Afraid in the Dark (Stalker Series Book One)

by Rita Hestand

  "Who could do this?"

  "Anyone that knows she has money. This is just something to think about. But I'll warn you now. You may not have a lot of time to think it over. If they took that Social Security card, all Norma would need is a blonde wig to carry this off. And it might be some elaborate scheme to do it, too. I suspect Norma is not alone in this plotting. She couldn't even steal a baby without getting caught. No, someone with some brains has thought this out."

  "How soon would we need to do this?"

  "Today wouldn't be too soon."

  "You're kidding, right?" Jesse chuckled.

  "No, I'm not. If she got that card, it could even be too late now."

  Melanie stood up.

  "I truly believe that the idea is to steal your money, and to do that they would steal your identity. Once they do that, you will have nothing but hell. But from what I've learned Norma Wells is who we want to question and now. We'll be searching for her, in the meantime, we have you under constant watch. So, I suggest you go home and think about what I've told you. And let me know if there is anything else happening. And if you still have you Social Security card."

  She nodded, "Thank you."

  He nodded.

  They walked out slowly, as though it was weighing on their minds.

  "How about we go out for supper?"

  "Sounds good, but don't you have to get back to your work?"

  "No, I'm going to make a call to David and see if he can watch the store for me until we figure out what to do."

  "This isn't your problem Jesse." She explained. "It was just a suggestion. You don't have to take it so seriously."

  He stared down at her. He reached for her hand, and grinned. "I take it very seriously."

  "You are my best friend and I take care of my friends, Melanie. You are in a world of danger. I'm not about to leave you alone to handle this. It's bigger than both of us. You need help, and it's time to accept that help."

  "Yeah, I'm in danger, for money I never wanted in the first place. I wish I could just tell them that and let them have it." She cried.

  "No, you don't. Because you know it's from your grandparents and they wanted you to have it. If you let it go so easily, it would be like letting go of their memory. When this is over, I think you should figure out if you want to keep that money, and if you still don't, then give it to charity."

  Her mouth fell open, how could Jesse understand her so well, and she never noticed?

  He put his arm around her, "Bone up, get tough, they won't win, whoever they are. And even if you don't want to do it, I think we should seriously consider getting married and doing what the Sargent said."

  "Oh Jesse, this is so messed up."

  "We'll work this out, together." He told her. "Tell me, who is this Norma Wells. Do you know her?"

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Jesse and Melanie went to an Italian Restaurant a few blocks from the police station. It had an old-world flavor about it, with soft candlelight and a violinist playing in the background. The interior was soft muted colors of browns and grays, with beautiful artwork done by a local artist on the walls. Each table had a candle and flowers. It was very romantic.

  While waiting for their order they had wine and talked.

  "Now will you tell me. Tell me about Norma. Who is she and how is she involved in all of this?" Jesse asked, taking her hand across the table. His gaze steadied on her now, waiting.

  Melanie didn't know where to begin. But after thinking about it, she tried.

  But her mind wandered to their hands entwined. Jesse used to always hold her hand, and she thought nothing of it, but now, it seemed somehow intimate in a compelling atmosphere. She swallowed and looked him in the eye.

  "She's the girl that I replaced at the hospital. The one that tried to steal a baby."

  "Steal a baby?" He almost spewed his wine.

  "Yeah, they caught her running out the ER door with a baby from the Pediatrics department. She was arrested about two months ago. But she got away when they tried to change her to another prison. They don't know where she is now."

  "That's who they think is doing this?"

  She swayed her head and sort of smiled in a shy way. "Not exactly, now that they know about my inheritance, they think she's connected but she's not the only one involved. She might not even be the perpetrator. The sad part is, they suspect Julia….my boss. And that is almost unbelievable. Accept….she did have access to the application."

  "Good grief honey. It's worse than I thought. You are in terrible danger. There's more than one?" As though that settled it he nodded and stared into her eyes.

