A Deadly Promotion

by Melanie Jones Brownrigg

  “I didn’t bother to ask,” I answered.

  “Well, find out,” she barked. “You know your biological timeclock is ticking away.”

  I rolled my eyes at her. “Mom, what if I told you he looked to be about seventy years old?”

  She rolled her eyes back at me. “Then I’d ask if he had money.”

  I rolled my whole head at her.

  My dad patted me on the leg. “Ellen, our daughter here will find the perfect man someday. You need to let her be.”

  “Fine, but he brought her flowers so there must be something going on between them. And she needs to be open to a relationship. I’d like a grandchild before I have to go to the nursing home.”

  And so, it went on for the next hour. “Mom, Dad, I haven’t slept in a long time. You two go home and I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  “Of course, dear,” my mother sympathetically agreed, patting me ever so lightly on my arm. “Charles, your chair becomes a recliner. If you don’t mind, get up and I’ll make myself a bed.”

  “No, Mom. Go home,” I argued. Jesus Christ. That’s all I needed was for my mom to stay with me. Now why was it I wanted to call her?

  “Come on Ellen. You know you snore. It’ll be best if we give her some quiet time.”

  “Charles! Seriously! Not with some man possibly coming back in the middle of the night.” She flicked her eyes at me. “Don’t you fret, baby girl. There’s no way we’re leaving you.”

  “Mom, there’s an armed officer at my door. I seriously doubt anyone is going to try anything.”

  “They’re certainly not … because I’m going to make sure they don’t.” With her mind made up, my mother shooed my dad out of the chair and drug it to the other side of the bed. “Charles, go ask the nurse for some linens.”

  My dad growled and then did as he was told. A few moments later, he returned with a handful of blankets and a pillow. “Ellen, I’m not staying.”

  My mother glared at him with eyes narrowed to tiny slits. “Suit yourself, Charles. But I’m not going anywhere.”

  Chapter Eleven

  I’d like to say my mother didn’t snore. That would be a lie. I’d like to say her snoring wasn’t bothersome, and I was able to get a good night’s sleep. That too would be a lie. When morning arrived, I was so tired I wanted to cry.

  Gazing over at my mom, sound asleep and snoring, I cursed myself for having called her last night and not waiting until this morning. She really was a caring, doting mother. There was nothing she wouldn’t do for me. But at the same time, her constant fussing and theatrics wore me out. It was a mystery to me how my father had stayed with her. My dad was so opposite my mother. He was always cool, calm and collected. He liked things slow and quiet. A good day for him was drifting along in his boat with a fishing pole in his hand, his head leaned back on a life jacket he used as a pillow, and his straw hat pulled down over his face. Half the time I didn’t even think his hook was baited.

  “Well I don’t think I slept a wink on this monstrosity,” my mother griped upon seeing me awake.

  She slept like a log all night, even the nurses hadn’t stirred her. She had been worthless as a protector against the return of my would-be killer.

  She sat up, stretching and yawning. Her piled high hair was leaning to one side and a bit of drool was on her chin. “That contraption was terribly uncomfortable. I hate to say it dear, but I’m probably going to have to go home and get some sleep.”

  “That’s fine,” I assured her, and it was all I could do to keep from shouting hallelujah. Wasting no time at all, I called my dad to come and get her. He arrived a short time later, handing each of us delicious mugs of aromatic coffee.

  “Honey, is there anything we can get for you?” my dad asked.

  “If you wouldn’t mind, I could use some of my toiletries, a few pajamas, a change of clothes and can you check on Callie?” Callie was my loving calico cat, very self-sufficient unless her food bowl was running low.

  “I’d be glad to,” he told me. “Your mother and I will drop by your apartment on our way home. Once your mom has had her beauty rest, we’ll bring them back to you later.”

  “Thank you.”

  My dad and I had a silent language together. He knew from the look on my face that I’d rather he brought my requests by much later in the day. Hopefully by then, my mother will have calmed down and she wouldn’t be so dramatic. And with any luck at all, she’d pass on staying here another night.

