HD66: Search for a cure or a killer?

by Babs Carryer

  I swerve into the left lane and pass a couple of cars. Then I squeeze back into the right lane right behind a truck. The red car does the same. I slow down, and a bunch of cars behind the red car pull out into the left lane and pass. One guy flips me the bird as he zooms by. The red car, definitely a Mustang, is on my tail. Dangerously close. I move into the middle lane. The red car follows, cutting off another car.

  In my rearview mirror I see something else. A white van is close behind the red car. I change lanes again. They both do the same. They are definitely following me, toooooo close. As I swerve out again into the left lane I see another car a few cars back swerving in and out of the lanes. It’s a tan Camry, what my father had always dismissed as “the most generic of cars.” Are they following me as well?

  I have to call for help. I have Straler’s cellphone number programmed into my favorites. I have the phone in my hand and see that I have a couple of missed calls. Then I hear a loud thump, some clattering in the rear, and then more big thumps. I press the call button. Shysta – I am bumped again! The phone is ringing. I hear Straler’s voice, “Brie, are you there? Brie?”

  I try to steer, but the car is turning sideways. “Oh, Straler…” I yank the wheel, but I have no control over the car. There are cars in both lanes next to me as I start to merge into the left lane. The red car in back is almost inside my car. “Oh no,” is the last thought I have. I see green, white, then red, really loud red.

  …….

  I’m on a movie set, and the actors pretend they know me. They call me by my name, ask me questions, and talk to me. They’re sweet and I wonder why actors get such bad raps about their egos. Not here. Not in my world. I must be dreaming because I hear my mom’s voice. Someone is holding my hand. “Brie, dear?” I hear from far away. It’s my mom. I’m home and am never going to grow up. I’m in my room at home. I turn my head to look out my window, at the trees growing by the creek behind our house. But the house is black. It must be night. I don’t think I’m in my room anymore. I’m somewhere else. Somewhere where I cannot move. I can move my head but I can’t see. I’m blind. I start to scream and I hear all kinds of noise, but through it all my mother’s voice. What is she saying? Why am I here? Where’s my father? Someone is crying. I sink down into the black eternity. I am sad that I did not get a chance to say goodbye.

  Chapter 35

  April 4

  I hear my mother. I turn my head to the sound of her voice. “Look, she’s waking up again,” I hear her say.

  “Mom?” I try to say. But my voice is thick and soft; my mouth feels full of cotton wool. I move my hand to take the fuzz out of my mouth and my hand hits something not in my mouth but on my face. I feel my face. There is something across my eyes and forehead. I bring my other hand up, but I can’t feel with it. My right hand is in a glove. What the heck? I probe with my free hand and realize that there is a covering over my upper face that goes around the back of my head. My right hand is in a glove, my fingers stuck together. And one leg, the one I broke skiing, is in some sort of fixture; I can’t move it.

  “Honey,” I hear my mother say. “Nod your head that you can hear me.” She is louder than she need be, I think. But I nod. “Brie, you are in the hospital. You had an accident.” She pauses, and my body jerks awake. An accident? I remember the car sliding sideways. “You were in a car accident, on the way to see us.” Her voice breaks. “Brie, I am so sorry, but you’re OK. You had some cuts near your eyes so they bandaged you, but the glass didn’t get in your eyes, they’re pretty sure. The bandages are a precaution. You have some deep gashes on your hand, your right hand. So it’s bandaged too. And your leg, the left one, the one you broke skiing last year, that got kind of mashed, so they had to put in more pins.” She pauses and takes a deep breath. “But it’s fine; it’s not that serious, and you are going to be fine. They wanted to put you out so that you could rest and let your body start the healing.”

  It takes me a couple of times, but I finally manage to mumble, “How did you know?”

  I hear a voice. “I was there, Brie.” Not my mother’s voice. Who is there?

  “I am so sorry, Brie. I was too late, just too late.”

  “Straler? I manage to ask. “Are you here?”

  “I’m here, Brie. Right here.” He sounds awful. Like he’s choking to death or something.

  My mom interjects, “Honey, this young man is the one who brought you here. He called 911. Rode in with you. You’ve been here for two days.”

  I hear Straler again. “Brie, I called Quixotic. They needed to know.”

