by Susan Kohler
Pastor Mark and Rachel sat and talked to Nicole for a long time and did not leave until her tears and sobs quieted.
David said gently, “We’ve prayed for their families, Nicole. Also, Emily and I have done whatever we can do to help them, but it’s not enough. They’re gone and their families are devastated. We set up scholarships for their children. It’s not just you, you know, Nicole. Emily knew them and loved them, too. Remember how Hans helped her gain confidence? He shot hundreds of photos of her looking beautiful, so that finally she was able to see what we saw. We’re all really grief stricken and scared. There’s another thing you have to be aware of, this was no accident. The fire was deliberately set. Until we catch whoever did this, your life may be in danger.”
“We’re also puzzled,” Emily added. “The police can’t figure out what happened, or why.”
“The police want to talk to you when you’re able.” David said, “They seem to think you were the target, that you were the reason the fire was set.”
“Oh my God!” Nikki covered her eyes, it was several minutes before she could talk. “Who would do something like that? Why?”
“The police are investigating, of course, but we don’t know.” David held her hand gently.
“How long has it been?” she asked quietly.
“About five weeks,” David said softly. “You’ve been burned, mainly second degree, but some third, and you also suffered a concussion. You were in a coma for about two weeks and...”
David paused to collect himself, going to a new subject to gain time, “Mom is here, she’s staying at the house. She’s having quite a time getting along with Mae, or not getting along, depending on how aware Mae is from day to day.”
David grinned then continued, “She’ll be here soon, Mom, not Mae. It’s been hard on her, on all of us. We thought... well, you know what we thought, but God is good and you are healing. You’ve had several surgeries and skin grafts already. And Nick, I think you should know... well, a couple of things.”
“What is it David?” she asked quietly, too shaken by the loss of her friends to be worried about anything, or so she thought.
“First,” but just as he started to talk, Pastor Brad, from the church Emily had attended before she married David, came into the room. He still considered himself a minister for the family, and they did too.
“Hi, Pastor.” Emily smiled at him. “It’s good to see you.”
“Hi, Nicole,” Pastor Brad said. “I know Pastor Mark has been doing a great job of praying for you, but I’d like to put in my two cents worth and pray for you too.”
“I’d appreciate that.” Nicole smiled. “I need all the help I can get.”
Pastor Brad prayed over Nicole.
After he finished, David told Pastor Brad, “This is a good time for your visit, I was telling Nicole some things about her injuries, and well...”
He turned to Nicole and said, “Honey, they did a pregnancy test on you, to make sure none of the treatments would hurt the baby if, well, you were pregnant, if you are it’s too soon to tell.”
“David, I can’t be.” She almost sat up but her brother held her down. “I know it’s weird at my age but I’ve never…” She turned to Pastor Brad. “I haven’t.”
“I believe you,” he said calmly. “I know you.”
“Nick, we know you were raped rather violently. There was massive bruising and tearing.” David hesitated then continued, “If you did get pregnant with all of that trauma, it would be amazing.”
“It would be a miracle if you didn’t lose the fetus.” He paused again. “There was some discussion about giving you a morning after pill, but I had power of attorney for medical decisions. Remember when we set that up?”
At her nod, he continued, “So I was acting as your guardian while you were unable to make decisions and I know how you feel about abortion, even morning after pills. I thought it should be your decision.”
“You’re right. I would feel terrible if I had that decision taken away from me.” She looked up at David. “How long has it been since I was tested?”
“About ten days,” he explained to her, hesitating just a bit. “They said... um.”
“Men!” Emily jumped in. “They said it would help them if they knew when your next period was due.”
Nicole tried to calculate. “I was due for it to start on the 17th, give or take, so that would be about two weeks after the attack.”
“I’ll tell the nurse,” David said and left the room.
Soon a nurse came and took some blood. David returned to the room.
He stood and paced, his hands in his pockets now, wondering how much pain he would have to inflict on a sister he loved so much. “Also, I know this isn’t a priority for you, but let’s face it: your career is over. You’ll have some scars, a lot of scars.”
David walked over to hold her hand. “Do you want me to get a mirror so you can see your face?”
“Not yet, David, okay? I’m just not ready.” She managed a weak smile.
“At least you still have your beautiful hair,” David managed. “One side of your hair had to be cut short, but it’s growing back.”
“Woo hoo!” she managed to quip. Then she met David’s eyes and continued softly, “I’ll be okay, you know. I had a retirement plan worked out. I was tired of being judged only by my looks, and I never wanted to stretch my modeling into an acting career like some models do. So I have the plans for my gym. I’m set pretty well financially, too. I’ve got great medical insurance, plus extra insurance on my face, and I’ve invested my earnings pretty well, thanks to you.”
She sighed, with some resignation. “It’ll work out. What else?”
“Well, there is one more thing: You might hear a report on TV. They’re saying you died in the fire.”
There was a long pause.
“Nikki Silver did die in the fire.” She held up her chin as she said, “Nicole Silvan is recovering. She’s a survivor.”
