Five in a Row

by Jan Coffey

Seated alone in a smaller niche slightly apart from the hospital emergency room’s main waiting room, Emily stared at the floor and the chairs of blue plastic and chrome lining the walls. There had been no word in quite sometime, and her mind kept going back to what had happened.

  Sirens always made her nervous, and this morning they’d seemed to be coming from every direction. On a normal day, she would have had to force herself not to call Conor’s school to make sure everything was okay. Today, she’d told herself that Conor was upstairs sleeping and that the sirens were heading away from the village. It wasn’t Liz, and it couldn’t be Ben. She just hoped the accident involved someone she didn’t know, and that there were no serious injuries.

  Two hours later, she’d heard nothing from Ben and was starting to get edgy. Then, Jeremy’s call had torn the rug right from under her.

  Ben Colter had been in an accident. Excessive speed, loss of control of the car. He’d been unconscious when the first emergency vehicles arrived on the scene. They’d flown him to New Haven. Emily didn’t think she heard half of what was said to her on the phone. She’d gone into a daze.

  Six hours later, sitting in the hospital, she was still in the same daze and counting tiles. Why him? Why now? What was he doing driving away from town? And of all people, with his background and experience, how could he lose control of his car?

  Two serious accidents in a row had happened to people she knew, and the coincidence was beginning to burn a hole in her stomach. If this was the same type of thing that had happened to the Petersons—and it sounded like it was—then it could be that Ben’s accident was somehow related to theirs. If that was true, then it could also be related to the research Ben had asked her start on. Emily had checked on one thing before leaving the house. Aston Martin were innovators in drive-by-wire technology.

  Jeremy had arranged for a police cruiser to bring Emily and Conor to the hospital. He’d guessed correctly that she might not be up to driving. The only thing she’d been told since getting here was that Ben was alive. He was undergoing tests right now. And she had to wait.

  She was not next of kin; she had no right to ask more, demand more. An hour ago she’d overheard that his parents were here with him.

  “Here you are.” Liz’s voice cut into her reveries. “My God, Emily. What happened?”

  The sound of a football game was coming from the TV in the main waiting room. Emily hadn’t been aware of it before, and she was surprised to see a toddler wriggling in his father’s arms and complaining about being picked up off the floor not six feet from where she was sitting. Glancing past Liz, she could see the emergency room was nearly filled with anxious people waiting to be seen or waiting for news of friends or loved ones.

  Emily had been fighting the urge to fall apart all day, but now she felt herself getting choked up as she told Liz the little she knew of Ben’s condition. She’d called her sister in New York and left a message on her cell phone as soon as she received the news of the accident. She’d asked Liz to meet her here whenever she could come.

  Liz pulled her into an embrace and held her until Emily once again had her emotions under control. She was glad her sister made no comment about why Ben had been leaving Emily’s house at that hour of the morning.

  “Where’s Conor?” Liz asked.

  “With his friend Jake. The Petersons are in this same hospital. The last time he checked with me, the two of them were heading to the cafeteria on the second floor to get something to eat. I think they’re…they’re bonding. Guess they feel like they have something in common.”

  Liz rubbed her back. The two sat in silence for a few minutes.

  “How was your weekend?” Emily asked, not wanting to go back to counting tiles.

  “Crapola. It rained the whole time in New York,” she said. “How about you? What did you think of the racetrack yesterday?”

  “Civilized,” Emily admitted. “Pleasant, actually. I would have enjoyed it a lot more, except that the weirdo who broke into the café Friday night was there.”

  “No way,” Liz said incredulously.

  Emily told her sister everything that was going on with her stalker—about Jeremy’s visit last night and about how Ben had offered to stay at the house. She finished with telling her about the phone call this morning and about her answering machine being used as a room monitor. She didn’t have to tell her how scary that had been.

  “That’s disgusting.” Liz thought for a moment. “What the hell is wrong with Jeremy? Why can’t he arrest this creep and put him behind bars?”

