Promise Me Eternity

by Ian Fox

  Then everything came bursting out of him. As if he’d been waiting for the chance to tell it all to someone. He told her that Helen had been ignoring him for three weeks now and that she had even threatened him with divorce. He told her everything that lay on his heart.

  Christine listened closely, nodding encouragement. A few times she even took his hand. He felt so bad that he didn’t even notice how the head nurse Gertrude had walked by at that moment. She turned twice to see this amazingly gorgeous woman holding Dr. Patterson’s hand.

  Simon also told her he knew he wasn’t the best of husbands. “I spend a lot of time in the basement working on my research and I know that’s one of the reasons our marriage is suffering.”

  When she asked what kind of research, he didn’t tell her the truth—no reason to. It was so complicated she surely wouldn’t believe him. He told her, as he had Edna Weiss, that he was working on a special fertilizer for plants.

  She was thrilled and told him so. She said she’d always admired people involved in science. “If I’d found a scientist before, I would definitely have married him. I’ve always found an intellectual-looking man in a white gown attractive,” she confessed with a slight smile.

  He started to sweat.

  When they’d run all the tests, they went back to his office. Simon told her the results would be ready in a few days, adding, “I hope we’ll find the cause of your headaches.”

  “I hope so too,” she said. “Thank you, Dr. Patterson. I can’t recall the last time I had such an enjoyable day. Your wife should think herself a very lucky woman.”

  It looked as if he wanted to say something, but his mouth remained closed. He tried hard to tell her that he had enjoyed it too, but only managed to say good-bye. Watching her go, he trembled like a teenager. When she shut the door, he immediately took off his white shirt and undershirt because he was soaked in sweat. He wanted to change.

  The door swung open. “You forgot to tell me—” She stared, speechless, at the hair on his chest.

  “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know …” Dr. Patterson mumbled.

  “You didn’t tell me when to come,” she said, and smiled.

  “Oh, really? … Thursday, at eleven. Is that convenient?” He looked at the wall.

  “Of course. I’m looking forward to it already.” She closed the door.

  At first he was mad at himself for not having waited at least five minutes. That way she wouldn’t have caught me changing. Then he started to laugh. The whole thing seemed funny. The smile on his face lasted for the rest of the day, until he got home. There, Helen was waiting for him.

  Chapter 27

  _______________________

  With a sullen expression on her face, Edna Weiss was wiping the bathroom tiles. Helen Patterson had reproached her for being careless last week and not cleaning the bathroom properly. She had even said that she didn’t intend to pay for laziness. Edna had barely been able to stop herself from arguing back.

  She squirted a thick layer of cleaner onto the bathtub and started cleaning it. While doing so, she heard Helen clomping up and down the stairs, which obviously meant she was getting ready to go somewhere.

  When she had finished in the bathroom, Edna caught Helen looking at herself in the mirror and noticed right away that she must have bought some new clothes. She was wearing black slacks and a white cotton blouse. She had draped a yellow silk scarf around her neck. Nothing special, thought Edna. The woman never had much taste.

  “Have you finished the bathroom?” Helen asked contemptuously.

  She confirmed with a barely visible nod.

  “Good. Then start on the windows. I can’t remember the last time you cleaned them.”

  “I cleaned them last week,” she stated.

  While applying mascara, Helen said, “Not so that you’d notice. Better clean them again.”

  Edna had to bite her tongue. She did so because she cared for Dr. Patterson. It was only because of him that she continued coming to clean this house.

  Edna Weiss had first heard that a Dr. Patterson was looking for a house cleaner more than five years ago. She applied and got the job, which she desperately needed. She had just been fired from the dye factory nearby, where she had worked for twenty years. She’d been told that the factory was facing a financial crisis and so they had no choice but to lay off over a thousand employees. The company gave her a small severance check and then put her on the street. She didn’t like to think of those times. Since she wasn’t so young anymore, no one wanted to hire her. To show her gratitude to Dr. Patterson for helping her out, she stayed an hour or two extra every time—for free, of course.

  Dr. Patterson was extremely kind to her. He invited her to drink tea with him whenever she finished her work. If the weather was nice, they sat in the garden and looked at the roses.

  A year ago she had again found herself a job, working as a cook in a workers’ cafeteria, and so didn’t need to work as a cleaner anymore. Her salary wasn’t all that high, but it was enough for her immediate needs. She had often been angry with Helen Patterson and had frequently thought of quitting, but she had always changed her mind when she thought of never seeing Dr. Patterson again.

  First she started on the living room windows, hoping to avoid Helen that way. The criticism was still echoing in her head. What she’d said was simply not true. Granted, it had rained a lot since then.

  The front door opened. Edna was delighted, knowing it would be Dr. Patterson. She stepped up her pace.

  Helen was sitting in the kitchen, drinking a coffee which she had made for herself earlier. When Simon entered, she barely returned his greeting. She was staring at the wall as if he hadn’t come in.

  He noticed she was getting ready to go somewhere, so he asked, “Where are you going?” He only said it to break the silence.

  “What’s this, now? Am I on trial? Can’t I go out without you asking me stupid questions?”

