A Woman to Die For

by Erin Wade

  “Is she okay?” Maudine asked.

  “She’s fine. I want to give her a complete exam to make certain none of the sutures have been torn loose, and then we’ll release her properly,” Shay explained. “I’m certain she is still in our system as a patient.”

  Maudine had the room ready, complete with a fresh hospital gown and nonskid socks. Shay handed them to Katie.

  “Please put these on.”

  “Must I?” Katie grumbled.

  “Yes. I want to give you a complete exam before I dismiss you. Put on the gown so it opens down the front. While you change and get into the bed, I’ll go get Maudine to assist me.”

  ##

  Maudine rolled the computer stand into Katie’s room. “Give me a second to pull up Mrs. Brandt’s chart, and I’ll log in your notes, Dr. Shay,” she said.

  “This will be painless, I promise,” Shay told Katie as she untied the front of the gown. “I want to check your sutures, clean the wounds, and put fresh bandages where needed.

  “All three cuts are healing nicely,” Shay said to Maudine. “I’m redressing all of them. All sutures are intact. There is a lot of drainage from the slash above her navel. We’ll watch it in case I need to add a tube, but I doubt a Jackson-Pratt drain will be necessary. I’m going to give her a heavy round of antibiotics to stave off infection.

  “Katie, I’m going to pull down your gown so I can clean and dress the wound on your back,” Shay informed her.

  “Do you want to keep her here overnight?” Maudine asked. “I can set up an IV for the antibiotics.”

  “Please, no,” Katie pleaded. “I don’t feel safe here, and you can’t watch me around the clock.”

  “No.” Shay scribbled her name on her prescription pad and handed the sheet to Maudine. “I’ll release her today. If you’ll bring me these antibiotics and needles, I’ll administer the shots. Also give me a two-day supply of the antibiotics.”

  Maudine entered the information into the computer, bringing Katie’s chart up-to-date. “I’ll be right back,” she said.

  “How are you feeling?” Shay asked as she scanned Katie’s forehead for her temperature.

  “Exhausted,” Katie muttered.

  “Your temperature is a little elevated,” Shay informed her. “Maybe you should stay here tonight. I need to keep a close eye on you.”

  “Please take me back to your place. We’ll both sleep better there. I’ll feel safe, and you can keep an eye on me.”

  Shay nodded as Maudine rolled a wheelchair into the room. The paraphernalia Shay needed to administer the antibiotics was on the seat of the chair.

  “Why don’t you get dressed and into the wheelchair,” Shay suggested. “I’ll give you the shots just before we leave the hospital. I want to give you a sedative to help you sleep. The best thing for you now is rest.”

  Katie smiled. “I’ll follow the doctor’s orders.”

  ##

  Katie dozed on the way to Shay’s house. Shay helped her into the house, undressed her, and put her to bed. Katie was asleep as soon as she laid her head on the pillow.

  Shay watched her patient sleep. How can anyone so beautiful be dangerous? she thought.

  Satisfied that Katie was resting peacefully, Shay walked to the kitchen and made a pot of coffee. She called her secretary and instructed her to clear the schedule until Monday. Four days should give them time to find Katie a suitable apartment.

  Shay took a package of ground beef from the freezer to thaw. Then she carried a steaming cup of coffee to her desk and turned on her desktop computer. In a world of laptops, Shay found something reassuring about a desktop computer with its huge screen and endless storage capacity. She turned on the machine and smiled as it instantly jumped to life. She typed “Katherine Brandt” into the address bar and began her search.

  Katie Brandt wasn’t just some computer whiz kid. She was the toast of the high-tech world. Her software and ideas were used in operating system innovations, internet operations, and social media. David was right; she was beyond brilliant. She earned a doctorate in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT and had started Brandt Technologies, a software company that held hundreds of software patents on everything from games to drone accuracy for the military. Katie was the sole owner of the company.

