Minutes later she was still pondering the meanings of shadow men and spirit curses when a familiar voice pulled at her across distant memory. Flustered, Gina looked up to see that the Sheriff was trying to get her attention. She was startled to find more familiar about the man than just his voice.
"Regina, I don't know if you remember me? I'm – "
"Danny?” She stood up, fearing a trick of memory. The shadows were gone, or at least hiding. “Danny Grasmuck?" In her mind’s eye she saw the Danny she’d left behind: a round-faced, slightly overweight youth full of dreams and earnest humor. The man in front of her now was taller and heavier, but maturity had squared his jaw and the khaki uniform looked natural on him. She suddenly choked up.
"You're the Sheriff." Oh, crap, how stupid, she thought.
"I am?" He looked down at his uniform. "Oh, look, I'm the Sheriff." His smile held that bit of mischief and honesty that Gina had loved about Danny.
She burst into tears.
"That was. . .” He paled in embarrassment and half-turned, as if seeking escape. “I'm sorry, seriously." He faced her again. “The paramedics said the guy got lucky, just some broken bones. Let me give you a ride to the hospital?”
She had her tears back under control and Danny convinced it wasn’t his fault by the time they were in his SUV.
“I need to call in,” he said, keyed the handset. “Dispatch, unit one ten-ten en route to County Hospital.” He waited for a reply as the ambulance roared away with sirens and lights, but no response came. Glancing at Gina, he shook his head.
“Sorry. Temp dispatcher.” He keyed the mike again. “Hank, I can’t hear you. Change the frequency back to channel one.” After a few more difficulties the dispatcher got it sorted out and Danny drove them after the ambulance.
“Sorry about that.” He cleared his throat. “I’m glad to see you. Sorry it has to be like this. Your father was a good man. I know you guys weren't speaking, but he never gave up. It might help you to know he went quickly, without much pain. The paramedics called it a silent heart attack. They were surprised he was able to call 911 at all."
Gina couldn’t help but smile. It sounded like he’d practiced that for a while.
"It does help. You can't know how much." Grief still weighed on her, but relief and hope made it more bearable.
"Well, I know a little. We talked about your shadows, me and your Dad." Danny took his eyes off the road for an instant to meet her shocked look. "What I want to know, between you and me, is whether or not I need to worry about more problems like this."
"What? I don't . . . understand?" She was afraid that she did understand.
"Ste Genevieve is the oldest town in Missouri. Voodoo clans moved up here from Louisiana a hundred years ago, and witches from Salem hid here before that. Indians made magic here long before white men set foot on this continent.” He paused, blipped the siren and ran the red light at 4th Street. After a thoughtful moment he continued.
“What I'm trying to say is that we have more than our share of weirdness around here, and part of my job is keeping a lid on it." He chuckled. “You might say I’m the King of Weird.”
“And I’m the Queen of Shadows. So?” A nervous chill goaded her into looking at the passing night. She couldn’t tell if she glimpsed a coyote, or just a mongrel hiding in the coursing shadows.
"I know this seems like a bad time to talk about this, but honestly, it's better.” His voice flattened. “Your fiancé claims you tried to kill him."
"Fiancé?” She looked back at Danny, worry gone. “Is that what he told you?"
"Yes, he did.” He held up a hand, quickly returned it to the wheel. “Let me finish, please? So maybe it looks like I'm doing my job?"
She surprised herself with a giggle.
"Your alleged fiancé was a little incoherent, but he says you had someone drive the truck into him. I don't believe it, but since there were no other witnesses, I have to ask. Did you try to kill him?"
"First, he's not my fiancé. In fact, he's a violent, abusive jerk, and we're not together any more.” She felt empowered just saying the words. “Second, there were witnesses, and third, I didn't try to kill him.” Something gave her unexpected courage. “Shouldn't you be reading me my rights before questioning?"
"Only if I wanted the answers admissible in court." His voice was cheerful. "No Miranda for you tonight. I have other questions, but they're more personal and we're out of time." He pointed to the lights of the hospital ahead.
“Danny, I’m frazzled and tired. Could you just say what you mean, please?”
“You’re right, of course. Sorry.” He turned the truck into the hospital driveway. “The Shadow Queen has come home, bringing mystery and danger. Do I need to worry about your family shadows attacking other people?"
