Midnight Crossing (Josie Gray Mysteries #5)(15)

*

Forty-five minutes later Vie was able to sit down with Marta.

“Obviously I’m not a psychiatrist,” said Vie, “but I’m quite sure she’s suffering from psychological trauma. I think she’ll need to be treated for acute stress disorder.”

“How is she physically?”

“Her vital signs are good. She’s dehydrated, but not severely. I’ll call Dr. Brazen, a psychiatrist out of Odessa, and see if he’ll pay us a visit later today to evaluate her. He has a good reputation for working with military personnel with PTSD.”

Marta looked at her watch. It was almost seven-thirty a.m.

Vie continued, “We’ll be lucky if we get him today. He’s a busy man.”

“The other problem is a possible language barrier,” Marta said.

Vie sighed. “For now, we have her stabilized. I’ll give her a sedative to help her sleep this morning. We may be surprised what a meal and hydration and a bed might do for her by late afternoon.”

“I’ll post outside her room. Until we have a better handle on the investigation we’ll work with the sheriff’s department to have someone here with you.”

Vie patted Marta’s arm. “I’d appreciate that. Let’s get you set up in the hallway.”

As they walked down the hallway Marta said, “I keep thinking about Teresa. She’s not that much younger than that poor woman in there. I can’t help thinking our lives are just one bad decision away from tragedy. I just wish I could get Teresa to think that way.”

Vie smiled. “Come on, Marta. You were young once too. If we all second-guessed every decision we made in our youth we’d never leave home and experience the world.”

Marta pointed back toward the patient room. “Leaving home isn’t always a good thing.”

*

At nine o’clock that morning Josie walked into the office at the police department and found Otto typing something into his computer, his phone pressed between his ear and shoulder. Josie’s desk was full of paperwork and pink “While you were out” messages. She wondered how many were checked “Urgent,” and felt a weariness settle into her bones. In her mid-thirties now, she’d noticed working a twenty-four-hour shift affected her differently than it had ten years ago. The adrenaline surge didn’t last as long as it used to.

Josie filled her coffee cup from the pot at the back of the office and sat down at her desk. She found a package of cheese crackers in a drawer and opened them for breakfast.

Otto hung up and scowled as he turned to face her.

“Nothing. No leads on two young women missing over the past week. At least not in the surrounding areas. Cowan called and said he’s already entered information into the NamUs system from the Department of Justice.”

“That’s the unidentified persons database?”

“Yep. No hits. I checked Texas missing persons and a few other databases.”

“You checked Piedra Labrada?”

“Nothing connects with anything that’s happened in the past week. I’ll expand the search parameters.” He took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. “How’s the other woman doing?”

“Marta just called with an update. The woman’s still not said a word. Vie said she’ll call a psychiatrist from Odessa to come talk with her later today, after she’s had some sleep. And on my way over here I called Ms. Beacon to see if she’d meet me at the trauma center later today to translate.”

The phone on Josie’s desk buzzed and Lou said, “Mayor’s on his way up.”

Josie leaned her head back and looked at the ceiling. “Otto. I do not have the patience for him right now.”

“Pick up your phone. I’ll deal with him.”

“You’re a saint.”

It was pathetic, but she blamed it on sleep deprivation and picked up her phone. She pressed the handset to her ear and turned from the door to face her computer monitor, eavesdropping on the conversation taking place behind her.

“Morning, Mayor,” Otto said.

“How the hell are you?” the mayor said.

Josie pressed her lips together in irritation. The mayor had never once in her career addressed her in such a casual, friendly manner. Generally, he greeted her with a disapproving nod of his head. She imagined he viewed their relationship as drill sergeant to lowly private. And it ticked her off.

She opened the drawing program on her computer and began entering measurements from her crime scene diagram. With the measurements in place, she’d be able to print a drawing to scale. Josie occasionally muttered yes or no into the phone, hoping the mayor would get a quick update on the investigation and leave.

“You keep me updated, you hear?” she heard him tell Otto.

“Yes, sir,” Otto said.

“Who’s she talking to?”

Josie heard Otto hesitate. “I’m not sure, Mayor. Can I give her a message for you?”

“Tell her Caroline’s sponsoring a tea for the women of Artemis to support her mission project. I expect Josie will want to attend. Tomorrow at six in the basement of the Methodist church.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll do that.”

“Tell her to invite her mom. I’m sure she’d enjoy the event. You take care, now.”