Page 87 of Booked for Kidnapping

I stayed seated, and I shot Beatrice a desperate look.

My best friend and enemy shrugged. “Sorry, Janette. When Mrs. Millers issues an edict, it is law.”

“Tanya, Mom, or your mother if you’re talking to Janette,” my mother ordered. “Mrs. Millers makes me sound old and whipped.”

My dad coughed but opted against making any comments, which prevented earning my mother’s wrath.

“Your mother is even more terrifying than you are,” Beatrice muttered.

“Has she made you go pick a switch yet?” I asked, unable to keep the amusement out of my tone.

“She cleared her throat at me once, and I decided it was not a good idea to pursue the issue further than that. I do not need a round with a switch to know this.”

“While Beatrice can be rough, she’s smart, and nobody messes with your mom,” Meridian said, and my fellow librarian winced. “She got into an argument with our boss, and she took him out like she was a hungry lion and he was an unattended steak.”

“You can’t tell me something like this without elaborating.”

“He made the mistake of stating he couldn’t imagine a reason why anyone would even dream of spending that much money helping a stranger. That was two days after you contacted Bradley.”

Poor Mr. Tawnlen. “I’m sorry you were abandoned to deal with that train wreck, Meridian. Did they make you do that evil math stuff you like so much?”

“I may have been involved with the general calculations on how much a hospital would charge to do the work on your foot. I’m currently disgusted with the state of our society. It didn’t take us long to realize the healthcare system is meant to weed out the unwanted people from our society. How better to gatekeep than through money?”

“Yes, that is a known problem in the medical industry,” Dr. Castor agreed. “And that’s part of why I’m rather pleased you all came here today. I am hoping you can do what I can’t.”

“Which is what?” Mrs. Hampton demanded, tapping her checkbook against the table. “Are you sure I can’t cut you a check? Because you deserve to be paid, even though I might make you deal with my son’s therapy after that damned stunt.”

“It was the only way I could guarantee she would receive the care she did in a safe fashion. The methods we used are not authorized outside of the military, and with her exemption as unsuitable for the military, she would have been barred from critical treatments. I am of the opinion this was meant to eliminate her. Most doctors capable of doing the work are in the military, and they won’t work on people with Janette’s exemption. Given time, the infection would have likely killed her, even with her specific abilities. Frankly, her abilities are the only reason she survived as long as she did.” Dr. Castor sighed and stood. “Wait here a moment. I will bring some files and some coffee. Janette, I have a spiced hot cocoa I think you would enjoy if you would prefer that over coffee.”

I was willing to bet my foot she’d given it to me in the past, with the memory of it erased so she could continue her ploy—or protect me from the memories of a long and painful recovery. “Yes, please. Thank you.”

With a smile, she left the room.

“That just threw a wrench in my plans to force her to accept a check,” Mrs. Hampton groused, stuffing her checkbook back into her purse.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“We had discovered the military methods, but I had been unaware those doctors were barred from working on people who didn’t qualify for medical service. It changes a lot.”

“You mean they had to kidnap her to treat her?” Bradley asked.

“Yes, that’s what I think.” Mrs. Hampton eyed her purse like she wanted to fling it across the room, but she set it on the floor instead. “But this makes me concerned. Why would the government want Janette to die?”

We sat in silence, and no matter how I thought about the question, I lacked a viable answer. Why would anyone want me dead?

I didn’t understand it, just as I didn’t understand why a stranger like Dr. Castor would want me to live.

Life never failed to confuse me.

Dr. Castor returned carrying a thick folder tucked under her arm, and she moved my plate away a safe instance before setting the paperwork in front of me. “Since it’s your foot and your body, you get to review and decide what you share with everyone else. It includes more private information, including fertility, general health, metabolic age, and so on.”

Ah. I opened the folder, raising both brows at the lengthy table of contents explaining what I’d find where in the folder. According to the list of documentation, Dr. Castor had examined every last hair on my body in her effort to restore me to good health. “This goes beyond a standard physical, I’m guessing.”

“Just a bit. My plan is to suggest Dr. Mansfield do a thorough exploration of the work and update your medical file while this copy is destroyed. If it’s burned to ash, it can’t come back to haunt us later.”

I hated that the doctor implied it could come back to haunt me later. I began with the overview of my general health. As warned, it included my general fertility information. The flag for predisposed to fraternal twins and triplets caught my attention, and after a moment of consideration, I handed the sheet to Bradley and pointed at the reference. “You should totally go burn that sheet.”

Dr. Castor chuckled. “That was one of the more startling findings, yes. Make certain you read the following paragraph carefully.”