monitored his vital signs.
Fear tore at Susan. She couldn’t understand what all the numbers meant.
Clare stood in the corner, shaking
and sobbing. Susan leaned down and kissed her father’s cheek. It felt waxy and
cold. Goose-bumps rose on her arms. He had to be okay. Parents lived forever,
didn’t they? She looked at her mother.
“He’ll be fine, Susan. He’ll have
limited use of his left hand for a while, but you heard the doctor — the
surgery went well.” Mrs. Weston nodded toward Clare. “Do something with your
sister.”
Susan nodded. Typical Clare.
Always fell apart in a crisis. Sometimes Susan wondered how her sister managed
to raise two kids. Thank God for Steve. Although with him traveling a lot
lately, Susan wondered how Clare got along. She walked toward her sister.
“I’m going to the cafeteria for a
pop. Do you want anything?”
Clare shook her head.
“Come with me, anyway. Let’s let
Mom have some private time with Dad.” She took Clare’s hand and pulled her to
her feet. “It’ll be okay, you’ll see,” Susan smoothed Clare’s hair while she
spoke.
* * *
When Kate arrived, Susan took
Clare to the waiting room to give Kate a chance to visit privately. Thank God,
their father was finally in his own room, sitting up in bed and even talked a
little.
A few minutes later, Kate joined
them in the waiting room. “Dad wanted to talk to Mom about something
privately.”
“So tell us about your boyfriend.”
Kate sat down next to Susan and nudged her.
Susan smiled. Thank goodness Kate
changed the subject.
“Yeah, fill us in,” Clare said
between hiccups.
Kate’s look told Susan to go with
it.
Susan stood and walked to the
window. “What’s to tell?
Kate gave her a look and Susan
cringed. Did her sister know more than she let on? But how could she? She
didn’t even live in town.
“Okay, so I like him, but we’re just friends.”
Was she reading more into Dave’s feelings than what was there? Maybe she
shouldn’t say any more, but she couldn’t help herself. Dave did that to her.
A nurse came in, smiled, checked
the coffeepot, and left without saying a word.
“Come on, Susan. How did you meet
him?” Kate hit Susan in the arm. “Don’t keep us in the dark.”
“Well, you’re not going to believe
me. I was a suspect in the first murder.”
Clare gasped. “What do you mean a
suspect?”
“Yeah,” Kate joined in. “What the
heck are you talking about?”
Susan sat down and told them the
whole gory story about finding the body, and Dave’s suspicion of her.
“Of course, after he saw me, and
we talked for a while, he realized there’s no way I could strangle someone as
big as the victim. Anyway, later he gave me the bracelet back, and we’ve been
together several times when other phone calls came.”
“Oh, my God.” Kate couldn’t seem
to hold in her thoughts. “Are you in danger?”
Clare looked at her with horror in
her eyes. “Please tell me they caught this guy.”
“I’m afraid not. And he’s
committed several murders since then. He calls me every time.” Susan closed her
eyes and tried to block out the vision of Jack and Jill.
She took a deep breath, let it out
slowly, and looked at her sisters. Both of them looked at a loss for words. She
swallowed hard.
“It’s scary, but with Dave around,
I feel pretty safe, and the police are watching my apartment. They have a
surveillance team set up nearby.” Susan hesitated, looked again, took another
breath, let it out, and went on.
“You really need to go stay with
Mom,” Clare said.
“Nope, not gonna happen.” Susan
remained stubborn. “And don’t give me that baloney about I’ll be safer. I don’t
want to hear it. This guy isn’t after me. I’m his contact.” At least, she hoped
he wasn’t after her.
Susan looked at her watch and
stood. “Sorry, I have to leave. I’ll come back later.” With Kate and Clare
here, their mother had plenty of company. Sure, she could
Fear tore at Susan. She couldn’t understand what all the numbers meant.
Clare stood in the corner, shaking
and sobbing. Susan leaned down and kissed her father’s cheek. It felt waxy and
cold. Goose-bumps rose on her arms. He had to be okay. Parents lived forever,
didn’t they? She looked at her mother.
“He’ll be fine, Susan. He’ll have
limited use of his left hand for a while, but you heard the doctor — the
surgery went well.” Mrs. Weston nodded toward Clare. “Do something with your
sister.”
Susan nodded. Typical Clare.
Always fell apart in a crisis. Sometimes Susan wondered how her sister managed
to raise two kids. Thank God for Steve. Although with him traveling a lot
lately, Susan wondered how Clare got along. She walked toward her sister.
“I’m going to the cafeteria for a
pop. Do you want anything?”
Clare shook her head.
“Come with me, anyway. Let’s let
Mom have some private time with Dad.” She took Clare’s hand and pulled her to
her feet. “It’ll be okay, you’ll see,” Susan smoothed Clare’s hair while she
spoke.
* * *
When Kate arrived, Susan took
Clare to the waiting room to give Kate a chance to visit privately. Thank God,
their father was finally in his own room, sitting up in bed and even talked a
little.
A few minutes later, Kate joined
them in the waiting room. “Dad wanted to talk to Mom about something
privately.”
“So tell us about your boyfriend.”
Kate sat down next to Susan and nudged her.
Susan smiled. Thank goodness Kate
changed the subject.
“Yeah, fill us in,” Clare said
between hiccups.
Kate’s look told Susan to go with
it.
Susan stood and walked to the
window. “What’s to tell?
Kate gave her a look and Susan
cringed. Did her sister know more than she let on? But how could she? She
didn’t even live in town.
“Okay, so I like him, but we’re just friends.”
Was she reading more into Dave’s feelings than what was there? Maybe she
shouldn’t say any more, but she couldn’t help herself. Dave did that to her.
A nurse came in, smiled, checked
the coffeepot, and left without saying a word.
“Come on, Susan. How did you meet
him?” Kate hit Susan in the arm. “Don’t keep us in the dark.”
“Well, you’re not going to believe
me. I was a suspect in the first murder.”
Clare gasped. “What do you mean a
suspect?”
“Yeah,” Kate joined in. “What the
heck are you talking about?”
Susan sat down and told them the
whole gory story about finding the body, and Dave’s suspicion of her.
“Of course, after he saw me, and
we talked for a while, he realized there’s no way I could strangle someone as
big as the victim. Anyway, later he gave me the bracelet back, and we’ve been
together several times when other phone calls came.”
“Oh, my God.” Kate couldn’t seem
to hold in her thoughts. “Are you in danger?”
Clare looked at her with horror in
her eyes. “Please tell me they caught this guy.”
“I’m afraid not. And he’s
committed several murders since then. He calls me every time.” Susan closed her
eyes and tried to block out the vision of Jack and Jill.
She took a deep breath, let it out
slowly, and looked at her sisters. Both of them looked at a loss for words. She
swallowed hard.
“It’s scary, but with Dave around,
I feel pretty safe, and the police are watching my apartment. They have a
surveillance team set up nearby.” Susan hesitated, looked again, took another
breath, let it out, and went on.
“You really need to go stay with
Mom,” Clare said.
“Nope, not gonna happen.” Susan
remained stubborn. “And don’t give me that baloney about I’ll be safer. I don’t
want to hear it. This guy isn’t after me. I’m his contact.” At least, she hoped
he wasn’t after her.
Susan looked at her watch and
stood. “Sorry, I have to leave. I’ll come back later.” With Kate and Clare
here, their mother had plenty of company. Sure, she could
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