Chasing Their Losses

by Lucia Sinn

  “Tony’s not going anywhere.” Rozgonyi said in a shrill voice.

  Cara heard a growl, the rattle of claws against brick, and saw a streak of brown fur lunging at her, knocking her to the floor. She felt teeth sink into her ankle as a spear of pain shot up her leg.

  “Hugo. Stop.” It was Tony’s voice. The dog released her, but as she moved to touch the wound, she felt moisture. Her fingers were covered with blood. “Give me a towel,” she gasped,

  Rozgonyi looked down at her with a strange smile, her eyes icy and blue. In her hand was a small pistol. “Leave it alone,” she said.

  “It’s dark blood.” Cara felt a rise of panic, knowing that she could bleed to death if it wasn’t stopped.

  After a signal from Rozgonyi, the wolf dog charged again. Cara was on her stomach, her nose buried in a pool of her own blood, when she heard a gunshot. The dog went limp.

  Cara looked back and saw Tony standing over the dog with Rozgonyi’s pistol. He laid down the gun and opened a drawer. “Here,” he said, holding out a cotton dish towel. “This will have to do.”

  Rozgonyi shrieked. “Are you nuts? You’re going to let her send you to prison?”

  “Of course not. But I can’t stand here and let you do this to Cara.”

  “Omigod. What do you care? “

  “I’m not a killer, Ingrid.”

  “Really, what about Roseanne? And Doug?”

  “I told you, I never intended for any of that to happen.” Tony bent down and helped Cara tie the towel around her ankle. “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to get mixed up in any of this. Ingrid and I are leaving now. Unfortunately, I’ll have to tie you up for awhile. But I’ll be sure the bleeding has stopped before we go.”

  “Ingrid?” Things got fuzzy and dark. Cara took a deep breath, trying to clear her head.

  Tony regarded her calmly. “Ingrid was Dr. Rozgonyi’s sister.”

  “Where are the two of you going?” she asked.

  Tony raked his fingers through his hair and began to pace. “Not sure. But remember, I’ve got the Cessna and half a million dollars to give us a start.”

  Ingrid picked up the gun where Tony had laid it on the kitchen counter. “I’m not going anywhere,” she said in a shrill voice. “Cara is the only person, besides you and Jeff, who knows my real identity. I’m not giving up everything Jeff and I have worked for just because you don’t have the guts to kill this bitch.”

  “Jeff’s in police custody,” Cara said.

  Ingrid smiled. “I’ll get him a good lawyer.”

  Cara turned to Ingrid. “Why did Jeff want to kill Angie?”

  “It made it easier with her out of the way.” Ingrid said. “Ana would inherit everything and Janie would be in control of administering the bequest for a very long time. Long enough for us to establish our new Alternative Health Center.”

  Tony grabbed Ingrid by the shoulders and got in her face. “You were in on it.” he shouted. “Trying to kill Angie. I thought it was just Jeff. Don’t tell me my sister knew, too.”

  Ingrid curled her lip with disgust, wiping Tony’s saliva spray from her face with the back of her hand. “No. Janie didn’t know. She’s weak, like you. But she’s crazy about Jeff and she’ll do whatever he says. They’re going to be married now that your mother is dead. Anyway, Angie’s fine now. You have nothing to worry about.” She turned to the Doberman, crouched down, and uttered a guttural sound.

  Instantly, the dog charged. When Tony tried to pull it away from Cara, it bared alligator teeth and sunk them into Tony’s hand. Tony howled in pain as the snarling Doberman jumped on his chest and sent him spiraling to the ground. Cara watched in horror as he clawed Tony’s face. There was only one thing to do.

  She reached for the tea kettle and poured boiling water on the dog’s back. He yelped and ran back into the living room. With Ingrid’s attention diverted, Cara grabbed the pistol from her hand.

  Ingrid spun around. “You wouldn’t even know how to use that thing.”

  Cara held the gun in both hands and aimed it at Ingrid’s head. “I wouldn’t take a chance on that.”

  Tony lay at Cara’s feet, writhing in pain. Keeping her eyes on Ingrid, she nudged him in the ribs with her toe. “Get up. I want you to call for help.”