  The father of the toddler chased his son out into the main waiting room, leaving them alone.

  “We don’t know who the creep is yet.”

  “He must have a list of usual suspects. He should make some arrests, shake the asshole off whatever branch he’s hiding on,” Liz said hotly. “I don’t know what the hell is going on. Just when it looks like you’re getting a break, like maybe something might be happening for you—personally and careerwise—this shit hits the fan. I better not have jinxed you.”

  Emily shook her head at her sister’s agitated expression. “No, Liz. You haven’t jinxed me. Things will work out.”

  “You bet they will. We’ll make sure of it,” she said passionately. “I don’t want you to worry about a thing. It’s about time that I started being some use to you. It’s my turn to help you out a little. Jeez, Em, my world tilted today when I listened to your message. For the first few seconds, I couldn’t understand if you were the one who was in the hospital or if you were in the accident or what. I’m telling you, it was hell.”

  “Don’t make me cry again,” Emily said, already trying to force down the knot in her throat.

  “I won’t, but this is absolutely the truth. You’ve always been there for me—emotionally, financially, whatever. You’ve done the same thing for our parents, even though they’re too dense or maybe too senile to appreciate it. But you’re not alone, honey.”

  Emily’s tears let loose when she saw her sister was crying, too. The two of them were a mess. There was a helpless search in her pocketbook for tissues, but Emily couldn’t find a clean one to offer her sister.

  “Need these?”

  A young man was picking up a box of tissues from a table in the corner of the waiting area and brought it back, holding it out to them. He had a somewhat perplexed look on his face.

  He was no one she knew. In his thirties, he had a nice tan and was nice-looking. He was wearing a starched white shirt without a tie, a blue blazer and khakis. He was not very tall, and he continued to look at the two of them, his look changing to one of concern.

  “Thank you.” She took a tissue, and he offered one to Liz.

  Instead of moving off, the man sat down on the edge of the chair next to Liz and spoke to them in a low voice. “He’s okay, really. A concussion, some broken bones in his wrist. It looks like he’s got a date with the surgeon ahead of him to take some chips out, but nothing worse than he’s handled before. They should have given you the news before this.”

  He must have seen the surprise in both of their faces.

  “Sorry. I’m Adam Stern. I work with Ben Colter. I saw you at the computer expo in Philly last July. You’re Emily Doyle.”

  “That’s right.” She dashed away a tear with back of her hand and reached out to shake his hand. “I’ve heard such good things about you, Mr. Stern.”

  “Not if you were talking to Ben,” he said pleasantly. “And it’s Adam.”

  Emily introduced him to Liz, but he immediately turned his attention back to Emily.

  “I was ordered to come down here by the general himself. He’s been admitted and moved into a room up on the fifth floor. He knew you would be here.”

  “How is he doing?”

  “Ben? Doing fine. The guy’s indestructible. Anybody else flying through the countryside, packed like a sardine into that car, would be long gone. But not him. I think the titanium plate they put in his head the last time he was in
a car accident might have something to do with it.”

  Emily wasn’t sure if Adam was joking or not. “Do you think it’d be okay for me to go up and see him?”

  “Absolutely. He’s insisting on it. In fact, His Highness is planning on getting a couple of hours work in, later on. As soon as the room stops spinning, I’m guessing. He was hoping to have you sit in, too.”

  “He wants to work after what he’s been through?” Liz asked incredulously.

  Adam gave them both an apologetic nod. “I don’t want to ruin his image with your sister, but that’s our Ben.” He glanced at his watch. “I’m checking into the inn at Wickfield. I figure I can be back here in two hours. By then, our partner Gina Ellis should have arrived from the city. Would that be convenient for you?”

  Emily had totally lost track of time. She glanced at her watch.

  “How about if I take Conor back with me? I’ll keep him at my place until you get back,” Liz offered. “But you didn’t bring a car, did you?”

