He smiled. “You were really getting close at the end. A few more times and you’ll be a pro.”
I watched Philip and Lauren through the glass. “I knew he was a good shot, but Lauren surprised me. I didn’t know she was that good.”
“Philip told me they met at the range. When they were first dating, they used to go twice a month.”
I grimaced. “Not my kind of romantic.”
“Not mine either, but I guess it works for them. Did you notice the caliber pistol Philip is shooting?”
I studied the gun. “To be honest, I can’t tell. What is it?”
“It’s a .38.”
My head whipped around to face Rob. “He wouldn’t.”
“He might.”
We turned back toward the range. Philip studied us, his eyes narrowing.
I said, “Break’s over. We should get back.”
We shot for another thirty minutes. Philip signaled Rob that we should wrap it up.
As we walked out together, Philip said, “Merry, I do believe we will make a marksperson out of you.”
I grinned. “This was a lot of fun.”
Rob held open the car door for me, speaking over it to Philip, “Meet you at Fiorella’s?”
“Sounds good.”
I put my seat belt on. “It would have been even more fun if I knew Philip wasn’t the killer.”
“Let’s just get through dinner.”
We all ordered drinks. I asked Lauren, “How did you two meet?”
“At the range. Philip was already there. I was admiring how well he shot. Then I admired how well he looked. I still admire him.” She blushed, looking down at her lap. Philip beamed at her. “From then until Amanda wiggled onto the scene, we were together.” She frowned at her drink and took a swig.
Philip held her hand. “In the grand scheme of time, it was a momentary aberration. And one for which I continue to feel deep shame.” He kissed her hand and stared deeply into her eyes. “Let’s focus on the future, not the past.”
Raising my menu, I gave Rob a heavy eye roll. He shot me a quick smile and asked Philip, “Any plans for Christmas?”
“We’ve rented a cabin in Tennessee through New Year’s. It has a private hot tub on a deck outside the cabin. Even if the temperature is below freezing, your body warms the second it hits the water. Plus, the night sky is breathtaking. They do all of the decorating and stock it with food, so all we have to do is show up. They’ll even supply a chef, but Lauren wants to cook.” He kissed her hand again. “We deserve some alone time.” Lauren looked at him like he was the Christmas present she’d waited her whole life for.
I said, “That sounds romantic. I’m sure you’ll have a great time.”
“What about you two?”
I twisted my napkin and looked at the floor. Rob said, “With everything that’s been going on, we really haven’t had a chance to discuss it.”
Lauren rubbed my shoulder. “That’s right. How’s your daughter holding up? This has to be rough on her.”
“She’s a trooper.”
Our dinners came. I dove into my risotto as if I hadn’t eaten in days. It was creamy, soft, and comforting. The mushrooms added a nice, earthy flavor. Philip reached for the salt and knocked over his glass of wine. It bounced off the bread basket, and as he stood to right it, his cell phone sailed under the table.
“I’ll get it.” I dove under the table as waiters rushed over with towels to wipe up the mess.
I handed the phone to Philip. He said, “Thanks. I’m sorry about all the commotion. Usually I’m so good with my hands.”
Table cleaned, we resumed eating and chatting. Putting some more risotto into my mouth, I bit down with a resounding crunch.
Rob’s eyes widened. “What was that?”
I held my napkin in front of my mouth. “There was something hard in the risotto.”
I stood and ran, napkin still over my mouth, to the ladies’ room. Lauren was right behind me. I shut the door after her and spit what was left in my mouth into the napkin. Among the Arborio rice grains was a small piece of chicken bone. And next to that was a large piece of tooth.
Lauren and I stared at each other in stunned silence. Then she said, “I guess it’s a good thing you’re having dinner with a dentist.”
I put the piece of tooth in a paper towel, throwing the napkin and its contents into the trash.
Rob knocked on the door. “Merry, are you okay?”
“Yes. I’ll be out in a minute.”
As I leaned over to splash my face with water, pain radiated from the injured tooth. “It’s starting to hurt now. And it’s bad.”