  His good mood vanished. “I didn’t mean—”

  “I will go out with whom and when I wish. It’s none of your business.”

  He heard a creak from the living room and remembered Edna Weiss. “Listen, you don’t have to shout, I only wanted—”

  “I’ve had enough of you questioning me all the time.” When she said that, her voice was already so loud that it hurt his head. “Isn’t me working hard all day for a small salary enough? Do I have to then listen to you as well?” She gulped down her coffee and picked up her purse. “Don’t ask me what time I’m coming back because I don’t know.” She slammed the door.

  Simon collapsed onto a chair. Pushing the ceramic coffee jug away, he held his head. The fact that they weren’t capable of having a normal conversation anymore saddened him. At the same time he was embarrassed because she had shouted in front of Mrs. Weiss.

  Edna also felt uncomfortable because of what she’d heard. Never before had she heard them arguing. Generally Helen wasn’t home when Edna was cleaning.

  Simon’s thoughts stayed with his wife a little longer, then returned to the hospital and Christine Vucci. She had hinted several times that she wasn’t happy with Carlo. Obviously she is lonely and in need of a friend, he thought. She’s got no one to comfort her. He hoped the tests would actually show something, so that he could help her.

  In a while, Edna came into the kitchen. Lost in thought, Dr. Patterson had forgotten her and was startled.

  “Oh, it’s you, Edna. Hello, how are you?”

  Edna glowed. “Good, thank you, and you, Dr. Patterson?”

  “So-so.” He felt obliged to say something because of the argument earlier. “Helen and I are going through a difficult patch, but I hope we’ll soon straighten things out. Apart from that, everything’s OK.”

  “And how is your research on fertilizers going?”

  He couldn’t help smiling. “Very well, Edna, very well. Nice of you to ask.” He carried the coffee mug Helen had been using to the sink. “I think it’s time for our tea. Have you fini
shed yet?”

  “I have one more thing to do, but I’ll be through in ten minutes.” That was her usual answer if he invited her for tea. She wanted to give the impression that she really did work right up to the last moment.

  “Come into the garden when you’re done. It really is wonderful weather.”

  She blushed and hurried off to finish polishing the windows.

  Chapter 28

  _______________________

  They had arranged to meet at the entrance to the Greek museum on Lincoln Street. Where is he again? Helen fumed. She had been standing waiting for ten minutes. She was already irritated because of Simon. How dare he ask me where I’m going. Does he think I’m going to be at his beck and call while he spends all his time in that lab? I’m not stupid.

  An enormous silver limousine pulled up next to the sidewalk. The windows were tinted dark-blue, so she couldn’t see who was driving. She thought it could be Robert, and then she remembered that last time he’d come in a black jeep.

  He stepped out. “I’m so sorry, Helen. I’m late again. I really do apologize.” He respectfully bowed and went to the other side of the vehicle to open the door for her.

  “Didn’t you come in a different car last time?”

  “You’re right. I have four. Two were my wife’s, two mine. You know, I don’t have the heart to sell my wife’s things.”

  Her bad mood evaporated in a moment when she inspected the inside of the car: seats of real leather and natural wood dashboard. The various buttons and displays made her feel like she was sitting in the cockpit of a plane.

  Dr. Miner pressed one of the buttons. Out of a small slot slid a six-inch screen. Helen had never seen anything like it. It was very thin and when it had fully slid out it was in an upright position.

  “That’s the player,” he explained to her. Various bright orange buttons appeared on the screen. He only had to touch it twice for the space to be filled with pleasant music. “Tell me if you don’t like it. I can change it to another CD. I have over fifty in the back. What kind of music do you like?”

  She looked at him and tried to imagine him holding a scalpel and operating on a patient. Maybe he will perform free cosmetic surgery on me, she thought. Then she remembered what one of her colleagues had said. “Haven’t you heard of Robert Miner? There’ve been quite a few articles about him.”

  Helen had mentioned him in passing. Of course she hadn’t said anything about going to dinner with him.

  “Something happened during his wife’s surgery,” her colleague had told her. “I read that it was a simple procedure. I think she wanted a face-lift. The poor thing didn’t survive the operation.”

  “My God, what happened?” Helen asked.

  “No one knows. Some say that Robert Miner was very nervous because he loved his wife so much. Then again, others say he killed her intentionally and made it look like an accident.”

  “And why would he do such a thing?”

  “His wife was from a very rich family. He didn’t have a penny. He built the private cosmetic surgery clinic with her money.”

  Helen could barely swallow the lump that had formed in her throat. “And what happened then?”

  “They couldn’t prove anything. Two other surgeons and an anesthetist were also present. They all confirmed it was an accident. It’s interesting, though, that none of them work with him anymore.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “That’s what they say. I don’t know if it’s true, though.”

  Helen was surprised. “Funny he still has clients if there’s so much gossip.”

  “He’s one of the biggest experts in the field. Even before, his waiting list was months long. He has clients from all over the world and they don’t read the local papers. Probably it affected business a bit, but people soon forget. The clinic is doing well now.”

