Smolder

by Graylin Fox

  Her husband made his money in shipping, and they lived in The Landings, a country club community on Skidaway Island where, I learned later, many doctors lived. She networked in the club and dined at the best restaurants. This time, she was an attraction in the emergency room.

  Her door was open and each time someone walked past, I saw them smile, and the nurses behind the counter laughed. I asked someone what was going on.

  “She poses every time someone walks by. Her hair and makeup are done, and she keeps reapplying her lipstick.”

  “Thank you.”

  When I walked in, she looked disappointed. She wore a miniskirt and had tied her hospital gown in a knot at her waist. It seems she was trying to impress the male doctors and residents. I closed the door behind me.

  “I'm the hospital psychologist—”

  “I'm not crazy,” she said.

  “You are in full makeup with your hair done in an emergency room. You strike a seductive pose each time someone walks by. I don't use the word crazy, but you have to know that isn't normal.”

  She broke down and cried. Her husband cheated on her with someone younger, and she started having panic attacks. Each time they went out in public, she was sure everyone knew and talked about her behind her back. She would get short of breath and spend the event in the ladies room. Now, she was afraid he would leave her because she couldn't live up to their social obligations.

  I called the nurse in and told him the patient would need the least addicting mood stabilizer the doctor felt would work with any of her other medications. He returned and gave her a pill and a prescription.

  “I'm like a real Hollywood star now," she said. “I have a therapist and drugs.”

  She looked happy. I gave her my card and had the nurse call Lee and set up a follow-up appointment before they let her go home.

  Dmitri met me in the back hallway.

  “Hello, beautiful,” he said.

  “Hello, sexy.”

  He walked with me to his office for the two p.m. appointment.

  “I'm on your schedule," he said.

  “Yes, I noticed that. Nice move.” I was impressed.

  He showed me his calendar, and it was all surgeries except this hour. “It was as much for me.”

  “You’re busy,” I said.

  “There was a multi-vehicle pileup on the interstate yesterday. We have a full calendar for a couple of days.”

  “You okay? That has to be exhausting.”

  “I'm tired. Not from the number of surgeries, but because I'm training residents, and I have to watch everything they do," he said.

  The door behind me was shut, so I got up and walked over to him. He pulled me into his arms and held on.

  “I need to tell you about this weekend,” I said.

  “You didn't cheat on me with Owen, did you?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye.

  “No. He did break down my front door and shatter one of the large glass panels out back, though.”

  He pulled back. “He what?”

  “It really doesn't sound good when it's said out loud, does it?”

  “No, it sounds crazy," he said.

  “He thought someone was in the house with me and he tried to save me,” I said.

  “Does that make sense to you?”

  “Now that I say it out loud, it sounds odd. But I don't doubt he meant it. He apologized, and we made him fish the broken glass out of the hot tub,” I said.

  He laughed. “Did you take pictures of that?”

  “It's probably on the security tapes.” I paused. “There was another threat.”

  He listened pulling me to him. Tears welled up in my eyes as we embraced.

  “You are welcome to stay with me," he said.

  “Look, Dmitri. We haven't been going out that long,” I said.

  “That’s not what I mean. I bought this house before my wife filed for divorce. It's in The Landings, has five bedrooms and six bathrooms. The whole place was furnished by an interior decorator. Sometimes, it feels like a show home, until my kids come over. You can have your own room if you want. The neighborhood has a security gate. You would be safer.”

  “Josh moved in with me over the weekend. He and his lady didn't work out. I can't leave him. Right now, he is my defense, and I've signed up for regular karate classes," I said.

  “You know that sounds weak,” he replied.

  “I know. But it's the best I have right now.” I had to wonder, if Josh wasn’t here would I have jumped at the offer? It was possible.

  He held me close. “I have to get back to surgery. Anytime, day or night, you want to come by, just call. Josh is welcome as well. I have the space.”

  I tried not to cry in front of him, but the tears fell down my face.

  “I didn't mean to offend you," he said.

  I took the tissues he offered. “I'm not offended, I'm sincerely touched.”

  He kissed me passionately. “I would also love to sneak across the house to sleep with you.”

  I laughed. “You are ruining my sentimental moment.”

  He opened the door and escorted me to my office. “I can't be all good guy now, can I?”

  Lee stood at her desk, and with one glance at me, summed it up.

  “You have it bad.”

  “Yes. Yes, I do.” I came close to telling her he asked me to move in, but I knew that would make the gossip circuit and that was a secret. Our secret.

  On my desk, Lee had placed a desktop calendar. This afternoon, she blocked out three to five p.m. for “catch up on nonsense paperwork for hospital.” I really liked her. Head down and buried in paperwork, I forgot all of the problems for a couple of hours. It was a needed break, but it left me stiff as I got up to head home.

  My throwing board was up in the back yard, and the mats were spread out off to the side. Josh cut quite a figure in yoga pants, and it seemed some women on a boat going by noticed his bare chest as he stretched.

  “You have admirers,” I said.

  “They have been there for a while now,” he replied. “I wish they would go away."

  “Not ready for an audience?” I asked.

