by Beth Ziarnik
Clay reached over to shake the man’s hand. “Thank you for your help, and for believing in us.”
The man nodded curtly. “I’m glad my partner and I were available when you called Brian and that things ended well. I hope Mr. Taylor recovers. Where are you two headed next?
Jill looked up at Clay. As exhausted as they were, she hoped he would agree. “Back to the hospital?”
Clay studied the traumatized man in the hospital bed. Even if John made it through this ordeal and back to some semblance of health, the poison or poisons Alice used could leave long-term effects. No telling when the man would be stable enough to return home. At least, the vial confiscated by the police would reveal which poison Alice had intended to use to end John’s life.
He stood back as father and daughter connected without words. Jill smoothed her father’s hair and then kissed his forehead. She held his hand between hers as he looked into her eyes and she into his.
Nothing pleased Clay more at the moment than observing this father and daughter. Their love for each other was a beautiful thing to behold. Jill had achieved her dream. One day soon he hoped to achieve his. He looked forward to the day when he would ask John Taylor for permission to marry his daughter. But he was in no hurry. More important right now was John regaining his strength and Jill freely enjoying precious time with him.
Later that morning, following a refreshing shower and a nourishing breakfast at the hotel, Jill reveled in her father’s safety as Clay drove them back to the hospital. What a relief that the ban on her visitation had been lifted. As she and Clay approached her father’s room, she heard familiar voices within and stopped. Dora, Kathryn, and Lillie had arrived ahead of them. She glanced up at Clay and then turned away. “Let’s come back later.”
He gave her a stern look and, gently grasping her elbow, steered her toward the doorway.
“Jill!” Lillie rushed to her and threw her arms around her neck in a welcoming hug. “You are so brave. Thank you.”
Kat stared at the floor for a long moment, then regarded her with clear and contrite eyes. “Words are not enough,” she said.
Seated in the room’s only chair, Dora nodded curtly and looked into her lap before raising her chin. “I believe we might have been wrong about you.” It was a grudging concession, but a concession nonetheless.
“Oh, Grandma, of course we were wrong. I’m sorry I believed Alice’s lie even for a moment,” Lillie said. “I knew from the day Jill arrived that she was a good person with good intentions.”
“Well, I’m sorry I didn’t.” Kathryn put out her hand to Jill. “I hope you will forgive me.”
With tears in her eyes, Jill accepted her sister’s hand in friendship. She smiled in spite of her quivering lips, afraid to speak for fear the words would clog her throat.
“Oh, Jill,” Lillie said, “please forgive us all. We were such fools.”
Dora arched her neck and glared at her younger granddaughter.
“Well, we were,” Lillie insisted.
“Not fools,” Jill said to cushion the effect on the elder woman. “Just careful about someone we all love dearly.”
Apparently, Dora could agree with that. She nodded once in a regal manner without looking Jill’s way.
Jill took a step back. “We’re sorry we intruded. We’ll come another time if that meets with your approval.”
Dora still refused eye contact with Jill. “You may come to visit John as often as you wish. You have earned the right.”
Jill tipped her head in wonder at the welcome change in Dora. “Thank you.”
Again, the curt nod, but this time the woman’s shoulders relaxed a bit.
Jill’s heart clutched. As much as she wished it wasn’t so, Dora’s wound from the past ran too deep. She might never leap the chasm to welcome Jill to be part of their lives. However, her sisters might feel differently. Perhaps, in time, Dora would too.
How Jill wished she could hug the elderly woman’s hurt away. But she might never get the chance. For now, she would have to respect Dora’s boundary.
Jill tugged at Clay’s arm and whispered, “Let’s go.”
Clay nodded his approval, but as they turned to leave, Doctor Jamison swept through the door. As she and Clay stepped out of his way, Jill tugged at Clay again and whispered, “I can’t leave before I hear what he has to say.” She watched, along with the others, as Dr. Jamison checked her father. Her heart pounded in anticipation.