  Five years ago, Katie had launched Face2Face, a social media application that now rivaled Facebook in popularity. The social networking site was known worldwide as F2F. During Face2Face’s second year, David and Katie had argued openly during a board meeting over taking the social site public and selling stock to investors who were pushing money at the company.

  Katie wanted to retain control over her brainchild, afraid that it would become a political football if it were in the public domain. David wanted the wealth and prestige that came with being the majority stockholder of a worldwide conglomerate. Katie had adamantly disagreed with her husband and refused to let Face2Face go public.

  When Katie began experiencing mental problems, David had made every effort to have her declared incompetent and had filed petition after petition to have Katie’s private holdings placed under his control.

  After Katie failed to show up for several court dates, the judge awarded David temporary control over the company.

  Face2Face had gone public last year, and Katie’s devoted attorney, Chandler Davis, had managed to have sixty percent of the stock issued to Katie and twenty percent retained by Brandt Technologies. She’s a flipping multibillionaire, Shay thought.

  There had been several attempts by David Brandt, who held twenty percent of the stock, to take over Face2Face, declaring Katie mentally incompetent an incapable of running the company. Katie’s board members had stood firmly behind her for the past four years but were beginning to waver, as David presented statements from doctors and psychiatrists treating Katie in a mental hospital.

  The internet articles didn’t delve into the statements by the psychiatrists, but one writer had stated that Katie had “a beautiful mind” but was unstable—a statement he failed to substantiate with facts.

  An article in Fortune magazine quoted the Brandts’ worth, and it was clear the couple’s wealth was based almost entirely on Katie’s assets. David had sold most of his stock when the company went public and now held only one percent of the stock in Face2Face.

  No wonder David doesn’t want her to divorce him, Shay thought.

  Shay made note of the psychiatrist who was treating Katie. Dr. Tucker Sandifer was the head of Glencove Hospital.

  ##

  The sun had disappeared when Shay turned off her computer. Her mind was whirling with the information she had read about the Brandts. She walked to Katie’s bedroom and found her sleeping tranquilly.

  Moving quietly around the kitchen, Shay made a meatloaf and put it in the oven. She set her cell phone to notify her when thirty minutes passed, poured a glass of wine, and walked outside to sit beside the pool.

  The wine relaxed her, and she leaned her head back on the chair cushion, letting her mind drift. She wasn’t surprised when her thoughts returned to Katie Brandt.

  The sound of the patio door opening pulled her back to reality.

  “Hey,” Katie said. “Any chance I can have a glass of that?”

  “Nope,” Shay said, laughing. “You’re on too much medication. Sorry.”

  “Mmm, something smells heavenly.” Katie sniffed the air. “I’m starving.”

  “I’m cooking a meatloaf,” Shay informed her. “I hope you like it.”

  “If it tastes half as good as it smells, I’ll love it.” Katie sat down beside Shay. “So, what can I drink?”

  “Water, tea, coffee . . .”

  Katie scowled. “Water will do. Where do you keep your—”

  “I’ll get it.” Shay stood. “Do you like English peas?”

  “I love them,” Katie said, pretending to swoon. “My favorite with meatloaf.”

  “Why don’t you get my laptop from my office?” Shay sugges
ted. “You can look for an apartment while we wait for the meatloaf to cook.”

  Shay returned with the water as Katie placed the laptop on the coffee table. “I’d like to be near you,” Katie muttered.

  “There are some nice apartments about a mile from here,” Shay noted. “I believe you’d like them.”

  “Can’t I just stay here?” Katie pleaded. “I won’t get in the way, and I can pay rent. I . . . feel safe here.”

  “It wouldn’t be proper. Doctors don’t usually take their patients home. This is the only time I’ve brought a patient here.”

  “Technically, you released me from the hospital,” Katie argued. “I’m not really a patient anymore.”

  Damn, she’s cute, Shay thought, laughing at the sparkle in Katie’s eyes.

  “Ethics, Katie, ethics,” Shay said. She pushed the button to turn on the computer. “I’ll be close by. We’ll find a place where I can get to you in under five minutes. Okay?”

