HARMED_Seconds From Revenge 2
Page 23
The lawsuits. Ah, the lawsuits. Claire continued in deep thought, now shaking her head slowly and inconspicuously. Now the hospital is involved, too. I can’t believe some of the lawsuits are still pending. People totally disregard their aging parents until they die. Then the love suddenly returns as they hire an attorney for a lawsuit believing they can get a buck for it. Human nature. Funny, really, when you think about it. Despite all the facts in the cases, that some lawyers were still after Jack’s insurance money is—
“No!” said Nick, his loud squeaks interrupting her musing. “Mom, they scored on our team.”
Several moments later, with the game once again afoot, Claire returned to her reflections. Simon Lagrange was sentenced to death, but appeals were underway. Not sure how he’s taking it, but who cares? You made your bed; now lie in it. Retrospectively, she had been utterly amazed by how much Nai Trepur had initially provided reassurance and encouragement to her and Jack—for that matter, to the townsfolk. Hiring him as the head of security had endowed the hospital and all who worked within it with a sense of safety, the healing grace that became the vehicle to begin the curative process. And all was going so well until…what a terrifying betrayal, she thought. From hero to villain in a blink of an eye. The dreadful feelings engendered in Claire and Jack by this monster had been perhaps the most damaging. How can we have fallen for this duplicity? Can we ever find a way deep in our hearts to trust anyone? she paused, reflecting.
“Mom, they scored on us again,” yelled Nick, jumping in place next to Claire and momentarily pausing her musing. “They scored, Mom. The score is tied at two, Mom,” he repeated, sensing that Claire’s mind wasn’t on the match. The game resumed, and so did Claire’s contemplative state.
Nick loved to play and watch soccer very much. It doesn’t fall far from the tree. Thankfully, both Nick and Sean had been too young and removed from the catastrophes. They experienced no consequences from the events that tormented their families.
“Oh no!” exclaimed Sean and Nick. “They scored again. This one was Dad’s fault. He’s going to be so mad at himself,” shouted Nick, exasperated.
“I think he can handle it, Nick. Please settle down. I don’t want you to fall off the bleachers,” said Claire. She locked eyes with Susan, winking and grinning at her, each reading one another’s minds.
Susan was back to being a detective with the Evansville Police Department, promoted to lieutenant. She’s a great mom. And my best friend. Was her trauma all forgotten? There were scars deep inside in the soul and on the skin. Her neck was forever etched with the inscription of the noose that almost stole her life. Susan wore it proudly as a constant reminder of how precious life is and how easily it can be poached. Live every day as if it could be your last.
Every night, even now, Susan confessed to Claire, when she went to bed, she would pass by her son’s bedroom and peek inside. Looking at his ensconced, slumbering, growing little body warmed her heart, a much-needed remedy. In her mind, Susan would still sing the song that represented her strong love for Sean, stronger than the very rope that choked her breath away. The melody had kept her alive during the ice-truck ordeal: You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you, so please don’t take my sunshine away.
Other books by this author
STILL – a medical murder mystery
TRAVELER SERIES – a Young Adult Trilogy
(available soon)
Visit:
www.amazon.com/author/JanEiraBooks
Excerpt from STILL:
The conversation Sarah had earlier with Chuck was still distressing her to no end. But the events of the next hour would make her concerns trivial and completely meaningless.
Sarah walked into the bedroom, her kitten cradled in her arms. The cat’s buff-colored coat complemented perfectly her kelly-green nightgown.
She entered the bathroom. “Why can’t you be more like Merlin?”
“Useless?” said Chuck. “That’s the cat’s new name.”
“Merlin is the most beautiful cat ever,” said Sarah. “Can you forget I told you anything at all.”
“You can’t un-ring the bell, Sarah,” said Chuck stepping out of the shower. He wrapped a towel around his body. “Now that I know, I have to tell him.”
“She’s my friend. She confided in me.” Sarah slowly lowered the cat onto the tiled floor. “Please don’t say anything.”
“He’s one of my best friends, Sarah. I’m going to tell him about Marie and what’s his name.”