  "What?" She asked.

  "That settles it. We are getting married."

  "Oh but…."

  "Don't worry, when this is over" He squeezed her hand, "if you want a divorce, you can have one without a fight. I promise. But right now, we must keep you safe and the money. And there's only one way I can. I'll marry you, and watch over you. Once they see me in the picture they might back off. Or change their plans at the very least. You can put the money in my name only and they won't be able to withdraw it."

  "Don't you think getting married is going a bit far out there?" She asked a sense of disbelief in her eyes.

  He shook his head. "They could be watching us right now. Unless you want to give that money over to charity right now, it's the only way. Or maybe your parents."

  "I had thought about doing that, I really had." Melanie confessed. "Giving to my favorite charities would be a wonderful way to use their money. I think my grandparents would love that idea."

  "I agree, but if we do that, we'd need to hurry."

  "Yeah, I guess so. So, do you still want to marry me?"

  But before he could answer, she suddenly grabbed her stomach.

  "Something wrong?" He asked noticing her action.

  "Just a cramp. I'm alright." She assured him.

  "Still, an announced engagement might be in order if things don't pan out."

  She nodded. "Protecting every angle?"

  "Something like that." He smiled.

  "Alright…." She agreed.

  He motioned for the violinist to come closer and play something romantic.

  The restaurant got quiet.

  She looked strangely at him until he got down on one knee and asked for her hand in marriage. "Will you marry me, Melanie and make me the happiest man in the world?" He said it in a loud voice that everyone heard.

  Heads turned and some clapped.

  "I-I…yes!" She answered with tears in her eyes. She jumped up and into his arms. And the kiss that exploded between them was like nothing she'd been prepared for. Gone was the gangly shy man who used to be afraid to be too close to her. Replaced by a man with new determination. His lips were soft and warm and almost like liquid velvet. Their lips blended like a fine wine being tasted slowly as the kiss went on and on. It sent her mind spinning, her heart pounding, and her knees almost buckling. Dex was a smooth kisser, but this kiss had another element, Jesse loved her, and she felt it in his kiss. What a difference love made, she swooned. She was helpless but to respond. Their lips fused like two fine wines coming together to bond. Like butter melts on toast, she reeled.

  "Now, a tear or two wouldn't be bad." He handed her a small black box and she obediently gasped.

  "Oh, Dear God, it's so beautiful." She shook her head and managed a real tear, but gasped when she realized there was a real ring there. Not just any ring, but a beautiful sapphire and diamond ring of white gold that sparkled like a million stars as she stared at it. It was the loveliest ring she'd ever seen.

  "How can I possibly wear something so beautiful?"

  "Because I want you to have it."

  He took the ring out of the box, and put it on her finger, then he stood up and kissed her hand where the ring was. By now the entire restaurant was clapping.

  Melanie was shocked at how Jesse kissed her though. He was so gentle, so sweet, and when his lips touched h
ers it seemed they both turned to putty.

  She swooned.

  She blushed profusely and they sat down as he scooted his chair closer to hers.

  "Now, everyone here knows and if anyone is lurking, so do they." He whispered and kissed her on the ear. His soft breath made little tingles run up and down her arms. She'd never been with Jesse like this. Never imagined he could be like this. He seemed so charismatic. Even the smooth charm of Dex didn't compare.

  "Your good at this," She whispered.

  "Am I?" He stared into her eyes. "I assure you, I've never asked anyone to marry. I've had absolutely no practice."

  "No?"

  "No!"

  She smiled.

  She didn't remember what she ate there, all she could do was stare into his eyes and want another kiss, and then the ring caught her eye again, and she stared in disbelief.

  Later he drove her home. He was quiet most of the way home.

  "H-how did you just happen to have that ring on you at the time?" She asked suspiciously.

