Friend Me

by John Faubion

  “Thank you, Mr. Sally. That’s the first positive thing I’ve heard today.”

  “Sit tight, Mr. Douglas,” said Sally. He pushed the button for the deputy, who then came and coded him out the door.

  Scott sat on the metal chair, trying unsuccessfully to collect his thoughts. All he could focus on was Rachel and if she was all right. Right now she was all alone and he needed to be with her.

  Less than an hour later, he heard the lock mechanism slide smoothly back out of place in the heavy door again. It was the same deputy who had brought him in. “Time to go, sir.”

  “Am I done here?”

  “Yes, sir. I guess there was some mixup. The sheriff said they’re not going to charge you, so you’re free to go.”

  When the deputy walked him back out the outer doors, he felt as conspicuous as a man who had served thirty years in a federal prison for violent crime. Never again, he promised himself. Never again.

  • • •

  SCOTT CALLED LAKE COUNTY HOSPITAL on his cell phone, which had been returned to him upon his release. He was transferred to Rudy Garcia.

  “I’m sorry about all that trouble earlier, Mr. Douglas. We have to follow the protocols passed down to us by the hospital and law enforcement. You understand.”

  “Okay, I understand. But how is my wife? Where can I find her?”

  “She’s doing well, Mr. Douglas. Don’t worry about a thing. Ask for me personally at the front desk when you arrive, sir, and I’ll take you to her room myself. I’m truly very sorry for all you’ve been put through.”

  “Thank you. Your apology means a lot to me. I love my wife and I would never . . .” He choked on the words. “Okay, I’ll be there in five.” Scott clicked off the phone. He hoped Garcia was playing straight this time.

  Garcia met Scott in the lobby as soon as he walked in the door. “Follow me, Mr. Douglas. Your wife is on the third floor in a private room.”

  He looked down at his clipboard, then back to Scott. “Your mother-in-law, Mrs. June Anderson, is flying in, and will be with the children at your home soon. Have you been in touch with her?”

  “No, but thank you for the information.”

  Scott followed Garcia up to the third floor, to room 3012. He opened the door and looked in. There was Rachel, lying on a hospital bed, evidently asleep. “Thank you, Mr. Garcia. I’d like to be alone with her now.”

  “Yes, sir. If there’s anything else I can do, just ask for me at the front desk. I’m at your service.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  Enemy

  Rachel’s eyes were closed. Her face looked bruised and there were large bruise marks on her arms. If he hadn’t been told differently, he’d have thought she’d been beaten up. Had he been the cause of this? Was this what loving him, trusting him, had brought her?

  For the next hour he sat with Rachel, holding her pale hand in his. He couldn’t take his gaze away from her face. He’d never seen her look so weak. Her hand never moved, the fingers limp inside his.

  He wanted to call Andy, her father, but didn’t have the heart to face him even over the phone. He felt so ashamed, unworthy of the precious wife that lay by his side on her hospital bed.

  At last her eyelids struggled open. She awoke to find Scott holding her hand.

  “Oh, Scott. I’m so glad you’re here.” She closed her eyes again, her face slack, weariness evident in her pale skin.

  “I’m here, sweetheart. And I’ll be here until you’re well. I love you with all my heart.” He laid his head against her shoulder. Her heartbeat was strong in his ear.

  “Did they tell you what happened?”

  Her voice was soft, almost distant.

  I came so close to losing her. The tears came again. He pushed his face into her gown to absorb them, then lifted his eyes back to hers.

  Rachel’s eyes were half closed. He could tell she was struggling hard to keep them open at all.

  “No, I hardly know anything at all. All they told me was that you may have been poisoned, that you were bleeding, but that you were going to be okay.”

  She sighed, her breath shallow. “I was so tired, Scott. I was at home and I was just so very tired. I guess it was because I was losing blood, but I didn’t know that then. They say I was bleeding internally.” She breathed heavily, her chest heaving with the effort.

  “Then what happened? Who called nine-one-one?”

  “I did, at least I think I did. No, I know I did. There was no one else around. I went to the bathroom and saw myself in the mirror.” A shudder ran through her body. “Oh, Scott. It was so awful. My teeth were all covered with blood and I was so weak I could hardly stand up. They say it was poison, Scott. Something called Coumadin. How could that happen?”

  Scott steeled himself, preparing to answer. Did he know for sure? Was he 100 percent? No, but he was certain just the same. This was going to be difficult.

  “Did you know I had to go to the police station?”

  Rachel lifted her head up from the pillow, eyes wide. “What? Why would they do that?”

  “I think they thought maybe I was the one that poisoned you. Maybe they still think so. I don’t know. But they let me go a little while ago.”

  “They let you go? What do you mean? Did you have to go to jail or something?”

  “I was there for a while. It could have been worse. I could have lost you.” He felt Rachel’s hand tighten around his. “I’ve got some things to tell you.”

  Her chin quivered. Tears flowed from the corners of her eyes. “Scott, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know anything about that. Don’t they know it’s not your fault?”

  “I suppose that lots of bad things happen in families today and maybe it was just natural for them to think that we were having trouble that way.” He looked deeply into Rachel’s eyes. “I would never, ever hurt you. Please believe that.”