A nurse came in and said, “I have the results of her pregnancy test. So do you want to have some privacy for this?”
“No, my friends and family can hear the results.” Nicole sipped more water.
With Pastor Brad holding one hand and David holding the other, they looked to the nurse.
“You are pregnant. I can send for an OB/GYN to come and discuss your pregnancy with you later today, if you’d like,” she said calmly.
Then she turned to David, “I think she’s had enough for now. Let her rest and you can come back later.”
She shooed the trio out of the room at about the same time Nicole’s mother arrived. She burst into the room, full of energy and concern. Her blue eyes flashed as she took in Nicole’s condition. She had something for Nicole, she brought some of her nightgowns, and even some shorts and T-shirts. Changing into a real nightgown made Nicole feel as if the end was in sight, she was getting well, it was a real morale booster. After a short visit, Bonnie left too, promising to come back later with David.
After her mother left, Nicole sighed in relief. She wept with the emotions she had suppressed in front of her family, and then drifted off to sleep.
Later that day she met with Dr. Sullivan, the chief resident OB/GYN. They chatted briefly, and the doctor ran some tests. She told Nicole they had time to decide on how to handle the pregnancy, along with what treatment and care she would need. She promised to check on Nicole the next day, and then she left.
The next day she got a pleasant surprise, Jello! Cherry Jello! After so long of not eating anything except what came from a feeding tube, IVs and occasional sips of water, it was heaven. She could only eat a few spoonfuls but she savored every bite.
The OB/GYN came in. This time Nicole was aware enough to notice her name tag, Dr. Wendy Sullivan. She met the doctor’s wide smile and said, “Hi, I’m Nicole Silvan, glad to meet you.”
Doctor Sullivan shook her hand. “I thought you were a little um, shell-shocked when we met yesterday.”
&
nbsp; There was warmth and humor in her soft brown eyes. “It’s no wonder. You’ve had quite a shock.”
“Several of them,” Nicole agreed, still smiling.
The doctor couldn’t know it was her professional smile.
“I have to run, but for now, I have one question. At this point do you intend to go through with the pregnancy?” she asked.
“Of course,” Nicole nodded. “Why not?”
“Why not indeed?” Dr. Sullivan looked at her pager and quickly left.
Behind her, Nicole laid there praying for strength and guidance, and confidence in her decision.
Chapter Three
“Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; if he have committed sins; they shall be forgiven him.”
(James 5:14-15)
Later in the day, two police detectives came in to talk to Nicole. The older detective was a middle-aged woman with gray hair, brown eyes, a tough face and a tender manner. She was dressed in tailored charcoal gray slacks with a trim white shirt and dark blue blazer. She sat beside Nicole and did most of the talking. Her partner was a great looking man of about thirty with green eyes and wavy brown hair. He sat further away. He crossed his legs, balancing his notebook on his jeans and took notes. He listened, only interjecting with a few questions.
“Hi, I’m Detective Mollney, and this is my partner, Detective Reynolds. I’m very sorry about your injuries, and the loss of your friends.” She paused. “Can we turn down the TV? Or off?”
She reached for the remote even as she asked.
“Off would be fine,” Nicole answered.
“What can you tell us about what happened to you?” Detective Mollney continued, now that the TV was off.
“I don’t remember very much about that day,” Nicole admitted slowly. “I’ll admit, a small part of me is glad I don’t remember. What woman would want to remember being raped and brutalized, and having her good friends murdered? What little I can remember is very painful and confused. Of course, I also want to help you catch whoever is responsible for this, so I am trying to remember anything that can help.”
Nicole paused and looked at Detective Mollney. “It’s not just about my injuries and the loss of my career. They are not really the most important things. He killed three of my friends.”
Her breath hitched. “They were very good people.”
There was a long pause before she continued, “I was tired that day, I just came back from a show in Australia the day before. Maybe I wasn’t alert or cautious enough. All I remember is that I received an assignment to go to a photo shoot for a new client. I’d never heard of the designer before; I know most of the fashion designers in the area, but I was not really suspicious. I went to the address I was given. The neighborhood was run down and the building was dirty and in disrepair.”
She paused and shook her head. “I really should have been more suspicious.”
“Why weren’t you suspicious?” Detective Reynolds asked. “Why didn’t you just leave?”
“I was given the assignment by my agent and I didn’t want to let her down. I wanted to be professional. Word gets out when a model fails to show up for an assignment, or when she walks out. The next thing you know, you can’t get booked for anything, even a fashion show at the mall,” she explained, sipping her soft drink before adding with a small, tight grin, “And of course, I didn’t want to be a big wuss.”
She grinned. “I mean, if I left, all those people would be out their money, the three who died all depended on me for their income. I didn’t want to let them down.”
Her smile faded. “Now, I wish I had.”