  As soon as they left and I had my breakfast, I zonked out, sleep never having felt so wonderful. Sometime after lunch, Amy made it by and, thankfully, I had managed to get several good hours of restful bliss. She presented me with a cuddly teddy bear and a small bag. “I brought you someone to snuggle with,” she said upon entering.

  “Awe, he’s so cute,” I gushed, taking the stuffed animal and arranging him in the bed next to me. “Thank you.”

  “Your dad asked me to swing by your apartment and pick up a few things.” She placed the bag on the top of the built-in dresser. “He said your mother didn’t sleep well last night and now she has a terrible headache. He also said they probably wouldn’t be back today since your mother isn’t feeling well. Also, she isn’t going to spend another night on ‘that contraption’ as she put it to him.”

  “Fantastic,” I said in utter excitement.

  “Yeah, I figured as much,” Amy said with a snort. “Your dad said you needed the rest and your mother wasn’t helping.”

  “I love her you know. But she is a big dose.”

  Amy laughed. “She can be.”

  My mother was generally quite normal. But on occasion, she experienced mood swings between being dramatic, fussy, talkative, quiet and sarcastic. She was like a box of assorted chocolates … you never knew what you were going to get. With everything that had happened to me, it wasn’t surprising for her drama and fussy side to have been brought to the surface. Right now, she had run herself down and was in a quiet mood. I imagined my dad relaxing in his recliner with a smile on his face, listening to the chiming of our family clock while my mother was sprawled out in their bed with a wet rag over her face.

  “How are you feeling?” Amy asked, pushing her black-rimmed glasses up her nose.

  “I’m really feeling fine. I wish the doctor would just let me go home. He’s monitoring me to make sure I don’t have any bleeding in the brain or possible seizures.”

  “Well those things sound important,” she pointed out. “Tell me what all happened.”

  And so, the story began again. I wondered how many times I would have to go through it between statements, depositions and a possible trial. And, in the end, would I ever remember what really happened? And if I did, would it look like I was changing my story?

  “So, you were rescued by a handsome attorney,” she said when I finished.

  “That’s your takeaway?” I asked in bewilderment after telling her about being accused of stealing, Julie having died of a broken neck, my own injuries, and that I had been arrested for murder.

  “Well, you know…” She gave me a look, the one telling me I needed to get back out there. Put myself into the dating realm.

  “He was handsome,” I finally caved when her scrutinizing gaze continued. There wasn’t any real reason I had taken myself off the market. I couldn’t point to a guy and say the bastard cheated on me and now I’m scarred for life. There wasn’t any abuse, stalking or bad blood between me and any man I had ever dated. It was just … I don’t know. There just hadn’t been anyone who caught my interest. The guys at work were goofs, or old codgers and I didn’t like clubbing or online dating platforms. Unless I met someone by chance, it wasn’t likely I’d find myself in a relationship. “One of the detectives was even better looking,” I added, feeling myself smile.

  “Well grab one of them,” she encouraged. “See where it goes.”

  Amy had been dating Jeff for almost six months. They were getting serious and I expected any day he would propose
. She wanted me to find someone so we could double date. It was understandable. Otherwise we had to steal time for just the two of us, or I was stuck being a third wheel.

  “I’m sorry I missed our shopping trip today,” I said, knowing it would have been a fun time for just the two of us.

  “I know … how rude of you,” she said with a long laugh, causing me to crack up with her. “Seriously though Paige, this could have been the end of you. You need to be careful. There may really be someone out there who did push the two of you down those stairs.” She paused for a moment. “Why were you so exhausted? Is your work getting to you?”

  I shook my head. “It wasn’t work overload … not like my brain was being taxed. It was like I couldn’t hold my eyes open. All of the sudden I was just really sleepy.”

  “Well I know you, it’s not like you went out and partied the night before. Were you not sleeping well?”

  “I slept fine. In fact, I was fully alert until about two hours before quitting time.”