The doctor turned to his expectant audience. “It appears John is improving.”
“Will he live?” Dora ventured in a tremulous voice that spoke volumes about her love for her son-in-law.
“I’d say he has a very good chance.” The doctor offered a grim smile. “Few people die of insulin poisoning.”
“Insulin? Father isn’t a diabetic,” an indignant Kathryn put in.
“Which is what makes it so dangerous. It appears Alice administered insulin and then glucose to control how ill he might appear and how much he recovered after each incident.”
“I wondered how he could recover so quickly from each spell,” Jill said.
“I’m also sure,” the doctor continued, “that Alice knew he might not die, which explains her choice for the last injection she planned to give him—a lethal dose of arsenic.”
“Arsenic?” Jill’s stomach rolled over. She knew enough about the poison to know how dangerous it was.
Murmurs sounded throughout the room. How close her father had come.
“We’ll know more tomorrow, once we see how the dimercaprol is working to bind the arsenic in his system.”
“You found arsenic in his system as well?” Dora’s hands trembled in her lap.
“Yes, in addition to the insulin, which made drops in his blood sugar level look as if John were still ill from the flu.”
“But arsenic …” Dora’s voice trailed away.
“We’re treating John for both poisons.”
Kat looked a little green around her jawline. “How soon will he be able to come home?”
“He’s a very sick man, Kathryn. If it were only the insulin, he might have recovered in a few days. But arsenic is another matter. We’re watching his progress. If the dimercaprol does its work efficiently, we’ll treat him with penicillamine to reduce the arsenic levels in his urine.”
“But then he’ll come home?” Lillie’s voice was laced with anxiety.
“In time and providing tests indicate that he’s recovering well enough.” He patted Lillie’s shoulder, then turned to Jill.
“It’s a good thing you intervened, Miss Shepherd. The world needs good men like John Taylor.” He glanced back at his patient. “We’ll know more about his full recovery as his system absorbs and normalizes from the glucose administered through that drip line. Hopefully, he hasn’t sustained any brain damage.”
Kat slipped an arm around Lillie’s shoulders.
The doctor studied the anxious faces in the room, then made a few notes in his electronic notebook. “As long as no unforeseen complications show up, John could go home in a few days, maybe a week. In the meantime, I’ve seen prayer speed a person’s recovery.”
Jill would definitely pray against possible complications.
Not quite what I wanted to hear, Lord, but You are more than able, and your Word says You’re willing to heal. Thank You for helping us stop Alice. And thank You that Dad has a chance. Please speed him to a full recovery.
She tried to still her tremulous nerves, knowing that sometimes in His greater wisdom, God said no.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The hospital’s revolving doors whooshed as Clay ushered Jill into the chill winter air. He took her gloved hand, and they walked toward the parking lot while he thanked God that John had a good chance of recovery. He also gave thanks that Alice’s plans for Jill had failed.
He squeezed her hand, and Jill stopped to look up at him. A tiny snowflake perched on her nose, and he bent to kiss it away. She cupped the side of his
face with her other gloved hand.
“Jill!”
Clay jerked around at the sound of Caldwell’s voice. The man jogged toward them in his cashmere coat and wool scarf. Pulling Jill a bit closer, he waited for the man to close the distance between them.
Smiling broadly, Caldwell halted before them, his breath leaving white puffs visible in the air. “I hoped we’d bump into one another.”
Jill’s forehead creased. “Is something the matter?”
“I wanted to thank you. If not for you two, John would … well, you know.” He extended a hand to Clay. “Good job. As I told Jill earlier, you’re okay in my book. I wasn’t sure when I first met you, but now I know Jill is in good hands.”
Was the man finally conceding his attempt to regain Jill’s affections? Clay reached over to shake his hand. “We couldn’t have done it without your help. Thanks for hearing me out and for your quick response.”
Caldwell shook his hand. “Who would’ve suspected Alice was behind John’s failing health?”
