“Could you tell if it’s a boy or girl?” Karin asked softly.
“Well, Karin, the baby has to be turned just right to answer that, and even then it’s often difficult to say. How about just letting it be a surprise?”
“Okay,” she said quietly. She and Chris looked into each other’s eyes as they held hands.
The doctor glanced back and forth at them.
As they left the clinic, he insisted they celebrate. He cheerfully drove from Longview to Vancouver so he could take her out for a wonderful dinner in a special restaurant, a gorgeous view of the Columbia River. He ordered prime rib and lobster, and effusively permitted her a single crystal glass of champagne.
Everyone who saw them that evening accepted them as a striking young couple, deeply in love, expecting their first child.
Chapter Twenty-Three
A weekend in early December, Suzanne left Rachel with her folks and drove from Portland to Silver Lake, intent on actually seeing if things were really as Chris kept insisting. Her suspicion something was not right nagged her constantly, the feelings troublesome, bordering on obsessive. She had not relayed her concerns to her friend Jenny, believing that if her fears turned out to be totally unfounded she would seem like some kind of nut – although she really did believe that Jenny might understand. In her line of work she often encountered skepticism and even though she and Jenny were extremely close, she still wanted to see for herself before she promoted any accusations. Her friendship with Jenny was very important to her and she did not want to start trouble if there really wasn’t a problem.
Chris and Karin had left earlier the same day, marriage license in hand, for a weekend ceremony and brief honeymoon over on the Washington coast. The house was deserted.
She pulled up in the driveway a couple of hours after they’d left. Seeing no vehicle, she got out of her car and peered through any windows she could reach, sorely disappointed when all the interior shutters looked to be tightly latched. She clutched her coat around her, the weather cold with a bitter wind blowing across the water. She walked next door to Andy’s house and looked in the glass doors, but his house was also cold and dark. She sensed a difference between the two homes. When Andy and Jenny were both still living in them, the houses shared warmth and a lively energy. Andy’s house now just seemed empty. A foreign, dark energy emanated from Jenny’s. She shoved her gloved hands into her pockets and walked back to her sedan.
Starting the engine, she turned up the heater, her frozen feet thankful. She rummaged through her purse for paper and pen, paused a couple of minutes in thought, then scribbled a note to Chris. She got out and went to the back door, wedging the note between the main door and its frame. As she let the screen door close she heard a very faint meow. She glanced around her, and saw Rebecca huddled nearby, hidden beneath one of the large Rhododendrons. “Becca?”
Given the freezing weather, she was surprised to see the cat outside. She stepped nearer to her, extended her hand, and tried to coax the animal forward. “Becca, here kitty. Come on out.” The cat regarded her with wide eyes and then backed further into the depth of the bush.
“Becca? Come on, you remember me. Come to me.” The cat would not budge and Suzanne sensed she was in some pain, perhaps from the weather but possibly from mistreatment. She stood up and sighed, frustrated. She got back into her warm car and backed out of the driveway, heading for the grocery in Toutle. She purchased dry cat food, a pouch of moist food, water, and a pet dish.
Back at Jenny’s she grabbed the sack, got out, and went to the bush. The cat had not moved. “Rebecca,” she said soothingly, “this is for you, and you must come and eat. Whatever’s been done to you I am sorry, and I want to help.” She put wet and dry cat food in one side of the dish and filled the other with water. She placed the food as closely as possible without making the cat retreat even further. “Becca? Come on now. I’ll leave you be.” She squatted in front of the cat, holding her palms outward, sending warmth and energy for the animal. She hoped it would help. She left the small paper bag of dry food open beneath the shrub in case the cat could eat more.
Her hands and face were red with cold. After a couple of minutes, she got in her car and headed back to the highway. She stopped briefly to jot down Jay Prosper’s information as listed on his real estate sign.
Rebecca watched, and as the sound of the car faded, she rose from her crouch, stretched stiffly, and crept to the dish. She devoured the food as if she’d not eaten for some time.
She pulled up in front of Jay Prosper’s office, having called him from her cell and received directions. She parked and got out and as she touched the handle of the front door it opened for her. “Ms. Andersen?” The office was warm and inviting. He held the door for her and extended his hand. “I’m Jay Prosper. Please come in, it’s so cold today.”
She firmly shook his hand. “Thank you. Thanks for meeting me here.” She removed and pocketed her gloves, rubbing her palms together to warm them.
“Please, come and sit down. Can I get you some coffee or hot chocolate?”
She sat in a comfortable chair in the lobby; they were alone in the office.
“Hot chocolate sounds wonderful. Thanks.”
He soon returned with a pair of steaming mugs. Handing her one he said, “Hot chocolate for you, coffee for me. I’d say winter’s arrived a little early, wouldn’t you?”
“Yes. Miserably cold today.”