  Helen was lost in thought for a while. Is it really possible he killed his wife? She shook her head, as she had seen with her own eyes how much he had loved her. When he told her how he couldn’t throw away her clothes, she felt the sadness and suffering in his voice. No, no. He must have loved her very much. It was an accident and the press always gets carried away when something like that happens. She decided not to think about it anymore.

  They had finally arrived at his place. When the automatic gate opened, she could see a well-tended garden: the lawn was neatly cut and all the trees were groomed.

  She was impressed. The modern one-story house was adorned with a slanting roof. In the middle of the roof was a massive window. She had always longed for a house that let in a lot of light. The house was white, with dark-brown wood decoration.

  “It’s very nice here,” she said when the limousine came to a halt.

  “I’m glad you like it.”

  “Who takes care of this beautiful garden?”

  “Contractors. They come when needed. In winter, slightly less often, but in the spring and autumn at least once a week.”

  She nodded and again directed her gaze to the front of the house. It can’t have been built long ago, she thought. Everything was completely new.

  Robert Miner gladly showed her around. One could see that he was proud and fond of it. He told her that he had chosen the furniture with the help of an architect. “My wife didn’t show much interest in interior decor,” he grumbled. He waved his hand. “It’s not nice of me to talk about her in that way because I loved her a lot, and in some ways she was really something special.”

  Helen thought about what her colleague had told her and then shooed away the annoying thought. “It’s absolutely wonderful. Very roomy and furnished with good taste.”

  He folded his arms in a satisfied way.

  “Who cleans the house?” Helen asked.

  “A woman comes in three times a week. I’m not too happy, but you know how hard it is to get really hardworking, reliable people these days.”

  Helen immediately thought of Edna Weiss and said that she herself had similar problems. “Good servants are extremely hard to find,” she added with an air of snobbery.

  Robert showed her a gorgeous balcony on which stood a bamboo table with four chairs. Helen felt wonderful. Everything was to her taste. All the rooms were huge and spacious. Exactly what she had always wanted. He showed her his wife’s closet. She took a deep breath. It was the size of a small room. He pushed a switch and the clothes started moving past her on hangers. The woman could wear something different every day. She quickly checked the size and found to her surprise that it was the same as hers.

  Finally, they stopped in the dining room, where he offered her coffee and cookies.

  They chatted about the past. Robert told her he had spent his childhood in a village near Portland and that his parents owned a farm. “While studying for school I had to work in the fields,” he complained. “I hated that farm.”

  Helen listened to him with interest. She asked him a few questions about his wife to satisfy her curiosity. “What did your wife do?”

  Robert’s eyes changed. “She was mostly at home managing the house.” He looked at Helen sadly. “At first we were planning on having kids but it turned out that she couldn’t get pregnant. Tests showed she had something wrong with her Fallopian tubes.”

  Even though she felt his reluctance to talk about his wife, she continued. “You must have been very close?”

  He nodded. “I loved her very much. Her death was a big loss to me.” He told her that they used to go somewhere every weekend. “She loved the mountains.”

  Helen was reassured. She could tell by his voice that he could never have deliberately killed his wife, perceiving how much she had meant to him.

  “You remind me of my wife very much,” Robert said suddenly.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t know, you look alike. That’s why I was first drawn to you.” He looked at her and placed his cold, rough hand on hers.

  She didn’t know what to say. She moved her hand.
<
br />   “I really want us to be good friends.” Again he found her hand and put his on it.

  And she again pulled her hand away. “Why not, we could become good friends.”

  Then Robert suddenly got up and sat down next to her, taking hold of her face with both his hands. Helen felt the sweet smell of his aftershave and before she could do anything, his lips were on hers. She grimaced and at the same moment pushed against him. She managed to unglue herself from his lips.

  “What are you doing? Let go of me!”

  “Oh, my shy little creature. I know your type.” He kissed her again, this time so hard that she couldn’t move her head.

  Helen was trying to resist with all her might, but she didn’t succeed in moving him even an inch. He was surprisingly strong for his age.

  She threw her head back. “Let go, I said.” She was about to scream when she felt him stroking her thigh. “Stop that! What do you think you’re doing? Stop!”

  “Just relax and you’ll enjoy it. I promise. Your husband will never find out. You want a bit of adventure, don’t you?” Robert kissed her again.

  As she couldn’t push him away, she started fumbling with her right hand, looking for a hard object on the table. She took hold of the china cup she had been drinking coffee from earlier and with all her strength hit him on the head.

  He cried out. “What are you playing at? Why did you hit me?”

  As Robert had moved away from her slightly Helen took the opportunity to lift her legs and, with them, push him away. It was a funny scene, him trying to balance and falling on the floor between the two couches.

  “Touch me again and I’ll call the police! Have you gone crazy? I’m leaving right now.”

  “Wait! Sorry, I got a bit carried away. Forgive me. If you want to go home, why not?” He quickly got up and straightened his hair.

  She picked up her purse and went toward the door. “How dare you!”

  But before Helen could grasp the doorknob, Robert picked her up in the air like a little girl and carried her in the opposite direction.