“I had my hair and make-up done before the photographer arrived, in fact, his assistant came over and said he would be there in about fifteen minutes. That was very unusual, the photogs are usually not only on time, but they love accusing everyone else of being late and holding up a shoot. Most of them go off on rants about how time is money. The others on my team got some coffee and pastries the photog’s assistant had put out but I already had my own blend of coffee in my own mug, and I avoid pastries, for my figure. Part of the job. I just sat there and waited for the photographer to arrive.”
“What was the photographer’s name?” Detective Mollney asked.
“I’m sorry, I don’t remember. My agent can tell you.” She smiled as a nurse brought her a cup of coffee, even though she already had a soft drink. “Now that I’m allowed to drink, they hardly let me finish one before bringing another. Would either of you like some coffee or a soda?”
Both detectives declined.
“And his assistant’s name?” Detective Mollney asked, returning to her questions.
“I remember that he introduced himself as Adam, I didn’t get a last name,” she said sadly. “He was good looking and seemed really nice.”
“Can you describe him?” She was prodded.
“Yes, he was young. Brown hair and eyes, a bit swarthy, great smile, well-built but slender, about 5’10” and I’d say about mid-twenties.”
“How do you remember so many details of his description? And how sure of it are you?” Detective Mollney asked, surprised.
“My job is about descriptions and appearances.” She paused. “Also I thought he would do great as a model.”
“Anything else?” Detective Mollney asked. “What else can you tell us about that day?”
“I thought I heard a noise, a kind of thud, and I smelled what I thought was smoke. I turned my head to see what was up, and felt... well, it felt like the world exploded.”
“How did you get the assignment?” Detective Mollney asked.
“My manager, Melinda Jacobson from All Star Modeling, emailed it to me.”
“Was that the way you usually got your assignments?” the detective asked.
“No, but it’s not unheard of.” Nicole grinned. “Usually Melinda phones me and we chat about anything and everything. She only uses email when she’s too busy to talk.”
“Was there anything else that seemed unusual about the assignment?” she prodded.
“Yes.” She paused. “Usually when I go to a new client, one neither Melinda nor I knew, she would go too or send an assistant as a sort of back-up.”
“Why didn’t she go this time?” the younger detective, Detective Reynolds, asked.
“Let me think. She called and said she was ill, so I told her to stay home and take care of herself.” Nicole sighed. “Thank God she wasn’t there.”
“How did Melinda sound when you spoke to her on the phone?” Detective Reynolds asked quietly. “Did she sound ill? Or upset?”
“She sounded ill, kind of choked up.” Nicole paused, thinking. “Why?”
“I’m very sorry to tell you that Melinda Jacobson was found dead in her apartment,” he said quietly. Pausing, he added, “Her throat was slit. She was murdered the same day as the fire.”
“Oh my God!” Nicole broke down sobbing. “What’s happening?”
“We don’t know,” the female detective spoke quietly. “We’re investigating of course, but so far, we just don’t know.”
The officers waited until she came under some control.
“Have you been getting stalked, obsessed fans, death threats, anything like that?” Detective Mollney asked. “Think back several months. Is there anything that stands out? That seems suspicious in hindsight?”
“There’s always someone, some fan who thinks I love him, or that he loves me. Someone who thinks I’m a slut because I’m a model. It’s part of being, well, famous. We keep a file with the details. Melinda has it stored on her computer,” Nicole told her. “Just in case.”
“Melinda’s office was broken into and her computer was stolen,” the detective said.
“David has a back-up copy in his office, I don’t think anyone knows about it. Plus he keeps all the origin
al notes, letters or whatever,” Nicole said, adding in desperation as a new thought hit her. “Please, he and Emily may need protection from this... this monster.”
“We’ll check with David and get the files. Also, we’ll make sure he’s safe,” Detective Mollney said.
She pulled out her cell phone. “I need more protection to cover Nicole’s family. Yes. Right away.”
She looked over at Nicole. “We have protection on you and your family. You may not see them, but they’ll be there.”
They questioned her for another half-hour or so before they left. As soon as they were gone, she grieved and prayed for Melinda.
The next day Pastor Mark and Rachel came to visit and pray with her.
“I have to ask, Nikki, what are you going to do about the baby?” Rachel asked.
She put her hand over her face, fighting tears. “Rachel, Pastor, you know I don’t believe in abortion, but I’ll admit I thought and prayed about it. I just cannot bring myself to do it. I can’t commit murder. Then I considered adoption but as I thought about it, I began to feel love for this baby. He or she is innocent. Actually, considering what I went through, what he went through, this baby is a miracle, a gift from God. I recently told a young model that her unexpected pregnancy was a gift from God. This one is the same, something wonderful coming out of evil and pain. How can I refuse to accept God’s gift?”
Then she thought of something. “Pastor, has a young model named Natalia been in touch with you? I told her I’d bring her to church and introduce her to you but this happened. I don’t even know if she thinks I forgot her, or if she knows I’ve been injured.”
“David talked to her and told her what happened,” Pastor Mark told her. “He brought her to church. She’s going to marry her boyfriend next week.”