Wrong Memories

by Edna Curry

  She was sure she’d never had a credit card as Lucinda Johnson. Her parents always preached caution about spending money. They’d never charged anything. If you couldn’t afford to pay for something right now, you did without it.

  Chills ran over her as she sipped the tea. Had she remembered this information from her current life? Would she remember more as time went on?

  The program finished downloading and without hesitation, she started it running and began to set up the traveler’s checks as though they were a checking account.

  She went to her purse and counted the check-stubs, both those she had deposited in her new checking account and those she’d used, putting them in as a balance, then using the carbon copies, she listed how much she’d spent where and for what.

  Her computer had been the biggest expense so far, besides bus tickets, clothes and taxies. She needed to know how much to pay Lucille back, provided she ever found the woman.

  By the time she’d finished her list, it was time to shower and get ready for work.

  ***

  Vi, Sally and Jake, the cook, had already opened the restaurant when Lucy arrived, right on time. Sally had already donned her uniform and started the coffee. Vi called good morning from her office. Lucy hurried back to the break room to don her own uniform, then went back to the dining room to start her day. Several customers arrived and soon the breakfast rush was underway.

  A couple hours later, as things began to slow down a bit, a tall, dark-haired man strolled in, looked around, and chose one of Sally’s booths.

  Sally hurried over with a coffee pot, taking quite a while to talk to him as she took his order. Since Sally was usually so quick and efficient with her customers, Lucy noticed.

  When Sally had turned in his order and had her back turned to him as she turned the slip in at the cook’s window, he shifted his gaze to Lucy, eyeing her from head to toe.

  Lucy met his gaze and shivered when he gave her a knowing smile, as though he had a secret. Or knew something she didn’t and was very pleased about it.

  Who was he? What was he doing here? Another chill slid over her as she realized he seemed familiar. Had she met him before? If so, where?

  Sally turned to her. “We’re not busy, now, so I think I’ll take my break, okay?”

  “Sure, I’ve got it covered.”

  Lucy was surprised to see Sally grab a mug of coffee for herself and go back to the stranger’s booth and sit with him. They chatted like old friends, so Lucy decided she was mistaken. She must have seen him in here before and not noticed or remembered him.

  Jake called that her order was ready. Lucy was about to go get it, but Sally hurried over and grabbed it, saying, “I’ve got it. This guy’s all mine.”

  “You’re welcome to him,” Lucy said with a shrug. Why was Sally being possessive all of a sudden?

  Sally stayed with him as he ate, then walked him to the door as he paid and left.

  “Someone special?” Lucy asked as she came back to the counter.

  “Yes, he is,” she said, a dreamy look on her face. “He asked me out to dinner and a movie tonight.” Then she bit her lip and frowned. “Oh, no. I forgot that I promised Diane I’d cover her shift tonight. She’s got a flu bug. What am I going to do?”

  “Call one of the other girls?”

  Sally shook her head. “Diane said she’d already asked them. None of them could do it.” She eyed Lucy. “Could you, please? Pretty please?”

  Lucy sighed. She needed to earn extra money. Listing all the travelers checks she’d already spent had highlighted that for her early this morning. “I suppose. Though you know I hate working double shifts. They wear me out.”

  “Me, too. But he’s special and I really want to go.”

  Lucy couldn’t help cautioning Sally, even though she could see by her face that she adored this man. “Sally, where did you meet this man? What’s his name, his job?”

  Sally frowned. “His name is Charles Sanders. I met him right here a few nights ago when he came in for supper. He’s been coming in almost every day for a week now. He’s a manufacturer’s rep. You know, he goes to various business offices and sells stuff.”

  “Oh.” Lucy chewed her lip. “I’m sorry, I just have a bad feeling about him. And he looks familiar, but I don’t know where I’ve met him before.”

  “Lucy, don’t act like you’re my mother. You’re a lot younger than I am. Have I scolded you for going out with Dave?”