  My mom again, “Brie, it’s Saturday. I have someone watching Dad. You’re going to be here another day or two they tell me. Neal will be here any second. Your detective friend, Straler, has been here the whole time. He told us about you two traveling together to Boston. I don’t understand, Brie. Is there something going on? He won’t tell me. Said I had to wait until you could tell me yourself.” She pauses and blows her nose. I can’t hear, but I know that she is crying. Don’t cry, mom. She has my hand, my good hand, and squeezes it gently. “Anyway, you’re safe now. You can tell me when you feel better.”

  “Mrs. Prince, I can explain if you like…”

  “No need, detective. Like you said. It’s best if I hear it from her. We are very indebted to you for doing what you did. That you brought her here, that she is safe now, that’s all I care about.” She sniffles again.

  I hear someone else blowing a nose. And a hoarse cough. “Of course.” Is that Straler? Is he saying something? I am slipping in and out of a fog that I cannot shake.

  I hear my mother’s voice again. “Brie, I’ll stay here a while, and then I am going to go home. I’ll come back tomorrow.” A pause. She is crying again. In all of my years with my mother, I have never heard her cry. She is always the strong one. Not this time. “Brie, we’re so lucky that you are OK.”

  I think I am crying too, but I can’t tell because of the bandages. I try to grasp at them. “They will take off the bandages very soon, honey,” she says. “The nurse is right here.”

  I hear a low voice. It’s a male nurse with somewhat of a lisp, “Of course we can take those off, honey. Let me just check with Dr. Levine to be sure. I’ll be right back, sweetie.” I want to laugh, but I can’t; my face hurts when I try to smile.

  “He’s a dear,” my mother tells me. “Jack is his name. Jack Grace, can you imagine?” She chuckles and strokes my hand.

  Sometime later Jack the nurse comes back and changes the bandages on my face. “Those cuts will heal just fine,” he tells me. “You’re so pretty, and the doctor made super tiny stitches to minimize the scarring. Most of it is above your bangs anyway, darlin’. We’re leaving them on your eyes for another little bit. You OK, sweetheart?” Nurse Jack asks. “Don’t worry. You’ll be able to see fine very soon. You’re in good hands here.”

  “The best,” I say, but I’m not sure the words make it past my lips.

  The door bursts open. I can tell that it’s Neal. I hear his sound. His voice. “Brie, oh my God, Brie. Brie, my God. You’re alright. They told me. I came as soon as I could. What happened?” He is stroking my hair, my arm. I feel drops on my free hand. He lifts it gently. “I got a call from Jim last night, and I couldn’t get a flight out until today. I drove. It took me about the same amount of time, but I just couldn’t sit there and wait. Are you alright? I talked to your mom last night, and she said that you were out of it, but fine. No real damage, she said. Are you OK? Talk to me, Brie.”

  I hear the scraping of chairs. “Oh, Mrs. Prince, I’m Neal. I’m so sorry. I should have been here…” I can’t hear what is happening, but I hear sobs and clothes brushing. Are they hugging – my mom and my boyfriend? This is the first time they have met. I guess they’ve hit it off. I couldn’t plan it better than this.

  I hear Neal jabbering at me like he can’t stop. He finally shuts up, and I try to smile but it hurts, and so I just say, “I’m glad you’re here. I have a lot to tel
l you.” I am not sure that I actually speak or just think the words. I reach out with my good hand. I feel his hand in mine. It is lovely and cool. He strokes my hand with his other hand. I really do love him, I think. He’s the sweetest man I have ever known. I feel wet drops again. “Is it raining in here?” I ask. I hear Neal laugh and choke at the same time. “Am I on drugs?” I ask to whoever is there, waving my head from side to side.

  Jack the nurse giggles as he answers, “Of course, darling; enjoy ‘em while they last!”

  I hear another voice. “Hello Neal. I’m Detective Straler Henrik. I’ve been working with Brie, here, on the Errol Pryovolakis case.”

  “Oh, hello, pleased to meet you,” Neal says. They are probably shaking hands. Neal sounds so polite, like he is at a holiday party. I want to laugh, but I can’t. I hear them talking although I have no idea what they are saying. I must have fallen asleep. When I wake, it’s quiet. I reach out and startle someone. It’s Neal. He was asleep in a chair next to my bed.

