VERDICT CHAPTER ONE
Isla’s eyelids fluttered open and the brightly flashing lights blinded her.
“Where am I?” she asked, realizing she was flat on her back being wheeled down a long hallway. Her head was throbbing, and she was having trouble getting her thoughts in order.
“You’re at Daybrook Memorial,” said a calm voice. “Just lie back. Relax. We’re getting you to a room.”
“The hospital?” Isla asked groggily. “Wait, what happened? Where’s Milo?”
“Just keep still, please,” said the man who stood next to her. “You took a serious knock to the head. You’ve been out a while.”
“Ma’am,” said another voice.
Isla turned her head and it lit up with bright white pain. Her skull felt like it might shatter. She closed her eyes until the feeling passed. When she could bring herself to open them again, she saw a short blonde lady in blue scrubs with intelligent eyes and a concerned expression.
“Can you tell me if you have any allergies, ma’am?”
“No,” she croaked from her raspy throat. “What happened? Did I get hit by a car or something?”
The nurse was smiled kindly. “Ma’am, just let me get your information, and I can call someone for you.”
“They found you in the grocery store parking lot,” said the man, who looked like an EMT. He stood next to the blonde. “I have your bag here. There’s a cell phone inside and your keys, but I didn’t have time to reach out to anyone. We rushed you right over here.”
“Thank you,” Isla said, in too much pain to feel the panic bubbling up inside her. “Did I hit my head on something?”
“Witnesses said you were attacked outside of the market, ma’am,” the EMT said. “You were out cold when I arrived, and I brought you in to treat a probable concussion.”
“Was I alone?” she asked, reaching up to touch her forehead, which felt normal.
“Yes, the cashier said you were alone in the store. She came out to check on you after seeing you go down.”
“Go down? Did she see anyone else?” She must have seen it happen.
“She claimed that a man came out of nowhere, hit you in the head with something, and ran. You collapsed and she called us.”
“I didn’t even see who it was.” Isla vaguely remembered calling Preston Palmer at the store. But had she ended the call or not? “I was on the phone?”
“It’s possible. It was on the ground next to you in the parking lot. I put it with your bag.” He turned to the nurse and handed it over. “Here’s her information. And this.”
“Was I still on the phone?” she asked the man. She couldn’t remember if she had ended her call with Preston or not. “I think I was talking to my attorney.”
The nurse gave her a sympathetic look. “Just take it easy, and I’ll call someone in a minute for you.”
“No, he’ll be worried. I have to let him know I’m okay and what happened.” She wondered how much time had passed and still felt a bit disoriented. She also wondered if Milo was okay. “What time is it?”
“I started an IV,” said the EMT to the nurse.
Isla looked down at the IV port in her arm. She felt invisible, but that wasn’t her biggest problem. “I just want to go home. Really, I’m okay.”
“You can’t go home just yet,” said the nurse, whose lanyard read Reagan. “You took a pretty hard hit, ma’am. We’ll need to have a doctor look at you at least.”
“My name is Isla.” She just wanted to leave and had never felt so out of control of her own life before. “I just want to go. Please.”
The nurse wasn’t having any of it. “Isla, I’m sure you think that you’re fine. But you have a nasty cut on the back of your head, and you are going to need stitches and some tests. I’m not sure what the doctor will order on top of that, but I know he’s going to want to observe you with the length of time you were out. So, you sit tight, and I’ll go let him know you’re here.”
“Take care, ma’am,” said the EMT. “They’ll take care of you from here.”
“Thank you,” she said, feeling the bandage on the back of her head. She hadn’t even realized it was there. The throbbing pain was taking center stage.
As soon as they left the room, a commotion started outside.
“Sir, you can’t go back there!” said the nurse in a scolding voice.
“I’m Isla Perry’s attorney. I need to make sure she’s okay.” Preston’s deep voice projected through the halls as well as it did in a courtroom.
Isla needed to tell him she was fine, but when she sat up in the bed, the entire room spun. “Oh no.”
She gripped the frame of the gurney and closed her eyes, feeling tossed about in a dark ocean even though she wasn’t moving. It was the worst feeling in the world to be so dizzy.
