In this underwater world, my father was there. I hadn’t seen him since I was nine years old, but I recognized him all the same. He wore a black suit and glowed with a purple light. He clicked his tongue at me and told me I must be careful, that my mother would not be happy if I left this world so soon. A woman floated next to him. Well, not a woman really…more like half woman, half fish with wild long hair that pulsed with energy. Her hand rested on a large wolf with glowing green eyes.
It went on like this for I don’t know how long. Each push into the real world brought something new: a dull pain to my side, a pulsing in my head, a sharp memory of Karma and no way to know what happened to him, sunlight slanting through plastic vertical blinds, a cry that no one could hear, an unfamiliar voice, Frankie’s voice, the smell of antiseptic, the particular stillness of midnight. My eyes, so heavy. My body, so tired.
Finally, the moment came when I became aware of being awake and I could hold my eyes open, hold my mind steady to take in the room. I was in the hospital hooked up to an IV bag, my legs and arms heavy beneath a blue gown and crème blanket. My head was foggy and sore. The light coming through the blinds held the silver quality of morning. The air kicked on with a loud clunk. How long had I been in here? I turned my head slowly to peek at the door over the vases full of flowers. It clicked open.
“Well, look who’s up this morning.” A gray haired nurse busied herself around me, checking the bags and machines and my vitals. “I’m Margie. How are you feeling?”
I croaked out a reply but it came as a dry whisper. She poured water from the pitcher into a cup and pushed a button to raise my bed. “Just sip. It’s been a few days since you’ve put anything in your stomach.”
A few days? I took a small drink and cleared my throat. “How many days?”
“You came in on Wednesday evening. It’s Saturday morning.”
I lost two whole days? What about the boutique? What about Karma?
“My dog? Did he survive?”
Her grey eyes flicked toward me. “I’m sure a family member or friend will be around soon and you can ask them. You’ve had quite the parade of visitors.”
My stomach cramped and I squeezed my eyes closed.
“How’s your pain level? You’ve got a little button right here if you need to increase the morphine.” She rested it by my hand. “You’ve got some serious bruising and abrasions to the whole right side of your body, but nothing broken. A mild concussion and some stitches at the scalp line. You can try some solid food when you feel ready. We’ll do a sponge bath later and change your gown.”
I nodded and felt myself fading back into the blackness. Karma’s sweet face came into focus. I wrapped my arms around him. I’m so sorry, boy.
The next time I awoke, I heard humming. I rolled my head toward the window and forced my eyes open. Frankie sat in the chair, her head back, humming to herself.
“Hi,” I managed.
She jumped out of the chair. “Darwin! Oh thank Jesus!” She pulled the chair up beside the bed and looked at me like she wanted to hug me but was afraid. “How are you feeling? You scared the devil out of us, sugar!”
“I’ll be fine. Frankie?” I didn’t really want to hear it, didn’t want it to be true, but I had to know. “Karma?”
She forced a smile but her eyes looked sad. “I’ve got the vet’s number right here. Figured you’d want to talk to ‘em as soon as you were awake.”
“Is he…alive?”
“Yes.” Her hesitation worried me, but at least he was alive. That was more than I could hope for.
“Would you mind dialing it for me?”
“Sure.” She dug out her cell phone, dialed and placed the phone on the pillow next to my ear.
“Emergency Veterinary, Donna speaking.”
“Hi, Donna. My name is Darwin Winters. I’m Karma’s owner. We were hit by a car on Wednesday and I need to check on him.”
“Certainly, Miss Winters. I’ll get the vet for you.”
After listening to elevator music for a few minutes, which almost put me back to sleep, a woman came on the line. “Hi, Miss Winters. I’m Dr. Messing. I understand you are Karma’s owner?”
“Yes.” I stared at Frankie for support.