  “I can’t see,” he said. “There’s blood in my eyes.”

  “Wipe it away with your shirt sleeve. The phone is on the counter right above your head. Just punch in the bottom middle button and tell the operator to send the police.”

  It was a good five minutes before Cara heard the sirens. By then, her palms were so slick with sweat she was afraid the gun would drop. When the police burst into the room, Tony rose up and grabbed it from her hands. Before she could react, he pointed it toward himself and pulled the trigger. Cara watched in a blur of horror as Tony stiffened, and pitched forward before collapsing.

  With legs like jelly, Cara knelt down beside Tony, and cradled his head in the crook of her arm. His eyelids fluttered as blood oozed from his temple.

  “Kiss me goodbye.” he whispered.

  Tears streaming down her face, Cara pressed her lips to his forehead.

  Tony’s last words were for his daughter: “Tell Angie I love her.”

  EPILOGUE

  BY THE MIDDLE of November, a cool drizzle fell upon the valley, and long spindly branches of trees stripped bare of leaves stretched out across a leaden sky. Winter was on its way, but Cara didn’t mind. She had lived in Miami long enough to appreciate the change in seasons. Cold weather agreed with her skin and gave her new energy.

  Her leg was healing nicely, and so was her psyche. After a couple of weeks at the farm, she had finally been able to sleep through the night.

  And so, when her cell phone rang and she saw Lewiston Police Department on her caller ID, she was almost afraid to answer. “I hope this doesn’t mean trouble,” she said to John, who was getting dressed to go to the barn and feed the horses.

  It was McAuliffe. “Thought you’d like to know,” he said. “Tim Jenning’s body was found in a ditch in Matamoros, Mexico.”

  Cara’s brain went on freeze frame. Jenning? Who did she know by that name? But of course, McAuliffe would only be talking about the man who popped in and out of her nightmares. She had thought of Tim more or less as an animal; a last name made him seem all too human. “What about the other guy, Jose?” she asked.

  “The Mexican police have agreed to notify us if he’s found, but they won’t extradite him, and he’ll probably get swallowed up in some extended family. And with that kind of money, he can get by for a long time.”

  “Just so long as he never comes back,” Cara said.

  “I would seriously doubt it. So anyway, I thought you should know you’ve seen the last of Tim.”

  “Thank you for that.” After a few minutes of chit chat Cara hung up and told John the latest news.

  “That’s a relief,” John said. “This is the closure you need to put this episode behind you.”

  Cara pulled on a flannel robe and followed John downstairs to make coffee. “I’m still worried about Angie,” she said. “She’s been through so much.”

  “Then why don’t you give Janie a call?” John came up from behind and wrapped his arms around her waist. She loved moments like this: the memory of last night’s love making, the smell of fresh coffee, John’s face in her hair, and the prospect of spending a simple day together. They would go to the grocery store this morning, and in the afternoon she would bake loaves of wheat bread while John finished his chores. The thought of calling Janie had about as much appeal as a trip to the dentist.

  But for Angie’s sake, Cara would have to get past her negative feelings. That fragile little girl had awakened Cara’s maternal instincts and made her long for a child of her own.

  Through luck or mental telepathy, Janie called while John was in the barn.

  “I just heard it on the news.” Janie’s voice bubbled with excitement. “Did you know they found Tim’
s body?”

  “Yes, McAuliffe called this morning.” Cara was puzzled as to why Janie would be calling just to tell her that.

  “I’m wondering if you and John could come to dinner tonight,” she said. “The girls would like to see you.”

  Cara groped for an excuse to decline. She and Janie had never exactly bonded. But Angie? That was another story. “Sure, what time?”

  “Would six o’clock be too early? I thought the girls could join us that way.”

  “That would be fine. I’ll bring along a loaf of fresh bread.”

  John was surprised when Cara told him she had accepted Janie’s invitation. “What do you suppose we’ll have to eat?” he wondered.

  Cara suppressed a small giggle. “Vegetarian Lasagna or Tofu Turkey, I’d guess.”