Her eyes glowed. “Clay did.”
“Is that right?” Brian nodded his approval.
“Maybe if I had believed him sooner,” Jill said, “things wouldn’t have gone this far.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re both okay.”
The welcome assurance warmed Clay’s chest as Jill slipped her hand around his elbow. He placed his own hand over hers.
Brian stepped aside. “I have to get going. Good luck.”
His one-time rival hurried toward the hospital doors. Hadn’t Jill said plenty of times that Caldwell wasn’t a bad guy? He should have believed her. The man really had been looking out for Jill’s best interests.
A twinge hit Clay’s gut. While he was still struggling to establish his reconstruction business, Caldwell was a man of means with a solid financial future. He looked into Jill’s amazing eyes. “Do you ever regret that you two broke up?”
“Not for a single moment.”
“Hey, you two,” another voice hailed them as Sergeant Kalbus trotted over, his badge flashing in the winter sunlight. “How’s everything going with Mr. Taylor?”
“Can I give you a hug?” Jill’s heart was full as she reached up to the big man.
The policeman first turned to Clay, who nodded his approval. “As long as your man agrees.”
Jill hugged him and stepped back. “Dad is doing much better. We’ll know more in a day or two, but thank you for believing in us when it counted. I want you to know how much I appreciate the role you played in his rescue. I wish there was something I could do for you.”
“Cookies and doughnuts are good.” He grinned and patted his flat stomach. “Though I’ll pass on that. Christmas about did me in. As for your father, Miss Shepherd, what you did took a lot of courage even if it wasn’t quite by the rules.” He tugged on the brim of his hat.
Jill emitted a sad sigh. “How’s Alice?”
Clay openly stared at her as if he couldn’t understand why she’d be concerned about her one-time enemy, but she couldn’t help it. Now that she and her father were no longer in danger, she did care what happened to the woman.
The sergeant hooked a gloved thumb in his jacket pocket. “She’s booked and in jail, consulting with her lawyer.”
“Any idea what will happen to her?”
“She’ll be arraigned and a date set for her trial.”
Jill wiped snowflakes from her cheek. “This might sound peculiar, but I feel sorry for her. I keep thinking that maybe if her life had been different as a child—”
“You don’t have to go there, Miss Shepherd. Many who experience greater difficulty when young, turn out to be sensible, responsible adults. Choices make all the difference. No matter how hard the past, making good choices can change a person’s future. Your father gave Alice the kind of help many don’t get. Before that, he also tried to help her mother.”
Jill’s eyes widened. “You know about that?”
“I was the young cop who arrested her mother. The woman was in a pretty sad state back then. If Mr. Taylor hadn’t helped her turn herself in, she would have died from the drugs she was messing with or been killed by her dealer.”
The news almost brought Jill to tears. She hadn’t realized how bad their situation had been.
“Mr. Taylor did his best to give them both a chance. They might have made it if her mother’s cellmate hadn’t gotten her in trouble a week before her release. She paid for that trouble with her life. Sad.”
“No wonder,” Jill said, lowering her head, “her mother’s death hit Alice so hard. The little girl’s high expectations crushed in such a horrible way at the last minute.”
The sergeant shifted his stance. “Too bad what happened, but then Alice made a wrong choice. Instead of appreciating your father’s help, she decided to make him pay for her mother’s death. As I said before, choices make all the difference.”
“And she made some wrong ones,” Jill murmured in sorrow.
“Yup. No doubt she’ll pay for those wrong choices,” he said. “So, what are you two planning?”
“We’ll stay a few days until we know Jill’s dad is recovering,” Clay said, “and then head back home to Chicago.”
“I wish you both the best, and I’ll keep in touch about the progress of this case. You’ll be needed for testimony when the time comes.”
“We’ll be there.” The words seemed hollow in Jill’s mouth. If only none of this had happened. If only she didn’t have to testify against Alice. How she wished Alice had truly been her friend and never carried such a grudge.