  Katie half-heartedly nodded and watched Shay type “Mira Vista Apartments” in the address bar. A beautiful apartment complex filled the screen. Shay scrolled through the tour of the apartments and the many amenities available.

  “How does this look?” Shay asked.

  “Fine.” Katie pouted.

  Shay looked sideways at her patient and tried to keep from smiling at her little-girl pout. Katie looked up at her, and they burst into laughter.

  How could anyone say no to her? Shay thought.

  ##

  They discussed the apartments over dinner, and Shay informed Katie that she had taken a few days off to help her locate an apartment she liked.

  “I’m certain Mira Vista will be perfect,” Katie said as she took a bite of the meatloaf. “Oh my God! Shay, this is incredible. I’ve never tasted anything so good.”

  Shay laughed. “Because you’ve only had hospital food for the past week.”

  “Don’t be self-deprecating, Shay.” Katie held her gaze. “I suspect everything you do is perfect.”

  Shay laughed again. “Careful, Katie. You’ll give me that God complex doctors are so notorious for.”

  “Humph. I’m all too familiar with doctors and their God complex. Believe me, you are nothing like them.”

  Chapter 9

  It took only one day to move Katie’s belongings from her former home to the furnished two-bedroom apartment. Chandler Davis, Katie’s attorney and close friend, helped.

  Shay liked Chandler. He was easygoing and obviously in love with Katie, who seemed to be completely oblivious of the man’s feelings for her.

  Shay was thankful that David had agreed to stay away from the house until she called to let him know that Katie had moved.

  Chandler insisted on taking them to dinner after everything was in its place at Katie’s new apartment.

  Shay tried to beg off from the dinner. The attack on Katie still haunted her, and she was anxious to get the forensic report from Detective Wyatt. But, the lost look in Katie’s eyes made Shay’s decision clear. “Let me run home and shower,” Shay pleaded. “I’ll meet you at the restaurant.”

  ##

  Shay’s phone was ringing when she stepped from the shower. She dried her hands and answered the call.

  “Shay,” David sighed into the phone. “I’ve been calling you all day. I hoped we could have dinner together tonight.”

  “I can’t,” Shay said. “But I’m free tomorrow evening.”

  “It seems like ages since I’ve seen you,” David complained. “I miss being with you. When will you return to work?”

  “Friday,” Shay answered. “We can visit as long as you want. I’ve missed you too.

  “I really must go. I just stepped out of the shower, and I’m standing in a puddle.”

  “Okay,” David said. “I can’t wait to see you. Have a good night.”

  ##

  Shay arrived at the restaurant as the hostess was seating Chandler and Katie in a quiet booth away from the noise of the establishment. Shay slid into the bench seat and, to her surprise, Katie slid in beside her.

  The three chatted as they waited for their order. Chandler was entertaining and an excellent storyteller. His thick, dark eyebrows were quick to punctuate his punch lines, which always made Katie laugh out loud.

  As dinner concluded, Chandler became serious. “Katie, you need to come into my office. We have several legal actions we need to take.”

  “I know,” Katie said. “Would Monday be okay? I’d like to rest for the next few days and get used to my new surroundings. You know how I hate change.”

  Chandler agreed. “I’ll block off Monday morning for you. Say, around nine? Then we can go to lunch when we’re through.”

  Katie grinned. “Sounds perfect.”

  ##

  They stood in front of the restaurant, saying their goodbyes. “Shay can take me home,” Katie declared.

  “I don’t mind taking you home,” Chandler said.

  “Nonsense,” Katie continued. “You’re going the opposite direction, and it’s on the way for Shay.”

  “That’s true,” Shay affirmed. “I don’t mind dropping her by the apartment.”

  Chandler shrugged. “Okay. I’ll see you Monday.” He walked to his car without looking back.

  “You should have let him take you home,” Shay said, feeling sorry for the thwarted suitor.

  “He’s in love with me. I don’t ever want to lead him on. I love him like a brother, but that’s all. It would be awkward if he took me home.”

  Shay nodded. She knew Katie was right.

