“But why did the man blame me? Did he know I’d been drinking? Is that what this is about?”
“You were not drunk, Pam. Or even impaired.”
Pam glared, her eyes showing confusion at Tom’s outburst and a tinge of anger. “How can you really be so sure?”
He looked at DeOreo, who gave him an expectant gaze, then back to Pam. Fine. It was time to tell her what he found out late last week.
“I tracked down your medical reports from the accident. I don’t know why they were missing from your file, but they were.”
Pam moved forward in the reclining chair, her attention focused on his every word. “Yes, they found traces of alcohol in your blood, but it was way below today’s legal limit, which is less than one drink for your body type. I didn’t tell you earlier because I knew you would still use it to keep blaming yourself. So don’t. Ryan crashed into you. End of story.”
Instantly, Tom regretted the impatience in his tone. That was class, Jarrod. Real class. He started to apologize, but something in Pam’s expression stopped him.
“What?”
To his amazement, she put her thumbs in her ears, wiggled her fingers and stuck out her tongue at him.
Truths Unveiled
Truths Unveiled
Chapter Forty-One
“Two men?” Eddie questioned. “At the accident? Since when?”
Perplexed, Tom tossed a pen down on his desk and paced the length of his office at the rescue station. “Since Friday night. One of the staff shrinks approached Pam at MMC’s dinner dance. Out of the blue, he floored her by seeking her out and telling her Ryan Collins wasn’t drinking the night of the accident.”
Eddie let out a troubling whistle and took a chair at the small, round table. “Well ain’t that just grand? We’ve got a medical report and a police report that say something different.”
“No kidding.”
“Go on,” Eddie urged, unwrapping a meatball sub. “What happened next?”
“That night, Pam had a bad dream. A very clear dream of the accident. Way beyond what she recalled during the first hypnosis session.”
Tom continued to fill him in on the details. “A few days later we got an emergency session with DeOreo, the hypnotist guy. He was able to sort out the events in the dream when he put Pam under.”
Eddie swallowed a mouthful and washed it down with a big gulp of soda. “Surprise, surprise.”
“You’re telling me.” Scowling, Tom reached for his coffee mug. “I knew there was more to the accident. Pam told me so after the first session. She thought she might have missed something. Or that something wasn’t quite right. Still, she was able to accept all of what she did recall. That’s what helped her to handle the situation and to move back here. But Tedford’s remark, followed by the new dream, the break-in, and discovering that there were two strangers at the accident scene…” Shaking his head, he frowned and scratched his head. “The situation is even more confusing than before.”
“And she has no idea who these guys are?”
Tom made a aggravated face. “No.”
“Okay. I’ve heard enough.” With that, Eddie rose to his full height and reached for the phone. “There’s too much missing here. Too many holes. Too many sudden revelations. And both you and I know there were more than three photographs taken at the accident scene. Somebody’s playing games.”
Tom nodded. “I know. And the idea makes me sick. At this point, I’m open to any suggestions.”
Eddie dialed a number. “And I know someone who may be able to offer a few.”
****
Pam parked her Volvo in her new parking space at the medical center and switched off the ignition. Glancing at her watch, she estimated the entire trip, to and from the bridal shop and mall, took just under five hours. Going seventy most of the way. She rolled her eyes. At least she’d bought most of what she needed. Shoes, garter, and lace thigh-highs. Even gifts for her maid of honor, Tom’s best man, and the ushers.
Stepping out of the vehicle, she smiled and stretched. Hills and fields, dotted with silos and animals, surrounded her for miles. Then she gulped. Okay. So things weren’t perfect. Someone was trying to scare her away and the accident didn’t happen the way she’d originally thought. And Carl Tedford said that Ryan Collins wasn’t drinking that night. But hey, who said life was meant to be perfect? She twisted her lips into a smirk. Hey, God. I hope you’re getting all of this.
With that thought in mind, Pam closed the door and caught a glimpse of her wedding gown draped across the back seat. She thought of the wedding. All the arrangements had been made. They’d decided to hold the reception at Tom and Eddie’s restaurant downtown. Tom’s mom had handled the church, managing to convince the minister he could let Pam and Tom take a crash course in the marriage class instead of the long, drawn-out version. That meant they would be busy every night this week.
Katie also took care of the invitation list. Close to all of the one hundred guests had already responded. That left the music. Dan, Tom’s cousin, volunteered there. His band played all the local places and had just cut their first CD. Last, Eddie volunteered to videotape and Rebecca offered to take photographs. What more could I want? Pam asked herself. Uttering a small prayer, she headed inside.
Greeting the staff, Pam noted the ED was quiet. Good. Though her shift didn’t start for another few hours, she’d feel compelled to help out if they needed an extra hand. Now she had time to grab a sandwich from the cafeteria and make some phone calls.
“Dr. Harrington? I have a message for you.”
