“Broken and cracked ribs.”
“What else?”
“Nothing, they won’t know anything until the brain swelling is reduced and they take her off the drugs. Then it will be up to her to wake up.”
“Okay, if you need anything you let us know.” Jake squeezed Kent’s forearm and said the same thing to Marvin.
“What did you find out?” Kent asked the sheriff when he pulled up a chair and took his notebook from his pocket.
“I’d like to get your official statement.”
Kent nodded and said everything he could remember. It took some time, and when he was done, he would say Jim nodded in satisfaction as he put his notebook away.
“Okay, I’ll go back and type that up, so when you get a second, stop into the station and sign it.”
“What aren’t you saying?” Kent asked after several minutes of silence.
“We have everything you were able to get us through the earwig on tape. We’ve begun our investigation, and it turns out Vickers was right. There are illegal cock- and dog-fighting rings here in Denver.” Jim held up his hand to halt what Kent might have said. “I can’t give you details of an ongoing investigation, all I can say is that the names he dropped are being investigated as we speak. At this point, on a scale of one to ten, I would say the information Vickers bragged about hits a nine on that scale. We have a lot more of investigating to do before we can make any arrests.”
“I have a question.” Marvin spoke then.
“What’s that?”
“Do you think any of the people you’re investigating had anything to do with Vickers’s attack on my daughter?”
“No.” Jim was adamant on his response. “Based on what Vickers told Rita, he acted on his own because she embarrassed him by kicking him out of the search and rescue program. He wanted to climb the ladder in this illegal fighting ring and felt your daughter had thwarted his attempts to move up. His attack on her was strictly personal. Rest assured, if in the course of our investigation we find these people had something to do with the attack on Rita, those charges will be added to the ones already pending.”
“Thank you, Jim.” Marvin nodded and stood to go over to the window to stare out.
Jim leaned forward so he was closer to Kent, and lowered his voice. “You going to be able to keep an eye out on Marvin while Rita’s here? He looks like he’s taking it hard.”
“I can.”
“Good, if you need anything, just like Jake said, let me know.” They stood and quickly left. Kent remained seated, and studied the man staring out the window. An hour later they were told they could go in and see Rita. Kent let Marvin go in first, because he hadn’t seen her while she’d been in the cave. He didn’t know whether it shocked him or not when Marvin asked Kent to go in with him. The nurses allowed it, but said that it would be only this one time.
Kent knew what he would see, but he wasn’t ready for Marvin’s response, he had to catch the guy before he hit the floor and man-handled him over to the chair. He didn’t say a word when Marvin lowered his head and burst into tears. Kent ignored him, but paid attention to him, as he walked over to the other side of the bed, picked up Rita’s hand, and kissed the back of it. He started talking to her and scowled when Marvin yelled at him.
“What are you doing?”
“Talking to her. I believe that she can hear me.”
Marvin sat there for several minutes before he got himself under control. In no time he stood, took Rita’s other hand, and talked to her. At one point Kent told him to tell her about Zeke. At the other man’s scowl, he explained that her last sighting of her dog was lying there with a knife sticking out of his side. Marvin nodded and told her everything the vet had done, and how fast Zeke was healing. The entire time Marvin talked, Kent watched the monitors, and he swore her heart rate lowered when she was reassured her dog was alive and on the mend.
They ended up staying there for fifteen minutes before they were told they had to leave. In the hall, the nurse said they couldn’t come back until after two that afternoon. Since it was only seven in the morning, the men opted to go home, get cleaned up, try to get some sleep and return.
On his way home, Kent stopped by The Centre to pick up Tate and update the guys on Rita’s progress. He didn’t stay long, and with Tate in tow, he went to his apartment and quickly showered. Not wanting to eat, he made sure Tate was fed and secure before he went to his bedroom and crashed face first on the bed. He didn’t move until there was pounding on his front door hours later. The first thing he noticed was Tate was glued to his side, and after he peeled himself away from the warm body, he slowly made his way to the door. He looked down and grinned when he realized he only wore sweat pants.
He whipped open the door and stared at the man standing there.
“Marvin, is everything okay?”
“Yes and no, but mainly no. Can I come in?”
“Sure,” Kent said as he stepped aside, and quickly told the older man he would be right back. He took Tate out for a walk, and when he returned he smiled at the cup of coffee Marvin placed on the counter. He raised his brows at the plate of scrambled eggs and toast.”
“Sorry, I cook when I’m upset.”
“Okay,” Kent said, and quickly sat at the counter. He smiled when Marvin greeted Tate with a treat, then put food and water in his dishes.
