by Gail Meath
“That won’t be easy for either of us,” Jax stated.
When they stood in front of the door, Jax pounded on it, but no one answered. He glanced over at Tim, then kicked the door open. Tim just shook his head as they rushed inside and quickly started searching each room. Finally, Jax saw Ace by the back door and swung it open. They both began looking in every nook and crevice of the rooftop, then ended up standing in front of the makeshift greenhouse of plants. Jax pulled the canvas covering off of the support poles, and the moonlight shined on dozens of potted plants in every shape and size.
“I’m guessing these aren’t just for decoration,” Jax told Tim, who was standing in the doorway.
“Look what I found, Jax. Sanders’ and Beacham’s copies of the Songbird manuscript.”
Jax brushed by him and went back into the apartment. “Well, there’s our proof. Now, we need to figure out where the heck he’s got Laura.”
“He’s pretty clever, I’ll give him that,” Tim said. “He had everything he needed at his disposal by working at the theater. He even lives right around the corner from it.”
Jax froze. “Murph, stay here in case Jimmy comes back. Ace and I are going to the theater. Hopefully, Mister Kratz is still there, and he can let me in. I have an idea.”
But Ace started snarling.
Jax glimpsed Jimmy in the hallway and ran after him. “Stay back, Ace!” He knew Ace would kill the man if he caught Laura’s scent on him.
At the top of the stairs, Jimmy stopped. He dropped his satchel, pulled out his knife, and flashed it at him. “It’s too late to save her, Jax.”
He darted towards Jimmy and tried knocking the weapon out of his hand. That failed, but he’d managed to wrap his other arm around the man’s neck. While he held him there, shouting for him to tell him where Laura was, Jimmy drove the blade into his thigh. Jax winced with pain, and blood oozed through his trousers.
Ace barked ferociously and leaped forward.
“Get back, Ace!” Jax yelled. He shoved Jimmy against the wall, and the two of them wrestled for the knife.
Jax knew that he had greater strength, height, and determination, yet he was startled by Jimmy’s tenacity. They fought so fiercely, both of them were knocked to the ground. Then, they tried to pin the other one down. Jax’s arms were bleeding from Jimmy swiping the knife at him every chance he got. He finally caught ahold of his wrist, but Jimmy punched him directly into the wound in his thigh, and he lost his grip.
Jimmy wrapped both of his hands around the handle of the knife, lifted it over his head intending to thrust it deep into Jax’s chest.
Tim called Ace off and pulled the trigger of his gun.
The bullet struck Jimmy in the back. The knife fell out of his hands, and he dropped to the floor.
“Jax, are you all right?” Tim asked as he rushed over.
“Yeah.”
Tim quickly hovered over the other man’s body to feel for a pulse. “Sorry, Jax. I didn’t want to kill him, but I had no choice.”
While Jax got to his feet, Tim grabbed the satchel and dumped everything out, hoping to find some clue as to Laura’s whereabouts. A brass key ring jingled as it dropped to the floor. The noise grabbed their attention, but then, they both glared at the plant vine beside it. It had fallen out of the small paper bag lying there.
“Is that one of his poisonous plants?” Tim asked. “What do we do now?”
Jax bent down and grabbed the keys. “We pray to God that Laura is in the basement at the theater, and we’re not too late. Bring that plant with us, Murph, but don’t touch it with your hands.”
Tim pointed to Jimmy. “What about him?”
“He’s not going anywhere.”
The theater was only three blocks away. When they got there, Jax and Ace jumped out of the car without waiting for Tim. Jax favored leg as they raced down the alley to the side door. He discovered it was open and burst inside. The only way to the basement that he knew of was from the second floor near Robert Ashworth’s office. He headed up the steps to the main level, then caught himself.
Just in front of an open doorway, he saw Mister Kratz in a half-sitting position against the wall. He ran over to him and saw he was bleeding. “What happened?”
“I heard a noise coming from the back stairwell,” he replied, holding his left side. “Jimmy Simmons attacked me with a knife.”
