Monsters and Lollipops

by Franklin D. Lincoln

“Are you sure you’re going to be all right, Liz?” Deb said from behind the wheel of the Cherokee as Liz pushed the passenger side door wide open and placed her cane on the pavement below. She gripped hard on the metal hand rail that had been installed on the inside of the door. Her grip was weak and her head felt light and she was dizzy. The street lights and the lights from Amity Hospital were like dancing orbs reflecting in her brain against the black backdrop of night.

  “I. . . I’ll be fine, Deb. Don’t worry about me.”

  “Wait a minute, Liz. Let me get over there and help you down.” She was already getting out of the SUV.

  The Cherokee was sitting in the circle at the front entrance to the hospital. The night air was biting cold at this time of night.

  It had been four o’clock in the afternoon when Liz had finally settled down for her long overdue nap. She had finally caught up with her medication that she had missed the last couple of days and had gone to bed. Her sleep had been fitful and she had terrible dreams that she would not remember upon wakening at six o’clock when Deb had awoken her to take an important phone call.

  “Hello, Francis,” Liz had mumbled through the haze of half wakefulness. It was Father Frank.

  “Liz,” he said as she came on the line.” Michael has had a bad accident and is at Amity Hospital, here in Buffalo.

  Liz had jerked instantly awake at that. Her concern over shadowed the throbbing pain in her head and neck and she ignored the blurred vision in her right eye.

  “Wh. . . what happened?”

  “We’re not sure yet, but his car is a total wreck. Mike is in surgery right now. He hasn’t been conscious enough to tell us anything. He did mumble your name and we did find your message on his cell phone. I thought you should know what happened.”

  “You were right about that,” Liz said.” Will he be all right?”

  “We don’t know. He’s got broken bones, but I don’t know if there is anything life threatening yet.”

  “I’ll be right there,” Liz said.” Thanks for letting me know.”

  “I don’t know if it’s necessary that you come here. You need to take care of yourself. There’s nothing you can do, here. I just thought you should know.”

  “Just the same, I’ll be right there. I need to.”

  As soon as she had gotten off the phone to Father Frank, she called Celia Parks and told her what had happened. She asked if she could stay with her if she didn’t stay at the hospital all night. She told her that Deb would drive her to the hospital, but couldn’t stay, as she would need to get back home and get some sleep, before going to work, in the morning. She had already lost too much time at work lately. Celia agreed and Liz had told her that she would give her a call from the hospital if she needed her.

  Liz had tried to rest during the trip to Buffalo and she had drifted in and out of sleep; the street lights and lights of passing cars continually floating in and out of her consciousness.

  Now as Deb helped her down from the Cherokee, Liz could hardly feel her numbing feet hit the black top, and she wondered if she could actually fend for herself now, but she refused to admit it to Deb.” Don’t worry about me,” she said as Deb helped her step up onto the concrete walk. The automatic door in front of her slid open at the motion. She shook Deb off.” I’ll call you,” she said, looking straight ahead and not bothering to look back at Deb as she shuffled through the door and stepped into the inner revolving door. The sliding door closed behind her.

  Liz grabbed a wheel chair from the lobby so she could have a chair to lean on and a seat to sit on, in case she got weak.

  Deb watched for a few moments as Liz crossed the lobby floor and approached the reception desk. She finally left when she saw Liz speaking to the receptionist.

  Liz was directed to the fourth floor via the blue elevators, which was the first bank of elevators, not far down the main corridor to the right.

  When Liz stepped off the elevator on the fourth floor, she turned into the corridor to the left. From here she could see the nurse’s station off to the right at the far end of the hall. Standing in the open area in front of the nurse’s desk were two men that she recognized right away; Vinnie Porelli, which was hardly surprising that he would be there for his son, but it was surprising that the other man was Mandalyn’s Chief of Police, Ben MacCready.

  MacCready was out of uniform, wearing a black leather jacket and black pants. His arms were moving about emphasizing a very animated and perhaps heated conversation with the elder Porelli.

  The conversation seemed to end abruptly when they saw Liz approaching. Liz pushed the wheel chair off to the side of the corridor. Her cane was in her right hand and she leaned heavily on it. She walked close to the left wall so her left hand could occasionally touch it and give her some added stability. The dizziness was still with her.

  Vinnie abruptly walked away from MacCready, taking long deliberate strides toward Liz.” Who the hell asked you to come here?” He fumed. Without waiting, nor expecting an answer he continued,” You’ve already done enough. If he hadn’t been out nosing into things for you, this would never have happened.”

  ‘It’s good to see you again too,” Liz said sarcastically; halting and bracing herself against the wall with her left palm.” How is he?” She totally ignored Vinnie’s wrath.

