by Marja McGraw
“I’m going to get him,” I said. “He’s not going to get away with this. I promise.” I only hoped I could keep my promise.
It wasn’t long before Dr. Lucas walked out to the waiting room. “It looks like she’ll be okay. You seemed to know what she ingested, and you brought her here quickly. We’re treating her, and we have her hooked up to an IV. I think she should stay here for a day or two though.”
Dolly nodded. “Can I see her?”
“Of course.” Dr. Lucas led Dolly to the examination room.
While I waited for Dolly, I called home and spoke to my mother. “It looks like Miss Kitty is going to be okay. The vet thinks I was right about the cat being poisoned.”
My mother sniffed. “Miss Kitty… What a silly name. I sure wish Dolly had named her something else. Oh, well, I know how important that cat is to her. Rick took the cat food back to the station to have someone test it for poison. He looked around Dolly’s house and found a window open on the far side, so he locked everything up tight before he left. I can’t imagine why David would have poisoned that harmless little cat. I could understand if he’d gone after Bubba, but what harm could the cat do?”
“We may never know. He’s got a mean streak a mile wide, so he could have done it out of spite because Dolly is my friend. At least he didn’t come after Dolly.” Just the thought made my heart skip a beat. What would have happened if Dolly had been at home instead of at my house when he broke in? But he hadn’t broken in, from what my mother said. It sounded like the window had been left open. I’d have to talk to my little neighbor about that.
I glanced at Dolly every so often during the drive home. She looked like she’d just lost her best friend. In a way, she almost had. She stared straight ahead. I could tell she wasn’t seeing what was in her line of sight. Her mind was back at the vet’s office. I didn’t say anything. At the moment my comments wouldn’t be welcomed.
Over the past couple of days it had been one shock after the other. David was working up to killing me, but he wanted to be sure I was good and scared first. Ronald’s calls to Glenna, at least the most recent ones, seemed to have the same purpose. Some men thrived on instilling fear into women’s lives. If it turned out David was actually Ronald, I could understand his motivation for involving Glenna. If they were actually two separate men,… I didn’t want to think about the possibilities.
However, the poisoning of Miss Kitty was the first definitive action David had taken. Until this point he’d only been trafficking in threats.
My anger level rose. What kind of man would harm a little cat? One who wanted to make a point. Cat? Glenna had said that Ronald told her he’d killed small animals. David and Ronald had to be one man. It made sense.
“Sandi, I’ve been watching you. Your face has gone through so many different emotions that you’re scaring me.” I turned to Dolly and she was watching me intently.
“I’ve been trying to figure out if David and Ronald are really just David. I think they’re both him. And I’m very angry about what he did to Miss Kitty. I’m worried about you and my mother, too, not to mention Felicity and Glenna. I’ve put you all in a lot of danger, and that wasn’t fair on my part. I’ve got to figure a way out of this.”
“You will.”
“I know Rick’s been doing more than he told me, but there haven’t been any results.” I licked my lips before continuing. “Dolly, I don’t honestly want to do it, but I’ve got to have a confrontation with David. It’s the only way he’ll come out of hiding. You understand, don’t you?” For some reason I needed her to give me her blessings. I wanted someone to tell me I was planning to do the right thing.
“No, Sandi, I don’t understand, but I do believe you know what you’re doing. Or at least you think you know what you’re doing. I’ll tell you this. No matter what you decide to do, none of us are leaving your side. We’ve got your back.”
“You’ve got my back?” It was hard to imagine this tiny little woman ever coming to my rescue.
“Do I have to keep reminding you that I took self-defense classes?” Dolly sounded frustrated.
I didn’t have the heart to tell her all the self-defense in the world wouldn’t protect her from David Smith. He was devious, he was mean, and most importantly, he was a killer.
Chapter Twenty-three
We pulled up in front of the house and the women came running out of the front door, concern showing on their faces. They met us at the curb and my mother helped Dolly out of the car. They cooed at her and said sweet things, trying to make her feel better. My mother waved at me to follow them into the house. I waved her off, wanting to have a few quiet moments alone. Those moments had been so rare lately and I needed to have peace so I could think logically. All the commotion of the past few days had kept me from really thinking things through.
Had it really only been two and a half days since I first heard David had killed a guard and escaped? Or was it three and a half? I was losing track of time – four and a half. I sincerely wished that Pete’s camping trip had only been a two-day event instead of a week, but I still had Rick. It was too bad he was coming up with more questions than answers – definitely too bad for me.
I had to figure out how to lure David out of hiding. It wasn’t that I was thrilled about having a confrontation, but now that Miss Kitty had been poisoned, I was more worried than ever about my friends and family – and I included Bubba in the family part of that equation.
An idea was forming, slowly, and it was almost clear when I saw a movement out of the corner of my eye. Looking up I saw my mother running down the walkway toward the car. She looked upset.
I climbed out of the car and met her at the end of the walkway. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Glenna. Ronald called. She’s holding her chest and having trouble breathing again. It’s worse than last time. Come quick.” She turned and ran back toward the house.
I locked the car and followed her.