Preston was persistent, though, and the door suddenly opened.
“Isla?” he asked gently as he entered the room. “Oh, thank God!” He ran over to the bed to check on her and rested his hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
“I’m dizzy and someone’s playing bongos on my brain.” Isla closed her eyes again and the feeling slowly ebbed.
“You should lie back,” said the nurse, who must have realized what Isla was trying to do. “You really should stay lying down. Is the guy you were talking about before?”
“Yes, he’s my attorney.”
The nurse gave him a judging glare. “That’s who he said he is. If you want him to stay, fine, but I can have him leave if you like.” She gave Isla a look as if she needed to be sure.
“I want him here.” Isla nodded and instantly regretted it. “He’s like family, and I don’t have anyone else but Milo and Desi.”
“See, I was telling the truth,” Preston said to the nurse.
“You’re a lawyer. I’m sure you understand why I had to ask.” She shrugged and walked to the door.
“Yeah, yeah. Has she seen a doctor?” he asked.
“Not yet,” said the nurse. “I was just about to go and get him when you showed up making a ruckus. It’ll just be a moment.” She left and shut the door behind her.
“Well, good,” he said as if she could hear him.
Isla hoped he would help to fill in the blanks. “I don’t know what happened. I was shopping one minute and here the next.”
“You were shopping and called me, remember? You were out in the parking lot on the way to the car, and I guess someone attacked you. Did they steal anything?”
“Not that I know of,” she said, gesturing to the bag. “Can you bring it closer? I’ll check and see.” She didn’t want to try and get up to reach it for fear the world would go topsy-turvy again.
He passed her the bag, and Isla gingerly looked into it. Her credit cards were all still in their places. The car keys had been placed inside the bag, as well as her phone, which she took out. “I have to call Milo.”
“I tried on the way, but he wouldn’t answer. I was wondering if you knew where he went today.”
Isla closed her eyes to let her head settle. She wasn’t too bad as long as she didn’t move. Whoever had attacked her had rung her bell pretty good.
She was feeling highly fatigued, and lethargy was setting in. “I told you he stayed home. We had words, and I wanted time alone. At least, I think I told you. My brain is still foggy.”
“Yes, but did he go anywhere else?”
“No. Not unless he changed his mind. Maybe he’s just out on the back porch. If his phone is charging, he won’t hear it inside the house. Or who knows? Maybe he’s in the shower.”
Preston looked as weary as she felt. “Well, I’ll try to call again in a bit. Did you see who hit you?”
“No,” she said, resisting the urge to shake her head. “I wish I had. I’d really love to return the favor.”
“I’m sure you do,” he said. “And we’ll find them and make them pay, but first, you need to relax and let them take care of you. Okay?”
“Okay,” she said. “Thanks for coming here to check on me.”
“Oh, no problem. It really scared me. The way things sounded, I thought you were dead.”
“I think that was their intention,” she said. “I just wish I had seen them.”
“Well, someone must have seen it,” he said. “There has to be a witness that time of the day.”
“The grocery store clerk saw me go down, according to the EMT. She must have witnessed whoever it was who did it.”
“Have you spoken with the police?” he asked.
“No, I was knocked out until I got here. I just came to right before you arrived.” She paused and cracked a little grin. “To be honest, I’m not sure if I’m actually awake or if this is all a dream.”
“Unfortunately, this is all very real.” Preston shook his head. “But I didn’t see the cops outside. You’re attacked, and they haven’t shown up yet?”
“Well, I’m not their favorite person, remember.”
“Still. That’s ridiculous.” He seemed aggravated by the fact and took out his phone. “Do you think it could have been Ben Riston? You did say that he was making some threats, right?”
“Yes, but I’m not sure that he’s crazy enough to do this.” She had watched him bring that fist down on the table many times but just couldn’t image him attacking her in broad daylight.
“Well, I think you should let the cops know about the threats, in light of today’s events. I’ll see if I can get in touch with someone down there. Surely, someone was called to the scene.”
“Could you call Milo from my phone? Maybe he just didn’t want to talk to you when you called.”
