Wrong Memories

by Edna Curry

  He moved to stand behind her to read what was on her screen. “Keep your mouth shut about Roscoe or you’ll be sorry!”

  She turned to stare at Dave. “What does it mean?”

  “I don’t know,” he said grimly. “Who is Roscoe?”

  “I have no idea. I don’t know anyone with that name.”

  Dave picked up the officer’s card, phoned the number on it and reported the warning email.

  “Strange,” the officer said. “And she’s sure she doesn’t know anyone named Roscoe? Or what she’s supposed to not talk about?”

  “No, she doesn’t,” Dave said.

  “How strange. Well, I’ll add it to my report.”

  He told Lucy what the policeman had said and took his leave.

  Lucy locked the door behind him, crawled into bed and cried herself to sleep. Her life was getting more and more strange and upsetting.

  ***

  Around noon on Tuesday, two young women came into the restaurant and sat at one of Lucy’s tables. She grabbed menus and water and went to wait on them.

  “Lucy!” One of the women said in a surprised tone. “Lucy Denton! How nice to see you again. How have you been?”

  Lucy stared at the young women, looking from one to the other. They seemed to be about her own age, but she didn’t know them. The one who’d recognized her was a long-haired blond and the other a brunette with her hair in a short, pixie cut. This woman knew her name? She wasn’t wearing a name tag, so was it possible? “I’m sorry,” Lucy stammered. “I don’t remember you.”

  “Of course you do, Lucy. I’m Jodi Simms. We had HTML class together under old Rat-face Anderson, remember? No one could forget her.”

  “I’m sorry,” Lucy repeated. “I was in a car accident that messed up my memory.”

  “Oh, my goodness. That’s awful.” Jodi eyed Lucy. “Are those bruises on your face?”

  “Yes.” She raised a self-conscious hand to touch the side of her face. “They’re almost gone now. When and where did we have that class together?”

  “Oh. About five years ago, at the U, Minneapolis campus. We lived in the same dorm, but on different floors. This is my friend, Kari. You really don’t remember? That’s awful.”

  “I’m mostly recovered now, thank you.”

  “But what are you doing working here? You were at the top of all our computer classes. I thought you’d be working for some big software company by now.”

  Lucy swallowed hard and a chill ran over her. Jodi had known her as Lucy Denton? Then that really was her name? Those travelers’ checks were hers? Could it be true? Excitement brought heat to her face and made her pulse race. “I’m still having memory problems from the car accident,” she explained. “So this job suits me for now. May I take your orders?”

  “Of course,” Jodi said. “I’ll have the grilled chicken salad with ranch dressing and raspberry iced tea.”

  “The same for me,” Kari said, handing her the menu.

  Lucy wrote down what they wanted, took their menus and hurried back to the kitchen with their orders.

  She couldn’t believe her luck! At last, some concrete information that she could check out. She’d gone to the University of Minnesota. She was sure the University kept very good records. She just had to call them and ask them to mail her a list of her credits and she’d know what she’d trained for. Jodi had said it was computers. But her elation dimmed as she realized the truth of the matter. What good were credentials when she couldn’t remember the knowledge she’d gained there?

  ***

  As soon as Lucy got off work, she hurried home, looked up the University’s phone number on line and called them. After asking for her social security number and driver’s license numbers for ID, the woman she talked to promised to send the info right out. “You should have it in a few days,” she said. “Give me your address.”

  “Oh,” Lucy said, disappointed. She gave her address. She was so excited to get some detail on her life at last, that several days of waiting seemed like forever. “Is there no way to get it sooner?”

  “Of course. I could email or fax it to you.”

  “Email would be great.” She told the woman her email address. “Could you send me a copy now?” Lucy asked.

  “I’ll send it right away. Do you want me to mail you the paper copy as well?”

  “Yes, please.”