Pam turned and headed back to the nurses’ station. “Thanks.” Reading the pink slip, she frowned. The call was from Susan. Pam released a snarl. I forgot to add her to the not so perfect list, she thought to herself. What could that woman want?
Pam decided to go directly to the cafeteria. Dealing with her fiancé’s ex-wife required fortitude. Maybe she should reach Tom before she returned the call. If she decided to return the call. He might know what it was about.
Pondering Susan’s motives, Pam prepared to enter the elevator as the doors opened.
“Isn’t this convenient?” the cool redhead greeted. “You’re just the person I’ve been looking for.”
Truths Unveiled
Truths Unveiled
Chapter Forty-Two
“I plan to tell Tom I think he and I should try again.”
Pam felt like Susan stabbed her with a knife. It was fourteen years ago all over again. “So why tell me?” she asked.
They sat in a far corner of the cafeteria at an empty table. Neither of them bothered with the pretense of food. Anything they bought would go to waste.
As always, Susan was immaculately dressed. Seeming distracted, she inspected her manicured fingernails, then tapped them lightly on the table. “Because I thought you should know.” Then she added, “And because you are the one person who could interfere.”
“Again?” Pam quipped. She couldn’t help it. The word just spilled out.
Susan got the point. She narrowed her green eyes like a cat. “Thomas and I have two children to consider. Since you’ve never been married, or had children, I doubt you could understand, but as a mother, their mother, I can assure you they are hurt and confused. First their father wanted nothing to do with them, and now...now that you’re back, he suddenly wants to play Daddy of the Year.”
Pam ignored the digs. Instead she countered, “That’s not the way I heard it.”
Susan’s eyes turned to nasty slits. Watching her, Pam couldn’t help noticing that the woman’s mauve nail polish, lipstick and silk pantsuit all matched perfectly. She, on the other hand, wore baggy jeans, a sweatshirt and an old pair of sneakers.
The imposing figure settled back in her chair and squared her shoulders. “I’ll admit we’ve had our share of problems. All parents do. And now I can see how it has affected our sons. I want it to stop. I want to make things right for them, and I will do whatever is necessary to see that t
hey do not suffer any more. If Thomas really cares about them, he’ll want the same.”
Before Pam could bite back her thoughts, they flew out of her mouth in words. “You don’t want him, Susan. You just don’t want me to have him. You also want that piece of real estate. What you don’t realize is that reconciling with Tom isn’t going to help you get it. And using your children as pawns to make him feel guilty is just disgusting.”
Indignant, Susan rose to her feet and swung her purse over her shoulder. “You think you’ve got it all figured out,” she challenged in a low menacing tone. “And maybe you do. But mark my words. I can make life miserable for you and him with a snap of my fingers.” Sneering, she snapped her thumb and middle finger. “Just like that!”
“I’m sure you can,” Pam replied, still riveting over her nerve to talk back to the woman. “And just think how awful that will be for your sons, the ones you claim to care so much about.”
Susan’s eyes flew open with rage but she held her tongue. Instead, she aimed daggers at Pam with her eyes, then tossed her carefully arranged hair and stormed out of the room. Her stiletto heels echoed down the corridor behind her.
Pam spent a minute composing herself, then headed for the doctor’s lounge. Climbing the two flights, she tried to make sense out of Susan’s unexpected visit. Did the woman really intend to reunite with Tom? What would he think? Did he already know? More importantly, what would he do? Sure, a mere minute ago Pam felt confident he would laugh at the suggestion. But was she really that certain? These were his children Susan was talking about.
Pam felt a gnawing sensation swirl in the pit of her stomach. It worked its way upward. He chose Susan once, her brain reminded. The image caused her to squeeze her eyes closed and lean on the stair rail. And with that choice went all her hopes and dreams. She’d thought they were lost forever, and she’d accepted the end result, burying it along with her best friend. Until a few weeks ago. Suddenly, they were resurrected. And gave her the freedom to hope. What would happen to them now? What would happen to her? Who would he choose this time?
Reaching her destination, Pam headed for the telephone. She started to dial Tom’s number, then stopped. What should she say? Something like, “Hi. It’s me. The woman you’re supposed to marry in a few months. I just wanted to let you know you’re ex-wife came by to see me today. For the sake of your sons, she thinks you two should give it another try. That means you can see them every day. You’ll be able to be the dad you always wanted to be. But I told her you weren’t interested.”
Pam’s head pounded with the unfairness of it all. This was what her aunt must have meant about things getting complicated. But why did it have to be? This was the second time she felt happiness just within her grasp. And now, once again, it was slipping through her fingers. Why, God? her thoughts implored. Is it because I fell in love with a divorced man and divorce is a sin? Or is it punishment for drinking that night? How am I supposed to handle this? What am I supposed to do?