  Emily shook her head. “I can take a cab back.”

  “If Adam wouldn’t mind dropping Conor and me at my place in Wickfield, I can leave my car here for you.” She looked at him. “My apartment is right across the green from the inn you’re staying at.”

  As Adam told them it would be no problem at all, Conor came into the waiting area. After introducing him and explaining Ben’s condition, Emily told Conor the plan. As always, the teenager was in tune with his mother’s moods, though it was obvious he really wished he could have seen Ben for himself first.

  Emily walked out to the parking lot with the three of them. She needed to put herself together before going upstairs. She couldn’t let her emotions continue to get the best of her. As far as Ben’s family was concerned, her relationship with him was only work related. Emily reminded herself that she had to remember that, too.

  Emily breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Adam Stern was driving a large SUV. The vehicle had the look of a tank. As they pulled out of the lot, she thought that maybe she would get one of those. After all, Conor would be driving in a couple of years. She was definitely not ready for that.

  She stopped into the gift shop before going upstairs and picked up a couple of balloons and a toy. Arriving at the fifth floor, she asked a nurse for directions and again felt herself getting slightly wobbly as she arrived outside of his room. She stopped and took a deep breath.

  Voices drifted out from the room. It sounded like he had a crowd in there visiting him.

  She was debating whether she should go in or wait when an elderly gentleman came out and almost ran into her. The man’s face and eyes and build told her immediately that he was Ben’s father.

  She quickly introduced herself.

  “Emily Doyle! I’m John Colter. I was just coming to look for you.” He took her by the arm, leading her into the room. “Who says I’m getting old and can’t move too fast. What was that, a five second turnaround?”

  There were a half dozen people in the room, but Emily didn’t see any of them. Her gaze immediately went to Ben, and she felt herself getting choked up. With all the cuts and bruises on his face, he looked like someone had used him as a punching bag. The rest of him didn’t look much better, either. His ribs were wrapped and his arm was suspended in a sling. Medicine dripped through an IV into his other arm. Their eyes found each other, and the kick she felt in her chest was strong enough to take down a horse.

  “I wasn’t sure if Adam found you,” he said.

  “He did.” She held out her gifts. “I had to make a stop before coming up. I heard you might be looking for something sturdier than what you were driving before.”

  Everyone in the room laughed as she held out the toy truck and the balloons. Someone took the gifts out of her hand as she was introduced to Ben’s mother. Without any ceremony, Peggy Colter drew her into a tight embrace. Slightly shell-shocked from the warm greeting, she was introduced to a couple of Connecticut cousins, a neighbor and an old friend of the family. After greeting everyone, she found herself standing next to the hospital bed.

  “Can you guys give us a minute?” Ben said to his other visitors.

  “Sure, no problem,” his father said, with the others echoing. “Maybe we’ll all go down to the cafeteria for some coffee.”

  “Thanks,” Ben said. “We just need to talk business for a couple of minutes.”

  “We’ll be back in a half hour, dear,” his mother said, smiling warmly at Emily.

  A moment later, they were alone.

  “So, what happened to following the speed limit?” she asked softly as her fingers drifted toward his. He took her hand, his grasp strong.

  “Somebody took me for a ride. I had no control of the car,” he answered.

  “You’re sure?”

  “I’m sure.” He frowned. “It’s quite a feeling, having someone steer for you when you’re doing a hundred on a country road.”

  Emily looked away for a second, trying to control her emotions.

  “Are you going to help me find him?”

  She nodded, letting out an unsteady breath. “You didn’t have to get hurt like this just to convince me to work for you.”

  “Whatever it takes.” He smiled at her. “You know me. I hate to lose.”

  “Adam said you want to go over some things tonight.”

  “They’re doing minor surgery on my wrist tomorrow. Who knows how long I’ll be groggy. Gina is taking the train in from New York. Would this mess you up?”

  Emily shook her head, wanting to say that seeing him injured like this was what messed her up.

