12 Dead Wrong by J A Jance

Author:J A Jance [Jance, J A]
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Joanna arrived at the office at nine-thirty. She hadn’t come in all day yesterday, so her desk was buried under one day’s worth of paperwork, and Kristin was already hard at work sorting out the latest batch. Instead of starting to play catch-up, Joanna picked up her phone and dialed University Medical Center. When she asked to be put through to Jeannine Phillips’s room, Millicent Ross answered.

“How’s she doing?” Joanna asked.

“It was a rough night,” Millicent replied. “But they finally upped her pain meds. She’s sleeping now. The phone didn’t even wake her.”

“And how are you?” Joanna asked.

“Tired but okay,” Millicent said, although she didn’t sound okay.

“I know about the rape,” Joanna said.

“The lousy bastards!” Millicent breathed. “I always thought Jeannine was strong as an ox. How did they…?”

“The guy who chased them away said there were at least six of them. She didn’t stand a chance.”

“Did the O’Dwyers do it?” Millicent asked. “Are they the ones responsible?”

“We don’t know one way or the other,” Joanna said. “We’re investigating, of course. And that’s going to take time. How is she? The doctor wouldn’t give me any information.”

“I’m not surprised. I thought Waller was going to have a heart attack when he realized I wasn’t Jeannine’s mother. Thank you for that, by the way,” Millicent added. “It meant a lot to both of us. At least I’m able to be here for her. As for her long-term prospects? They’re not very good. The broken bones will mend. A decent plastic surgeon may be able to do something with her face, but her internal injuries are still life-threatening. As for her right eye? It’s gone.”

“Gone?” Joanna repeated.

“She’ll be totally blind in that eye.”

“I’m so sorry,” Joanna murmured.

“Don’t be sorry,” Millicent said. “Just get the bastards.”

“We’re doing our best,” Joanna said. “But how are you managing? Is everything under control at your clinic?”

“Yes. I dropped off all the animals from my clinic—including the little pit bull Jeannine found—with Dr. Tompkins out in Sierra Vista. If I have any emergencies, they’ll be directed to him as well.”

“You’re going to stay there then?” Joanna asked.

“Yes,” Millicent said. “For as long as it takes.”

Kristin came to the door and mimed that Joanna had another call. “Sorry to cut you off,” Joanna said, “but I have to go.” She hung up. “Who is it?” she asked Kristin.

“Tom Hadlock,” Kristin replied.

Tom was Joanna’s jail commander. “We’ve had a little incident,” he said when Joanna came on the line.

Fresh from the disturbing news about Jeannine’s injuries, the idea of any kind of jail incident—little or otherwise—made Joanna’s blood run cold. “What kind of incident?” she asked.

“There was a dustup with some cell-made weapons out in the exercise yard.”

“Was anyone hurt?”

“Not badly enough for stitches. The guards broke it up right away. The two guys involved are in solitary, and the whole jail is under lockdown while we search for additional weapons. In other words, it’s all under control, but I wanted you to know what’s going on.”

“Thanks, Tom,” she said.

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