“Yes, I’ll do whatever I can. I . . . I can’t believe this.” But it did explain why there were no cuts or bruises.
What if an intruder had been waiting for Susie to get there? If the intruder had then attacked?
Had this been meant for Hadley?
She felt her face go paler at the thought.
The doctor gave a brief nod before heading back down the hall.
Hadley let out a slow breath. “I’m glad she’ll be okay, but . . .”
“This isn’t your fault, you know.”
“What if I was the intended target? If someone—Kenny—thought I came in first, and he was there waiting?” A soft cry escaped at the thought.
Max’s arm slipped around her. “You can’t think like that. The only one responsible for what happened is the person who did this. Not you.”
She tried to let his words make her feel better, but they didn’t.
CHAPTER 32
When they pulled back upto the clinic, Hadley noticed Micah’s SUV was still parked near the front.
As soon as Hadley and Max climbed from the truck, Micah stepped outside to meet them. “How’s Susie?”
“Still unconscious,” Hadley said. “But the doctor said she’s stable.”
Micah’s cheek twitched as if he was fighting a frown. “He called me and told me about the needle mark.”
“I’m going to check my medications,” Hadley told him. “As soon as you give me the okay.”
Max came around the front of the truck to stand beside her.
“I definitely want you to do that in a minute,” Micah said. “First, walk me through everything again, starting from when you got here this morning.”
Hadley drew in a breath before diving in.
Micah listened without interrupting, his expression focused.
“And this is after everything else that’s been happening,” she added. “The break-in. The missing appointment book. Someone canceling my patients. The bad reviews. The call about my license.” She shook her head. “It’s too much to be coincidence.”
“Yes,” Micah agreed. “It is. I’m going to look into the phone calls and the reviews. I’ll see if there’s any kind of trail—numbers, IP addresses, or anything else we can trace back to a source.”
“Thanks.” Hadley nodded, relief flickering through her. “Do you think Kenny is behind it all?”
“That’s the question we need an answer for.” He blew out a breath. “I’m just not sure I understand his motive.”
“You’re not the only one,” Max said. “Hadley had nothing to do with Lyndee staying at Refuge Cove. Why target her?”
“We’ll keep digging into it,” Micah said. “In the meantime, I’m going to station a deputy here, at least until we get a better handle on what’s going on. If someone’s targeting you, I don’t want you here alone.”
Something in her chest tightened at his words, but she nodded. “Okay.”
Micah’s phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket, and his expression sharpened as he answered. “Sutherland.”
Hadley sensed something shift in him.
“Where?” he asked before pausing and saying, “I’m on my way.”