  Then I hear another voice, a lilting voice that sounds like a bird. “Brie, I am here. Can you see me?” It’s Shala, wonderful, sweet Shala.

  “Hello,” I say. “Shala? You are here? I can’t see you, but I will be able to soon. You came here for me?”

  “Yes, Brie, I came when I hear what happened. Are you OK? I am so very glad to be here and knowing you will be fine.” I hear a change in her tone. “Oh, you must be the very nice Neal that Brie has told me about.I am Shala. I work in university. I am Dr. Errol’s post doc. I am knowing Brie for some time.”

  I hear shuffling. Neal must be standing up. “Oh, yeah, hi Shala. Thanks for coming. I know that Brie is glad to see you. We’re thankful that you’ve come. Very thoughtful. Hey, I need some coffee. While I get that, Shala, you can sit right here and visit with Brie.”

  “Oh that would be so much wonderful. Thank you very much.” She declines his offer of coffee, but she says yes to tea. I hear her sit down. She smells like vanilla.

  Jack the nurse putters around me a bit. Then he says something about changing shifts and that he will see me later. He tells me that he will take my bandages off my eyes when he comes in tomorrow. He says something to Shala about sleeping a lot, and then Shala is talking to me in her lilting singsong voice.

  I hear Neal come back in the door. “Tea for you, Shala. Coffee for me. And donuts for both of us,” he laughs gently as I hear him set the tray down somewhere close. Don’t eat too many of those, I want to say, but I am sleepy.

  I hear Shala ask me if I would like her to read to me.

  “Oh yes, I would love that.”

  “What do you like me to read, Brie?”

  “A good mystery,” I say. “A good startup mystery.” I don’t hear the response.

  …….

  I wake and hear that my mother is back. I am feeling better, more awake. Nurse Jack comes in. I can hear the swish of his entrance. “Hello dahlings,” he says. “I’m here to check on my favorite patient! I feel a pinch and hear a few high-pitched beeps. “Here we go sweetheart.” Then he unwraps my bandages. I can see. Sort of. I blink. The room is fuzzy. “Give yourself some time to get adjusted, sweetheart,” he says. “You won’t see right away, but you will soon. And when you do, what a sight.” He must be leaning in because I hear him whisper, “You have the cutest men who love you. This one, he’s tops.” I can see vaguely that he is gesturing toward Neal who is holding my hand. He has little rivulets of tears running down his dark handsome face. Who says men don’t cry? I love him for his tears.

  A doctor comes in. She probes and pushes, and I hear more beeps. Nurse Jack is there the whole time. The doctor tells me that I can go home tomorrow. I will be on crutches for a few weeks, she tells me, but my face and hand are healing well. My mother tells me I should come home to Amherst to recover, but I want to go back to Pittsburgh. I tell her that I can work from home, and that Neal and the Quixotic team will take care of me. I know that she has her hands full with my dad, and I will just be one more invalid. It will be easier this way, although I don’t tell her that. We make arrangements for another visit when I am better, about six weeks away. It will be well into fall by then, and I tell her that I will come for a long weekend.

  “The colors will be beautiful then,” she admits. “I know you love the autumn leaves.”

  It will be beautiful then. I will bring Neal with me. That will be the right time to tell him, to show him. Neal is holding my hand. I squeeze his. He returns my squeeze gently. His dark eyes are glistening again. We don’t talk. We don’t need words.

  Sunday night, I get a call from Jim. He wants to come up. “Don’t,” I plead with him. “I’m getting out of here tomorrow and coming straight home, to Pittsburgh. Really, Jim, Neal is here; my mom is here; Shala came, and Straler only just left. I’ll need help in Pittsburgh. I can guilt you into lots of help then, OK?” I really don’t want any more action in the hospital. I just want out at this point.

  “Well, alright,” Jim says reluctantly.

  “How is Quixotic?” I hardly dare ask, but I can’t help myself.

  “Not good,” Jim admits.

  “Matt?” There is a long pause. He clears his throat. I can tell that Jim is thinking of how to tell me. “Is Matt still there?”