“His name is Mike, but please don’t. It’ll ruin their marriage.”
“She ruined their marriage, not me.” He dried his hair with a towel. “God damn it, Sarah, I’m done discussing this with you. I’m telling him today at lunch.” Chuck hurried out of the bathroom.
“You’re such a hard-headed son-of-a bitch, Chuck,” she shouted. “I could just strangle the life out of you.” She brushed her teeth then turned on the water in the shower. “Chuck, wait up.” She walked out of the bathroom and entered the bedroom. She looked side to side. Merlin was poised in full comfort on the bed. “Where are you?” She proceeded briskly to the kitchen. “Can we talk about it tonight? Rethink the whole thing?” He wasn’t in the kitchen. She opened the door leading to the garage. “Chuck,” she yelled out. The garage door was sliding closed. She ran to the front door. “Chuck, wait.” She waived at him. He was backing up the car out of the driveway. “I didn’t get my goodbye kiss this morning,” she whispered to no one. Once it reached the street, Chuck’s car sped away. Sarah noticed a vehicle parked on the street a few yards up from her driveway. The car was partially obscured by the bushes. She looked at her watch and rushed back to the bathroom.
In the shower, Sarah thought she heard a noise. The sound of a door opening and closing in the distance. Maybe the kitchen door.
“Chuck, is that you?” All she heard was the sound of the shower water falling at her feet. “Did you come back?” No answer. She turned off the water. “Chuck, is that you?” She stepped out of the shower stall and covered up with a robe. “Did you change your mind?” She walked to the bedroom but no Chuck. “Merlin, is that you making all this ruckus?” The extended tip of the cat’s tail stuck up from behind the bed, like the tip of a submarine’s view-scope. “You scared the shit out of me, you silly cat.” Sarah returned to the bathroom. She turned on her hairdryer and bent down, letting her long brown strands fall in front of her. Staring at her feet, she pointed the dryer at her wet hair. It was then she noticed a pair of boots, a man walking slowly toward her. He stopped a few feet away.
“You came back. Are those new boots?” she yelled over the noisy appliance. “Give me a second.” It was then her heart stopped. Merlin’s dead body was thrown at her feet, blood trickling from its mouth. She stood up, the hairdryer still in her hand.
The man grabbed her neck and overpowered her with ease. He placed a rag over her mouth and nose. The dryer fell on the tile, vibrating noisily. Sarah struggled to free herself from his strong grip. She clawed at him but her will to fight and scream for help soon vanished and she slipped into darkness.
When she regained consciousness, she realized she was lying prone on her bed. For a second she contemplated the thought that the whole thing might have been just a horrible nightmare. Sluggishly, she looked around the room, side to side. Behind her to her left, Sarah got a glimpse of the monster. He was holding up a syringe, tapping its side. She tried to get up and flee but he held her down with a chokehold and placed a knee on her chest. He jammed the needle deep into her neck and pushed in the plunger. She felt a sharp sensation and winced. She tried to scream loudly, but only produced an inconsequential whimper. Within seconds, Sarah felt her muscles become heavy, as if she was being held down to the bed by thousands of pounds of an invisible force field.
“Would you like
me to dress you up, Sarah?” he said, his voice raspy. “You can’t go outside the house wearing only your robe. What will the neighbors say?”
The man disappeared into the closet and returned in a few seconds with three dresses. Sarah tried with all her might to escape but her profound weakness turned to clumsiness and she managed only to fall out of bed.
“Where are you going, Sarah?” he said. He dropped the dresses on the carpet, picked her up effortlessly and dumped her back on the bed. “Which one would you like to wear today?” He held up the three outfits. She just stared, her eyes muscles responding to her wishes not at all. “The brown and yellow?” he asked. No response. “The blue one?” Nothing. “The red?” She tried again to scream, but her efforts resulted only in a soft grunt. “The red one it is.” He disrobed her and put the dress on her. When he was finished, he sat on the bed at her side.
“I need your phone.” He picked her cell from its bedside charger. He looked through its functions and, finally, pushed a speed-dial button. “Chuck,” he said into the phone a moment later, “this is your worst nightmare.”