But Jill had learned long ago that life is what it is.
The next day, Jill stood beside Clay at her father’s bedside, relieved to see he appeared much improved. The color had returned to his face, and his breathing came slow and steady. That had to be a good sign. “How are you doing, Dad?”
“He’s doing quite well. Better than we expected this soon,” his new nurse said as she fussed with his pillows and bed covers and then left the room.
“Thanks to you, my daughter,” he said, finishing the nurse’s comment.
“What?”
“Your mother was a beautiful, courageous woman.” He looked at Jill intently. “You take after her. I begged you to leave, but you stayed and risked your life to keep me alive.” His voice choked off, and moisture gathered in his eyes. He blinked it away. “This is not a time for sadness. I will always be grateful to you … and to Clay. I only wish I had realized how Alice felt. I might have helped her understand better.”
As awkward as the hospital bed made the attempt, Jill leaned over to hug him. “I’m sorry about Alice too, but I hope you realize you did everything you could. It’s unfortunate she didn’t see it that way.”
“Yes.” Moisture again pooled in his eyes. “But don’t be too hard on her.”
Jill considered his counsel. Her father obviously loved Alice as if she were his own. How horrible to realize her perceptions had become so twisted, and yet he had forgiven her. Perplexed, she glanced at Clay. Could both he and her father detect some telltale sign that, as hard as she tried, she still needed to forgive Alice? Maybe she had only begun the process. She told God she forgave Alice and asked Him to change her heart to agree with her decision. God would make it real in her heart in due time, wouldn’t He?
“Love covers a multitude of sins,” her father reminded her, placing his hand on the cover of a Bible at his bedside. “Maybe one day, Alice will come to know that truth from God’s Word and let the Lord heal her hurts too.”
This glimpse into her father’s heart startled her. If he had forgiven Alice, had he also asked God to forgive him? “Have you done this, Dad? Have you let God’s love heal you? Have you finally forgiven yourself as He has?”
His eyes lit up as he softly assured her. “Yes. And now, would you leave me alone with your young man here? Go get a snack or read a magazine and give us time to talk.”
“But I just got here.” She didn’t want
to leave him, even for a moment.
“I know. But give me about half an hour with Clay.” Her father’s eyes pierced her own.
“Really, Dad,” she grumped with a tamped grin, “a half hour to grill him? I should think he’s proven himself by now.”
“Run along, my girl.”
My girl. Sinking into her heart like hardy seed in rich soil, those words warmed her to her toes. “I’ll go, but all you get is one half-hour. No more.”
She kissed her father’s forehead and ran a hand along Clay’s broad back as she left the room. Whatever her dad had to say, she prayed it would turn out well.
Lord, please give them grace … and me too.
For she had some work to do with the Lord. She would ask God’s help to change her heart regarding her unsatisfactory attitude toward Alice.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“Sit down, Clay.” From his hospital bed, John Taylor sent him a stern look. “We have a few things to discuss.”
Clay had a few things of his own he would like to discuss. But out of respect, he held his tongue and did as Jill’s father bid. Those eyes so like hers bored into his with a power that let him know the man had earned his reputation as one of the most highly-regarded lawyers in Wisconsin.
Suspecting he was about to receive the third degree, Clay sat at the edge of a chair he had procured near the wall. To demonstrate strength of his own, he locked unblinking eyes with the man’s own keen ones.
Taylor wasted no words. “I take it my daughter is in love with you.”
Clay offered a subdued smile. “That’s what she tells me.”
“And you are in love with her?”
“As I’ve said before, most definitely.”
John sighed. “It’s hard for a father to fight that.”
Clay tensed. Did this man still think he wasn’t good enough for his daughter? “Why fight it at all, sir?”
“I hate to admit it, but for purely selfish reasons. I’ve had very little time with Jill, and already you’re on the scene. Not that I blame you. She is beautiful and totally delightful.”