“You look pale. Let me get Rob in here.”
She opened the door, and Rob rushed in. “Are you okay?”
I held my throbbing jaw. “No.”
“Can you walk?”
Grimacing, I nodded. He half carried me out to the car.
Philip dashed after us. “Lauren told me you broke a tooth.”
Moaning, I nodded and handed him the paper towel. He said, “That’s a large piece.” I sank into the car seat. Philip told Rob, “Bring her to my office. I’ll be right behind you.”
Tires squealing, Rob made it to Philip’s office in record time. True to his word, Philip pulled in right behind us. Rob carried me inside. Philip pointed to an examining room, and Rob put me down in the chair.
After washing his hands, Philip clipped on my bib. “I know it hurts, but you’ll need to open your mouth for me.”
Tears streamed down my face. I opened my mouth.
He probed the area. “You’re going to need a cap. Hopefully you won’t need a root canal.”
The air hit my tooth, and I screamed. Rob grabbed Philip’s shoulder. “Can’t you give her something for the pain?”
“I don’t like to give sedatives to patients who have been drinking.”
I gave him a pleading look. Rob said, “She didn’t have more than a few sips.”
“Okay, I’ll give her something. Merry, you may have a bad hangover tomorrow, so I don’t want you to blame me.” He chuckled.
Writhing in the chair, I groaned again, nodding that I understood. He said, “Let me get an IV set up. This is going to take a while, and I don’t want you to feel any pain. You’ll be in a kind of twilight state.” Philip nodded at Lauren. “Lauren, would you please take Rob to the waiting room?”
Rob frowned. “I’d rather stay here.”
“I don’t need anxious boyfriends pulling at me while I’m working. The sooner you leave, the sooner I can get Merry more comfortable.” Philip folded his arms and leaned back against the counter.
Rob rubbed my shoulder. “Okay. But I’ll be right outside.” Lauren took Rob’s arm, and they left.
“Merry, I’m setting up the IV now. At first, it will be just a saline solution, but then I’ll put in something to take care of the pain.”
I nodded. He found a vein and inserted the needle, then hung the bag from the holder. He injected the pain medication into the tube.
My body immediately started to relax. The pain went away. I felt like I was floating. Philip appeared above me, and I obediently opened my mouth.
He patted my arm. “That won’t be necessary. Unfortunately, you’re going to have a very bad reaction to the painkiller. I tried to help, but it happens sometimes.”
My eyes bulging, I tried to speak, slurring my words. “What do you mean?”
“Pam followed up with me today. She told me you called with questions and asked why I hadn’t entered my emergency patient information from Friday night. I told her it was for a poker buddy, so I wasn’t charging him. That satisfied her, but I knew it wasn’t going to satisfy you. I saw the way you and Rob looked at me at the gun range tonight. You knew I killed Amanda.” His face reddened. “She was mine, but all Drew had to do was crook his little finger and she came running like the hussy that she was.” His fists clenched. “She had it made dating a respectable dentist like me, but she threw it
all away over a no-good thief.” Philip straightened his shirt and smiled, a faraway look in his eyes. “Well, she can’t embarrass me anymore.”
My eyes began to close. “Susan.”
He sighed. “Yes, Susan too. I figured that would be the nail in the coffin for Drew.” He smiled, leaning back on the stool. “And it was.”
“How?”
“How what?”
Eyes half open, I barely got the word out. “Tooth.”
“I created a distraction. It worked perfectly, and I was able to slip that bit of chicken bone into your risotto.” He tilted his head. “I’ll probably have to think of some way to make it up to Fiorella’s. This won’t be good for their business, and I like that restaurant.”
“And now, Merry, it’s time.” He held the needle to the IV tube and began to insert it.
Rob charged around the corner and Philip turned toward him. A small gun stuck out of Philip’s waistband. I mouthed the word, “Gun,” but what came out of my mouth was more of a grunt.
My eyes fluttered. I fought to hold them open. Rob smacked the hypodermic from Philip’s hand. Philip punched him and he went down. Rob yanked Philip’s leg out from under him and Philip fell, hitting the instrument tray as he went down. Dental implements began what appeared to be a slow motion descent around me.
