George Hartmann Box Set

by Kelly Utt

  "My understanding is generally what you just said," he replies. "Nobody knows for sure."

  I furrow my brow and lean forward, leaning an elbow on one of my knees.

  "Someone took Ethan in our Greek life and killed him. At least I think they killed him. I know he was found dead. I saw that image in my memory and I'll never be able to forget it. It was horrible. He was just a kid.”

  "Let's assume, for the purpose of discussion, that all of this is real and true,” Liam says. "Is it possible that Clive was one of the guys who took Ethan in Greece, but that he didn't actually intend to harm him? And if so, might it be the same way he didn't intend to harm Ali, Marjorie, and the boys when he ran them off the road?"

  "I suppose that's possible,” I say. "I suppose anything is possible."

  "How about if you actively try to remember more?" Roddy asks. "Do you think that would work?"

  “Oh, yeah,” Liam says in response. "I didn't know that was an option. If it is, then you should definitely be making that process a top priority.”

  I think hard as I look over at Clive and back at my uncle and father-in-law.

  "The best access to the memories seems to be through Dr. Epstein's hypnosis… I mean Joe’s hypnosis…" I say.

  "Right. That's exactly right,” Roddy says.

  "He is here, after all,” Liam adds. "Do you think he'd be willing to put you under hypnosis if you ask?”

  "Hell, I don't know," I reply. "That seems like a big ask since he's here in a personal capacity as mom's boyfriend, or whatever he calls himself in relation to her. I know psychologists have professional ethics they have to uphold or else they risk losing the license to practice."

  "I think he's already on shaky ground in that regard, given how I'm pretty sure he realized Linette was your mom when we were at his office that day,” Liam says. “If they were dating at that point, it seems he should've stopped the session and referred you to someone else the minute he made the connection.”

  "I've thought about that a lot,” I say. "I'm not sure if there are any other psychologists in Ithaca who administer hypnotherapy. He seems like a good guy. And it seemed like he really wanted to help me. Maybe he decided to take that risk after weighing the pros and cons."

  Roddy raises one hand and gestures towards me.

  "Didn't you say he tried to call you several times? And that he left voicemails which you didn't return?" Roddy asks.

  "Yeah,” I say. "That's right. He called several times. I assumed he wanted to talk to me about which mental disorder I had, based on the way we left things. So, I didn't reply. But I suppose it's possible he was trying to tell me about him and mom. Maybe he was planning to break off our professional relationship. I could give him the benefit of the doubt."

  "Then we should ask him to hypnotize you,” Roddy says. "If you really think events in Ancient Greece are related to what's happening now, then we need to explore it. We have Clive here and we need to make decisions about what we're going to do with him. Most of all, we need to figure out which questions to ask while he’s here for the asking."

  I'm calmer now and the thought of killing Clive is upsetting.

  "What are we going to do with him?" I ask.

  "We hold him here until we're done with him,” Roddy replies.

  “That's not what I mean,” I clarify.

  "I know what you mean,” Roddy says, without going any further.

  Before I can press him for answers, we hear a tentative knock at the door.

  My stomach does a flip-flop inside of me as I consider who may be out there and how we're going to handle it. Roddy sees my concern and raises one hand in the air to signal me to calm down and hold it together. Roddy and Liam then look at each other and somehow communicate an agreed-upon plan. Liam will be the one to answer the door if the person on the other side doesn't go away.

  Roddy picks up the handgun from the nightstand and places it at the end of the bed very near to Clive. I’m not sure exactly what he's doing. I assume his plan is to stick the gun up against Clive if he begins to make any noise. Clive is still knocked out, but he could come to at any moment.

  My thoughts race. I don't want us to get arrested before we make real progress. That would defeat the entire purpose. It would make the risk we’ve taken in vain.

  I walk around Roddy and position myself behind Clive. The best I can figure, I can put a hand over his mouth from behind if Clive starts to wake up and make noise.

  It has taken less than a minute for the three of us to work things out and get situated in our respective positions, but the person at the door knocks again harder this time.