  “Of course I believe you. You don’t have to say that. God brought us together. We love each other.”

  “You’re right. I just wanted to say it, because after I tell you the rest you’re not going to be very proud of me.”

  Her eyes softened, pleading. “Go on. Tell me everything. I’m still going to love you just the same.”

  “It started with Suzanne.”

  Rachel’s brow wrinkled. “Suzanne? You mean real Suzanne? Or the virtual Suzanne?”

  “The virtual one. Remember you showed me how real she seemed? I decided to try it myself.” He paused, and looked off toward a corner of the room.

  She’ll never trust me again.

  “I was at work one day. There was so much pressure on me. I just thought it would be fun.” He looked back into Rachel’s eyes. “I am such a fool.

  “I created a friend for myself like you did, just to try it out. But when they asked me if I wanted a male or a female friend, I chose female.”

  The silence between them became palpable. Scott was still holding her hand, but he could feel it withdraw, ever so slightly. He understood.

  Rachel’s eyes blinked, unable to hold back tears. “Go on.”

  “I think you already know what I’m going to tell you. I had her do things for me that were wrong. I’m so ashamed. I became unfaithful to you. I did things I’ve never done before and I promise I will never do again.”

  Rachel’s body stiffened. Her face was taut, slitted eyes turned toward the window as if seeking a way of escape.

  “Scott, I don’t want to know any more. I’ve listened to all I can from you today.”

  He bent down, brought his cheek close against her bruised face, attempted to kiss her.

  She jerked her head away. “No, no, don’t touch me now.”

  In her ear he whispered, “I’ve never loved anyone but you. I only love you.”

  Tears wet Rachel’s cheeks. “Do you not get it? I can’t listen to any more, okay?”

  It was not okay, and Scott knew that it couldn’t stop here. His walk on the wild side had invited a monster into their home and they w
ere not even close to safety. Not yet.

  He sat back up, looking her squarely in the face. “There’s more to tell. This affects both of us and we’ve got to work together before we’re done with it.”

  Rachel drew her knees up and nodded, eyes closed, waiting for him to go on.

  “The virtual person was named Alicia.” He looked for any sign in her expression that would indicate she had made the connection. Not yet. “The more I went to the website and talked with her, the more real she seemed to become.”

  “Just like Suzanne,” Rachel whispered, her face more pale than ever.

  “Yes, but with a big difference. I kept having the feeling, whenever I was on the website, or texting, or whatever . . . I kept having the impression that I was talking with a real person. I knew I wasn’t, but still, there was something I couldn’t put my finger on.”

  “So, what are you saying? Did you figure out what it was?”

  “One day something really, really strange happened. I was at work and a text came when she asked me to meet her for lunch.”

  Rachel’s eyes went wide. “Lunch? How could she do that? She’s not even real.”

  “I know, that’s what I said. Maybe, I thought, this is some sort of website test, or survey, or something like that. Maybe the company is doing something to see how far they can take all this. I was intrigued, so I said I would do it.”

  Rachel’s chin trembled as her eyes became glassy with tears. She hugged her knees to her chest. Her voice was weak. “You agreed to meet her?”

  He took her hand more firmly. “Sweetheart, I’m so sorry for all this. But I have to tell you what happened. Because we haven’t gotten to the hard part yet. I went to the restaurant they told me to and I sat down at the table they had waiting for me.”

  She looked up at him, her eyes accusing and hard.

  “Yes, they actually had a table reserved for me. The owner knew all about it, somehow. There was a note for me on the table, in an envelope. The note said to set up my laptop across the table from me, so when the person was on the screen . . .”

  Scott struggled. The person? He still wasn’t being honest.

  “ . . . so that when she was there, it would look like she was sitting across the table from me.”

  Rachel tried to pull her hand back from Scott’s grasp. She appeared to shrink into herself.

  “Scott?” Rachel’s voice was small, tremulous. “Was I not enough for you? Did you really need someone else who would love you better than me?” Her chin quivered as tears coursed down her cheeks onto the pillow. Then she turned her head away.

  “I’m sorry. I am sooo sorry,” she moaned. “I tried to be enough for you.”

  Scott’s chest ached as his heart broke within him. He could barely speak, his throat tight and sore with emotion.

  “You’re more than enough. You’re wonderful.” He put his arms around Rachel and wept. At the jail he had wept with remorse. He needed no one to tell him how hollow his words were. Now he wept with love and compassion for this beautiful woman who loved him so much.

  Minutes passed before either could speak again. Rachel’s eyes were bloodshot, her skin flushed and puffy with the emotional trial.

  “I have to tell you the rest. She asked me if something were to ever happen to you, would she be enough for me?”

  Rachel’s eyes sought his. She looked questioning, fearful. “And you said yes, didn’t you.”

  “I thought it was like a game. Like a stupid video game. I didn’t know.” But I did know. Oh, God! I’m still lying.

  Rachel’s eyes probed his now, something new behind them. “And now?”

  “Rachel, she’s real. She’s a real woman.”

  “What was her name?”

  Now she’ll understand.