I felt like I was looking through a kaleidoscope; everything seemed off kilter. Rob and Philip skirmished on the floor. Then Rob grabbed a scalpel that had landed near him. Philip attempted to hold onto Rob’s arms, but the scalpel inched closer and closer to Philip’s face. With a mighty shove, Philip drove Rob back, pulled his gun from his waistband, and shot him. The sound reverberated in the tiny examining room.
Tears rolled down my face.
Rob laid there motionless. Philip got to his feet and kicked him in the stomach. He smoothed his clothes and wiped the blood from his nose. Then, casting about, he found the syringe he dropped. “Oh good. It didn’t break.” He turned to the IV and again inserted the needle.
Lauren loomed behind him. Another blast tore through the examining room.
Philip’s mouth formed a perfect circle as he fell forward.
My eyes rolled back and I felt myself sliding down the chair.
Chapter 26
I woke with a raging headache and a dry mouth that rivaled the Sahara. Moaning, I opened my eyes. As the bright lights assailed me, I yelped, reflexively shutting my eyes. I slowly opened them just a crack to scan the room. I’m in a hospital. What happened? I sat bolt upright. “Where’s Rob. Rob was shot!” My head splitting, I fell back down on the pillows.
Patty popped into my line of sight. “Good. You’re awake.”
I croaked. “Rob? Is he dead?”
She rubbed my arm. “No. Philip got him in the shoulder. He’s in surgery now, but they expect him to be okay.”
“Thank God.” I shaded my eyes from the relentless overhead lights. “My head hurts.”
She nodded. “They said it would. Let me call the nurse so she can give you something.” Patty pressed the call button.
“Thirsty.”
Putting some ice chips on a spoon, Patty fed them to me.
The nurse put some type of magic solution in my IV. Within minutes, my headache level went from a loud roar to something far more manageable. Rubbing my eyes, I thanked her.
Patty hovered.
“When will Rob be out of surgery?”
She looked at her watch. “Any minute now. They said two hours.”
I gripped her hand. “What if he doesn’t make it.”
She touched my face. “He’ll make it.”
Jenny ran in. “The nurse told me you were awake. I was just getting some hot chocolate in the cafeteria.” She looked down at my face. “Are you okay? You scared me.”
“I scared me too.” I motioned her to come closer for a kiss.
She held my hand. “How’s Mr. Jenson?”
I glared at the clock. “We haven’t heard yet.”
There was a quick rap at the door and the surgeon strode in. “Your friend was very lucky. The bullet just missed a major artery. He had some tendon damage but that should heal. He’s going to need some help over the next few weeks. Does he have someplace to stay?”
Jenny said, “Of course. He’ll stay with us.”
I squeezed her hand. “When can I see him?”
He’s in recovery right now. He checked his watch. “Probably about another forty-five minutes. Just one of you at a time.” He smiled at me. “And that all depends on how you are feeling.”
Patty rubbed my arm. “If you’ll bend the rules a bit, Jenny can wheel her mom in if the nurses clear her.”
He nodded. “I think we can arrange that.”
The door shut behind him.
I chewed more ice chips and frowned. “How did Rob know I needed help?”
Patty moved the ice closer to my hand. “Would you mind a visitor? She can tell the story better than I.” She stuck her head out the door to motion someone in.
Lauren trudged to the bed. Her fine porcelain complexion looked pallid and mascara marred her cheeks. “Merry. Are you okay? How’s Rob? I’ve been so worried.”
“I’m fine and Rob’s out of surgery. Philip gave me some type of drug, so I was in and out when all the fighting was going on. Do you know what happened? Am I remembering correctly—did you shoot Philip?
She sobbed quietly. “I shot him. He was going to hurt you.”
I touched her arm. “Thank you.”
Patty handed Lauren a tissue and she wiped her eyes. “We were in the waiting room. Rob was pacing. I was replaying what happened at dinner in my mind. Philip slipped something onto your plate. At first I thought I imagined it. But then I realized I hadn’t. I must have gasped, because Rob came to a stop right in front of me. I told him what I saw. He raced back to the examining room and I called 911.
