Part 15 (2/2)
Lucy looked around and spotted Marge's car, which Eddie had been borrowing, parked by the Dumpster, apparently undamaged. A sudden wail of the siren indicated the ambulance was leaving; she watched as it departed, lights flas.h.i.+ng. A police cruiser remained, and Officer Todd Kirwan approached with a sympathetic expression.
”They're taking him to the hospital,” he said, leaning down and touching Barney's shoulder. ”They think he's going to make it.”
Barney nodded, but made no effort to move.
”What happened?” asked Lucy.
Todd turned to her, speaking softly. ”It's his kid. Just back from Afghanistan. He OD'd.”
”Eddie? On drugs?”
Todd nodded. ”Heroin. He was shooting up, we found the needle.”
Lucy's eyes widened. Now Frankie's suspicions about Eddie and Lily didn't seem so ridiculous. But what a terrible waste. She knew drugs were a problem everywhere, Tinker's Cove included. She'd seen the number of arrests rising, she'd written a number of obituaries for young people who didn't seem to have much going on in their lives but had loved animals, had lots of friends, and died unexpectedly of unexplained causes. She'd had her suspicions but somehow she'd managed to insulate herself. She'd been in denial, thinking drugs were something that happened to other people. She had never been personally affected, until now.
”It's everywhere,” said Todd.
”Come on, Barney,” she said, taking his huge hands in hers. ”I'll give you a ride to the hospital.”
He looked up at her. ”I've got to get Marge.” He shook his head. ”How am I gonna tell her?”
”We'll go together,” she said. ”Where is she? Home?”
Barney seemed to be struggling to remember, trying to see through his fogged emotions. ”She was taking a cake to that dessert contest.”
Good heavens, thought Lucy, thinking of the now-crowded church hall, filled with happy, busy volunteers getting ready for the contest. Poor Marge! She'd just gotten her son back, safe and sound, from the war and now she might lose him. It was too cruel.
”Come on,” she said, tugging at Barney's hands. Slowly he rose to his feet.
”You go back to the station, file the report,” he told Todd.
The young officer nodded. ”I hope, uh, I hope Eddie's okay.”
”Yeah,” said Barney, straightening his shoulders. He turned to Lucy. ”Let's go.”
It was only a short drive to the Community Church, where Marge was just coming out of the door, an empty pie basket slung over her arm. She was wearing a flattering knit hat and scarf that matched her green eyes and smiled as they pulled up, recognizing Lucy's car. When she noticed Barney in the pa.s.senger seat, her brow furrowed in concern.
Lucy braked and Barney got out, slowly, and lumbered clumsily across the sidewalk to his wife's side. He lowered his head, speaking to her, and Lucy saw Marge's face crumple. Then, taking Barney's arm, she hurried to get in the car.
”Let's go, Lucy,” she said, taking charge. ”As fast as you can.”
In a matter of minutes Lucy reached the small ”cottage” hospital that served the town's basic medical needs; the ambulance was parked outside the ER entrance. Lucy dropped Marge and Barney off at the door and parked the car. When she joined them in the waiting room, they were talking to Doc Ryder.
”He was lucky,” the doctor was saying. ”A few minutes later and, well, this story would have a different ending.”
”He's going to be okay?” asked Lucy.
”Well, let's just say his chances are good at the moment,” said the doctor. He took Lucy's elbow and guided her to a corner of the waiting room, apart from Marge and Barney. ”We've got a real problem on our hands,” he said, shaking his head. ”This is the third overdose this week.”
Lucy's jaw dropped. ”Third?” She knew that Tinker's Cove was a small town, with a population of less than five thousand. Three overdoses in one week const.i.tuted an epidemic.
”It's out of control,” said Doc Ryder. ”We've always had a problem with drugs here in town but I've never seen it this bad. The stuff is pouring in from somewhere.”
Lucy knew that illegal drugs had long been available to those who wanted them, but it wasn't terribly obvious. There were plenty of secluded areas in town where deals could be conducted; plenty of places where a user could get a fix un.o.bserved. Police occasionally made a bust and sometimes the illicit traffic erupted in violence, as it had last year when Rick Juergens and Slash Milley were murdered. But most people in town had little or no contact with drugs except those they bought with a prescription.
”People need to know what's going on,” said Doc Ryder, peering at her over his half-moon gla.s.ses.
”I'll see what I can do,” said Lucy. ”I'll check with Ted and give you a call next week.”
”You know how to reach me,” said the doctor, giving her a nod before going back to Marge and Barney. They made a tight little circle and Lucy felt it was time for her to go; she wasn't needed here. She suddenly felt an overwhelming need to make sure the girls were okay, to rea.s.sure herself that they were safe and sound and straight.
Chapter Fifteen.
Lucy was leaving the hospital when she saw Max's big old silver pickup truck speed into the icy parking lot, taking the turn too fast. She held her breath, watching as the driver zoomed into a vacant spot and braked hard. The door opened and Lily jumped out, still wearing her red-and-white-striped ap.r.o.n with the FERN'S FAMOUS FUDGE logo.
Lucy waited inside the doorway and grabbed the girl's arm as she hurried in.
”Eddie's going to be okay,” she said. ”You can slow down.”
Lily whirled around. ”Let me go,” she said, pulling her arm away. The girl was a nervous wreck, twitching and s.h.i.+vering.
”Take it easy,” said Lucy, in mother mode. ”Everything's going to be okay.”
Even as she spoke she realized how ridiculous her words were. Things weren't okay for Lily, far from it. Her father had been murdered, her mother was in jail, and her boyfriend had just overdosed.
”Where's Eddie?”
”In the ER,” said Lucy, pointing down the hall.
Lily started to run off and Lucy called after her. ”His mom and dad are already there.”
Lily stopped in her tracks and suddenly hunched over, as if in pain. ”They are?”
Concerned, Lucy approached her. ”Are you okay?”
”Yeah, yeah, I'm fine.” Lily was nodding like a bobble-head doll. ”What are they doing here?”
”They're his parents, they love him.” Lily was clearly in some distress, trembling from head to toe. ”Do you want me to take you to them?”
”No!” she shouted. ”No, no, no!”
”Okay,” said Lucy, who was completely confused. ”Let me buy you a cup of tea,” she suggested. ”It will warm you up and help you relax.”
”Tea.” Lily said the word slowly, as if she'd never heard of it.
<script>