Dolly was holding a paper sack to Glenna’s mouth and telling her to breathe. She’d learned fast from the previous experience. It wasn’t working this time. Glenna’s breathing was rapid and erratic. She tried to take deep breaths, but it wasn’t happening.
“Mother, call 9-1-1. Tell them to hurry.”
We tried to talk Glenna down while we waited, but I wasn’t sure she even heard us. “He said it’s going to happen tonight.” She’d forced the words out between breaths.
“Tonight?” I couldn’t help myself – I glanced at my watch. It was two-thirty.
“I see dark.” That was the last thing Glenna said before she passed out.
“I think we’re supposed to elevate her legs,” Felicity said.
“No, I think it’s her head.” My mother shoved a pillow under Glenna’s head while Felicity jammed one under her knees.
“Sit her up.” Dolly tried to pull the young woman up.
Glenna opened her eyes and looked around the room. I could see fear in her expression and she clutched at her chest again.
Thankfully the doorbell rang before we could do more damage than good. I let in the paramedics who took over. Glenna’s breathing was slowly becoming normal on its own, or at least it seemed that way.
One of the paramedics asked me a lot of personal questions about her.
“I don’t know any of the answers. We just met yesterday. She’s under a lot of stress, if that helps. Her life was been threatened.”
The paramedic took my comment in stride and made a note on a form. “Does she have any family nearby?”
“Not that I know of. We’re as close to her as anyone right now.”
Glenna sat up before trying to stand. “I’ve got to get out of here.” She looked at each of us, panic distorting her features. “There’s nowhere else to go. What am I going to do?”
The other paramedic tried to calm her. “We’re going to take you to the hospital now.”
She nodded. “Safest place for me.” Tears ran down her face.
/> “Glenna, I’ll follow you to the hospital,” I said. “You can tell me what happened and I’ll call Rick.”
This only made more tears flow, but she nodded as though giving me permission.
“We’ll all go,” Felicity said.
“No, I think you’d better stay here.” I was afraid if we all showed up at the hospital it might upset Glenna more. “I’ll talk to her alone.”
“What about Bubba? Should we keep him inside?” Dolly placed a protective hand on his head.
I was on my way out the door and stopped to answer her. “Yes. If he really seems to need to go outside, then everybody goes with him. I don’t want anyone alone, even for a few minutes.” I stopped for a moment. “Now is the time to leave if anyone wants to back out. I’ll understand, honestly.”
No one said a word. Each woman sat down on the couch – and they held hands.
Smiling, I pulled the door closed. I couldn’t help but wonder what I’d ever done to deserve a mother and friends who’d stand behind me no matter what.
I followed the ambulance to the hospital, sticking close. They wouldn’t understand how much danger Glenna was in, but I did. If, for any reason, they chose to keep her in the hospital, I’d warn them that she was in trouble. Better yet, I’d call Rick and see if they couldn’t send someone to guard her. First I needed to know what Ronald, or David, had said to her.
Inspiration struck. I parked my car in the hospital parking lot and pulled out my cell phone to call Stanley.
He answered on the second ring, and he sounded groggy. “Yes?”
“Stan, it’s Sandi. I need your help again.”
I explained what had been going on. “If they keep Glenna here, can you stay with her and watch over her?”
He cleared his throat before speaking, and the sleepy voice was gone. “Of course. However, Sandi, what about you? Shouldn’t I be parked down the street from your house again?”
“I’ll be fine – safety in numbers. Besides, it appears maybe David has left the house where he was hiding.” I didn’t know if that was a good thing or not, but considering the note he left, it probably wasn’t a good thing. He was playing Cat and Mouse with the cops as well as with me.
“I see. Please telephone me as soon as you can determine if they’re keeping Miss Tate in their facility.” Stanley sounded quite formal, and that told me how concerned he really was. That told me he was focusing on the problem, not busy trying to be a regular guy. This was a good thing. His concern would make him more vigilant.
I called Rick’s office next and left a message, along with my cell phone number. I knew he had the number, but time seemed to be of the essence.
When I arrived in the Emergency Room and inquired about Glenna, the receptionist called a nurse to show me back to the cubicle where they’d taken her. The nurse was a large woman, both tall and solid. Her dark hair was pulled back into a pony tail at the nape of her neck. She stood with her arms crossed, looking down her nose at me, and made me feel like she was used to intimidating people – having things her way. She could have passed for a female wrestler. “Your friend insisted we bring you back as soon as you got here. She was so adamant about wanting to see you that she was making herself sick. I got the feeling she’s used to getting her own way. Is she kind of a pampered lady? You know, she’s lived a pampered life?” Her tone was condescending.
The nurse’s comment made me so angry the hair on the back of my neck practically stood on end. I looked up into her dark brown eyes. “Who do you think you are, asking a question like that? Glenna has been through hell over the past few days, and I think she’s held up better than most people would. How would you react if someone was trying to kill you?” I hadn’t meant to say that last part, but I didn’t back down. How dare this woman judge a perfect stranger just because she wanted to be sure her friend was by her side? Couldn’t she see something was terribly wrong?