  She scowled. “Why do you think you suddenly became so drowsy?”

  “I don’t know. I guess I haven’t given it much thought.”

  “Well think about … because it doesn’t sound right.”

  Amy didn’t stay long, telling me to get some rest. I didn’t protest, knowing she was right. The few hours I’d napped today weren’t nearly enough. But as I closed my eyes and drifted off, I wondered if there was something to my suddenly becoming so sluggish and, if so, what could it possibly mean?

  Chapter Twelve

  After a nice long nap, I awoke to the sound of a nurse entering with a dinner tray. “Here you go.” She placed the round dish on my tray and lifted the metal cover. “Yum, yum,” she expressed. “Enjoy.”

  Thank goodness I wasn’t a picky eater. Scarfing down what was presumably chicken-fried-chicken covered in gravy with a side of mashed potatoes and carrots, most of the dish was gone when the platter was removed. A short time later I heard another knock and hoped it wasn’t my mother. When I turned my gaze, I saw Paul at the door. “Come in,” I said with a huge smile forming on my face.

  “I thought I’d check on you,” he said nearing the bed. “How are you feeling?”

  “Much, much better,” I answered.

  He took note of the teddy bear next to me. “I see you have a companion.”

  Assuming he was hinting at my relationship status, I tapped my finger to the bear’s nose and grinned. “Amy thought I could use some company. She’s been my best friend since first grade.”

  “Oh, that was sweet of her,” he said in what I took to be a relieved tone.

  Was I imagining things, or was he interested in me? Then again, why would he be attracted to me? He was a real looker. Surely, he had a girlfriend. “So, you’re spending your Saturday night visiting me in the hospital,” I fished, wondering if I was a stop-by on his way out for a date.

  “Yeah, I hope you don’t mind. Were you expecting anyone else?”

  “No, I wasn’t. No one at all,” I solidly added.

  “Good then. I’ll keep you company for a while.”

  Interesting. Apparently, he wasn’t here about my case. Was there chemistry between us? My mother would go bat-shit crazy if she knew he was here simply for a visit. God, I hoped she didn’t pop in.

  We were having a wonderful conversation, just getting to know each other, when suddenly he received a text. At first, he ignored it. But eight texts later, my dreams were crushed when his face turned into a frown and he said, “I’m going to have to leave. My ….” He paused. “Angela is getting antsy. I’m sorry.”

  Here I was thinking he was interested in me. All my feathers ruffled at once. “Angela is your girlfriend, isn’t she?” I point-blank asked. What the hell was he doing here? “Yes, by all means, you need to go,” I said in a clipped tone, not waiting for his answer.

  “I’m sorry,” he apologized again as he climbed to his feet and left.

  * * *

  After Paul’s sudden retreat, I couldn’t help feeling angry. When he’d questioned me about the bear and said he wanted to visit, I thought for sure he was attracted to me. At first, my anger had been directed at him for needlessly leading me on when he had a girlfriend – or worse, a wife it suddenly occurred to me. Then I was mad at myself for misinterpreting his kind gesture at checking in on me. Of course, a handsome guy, which Paul was, had a special someone in his life. Upon reflection, I shouldn’t have barked so harshly at him. In the future, I wouldn’t forget he was my attorney and I was his client. Nothing more. The important thing was to clear my name, keep my job and have those murder charges dropped. I simply needed to keep focused.

  Tucking in for the night, I drifted off to sleep. Sometime in the wee hours, a noise woke me. Peering into the darkness, I saw the silhouette of a female standing in the doorway. Her face was shadowed, and she was wearing dark clothing, not a nurse’s uniform.

  “Hello,” I called out.

  In a flash, she disappeared into the hallway, pulling the door closed behind her.

  “Guard,” I yelled out. When he didn’t appear, I punched my call button.

  “Can I help you?” someone from the nurses’ station responded through the call device.

  “Yes, someone was in my room.”

  Nurse Nancy came running in. “What’s wrong? Someone was here?”

  “Yes, a woman,” I told her.