Hanging up the phone, Pam noticed a newspaper lying on one of the chairs. Instantly, the headline caught her eye. “Ex-spouses go to war over proposed land projects and children.”
Pam’s hand started to shake. Slowly, filled with dread, she picked up the paper and read the full article.
“Lawyers for both sides filed numerous motions over the past three days. Each raised scathing personal accusations against their clients’ ex-spouses in the midst of the battle over a proposed rehabilitation hospital vs. a housing development. The former Mrs. Thomas Jarrod went a step further today and petitioned the court to terminate Mr. Jarrod’s visitation rights with the couple’s two sons. She claims his fiancée is unfit and a dangerous influence on the children.”
Pam’s heart pounded and the back of her neck burned with indignation. Susan’s accusations were ludicrous. And unfounded. Yet still incredibly damaging. Farther down in the article, the reporter linked Pam to Megan’s and Ryan Collins’ deaths.
Great! Just what she needed. She threw down the paper and began to pace. In addition to everything else, here she was, starting a new job and a new life, and now her name appeared in yet another newspaper article. After all these years of pent-up guilt and emotion, she’d spent the past three weeks trying desperately to put the past behind her. And with some success. No, she didn’t like everything she’d recently learned about the accident. But she could deal with it. Could she deal with Susan?
Pam continued to pace. Even if Tom rejected Susan’s plans to reconcile, could that cause an even more negative impact on the boys? And what about this outrageous fight over the real estate? How long would that go on? And would it end there? Or would there be something else just as awful to deal with later? Considering the possibilities, she found herself asking, Is this really the kind of life I want?
Pam gasped. What a selfish question! The man she promised to love for the rest of her life needed her. At least, she thought he did. What kind of person would she be to even consider throwing in the towel? The idea was unthinkable. Yet, she found herself repeating the question. If this mess didn’t get straightened out, what kind of life could she and Tom share?
Pulling at her hair, she walked back to the phone and called Tom’s office. Peggy, the dispatcher, answered.
“No, Pam. He’s out running some errands. If it’s an emergency, I can reach him on the radio.”
“No. Thanks.” That’s all she needed. More gossip. Next, she dialed his cell phone. After three rings, Tom’s voice mail clicked on. She left a message and hung up. She did the same thing on his home line. Where could he be?
Truths Unveiled
Truths Unveiled
Chapter Forty-Three
Pam took a quick glance at the clock on the wall. She still had over an hour before she needed to report for duty. Grabbing her keys, she headed for town. Fifteen minutes later, she found Tom’s truck parked outside his lawyer’s office down the street from the courthouse. Across the street, she saw Susan’s BMW parked in front of her lawyer’s office. This was too much. A couple of dumb, bloodthirsty sharks making money off other people’s misery. How absurd!
Armed with the newspaper, Pam entered the brownstone office building. Tom found her within seconds of the receptionist announcing her arrival. After a quick kiss, he led her into an office and introduced her to three lawyers.
Shaking each reptile’s hand, Pam mentally added the amount of billable hours Tom must be paying. She imagined Susan’s team cost even more. But for what? her thoughts screamed.
“You saw the article.”
Pam handed him the newspaper. “Is it true?”
Their eyes met and held. Then he said, “Most of it. I meant to tell you about it earlier. There just didn’t seem to be a right time. And compared to our future plans, I don’t find it all that enjoyable to talk about.”
Pam kept her eyes on him but remained silent.
“We were just discussing what to do next. Will you stay and listen?”
“Susan met me at the hospital a little while ago,” she blurted out. She didn’t care who heard her. “She wants to reconcile with you.”
Tom threw his arms up in indignation. “That’s just crap.” He turned to his lawyers. “Can you believe it?” Then he swung back to Pam, his face etched with concern. “You know that’s not going to happen. Right?”
Pam just stood there. She wanted to say something but couldn’t find the right words.
Tom reached for her arms. “Right? There’s no way. I won’t let her break us up again. Ever!”
So you say, Pam’s thoughts challenged. She’d been down that road before.
“Please stay and listen. I need your input.”
After a long moment, Pam relented. She looked at her watch. “I’ve got about thirty minutes.” She took a seat on the leather couch beneath the window. Minutes later, she dug her fingernails into her palms to keep from interrupting. When the lawyers finally concluded their conversation, they left her and Tom alone. He went to h
er and drew her upward into an embrace.
“I’m so sorry about all this mess. I’ll take care of it. I promise.”
Pam pulled back and looked into his face. Tension lines etched his forehead. His jaw clenched with anger.
“You look like you want to say something,” he whispered.
“I don’t think you want to hear it.”
His frown deepened. “Say it.”
Pam stepped away and crossed her arms to her chest. She leaned against the desk and kept her eyes on the floor. Suddenly, they had reached a crossroad. It frightened her. But certain things needed to be said. And resolved. Otherwise, they had no hope for a future together.
Truths Unveiled Page 20