  He shot me a look that said ‘no,’ and went back to stretching. I walked over and kissed his cheek. The women's assumptions destroyed their party, and they moved on.

  The knives hit the center of the target every time, and now I knew I could hit anything, or anyone, I needed to. I joined Josh on the workout mats where he had been lifting hand weights and did some yoga stretches of my own.

  The doorbell rang, and Josh left to answer it.

  “Nice pose,” Owen said. “Is everything okay here tonight?”

  “Yes, it’s fine. We’re just getting back into our normal routines," I said. “I’m wondering if the police contacted you about the missing intruder on the security tapes. We haven't heard."

  I glanced at Josh and shook his head no.

  “I haven’t heard anything, but I’ll check with her. The glass installation people said they would be here tonight.” He paced.

  At that cue, the front door bell rang again, and Josh let the glass company in. They repaired the hole with three smaller pieces, the center one being a door. They said it would allow me to gain access to that strip of yard between the pool enclosure and the azaleas at the side fence. I thanked them for their work, and Owen covered the cost.

  As the sun set, we picked up our training equipment and moved to the covered patio. Owen promised to get in touch with us if he heard from the local police.

  “You need to call her," I said to Josh after he left.

  He called, and she told him the recording had been tampered with, how that side of the yard ran on a recorded loop. She called the security company the chief hired and found one of the consultants worked for Owen at the hospital.

  “I’ll talk to him tomorrow.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  In the morning, I planned to march straight to Owen's office and tell him what we found out. It bo
thered me that one of his guards worked for the security company. It also didn't make much sense to me at that point, but I wanted to put the pieces together. His office had gained a plant and picture since I was there last.

  “Nice additions," I said.

  “You aren't the only one who mentioned being uncomfortable here," he replied. “What can I do for you today?”

  His eyes sparkled, and it was clear he made an effort. The smile on his face more gritted teeth than easy grin.

  “One of your guards here moonlights for the security company that installed my system. Did Officer West call you?"

  “She left a message, but I haven't gotten back to her. It's not usual for someone to moonlight with a second job, Ellie.”

  “I know, Owen. But this is important. The person who wrote on the glass didn't show up on any of the videos. Officer West investigated and found the camera on that side of my house had been running a looped recording.”

  While I spoke, he became noticeably angry.

  “Do you know which guard it was?”

  I heard his teeth grind.

  “No, she didn't tell Josh when he called last night. I hoped you would know,” I said.

  “I will know in a few minutes,” he said. He played the message, and as he listened, he tensed up. “I’ll take care of it.”

  I went to my office a little shaken. Lee asked me what was wrong. I explained to her the security company link to Owen’s staff. I found myself angered by his not telling me who the individual was as I spoke.

  “That’s horrible. How could he find out who it was and not tell you? I’m not sure about him, Dr. Quinn. Hang on to your surgeon and back away from this guy. Something seems a bit off about him."

  “I've had that feeling from the beginning, but he keeps trying to make it up to me. I can tell he is making an effort, and he was pissed off that he didn't know. Whatever it was, he just found out.”

  “Do you want me to ask around?” she asked.

  “Not this time. I've got a sick feeling in my stomach.” I headed to the kitchenette.

  “Is your gut usually right?”

  “Unfortunately, yes.” I waited for whatever was going to hit me.

  My stomach functioned as a warning signal whenever my mind couldn’t put the pieces together. It couldn’t be a coincidence that the same person worked both for Owen and the security company, but I couldn’t figure out the angle.

  Owen was correct, a lot of people had to work two jobs and if you worked as a guard you would be familiar with the surveillance equipment needed to monitor a house. How that would tie into the system playing a loop for the side of my house, I didn’t know, and that was why my stomach knotted up.

  I sent a text message to Josh to give him a heads-up. He replied and told me he had the house closed up and was headed to the gym. At least, no one was at the house this time. Damn, I might have to move in with Dmitri after all. That scared and excited me. We were just getting to know each other and I certainly didn’t want to move that fast, but if we were in serious danger at my place, I would take the chance it might ruin the relationship to survive.

  Shouting down the hall got Lee’s and my attention. We walked to the noise, just outside of Dmitri’s office. Owen argued with one of his guards, although each tried to keep their voices down, the sound traveled, and a crowd gathered. We heard the guard telling Owen he didn't know who the guy was when he hired him. That he came in with recommendations and passed the background checks, three other guards came from the same place and he never had a problem with them.

  I started to walk away when Owen shouted, “You hired The Carver’s nephew! You didn't think that was important?”

  The skin on the back of my neck slithered with fear and disgust. He’d been in my house.

  All discussions stopped, and a few people slunk away. Others glanced around to see who else was there, and when they saw me, they stared. I couldn't blame them.

  The knot in my stomach felt like a boulder. Lee put her arm around my waist. I was vaguely aware of swaying a little. The pieces all fell together, and it made an ominous sound in my head. Like the loudest clap of thunder I’d ever heard.

  Next to me, Lee said, “This is bad.”

