Eviscerating the Snake - The Complete Trilogy

by Ashley Fontainne

  With that, he left, and I sat reeling from his visit and caught in a trap that I had no idea how I would escape.

  Fuck me running.

  I STOOD IN THE stairwell with the door cracked and watched Olin’s son leave Nick’s room. Watching him walk away went against every instinct in me. I wanted to yank the scumbag by his collar and throw him against the wall and maybe handcuff him and take him to jail after I beat the living shit out of him. Still reeling from what I just heard, I was having difficulty sorting out my thoughts on the matter. If everything he just said were true, then it was my duty as an officer to investigate his claims. Murder had been committed, and according to the snot nosed turd, he had evidence to back up his story. But then again, he was using “said” evidence to blackmail Nick, so was it just a well-executed blackmail ploy? Did he really have anything on Nick? He said he had the tape of Nick and Ralph, which did give some credence to his words since he would only know about that tape had he actually seen it. So, was he telling the truth about having another video showing Nick kill Olin, or was that just a lie to use as leverage to get Nick to do his bidding?

  What a nightmare that the greed for more had created. In all my years of working as a cop, I had never seen the likes of such a jumbled, interwoven group, full of lies, deceptions, greed, hate, and death. The kid not only looked like his father but was just as ruthless and arrogant as his old man. Don’t those people ever think about anything other than money? Would nothing stop them until they got what they wanted? When would it ever be enough? They were like sharks that smelled blood in the water, and their frenzied feeding didn’t seem to have an end, and more kept coming to the dinner table.

  I had already started thinking about how I was going to handle an investigation when I remembered that I was supposed to be on vacation. No, no, I wasn’t going to get involved. I had to concentrate, just like the Chief said, on Audra. The matter was Nick’s problem, not mine. He made the decision to take the law into his own hands, and he was beginning to pay the price.

  Yeah, that’s what I needed to keep telling myself, but somehow, I knew it was a lie. I knew I would get involved, just not right then as I had more important things to deal with.

  I made my way down the stairs to the intensive care unit, shocked when I glanced at my watch and realized I had been gone for over forty-five minutes. Shit! I had left Audra alone too long. I picked up my pace as I rounded the corner to her room, almost knocking over Nicole.

  “Steve, what’s wrong? Is Audra okay?” she asked, concern etched across her face.

  Damn, I sure didn’t have the time, or the patience, to deal with her today.

  “She’s fine, Nicole,” I said as I opened the door to her room. Relief washed over me when I saw Chas sitting next to her bedside, checking her pulse.

  “Well, thank Heavens! I just wanted to stop by and check on the dear. Any changes yet?”

  We were both inside the room and Chas looked up at me and smiled, then over to Nicole, her smile immediately leaving her face. She addressed me first.

  “I hope you ate a healthy meal while you were gone, Steve. You must have because you have some color back in your cheeks.”

  “How is she, Chas?” I asked, stepping around her and stroking Audra’s hair.

  “Much better. Her vitals are steady and she has been moving around a little. She was mumbling something earlier, but I couldn’t make out anything except the word ‘Jesse.’”

  I had no idea who Jesse was, but I didn’t care. I looked down at her face and noticed that she, too, had some color gracing her face, which was a vast improvement from before.

  Nicole hadn’t moved or said a word. She just stood in the corner by the door and watched. I noticed her face was devoid of any emotions—just a blank stare.

  All three of us were startled when Audra began moving.

  “Hey, baby, I’m here. Sorry I was gone so long, but this old grumpy nurse made me leave and get something to eat,” I said, bending down to kiss her cool forehead.

  I almost fainted when her eyes opened and she looked right at me, her eyes full of confusion.

  “Steve?”

  My name spoken never sounded so incredible to my ears. Tears immediately filled my eyes, and my legs began to wobble. Nicole gasped from the corner and moved closer to the other side of the bed.

  “Yes, baby, it’s me. Good morning, my doll,” I said, choking back the tears as I silently thanked God for answering my prayers.