“Okay, well, I’ll give you the rundown of his injuries and what we’ve done so far. The most serious injuries were internal. He had a lacerated lung and a ruptured spleen which caused internal bleeding. We did emergency surgery to repair those and now just have to watch for signs of infection. We also had to repair a broken front leg with metal pins. He’s got a pretty good size laceration to the bone in his chest that we’ve sutured and multiple other cuts that will heal on their own.”
Nausea started to overwhelm me and I squeezed my eyes shut in an effort to control it. I couldn’t imagine how scared and confused he must be, in pain for days without knowing if I was ever coming for him. “Will he be okay?”
“Well, he’s still in critical condition and if he survives, he will have a recovery period, will need IV fluids administered at home. But a few positive things, he’s not showing any signs of head trauma or spinal cord injury. And the fact that he doesn’t have any teeth probably saved his tongue and gums, dogs usually seize when they get hit and bite into their mouths.”
Thank heavens for small favors. “Okay. I’m still in the hospital, so I can’t pick him up.”
“It’s okay. He’s not ready to go home yet.”
“You have my permission to do whatever it takes to help him. I’m not worried about the cost. Can I give you a number to keep me updated?”
“Sure, and call anytime to check on him.”
“Thank you, Dr. Messing.” I gave her my cell number and after I hung up, I realized I didn’t have any of my belongings. “He’s in pretty bad shape but I feel like they’re doing what they can for him. How did he get to the vet? And how did I get here?”
“Oh, Mac and the gang heard the accident, heard the tires squeal and heard Karma yelp. The car was already around the corner when they found you, so they didn’t get a look at whoever did this. But, Mac found your cell phone and called me. I called 911 and Will. Will stayed with you until the paramedics took you and then he piled poor Karma into the back of his sedan and drove him to the emergency vet. Will was pretty riled up. I’m sure he’ll be here after awhile. He’s been here every day.”
I tried to remember the car, any detail about it but all I could recall was the lights and the smoke from the tires.
“Your back pack and phone are in the drawer there.” She pointed to the nightstand.
“Thanks, Frankie.” I stretched out my legs under the sheets. So stiff.
“Who in the world would try to run down a woman and a dog?”
“I think it’s someone who wants me to stop looking into Mad Dog’s death. I got a message spray painted on the boutique window one night that told me to stop meddling.”
Frankie stared at me wide eyed. “Someone threatened you?”
“Yes. Now I’m really convinced that Hops isn’t the killer.”
I was having a hard time keeping my eyes open and the sadness was too heavy to fight. Tears spilled down my cheeks.
“Oh, darlin’, don’t you worry. We’ll figure out who’s behind this and Karma’s going to be just fine. He’s a strong boy. You’ll see.” I felt her hand squeeze mine as I slipped back into the void.
***
Consciousness came again when I heard the door squeak open.
“Is it still Saturday?”
“Yes. It’s seven o’clock.” It took me a few groggy minutes to realize it wasn’t the nurse in the room with me. It was Will. I blinked and let the fuzziness clear.
“Hi.”
“Hi.” He bent down and planted a light kiss on my forehead. He smelled so good, like the fresh outside air. I breathed him in. He took a seat in the chair Frankie had left by the side of my bed. “How are you?”
“I hear I’ll live. Thank you for taking Karma to the vet.”
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He nodded. “I went by to see him today. I wasn’t sure he was going to make it, honestly. But, he had his eyes opened today. They said he’s a fighter.”
“Did he wag his tail?”
“No, but he’s on some pretty heavy pain killers.” He shifted in the chair to lean forward and take my hand. “Did you see the car that hit you?”
“Just the headlights. It was already dark and it happened so fast. I couldn’t even comprehend that this car was coming at us…on purpose. But they did. They were waiting down at the dead end and came at us like they wanted to kill us. Karma broke loose and ran straight for it and I ran after him.”
“You think this had something to do with the threat left on the window?”
“It’s the only logical explanation. I don’t think I’ve made any enemies at the pet boutique.”
“But why would they think you were still looking into Mr. Fowler’s death?”