Tim joined them. “I’ll get an ambulance down here.”
“Mister Kratz, do you know where Laura is?” Jax asked.
He looked puzzled. “Laura? No.”
Jax looked over at the open door. “Do those stairs go to the basement?” When Mister Kratz nodded, he turned to Tim. “Murph, call Doctor Norris and tell him to meet us at the hospital right away. Laura’s got to be in one of the storage rooms down in the basement.” He and Ace rushed down the stairwell, and they came to the maze of corridors. He knew there were dozens of storage rooms, and they didn’t have time to search each one. “Ace, find Laura!”
Ace took off down the hall, and Jax ran after him, trying his best to keep up. They made so many left and right turns, he couldn’t keep track of the pattern. He followed Ace down another hallway and saw a door at the end of it.
Frantically, Jax tried every key on the chain. One after another. Nervously, he shuffled through them, cursing to himself. But the next key easily slid into the lock. He yelled for Laura as soon as the door opened. It was too dark to see anything, so he followed Ace into the room.
“Jax! I’m over here,” Laura cried as Ace licked her face. “Good boy, Ace.”
Jax quickly untied her and lifted her into his arms.
“Jimmy forced me to eat some berries,” Laura told him. “I spit out what I could after he left, but I’m not feeling very well, and I’m afraid...”
“It’s okay, Laura, don’t worry. I’ll get you to the hospital.” Jax followed Ace through the rest of the hallways, knowing that he would find the fastest way out of there.
“It was Jimmy who sent those gardenias to me, Jax,” Laura whispered. “I tried to convince him that I didn’t care what happened to you, but he could tell I was lying. He said he was going to kill you too. I was so scared that he would.”
He kissed her forehead. “Shh. Don’t talk, Laura. Save your strength. Doctor Norris is going to meet us at the hospital. He’ll know what to do.”
“Oh, Jax, your arm is bleeding.”
“I know, sweetheart. I’m okay. Now please, stop talking.”
Ace led them to the stairway on the opposite side of the theater, and they hurried to the car. After Jax carefully placed Laura in the passenger seat, he jumped in and pushed Old Nellie to her limits as they sped away. Thankfully, it was early in the morning, and very little traffic was on the road.
When they arrived at the hospital, he carried her inside, shouting for someone to help them. A few nurses hurried over with a gurney. He explained who he was, and they told him that Doctor Norris had already arrived and was waiting for them. He stayed by Laura’s side, holding her hand tightly as they pushed her through the hall.
“Don’t leave me, Jax,” she said when they entered one of the rooms.
“Never,” he told her. Doctor Norris hurried over to them. “She said that she ate some sort of berries,” Jax explained. “I don’t know what kind, but Sergeant Murphy is on his way with the plant vine we found.”
“He mentioned as much when we spoke on the telephone,” Doctor Norris replied. “I mixed up a strong concoction of crushed charcoal and several other herbs that hopefully will absorb whatever she consumed.” He went over to the counter, picked up a large coffee mug, and approached Laura. “Miss Graystone, I need you to drink this down. All of it. And as quickly as possible. It tastes wretched, so I mixed it with some sweet juice.”
“My mouth is so parched right now, I’m willing to drink anything.” She took the mug, looked at Jax, and tried to smile. “Bottom’s up.”
Jax forced a grin while stroking her hair.
Doctor Norris took the mug from her when she was done. “As soon as Sergeant Murphy arrives, I will find out exactly what you ingested, Laura. It is best if you try to remain quiet and even sleep if you can.”
“Thank you, Doctor.”
Jax took a deep breath. “I can’t tell you how much we appreciate you getting here as quick as you did, Doctor Norris.”
“I would like to speak with you for a moment in private if you don’t mind,” he said.
Jax frowned with the request, but he turned a smile on Laura. “I’ll be right back. I promise.” She nodded, so he followed the doctor into the hall. “She seems lucid right now, Doctor, so maybe it wasn’t enough to harm her?”
