Amy King Cozy Mysteries- The Complete Series

by N. C. Lewis

  Chapter 19

  Amy arrived home shortly after eleven and walked along the pathway, her footsteps resonated over the gentle rustle of tree branches swaying in the night breeze. It was another muggy night, with high humidity and no letup in the heat. Nick's car wasn’t in the driveway. Working late again, she thought, as she opened the front door.

  She flipped on the hallway lights. The house seemed unusually quiet now the children had flown the nest. When Nick worked late, the silence wore on her. She was beginning to think it was time for her and Nick to downsize. No matter whether or not her business took off, she'd organize fewer social dinners going forward. They didn’t need all that space now.

  Amy hurried upstairs to the bathroom, grabbed a fresh towel and took a long hot shower with the lingering memory of the day's events still in her mind. Today had been exhausting. The discovery of a body in the bookstore followed by questions from Detective Wilson. Then there was Sage Oats and his followers peering through the shop window. She'd enjoyed strolling through the park, splashing her feet in Barton Springs, and later the bizarre meal with Danielle.

  "A strange day," she said stepping out of the shower, drying herself with the towel and slipping into a nightshirt.

  She climbed into bed, read for a short while then turned off the bedside lamp. It was late, and she was too tired to wait up for Nick. But she couldn't sleep. Perhaps it was the coffee. She'd drunk more than usual at Hansel's House, and although she'd hoped to be snoring the moment her head touched the pillow, her thoughts kept racing, and she found it impossible to slow them down enough for sleep. Who killed Alan Earl and why? Was it linked in some way to Sage Oats? And what happened to Sage Oats and the woman at Hansel's House?

  Amy tossed over onto her side, stretched out an arm and switched on the bedside lamp, sat up, and peered into her phone. Tapping quickly, she sent Nick a text message.

  Missing you, come home soon and stay safe. Love you, darling.

  Then she climbed out of bed. For a while she stood by the bedroom window and gazed out onto the darkened driveway, half hoping she'd hear the rumble of Nick's car. Her mind went back to their first date. He'd taken her to see a play at Zack Theatre—Beauty and the Beast. Afterward, they strolled to a burger shack on Lamar Boulevard. They ate stringy french fries and slurped thick peach milkshakes.

  Nick had only been in uniform for a few months, but already, she could see the making of a detective and told him so. When he laughed and said, "I'd only take the job if you agreed," she knew he was the one.

  Every year, she thought, had been more wonderful than the previous. Now the kids had gone, and Nick had decided to retire, she looked forward to traveling, maybe to England to visit her children, and then on to Europe.

  She checked her cell phone—no messages.

  Again, Amy slipped into bed, this time with her tablet computer. One of those old black and white movies with a hardboiled detective and a damsel in distress always worked on nights like this. The City that Never Sleeps looked good, but she'd seen it before. Eventually, she settled on the classic movie Laura. The opening credits flickered across the screen.

  The house phone rang. Its insistent b-r-r-ring, b-r-r-ring, b-r-r-ring rattling along the hallway, up the stairs to the bedroom. Amy jumped. It rarely rang; she'd even considered getting rid of it. Everyone these days had cell phones. Annoyed, she climbed out of bed and crawled downstairs.

  "Hello?" she answered in a weary voice.

  "Amy King, is that you?" The voice sounded familiar, but her tired mind couldn’t quite place it.

  "Yes, who is it?"

  "Mary Wilson; Detective Wilson."

  Amy's mouth felt dry, a prickly sensation cut down her spine. "Mary, what is it?"

  "Nick is in an ambulance… you need to get to Saint Mary's Hospital." She said the words slowly like a school teacher giving instructions to a child.

  Cold sweat crawled along Amy's body, but she repeated the name of the hospital back to Detective Wilson in a calm voice, just to make sure she'd heard it right.

  "Is he going to be okay?"

  Amy could hear Detective Wilson take a big breath. "They worked on him at headquarters before carrying him to the ambulance… but it's best if you get to the hospital as quickly as you can."

  The sound of blood pounded through Amy's temples. "I'm on my way."