  “We had a second board meeting. While you were gone. Matt presented a plan, what I thought was a good plan, but…”

  “And? I need to know, Jim.”

  “Matt is gone, Brie. I’m sorry. Particularly sorry to tell you this way.”

  Jim sounds calm, but I know that it must be turmoil there. I can only imagine the chaos, the pain. I wince as I try and move my leg. “Jim, who is CEO now? It’s you, isn’t it?”

  “They have asked me, yes. I agreed to be interim CEO only. I also requested some other changes. I want to promote you, Brie. I want you as my right hand. We need to decide on a clear plan for the future.”

  I am wanted. I am the luckiest young woman alive. I laugh out loud at my thoughts. Here I am in the hospital after a terrible accident where I was almost blinded, and I may never walk again without limping – and I think that I am lucky! Neal and my mother are looking at me like I am crazy. Nurse Jack has a big smile and mouths “Drugs” to them, including me.

  “Jim, I am happy, of course, and honored. We can get into details later. But what about Gigi? Didn’t she want to be CEO?”

  Jim chuckles softly. “You are smart, Brie. That’s why you are so valuable. We’ll talk about Gigi when you get back.”

  They decide to discharge me on Tuesday instead of Monday. They want me to do physical therapy on my hand as well, and they give me some instructions about my broken foot. Shala calls my cellphone, and I listen to her voicemail. “Oh Brie, we are so happy that soon you will be out of hospital. I know that you won’t be meeting for coffee, but I would like to serve you some special tea from my country. It is very good tea you see. You will like it, and I will be so very happy to see you again.”

  On Monday afternoon I get a visit from Straler. He had gone home for a couple of days. He has someone with him. Straler looks at me. “Brie, this is my boss.”

  “Detective Small, Jennifer Small,” she introduces herself. Everyone is introduced. I see Neal shake Straler’s hand after his look of surprise. Straler smiles a big smile. Neal looks at me with a worried expression.

  “Wow, they spring for you both to come up here?” I ask. They look at each other. “Did something happen? Is it Stronghold?” The accident rushes back to me. “Did he, was he, the red car, did he try to kill me?”

  My mother takes a short intake of breath. Neal chokes. “What is going on?” my mother asks sharply. “Is there somebody trying to kill Brie?”

  “Someone wants to kill her?” Neal asks, incredulously.

  Detective Small immediately takes control. “Listen, I am sorry about all of this, but, no, no one is trying to kill your daughter, Mrs. Prince. And no, Brie, Stronghold was not in any of the cars in the accident.” She pauses. “Det
ective Henrik checked and Stronghold wasn’t involved.” She looks around the room.

  The fog is completely gone and all I can feel is pain in my hand, my arm, my face. I know that I am crying, but I don’t care. “I don’t understand. Who would want to…”

  “Brie, everyone,” Detective Small continues. “For some of you who don’t know, we are investigating a murder, or a potential murder. We don’t know what happened to Dr. Errol Pryovolakis. We know that someone else was with him on the boat when he died. That’s what brought Brie and Detective Henrik up here, when she, when you,” she nods towards me, “had the accident. They were here to question a guy at a company called NGX, name of Stronghold, who had some dealings years ago with Dr. Pryovolakis. We came back up here this morning to meet with Stronghold. No ducking out this time. We made it clear that this was a very serious matter, that lives were at stake. So we brought Stronghold in for questioning. At the station, here in Boston. We spent an hour with him earlier today.” She pauses and looks around, her glance resting on her subordinate.

  Straler takes over. “He didn’t do it, Brie,” he says simply, pausing after he spoke. “I thought that Stronghold was behind your accident. I was pretty insistent.” He looks at Detective Small who rolls her eyes.

  “Detective Henrik is a very convincing young detective.” She smiles, just a hint of upturned lips.

  I look at Straler. He smiles at me. “Actually, it was kind of funny, Brie, because after I landed in Pittsburgh, I almost had to turn right around to come back. I’m starting to get to know Boston. I like the city.”

  “We gave Henrik only enough time to go home and pack a bag with a change of clothes,” Detective Small adds. “We pulled Stronghold in with the help of our Boston colleagues.”

  She pauses and Straler chimes in, “Brie, there is no way that he did it, any of it.”