“What can I do for you, Ms. Andersen?”
She sipped her cocoa. “Please, call me Suzanne. As I mentioned on the phone, Mr. Prosper – Jay – I’m a close friend of Jenny’s. I drove up today to check on her place and see if her brother was around. I noticed you have a Sale Pending sticker on your sign at Andy’s. I understand it’s supposed to close escrow soon?”
“Yes, isn’t it wonderful! Found them a cash buyer. That’s always more pleasant than financing, especially this time of year when cash is often in short supply.” He grinned with pride.
“Indeed. Jay, I was wondering if you have seen Jenny’s brother around.”
“Yes. See him every time I go out there to check on Andy’s place. Seems like a nice enough guy.”
“Yes, of course.” She paused. “This is very hard to put into the right words, but the reason I finally drove up here today is because I’ve been having unsettling feelings about him, and about Jenny’s house. I’m sure I sound a little off the wall, but my profession includes a good deal of intuitive work and I do pick up vibrations differently from other people. I’m not claiming to be psychic, but there are times when I am ‘right on the money’, as the saying goes. I don’t want to scare you or make you think I’m totally loony, but something just isn’t right out there.” She set her cup on the coffee table.
He paused. “I don’t pretend to understand how some things work, Suzanne. I don’t feel the vibrations myself but in the same breath I have to say that I have seen what you’re talking about at work. I’m a smart enough man to know that some things can’t always be explained by purely physical means. Anyhow – to kind of get back to your question – I haven’t seen much out of the ordinary over there. The last couple of times I did see him with a pregnant girl. Saw her coming out of the house with him more than once.”
“Pregnant?”
“Yes. Looked like she might be close to popping. Pretty girl, too.”
“I didn’t know he had a friend who was pregnant – I wonder if it is a friend of Karin’s, Jenny’s old roommate?”
“I’ve never met Karin. Andy and Jenny told me she is still living there with Chris. Maybe this is someone Chris has met since he’s been here. I did see him kiss her once as he helped her into the car.”
Karin balked as Chris pulled her by the hand through the vestibule. “Do we really have to do this?” Her voice was plaintive and soft as the automatic doors whisked shut behind them.
He grabbed her arm and drew her close, lowering his voice. “How many times do I have to tell you? Remember
. This is definitely the best way for you and the baby.”
The Longview hospital was quiet. Christmas was coming soon, and as he checked the directory only three or four people passed by. He pointed to some white letters on the list’s brown background. “Here it is,” he declared. “Second floor.” He steered her toward the elevator and then into the car when the doors parted.
One flight up, Chris observed Intensive Care was down the hall to the left. To the right an arrow pointed MATERNITY. He clutched her arm again, guiding her as she quietly whimpered.
Counting the numbers on the doors, they arrived at a large set of doubles. “Here,” he said as he grasped the door handle.
She dug her fingernails into his arm, whispering, “Don’t leave me.”
“No way.”
As they entered, they were noticed by the others in the room. Karin clutched her bed pillows; he’d offered to carry them, but she wanted to hug them for security. Several couples were sitting cross-legged on mats on the floor. Finding an empty one near the back, he helped her get comfortably situated like the others, then sat beside her and held her hand.
A woman dressed in white rose from behind the desk and stood smiling. “Good evening,” she said brightly. “According to my count, we’re all here; twenty adults and ten tiny miracles. Welcome to your first class in the Lamaze Method of Childbirth.”
“Of course we all know why we’re here,” she continued. “As a way of introduction, I’d like to start out by telling you the ideas and techniques you will learn in this class will stay with you for the rest of your life.” She touched each student with her gaze as she spoke. “I myself had three beautiful children by the Lamaze method, and I’d state for any record they were three of the best experiences of my life.” Nodded approval and affectionate looks were exchanged among the couples.
“One other thing that may surprise you – the techniques you will learn for relaxation and pain control work equally well for the men in our class. Fellas,” she said as she raised her voice to carry above the gentle laughter, “don’t think she’s the only one who will get benefits from this class. She will be able to coach you too – perhaps in the case of injury, or even illness. I was able to coach my son with it and ease his pain after a biking accident.”
The teacher folded her hands and sat on the edge of the desk. “Now as a way to get started, let’s all raise our hands one at a time in turn, ladies or gents either one, and introduce ourselves.” She indicated the young couple closest to her. “Would you please?”
One by one a member of each team raised their hand, and introduced themselves. Several were a little nervous, and some caused others to laugh with lighthearted comments. The group introductions made their way around the room, ending with Chris and Karin. “Good evening,” he said. “I’m Chris Rawlins, and this is my wife Donna.” Karin smiled at him and leaned her head on his shoulder.