  She searched my room and the hallway. When the guard returned from a restroom break, he joined her in the search.

  “There’s no one here,” Nurse Nancy reported. “I’ll let the doctor know you’ve had another hallucination.”

  “No, a girl was here,” I argued. “I saw her.”

  Nurse Nancy nodded and made a note in my chart, clearly not believing a single word coming out of my mouth.

  * * *

  “Good morning,” Dr. Bakshi addressed. “How are you feeling?”

  “I’m fine,” I curtly answered, noting he was already referring to his chart.

  “The night nurse indicated you had another hallucination.”

  “No, a woman was in my room,” I steadfastly argued.

  “So, first there was a man in the hallway with a bat. Then there was a man in your hospital room. And now it’s a woman,” he pointed out, making me sound like I’d lost my marbles. “Miss Davis, I’m afraid this is related to the damage to your occipital lobe.” He paused, referring to his notes once again. “But I do have some good news for you. The MRI results came back with fantastic results. Your cognitive and performance testing show only mild deficits, mostly due to the concussion. And thankfully, the occipital lobe damage wasn’t as severe as originally feared. You may have some minor adjustments to vision and some temporary hallucinations, but in time, I believe you’ll fully heal.”

  “I wasn’t hallucinating,” I repetitively argued.

  “You’re so very lucky,” he carried on as if he didn’t hear a word I said. “Optimistically, I believe your vision will completely return over the next few weeks. Until then, you may not recognize certain shapes and there still may be some depth perception problems. But let me know if you have any more hallucinations. If so, we may need to run some more tests and place you in a rehab program.”

  I did not hallucinate.

  “I most certainly will,” I promised, biting my tongue.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Over the next few days, my parents and Amy visited several times. Paul returned the day before my scheduled discharge to go over the bonding process with me. He kept things professional and so did I. During our conversation, he received three texts from I assumed Angela. Each time the air in the room became thicker and Paul looked more and more uncomfortable. “Sorry,” he apologized. After a short visit, he left.

  Early the next morning, Dr. Bakshi signed my discharge papers. “You’re free to return to work as long as you don’t overdo it,” he warned. “Be careful that you don’t overexert your eyes or your brain. Just take it easy
for the next few days.” I nodded in agreement.

  Now this would be the point in time where I would’ve loved nothing more than to go home and curl up on my couch. Instead, this was the moment when an officer handcuffed and officially placed me under arrest. From there I was carted down to the police department and properly booked on murder charges. After being entered into the system, assigned an inmate number, and getting a mug shot, I zoomed through the bonding process and Paul had me out in record time. He already knew what the process involved and had bond arrangements in the works prior to my even leaving the hospital. In no time flat he was escorting me from the police station and into his black SUV.

  “Thank you. I don’t think it could’ve gone any smoother,” I complimented as I buckled my seat belt.

  He grinned. “Yeah, it’s good to know people in high places.”

  His easy-going remark brought on a chuckle. “Yes, I’m very lucky.” I had already given myself a good talking to. Paul was my attorney. He was already in a relationship. I had bigger things to occupy my mind. Even so, I couldn’t help but notice how he kept his grin and held my eyes.

  “To your home?” he asked as he pulled into traffic.

  “Yes, please,” I answered. I wanted to go home and take a nice, long shower and then I wanted to make an appointment with Mr. Harrington. For days now I had worried whether I still had a job and it was bothering me to the point I just wanted to find out.

  Paul accompanied me inside my tiny one-bedroom apartment. Callie greeted him at the door and lovingly gave him some of her hair on his nice dark dress pants. “I’m sorry,” I quickly apologized, grabbing her up and shutting her in the bathroom.

  “Don’t’ worry, I’m fine,” he called after me. Still, I came back with a lint brush and bent down to clean the hair off. “Paige, stop it. I said it was fine. I have a cat too and he does the same thing.”

  “Oh, really?” We hadn’t discussed animals, but it came as a relief to know he lived in a furry world too.