  I'm reminded of the good cop, bad cop routine Roddy and Liam used at Bi-Mart as we talked with Phil. I assume that's what they're planning to do again.

  "Good afternoon," Liam says as he opens the door about six inches and leans his head out. "What can I do for you, sir?"

  It's a man. Damn. It may be harder to subdue a man than a woman. If it comes to that, of course.

  "We’ve had some noise complaints," the man says from the other side of the door.

  "Oh, my gosh,” Liam says, convincingly. "I was trying to get a little exercise in without having to go out in this heat. The sun is so bright this time a day."

  "I understand," the man on the other side of the door says. "It's no problem at all. There's hardly anyone here this time of day and as you said, the sun is bright. I totally get you wanting to exercise in the air conditioning.”

  "Sorry to be a bother,” Liam says. "I'll be sure to keep quieter. I'll save the most vigorous moves for tomorrow morning when the weather is cool enough for me to take my routine outdoors. Maybe I'll go for a run."

  "Thank you, kindly," the man says then walks away cheerfully.

  I can tell from his footsteps.

  Liam closes the door then leans his back against it.

  "That could have gone a lot worse," he says, matter-of-factly.

  Roddy and Liam return to their seats on the beds where they were before the man knocked on the door.

  "Now where were we?" Liam asks.

  Before I have a chance to sit down and join them, my phone rings. I immediately recognize the area code and the three digit exchange which comes after. It's the hospital. Ali must be out of surgery.

  7

  Footing

  Dr. Wong’s voice sounds cautiously optimistic. He sounds exhausted. I guess he ought to be. My wife’s surgery went on much longer than expected. I hope he's calling to tell me it went well. Because if he's not, I won’t be able to hold it together.

  "Dr. Hartmann?" Dr. Wong asks.

  I put the phone on speaker so Roddy and Liam can hear as well. Clive is still out cold.

  "Yes!" I say. "Dr. Wong! Is she okay? Is surgery all done?"

  "Surgery is done, yes," he says. "Your wife made it through."

  I raise both hands in the air and look up to the heavens to say a quick prayer of thanks. I'm not sure what kind of terms I'm on with the heavens, given the events of this afternoon, but I say my prayer of thanks anyway. Roddy and Liam both raise their hands as well and they stand up. The three of us join together for a manly group hug. We can't contain our enthusiasm. We're elated to learn that our girl made it through.

  "That's such good news," I say once I've collected myself enough to speak. "When can we see her?"

  "She's in recovery now. You'll be able to get into see her within the next couple of hours."

  "That's fantastic,” I exclaim. "Do you expect her to be awake that soon?"

  "Actually, I'm afraid not,” Dr. Wong says. "Your wife's injuries were extensive. Even more so than we thought upon initial examination. I'm afraid she's not going to be awake for some time. We've had to place her in a medically induced coma in order to give her body time to heal."

  My heart sinks. I swear, I feel like I'm on a long, cruel roller coaster that won't let me off.

  "But she will wake up? You know that for sure?"

  "No," Dr
. Wang says reluctantly. It sounds like he doesn't want to deliver such somber news. "We don't know that for sure. She has a long road ahead. She’s still in critical condition and will need to remain in the intensive care unit."

  A single tear drops out of my eye and begins to roll down my cheek.

  "And the baby?"

  "I don't expect the fetus to remain viable," he says.

  Now my stomach sinks along with my heart and my insides feel all torn up again.

  "Dr. Hartmann,” he continues. "When you return to the hospital, please have the nurses page me. We’ll sit down together and I'll go over things in more detail. Okay?"

  "Yes," I reply, looking at Clive and wondering what the hell we're going to do with him. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

  I push the button to end the call. I sit perfectly still for a few minutes. Roddy and Liam don't move a muscle either. They’re waiting for me.

  "What are our options?" I ask.

  "I'll stay with him,” Liam says. "You two get back to the hospital. You need to see Ali."

  "Can you handle Clive on your own?" I ask.

  "Sure he can,” Roddy says. "At least for a while."