Preston looked offended. “Well, that’s nice to know. Has he been screening my phone calls, the ungrateful prick?”
“I’m just grasping at straws here,” she said, waving dismissively. “Plus, I have a head injury. Don’t listen to me.”
He took her phone. “Fine, I’m on it.”
The door opened and a uniformed police officer came in with a tablet. “Ms. Isla Perry?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said, trying to remember if she had seen this particular cop before. He didn’t look familiar with his baby face and spotless uniform.
“I’m Officer Dobson. I’m here to take your statement. I was called to scene of the incident.”
“Thank you for coming down,” she said.
“Any luck at the scene?” Preston asked.
Dobson pursed his lips. “The clerk who called it in saw what happened, but unfortunately, she didn’t see anything but a dark figure.”
“That’s what I saw,” she said, remembering the shadowy outline standing over her, blocking the sun.
“Recently, she’s been threatened by Ben Riston,” said Preston. “He had taken issue with her at the country club, and I’m afraid it’s possible that he may have taken his grudge out on her today.”
“Ben Riston?” asked the officer. “I don’t know him. But I can take a statement and give him a call.”
“I doubt he’ll admit it.” Preston didn’t look the least bit impressed. “He’s been bullying her for days now.”
“Okay, thank you. So, was there anyone else specifically who you believe may have done this? An ex-lover, perhaps? Someone you’ve had problems with?”
“No, there is no one like that in my life,” she said.
“Well, was anything taken?” Dobson asked. “Like your purse or your groceries or anything?”
“No, my bag is here with my phone and my wallet,” Isla said. “I mean, I don’t know about the groceries but I don’t think it was a robbery.”
Dobson frowned. “So you think it was this Ben Riston fellow?”
“Maybe.” She shrugged. “It could be the Daybrook Killer too, but it wasn’t random.”
“I agree,” said Preston. “Ms. Perry has several people who are not pleased with her recent actions.”
“Including Milo Ford?” Dobson asked.
“It wasn’t Milo,” she said, bristling at the implication.
“Now, what was this you said about the Daybrook Killer? There isn’t a criminal out there with that name.”
“Sure, there is,” she said. “You guys are just too busy blaming Milo to care. Someone else killed Nell Ford and Mr. Crosby.”
“And that someone is the Daybrook Killer?” the cop didn’t look convinced. “Speaking of killers running free, any idea where Milo Ford was at the time of the incident?”
“He’s at home waiting for me,” she said. “As far as I know. I’ve been out of commission here for a bit.”
“I’ll try to call him again,” said Preston as he stepped away.
Isla wished that Milo would answer the damn phone, but when the doctor showed up seconds later, her worry shifted to his diagnosis and when she was going to get to leave. She could lie in bed at home.
“Hello, I’m Dr. Phillips,” he said, walking to the bed. He held out his hand, and Isla took it. “Can you squeeze my hand?”
Isla did her best. And he smiled and nodded.
“Very good.” His smile touched his eyes behind his mask. “Your brain still works. Now, let me take a look at the wound.” He carefully helped her turn to show him.
“I feel really nauseated,” she said.
“Mhm, you’ll be that way for a little while. I’ll try to get you something for it. You took a severe hit to the skull. I’d like to check and make sure there is nothing else going on inside. How is your vision?”
He shined his light in her eyes.
“I’m tired, so it’s hard to tell. But I’m a little blurry and fuzzy feeling.” She winced away from the light as it flashed through her eyes.
“Yeah, that’s probably the concussion. But I don’t think it’s too bad. Let’s get you stitched up, and I’ll get those tests ordered, okay?”
“Okay, thank you. When can I go home?” she asked, earning a sympathetic look.
Dr. Phillips shook his head. “You’ll have to stay overnight for observation. You were out for a long period of time. I wouldn’t want you to get home and have a problem because we overlooked something. If your brain starts swelling, you want to be here when it happens. So you sit tight, okay?”
“Yes, sir.” She let out a heavy sigh and hoped that Preston would find Milo while she was trapped in here.
He couldn’t be away from his phone too long. He’d have to answer eventually. Unless someone had attacked him too.