  “He just came out of recovery and isn’t conscious, yet. We won’t know for awhile.” His flabby face was gray with concern and Liz could see something what she rarely saw in the big tough guy; fear. Then he caught himself and screwed his face back into a stoic mask.

  “I suppose that lily livered son of mine called you, didn’t he?” Vinnie always hated it that Francis had turned away from him and had joined the priesthood, but, when he would speak in public about his son, he always exuded a tone of pride. And that was not fake, for deep inside, he felt he had a link to the great almighty, despite his ways on this earth.” Well,” he continued.” You might as well, go back home. I don’t want you hanging around here with me.”

  “Don’t worry, Vinnie. I won’t bother you. I just want to be here for Michael.”

  “That could be some time yet. You go on home. I’ll call you when I know something.”

  “You mean, I can’t see him?”

  “Not now, I’ll let you know.” He turned and started to move away.

  “I’m staying in town tonight.” She released her cane and lifted her purse. She reached inside and pulled out a small note pad and pen as she stumbled forward. She quickly wrote down Celia’s number and handed the slip of paper to Vinnie.” You can reach me at this number,” she said.

  He took the paper reluctantly and shoved it into the pocket of his baggy pants, without looking at it. He turned without a word and strode back down the hall, past the nurse’s station, and Ben MacCready, who was still standing there watching, turned left into the far corridor and disappeared.

  Ben came forward.” I guess you were right. He doesn’t like you very much, does he?”

  “What are you doing here?” Liz almost snapped it out, but she was too tired and weak to put much force behind it.

  “Anytime anything happens to Vinnie Porelli or his son, I want to know about it. You never know. It just may mean trouble.”

  “You mean mob related?” Liz said.” Are you saying this wasn’t an accident?”

  “No. I’m not. I’m just saying that it’s always a possibility when it’s a Porelli.”

  “Does that go for me and my son, also?”

  “Well Liz,” he said.” You’re not really a Porelli. And neither is James. If you know what I mean.”

  “Yeah, I guess so,” she admitted.” Do you know what happened?”

  “His car was found mangled to pieces with Michael inside. What ever hit him was pretty big. Whoever was driving, didn’t stay around. Just left the scene. It was a back road without much traffic and it was a while before he was found. That’s all I know right now. Vinnie didn’t want to talk
to me either.”

  “Can’t say as I blame him,” Liz said softly, almost under her breath.

  “What was that?” Ben cocked his head to hear, better.

  “Oh, nothing,” Liz said.” Just nothing.”

  “I heard you say you were staying in town,” MacCready said.” Is Deb here with you?”

  “No. She had to get back for work tomorrow. She just dropped me off here and I’ll stay with a friend for the night.”

  “Is your friend picking you up here?” MacCready asked.

  “Yes. I need to call her and she’ll come get me.”

  “No need to call her,” MacCready said with a smile that Liz didn’t quite like.” I can give you a lift if you like.”

  “No. No.” Liz tried to mask the nervousness in her voice. She was suddenly remembering the things Deb had said about the police chief. Maybe Deb was right, she thought.” I mean, there’s no need to trouble yourself. My friend won’t mind. Really.”

  “No trouble at all,” MacCready said with a smile as he grasped Liz’s left arm near the elbow and started to turn her around.

  Liz’s pulse suddenly began to race. She felt the chill of fear wave over her, but she tried not to let it show that she was cringing from the man’s touch.” Really. . Ben, she stammered.” There. . . there’s no need to trouble yourself.”

  “Nonsense,” he said as he began to lead her back down the hallway toward the elevators. There was a force to his guidance and Liz felt like she might stumble, but she managed to increase her speed and keep up with the big man.” What are friends for if they can’t help one another out,” he said. He did seem to slow his pace, realizing that Liz couldn’t keep up, but it was still a bit fast for her and she felt overpowered. She thought she noted a tinge of coldness in his words and his grip on her arm seemed to tighten. Just then, Liz seemed to lose her legs and they buckled under. MacCready did not miss a beat. He pulled Liz upright and steadied her on her feet. He said,” Sorry, Liz. We had better slow down, I just didn’t realize. I’ve just been so used to rushing all my life.”

  Liz no longer protested. She just seemed to accept captivity with silence, while frightful thoughts raced through her brain. What if Deb was right about Ben MacCready? What if he had broken into her house? What if he did have some reason to harm her? No that can’t be, Liz told herself. She had lived with Deb too long. She was now starting to believe her outlandish tales. That had to be it. Ben MacCready was her friend and the chief of police. He was one of the good guys. Or was he? What if Deb was right? No, that couldn’t be. Or could it? Oh my goodness, Deb’s going to say she knew I would think nice, nice of everyone, until they screwed me.

 

  *****

  Chapter Twenty One