  Yes, it was. Owen breathed heavily and kept clenching his hands. It looked like he struggled to keep from pummeling the man.

  The guard stood his ground and didn't flinch. He waited for Owen to calm before saying, “If I had known that, I would not have hired him.” His voice was calm and firm.

  “Why isn’t he in charge, Mata?” I heard from one of the people gathered. “He doesn't lose his shit every time someone sneezes.”

  Owen turned to the woman speaking.

  She was a nurse, appeared to be in her forties and not flustered at all. “Sir, this is a hospital. Life, death, and crazy... all due respect… Happens here every day.”

  “I like her,” I said to Lee.

  “So do I. Owen could yell at her, and she would just stick a thermometer in his mouth and walk away.”

  That visual made me laugh. I covered my mouth with my hand to hide it.

  “Right now, I'd use an ass thermometer,” she said and left.

  Dmitri now stood in the doorway of his office suite. “You hired who?”

  “The Carver’s nephew got onto my staff and joined the security company using a fake name,” he said. “We didn’t catch it because he had a full identity set up.”

  I felt ill. “He knows where I live and has been in my house.”

  “And he knows where your office is," Lee said.

  “He's not a threat to you right now, Ellie," Owen said. “Officer West said they found another Carver victim this morning. If he is copying his uncle’s crimes, it will be a few days before he kills again.”

  “Ellie's life hangs on that if, Mata.” Dmitri came to my side. “I’m not willing to leave her life up to an if.”

  “Neither am I,” Owen replied. “I never said I was going to take it for granted and let her hope I’m right. Where the hell do you get that idea?”

  The guard put his hand on Owen to try and calm him down, and he reacted fast enough to duck under the punch.

  “Whoa, Boss,” the guard said. “You cannot take this personally. The police are handling this case, not you."

  I didn't feel comforted that the same police force who hadn’t caught the original serial killer would keep me safe from the serial-killer-in-training nephew.

  Lee leaned over to me. “You can come stay with us. We have extra room, and we’d throw a party for you.”

  “As much as I would love to stay with you, Lee, I would never forgive myself if this guy hurt you, Nick, or your daughter. Let Josh and I figure how we want to handle this. We’ll talk to the police and see what they have to say.”

  “You think I can’t protect you?" Owen asked.

  “You haven't so far.” Dmitri stepped between us and motioned behind his back for Lee and I to go into his office suite.

  “Are you threatening me?” Owen asked.

  “No, I’m not threatening you, no one is. You need to calm down.”

  At that, Owen lunged for Dmitri. The surgeon stepped aside with little effort, and Owen tripped as he tried to stop his own momentum.

  “I’ve had some experience with fighting, Mata. I would suggest you calm down before someone gets hurt.” Dmitri said it calmly, but I could hear the angry tone in his voice.

  “I’m calm,” he said as he tried to punch Dmitri.

  Again, the surgeon stepped out of the way.

  “Seriously, Mata. I’ve trained to fight. It’s a necessary skill growing up in Russia. Either you learn to fight or you end up in the river where your family finds you floating days later.”

  I recognized his technique from karate class. The idea was to let an angry opponent tire himself out before you engaged him. I caught his gaze, and he smiled at me as Owen gave up on punching, grabbed him around the waist and threw him to the ground.

 
; Dmitri winced when he hit the ground, but managed to kick Owen’s legs and knock him over. They started to wrestle, and I couldn't tell who was winning, if anyone.

  “What the hell are you doing?” I asked. “This is nuts.”

  That was the wrong choice of words, and I knew it the moment I said them. Owen turned to me and something in his gaze let me know I’d crossed a line.

  “This is over,” he said and walked away.

  Dmitri sat on the ground with his arms resting on his knees. The dress shirt he’d worn to work had been ripped open. As he stood up, I noticed something I'd missed before. He had a slim, cut physique with abs to rival Owen’s. I wiped my mouth absently, not sure if I drooled as my eyes wandered slowly over his body. An urge to run my hands over every muscle ran through me, and my heart started to race.

  “You need to go hug that body. And check every inch for damage," Lee said.

  “I agree,” I said, breathing faster.

  “I can hear you two,” he said. “And thank you.”

  “No. Thank you.” There was a huge smile on my face.

  He pushed Lee and me into his office and closed the door.

  “I know I don't have any right to say this to you, but I want to make a request as someone who cares for you,” he said.

  “Stay away from Mata,” we finished for him in unison.

  He laughed, kissed Lee on the top of her head, and pulled me into an embrace.

  “This is really getting to him. There is something about this Carver thing that has tipped him over," I said.

  “You don't have to make excuses for him,” he said.

  I shook my head. “I’m not. My job is to explain intent and reasoning behind thoughts and behaviors that fall outside of the acceptable norm for the situation.”

  “I love when you talk work,” he said.

  “I need to call Josh and let him know what is going on. He may decide to head back to Atlanta now. Either way, I’ll let him know about your offer to stay with you. Are you sure you still want to do this? Things got more dangerous today.” I wanted to give him a way out if he wanted it. I also knew that if they didn't catch this guy soon, I was going to accept his offer for my mental health.