  Chas piped up. “Well, hello there. I’m Chas, your nurse. Can you tell me your name?”

  Audra blinked those beautiful eyes a few times while a slight smile graced her mouth, then she turned her head toward the sound of Chas’s voice.

  “Audra, Audra Tanner. Did you say ‘nurse’?” Her voice was barely above a whisper, but good God, it was music to my ears.

  Chas motioned me to switch places with her, so I moved into the chair. She pulled out a penlight and leaned over Audra.

  “Yes, dear, I did. You are at Mercy General, and I am your nurse. I need to check your eyes for just a moment, okay?” Chas’s movements were deliberate and slow as she moved in closer with the light. She flashed it across each of Audra’s eyes, then stood back up.

  “I’m in the hospital? Why…what happened to me?”

  I was glad that Chas was there as a buffer because I wasn’t sure I had the ability to vocalize my thoughts without falling apart. I felt Audra’s hand grip my own tighter and noticed that the heart monitor’s beeping increased. So, apparently, did Chas.

  “Now, Ms. Tanner, don’t worry. You are fine—just recovering from a wound, that’s all. No need to cause any undue stress on yourself. You have been here for three days, and it might take a while to recall everything. For now, just concentrate on what your body is telling you. Are you in any pain?”

  Emotions crept across her beautiful face, ranging from shock to confusion and then to irritation. I knew my baby well enough to know that being out of control was something she was not accustomed to, and it was obvious that it was bothering her.

  “Well, my side hurts a little, and I have a throbbing headache, but other than that, no. I am, however, extremely thirsty.” She tried to move her body into a sitting position and grunted in pain. “Yeow. Okay, so that hurts. What the hell is wrong with my side?” Her hand moved down to the bandage over her bullet wound.

  I tried to get the attention of Chas before she responded, not wanting her to drop the bombshell just yet, but she wasn’t looking my way.

  “You don’t remember?”

  “No. The last thing I remember is, well, it’s sort of hazy, but I seem to recall leaving your house and heading back to Phoenix,” she said, looking over at me. “Did I have a wreck or something?”

  I couldn’t believe it. The last memory she had was from almost a week ago. Did she really lose that much time? I tried to remember what Dr. Kingston had said earlier about coma patients and memory loss. What did he call it? Selective amnesia? Yeah, that was it. The brain’s safety valve, he called it, when events so traumatic and painful to think about are repressed.

  Chas reached over and hit the call button. “Shari, please page Dr. Kingston and tell him that Ms. Tanner is awake. He asked to be informed the minute it happened.”

  I wondered if that were really true or if she was using the diversion to distract Audra from having to answer her questions. Whatever the reason, I was grateful that the subject matter was steering into another direction.

  “Audra, honey, you don’t remember? You saved my life, and I tried to save yours, but Kevin shot you anyway,” Nicole said while she reached out and held Audra’s other hand. I have never felt the urge to strike a woman in my life before, until now.

  “Nicole, what are you doing here? And what are you talking about? I was shot? By Kevin? You aren’t making any sense.”

  Tears were seeping out of the edges of Nicole’s eyes, her voice soft and sweet while she gently patted Audra’s hand.

  �
�Yes, honey, he did. I tried to stop him, but he overpowered me. Don’t you remember? He kidnapped us and held us hostage with Piper. But don’t worry now. They can’t hurt you anymore. They are both dead, along with Olin.”

  The look on Audra’s face was indescribable. The only thing that I could glean from it was that she had no idea what Nicole was talking about. I could see her trying to process the information that Nicole just told her, but the vacant stare behind her eyes told me that the memory was well hidden.

  “Olin’s dead? How? Isn’t he in jail?”

  I had heard enough and stood up to intervene when thankfully, Dr. Kingston arrived, followed by Audra’s parents. There were too many of us in the room now, and the overstimulation of events would be too much for Audra to handle, so Dr. Kingston insisted that we all leave so he could perform a full examination on her in peace. The only one he allowed to remain in the room was Dr. Tanner.