“They told me to stay on the line, but then I heard the shot. My heart was in my throat. I pulled my gun out of my purse and crept along the corridor. Philip had the hypodermic needle in the IV tube and was pressing the plunger.”
She looked at the ceiling as tears dripped down her face. “I couldn’t let him kill you, Merry, so I shot him. God help me, I shot him dead.” Sobs racked her body.
Patty retrieved water from the nurses’ station. Lauren drank it and regained control.
“You looked so lifeless and Rob was bleeding on the floor. I didn’t know if Philip had gotten anything into your IV so I ripped it out.” She looked down at my bruised and bandaged arm. “I’m sorry if I hurt you.”
The nurse came in with a wheelchair. “Anyone up for seeing the other patient?”
Rob looked so pale and his shoulder was heavily bandaged. I gently stroked his face. His eyes opened and he smiled. “There’s my girl.” I kissed him.
The nurse strode in. “He needs his rest, and so do you. You can visit together later.”
Jenny kissed his cheek.
Patty poured a lemon-lime soda for me and unwrapped saltines.
“I could do this myself you know.”
“I know. I guess it’s just the mom in me.”
I smiled and sipped the soda.
The door opened, and Jay stuck his head in. “The hospital called to tell me you were awake. I haven’t been able to talk to Rob yet. How’s he doing?”
“Things went well in surgery and they expect him to make a full recovery.”
“That’s great news.” He smiled at me. “I’m here to get your statement.” He looked at Patty, and Jenny. “You’ll have to excuse us.”
Patty said, “No way.” Jenny shook her head too.
Jay sighed. “I figured as much.” He sat in a chair and took out his notepad. “What happened, Merry?”
I chewed my saltines and told him.
Jay nodded. “We found the murder weapon in his car. I can’t believe he still had it. He has a lot of chutzpah.”
“He had the gun at the range last night. Rob noticed i
t. Rob was right. He said he didn’t think Philip would be able to part with it.” I rubbed my jaw. “There’s just one thing I don’t understand: Why do I have a tooth? Philip didn’t fix it.”
Patty smiled. “When Lauren got to the hospital, she called Dr. Malcolm. He was able to put a temporary crown on here in the hospital while you were still out of it. You have to make an appointment to come back in about two weeks to get the permanent one. And he said no hard objects till then.”
I shivered. Patty rubbed my arm. “One good thing. Dr. Malcolm said that in view of what happened, he’s not going to charge you for it.”
I nodded. “It’s the least he could do.”
Chapter 27
The Christmas party at Patty’s house was in full swing. The kitchen was food central. Pies lined the back counter near the sink, and the island groaned under its buffet of turkey and beef. Mashed potatoes and gravy joined them along with casseroles of green beans, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli. And if that wasn’t enough, the kitchen table boasted coleslaw, an immense green salad, and carrots in gelatin.
Patty and I huddled near the impromptu bar Patrick erected in the living room. I savored my eggnog. “This is even better than last year. And I thought last year was phenomenal.”
She smiled and hugged me. “It is fun, isn’t it? Do you think we have enough food?”
I laughed. “It’s a good thing you invited so many people, but I still think we’re only going to put a dent in it.”
Rob smiled at me from across the room, raising his glass in a silent toast, his other arm in a sling. I lifted mine to him and grinned back. Drew and Jenny played a board game with Cindy and one of her brothers on the floor in the parlor.
I hugged Patty. “Thanks for asking Drew. It’s awkward, but it also makes it easier for us both to spend time with Jenny.”
“How are you feeling about her going away for New Year’s?”
“I’ll miss her, but it will be good for her to get some alone time with her dad.” I wiggled my eyebrows. “At least that’s what I’m telling myself.” I sipped the eggnog. “Rob and I are going away too but just for the weekend. We’re going to go out to the lake house. It’s nice and quiet this time of year, and I think he needs some pampering after everything he’s been through.”
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