How the Heart Runs

by Anne Marie Rodgers

  Moments later, the friends were seated at one of the blue vinyl booths along the wall.

  “Afternoon, ladies,” drawled LuAnne Matthews. The waitress was wearing a polyester dress and a white apron tied around her sturdy waist. Horn-rimmed glasses dangled from a jeweled chain around her neck until she snatched them up and perched them on her nose. “What can I get y’all today? Special’s chicken-noodle soup and tuna salad on our tasty ol’ homemade bread.” She paused, her pencil hovering expectantly over the order pad in her hand.

  “The special sounds good to me,” Kate said. “And could I have hot tea?”

  “Sure thing, honey,” said LuAnne with a grin.

  “Coffee for me,” Livvy offered. “And the special works for me too, LuAnne.”

  LuAnne scribbled on her pad and then ripped the top sheet off with a flourish. “I’ll be back faster’n a possum crossin’ the road on a hot day!” She winked and then whisked away.

  Kate and Livvy looked at each other and burst out laughing.

  “Now there’s an image I won’t forget,” Livvy said. “So. Tell me what’s going on with your new friend’s drama.”

  “That’s an excellent word for it.” Then Kate said, “So let me tell you all the things she’s told me—and some she hasn’t.”

  She went on to enumerate the finding of the wig, the discovery of the sneakers, finding the hospital bracelets and the prescription medication bottle, and the existence of Emmaline’s sister, Francie. She told Livvy about Emmaline’s plea for silence when she arrived to visit the previous afternoon. Then she repeated the odd conversation she overheard between Francie and her husband. She sat back and crossed her arms when she had finished.

  Livvy said, “Gracious! I agree, it does sound as if she’s deliberately hiding something, doesn’t it?”

  “At this point, I’m positive that she is,” Kate said. “Did I ever tell you what Dr. McLaughlin said to me?” She repeated her conversation with the physician in which he had insisted that she not worry about Emmaline. “He actually has a background in cardiac care,” Kate said. “Since he told me not to worry, I’m fairly confident she isn’t having significant heart trouble.”

  “He definitely implied that,” Livvy said, putting her finger to her chin. “Plus, even if he’s not an oncologist, would he have been so emphatic about you not worrying if she had cancer or any other life-threatening illness?”

  “I don’t think so,” Kate said. Livvy had a great way of putting things into perspective. “So it’s likely, in my opinion, that Emmaline doesn’t have cancer or a serious heart condition.”

  “I agree,” Livvy said. “The question is, what is really ailing this lady?”

  Kate held up a finger. “For a while, I suspected she is having problems with anxiety, which could lead to panic attacks. But her symptoms don’t closely resemble the ones most people with panic disorder suffer.”

  “Panic attacks.” Livvy leaned back, nodding thoughtfully. “That could fit, though, couldn’t it?”

  “Especially if she’s got hang-ups about anyone finding out. You know, thinking she’s crazy.”

  Livvy was still nodding. “Could it be that simple?”

  Kate snorted. “Somehow, I doubt it.”

  LuAnne came back with their hot drinks as well as glasses of ice water and utensils, and the talk turned to community and family concerns.

  Later, after the two friends departed, Livvy turned to Kate on the sidewalk in front of the diner. “So, what are you going to investigate next on Emmaline? Every time I talk to you, something has changed. First it sounds like she has heart trouble, then you wonder if she could have cancer. Dr. McLaughlin acts decidedly odd. Now you suspect she might have an anxiety disorder. And it’s possible the medication she takes for that could be causing the chest pain and shortness of breath. And the sister...What was that all about? What reason could she possibly have for refusing to let Emmaline come back to Philadelphia?”

  “All great questions that I’ve been mulling over too,” Kate said. “It sounded to me as if having Emmaline was causing problems for Francie and her husband in Pennsylvania.” Kate thought back over the meal she and Paul had unwillingly shared with Emmaline at the Bristol. “And they would be justified not to want her living with them. I suspect she can be quite the agitator, although from what I heard, there may be something specific she did to cause significant harm.”

  “You think she’s dangerous?” Livvy sounded worried.