  He broke into a huge smile. "You may not believe this, but I've carried that ring a long-time Melanie. I guess it's time to level with you. I bought it a week before you left for college. Remember, I told you I was saving up for something special. I was going to give it to you, but when I saw how happy you were to be going off to college and how your life was headed in another direction, I decided I should keep it. I wanted to ask you to marry me Melanie before you left, but when I saw your face that day, I knew I couldn't. You wanted to be a nurse, and I couldn't stop you from that. You made a choice, and I had to abide by it. But it was the hardest thing I ever did, letting you go."

  She gasped aloud. She never dreamed Jesse wanted to marry her back then. He'd never hinted.

  "You never said a word," she whispered. "I had no idea."

  He glanced over at her, took her hand and smiled. "When you really love someone, you want them to be happy. You were happy, going off to college. And I had little else to offer you at the time. At the time, it was best. But, that ring….is yours…no matter what happens Melanie. I bought it for you, with every cent I had."

  "Jesse!" She cried. "Oh my God…. Jesse. I never realized…."

  There was so much she hadn't known. Now all those unanswered questions sprang in her mind. He'd loved her back then, enough to give her a ring, enough to let her follow her own dreams. No man had loved her that much. And he did what was best for her, not him. How self-less he was.

  "I know…." He said softly. "I'd thought about telling you all summer long, but you kept talking about your dream to finally be a nurse. I loved you then, and nothing has changed."

  She reached for his arm and hugged him, "I wish I'd…"

  But suddenly, she buckled over with another pain. This time the pain was much more pronounced. A tear fell down her cheek.

  He saw her expression of complete shock and pain and pulled over.

  "What's wrong?" He asked seeing the positon she was in. She caught her mouth, and he threw open her door so she could throw up.

  After she settled down a bit, he closed the door and started the car. He took her straight home.

  "I'm so sick…" she gasped as she ran inside after he unlocked her door. She ran to the bathroom and threw up again, several times. Minutes later she rejoined him in the living room, but the cramping in her stomach wouldn't stop.

  She was totally unwell, and even he could see it. She felt chills run up her spine. Her head was wringing wet. Her hands shook.

  Jesse was very aware of the paleness in her face, he saw the goosebumps on her arms, the sweat on her brow.

  "Are you alright?"

  "No…not really." She barely managed to say.

  "What can I do for you?"

  "I've been," she heaved again, holding her stomach, "having these stomach pains lately. They come and go…but it seems they are worse now." She wailed from the pain as she hugged her legs around her and tears ran down her cheeks.

  "That's it. I’m taking you to the hospital."

  "No, I don't want anyone where I work seeing me like this."

  "Alright, how about an emergency clinic."

  "That would be alright, yes." She doubled over with pain and he picked her up in his arms and carried her like she weighed nothing.

  He glanced down at her. "Was it something you ate tonight?"

  "No…. I'm sure of that."

  "Is it serious? I mean, can you tell if it something different, something abnormal for you?"

  "I've never had pains like this. Even the cramps aren't this bad. I guess I need to be checked out. The pains aren't getting better, but worse. And there are other problems." She said, as he hurriedly carried her to his truck and drove her to the nearest clinic. Doubling over with the pain. Jesse parked the truck and ran on the other side and picked her up in his arms, carrying her inside the clinic. He dug her insurance card out of her purse as she was writhing with pain now. He gave the receptionist all the information and told her that Melanie was in extreme pain.

  The nurse took one look and called for the doctor.

  The doctor came running out, as it was not standard procedure to call for him like that. He saw Melanie and directed Jesse to carry her inside to a table in a room.

  Jesse told him all he could about her condition, as the doctor took her blood pressure, her pulse and called a nurse into the office.

  Once they started working on her, Jesse was told to wait outside.

  Jesse went back to the waiting room, his nerves getting the best of him as he sat puzzling over the instant onset of her pain. He racked his brain, trying to figure out what had happened. One minute everything was fine, the next she was doubling over and throwing up.