  Once out in the hall, Mrs. Tanner began crying, hugging us all as she kept repeating, “My baby’s okay!” I looked over at Nicole, and had I not been so angry with her, I would have laughed at the expression on her face when Mrs. Tanner hugged her.

  “Mrs. Tanner, will you excuse us for just a moment? I need to speak with Nicole,” I said, grabbing Nicole’s arm and moving her down the hall, not really waiting for Mrs. Tanner’s permission. Once out of her earshot, I let Nicole have it.

  “What the hell were you thinking, Nicole? She just woke up from a coma! She didn’t need all that thrown in her face just yet! Jesus, you couldn’t figure that out? There is plenty of time for her to deal with this fucked up mess. Now is not the time!”

  She held her ground and faced me, her eyes betraying her wounded emotions, but her words strong and steady.

  “I wasn’t trying to upset her, Detective. I am just so happy she is awake, and thankful that she saved my life. I just wanted her to know that, in case she slipped back under again. What if she did, and I never had the chance to thank her? Besides, she needed to know that the monsters that did this to her would never be coming after her again, don’t you think?”

  I softened my grip on her arm slightly and thought about that. There was no telling what Audra’s mind thought about while she was unconscious, and it was quite possible that she relived what happened to her, which would generate a tremendous amount of fear.

  “I just don’t want her experiencing anything right now that will upset her. She has been through enough. While I understand your desire to thank her, I think the best thing right now is just for her to remember things on her own, when her mind is ready to deal with them. Not ours.”

  Nicole nodded, the tears flowing down her cheeks now.

  “Forgive me, Detective. I meant no harm. If it weren’t for what she did, I wouldn’t be here. Don’t think that ever leaves my mind. I owe her everything, and I promise you, I will do my best, however long it takes, to make sure she understands just how indebted to her I am.”

  I let go of her arm and leaned against the wall behind me, letting the breath exhale loudly from my lungs. To say that the day had been an eventful one would be a sick joke.

  Nicole wiped her tears and smiled at me.

  “Listen, you just take care of her. I am leaving the hospital today, once my ride gets here. Carl and I will take care of things at Winscott while Audra recuperates from her brush with death, however long that may take. Okay?”

  I nodded my head in agreement, unwilling to tell her that I planned on doing everything in my power to make sure that Audra would never set another foot back inside that hellhole again. After almost losing her once because of that place, I’ll be damned if I would let her go back. Cavalier and pompous of me, but I didn’t care. If Audra balked at my idea and did decide to return, then I would just pack up my things and follow her to Phoenix. Maybe take a job at Phoenix PD or work as security in her building. Hell, I would even be willing to become a janitor at Winscott, just as long as I could be close to her and keep the snakes at bay.

  “You just concentrate on taking care of that special gal in there. She’s going to need it,” Nicole said, then turned and headed to the elevator.

  “You can bet on that, Nicole.”

  Once she was gone, I headed back toward the woman I loved, ready to face her obnoxious parents. I really didn’t care what they said or did at this point. Nothing was going to dampen my happiness now.

  My love was back.

  Mrs. Tanner saw me coming down the hall and made a beeline toward me, her face full of running makeup from her tears of joy. She didn’t say a word, just reached out and hugged me once again. Even though I didn’t really care for her, I felt her genuine emotions of love pour out of her while she embraced me. She pulled away and looked up at me, her eyes swimming in tears.

  “I owe you an apology, Detective Ronson. My husband and I have been nothing but hateful and rude to you since she arrived, and that isn’t fair. We just, well, we, oh god, we almost lost her.” She sputtered the last part as she dissolved into tears. I reached out and put my arm around her and led her over to the small couch in the alcove by the nurses’ station, set there, I’m sure, for times just like these.

  “Please, Mrs. Tanner, you don’t owe me an apology. If anything, I owe you and your husband one, for both of you were right: I should have been there for her. I should have insisted upon a police escort at her side until the moment she was with me. I let her stubbornness win, and for that, I will never forgive myself. But I promise you this: it will never happen again. I love her and plan on doing whatever it takes to ensure her safety for the rest of our lives.”