  “Not physically,” Kate said. “But I wonder what kind of trouble she is capable of stirring up.”

  “Yikes! That’s unsettling. So back to my question,” Livvy said. “What next?”

  Kate thought over her options. “I suppose the first thing I am going to have to do is confront her directly. I’ve been too polite. Every time we’ve talked about illness, I’ve allowed her to slip out of the conversation without giving me the truth. Next time, no evasions.”

  “No evasions.” Livvy nodded her head once, short and sharp, for emphasis. “Good luck. And be careful, Kate. Emmaline Ashford doesn’t sound like the most stable domino in the design.”

  TO WORK OFF HER LUNCH, Kate decided to take a walk.

  She had an idea regarding her stained glass, and she wanted time to think it through before she closed herself into her studio again. Besides, she needed to work off a few pounds, and what better way was there than walking? She couldn’t even imagine having the discipline to run like Paul.

  As she walked along Smoky Mountain Road toward town, a car came over the hill in front of her and closed the gap. As it drew closer, the vehicle slowed. Kate stopped.

  It was a midsize SUV that Kate instantly recognized as the vehicle parked in Emmaline’s driveway during Francie’s visit.

  As the SUV halted, the window on the passenger side where she stood rolled down with a barely audible whir.

  “Hello, Kate!” called Emmaline.

  “Hi, Kate.” Francie put on the flashers and waved from behind the wheel.

  “Good afternoon,” Kate said. “You picked a beautiful day for a drive.”

  “We’ve been exploring,” Emmaline said. “When we were little, we used to come down here and stay with Grandma for two weeks every summer. It’s interesting to see what’s changed and what hasn’t.”

  “Have you found it very different?”

  Emmaline hesitated. “Yes and no. There’s not as much development as we had feared, but stores have gone out of business. Old homes are gone, and new ones have been built on the same spots.”

  “How about you, Francie? Has Copper Mill changed very much from the town you used to visit when you were a child?” Kate leaned down a bit so she could see the driver.

  “No.” Francie made a face. “It’s little,” and they all laughed.

  “You can say that again,” Kate said.

  “I’ll be thankful when I can go back to Philadelphia,” Emmaline said. “I don’t think I’m cut out for small-town life.”

  Just then, Kate saw Francie lean across the seat and tug at Emmaline’s sleeve. She said something in an undertone, but Kate still caught the comment.

  “You have several more months here, you know.”

  Kate acted as if she was unaware of the tension between the sisters, although she was saddened to see Emmaline deflate as thoroughly as a Thanksgiving balloon after the Macy’s Parade. What on earth could the cryptic comment mean?

  “Well,” said Francie, leaning toward Emmaline’s side once again. “I had better say good-bye now. I’m leaving as soon as we get back to the house to drive back to the airport.”

  “It was nice meeting you,” Kate said. “Have a safe trip home, and please come and visit Copper Mill again.”

  “Will do. Good-bye!”

  “Good-bye.” To Emmaline, Kate said, “Don’t forget our spa date. I’ll pick you up in a little while, all right?”

  “All right. I’ll see you then.” It was nearly a whisper.

  Emmaline gave Kate
a wave as they drove off, but Kate noticed her friend had barely said a word since her sister had admonished her.

  She wondered if Emmaline was disappointed that Francie wasn’t staying longer. But even more, she wondered what was going on that necessitated Emmaline staying away from Philadelphia when she obviously longed to return to the city she called home.

  AFTER SPENDING about an hour working in her studio, Kate decided to arrive a little early at Emmaline’s house for the spa appointment. She figured she needed the element of surprise to keep Emmaline off balance, to get her to answer her questions honestly without having time to formulate answers. She’d witnessed Emmaline lying to Francie about her health, and she strongly suspected that Emmaline had also been lying to her, although separating truth from lies had been difficult because Emmaline shared so little information. She intended to correct that.

  Kate pulled into Emmaline’s driveway about thirty minutes before they needed to leave for the spa. She hoped that would be long enough to get them started on their discussion if Emmaline would answer Kate’s questions without any evasions or diversionary tactics.

