of course not,” David inhaled deeply. “I was trying to tell you. It’s . . . it’s just not easy.”
“She said you tried to kill her!”
“What? No! I’d never do that,” David denied.
“David, she’s been raped, beaten and stabbed. How did this happen to her? Is she in your care?”
“She was but she ran away. I filed a missing person’s report. Check for yourself . . . a Detective Beverly Wyatt is handling the search for her.”
“You should call Detective Wyatt and let her know you’ve found your wife.”
David nodded and called Beverly. Shay watched his face as he spoke with the detective. “Yes, of course. No, I’ll be here.”
“She’s on her way,” He uttered the misery obvious in his eyes. “Katie said I tried to kill her?”
“Yes,” Shay nodded, “and that you raped her.”
“I’d never force myself on her,” David’s loud declaration caused the few people in the lounge to look their way. “Shay this isn’t the best place to discuss this. Can we talk tomorrow after we’ve both gotten some sleep?”
“That’s probably a good idea,” Shay stood. “I’ll leave you to wait for Detective Wyatt.”
##
Shay punched the elevator button and scuffed the toe of her shoe on the polished floor as she waited for the door to open. Maudine Trent was on duty tonight and she intended to find her.
“Maudine, can you spare me a few minutes?” Shay leaned over the counter of the nurses’ station.
“Anything for you sweet cheeks,” Maudine gave her a toothy grin.
“It may be too late, hon,” Maudine sobered, “but I’ll do the best I can. You mind officiating?”
“Not at all,” Shay shrugged. “I know rape kits are useless if done after seventy-two hours, but she was admitted thirty-six hours ago, so it will hold up in court.”
Maudine gathered her kit and a couple of sheets. “Why wasn’t this done when she came in?”
“No one suspected rape and she was in no condition to report it.”
“But you suspect it?” Maudine furrowed her brow. “Why?”
“Just a gut feeling,” Shay shrugged.
“Yeah, well your gut feelings have saved lives on more than one occasion. You explain to her what’s about to happen then call me when she’s ready.”
Shay slipped into Katie’s room and stood for a few seconds watching the beautiful woman sleep. How could anyone hurt a woman like that? She thought.
Katie began to tremble violently and cry out. Shay didn’t touch her but began talking to her in soothing tones.
Katie’s eyes opened wide and darted around the room like those of a trapped animal. “Please, please don’t,” she cried.
“Mrs. Brandt, it’s me, Dr. Shay,” Shay turned on the light at the head of the bed so Katie could see who she was.
It took the patient several minutes to calm down and recognize her surroundings.
“Shay,” a twisted smile worked its way across sensuous lips. “What time is it?”
“Almost morning,” Shay answered.
“Have you been home?”
“No, I’ve been watching over you,” Shay wanted to put her patient’s mind at ease. “I need to ask a favor.”
“Okay,” Katie cautiously agreed.
“I’d like to have the nurse do a rape kit for you.”
Silent tears ran down Katie’s face. “I didn’t say I was raped.”
“I know,” Shay whispered. “But we need to do this. It’s important.”
“Alright,” Katie sighed. “I couldn’t be any more humiliated than I already am.”
“I’m going to bring in the nurse now,” Shay informed her.
“Could you sit up here by my bed and talk to me during this ordeal?” Katie pleaded.
“Of course,” Shay pulled a chair to the head of the hospital bed and took Katie’s hand in hers. “Feel free to crush my hand if you need to,” she teased.
Katie nodded and squeezed her eyes tightly shut trying to stop the tears that sought release.
Maudine went about her task softly hummin
g as she draped a sheet over her patient. “I’ll be taking photos to document trauma,” she explained. “Then swab your body for any evidence.”
Two hours later Maudine described the final phase of the exam. “I need to be more invasive. This will be uncomfortable and take a while.”
Katie gripped Shay’s hand tighter and kept her eyes closed tightly. She made tiny mewling sounds when Maudine did the speculum examine, taking swab samples and securing them for DNA testing.
“Do I need to do an anal exam?” Maudine glanced at Shay.
“Please, no.” Katie pleaded. “It’s not necessary.”
“I think you’ve done your usual thorough exam,” Shay tried to hide her exhaustion as she signed off on the many plastic bags containing samples Maudine had collected. “Would you personally make certain Detective Wyatt gets these when she arrives?”
“Sure,” Maudine placed her work from the last three hours inside a box, sealed it then signed and dated it.
After Maudine left the room Shay returned to stand at Katie’s beside. “Are you going to be alright?”
“Dr. Shay, I haven’t been alright for a very long time,” Katie murmured.
“We’ll take good care of you,” Shay promised patting her patient’s hand.
Katie clutched Shay’s hand. “Please don’t leave me alone.”
“I won’t.” Shay said gently.
##
“Did you spend the night here, Sweet Cheeks?” Maudine whispered into Shay’s ear.
“Jesus, Maudine,” Shay jumped straight up in her chair. A partial imprint of Katie’s hand was on her cheek where Shay had rested her face against it all night. “You almost gave me a heart attack. What time is it?”
“Six! Time for me to go home, Doc. I thought I’d—”
“Please stay.” The hand she had rested her face against all night caught Shay’s arm.
Shay looked down into eyes that could steal one’s soul. “I will,” she mumbled.
A Woman to Die For
By Erin Wade
A Psychological Thriller coming in the first quarter of 2020
Thank you for reading my book. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoy writing for you. If you enjoyed it, please leave me a review on Amazon.
Learn more about Erin Wade
and her books at
www.erinwade.us
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#1 Best Selling Books
by Erin Wade
Too Strong to Die
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Branded Wives
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Wrongly Accused
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Assassination Authorized
Two Ways to Die – A Java Jarvis Thriller
Coming in 2020
A Woman to Die For
The Devil’s Secret
Three Shots, You’re Dead – A Java Jarvis Thriller
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chaper 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68