  “No, but we both know Dave is our boss’ son. He’s not someone to worry about.”

  “Well, Charles isn’t either, so butt out, will you?”

  “Okay.” Lucy swallowed. Now she’d made Sally mad at her, all because of a silly feeling. Was there really such a thing as woman’s intuition? Or was it her subconscious mind telling her something she didn’t remember consciously? With a shiver, she went to wait on a new customer who’d just come in.

  ***

  The hours dragged. By eight o’clock Lucy was exhausted and plopped on a stool at the counter to sip some tea and catch her breath. Tips had been great, so it had been a worthwhile day. Thank goodness tomorrow was Sunday and she had the day off.

  A sudden noise at the front window drew her attention. Rain and hail pounded the glass. Oh, no. She was going to have to spring for a cab to get home without getting soaked. And she must remember to buy an umbrella, too. So many things she didn’t have.

  She swallowed, wondering. Where had she lived before that car hit her in St. Paul? Did she have a whole apartment full of stuff somewhere? Or had she lived with someone like her parents? Not the Johnsons, of course, but her parents in this life? Surely they should have looked for her if she had any.

  “Lucy. Order’s up,” Jake called from the kitchen window.

  “Coming.” She jumped up and took the plates of food to her waiting customers. As she turned to go back to finish her tea, Dave walked in, closing his umbrella.

  “Damn, it’s coming down out there,” he exclaimed. “Lucy? What are you doing here? I thought you told me last night that you had to work at seven this morning?”

  Lucy made a face as she grabbed a coffee pot and followed him to his usual booth. “I did. Sally had a big date and talked me into covering her shift, too.”

  “You’ve been here since seven this morning? That’s awful. Couldn’t one of the other girls have come in?”

  Lucy poured his coffee. “She said she called them all, but nobody would.”

  “Then she shouldn’t have accepted the date. You look exhausted.”

  “I am. Don’t worry, it’s only an hour until closing and I have tomorrow off to rest up. What’ll you have tonight?”

  “Apple pie a la mode. Is mom still here?”

  “No, she went home hours ago. But she’s coming back at nine to close.”

  “Okay. I’ll wait for her then.” He glanced around the now almost empty restaurant. “It looks quiet enough, would you have some with me?”

  “That sounds nice.” In a few minutes, Lucy was back with their pie. “I’m having Lemon Meringue, my favorite,” she said, putting the pies down and sitting across from him.

  “That looks good, too.” They ate in silence for a few minutes, then he asked, “How are you getting home in this rain?”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll call a cab.”

  “No need. I can drive you, if you’d like to wait while I help Mom close up?”

  “That would be great.” Lucy smiled at him. She went back to work, taking their dishes back to the kitchen and clearing up the table after her last customer had left.

  Vi arrived and she and Dave chatted a bit, then he helped Vi pull the till, put the money in the safe for the night and close the restaurant. Jake had cleaned up and closed the kitchen and called goodnight as he left by the back door because he’d parked behind the restaurant as usual. Dave locked the back door after him, and then they all left by the front, where Dave and Vi had parked their cars. Dave kissed his mother goodnight and sh
e drove off.

  The rain had slowed to a light drizzle and the evening was chilly, but there was no wind. Lucy drew a deep breath as they walked to his car. “Mm, the air smells so fresh and clean, doesn’t it?”

  “Yes, it does.”

  “April showers bring May flowers,” she quipped.

  Dave laughed, closed her door behind her and got behind the wheel and drove the few blocks to her apartment. He walked up the stairs with her, as had become his habit.

  At her door, he hesitated, then said, “Lucy, we need to talk.”

  She eyed him warily, then asked, “Would you like come in for a cup of tea?”

  He nodded and they went inside. He sat at the table while she busied herself making a pot of tea, then brought it to the table.

  She sat opposite him and sipped her tea, watching his face. “Well, what’s on your mind?”

  He swallowed, obviously nervous about what he was about to say. “Lucy, I talked to Georgia.”