  She was surprised to see another car in the driveway, so she pulled her Honda alongside the curb. Who might Emmaline know in the area who drove a dark green Mercedes?

  The moment she stepped out of her car, she found the answer: Dr. McLaughlin came striding down Emmaline’s walk directly toward her.

  He wore casual clothes—khaki pants with a white shirt, a brown suede bomber-style jacket, and shiny loafers. He stopped short when he saw her, clearly dismayed.

  “Hello, Dr. McLaughlin,” Kate said, completely shocked to see him at Emmaline’s house. Still, she stood squarely in the middle of the sidewalk. She had made up her mind to have this chat with Emmaline today, and he could just answer her questions too. She was in no mood for evasion. From anyone.

  “Hello, Kate. Beautiful day, isn’t it?”

  “It certainly is.” Kate relaxed her shoulders and tossed in a little extra Southern belle attitude for good measure. “What are you doing in these parts, Dr. McLaughlin?”

  “I stopped to visit Ms. Ashford.” He squared his shoulders when Kate only stared at him with raised eyebrows. “You know I can’t discuss more than that with you.”

  “Oh, so it wasn’t a social call.” If he was worried about doctor-patient privilege, then he must have been there in an official capacity.

  “Uh, no. No, it wasn’t.”

  “So, you were here as her physician.”

  It wasn’t a question, and he looked chagrined, realizing he had just been outmaneuvered. “I’m not her primary physician, no.”

  “Listen, doctor. I’ve been very concerned about Emmaline,” Kate told him. “She seems to have more potential illnesses than an entire wing of the Pine Ridge Hospital. And she doesn’t seem happy with her medical care.”

  The doctor stared at her. Finally, he said, “Perception is often different from reality.”

  Kate stared at him. “Meaning?”

  “Nothing. I can’t tell you anything, Kate. I’m not saying another word.” The physician clamped his lips shut, making an emphatic gesture.

  “All right...okay,” Kate said, abandoning her plans to not let him pass. She stood back and let him stride past her to his car.

  So much for Mrs. Tough Girl. She hoped she could better maintain her stance with Emmaline.

  The doctor reached the car and opened the driver’s side door. Then, with one leg already in the car, he paused. “Kate? Be careful, okay?”

  She was taken aback. “Careful about what?”

  Her first instinct was to assume he was warning her about disease, as if perhaps Emmaline had something communicable. Then she stopped and thought about it. Could he be referring to Emmaline’s unpredictable personality? The idea gave Kate a little chill.

  “Just be careful,” he repeated. At that, he slid the rest of the way into his car and slammed the door.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Kate stood watching as Dr. McLaughlin backed out of Emmaline’s driveway. He gave her one brief wave as he drove away. Thoughtfully, she turned and started up the walk again.

  A motion at one window caught her eye. Had the curtain twitched? She wondered if Emmaline had been standing there watching her speak with the doctor. She mentally braced herself. Only one way to find out.

  Stepping onto the small porch stoop, Kate pressed the doorbell firmly.

  After a moment, the door opened. Emmaline stood there, an icy expression on her face.

  Kate’s heart sank. So she’d been right; Emmaline had seen them. Taking a deep breath, she said, “Good afternoon! I’m a little early. Are you ready for our big treat?”

  Emmaline frowned, and Kate read anger in her gaze. “You are indeed a little early. I saw you chatting with that man. What did he tell you?”

  “Nothing personal,” Kate assured her. “Dr. McLaughlin is very discreet about his patients.”

  “Ha!” Emmaline burst out. “If he was discreet, he wouldn’t be coming here unannounced and uninvited, would he? If he was discreet, you never would have seen him, would you? He’s harassing me, that’s what he’s doing! I told him he’s not my doctor, and my life is none of his business. He had no reason to come here!”

  The tirade had a vitriolic edge that shocked Kate. The doctor’s words echoed in her head. Be careful, okay?

  “Are you sure he’s not just concerned about you?” she asked.

  “He has no right!” Emmaline nearly yelled the words. “No right at all. He’s not my doctor.”

  “All right.” Kate put out a hand as if she might calm the distressed woman that way.