She was weary by the time class let out two hours later. The floor sitting, the instructional films, and the brochures were fatiguing for most all the mothers, in their last trimesters. She obediently stood and waited as he brought the car around. Light snow was falling, the air icy and crisp. He parked beneath the concrete canopy and got out, leaving the engine and heater running. Helping her into her seat, he made doubly sure she and the baby were secure. Due to the weather he was forced to drive slowly, the usual thirty or forty minute jaunt dragging into two hours. She was sound asleep by the time he crunched into their slick driveway.
“Honey,” he said softly, patting her leg. “Honey?”
She feebly raised her head and looked at him through half-closed lids.
“We’re home.”
She peered through the windshield. “Oh. Home?”
“Yes, my darling.” He gazed at the floating white flakes; nearly two inches had fallen. He climbed out and went around to her side, reaching for her. She curled into his arms and he carried her inside. The cat whisked past his legs into the house, a vanishing blur of gray.
After he hung their coats in the closet, he stood by the window in the great room, admiring the pristine whiteness, nearby greenery frosted with sugar glaze.
She joined him and wrapped her arm around his waist. “You were talking about a white Christmas. You might just get it.” He positioned her so that she faced him. “You okay? You look a little pale.”
She winced as the baby kicked her stoutly from within.
“Playing around again, is he?” He placed his palms on her belly.
She lifted her tired blue eyes.
“Let’s go to bed, you’ll get a good night’s sleep and feel better in the morning.”
Well hidden beneath the couch, Rebecca watched them walk down the hall.
She shivered.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The parades began precisely at nine on New Year’s morning. He’d gotten her up early to bathe and dress her, treating her to a look at the festivities as he propped her up on the couch with pillow and blanket. He brought her a cup of hot chocolate and a couple of toaster pastries, one of her favorite treats. “Thanks,” she giggled as a giant floating cartoon character burst onto the screen.
As he prepared to scramble eggs, the phone rang. “Happy New Year!” cried Suzanne.
He inhaled spit the wrong way. Clearing his throat he said, “Happy New Year to you too! What are you up to?”
“Oh, not much – did you have a nice New Year’s Eve?”
“Yeah, it was okay – stayed home.” Went off with a bang.
“Did Karin have a date?”
“No, she decided to stay home this year. We shared a bottle of champagne,” he lied, “and just spent a quiet evening in front of the fireplace, played a couple of board games. Still quite a bit of snow up here.” He ran his hand through his hair. “Is there still snow down where you are?”
Suzanne paused before she answered. “Unfortunately – keeping lots of people in, and I’ve been able to have nearly a whole week off with all the cancellations. Rachel’s sitting up now, and we’ve had lots of time to play.”
“I sure am looking forward to seeing her.”
She paused again. “Did you get the note I left you?”
“Note?” His question mark hung in the air. “No, I didn’t. Were you up here and I missed you? I’d hate that.” He held his breath.
She paused a few moments. “I did stop by one weekend, but nothing important.”
“Oh.” His breath eased out.
“I was up in the area anyhow, and dropped by. Didn’t really expect to hook up, just came by for fun. Not to worry.”
“I’m still sorry I missed you. Hey – I was planning a trip to Portland tomorrow to pick up some things – maybe we could get together?”
“Really? What are you coming down here for?”
“I’d planned to catch the sale at that fabulous gourmet shop in downtown. You know me and my cooking.”
“Ah – of course.”
“Want to get together? That way, I can meet Rachel.”
“Will Karin be coming with you?”
“No – I think a friend of hers is coming over tomorrow for a movie marathon – she has the day off.”
“Okay – but what about the snow? Any problem there?”
“Nah – I’ll borrow Karin’s car – it’s small, but it has front wheel drive. I’m sure she won’t need it anyway, her friend is coming out here.”
“I’ll fix something for a late lunch or early supper – call me when you get into town, before you go shopping.”
He grinned his crooked half-smile, his confidence returning as he hung up.
The drive to Portland wasn’t quite as treacherous as newscasters made it out to be. The major highways were plowed and clear, and he’d received explicit instructions from Suzanne on finding her house. Strapped in the passenger seat, Karin dozed most of the trip. In her last month, the baby was keeping her awake frequently with his kicking and squirming. When he located the residential area Suzanne lived
in, he retraced his path and found the nearest motel.
He settled Karin in a lovely, clean room. He carried in her bag, and the ice chest he’d packed with several kinds of goodies. He sat her down in one of the chairs, thoroughly lecturing her with instructions. As he finished she was so anxious to obey she nearly cried as he left, solemnly promising to eat all of her dinner, watch TV only until nine, and go straight to bed.
He lovingly kissed her on the forehead on the way out of the motel door and patted her belly, pocketing the card key. “Be a good girl, honey,” he said as he went out.
“I will,” she promised, her voice soft and childlike.
Blue Macabre Page 22