  “Oh.” She chewed her lip and eyed him. “What did you tell her?”

  “I just told her you had a problem you needed advice about. I said it was private and urgent.”

  “And?”

  “And she said she’s fully booked for weeks.”

  Lucy sighed. “Well, that’s that, then.”

  Dave shook his head. “No, she said she’d see you tomorrow if you wanted. Her office is usually closed on Sunday, but she sometimes sees special patients then. I told her you were special to me.”

  “Oh, but I’d be taking time on her day off.”

  “It was her idea, Lucy. She offered to do it. So will you go see her?”

  Lucy swallowed hard. “I suppose. But I don’t know how to explain all this.”

  “Just explain it as best you can, like you did to me. She’s used to people being upset and confused.”

  “You’re sure she won’t commit me to a mental hospital?”

  “Positive.”

  “Will you go with me?”

  “If you want me to. I don’t know if Georgia will let me in while you talk to her, but I’ll take you and bring you back home afterward, I promise.”

  Lucy let out a long sigh. “Okay. What time?”

  “How’s a quarter to two? That’ll give you time to catch up on sleep after the very long day you had today.”

  She nodded. “Fine.”

  He smiled and rose. He pulled her to her feet and kissed her. “And with that, I’d better go. You’re falling asleep already.”

  She kissed him back. “Goodnight, Dave. And thanks again for bringing me home.”

  “You’re welcome. I’ll lock the door as I leave.”

  She picked up their cups and took them back to the sink, listening for the tell-tale click of the night lock.

  She was so tired and tomorrow might be another nerve-wracking day. She got into her pajamas and climbed under the covers, falling asleep almost immediately despite her worries about the next day.

  ***

  Hunched down in a dark car down the street, Buddy watched Dave leave her apartment house, climb into his car and drive away.

  Had the bitch gotten a lover already? That guy hadn’t stayed very long. But who knows how fast he could get it on? Some men didn’t take very long to do it.

  Chances are, she’d stay there for the night now. He could take a break. He needed to check in with the boss anyway and see what he wanted to do, now that he’d found her again.

  Roscoe didn’t answer so he drove back to his hotel, grabbed a bite of supper and called him again from his room. This time his call was answered on the first ring.

  “It’s me, Buddy,” he said softly. He’d been told to keep his voice down in case anyone might be close when his call came in. Roscoe didn’t want to be overheard.

  “Yeah. I’m in my room alone, so we can talk. What’ve you got?”

  “I found her. She used her social security number to get a waitress job here in Mankato. I followed her home to a cheap rooming house. She’s taking a night class at the high school here.”

  “A class? In what?”

  “Get this, Roscoe. It’s a beginner’s computer class.”

  “Oh, that’s rich. Lucy, the computer whiz, taking a beginner’s class? What a hoot.”

  “Yeah, I thought so, too. But I think it proves she really has lost her memory.”

  “Maybe. But my source at the hospital said she may get it back any time. So we can’t trust that she’s not going to cause trouble later. We’re not out of the woods yet.”

  “But I let her see me and she didn’t recognize me.”

  “Damn it, I told you to lie low.”

  “Okay, okay. I’ll stay out of sight. But she’s doing some weird stuff.”

  “Like what?”

  “She went to a cemetery and took flowers to three graves. Do you have any idea who she might have known down here?”

  “In Mankato? No. She’s never mentioned having any relatives there. That is odd, isn’t it? Did you recognize the names on the graves?”

  “Johnsons. Just a minute, I wrote down the details. Got them here somewhere.”

  “That’s a really common name in Minnesota. Give me the details. I’ll see what I can find out,” Roscoe said.

  Buddy read the names and dates to Roscoe.

  “Thanks. Keep an eye on her and keep in touch. If she looks like she’s gonna give us trouble, you know what to do.”

  “Yeah, but I don’t like it. Doing troublemakers is one thing. Doing somebody that doesn’t even recognize you is a whole other ball game.”