  As her hand replaced the receiver, it rested there for a moment. She felt as though her chest was being squeezed in a vice. Then she hurried upstairs, quickly dressed, grabbed a jacket from the coat rack, and headed out into the muggy Austin night.

  Chapter 20

  Amy didn’t remember the drive to the hospital, only the call she made to Danielle.

  "What!" Danielle had answered in a groggy voice.

  There was a moment of silence when Amy heard only the low rumble of tires against the road and her own shallow breathing. "Oh Danielle, I don't know what to do. Nick is in an ambulance… on his way to the hospital…. I can't believe it…." The words tumbled over each other as she gasped for breath, fighting back tears.

  "Amy! Slow down, girl! Tell me what's happened—slowly."

  Amy explained as best she could, giving Danielle the sixty-second rundown.

  "Which hospital?" Danielle asked.

  "Saint Mary's."

  "That's on the south side. I'll see you there in ten minutes. Is he in the emergency room?"

  "Don't know yet."

  "Doesn't matter… I'll find you… and Amy, Nick will be okay… just hang in there." Danielle desperately wanted to reassure her friend, but she didn’t know whether she was right.

  "You're a real friend. Thank you." Amy hung up, tears welling in her eyes.

  The houses on the south side reminded Amy of 1950s public service announcements heralding the development of American suburbia. A vast checkerboard of tiny mass-produced houses aligned in straight rows, each with a little picket fence and a grassed yard. The lights of the hospital shimmered above the rooftops like a rising sun. It's huge rotating electric sign visible from a half mile away.

  Amy pulled into visitor parking and hurried, almost running, into Saint Mary's main entrance. It was a modern hospital, all gleaming white walls and wide corridors. A hospital orderly, stooped and wizened, hovered by the reception desk. He led Amy up a ramp, around a corner, down a long hallway. He shuffled at a frustratingly slow pace, and Amy had to stop several times to enable him to catch up. Eventually, they came to a bank of elevators.

  "Seventh floor, immediately on your right," he huffed in a slow southern drawl pressing the call button.

  The elevator door opened with a sudden ping. It was empty. Amy stepped inside.

  "Good luck," called the orderly as the elevator door swished shut.

  A sudden nausea swept up from Amy's stomach. She fought to hold it down, taking huge gulps of air and pressing her hands hard together as if in prayer.

  The elevator doors opened to the seventh floor. Amy took a right, her heart knocking around her chest like a ping pong ball and hurried through the swinging doors into the reception area of Coronary ICU.

  "Amy!"

  Detective Wilson stood at the counter looking pale and drawn. Her eyes latched on to Amy's as if she wanted to tell her something. Instead, she stepped forward and gave Amy a quick hug. Then she took out a handkerchief, dabbed her eyes and shook her head. "Nick's inside, you'd better go through."

  She was met in the adjoining hallway by a resident, a plump man with a grim face of about thirty-five, who asked a series of questions.

  "Does Mr. King have a history of heart disease?"

  Amy shook her head. "He cycles and jogs the trails. Nick is in great shape for his age."

  "Did he have chest pains earlier today?"

  Amy's voice cracked, "No," she whispered, as she dissolved into heavy sobs. "But he works for the police department, and his job is very stressful."

  "Yes, yes," said the resident, "I've seen my share of Austin Police Department offic
ers in this unit. A very stressful job."

  Amy was crying full-out now, fearful of what was happening to her husband, panicked by it all.

  "Amy girl!"

  Danielle rushed into the hallway and threw her arms around her friend.

  Amy sobbed.

  "It will be all right. It will be all right," was all Danielle could say, and she prayed to God that it would be. The two women hugged and cried.

  At last, Danielle turned to the resident. "What's happening?"

  "Coronary," he whispered.

  "Heart attack," Amy said in a voice filled with panic. She had raised children, buried a brother, her mother, and father, but had never been so fearful, so unequal to the challenge ahead. She suddenly felt her entire world, her life, shattering around her, and all she could think of was the scent of lavender as Nick had told her he loved her the other evening outside on their deck under a moon-filled, inky-black sky.

  "Can I see him?"

  "Not yet," replied the resident. "We're stabilizing him now."

  "But I want to see my husband."

