Plain Truth (Military Investigations) Read Free Page A

play?”
    She shook her head. “I don’t know what I suspected. Quin was a perfectionist. He held himself to a high standard. Succumbing to the sense of unworthiness that predisposes someone to take their own life hardly seemed in keeping with Quin’s nature.”
    “Did you explain your concerns to the police?”
    “They weren’t interested in my opinions.”
    A negative undercurrent was evident from her tone of voice. Zach doubted the good doctor had much regard for law enforcement, present company included, he felt sure.
    “What about tonight’s assailant. Did you see anything that might identify the intruder?”
    She raked her hand through her curly hair and shook her head. “I don’t remember.”
    When Zach failed to comment, she leaned closer. “I passed out. Not long. A matter of seconds at the most, yet my recall is foggy at best.”
    Opening her hands, she shrugged. “The truth is I can’t remember anything that happened shortly before or after I blacked out.”
    “What’s the last thing you do remember, ma’am?”
    “I was outside, trying to make the generator work. A scream came from the clinic. I hurried inside to make sure Mary Kate and the girls were all right.”
    “What did you find?”
    Her eyes narrowed. “A man shadowed in darkness stood over my desk.”
    “Go on,” Zach encouraged her.
    She shook her head. “That’s all I can recall.”
    The side door opened and Sergeant Abrams and Officer Taylor stepped back into the clinic. After saying something to the younger cop, Abrams approached the doctor. “Ma’am, the EMTs mentioned your need to be checked at the hospital. I can have one of my men drive you there in the next twenty to thirty minutes.”
    “That’s not necessary. All I really need are a couple of ibuprofen and a few hours of sleep.”
    “If the Freemont police are tied up, I’d be happy to drive you to the hospital,” Zach volunteered. “You’ve been through a lot and are probably running on adrenaline right now.”
    “Really, I’m fine,” she insisted.
    The sergeant leaned closer. “Ma’am, you owe it to your patients to be checked out. The sooner you get feeling better, the sooner you’ll be able to see to their needs.”
    The man seemed to have struck the right chord.
    “Perhaps you’re right.” She glanced at Zach. “You wouldn’t mind driving me?”
    “Not a problem, ma’am.”
    She looked down at her soiled hands and blouse. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to wash my hands and change into clean clothes.”
    “Of course.”
    Abrams motioned a female cop forward. “Officer Grant will accompany you into your private residence, ma’am.”
    “But it adjoins my clinic,” the doc objected. “I just need to go down the hall. The door connects to the kitchen.”
    “Yes, ma’am.” The sergeant nodded. “But having someone with you is a safety precaution until you’ve been checked out at the hospital.”
    As if too tired to argue, Dr. Jacobsen rose and followed the female officer into the hallway.
    Once the women had left the room, Zach turned to the sergeant. “Tell me if I’m wrong, but I get the feeling you don’t trust the doc.”
    Abrams offered him a tired smile. “I’m being cautious. Dr. Jacobsen seems to be a woman of merit, but I’ve seen too many criminals over the years who look like Miss America and apple pie. I don’t want to be hoodwinked by a physician in a rural clinic who’s up to no good.”
    Zach hadn’t suspected the doctor of wrongdoing. Quite the opposite. He wouldn’t admit his feelings to the sergeant, but something about her tugged at his heart. Maybe it was the confusion he read in her gaze, or her vulnerability. Whatever the reason, he needed to focus on the case at hand. He also needed to remind himself of what he’d learned long ago.
    Ever since his mother’s traumatic death, Zach didn’t trust doctors. He never had and never would.

TWO
    E lla stepped into the hallway and paused. Her head ached, and the