  She hung up and went to make some tea, then sat at her computer while she sipped it, waiting for the information. She hadn’t dared ask for the home address they had listed, or her next of kin. Surely the woman would have gotten suspicious and refused to give out her information if she’d asked for those. Maybe they’d be on the information the woman sent her. Or maybe Georgia’s policeman friend could get them for her. She’d ask on Wednesday. That was tomorrow, she realized. Good!

  In a few minutes, an email came in to her mailbox. Lucy printed it out, then moved with her tea to the sofa to read through it. The address on it was only the U’s dormitory. That was no help, now.

  She was shocked to see that she had a master’s degree in computer science and had graduated with honors. A masters! And she’d had to learn from Dave how to do the simplest thing with her computer. She didn’t recognize the names of most of the classes she’d taken, except for the basic required Freshman classes, which sounded similar to the ones Lucinda had taken back in 1950. She supposed some courses, like English Composition, and American History didn’t change that much over the years.

  She went for another cup of tea to soothe her dry throat and drank it. Would her memory of all those courses come back as the doctor at Regions had thought? She certainly hoped so.

  Otherwise, she’d have to take them all over again. Or be doomed to being a waitress all her life.

  But if she really was Lucille Denton, how had she gotten all those traveler’s checks? And why had she been carrying them? Had she been traveling? If so, where? And where had she been living since she’d graduated last June? That was almost a year ago. Surely, she must have had a job during that year.

  Oh, my God! I must have a whole different family if I’m Lucille. Are my parents in this life alive? Do I have brothers or sisters? How can I find out?

  Could the police find that out, too? She certainly hoped so.

  Excitedly, she called Dave and told him she had something important to show him.

  “Oh? You sound very excited. I’ll be right over. Have you eaten dinner yet?”

  “No.”

  “Then I’ll pick you up and we’ll talk over dinner. I’m starved.”

  “Okay.” She tucked the printed email into her purse and went to the bathroom to fix her makeup. Maybe Dave would have some ideas on how she could learn more. She didn’t dare call Georgia, but she knew Dave would. She couldn’t wait until tomorrow night to see her and tell her about this.

  She glanced out her window and saw Dave’s car pull up to the curb. She grabbed her purse, locked her door and ran down to meet him.

  “Wow, you’re excited,” he said, greeting her with a kiss and helping her into his car. He got behind the wheel and turned to her. “I hope that means you have good news?”

  She reached over and hugged him tightly. “Yes. Oh, Dave, the most exciting thing happened at work today.”

  “Oh? What?”

  “Two young women came in and one of them knew me as Lucille Denton! She said we attended the U together in Minneapolis. I really must be Lucille, Dave.”

  “That’s great, Lucy.”

  “There’s more. I called the U and got my transcript. The woman emailed it to me. See?” She pulled it from her purse and handed it to him.

  He stared at her, then took it and began reading. “But Lucy, this says you have a master’s degree in computer science. That can’t be. You didn’t even know how to turn a computer on.” He looked confused.

  Depression set in. “Oh, God, I know, Dave. I can’t remember any of it. So what good is a Master’s Degree if I can’t use it? With
out my memory, I can’t do the work I was trained for, damn it.” Then she brightened and said, “Though I did remember how to download and use Quicken the other night. So maybe the rest will come back, too?”

  “I sure hope so, sweetheart.” He pulled out his cell phone and dialed, saying, “I need to tell Georgia about this, okay?”

  Lucy nodded, chewing her lip in worry.

  ***

  After talking a few minutes, he hung up and said, “She’s excited too. Her last client is just leaving, and she hasn’t eaten either, but she’ll see us in an hour and a half. That’ll give us time to eat before we go there, okay?”

  Lucy smiled. “Wonderful. Thanks, Dave.”

  “I asked her if she wanted to come eat with us, but she said no, she had her dinner waiting in her refrigerator.” He started the car, glanced into the rear-view mirror and pulled out from the curb. An older blue Ford sedan pulled out from the curb a block behind them. He frowned at it. Didn’t I see that same car behind us the other night?