  "Yeah, I can always knock him out again,” Liam confirms. “Help me get the gag secured around his mouth before you leave though."

  Roddy and I want desperately to get to Ali, so we don't question Liam's plan. I would never want to leave my uncle in a bad spot, but I figure he's right. Clive is tied up securely and Liam has a handgun. Seems foolproof enough.

  Roddy walks over to Clive and readjusts the gag which is dangling around his neck. He places it back inside of Clive’s mouth and ties it tightly from behind.

  "There, "Roddy says. "It's secure.”

  My father-in-law turns on the TV as he walks past and cranks the volume up high, then he pats Liam on the shoulder.

  "Good man," he says. "We’ll be back soon. Let us know if you have any trouble."

  Liam nods. He doesn't seem the least bit concerned about being left here. I wonder if it's for show. How could he not be concerned about being left alone with a man we've been torturing in a shoddy hotel room?

  I don't have time to worry about it at the moment and my uncle seems alright, so I follow Roddy out the door and climb into the passenger seat of the Jeep. Whatever else is going to happen with Clive will have to wait a few hours. It's time to go see my wife.

  Roddy drives fast, barely slowing down for stop signs or traffic lights.

  “You’re making me a little nervous,” I say. “I don't think we should be doing anything to draw attention to ourselves right now.”

  He sees the concern on my face.

  "It will be okay, George," he says. "When you're experienced in the field like I am, you develop a sense of what you can get away with and what you can't. We're fine."

  "You sure about that?" I ask. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

  Roddy makes a growling sound with his mouth as he scoffs.

  "It's like riding a bike," he says. "Trust me. Although, we do need a way to get back into the hospital without being seen. We don't want to deal with that pain-in-the-ass reporter yet."

  "Or ever," I add.

  "Reporters are useful at times,” my father-in-law says. "It's all about utilizing them to your benefit."

  "Yeah, any interaction with them today is not going to be to our benefit."

  "Probably not," he confirms.

  The hospital isn't far away from the motel and we’re quickly approaching it.

  "Pull over here," I say to Roddy gesturing to a gas station parking lot. I need to call Miss Tessa and Girard so they can get us back in."

  "Did you make some new friends?" Roddy asks.

  He seems amused.

  "I did," I say proudly. "I think it was mostly luck, but I went searching for a way out of the hospital and stumbled upon a nurse named Jaz who took me to Miss Tessa. Miss Tess is an older lady who looks kind of like an elf from an epic fantasy story. She has a hunched back and the whitest hair I’ve ever seen. Most notably, she has an otherworldly presence about her. She brings to mind a guardian angel, actually."

  “Well, that sounds alright," Roddy says.

  “Yeah,” I confirm. “Earlier, Miss Tessa walked me downstairs to the service elevator to meet up with her friend Girard. Then Girard drove me off the hospital property in a cargo van. They had me wear this girl the gray maintenance uniform.”

  "Do you mean the one you tore up and used to gag Clive?"

  "Exactly. That's the one. I guess I'll need to ask for a replacement."

  "Make that two," Roddy ads.

  Roddy pulls into a parking space along the side of the gas station convenience center as I pull out my phone and text Miss Tessa. I tell her I'm ready for Girard to pick me up and that I have my father-in-law with me this time. I also tell her I’ll need two more of those gray maintenance-employee uniforms. She replies immediately to say that Girard is on his way. She doesn't ask any questions.

  I'm kind of looking forward to having Roddy meet Miss Tessa. She's been a bright spot in what has otherwise been one hell of a day.

  We don't have to wait long before Girard pulls up in the same cargo van he dropped me off with just hours before. I grab the duffel bag which held the change of clothing Liam brought from the rental house. It’s empty now, but I figure it will be useful for holding the clothes we’re wearing now once we put on the gray maintenance uniforms. I assume we’ll put those on during the ride over.

  "Do you think it's okay to leave the Jeep here?” I ask my father-in-law. “An abandoned vehicle with Clive’s DNA inside might not be the best thing to leave sitting around.”

