High Country Nocturne (David Mapstone Mystery 8)

“No,” he said. “She resigned afterwards. You can understand why.”

“You said you knew her.”

“Yes. A fine officer and she served in top units. We had occasion to work together. Everybody respected her. After this… Well, she had to get away. She took a private-sector job. Making more than the Mounties could ever pay. At Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories”

I felt cold merely hearing the words.

The microwaves carried the sound of him turning pages of a file and then he gave me her teleph

one number.

“What’s in Yellowknife?” I said.

“The Ekati diamond mine,” he said. “She became chief of security.”

Chapter Thirty-six

After I set down the phone, I made a note of our entire conversation.

Then I heard my name and turned to see Lindsey’s top surgeon. I had never seen him at this time of day and a spike ran into my solar plexus, my hand gripped the wooden arm of the bench.

Maybe if I didn’t acknowledge him, didn’t turn around and stand up…

He said, “I have good news.”

I almost leapt off the bench but he sat me back down.

“I don’t use the word miracle lightly but your wife’s recovery comes pretty close. A medically induced coma and hypothermic treatment…In other words, lowering her body temperature. It can take up to two weeks. But we’re ready to start bringing her out now.”

“Let’s go!”

“Hang on.” He put a firm hand on my arm.

“This will be very gradual and intermittent. In stages. Think of it like a deep-sea diver being brought up.”

I curbed my enthusiasm, at least on the outside.

He said, “The goal is to bring her to general sedation until she has recovered enough to sustain herself. She’ll come off the ventilator as soon as she’s strong enough to breathe on her own. We’re thinking twelve to twenty-four hours, but if anything looks bad, we’ll need to resume the hypothermic treatment.”

I nodded too many times. I must have looked like an idiot.

I said, “What will she be like?”

“Her brain didn’t sustain any oxygen loss. That’s very good. Toward the end, she should be able to respond normally. Her memories may be affected.”

He sat with me for a surprisingly long time, saying nothing.

Finally he stood. “We can’t declare victory quite yet, Mister Mapstone. But your wife is a very strong woman.”

I knew that.

Chapter Thirty-seven

After a few minutes, I had to get out of the hospital. The claustrophobia was overwhelming. In the waiting room, the television made it impossible to think, sleep, or write a report.

I needed to walk. So I went two long blocks to the light-rail station and rode the train down to the courthouse. Stepping off, I passed through a joyous flock of young girls in colorful quinceanera dresses, laughing and talking. I steered my briefcase through the extravagant flowing skirts. When I was fifteen, I couldn’t have imagined the adult me in this mess.

In the atrium, I saw a young woman in a miniskirt arguing with the guard. Seeing me, he said, “Here he is.”