  On impulse, he turned the next corner and drove down a couple blocks, then pulled into a parking spot and waited.

  Lucy frowned. “What are you doing? I thought we were going to eat?”

  “We are,” Dave said, watching his rear-view mirror. “But I think we have a tail.”

  “A tail?”

  “Don’t turn around. But that blue sedan behind us is following us. I think it’s the same one I saw the other night when we went to Georgia’s house.”

  Sure enough, the blue sedan drove by a few minutes later and turned the corner ahead of them.

  Lucy gasped. “That looks a lot like Sally’s boyfriend, Charles. Why would he be following us?”

  “I don’t know. But I’m going to find out.” He waited a bit and it reappeared down the block behind them and parked.

  “I’m going to turn around and go past him from this way. Try to get his license number, okay?”

  Lucy nodded and grabbed a pen and notebook from her purse.

  Dave quickly spun his Honda into a U-turn and headed back down the block, then slowed as they came close to him. But as they grew closer, the blue sedan sped out of its parking space and raced past them, almost hitting them and a white car that was also coming toward them. The white car’s driver slammed on his brakes and leaned on his horn.

  “Did you get his plate number? That other car came at me so I had to watch traffic.”

  “Yes, I think so.”

  “Good. We’ll give it to Georgia’s police friend and see if he can figure out what’s going on.”

  Lucy turned and looked down the street where the blue sedan had disappeared. “Well, I think he’s gone. Now that he knows we’ve seen him, he shouldn’t be back tonight, do you think?”

  “Probably not,” Dave agreed.

  An hour later, they sat in Georgia’s office, telling her about being followed.

  She phoned her police connection and gave him the license number, then hung up and asked, “What do you think it means, Lucy?”

  “I don’t know. I thought the man looked like another waitress’ new boyfriend, Charles. Remember I told you last time that he comes into the restaurant and stares at me, making me nervous?”

  “Yes, you did. And you think he was the man in the car following you tonight?”

  Lucy chewed her lip and nodded. “Yes, I think so, but I can’t be sure.”

  “Well, his license number should tell us whether or not it is him.”

  Lucy went on to tell Georgia about Jodi Simms, the former classmate who’d recognized her and about getting her college transcript. She pulled it from her purse and handed it to Georgia. “So, I guess I really am Lucille Denton and I have a master’s degree in computer science.”

  “That’s wonderful news,” Georgia said, reading the transcript.

  “No, it isn’t,” Lucy said with a long sigh.

  “Why not? Aren’t you relieved to know you don’t have to worry about using that ID and paying back those traveler’s checks?”

  Lucy nodded. “Oh, yes, I’m pleased about that. But where did I get all those travelers’ checks? Why was I carrying so much money?”

  “Maybe the answer to that will come back to you, too.”

  “I sure hope so. And what good is a college degree if I can’t remember the things I learned there? I’m supposed to be a computer specialist and Dave had to teach me the basics of using a computer, for God’s sake!”

  “True. But remember, you said you’d known how to download and use Quicken, and he hadn’t taught that to you. So, don’t you think you’ll eventually remember all the rest of the stuff you learned?”

  “I sure hope so. But what if I don’t?”

  “I think you will, Lucy. Just relax and give yourself time. But even if you don’t, you’re doing fine, now, aren’t you? Your job is going well?”

  “Oh, yes. But what if I have a whole family out there who’s looking for me? Well, they’re not looking very hard, do you think?”

  “Maybe they think you’re fine and just haven’t tried yet. Otherwise, there’d be a record of it with the police, don’t you think?”

  “I suppose.” Lucy chewed her lip, glancing at Dave worriedly. What was he thinking? What if no one contacted the police because they were the kind of people who didn’t trust the police? Would he still want to get involved with her if she were involved with that kind?

  He smiled at her reassuringly. He always seemed to know what she was thinking. Were her thoughts written on her face? Was she so obvious?