  "Amy, they'll let you visit with Nick soon. They need to focus on saving his life. Our presence will only add to the confusion." She guided Amy gently to the waiting area as the resident hurried away.

  Detective Wilson carried over two cups of coffee.

  "Take this," she said handing one each to Danielle and Amy. "It will be a long night."

  Her cell phone rang, and she disappeared out the main doors. "I'll check in on Nick a little later," she said, throwing the words over her shoulder.

  Amy only took two sips of coffee, closed her eyes and sighed. She couldn't think of drinking anything at all, and all she wanted to do now was see Nick and hold him. "What if he doesn't make it? What will I do then?"

  Daniel took a sip from her cup, glanced at her friend with a weak smile but she didn't respond. Amy's mind was spinning. "The kids, I need to call the kids." She reached for her handbag, pulling out the cell phone in jerky, panicked movements.

  Danielle gently touched Amy's arm. "Your daughters are in England. Let's wait until we are clear what's going on. Otherwise, they'll be as terrified as we are."

  "Thank you!" Amy relaxed a little.

  Danielle's cell phone rang. "That's Stan," she said half smiling. "…In the hospital…. heart attack… we don't know yet… Yes, Amy is here. Okay, I'll tell her."

  Danielle turned to Amy. "Stan is praying for you and Nick." Danielle too, silently prayed Nick would pull through, but she knew it was out of her hands and not a sure thing.

  Chapter 21

  It was after two a.m., and Amy had tried to persuade Danielle to go home. She refused. "Girl, even if I left I wouldn't sleep. No way I'm leaving you until we know Nick is safe."

  Secretly relieved, Amy drifted off into a restless doze, her mind filling with mangled images—Sage Oats, Alan Earl, Hansel's House, and her husband Nick. They swirled around like a whirlwind, twirling, dancing, merging together into a churning mass. Slowly the mass took shape, a giant woman with a little white hat on her head and a narrow beak-like nose.

  "Mrs. King?" inquired a nurse in a stiff blue uniform. "Which one of you is Mrs. King?"

  "Amy, wake up," Danielle said nudging her friend. "The nurse wants to speak with you."

  The fog of sleep lifted from Amy's mind, replaced by the memory of the night before and dread over what had happened to Nick.

  "Yes," she said weakly rubbing her eyes. "I'm Mrs. King."

  The nurse took a step forward and lowered her voice. "You are Mrs. King?"

  "Yes."

  "I'm Nurse Tropez." She made a gentle clucking sound. "Mr. King is stable. Why don't you come through and sit with him for a while."

  Nurse Tropez turned and hurried away with those quick little steps characteristic of hospital staff. Amy stumbled to her feet and followed behind. "Come on Danielle, I want you with me."

  Danielle shifted her weight in her seat, rolled onto her feet and with large strides caught up with Amy. "I got your back girl. Let's go see how your lover boy is doing."

  Nick lay in the hospital bed with an oxygen mask attached to his face and an intravenous feed in his arm. His appearance left both women unsettled. His skin was pale and somehow clung too tight to his frame giving him a ghastly appearance, and his eyes, although closed looked like sunken shadows.

  "He's stable and resting now," whispered Nurse Tropez. "Go ahead take a seat by the bed, he'll be so pleased to see you when he wakes. If you need anything, please buzz." She pointed to a remote-control device on a ledge by the bed.

  "Thank you," said Amy in a weary voice. "I'm so thankful for y'all."

  Nurse Tropez nodded slightly and peered at the screen of one of the electronic devices monitoring Nick, again making a gentle clucking sound. She wrote something on a board at the base of his bed. "The results from the tests to assess the condition of his heart will be back from the lab in a few hours. The cardiologist will discuss them with you."

  "What time?" asked Danielle.

  "Don't know yet," replied the nurse. She lowered her voice and smiled. "Mr. King should be fine, nothing a little rest and medication won't fix."

  Nurse Tropez's words lifted a burden off Amy's heart, but she wouldn't fully relax until she had spoken with the doctor.

  Around seven a.m. Nick woke up. He moved his head, grinning when he saw Amy.

  "Hello darling," he whispered with a croak.