The nurse uncrossed her arms and put her hand on my arm. “I’m sorry, I really am. Please don’t tell anyone I said that. I had no idea this was a life and death situation. It was just that she reminded me of a spoiled child demanding a toy – that kind of attitude.”
I brushed her hand off my arm. “Maybe next time it would be best if you kept your thoughts to yourself.” I took a second look at the woman. She appeared tired and genuinely contrite. Maybe she’d been working long hours. Maybe she was a big woman with big problems. Maybe she was just having a bad day.
Glenna and I knew about bad days.
Patting the nurse’s back, I softened my approach. “I won’t say anything. Just remember that things aren’t always the way they seem.” I smiled. “That includes spoiled children demanding toys. Sometimes even kids have problems.”
The nurse left me standing by two cubicles with the curtains drawn across them. I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. I didn’t want to carry my anger into Glenna’s field of vision. The last thing she needed was me walking in and ranting about a rude nurse. I stepped in front of the cubicle on my right.
Closing my eyes, I counted to ten, slowly. Separating the curtains, I stepped into the cubicle.
“Hey, lady, who’re you? You don’t look like no nurse to me.” Lifting my eyes to the gurney, I found a skinny little old man holding his rotund belly. “I need to go to the john, and I mean right now.”
“Sorry. Wrong patient.” I backed out and pulled the curtains together.
“Sandi? Is that you?” Glenna’s old lady voice came from the next cubicle. It still surprised me every time I heard this young woman speak.
Carefully pulling the curtains apart, I peeked inside. She was lying on her back, and I tried to smile at her reassuringly. “I’m here. I heard you were waiting for me.”
Lifting her head off her pillow, she looked past my shoulder. “You’re alone?”
“Yes.”
I could hear the old man in the next cubicle calling for help and debated about finding someone until I heard a nurse talking to him.
“I’m glad you’re alone.”
“You are?”
“Yes, sometimes it’s too confusing with so many people spending so much time together.”
Jumping right in with both feet, I asked, “What did Ronald say to you? Something about tonight?” She’d said earlier that he’d told her tonight was the night. I didn’t feel there was time to be too gentle, although at the same time I didn’t want to set her off again.
She laid her head back down on her pillow. She took a deep breath and slowly blew it out again. “I’m trying not to cry.” She took another deep breath and held it for a moment before expelling it.
“Take your time, Glenna. I know this is hard for you, but we’ve got to take care of things. By the way, I called Stanley and he’s going to stay with you if they keep you here overnight.”
“Not likely. Nowadays you can have heart surgery and get sent home the same day.”
At least I’d managed to distract her. She didn’t sound tearful.
“True. If they release you, do you want to come back to my house? I’d understand if you want to jump on the first plane and get outta town.”
“No, I’ll come back to your house. At least I know the police and Stanley are keeping an eye on things. You’ve got that big dog, too, which helps. I probably just overreacted to Ronald, but he scares me.”
“Okay, what did he say to you?”
She closed her eyes and rubbed her lips together before answering. She rubbed her arms, too, but the hospital was cold and she was frightened. “I’m going to tell you this as close to the way he said it as I can remember. He said I’d used and abused him and it was time for me to pay the piper. He said he was going to hurt me so that I’d go down thinking of nothing but him, and then he growled.”
“He growled at you?” I couldn’t believe she’d said that.
“That’s what it sounded like. Grrrrr. Just like that. Then he said I’d never live to look old like my voice sounds, because tonight woul
d be the end of my story.”
Her breathing became labored again and I went in search of a nurse, grabbing the arm of first one I saw.
Chapter Twenty-four
I sat in the waiting room and fumed. Ronald, or David as the case might be, had really crossed the line as far as I was concerned.
Crossed the line? I thought. The line had become invisible when David killed the prison guard. After that there wasn’t a line. But what if there really were two men? What if Ronald wasn’t, in reality, David? If that’s the case, then I’m in more trouble than I realized, I thought. I’ll have to fend off two nutcases, or as my mother would say, homicidal maniacs.
As odd as it sounds, the fact that Ronald growled at Glenna gave me more of a shiver than anything he said. It seemed so raw, so visceral.
It wasn’t long before the nurse I’d had words with earlier showed up in the waiting room. “Ms. Webster, the doctor has decided to keep your friend here overnight.” She paused before continuing.
I studied her face. I could see she had something on her mind.
“I looked at your friend from a different perspective this time. She’s scared to death. She’s having major panic attacks.”
I didn’t say what I was thinking, which could have started a war of words, but waited to hear if the nurse had anything else to say.
She sat down next to me and nervously rubbed her leg. “I’m really sorry for what I said earlier. I can see she’s got big problems. You said someone is threatening her life?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll keep an eye on her while I’m on duty, and I’ll ask the night nurse to do the same. I’ll explain the situation to her.”
“I have a friend who’s going to stay with her, so you go about your business and don’t worry about Glenna.”
“Sandi?” Stanley stood in the doorway.
“Here he is now.” I left the nurse and walked over to Stanley.