  But an hour later, the nurse told him to come back to her room again.

  The doctor looked at both of them as Melanie lay on the table still writhing in pain. "Your blood work tells me we need to test further. I'm not sure what I am finding, I know what it looks like, just by your symptoms alone."

  "What does it look like?" She asked weakly.

  "You've been poisoned."

  Jesse jumped up out of the chair, "Are you sure?"

  "Well, I can't be 100% sure until I get the test results, but I'm reasonably sure. I've had a few patients with these symptoms, and it's always the same."

  "You've got to be sure. How could this happen?" Jesse asked with concern lacing his words and his expression full of worry.

  "Yes, we'll need to admit her and do further testing. I certainly wouldn't let her go in the condition she is in. We need to admit her now, as time can be an important element in her recovery. If it is poisoning, we'll have to use dialysis, and chelated medicines to counteract it. We can't be sure how long ago she was poisoned or how much."

  "Am I…. going to be alright?" Melanie lifted her head and stared helplessly at the doctor.

  "Once we figure out, what poison, and how much you've had, we can combat it. Chelators will be important, cleaning the gut out. It isn't pleasant, but it must be done. But you show signs of it. And arsenic trioxide is the cause, I'm afraid. Testing will confirm it."

  "Will I live?"

  "Right now, time is the important thing. Getting you into dialysis first, the cleaning the gut and bowel, then administering vitamins and protein's that will help balance your gut, is important. We don't have time to discuss this. We need to act now. It is obvious it is a slow poison as you've said you've had pain for a while now. It is not something that comes in food that you eat out. Someone deliberately put it in your food or drink. They could have done it several times. We can't be for sure how much you've had, but we'll need to contact the police…start you on medication as soon as we do a thorough workup."

  "I can contact the police, we just came from them not long ago." Jesse explained.

  "I have to report it to them too. So, it goes on record. But you can contact the police too, and let them know. She's been poisoned. I wouldn't tell you this if I wasn't nearly 100
% certain of it. I've seen a couple of cases this year. So, I know what I’m talking about."

  "Will….it kill me?"

  "We won't think in those terms. We'll concentrate on getting you well."

  She nodded.

  Jesse took her hand.

  "Are you her husband?"

  "Not yet!" Jesse told him. "But very soon now."

  The doctor nodded. "Well, we'll get you admitted, do some more testing then probably hook you up to dialysis first and give you a counter dose of medicine that will help you expel anything left of it. You're not going to be feeling better for a while. Do you work?"

  "Yes, I'm a nurse at Mercy General."

  "Then you," he turned to Jesse, "should contact them and tell them where she is and that she won't be coming in for a few days, maybe a week."

  "I will. I better go, but I'll be back," he assured her and kissed her on the cheek. "You just concentrate on getting better."

  "Jesse." She called to him before he was out the door. "Thank you. And in my dresser, there is a book of numbers, would you take my key, and contact Neely for me. Maybe she can work my shift. And the money…. give it away…. It's only caused me problems."

  "Honey, I can't give it away, it's not mine to give." He told her.

  "Oh God…. Oh…and my Social Security card is…"she doubled over with pain, she couldn't talk.

  He came close, held her chin up with a finger and kissed her solidly on the lips. "We'll work it out, sweetheart, I promise. I better go, I've got lots to attend to and they need to get you well…" He leaned down to kiss her on the forehead. "I better get started, I'll be back soon." He motioned for the doctor to speak to him alone.

  They stepped out into the hall.

  "She's not going to die, is she?" Jesse asked with trepidation. "Because if she is I won't leave her now. I can't."

  "Not if I can help it. But I'm not going to tell you that she's not in critical condition right now. We'll do all we can, and we'll call in others if we need to, but right now, I can't promise anything." The doctor assured him. "Obviously, whoever did this, wanted her to suffer a slow death. But they were seeking her death. Do you know anyone who wants to kill her?"