  “And I thought you were unaware of his feelings for you,” Shay said as they walked to her car.

  “I’m aware,” Katie said, frowning. “I want Chandler to be my friend for life. I don’t want romance to get in the way of our friendship. He is a brilliant attorney, and I need his friendship more than I need a lover.”

  Shay changed the subject to Katie’s new apartment, and they spent the next fifteen minutes discussing items to purchase in order to make it more welcoming. Katie seemed reluctant to leave the car. “Would you mind walking me to the door?” she asked.

  Shay touched her hand reassuringly. “Not at all. I’m sure it must be daunting to go down a dimly lit walkway after what you’ve been through.”

  “Yes,” Katie said, taking a deep breath. “I’m a little uneasy.”

  “I entered my number at the top of your favorites,” Shay reminded her. “Please don’t hesitate to call me. I can be here in minutes.”

  When they reached the door, Katie unlocked it and stood waiting.

  Shay sensed her apprehension. “Would you like me to walk through the apartment? Would that make you feel safer?”

  “Oh yes, please,” Katie whispered. “I’d appreciate that so much.”

  Shay checked in the closets and under the bed. “All safe,” she declared. “Would you like to go to breakfast with me tomorrow? You still need to buy groceries.”

  “I need to purchase a car too,” Katie said. “David sold mine after he had me committed.”

  “We can do that,” Shay said, avoiding eye contact with Katie. She couldn’t reconcile the monster Katie kept referring to with the gentle doctor she knew.

  She hugged Katie good night and walked to her car. She didn’t see the tall figure standing in the shadows of the trees across from Katie’s apartment.

  Chapter 10

  Katie Brandt applied her lipstick and scrutinized herself in the full-length mirror. At five foot two, she was a petite woman. Her height and slim figure made most people think she was ten years younger than her forty-two years.

  Big brown eyes, smooth, golden skin, and a face Helen of Troy would have envied completed her youthful look. She knew she was beautiful. She also knew she was brilliant—so brilliant she sometimes surprised and scared herself.

  While others were just beginning to discuss a problem, Katie’s mind immediately jumped to the resolution, shocking those around her. She was never wrong.
>
  Her colleagues would spend weeks arguing against Katie’s conclusions, only to prove her right and shake their heads in dismay at her intelligence.

  David had been in awe of her mind and would sit for hours asking her questions and laughing with delight at her solutions.

  She had loved David. When she discovered he was having affairs, it almost destroyed her. Her faith in him had been unconditional. Her hatred had become just as strong. In Katie’s mind there were no gray areas, only black and white. Either someone loved you unconditionally, or they didn’t love you at all. David’s betrayal of her had shaken the foundation of her confidence in her intelligence and her beauty.

  She was surprised that she was drawn to Dr. Shay Copeland. Probably because she’s a brilliant surgeon and saved my life, Katie thought as she pictured the blonde doctor in her mind. Or maybe because she is everything a woman should be.

  Katie was excited about spending the day with Shay. They were going to visit several auto dealerships and purchase a car. Katie hadn’t owned one in almost five years.

  She checked herself in the mirror one more time. You are one beautiful woman, Katie Brandt, she reminded herself.

  The door chime pulled her away from her moment of narcissism. Shay was helping restore her confidence. She saw the way Shay looked at her.

  ##

  “I hope you’re ready for breakfast,” Shay blurted as soon as Katie opened the door. “I’m starving.”

  “Me too.” Katie laughed at Shay’s enthusiasm.

  “Katie, do you have a valid driver’s license?” Shay asked as they got into her car.

  “I think so.” Katie scowled. “But I don’t know where it is. Glencove confiscated it along with my other identification.”

  “You’re in luck,” Shay said. “I just happen to have a friend at the driver’s license office. We’ll run by there after breakfast and tell him you’ve lost your license.”

  “You seem to have friends everywhere,” Katie teased. “You’re quite popular, Dr. Shay.”

  Shay blushed and backed the car from the parking spot. “What kind of car do you want?”