“I don’t know.” Okay, so I lied. I did know. I had mentioned on the yacht that I didn’t believe Hops killed Mad Dog. Mac had shaken his head in warning and I didn’t listen. But, I didn’t have the energy to fight with Will right now.
“You’ll have to sign a statement about what you remember. And when you get out of here, you’ll need to stay close to home until we can figure out who’s behind this attack.
“Okay.” Time for a change of subject. “Do you think you could scrounge up a fruit smoothie in this place?”
“Of course.” He smiled. “Be right back, don’t go anywhere.”
“Ha ha.” I was drained and once again feeling the allure of the darkness. I had to get out of here. I had to see Karma. I had a boutique to run. And I still had a murder to solve.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
I slid gingerly into Frankie’s little red sports car. “Thanks for driving me, Frankie.” It was Tuesday morning and they had finally discharged me with a prescription for Vicodin and a suggestion I take the week off to rest. About now I was wishing I hadn’t been so stubborn about bringing some things to St. Pete from Savannah. I could have used a little magick to heal. Guess it was going to be the traditional medicine route for me.
“Sure, sugar. Glad to help. I’m sure seeing you will cheer Karma up. Knowing that you’re okay and haven’t left him, too.”
I readjusted in the leather seat to keep the pressure off of my tender right side. “I hope you’re right.”
The Emergency Clinic smelled like the hospital plus musky animals. My head reeled and I lost my balance. Frankie caught my arm and led me to the reception window. “Sorry,” I whispered. “Still feeling weak.”
She patted my arm and smiled at the woman at the desk. “Hi, we’re here to see Karma. This is his owner, Darwin Winters.”
“Certainly, please have a seat and I’ll let them know you’re here.”
I leaned back in the chair. I couldn’t believe how much energy it took just to sit upright. Luckily, it didn’t take long for the door to open and a young girl to escort me to the room Karma had called home for the last few days. Frankie waited for me in the lobby.
“Karma!” I fell down on my knees in front of him, taking in his injuries. He looked comfortable enough, stretched out on a cot, but a large bandage covered his chest and his right front leg was in a cast; an IV line stuck out of his other leg. He also had numerous spots that were shaved and sported heavy black stitching. I held my hands over my mouth. It was such a shock to see him like this. “Hey, boy.” I wiped at my eyes. His eyes were still closed.
“Hi, Miss Winters.” A woman’s voice came from behind me. I turned, looked up and shook her hand.
“You must be Dr. Messing?” She nodded. “How is he today?”
“Well, his liver enzymes are high but I think we can just attribute that to the trauma his body has taken. The lacerations and broken bones will take time to heal but I think we can consider him stable as long as we keep the infections at bay.”
I stared at his shallow breathing. “Does he know I’m here?”
“He’s on some pretty heavy pain killers but on some level he probably does.”
Was she just trying to make me feel better? “He’s got another week here at least, but you’re welcome to visit him once a day and when he’s ready to go home, we’ll instruct you how to administer the fluids.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
“Any other questions just have my tech find me, Miss Winters.”
She slipped out and left me staring at Karma. The reality of our situation hit me, seeing him so injured and close to death. Someone out there really tried to kill us. Well, probably tried to kill me, Karma just happened to get in the way.
A cold chill gripped me. I was in over my head. I couldn’t get help from Will, not unless I was willing to spill all the things I’d been hiding from him. But if I stopped trying to find Mad Dog’s killer now, then that person would have gotten away with murder. And I would always be looking over my shoulder, waiting for someone to run me down. Maybe it was time to come clean with Will? I sighed and reached out to rest my hand gingerly on Karma’s head.
As my hand touched his warm fur, a white starburst engulfed my mind and shot me full of heat. Within the space of the white energy, an image crystallized. It was the car. A black sports car sporting a gold plate on the front with the words: ON THE MONEY.