  ***

  Later that evening, after taking Lucy home, Dave called Georgia to ask if she’d heard from her police contact.

  “Not yet,” she said. “But I’m sure he’ll get back to me when he can.”

  “Don’t forget to tell him about the email threat.”

  “I’ve already emailed it to him. I know he’s on duty tonight.”

  “I’m thinking of hiring a detective to research Lucy’s background.”

  “Do you think that’s wise, Dave?”

  “I don’t know. She seems so lost, not knowing her past.”

  “But she may be very upset to learn you’ve hired someone to snoop into her life. And what if the news is bad?”

  “What could be worse than not knowing?”

  Georgia sighed. “A lot of things, Dave. Who knows what her background might reveal. There has to be a reason no one is looking for her, don’t you think?”

  “I suppose. Okay, I’ll hold off unless she asks me for help.”

  “If she asks, that’s a whole different situation. Right now, she’s feeling very out of control of her life. If she’s directing an investigation, then I’d approve, because she’d want to know the answers. But until that happens, dear brother, keep out of it, okay?”

  He sighed. “Okay, sis. You know best. At least, I hope you do.”

  ***

  “Thanks. See you next time.” Georgia hung up and chewed her lip. Was she right this time? She sure hoped so. She’d never seen anyone look so lost as Lucy had when she’d told her about her useless college degree.

  Chapter 10

  Early the next afternoon, Lucy waited on a nice looking middle-aged man. He eyed her in a friendly manner and greeted her with, “Hi, Lucy. How are you doing?”

  Lucy smiled at him, set a glass of water down and handed him a menu. “I’m fine, sir. What can I get you to drink?”

  “Coffee, apple pie ala mode and come talk to me for a minute.”

  Used to customers who flirted, Lucy said, “Your order will be right up, sir, but I’m afraid I can’t stop to visit.”

  He grabbed her hand. “Lucy, I’m your Uncle Dirk. Don’t you know me?”

  The blood drained from her face and she pulled her hand back, stepping away. “I’m sorry, sir, I don’t know you. I…I’ll get your order.” She hurried back to the kitchen, glancing at him over her shoulder.

  “What’s the matter?” Sally asked, stopping beside her as she put
in his order. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  “Tha…that man over there. Do you know him?” She tipped her head toward him. He was watching them with a frown on his face.

  Sally looked him over, then shook her head. “No, he’s a stranger to me. Why?”

  “I…I think he’s just flirting. He claims he’s my uncle and wants me to sit with him.”

  “Well, if he’s not your uncle, just ignore the lech.” Sally tossed her head to flip her hair back and headed for her next batch of customers.

  Lucy closed her eyes. What should she do? Nobody here knew she’d lost her memory and she didn’t want to tell them now. She needed this job, she couldn’t take a chance on being fired. She’d just politely take him his order and ignore the rest of his request.

  With shaking hands, she filled a pot of coffee, took a cup and the pie and ice cream from the kitchen sideboard and carried it to the well-dressed man.

  “Here you are. Let me know if you’d like anything else.”

  “Just to talk to you, Lucy.”

  “I’m not allowed to visit with the customers.”

  “Come on, what can it hurt? We’re in plain sight of everyone. Just sit for a minute and listen to me.”

  Lucy glanced around. Sally was waiting on the only other table that needed attention right now. “All right. For just a moment.”

  “You really don’t know me?”

  “That’s a nice pick-up line, but no, I’ve never seen you before you walked in today.”

  “How about when I was sitting across the dinner table from you at your parents’ house after your graduation party?”

  “P...parents’ house? What graduation party?”

  “The one your parents threw to celebrate your earning your Master’s Degree from the U. And then getting that great job at IBM in Minneapolis.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lucy said. She swallowed hard, but her heart was beating at double speed. Did she really have another family she knew nothing about? Or rather, that she just couldn’t remember? Was this man telling the truth? Could she trust him? He did have the same coloring as she did. But so did lots of other people.