  “I’ll sue him,” Emmaline said, her voice rising. “That’s what I’ll do. I’ll take him for every penny he’s worth. He’ll never spread lies about a patient again.”

  “Emmaline!” Kate put a sharp edge into her tone as she raised her volume significantly. “Please stop!”

  There was a shocked silence. Emmaline’s hands flew to her mouth; she stared at Kate with tears welling in her eyes.

  Kate slipped an arm about Emmaline’s waist and turned her into the house. “Let’s take a deep breath,” she advised. “I’ll call and cancel the spa appointment and we can talk—”

  “No.” Emmaline sounded pleading. “Please don’t cancel. I was so looking forward to it. I’m sorry, Kate. I don’t know what got into me.”

  “Are you sure?” Kate was doubtful.

  “Positive.” Emmaline took a deep breath, plastering a shaky smile on her lips. “Let’s just go and have a good time.”

  Kate didn’t want to go and have a good time. But after that alarming display of near hysteria, the last thing she wanted to do was trigger another tantrum. “All right,” she said reluctantly.

  “Good.” Emmaline seemed much calmer. “Just let me get my purse.”

  Kate waited while the other woman retrieved her handbag and locked the door. They walked to Kate’s car together. They were going to be a little early at the spa, but that didn’t matter.

  As Emmaline rounded the car to get to the passenger side, she exclaimed, “This is going to be so much fun!”

  Kate said nothing. She felt as if she was accompanied by Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. At the moment, Dr. Jekyll was calmly seating herself beside Kate. But not long ago, the crazed Mr. Hyde had clearly been in control.

  Again, she thought of Dr. McLaughlin’s oblique warning. What had he meant? Kate knew that she had to be careful in terms of becoming too close a friend to Emmaline, but surely the doctor had no knowledge of the jealous behaviors that had cropped up at times.

  And could she even trust him? Wasn’t it unorthodox for a doctor to make an unannounced house call? And what did Emmaline mean that the doctor was “spreading lies”?

  Uneasily, Kate decided again that she had better not say or do anything to upset Emmaline’s precarious good humor. It seemed that her determination to get some answers was going to have to wait a bit, and sh
e would have to figure out another time and possibly another way to confront Emmaline with her suspicions. Kate let out a long breath, realizing that sometimes even the best-laid plans had to be rearranged.

  WHEN PAUL BEGAN HIS SERMON the following morning, he glanced at Kate immediately, hoping to catch her reaction. Often, when he started his sermon preparation at the beginning of the week, Paul bounced his ideas off Kate. Not only did it help him clarify his ideas, but Kate frequently contributed something meaningful that changed or cemented the direction of his thoughts.

  But this week, Paul hadn’t talked to her at all about the topic of his sermon: “Do You Keep Your Faith in Shape?” It was the second in “The Five G’s of Discipleship” series that he had begun the previous Sunday. The first sermon had been about grace; this week’s sermon was about growth—purposeful Christian growth.

  “As many of you know,” Paul began, “Eli Weston talked me into training to run a 10K marathon to benefit the American Heart Association. I wasn’t sure I could do it. I’m a lightweight runner. My regimen is usually no more than three miles, tops. A 10K is more than six miles, easily double what I believe I can do.

  “And that’s exactly how I approached my training. I wasn’t sure I could do it. So when I began to train, my attitude was more of the ‘I’ll try this and quit if it’s too tough’ variety than the ‘I intend to work up to this until I can do it’ kind.”

  He caught Kate’s eye as he surveyed the congregation. She winked, warming him inside.

  “Race running, when it comes right down to it, is a pretty good comparison to our training efforts toward achieving our eternal reward in heaven,” Paul said.

  From there, he segued into a reflection on how his training for the race approximated the ongoing growth of his own faith. He couldn’t skip training sessions if he wished to be a success with his running. He likened that to being a Christian and the practice of prayer, Bible study, and service in God’s name. If one skips the “training,” one gets “out of shape,” and it becomes more difficult to begin again. He went on to explain how exploring a relationship with God has its ups and downs just like any training routine.