  "It’s fine for now,” Roddy says. It's all a balancing act. We’ll do what we can when we can. Most importantly, we keep moving.”

  “Okay, I say," stepping out of the Jeep and into Girard’s van.

  Just like the last time I rode with him, Girard makes eye contact once but doesn't say anything. I guess part of filling this role for Miss Tessa is to keep looking straight ahead and pretending you don't see anything. It's understandable. I'm glad he's available to do this for us. Roddy seems to understand the arrangement and it doesn't phase him. I again can't help but wonder what Roddy has done in the past. I wonder what he has seen. Hopefully, he'll tell me those stories one day.

  We quickly change into the new gray uniforms which are folded on our seats while Girard drives.

  We enter through the service entrance in the back of the hospital without being seen. We don't pass directly in front of the building, so I'm not sure whether the news trucks are still there or not. I’ll assume they are. I plan to check by looking out the windows once we get inside the building and up to one of the higher floors. I hate being watched and tracked like this.

  We follow Girard to the service elevator and stand in the same place where I first met him a few hours before. Girard doesn't provide any explanation, so I lean over towards Roddy to fill him in.

  "We wait here for Miss Tessa," I say. "She'll come down on the service elevator and then we'll go back up with her to the fourth floor. She has a small room up there, which I guess is her office. We’ll be able to change back into our own clothes and then get to the boys’ room without having to pass any public areas the media might have access to.

  Roddy nods his understanding.

  Less than a minute later, the elevator clanks to a halt and the doors open with a screeching sound. Inside is Miss Tessa, smiling widely. I'm glad to see her. I could use a little more of her grandmotherly care.

  Maybe Roddy yearns for a grandmotherly touch as well. I know his parents passed away when he was a young man, but I don't know anything about the circumstances. I don't think I've ever heard him mention them. Everything I do know, I’ve heard from Ali.

  “Miss Tessa! I sure am glad to see you."

  She takes my hand with one of hers and pats the top with her other hand other. Then she puts a finger over her lips, telling us to be quiet.<
br />
  "We'll talk when we get to my office," she whispers.

  We ride up the slow ascent as the machinery groans and creaks. I kind of like the service elevator. I also kind of like sneaking around like this. It gives me a thrill.

  When we reach the fourth floor, Roddy and I hold our heads down so the brims of our hats give us an excuse to avoid making eye contact with anyone we may pass. Miss Tessa walks slowly, so we imitate her pace as we trudge down the long hall, around the nurses’ station, and into the little room. Two nurses are working nearby, but neither of them looks up. I wonder if I’ll get the chance to introduce Roddy to Jaz.

  We step into the room after Miss Tessa, then close and lock the door behind us.

  "Now, "Miss Tessa says in her full voice. "Introduce me to your friend."

  "This is my father-in-law," I say with a smile. " Roderick Davies."

  "Nice to meet you,” Roddy says as he reaches his hand out to shake Miss Tessa’s.

  "The pleasure is all mine,” she says, smiling.

  It’s hard to believe I only met this sweet old woman today. It feels like we have a deeper connection.

  "Did you boys enjoy the fresh air?”

  I turn to Roddy to explain.

  "When I was here earlier, I told Miss Tessa I just needed some air."

  He nods and smiles.

  “The doctor called and my wife is out of surgery,” I say, turning back toward Miss Tessa. “She made it through."

  Miss Tess's eyes get wide and then glisten with moisture around the edges.

  "I'm so happy to hear that," she says genuinely. “I've been thinking about you and hoping everything would turn out for the best."

  "I appreciate that," I say.

  "I can tell you're a good man,” Miss Tessa says. "And good things happen to good people."

  My smile turns to a frown as I think about what we just did to Clive. I don't think my afternoon activities put me in the good man category, exactly. Roddy sees the change in my demeanor and so moves things along.

  “I can't wait to see my daughter," Roddy says to Miss Tessa. "Can we change clothes in here?"

  "Yes, you can," she replies. "Don't let me hold you up. I'll step around the corner for a few minutes and then I'll come back. You'll be able to follow me out and over to the section of the hospital where your family is.”