  Amy hugged and kissed him. Then propped him up on several pillows, fussing around until he was comfortable. He gave a little wave to Danielle.

  "How are you feeling?" asked Danielle.

  "Not too good right now… I guess I had a bit of trouble in the ticktock department."

  "You don't say," replied Danielle with a soft smile.

  Although Nick's eyes were bright, his face was pale and drawn. He knew he'd had a close call and sensed, as he drifted back to sleep, recovery would be a long slow crawl.

  Amy and Danielle pulled up their chairs, put their feet up on the bed and chatted like they were chilling at Hansel's House. It was almost nine in the morning when Danielle looked at her friend and grinned.

  "Amy girl! The only way is up from here."

  Chapter 22

  For a joy-filled hour, Amy and Danielle chatted quietly while Nick slept. Eventually, a wave of fatigue washed over Amy, and their conversation fell away into silence.

  A nurse bustled into the room, checked a monitor, wrote a note on the board at the end of Nick's bed, and hurried away.

  Amy stood up straight, stretched, and looked at her friend with a tired smile. "Thank you, Danielle, I appreciate all you have done. Now go, get some sleep. I'll sit with Nick until he wakes up."

  Danielle raised a hand in protest, "But—"

  "Go now," interrupted Amy. "We'll speak later today." Her words were gentle but firm and Danielle knew there was no point arguing.

  Grumbling softly, she stood up and grabbed her handbag from the back of the chair. "Okay but call me later today with an update; promise?"

  "Promise."

  They hugged, then Danielle half turned, and with a cheeky grin, blew Nick a kiss. "Later girl," she said with a little wave as she left the hospital room.

  Amy sat down and went back to gazing at Nick in a half-awake dreamy state. Even now, having seen Nick awake, she couldn’t quite rest. Not yet, not until she had spoken with the doctor. Then at least, she thought, she'd know more and feel more certain.

  When Nick woke up a little after ten a.m. the color had returned to his face and he had a little more energy. For a while, they chatted a little about their plans and his recovery.

  "Amy darling, go get yourself something to eat," he said at last in a faint husky voice. "I'll be here when you get back!"

  Amy fussed around making sure he was comfortable, a combination of adrenaline and relief keeping her going. Satisfied, she gave him a quick kiss and slipped out of the room, heading for the elevator which would take he
r down to the cafeteria. She needed caffeine and food to make it through the next few hours and felt that now, at last, she'd be able to eat something.

  The next half hour Amy spent sipping coffee, eating a breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast, while the cafeteria filled with people. The catering staff carried away piles of plates and wiped down tabletops. The sound of low voices, the clatter of cups and plates, and the activity of people coming and going soothed her frayed nerves.

  Amy had been back at Nick's bedside only a few minutes when the head cardiologist, a tall thin man, with a long stride, and observant oval eyes, strode into the room.

  "Coronary spasm," he said to Nick who sat upright, eyes alert.

  "Coronary spasm?" asked Amy.

  "Well, it's sometimes called an unstable angina, or silent heart attack."

  "Not good eh?" quizzed Nick.

  "It is quite common these days, and we are getting better at identifying it." He put on a pair of glasses that hung from a string around his neck and peered at his notes. "Looks like we are still waiting for the results of the blood work." He pushed the glasses up his nose. "But it is rare for permanent damage with a coronary spasm. Nevertheless, I'll send you down for imaging later today. After we've reviewed the images we'll talk about going home."

  By the time the cardiologist had finished explaining, Amy sensed the worst was behind them. She figured it was time to call her daughters, stepped into an empty room and dialed England.

  Chapter 23

  Nick was sitting up in bed staring out into space when Amy returned to the hospital room.

  "How are you feeling, darling?" she asked, sensing something was on his mind.

  "Much better now. How are the girls?"

  That took Amy by surprise, but her husband always could read her like a book.

  "Everyone is well. I let them know you are sitting up and looking so much better."

  Nick patted his bed, and Amy sat down and gave him a hug.

  "Go home," Nick whispered lovingly. "Get some sleep and come back later."

  "Are you sure, darling?" replied Amy.

  "Of course! You'll feel better with a little rest."