  “You want me to replace you?”

  A long silence. Then, “Guess not. I need the money.”

  Chapter 8

  Lucy awoke, screaming and tangled in her sheets. She jerked to a sitting position and quickly reached for the switch to snap on her bedside light. Having the light on helped her get fully awake and dispel the dream. Her head pounded and her skin was clammy as she tried to rub away the chills running over her. She hoped her screams hadn’t woken anyone else in the building.

  She rose and made another cup of tea, trying to forget her nightmare. But it jumped back into her mind, the moment she sat at the table and sipped, letting the hot liquid warm her chills away.

  This time in her dream, the tall, blond man had insisted she move into his apartment. She couldn’t do that, but she was afraid that sooner or later, it would be easier to give in to his demands than to keep arguing. He’d convinced her to quit her job, saying he had plenty of money from the trust fund his grandfather had left him. They didn’t need the money she earned working at IBM. Why had she gone along with his badgering? She’d loved that job. IBM was a great company and she knew she could have had a great future there.

  After they took this vacation, he promised he’d help her set up her own business. That had been her wish for years, so she’d taken the dangling carrot and quit, as he wanted.

  Soon after she’d started getting intimate with him, the rough play had started. He’d laugh it off, afterward, saying she liked the slaps and shoves, liked to be tied up for rough sex.

  She shuddered as the nightmare replayed in her mind. He’d enjoyed hurting her. He seemed to get off on her pain. He liked seeing her cower on the floor when he slapped her around.

  When he’d once again brought out the handcuffs and nylons to tie her to the bed for more rough sex, she’d begged him not to. “You always hurt me when you do that. This can’t be normal. I don’t like it. I don’t enjoy sex this way.”

  “Of course you do. All women love to be dominated.” With an evil grin, he’d grabbed her, held her down with a knee while he handcuffed her first to one bed post, then another.

  Then he’d tied her feet to the footboard, and began his usual routine of rough sex toys and vibrators, seeming to love it when she squirmed and cried out in pain and protest. He grinned in excitement as he clamped metal things to her nipples and tugged on strings tied to them.

  She’d screamed in pa
in and that was the end of the dream. She’d woken up.

  Now, she shivered at the memory. It had all seemed so real. Had it really happened? Or was it only a nightmare?

  She reheated the tea in the microwave and drank it, wondering if the awful nightmare would return if she went back to bed. She really didn’t want to know what had happened after that. But exhaustion won out and she crawled back under the covers.

  ***

  After a fitful night, Lucy rose and paced. How was she to conquer these nightmares? Were they just a figment of her imagination or were they memories?

  She showered and dressed, deciding she needed to get out of her apartment for a while.

  The sun shone and it was a beautiful spring day. She slipped on a light jacket and grabbed her purse, then went for a walk down the street. Dave wouldn’t be here for hours, she had plenty of time. Hearing church bells, she kept walking in the direction of that sound.

  She found a Catholic church on the next block. People were parking their cars and walking up to the entrance, so it must be almost time for a service. Hurrying forward, she joined them.

  She took a seat in a pew near the back, thinking she’d just listen and enjoy the music. Maybe that would calm her. But as the service started, she remembered the songs, and even understood when the priest spoke in Latin. Thinking back, she remembered learning the language from the nuns in grade school. A feeling of peace slid over her and she relaxed. All would work out somehow. God was in charge, not her. She’d forgotten that.

  The familiar hymns were a joy to sing. She remembered most of the words and tunes without looking at the hymnal. As the service ended, people greeted each other, talking as they walked out. A chubby lady at the end of her pew found several people to chat with, so blocked her way out.

  Then she saw him. Dave was moving down the aisle toward her.

  ***

  As Dave headed down the aisle, he was surprised to look up and see Lucy. “Lucy. I didn’t know you planned to come here. Why didn’t you tell me last night? I could have picked you up.”