  John groaned.

  “O come on, it sounds good.”

  “Spending an evening at the Cabella’s doesn’t sound like much fun, but I’m concerned about Angie and her cousin. I’d like to see how they’re doing.” John said.

  At five minutes past six, they were on the Cabella’s front porch with the bread and a bouquet of red and white chrysanthemums. Cara’s stomach gyrated like a lava lamp when she rang the doorbell. There were too many things in that house that she’d rather forget: memories of her and Tony together years ago, and the horror of finding Angie in the closet with rats.

  It was good, then, to see Angie open the door, throw her arms around Cara’s waist and gave her a good strong hug.

  “Hey, don’t I get one of those? “ John said.

  Cara’s throat thickened with tenderness as Angie freed one arm and wrapped it around John’s leg so as to stand between the two of them.

  Angie’s color had come back and her eyes were luminous. She wore a red velvet jumper and white cotton blouse that set off her glossy hair.

  The smell of roast beef drifted out from the kitchen. Cara lifted an eyebrow and looked at John. Ana appeared in the hallway and shyly extended her small, soft hand while Angie made introductions. Dressed alike, the two cousins made an adorable pair.

  Janie greeted them with open arms. Cara was surprised to see how relaxed she appeared with her hair curled softly about her face. Instead of her usual sporty, tight pants and top, Janie wore a flowing gold caftan.

  Janie had gone to some effort to make things festive. On the dining room table, an embroidered linen tablecloth was topped with crystal candelabra, and set with sterling silverware. She took Cara’s flowers and placed them in a vase as a centerpiece.

  After dinner, the girls went upstairs to play. Janie ushered Cara and John into the living room and brought out a cut glass decanter and three brandy snifters. The conversation had been light up to this point—the subject matter focusing on the children and their activities. Angie was seeing a counselor and adjusting as well as could be expected.

  Cara took a small sip of the brandy. It was sharp and strong, sending a flush of warmth to her face. “You’re doing well,” she said to Janie. “I know you’ve been under a strain, losing your mother and Tony at the same time was difficult. I haven’t had a chance to tell you how sorry I am for your losses.”

  “It seemed best to have a private ceremony,” Janie said. “There were just a handful of us at the gravesite. Mom and Tony are together, now.”

  There was a moment of silence. Cara was still puzzled about the purpose of this dinner party. She wondered if Janie had talked to Jeff, but was afraid to ask.

  As if reading her thoughts, Janie said, “Jeff’s trying to plea bargain. But he and Ingrid may have to go to trial.”

  “Tell me, how did you and Jeff meet?” John asked.

  Janie played with her brandy snifter, eyes unfocused. “My husband, Ed, was in an accident on the freeway. It was his fault; he was weaving in and out of traffic. He was in a coma for several days before he died. That’s when I met Jeff. Ed was on tube feedings and Jeff, as a student dietitian, had to check on him several times to see how he was tolerating them.”

  “But how did Tony get involved with Jeff?” Cara asked

  “Tony had come out to support me, and before long the three of us became friendly. You know how it is when you’re going through something like that. I was just numb. And during those long lonely hours while I was waiting to hear if Ed would make it, we did a lot of talking. Before long, Jeff knew that our family had been heavy contributors to Sycamore Hospital.

  “Didn’t you think it strange that a person like Dr. Rozgonyi would want to give up her position and move to Indiana?”

  “Jeff said she wanted to start this new Alternative Medicine Center, and Tony was going to use his influence to help her get started. I really needed to move back home with Mom, and by then, I had fallen for Jeff, so I suppose my judgment was clouded.”

  “Were you surprised that Tony and Jeff hit it off so well?”

  “I told you, I was in shock about the accident. And I was so busy going back and forth from the hospital, taking care of Ana, that I didn’t realize how much time Jeff and Tony were spending at Dr. Rozgonyi’s condo.”

  “Did you ever meet Josephine?” Cara asked.

  “No, but I knew she was a Physician Nutrition Specialist.”

  “It would be difficult to try and impersonate a physician,” John said. “No wonder Ingrid always seemed so guarded and insecure.”