  “Where’s Conor?”

  “He went back with Liz. He’ll stay at her house until I get back to Wickfield. Adam Stern is driving them.”

  “He’s a safe driver.” His fingers remained closed around hers. “Our slimy friend, did he call you back after I left?”

  She shook her head, touched that despite his own injuries, Ben was worrying about her. As she started to tell him that, her cell phone began ringing. She dug it out of her bag and looked at the display. There was no number listed for the incoming call.

  Outside of this room, the only people she cared to talk to right now were Conor and Liz. Anyone else could leave a message. As she dropped the phone back in her bag, it occurred to her that the caller could possibly be her stalker. He would have to be pretty good to have her cell phone number, too.

  Ben was looking at her face. The same thought was obviously running through his mind.

  Seventeen

  So what if Lyden had a few quirks? So what if he was moody. Weren’t they all?

  From Debbie’s past experience, it seemed to her that men were pretty much all the same. They generally thought with their dicks and based most decisions on how things would look to their drinking buddies. There were probably exceptions out there, but they definitely weren’t making themselves available in her circles.

  Debbie knew that at least this one made a good living. He wasn’t going to steal her money or go drinking in her car and wrap it around a telephone pole. No, Lyden really was a catch, even if he did play a little rough. He hadn’t beaten her up, like the asshole she went out with last summer in Albany. That Neanderthal had thought it was pretty funny, pushing her around and leaving her tied to the bed while he went down to the bar. That guy had scared the shit out of her, enough so that she’d packed up and moved out. She’d even enrolled in the community college. There had to be something better.

  Lyden was much better than any so-called boyfriend she’d had before. He wasn’t anything like the others. And she intended to keep him. She’d make him forget this Emily bitch with her picture on his wall. And when it came to sex, she’d put up with some weirdness here and there, so long as he remembered who it was he was doing it with.

  Sex in her apartment that first time had been first-class. Debbie thought Lyden had been aware of how good it was. She knew he was a little embarrassed about what had happened this morning. Afterw
ard, he’d gotten pretty quiet. He’d just eaten a couple of the doughnuts she’d brought over and then disappeared downstairs, telling her she should let herself out when she was ready. She could hear the rap music of 50 Cent coming up through the floor.

  Well, she didn’t have any better place to go.

  Debbie stood in the doorway of Lyden’s bedroom and looked at her handiwork. The place looked a heck of a lot better than it had before. She’d picked up his clothes and sorted the laundry into piles in the corner. His clean shirts were hung in the closet. She’d even made the bed and dusted what furniture he had in there.

  She’d drawn it out of him that he was only twenty-four. Five years younger than her. He was still a kid. He needed someone to take care of him, look after him.

  She heard him on the stairs and quickly went back into the kitchen. She’d done a quick transformation here, too, as well as in the living room. The bathroom was another story. That would be a job for another day. She didn’t dare go downstairs, either. The first time they met, Lyden had told her he had an office at home. She had a feeling that was off-limits. At least, for now.

  The guy was a real bachelor. There was hardly any food in the cabinets, and every single thing in the fridge had an expiration date that was on the verge of setting a record with the Guinness book.

  She picked up the single key that she’d salvaged from the mess on the counters and stuffed it into her pocket. Maybe tomorrow she’d surprise him with some groceries and a home-cooked meal. She could do pasta.

  He came into the kitchen and frowned at her. “How come you’re still here?”

  She leaned against the counter and crossed her arms, pushing up her breasts. She gave him what she hoped was a welcoming smile. He looked tense, even tired. His eyes were bloodshot. His hair was messed up. Debbie decided she must have been breathing in too much of the scent on his clothes, but Lyden looked sexy as hell to her. She was ready to try him on again.

  “I was going to bake you a cake or some brownies. But you seem to be out of everything. I’m hungry. You must be, too. How about if we order pizza or maybe some Chinese and have it delivered.”