  “Alicia.”

  “Alicia? You don’t mean . . .”

  “Yes, when I came home the other night, remember I stopped the car before I got to the driveway? She was standing next to her car, talking to you.”

  • • •

  THE BILE ROSE UP in Rachel’s throat before she could stop it. She pulled the sheet up to her mouth, but the force of the discharge threw her back on the bed.

  “Call the . . . nurse!” she said, choking.

  But the nurse had heard from the hallway and was already running into the room. “One side, sir,” she cried as she began stripping off the top sheet, mopping the vomit off the bed.

  A second nurse appeared with a large plastic bag, waving Scott away. “Wait two hours before you come back. Let her rest.” Scott obeyed and disappeared into the hallway.

  Rachel allowed the nurses to clean her up and change her gown.

  How could this happen to me? What have I done?

  She had let that woman into her house. She’d handed her own little children over to her. She held the bedrails as the sickness rolled through her like thunder. It had been so close.

  She might have killed them.

  The nurse glanced sideways at her as she scrubbed off the mattress pad. “The good news is the color is good. A while ago you were on the verge of bleeding out. This vomit is barely pink.” She smiled approvingly. “Something to be thankful for. No one likes to throw up, but if you’re going to do it, it might as well be good news.”

  Rachel looked around and saw Scott was no longer by the bed.

  “Is Scott still here?”

  “The man who was in here?”

  “Yes, he’s my husband. Is he still here?”

  “I told him to come back in two hours. I’m sure he will, honey. You need to sit back and rest. I’ll get you something to drink so your throat doesn’t get irritated.”

  • • •

  ALONE, Rachel couldn’t keep her mind from churning with what she had learned. She lay in a fetal position, pulled the thin sheet up to her neck.

  She fought to approach it logically, but the fear she felt for her family and her children was overwhelming.

  The woman had my children. I left her alone in my house.

  How could she have been so stupid? Not seen the signs?

  Who had let that woman into her home? She had herself. What had she known about her? Nothing. She was just someone that had shown up one day at Hugest Losers. What kind of recommendation was that?

  So who was this Alicia?

  She shows up one day, comes out of nowhere. No, not nowhere. She knew all along what she was doing.

  How had she done that? How can she be virtual and real at the same time?

  Scott liked her. Bitterness began to wrap hard, cold roots around her heart. No, she couldn’t blame him alone. He may have blundered in with his eyes wide open, but she’d allowed herself to be deceived.

  It started with . . . Suzanne. And who was Suzanne? She wasn’t real, that was for sure.

  The Coumadin, the poison she’d taken, what about that?

  Alicia had been in the house.

  Her eyes snapped open.

  Could the children have been poisoned, too? Alicia could have put poison in the food, the milk. In anything. She’d have to throw everything out, just to be sure. Maybe it was in something all of them had been eating.

  But for now, she was the only one that was sick. The visage of that bloody stranger looking back at her in the bathroom mirror shocked her again.

  Not anyone else. She had been the target.

  Scott’s voice echoed in her ears. If something happened to your wife . . .

  There it was, right before her eyes.

  Who is Suzanne?

  If a person controlled the Alicia personality, then the same person could control the Suzanne personality.

  Suzanne was always planting doubts about Scott, wasn’t she? “Why is he working late again? What if he’s alone with a woman? What could he be doing so late at night?” Always trying to drive a wedge between them, something to cause her to worry.

  She must work there. She must work for the website company.

  Puzzle piece by puzzle piece, sh
e watched it all come together.

  First there had been Suzanne. Maybe that had been innocent enough. They would find out.

  Then there had been this Alicia person. That’s where something had changed. Somehow someone had taken over the Alicia personality, and Scott had walked right through the door.

  The same person must have hacked into controlling the Suzanne personality in some way. She thought about that, walking back in her memory of interactions with Suzanne, step-by-step, looking for the change.

  She remembered.

  Suzanne had asked, “Are you sure he’s really at the office? You’ve experienced a loss of his affection since he’s been coming home so late.”

  The timing was right. Obvious. The answer was there, suspended in the air like a 3-D image.

  She was in a battle for her family. That woman, whoever she might be, was trying to steal her family from under her nose. No, worse than that. She was trying to get rid of her altogether.

  Who had recommended the calcium supplement? That had been her doctor.

  But when she’d told her, Suzanne had said, “Would you try Cal Sup, for me? They’re my favorite brand.”

  “Ohhhhh.” She exhaled a long breath. Suzanne had known exactly what to find.

  It was like a slap in the face when the full awareness struck her.

  She tried to kill me so she could replace me.

  She wanted to steal her place as Scott’s wife.

  Rachel shrank within herself as the next explosive realization impacted on the fragile, shivering wall of what was left of her heart.

  Replace me as my children’s mother.

  She couldn’t handle any more. That was enough. Scott and she could talk through the rest together.

  No sleazy woman is going to steal my husband or my children from me.

  Resolve crystallized like steel in her heart. Smoking, liquid metal flowed hot and red into the marrow of her bones as the powerful change came over her.

  Well, Alicia, or whoever you are, you have an enemy. You tried to steal the wrong family.