Linda’s voice pitched. “Alex, please calm down.”
Bailey grabbed his arm and said, “Vince is a paramedic. Let him help you.”
“I don’t want him anywhere near me.” He tilted his head toward Vince. “Did you know about this, you son-of-a-bitch?”
“Hey, don’t talk to him like that,” Ryan growled. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“You’re what’s wrong. Did you know, too?”
“Dad,” James said, trying to lead his father toward the bench as the sound of sirens drew closer.
Alex swayed again and tried to break free of James’ grip. “Get away from my daughter. I can’t believe…raised by murderers…oh, God,” he grimaced, his body slanting sideways, nearly knocking James over.
“No, no,” James said before gently laying him down on the walking path. Vince knelt down next to him and started loosening his clothes, checking his pulse at the same time.
After the ambulance was parked and the EMTs were approaching, they all stood and backed up. Alex fought them, swinging his arms out, shouting about murderers and kidnappers.
Bailey’s stomach bottomed out at his words. It couldn’t be true. It wasn’t possible.
Once he was on the gurney, Linda and James both tried to calm him down. She walked over and leaned down close to his face. “Hey, hey.” When Bailey’s hand rested on his forehead, he lifted his eyes to hers. “Please, let them treat you.” He had tears in his eyes, tears that formed a lump in her throat, as well. “You’re scaring me. Please let the medics do their job. We’ll meet you at the hospital.”
He lifted the crooked oxygen mask off his mouth. “I don’t need a hospital.”
She replaced it and batted his hand away. “Yes, you do. You passed out. You need to see a doctor. Please, stop fighting.”
“I’m sorry, Bailey,” he said, more tears dropping from his eyes.
She tried to smile. “Everything will be fine. Just try to relax and cooperate.”
He nodded, and she backed up so they could carry him away.
They put him into the ambulance, and she watched it drive away, her stomach rolling with guilt. Was he right? Had her parents done this to him?
Linda looked from the ambulance to Bailey. “We’ll get Nicole and Stanley and drive to the hospital.”
Bailey nodded as Ryan’s hand rested on the back of her neck. The heat from it gave her comfort.
“I can drive you to the hospital,” he said.
She waved her hand toward the house. “What about this mess, Ryan? I don’t know what they’re looking for, but…”
“It’s just a house, Bailey. He’s your father.” His hand squeezed her neck, and she tilted her head back into the pressure. “Dad can stay here and keep an eye on things.”
“Where’s that warrant?” she asked.
Ryan lifted it to show her. “They’re accusing Patrick, Ernie, and Helen of kidnapping you as an infant.”
The look on his face was one of sick disgust. Bailey shook her head. They would never do something so awful. Her parents were good people. “They wouldn’t…”
“I know.” Ryan lowered his eyes to the paperwork. “They got it wrong here. Helen would never do something like that.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Ryan and Bailey beat Linda and the rest of the family to the hospital, but not Mae and Lucas, which surprised the hell out of her.
“What are you doing here?” she asked when she ran into them in the emergency room.
“We heard Alex was taken away by ambulance and thought you might need us,” Lucas said.
“You guys are so sweet, but how did you hear?”
“It’s a small town,” Lucas said. “When the staff told me Ryan left due to an emergency, I called Vince, and he told me what was going on. We thought it’d be quicker to just come here.”
“You didn’t have to come down here,” Bailey said, and she felt guilty pulling them from work again. “I’m sorry if we worried you. I think he’s going to be okay.”
Lucas waved her off. “Don’t apologize. You know we’ll always be here for you, Bailey.”
Bailey reached out to hug him, then turned to hug Mae, too. “What would I do without you guys?” Her throat swelled, and she swallowed back tears. They had always been there for her. Why had she taken it for granted for so long? She withdrew from the hug and tried to breathe away her tears.
“We weren’t trying to make you cry,” Lucas said. “Sorry about that.”
She shook her head. “It’s been a long day. I’m sorry.”
“We heard what The Rosa Trials was reporting. I’m so sorry,” Mae said. “Vince told us about the search warrant, too. Please, tell me they don’t believe that trash.”
“It’s been a really long day already,” Bailey repeated, still fighting to keep her tears at bay.
Ryan handed the search warrant to Lucas. He and Mae both skimmed it, and Bailey saw recognition and disgust hit their faces at the same time.
“As soon as her father read it, he started to hyperventilate, and we didn’t have a chance to talk to Sharpe before we came here.”
“Bailey, I need to tell you something.” Lucas hesitated then said, “I think I know—”
“Bailey,” Linda said, coming through the large sliding doors. “What’s happening?”
She turned to face the family. “They haven’t given us any news yet, but when they took him back, they mentioned it might just be an anxiety attack.”
“I don’t understand what set him off?” Nicole said. “Why did he freak out?”
Bailey and Ryan’s eyes met, then she handed the warrant to Linda. James, Nicole, and Stanley read the document over her shoulders.
It wasn’t the same response as Mae and Lucas. Linda’s face burned red, and her eyes grew wide. “I can’t believe they did this. All this time, everything we’ve been through—it’s deplorable.”
“We haven’t seen any evidence yet,” Ryan said. “It could just be a theory at this point.”
“The warrant states some evidence has already been found, and they don’t issue search warrants on theory,” Stanley said.
Linda stumbled back and sat in the nearest chair. “I just can’t believe this. I