“Some toxins take longer than others to enter a person’s entire system. It all depends upon what type of berries they were, and how much she ingested. I cannot guarantee this will work. I put a teaspoon of activated charcoal in her drink. The efficacy of charcoal also depends upon how quickly it is administered. Do you know how long it has been since she ate the berries?”
Jax was overwrought and tried to think. “We’ve been searching for her since a little after six o’clock last night. It would’ve taken some time to get her out of Grand Central to the theater. And I’m pretty sure the person responsible didn’t give them to her right way.” He was thinking about Jimmy and his affection for Laura. It would have taken quite a while before he became angry enough to kill her. “The man is dead, so I can’t say for sure.”
“Well then, time will tell. All we can do is hope for the best.”
“When will we know for sure?”
“The next twelve hours will be critical,” Doctor Norris stated.
Jax tried to his emotions in check. “Is there anything else we can do? She means the world to me, Doctor Norris.”
“I can see that, Jax. She is a beautiful young woman, strong and healthy from what I can see.”
He let out a sad chuckle. “You don’t know the half of it. She’s the strongest woman I’ve ever known.”
“Then, she probably has a good chance. Looks like you got into a little bit of a scrape. I’ll send a nurse in to patch you up. I will be close by in case you need me.”
Jax thanked him and went back into the room. Laura had closed her eyes, so he pulled a chair over and sat there, gazing at her.
After a few minutes, Tim entered the room. “Ace was waiting by the door out front, and I couldn’t leave him there,” he whispered as Ace went over to sit beside Jax. “I’ll tell the nurses that he’s on duty. I gave the vine to Doctor Norris.”
“He said it could be several hours before we know anything. You’ve been up all night, too, Murph. Why don’t you go home to your family?”
“Not a chance, partner. Carla is dropping the kids off with her parents. She wants to be here, too, if that’s okay.”
“It sure is. We could use all the prayers we can get.” He looked over at Laura. “It’s my fault he forced her to eat those berries. She said she tried to convince Jimmy that she didn’t care about me, but he didn’t believe her.”
Tim grew angry. “Why are you always blaming yourself for everything? This is all Jimmy’s fault and that devil sister of his. Besides, Laura couldn’t convince him because she loves you just as much as you love her, Jax.”
He nodded. “Thanks, Murph.” And the three of them waited there quietly.
29
Duet
Sunday, 5:00 p.m.
Jax and Ace sat stiff and alert still watching Laura. Neither of them had moved a muscle in the past twelve hours, except for the two times Doctor Norris, another doctor and three nurses asked them to leave the room. Laura now lay there with a nasal oxygen catheter, although Doctor Norris explained it had been administered simply as a precaution.
Jax had insisted Tim and Carla go home to their kids after promising that he would call them with any news. Then, he sat there motionless and numb. It seemed as though every emotion had shut down as he watched Laura drift in and out of consciousness during those hours. The only thing on his mind was how quickly she had tripped into his life and his heart. She was an amazing woman, and he couldn’t bear the thought of losing her now.
After two more hours had passed, Jax leaned forward and held his head in his hands. Ace pawed at his leg then stuck his nose through to lay his snout on the crook of his arm.
But Jax heard Laura stirring. He got to his feet and stood beside her. She looked over at him and quietly whispered his name. “I’m right here, Laura. I told you that I wouldn’t leave you.” He gazed into her eyes and noticed they looked much clearer. “How are you feeling?”
“Achy and sore, like a brick wall fell over me. A little lightheaded, too.” She smiled at him as he brushed tendrils of hair off her forehead. “And I’m really hungry.”
He laughed, and a tear fell down his cheeks. “I’ll buy you to whatever you want.”
Ace lifted his front paws onto the bed, and Laura petted him. “You’re my hero, Ace. You are, too, Jax. I wouldn’t have made it if it weren’t for both of you.”
“Let me get Doctor Norris to check on you,” Jax told her. “I’m going to give that man a great big hug.” He hurried out of the room, thanking God as he went.