I fell back, choking on the smell of burning rubber and smoke. My head pounding, my body buzzing, I stood up and jogged in place—which wasn’t easy considering my weakened state. But, if I didn’t get the energy from the vision released in a slow, consistent manner, it would release itself in a flash of destruction. I almost had it under control but didn’t quite have enough oomph to keep going. I felt the release as a light bulb popped and rained down on me. I collapsed to the floor, my hair soaked in sweat, trying to catch my breath and burn the image of the car in my mind.
Eventually, the smell dissipated and I was calm enough to scoot back over to Karma. I kissed the side of his nose and stroked his ear. “I got it, boy. Thank you.” His eyes opened slightly and his tail thumped three times on the cot. It was the most joyful sound in the world to me. I laughed and wiped my face on my shirt. “Yeah, you know I’m here, don’t you? That’s right. Neither one of us are going anywhere.” I rested my cheek on his and listened to his breathing.
On the ride home, I gave Will a call and told him I remembered something about the car that ran us down.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
The next few days were a Vicodin induced blur. I tried not to take the pain killers but then couldn’t function at the boutique. Every muscle in my body screamed at me. Will came to check on me one morning, but he was on an undercover investigation that was keeping him busy.
Sylvia spent a lot of her time making sure I had eaten and wasn’t on my feet too long. On Thursday, she even made me go upstairs and take a nap at lunchtime, which I frankly welcomed.
The exhaustion of just trying to talk was overwhelming and everyone wanted to hear the story. Karma’s empty bed behind the counter was a constant reminder of his absence and by Friday, I broke down and cried for an hour in the storage room.
After that, I did feel better. Emotionally, anyway. The physical feeling that I’d been hit by a train kept right on trucking.
On Saturday, I slept in and then took a cab to visit Karma. His eyes were open when I went in the room and his tail began to thump immediately. I grinned big and smothered him with kisses and careful hugs.
Now that all my energy wasn’t consumed with his survival, since the vet considered the threat of infection gone, I got back to thinking about the killer. I was tired of playing games.
I gave the cab driver the address to the town house.
Unfortunately, pounding on the door for ten minutes led to nothing. No one was there. I walked home, frustrated and aching.
I slid my card in the gate and then turned as I heard someone approach me from behind. My heart raced but it was just Mac.
“Hey, Snow
White, how you feelin’?”
“Hey, Mac.” I crossed my arms and smiled. “Doing better. Surprised to see you here. Are you checking on me?”
He glanced around. “Can we talk a minute?”
I motioned toward the open gate. “You want to come up?”
“Naw,” he fidgeted with his hat. “I prefer to stay out here.”
“Okay, want a cup of tea?”
“All right.”
We sat outside the Hooker Tea Company, each with a cold tea. Even under the shade, it was a sweltering afternoon. “So, what’s up?”
“We all feel real bad about you and Karma almost gettin’ killed. It’s just way out of hand, all this mess. You shouldn’t be involved.” He dropped his head and then looked back up at me, his brown eyes rimmed with red. “We’re gonna take care of it, find out who drove that car and turn ‘em in.”
“Mac, if you know something, just tell me.”
“No. Like I said, you shouldn’t be involved.”
I watched a small lady walk by with two Great Danes. It made me miss Karma. “Okay, here’s what I know. The car was a black sports car with a gold plate that said ON THE MONEY. You know who drives that?”
“Never seen it before but that helps. I’ll let you know when we find ‘em. Meanwhile, lay low, will ya? I know Mad Dog would be mad as hell if we let something happen to you. So, you officially have our help.”
I actually was touched. It was nice someone was willing to step up. “Okay. Thank you.” When Mac nodded and got up, I added, “Y’all be careful. This isn’t a nice person we’re dealing with.”
He grinned. “Don’t you worry. We’re not all that nice, either.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
I stepped outside the boutique after a quiet Monday, looking forward to a long bath and an early bedtime. It was odd not having to walk Karma across the street. I missed him. As I was locking up, I heard someone call my name.
Karma's A Bitch (A Pet Psychic Mystery) Page 16