“You were saying, Nick,” James Ed prompted, the relieved smile on his face further evidence that Laura had to be wrong.
Nick studied the Governor for another long moment before he began once more. He knew that what he was about to say would definitely put a damper on this seemingly happy event. A few feet away he could hear Sandra fussing over a near catatonic Laura. What the hell, Nick had always been a straightforward kind of guy. Why stop now?
“Laura is convinced that you’re the one behind the threat to her life, two years ago and now,” Nick stated flatly.
You could have heard the proverbial pin drop for the next ten seconds. The look of profound disbelief on James Ed’s face morphed into horror right before Nick’s eyes. Nick would have staked his life on the man’s innocence right then and there. James Ed couldn’t possibly be guilty of what Laura had accused him. Slowly, James Ed turned to face his sister, whose defeated, lifeless expression had not changed.
“Laura, you can’t really believe that. My God, I’m your brother.”
“Honey, James Ed has been beside himself since the day you disappeared. How could you think that he had anything to do with trying to harm you?” Sandra stroked Laura’s long, blond hair as a mother would a beloved daughter. But Laura made no response. In spite of everything she had done, Nick ached to give Laura that kind of comfort himself—to see if she would respond to him as she had that one night.
Suddenly, Laura straightened, dodging Sandra’s touch and pushing away from the desk that had likely kept her vertical. She took several shaky steps until she was face-to-face with her brother. She stared up at him. Nick tensed, remembering the hefty mug she had used to bash him upside the head. Luckily for James Ed there was nothing in her reach at the moment.
“If you really mean what you say, big brother, then do me one favor,” Laura challenged, her voice strangely emotionless, but much stronger than Nick would have believed her capable at the moment.
Nick readied himself to tackle her if she started swinging at James Ed. The lump on the side of his head undeniable proof that Laura could be a wildcat when the urge struck her.
“Laura.” She flinched when James Ed took her by the shoulders, but she didn’t back off. “I will do anything within my power for you. Anything,” he repeated passionately. “Just name it, honey.”
“Give me back my son,” she demanded, her voice cracking with the emotion she could no longer conceal. Laura’s whole body trembled then, her upright position in serious jeopardy.
Nick moved to her side, pulled her from a stunned James Ed’s grasp and into his own arms. “Shh, Laura, it’s okay,” he murmured against her soft hair as he held her tight. Her sobs would be contained no longer, she shook with the force of them.
“Nick, I don’t know what she’s talking about.” James Ed threw up his hands, his exasperation clear.
“What on earth can she mean?” Sandra reiterated as she hurried to her husband’s side. She looked every bit as confused and genuinely concerned as James Ed.
“Please make him tell you, Nick, please,” Laura begged, her fists clenched in the lapels of his jacket. “I don’t care what he does to me, but don’t let him hurt my baby.” The look of pure fear and absolute pain on her sweet face wrenched his gut.
Confusion reigned. For the first time in his entire life, Nick didn’t know what to do. As much as he knew he shouldn’t, he wanted desperately to believe Laura. To take her away from here and keep her safe from any and all harm.
“Tell me, please,” James Ed urged. “What is this about a child?”
In abbreviated form, Nick recited the events that had taken place in Bay Break, all the while holding Laura close, giving her the only comfort he could. “Laura insists that she has a son,” he concluded. “I didn’t find any evidence to corroborate her story, but—” he shrugged “—she stands by it.”
Laura pounded her fists against his chest, demanding Nick’s full attention. “I do have a son! His name is Robby and he’s—”
“Laura,” James Ed broke in, his tone calm and soothing despite the unnerving story Nick had just related to him.
Laura whirled in Nick’s arms, but he held her back when she would have flung herself at James Ed. “You stole my son! Don’t try to tell me you didn’t!”
“Laura, please!” Sandra scolded gently. “You aren’t making sense. What child?”
Laura turned to her. “Sandra, make him tell me!”
Nick tightened his hold on Laura, his protective instincts kicking into high gear. He still felt connected to her; he couldn’t pretend that he didn’t. “So you don’t have her son?” he asked the Governor pointedly.
James Ed closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Several long seconds passed before he released a heavy breath, opened his eyes, and then spoke, “It’s worse than I thought.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Laura challenged, her voice strained.
James Ed settled a sympathetic gaze on his sister. “Laura, there can’t possibly be any baby.” He held up his hands to stay her protests, a look of pained defeat revealing itself on his face. “Just hear me out.”
Laura sagged against Nick then, the fight going out of her. Nick wasn’t sure how much more she would be able to stand before collapsing completely.
“Laura,” James Ed began hesitantly. “Until the day before yesterday, when you escaped, you had spent the last eighteen months in a mental institution in New Orleans.”
Nick felt Laura’s gasp of disbelief. “That’s a lie,” she cried.
James Ed massaged his right temple as if an ache had begun there. “Apparently when you ran away two years ago, you wound up in New Orleans. You were found in an alley a few months later and hospitalized.” He paused to stare at the floor. “The diagnosis was trauma-induced amnesia, and schizophrenia. The doctor says you haven’t responded well to the drug therapy, but there’s still hope.”
Laura shook her head. “That’s a lie. I’ve never been to New Orleans.”
“Laura, honey, please listen to your brother,” Sandra coaxed.
“You had no ID, no money. They assumed you were homeless and really didn’t attempt to find out where you’d come from. And that’s where you’ve been ever since. If you hadn’t escaped, we might never have known you were even alive.” His gaze softened with sadness. “You were considered a threat to yourself…as well as others.” A beat of sickening silence passed. “Detective Ingle spotted you yesterday.” James Ed looked to Nick then. “Ray told me you would be bringing Laura home. He received a copy of the New Orleans APB on the Jane Doe escapee just a few hours ago. It didn’t take long to put two and two together. We’ve already contacted the hospital. The treating physician there faxed me a copy of his report.”
Laura turned back to face Nick. “He’s lying, Nick. You have to believe me!”
Nick searched her eyes, trying to look past the panic and fear for the truth. “Laura, why would he lie?” All the cards were stacked against her, James Ed had no motivation that Nick could see for wanting to harm her. And Laura had no proof of any of her accusations, or that she had a child.
“Honey, I would never lie to you.” James Ed moved closer. “I am so sorry that this has happened. If we had known how sick you were two years ago, maybe we could have prevented this total breakdown—”
“Why are you doing this?” Laura cried. “I’m not crazy. I just want my son back!”
“I think it’s time to call Dr. Beckman in,” Sandra suggested quietly.
“Who?” Laura demanded. Her body