It was out in the open now. Another burden lifted from her heart.
"No, I don't think you have to worry." The hospital was an uneven stack of giant blocks gleaming in the night. “Not after tonight.” Her eyes narrowed as her tongue found a cut inside her cheek. Not after tonight.
"Just the answer I was looking for. I've got plenty to worry about already, like hiring a new dispatcher and paying for the overtime until we do." Danny parked under the Emergency Care entry awning, gave Gina a business card. "Don't bother to call dispatch, he's confused enough. Call my cell when you're done and I'll fetch you home."
In the glaring floodlights under the awning Gina saw his care and sincerity. She didn’t need to make a decision; it seemed to simply be waiting for her to recognize it.
"Could you wait? I won't be staying.” She resisted the urge to lick suddenly dry lips. “Five minutes, please?"
“Think there’ll be a problem?” He reached to touch her hand and Gina’s heart jumped. “I could come up.”
"That's sweet, but no thanks.” She unbuckled and opened the door. “This is liable to be ugly and I'd prefer you didn't see it. Please?"
"Five minutes?" He shrugged. "I'm on duty, but I got five minutes for the Queen." He held up the radio handset, gave her a weak smile. “Heck, I’ll probably have longer than that.” He was patiently trying again to explain radio procedure as she left the SUV and entered the hospital.
Five minutes later, Danny gave Gina a startled look when she opened her door and got in.
"Wow, that was quick.” He put the idling SUV in gear and eased along the hospital driveway.
"No need to drag it out." She took a deep breath, caught herself looking out at slipping shadows. Resolutely she looked back at Danny. "You said you needed a dispatcher, right?" She watched his reactions closely as he drove.
"Yes, that's true. Why? You interested?"
Parking lot lights passing overhead made his changing expressions hard to read, so she looked at his hands. Tendons stood out with the force of his grip on the steering wheel. There was no wedding ring.
"Yes. Yes, I am." Her face felt locked in a smile. "I’m going to move back here, I think. I got a lot to deal with right now, the funeral and all, but it helps to have purpose."
"You know we'd be working together? The King of Weird and Queen of Shadows?" His tone was more serious than his words.
"So you don’t think I should be on the night shift?"
Their laughter attracted puzzled looks and smiles from late revelers for several blocks. In far too short a time Gina found herself back on her porch watching Danny drive off. For a few moments she simply enjoyed the chilly night, the crickets hidden but heard, and the wide sweep of stars she hadn’t really looked at for a long time. The she squared her shoulders and strode into the house. Sitting on the stairs, she summoned the shadows to her.
“I know you are glad I’m home and all.” She smiled. “Lord knows I am too, but if you want me to stay there has to be some rules, like never hurting anyone again.” Gina looked at each shadow to make sure they acknowledged her. Her breath caught when she noticed one of the shadows was missing. “Where is Monkeyboy?”
* * *
LPN Marie Weill was being cheerful, but firm.
"No, sir, you can't have more lights. We’ll be taking you to X-ray again soon, so you should rest while . . .” Hershel cut her off with a stream of curses. She tucked both hands into the pockets of her pale blue sweater and waited patiently for him to run down. Nurse Weill felt some pity for the fellow; multiple broken bones tended to make patients cranky.
"I'm sorry. You need something to help you sleep." She didn't wait for a response, just squeaked around on her sneaker's heel and strode out the door. There came a crash and more curses from his room before she got back to the nurses' station. The nurse saw her PCT standing at the desk and snapped her fingers to get the girl's attention.
"I need some help with the patient in Two. Call for an orderly or security, and get Dr. Lorenzo to stat an order for sedation."
Hershel was not their first difficult patient, and the night staff worked together like performing a choreographed stage number. In moments they had Hershel strapped back down in his bed and methohexital in his IV.
His eyelids already fluttered as Nurse Weill thanked everyone for their help and shooed them from the room. With a satisfied final look around she stepped out herself, snapped off the light, and softly closed the door.
Monitors and readouts each cast their own tiny illumination, painting a complex of shadows around the room. Black shapes oozed from under the bed and curled like claws above the injured man. Hershel's screams echoed down the cold, white hallway until the drugs put him out.
The End
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