  “What about the real Dr. Rozgonyi? Did she die a natural death, or do you think Jeff murdered her?” Cara asked.

  Janie rubbed her arm and shivered, even though her face was ruddy from sitting by the fireplace. “I don’t know. I guess they’re going to exhume the body. Ingrid is also a suspect. It seems she was adopted as a child, before her parents had Josephine. Apparently, she always resented her younger sister, especially when Josephine got into medical school and Ingrid didn’t make it.” Janie looked at John. “Ingrid was not only her sister, but also her office nurse, which made it easier to pretend she was a physician.”

  “It’s hard to believe an insurance man like Tony would help someone impersonate a doctor.” Cara said. “Why in the world would he do such a thing?”

  Janie’s eyes filled with tears. “It was all about his gambling. Dr. Rozgonyi had quite a large nest egg built up in a tax deferred annuity and Ingrid was her sole beneficiary. She paid off Tony’s gambling debts in exchange for him helping her fake her credentials at Sycamore Hospital. And of course, with a recommendation from Dr. Rozgonyi, Jeff was easily accepted for a graduate assistantship at ISU.” Janie’s shoulders shook with sobs. “How could I have gotten mixed up in such a god-awful mess?” she cried out. “I’m so ashamed.”

  John went to the kitchen and brought back a glass of ice water for Janie. “You can’t let regrets drag you down,” he said. “You have two girls to raise.”

  Janie took several sips of water and wiped her eyes. After she’d calmed down, she said, “You’re right. I’m thinking of going back to school to get my master’s degree in business administration.”

  “Sounds like a good idea,” Cara said. “I understand you’re going to be in charge of your mom’s bequest to the hospital.

  Janie nodded. I’m supposed to decide how it should be spent, and I’d like some suggestions.”

  Cara smiled. “You mean, you’re not interested in starting an Alternative Medicine Center?”

  Janie’s brows knitted together. “I know you aren’t a fan of the idea, but I still believe strongly in the mind-body connection.”

  John leaned forward, his voice full of enthusiasm. “I’m totally in agreement with that concept when treating any disease, including diabetes.”

  “Mom was also a diabetic, you know,” Janie said thoughtfully. “Just think of how that disease has affected our family.”

  John set down his glass. “Then that should make your decision easy. How about The Cabella Diabetic Center?”

  Janie clapped her hands. “I like that. But as you know, we’ll need a Director. Would you be willing to serve in that capacity? It
’s mostly honorary, and would take a lot of your time.”

  “Me? I don’t know, Janie. I’d think you would want someone with a better reputation.”

  Janie shook her head. “John, you know as well as I do, there’s not a family in this town that doesn’t have some kind of shadow in their past. And no one has ever said you weren’t a good doctor. Please consider doing this for me.”

  “I will if you really think I can help. And I know Cara would like to see more of Angie and Ana. Do you think they’d be interested in learning to ride horses up at the farm?”

  Janie’s eyes misted over. “Don’t tell me you aren’t a good doctor.” she said

  * * *

  A cold northwesterly was moving in, and tiny skiffs of snow sparkled in the moonlight.

  Cara took John’s arm as they walked to his truck. “How do you feel about Janie’s offer?” she asked. “That’s a rather prestigious position.”

  “Especially for a country hick like me, right?”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “Tell you what,” he said. “I think a proper marriage would give me a little class.” He stopped under the streetlight and lifted her chin, bringing his lips to hers. “What do you think?”

  Cara stood on her tiptoes and returned the kiss. “But do you love me, John?”

  John wrapped his arms around her and pulled her so close she could feel his heart pounding. His voice trembled. “I will always love you, and everything about you, forever.”

  It was what she had been waiting to hear.

  THE END

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lucia Sinn was the Director of Nutrition Services at an acute care hospital for over twenty years. Her short stories have appeared in “The Journal of Kentucky Studies,” and “Talking River” literary journals. Lucia published her first novel, Take the Money; Romantic Suspense in Costa Rica, in 2014. She and her husband live in a century old farmhouse in Indiana, and spend winters on South Padre Island, Texas.

  Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE