Or, she could come face to face to what she was really afraid would happen. If he couldn’t handle what he learned of her, the Speaker would have to intervene. That had her paralyzed. Too afraid to move forward, too preoccupied to be of much to benefit to anyone as matters were at the present. At least she wasn’t scheduled to work the hotline until tomorrow night. Maybe she could get her head straight before then.
As the lecture finished, she gathered her things and began walking to her car. She had not scored a decent parking spot today. That was a little bit unusual for the summer. There were fewer students after all. This particular building primarily housed graduate courses. The graduate student population stayed a bit more consistent in the summer than the undergrad population did, she supposed. On her way she checked her cell phone. She had received a voice message, but didn’t recognize the number. She punched in her code and listened. A pleasant surprise awaited her. She had a job interview at the hospital! Her internet search had not gleaned much information. Officer Talbot had politely returned her phone calls inquiring over the investigation. He had assured her she was no longer a suspect, and then firmly, if kindly, suggested she let the police handle the case. Maybe she would learn something that could help Evenfall after all. The only negative was that the interview needed to be this afternoon as the manager would be going on summer vacation soon. Quickly she called to accept and confirm the appointment time.
Next on the new to do list was a phone call to Monica letting her know of the change of plans. They were supposed to catch a movie together at an afternoon showing. She was hoping the off-peak show time would mean the theater would not be crowded. Maybe she could actually watch the love story Monica had picked out. They would have to take a rain check now. Monica didn’t answer, so she left a voice message. Then she followed it with a text, just in case.
She finally made it to her car. She would need to shower before her interview after walking in this heat. There was a car she didn’t recognize parked in the street. It wasn’t quite in front of their house. She rushed nervously through the front door and found Phillip in the living room with one of his band members. She Sensed some varying negative emotions. Conversation stopped the moment she walked in.
“Hi, Phillip.” He had stood, of course, and walked over to her. She loved that about him. He gave her a quick kiss and kept his arm around her. He was annoyed. “Hi. It’s Shane, right?” she offered her hand to the obvious owner of the car. “I’m Elena. I don’t think we have actually met.”
Jealousy. An ugly green. He released her hand and mumbled a ‘nice to meet you.’ He turned around and started to head back to the couch.
Suddenly, he turned back. “I’m just going to say it. Has he even talked to you about the record deal?”
She looked between the two of them. Phillip was staying a steady calm, although the annoyance was still there. Shane’s emotions were more volatile. Now he spiked an angry red that had her snuggling closer to Phillip.
“I mean, Samantha goes to all this trouble and gets us a deal, and you don’t even want to give it shot?” Lust spiked, mixed in with the anger. Huh. Interesting.
She didn’t want to let on that Phillip had not, indeed, talked to her about this record deal. She kept herself calm, though Shane’s ugly emotions beat at her.
“Shane, buddy, it ain’t a record deal, yet. It’s an interview with an agent, maybe, hundreds of miles away. That’s if this guy is legit.” Bright red anger spiked again, and Shane’s body language became aggressive as well. Phillip went on, “I know Samantha’s working hard on this. I doan doubt her word or her commitment. But we’ve been over this. We can keep working on songs, but I’m not chasing after long shots right now. I’m not leaving school.” He was doing a good job keeping his voice even and appeasing even though he was truly annoyed and starting to get angry with Shane now.
“You’re part of the package, Phillip. Samantha says they won’t take us without you.” So that is where the jealousy is coming from. Elena leaned her body into Phillip’s some, a bit suggestively. Phillip responded as she knew he would. She hoped it would help with Shane’s jealousy if he felt Phillip was definitely with Elena. Of course, if the jealousy was over Phillip’s musical ability, then this would not help at all. Lust had pulsed through the room again when Shane had said Samantha’s name. It wasn’t a healthy, pure kind of lust though. It had some ugly tints to it. Possessiveness, maybe. Shane’s emotions didn’t improve, though once again the anger was predominating.
Elena decided to take a chance, “So how long have you and Samantha been dating? Phillip and I have been going out for a couple of months now.”
Shane’s shock hit her from the front at the same time that Phillip’s surprise hit her. He hadn’t known. Shane tried to recover, but it was really too late after he stared at her with his mouth open for a few seconds. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he spurted out in a belligerent tone.
“You doan need to hide. I doan care if you two are dating,” Phillip was back to being plain annoyed. “If you doan want your cousins to know, for some reason, I woan mention it. I woan lie to them if they ask, though,” Phillip warned him.
Now, Shane spiked fear. Anger and fear. Elena was liking him less and less. Shane fidgeted nervously. “She doesn’t,” he started but didn’t finish his thought. “Forget it. Just don’t ruin everything for the rest of us.” And with that, he stormed out of the house.
The couple stood there for a moment in the sudden stillness and silence after the slamming of the door. “Well,” Elena said turning to Phillip, “what was that all about?” Phillip filled her in on the possible record deal, which he definitely thought was more likely to be a scam, than a potential legitimate recording contract. As for Shane’s attitude, Phillip had more to explain. It had been a downward slide over the past couple of weeks. Knowing now that he was likely dating Samantha made sense to Phillip. He figured it must not be going too well. Likely, Shane was worried his cousins would be mad at him for mixing business with pleasure.
“They’re serious about this. They think this is their one and only big shot. Honestly, it’s been bothering me lately. Like making it is more important than the music. That’s not me, you know?” He grinned her favorite grin and leaned down to kiss her.
She kissed him back, and then reluctantly pulled away. She needed to shower and get out the door if she wanted any chance of making it to the interview on time. “I have some good news,” she told him. “I have a job interview at the hospital!” He smiled warmly at her as he congratulated her. “But, I have to shower and rush to get there in time.”
“How much time do you have, cher?” She completely opened herself and let his emotions pour through her. She grew damp and fidgeted some.
“Not enough time to follow through on that look,” she told him as she took a few steps backing away from him towards her room.
“I could watch.”
The wickedness of his tone and that statement shot through her like lightening.
“You would watch? Only watch? You don’t mind not getting to follow through and finish?” She was starting to like this idea, which surprised her.
“You coming home right after?” She nodded yes. “Then I’ll wait for you, cher.” He grabbed a kitchen chair, which made her laugh, and followed her in to her bathroom. She doubted this would help, at all, with her interview. But then, she really couldn’t find it in herself to care.
Chapter 22
The interview was going well despite the anticipation still thrumming through her body. She had made it on time, despite the impromptu show that her shower had turned into. When she had finally finished showering, she had had to kick Phillip out. She didn’t trust herself to get ready with him still there. Somehow she managed to keep Phillip in the back of her mind, at least enough to allow her to answer questions. Her interviewer was one of the staff psychiatrists. Her name was Dr. Lovan. She was a lovely woman who made no secret of being overworked. She n
eeded two grad students to help with a research project for which she was attempting to get funding. She was only in the very beginning stages of the process. There was a lot of red tape and paperwork involved in obtaining a grant. Karen was also working on the project and had recommended Elena. Elena suspected she would learn a great deal during this process. She was feeling confident she would get the position. She Sensed nothing but positive emotions coming from Dr. Lovan.
As the interview portion finished, Dr. Lovan offered her a tour of the facility. They began with the administrative and staff offices. “The space I have in mind for my grad students is over here in this cubicle section,” she pointed out the area as she continued to talk. “You will have full access to my library which is down the hallway on the left.” Elena followed her and continued to keep a smile on her face as she was shown Dr. Lovan’s personal space. It was homey and crammed solid with books and papers.
“The next section I will show you is the center for our extensive outpatient services. We focus on reaching out to the community with an emphasis on providing follow up care for those discharged from our inpatient facility. I am particularly proud of our day programs. They allow patients to receive the care they need while gaining independence in life after they leave the facility.” Dr. Lovan was dedicated to her job and her patients. Elena’s respect for Dr. Lovan kept growing.
Dr. Lovan pulled the id badge from the cord she wore around her neck to open a set of locked double doors. “Through here are our inpatient rooms. I won’t be showing you the entire facility today, but if you are hired on,” she smiled a conspiratorial smile, “I will give you the entire tour your first week.” She stepped through the door and Elena followed. She continued, “This first unit is the least restrictive of our inpatient facility. Most of those staying here are here voluntarily, and none are deemed dangerous to themselves or others at this time.” She continued walking on to a second locked set of double doors but made no move towards the id badge around her neck. “This last section is reserved for our most involved residents. Only employees are allowed beyond this point.” Elena looked forlornly at the doors. She was certain this is where Evenfall would have been staying. It didn’t appear that she would get a closer look today. Dr. Lovan resumed her tour and Elena had no choice but to follow.
“This is the visiting room for families of the inpatients. Visiting hours are limited, and it is closed at the moment.” She pulled out her id badge to access the door. “Visits are only allowed when it is felt that it is appropriate for the individual patient.” Elena stepped in to the room. It contained a few couches and tables, a small area with a coffee pot and a rolling tray that probably held snacks during visiting hours.
Elena Sensed some agitation and doubt in Dr. Lovan. She seemed to be experiencing some internal struggle. Elena probed with a question, hoping to keep Dr. Lovan in the room. Maybe she would learn something. “What factors are utilized to determine visiting hours?”
Dr. Lovan’s emotions settled as she moved into the comfort of her profession. She spoke of the parameters the facility had developed and highlighted a few of the theories involved. Elena listened but used the time to walk around the room, nodding thoughtfully from time to time. Although she was glad Dr. Lovan was somehow put at ease, she wished she had learned something of Evenfall. “Well, that concludes the short version of our tour. We will be making a final decision by the end of the week,” she smiled as they exited the door and started walking down the hallway in the other direction. Dr. Lovan indicated they were circling back towards her office from the opposite side. As they walked, Elena Sensed the agitation again, this time with sadness. “There is one other factor that I feel you should be made aware. You may have heard of this is the local news. There were two deaths here at the facility that the police are currently investigating involving a patient and an employee. The current theory is that it was a murder-suicide.” Doubt, so much doubt, mixed with scorn. “I want you to be assured that the facility possesses state-of-art safety protocols, for both the patients and our staff. Still, I feel it necessary to inform you of this recent happening. I realize this may be shocking. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to bring them directly to me.” They continued walking as Elena quickly decided how to answer. She hoped Dr. Lovan never found out she knew Evenfall.
“I did hear of the deaths. It is logical to deduce that it must have occurred at this facility. We don’t live in a very large town, after all, and SunHope Rehab is the only one with an inpatient facility. Certainly, you can’t discuss details due to patient confidentiality, but can you tell me how, or which, protocols failed?” She paused slightly and gave an apologetic smile, “I guess what my question should be, is do you know how it happened so you can make sure it never happens again?” Elena wished she could Project trust, but she was feeling too guilty over her own lie by omission.
“Your concern is understandable. One of our safety features, our security cameras, was disabled. Rest assured that even though the police department is investigating how it was disabled, we are proceeding with further updating our technology and back-up security systems.” They were coming up on another hallway, and Dr. Lovan’s steps slowed and then, finally, stopped. Her sadness rose, along with anger. Elena suspected the hallway ahead may be where Evenfall met his horrendous end. Dr. Lovan’s words seemed to support this. “I still maintain my original professional opinion. I do not believe my patient to be responsible for this crime. I believe the evidence will eventually support my hypothesis that a third, outside party was involved.”
Dr. Lovan gave a slight shake of her head and seemed to collect herself as she started walking again. “Back to the matter at hand, if you are hired on for the job you will receive training, as all our employees do, in the safety protocols of our facility.” Elena fought hard to keep her face and body language neutral despite the shock she felt as she walked past the hallway. There was residual emotion left, all of it ugly, even faded as it was by time. Amidst the violence and the anger, the red and the black, was that sickly green she had first felt when Phillip was playing at the bar months ago. Spring’s hue. Green. Had she missed something all that time ago? Could she possibly have prevented two senseless deaths? She put one foot in front of the other, thankful when she finally arrived back at Dr. Lovan’s office. This interview was over.
Chapter 23
Phillip heard Elena’s car in the driveway. Finally. He didn’t even try to stop the smile on his face. She had been gone about two hours. He had been waiting forever. That had been one hell of a shower. If he had his way, and he planned to, she was going to need another one. He had this all planned out.
Elena walked through the door and he stood waiting for her in the middle of the room. She finally looked up and noticed him. Her eyes flashed as she took him in and she almost smiled at him. Something was wrong. “Phillip, that’s my favorite look on you.” He had on jeans and his guitar strap was across his chest, the guitar on his back.
He walked over to her with a grin. “I know,” he said as he reached her and rubbed his hands up her arms. “Ah, cher, did the interview really go that bad?” She had been crying. He hadn’t realized how important this job was to her. Or entertained the idea that Elena wouldn’t nail the interview.
Elena shook her head, and the tears started again. “It’s not the interview,” she mumbled into his chest. She had buried her face there and was holding on about as tight as he imagined was possible for her. “I think I walked right by where Evenfall was killed. It was frightening. So much harder than I realized it would be.”
He hugged her back, holding her as tight as she was him. A long time passed. He vowed not to be the first to let go. She would move when she was ready. Once again, he prayed he was right that the danger to her had passed. The detective had said there was a woman involved somehow in that horror show that he had shown them pictures of. Phillip pegged this poor woman as another victim. It just made more sense. How could one woman overp
ower two men? So he stood there and held on to her as tightly as he held his tongue. Voicing his opinion right now would only make Elena hurt more.
Gradually, her grip loosened, and eventually the tears stopped. She looked up at him before she kissed his lips. “Thank you.” She kissed him again. “I’m sorry. This isn’t how I pictured coming home to you.”
“That’s alright. Do you want to talk about it?” he guided her towards the couch, but she wouldn’t sit. She stood there shaking her head no.
“I don’t want to talk. Or think. I want to forget.” She ran her hands across his chest, lightly tracing the strap. “I want this day to end how we hoped it would before I left,” her voice faltered and trailed off to a whisper, “and saw.” Phillip watched her struggle again not to cry. He fought to keep himself in check. Part of him was just mad at her, which was just useless and a bit unfair. She had gone on a legitimate job interview, after all. She began to run her hands over his body again. As a distraction went, it was working. She glanced up at him briefly, long enough for him to see the sadness slowly leaking from her eyes, before she returned to watching her hands on his chest. “I want you to take me to your room. Can you help me forget?”
Sing A Twist Page 17