  I reached over and grabbed the box of tissue that sat next to the table and handed it to Mrs. Tanner. She wiped her face and sniffled then looked over at me. It was through her brimming tears that I noticed for the first time how much Audra resembled her.

  “You really do love her, don’t you, Detective? I can tell. A woman just knows.”

  Inwardly I cringed, feeling a little strange telling the mother of the woman I loved that before I actually told the woman, but I didn’t care. As fake and shallow as Mrs. Tanner was, she still was Audra’s mother, and her display of emotion was definitely an act.

  “Yes, I do. More than I can express. And please, call me Steve. Detective sounds too formal for your future son-in-law, if, that is, I have the blessing from her parents to ask for her hand?”

  Her grin covered her entire face, and she flung her arms around my neck again.

  “I couldn’t think of anyone more suited to handle our little firecracker. And don’t you worry about getting the official okay from her dad. He may be a stubborn ol’ fart, but I know how to handle him. Been doing it for years now.”

  The ice finally broken between the two of us, we chatted about what the next steps would be in terms of Audra’s recovery and the mess that surrounded her being in the hospital. A few minutes into our conversation, Dr. Tanner walked out of Audra’s room, the look of relief and exhaustion covering his face. He noticed us right away and walked over.

  “How’s my baby girl?” Mrs. Tanner asked, rising to her feet.

  “Fully awake now and barking orders, so I would say she is just fine.” He looked over at me, his eyes full of distrust. “She’s asking for you.”

  I smiled at the two of them and started toward the door, only to stop when I heard a familiar voice call my name.

  “Steve, how’s my angel?”

  I turned and saw Trevor wheeling Mrs. Milligan down the hall. She looked so frail sitting in the wheelchair, her feet barely touching the foot rests. Her hair, which she normally wore in a neat bun, cascaded around her, reaching well past her shoulder blades. I never realized it before now, but her hair was completely snow white and wavy, giving her the appearance of an angel herself.

  “She is doing fantastic. She woke up about ten minutes ago, feisty as ever.”

  “Of course she did, dear. Did you ever doubt she would? That girl is the toughest I have ever met. Besides, I have been p
raying for her from the moment I woke up myself. I knew God had more things in store for her.”

  “How are you feeling, Rosemary? You sure look as beautiful as ever,” I said, reaching down to kiss her forehead. Everyone that ever came into contact with her immediately felt like she was a part of her family, for her loving heart never met a stranger.

  “I am perfectly fine. I don’t know why these silly doctors insisted I stay here as long as I did. Good heavens, I was just drugged and slept for a while. Best rest I have had in years!” she laughed.

  “You never have ceased to amaze me, Rosemary. You are one heck of a strong woman yourself.”

  “Nah, I just rely on my connections upstairs, you know?” she smiled, fiddling with the cross around her neck. “The doctors have given me the official blessing to leave, but I didn’t want to until I came by to see Audra. I wanted to see her face before I go home and attempt to clean up my house. I have a feeling I will be busy with that for a while.”

  “Now Aunt Rosemary, I told you that we would take care of that for ya. I don’t wantcha’ steppin’ foot into that place until it is done properly cleaned up. The cops just finished their investigatin’ this morning, so Frankie and I haven’t had a chance to do that yet. You’re staying with us.”

  She waved his words away like annoying flies buzzing around her head. “Trevor, don’t you go telling me what I am or am not going to do. That is my house, and no one runs me out of it. Besides, you boys couldn’t clean up a mess to save your life. Now, stop gabbing and wheel me in there to see her.”

  Trevor’s face turned three shades of red at being dismissed by his elderly aunt, and I had to turn my head and focus on opening the door to keep from laughing. Once inside Audra’s room, I took over the pushing responsibilities, and Trevor stayed outside. The smile that graced each woman’s face upon seeing each other was stunning, and the room instantly filled with love so strong I could almost feel it. I got the wheelchair as close as I could to the edge of Audra’s bed and then walked over to the side, sitting down in the chair while I held Audra’s hand.