Doctor Norris and few nurses hurried into the room. Jax stepped aside and listened to them converse with her while they removed the oxygen tube. The Doctor finally turned to him. “I’d like to keep her here another day or two, but she’s going to be fine.”
Jax grabbed the man’s hand and shook it furiously in gratitude. The Doctor patted him on the shoulder and left the room. One of the nurses agreed to call Tim to let him know, and Jax went back to be with Laura. And he stayed with her that night. They talked for a while, and when she finally fell asleep, he slid back in the chair and slept like a baby.
Friday, June 15
Laura was released from the hospital on Wednesday with a clean bill of health, and she moved back into her own apartment. Jax had explained to her that Jimmy was dead, and he’d told her that Margie was going to be in jail for a very long time. And they were both relieved that neither of them would hurt anyone else again.
“It was so kind of Joe Marsh to move Mister Beacham’s funeral to this afternoon,” Laura said as she and Jax left his apartment.
“There wouldn’t be one without you,” Jax told her. He locked his door, and they walked down the hall.
One of the other tenants headed towards them. A beautiful, tall blonde woman. “Hello, Jax,” she said sweetly.
“How are you, Lucinda?” Jax replied.
Laura narrowed her eyes and glared at him as they walked down the stairs. “Isn’t that funny? She has the same name as your sister.”
He chuckled uneasily. “Yeah, must be a popular name.”
For a split second, she considered telling him that she knew the truth about his family. But she decided against it. She’d promised Tim that she wouldn’t say anything, and she thought it would be best for Jax to tell her when he was ready.
Instead, she laughed and wrapped her arm in his as they walked to his car. “I received a phone call from Ben Hoffman this morning. He said that he owns the rights to the Songbird manuscript, and he offered me the lead.”
Jax didn’t respond right away. “Well, that would definitely make you a Broadway star for sure. It’s your dream come true, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but that play has caused so much heartache. Mister Hoffman said production wouldn’t start until fall, so I have time to think about it.”
He remained silent.
“There’s something else that’s troubling me, Jax. I’ve tried not to think about what happened last weekend, but Jimmy told me something very strange when we were in the storage room. At the time, I got pretty upset hearing about it, but the rest happened and I put it out of my mind.”
“I wouldn’t trust anything he said.”
“I know, but it had to do with my father. He said that he found some sort of document in Robert Ash
worth’s desk. Then, he asked me if my father’s death was an accident.”
“All I saw in that drawer was a pile of financial records. Ralph Boyer, the city’s accountant, took a closer look at them. I don’t think he found anything other than evidence of Ashworth’s money laundering scheme.”
“Even so, I wondered if we could take a look at those files? Like you said, Jimmy couldn’t be trusted, but I’m still curious.”
“I’ll talk to Ralph Boyer about it.”
“Thank you. There’s one more thing. I’ve also decided to go home to Millbury for a few weeks. I miss my mother and brother and after what happened, I need some time away from all the glitter and lights.”
Jax just nodded.
When they arrived at the cemetery, they were both surprised to see the large crowd that had gathered for the funeral. Tim, Carla, Jeanie, and all the performers and stagehands who had worked with Mister Beacham attended, along with several of the officers from the thirteenth precinct. The minister gave a beautiful sermon, with several people offering to share their warm and loving memories of Horace Beacham. Afterward, as everyone headed for their vehicles, a few people stopped to ask Jax for directions to the funeral reception.
Laura was confused. “What reception?”
He wrapped his arm around her. “I planned a very special musical send-off for your friend, and I asked everyone to join us.” She looked up at him curiously, and he flashed that dimpled grin at her. “I reserved Duke’s Club for the rest of the afternoon. You and I have some entertaining to do.”
“Oh, Jax, what a wonderful idea.”
As they drove to the north end of Manhattan, Laura couldn’t keep her eyes off him. She had never known anyone like Jax before. He was as handsome as he was corny and clever. And surprisingly smart and thoughtful. When he glanced over at her, she didn’t turn away as she’d done before, afraid that he would see how she truly felt about him. She simply smiled in return and continued watching him.
