“Check the walls for the outlet,” the man said, then he bent back to breathing for Alex. “If you can’t find it, run to a neighbor’s. He’s in rough shape.”
Grace looked at every wall outlet but when she finally found the one for a phone line, it was empty. “I’ll be right back,” she said. “And thanks.”
She knocked on three doors before anyone answered. “Yes,” the older woman drawled, then looked up and saw Grace’s battered face. “Oh, my. Are you all right?”
“No,” Grace said, then shoved her way past the concerned crone. “Where’s the phone? My friend needs an ambulance.”
“Right there on the counter, dear. Help yourself, but please don’t make any long distance…
Grace tuned out the woman as she dialed emergency services. “Yes, ma’am. I need an ambulance. No, I don’t know the address, but it’s two doors down from the one I’m calling from. Just send the medics and I’ll wait in the parking lot and show them which apartment. Please hurry. Yes. His name is Alexander Armstrong. Shoot, I don’t know his medical history. He’s been strangled. Someone’s up there giving him CPR right now. No, I don’t want to hold. There’s nothing I can tell you other than his name. Yes, go ahead and send a police officer, too. Yes, there was a crime committed. I just hope it wasn’t murder.”
Chapter 7
Chuck the Invisible
“There’s nothing more we can do for him now,” the man said as they watched the ambulance pull away, wishing he could reach out and comfort her. “Damn! I wish I’d been here sooner!”
“I’m sorry. Who are you?”
“Don’t be sorry,” he replied, wiping away his tears. “I’m Chuck. The other brother. The one no one talks about.”
"You gave mouth-to-mouth to one brother and beat the snot out of the other?” Grace remarked, then snorted in disbelief. “Um, I think they’re going to be talking about you for a long time.”
Chuck laughed and shook his head. “I doubt it. Actually, I prefer a low profile. I take it you’re Grace.”
“How’d you know?”
“I may not be tight with my brothers, but Dad and I are close. The other two just don’t pay attention to us. Alex is a workaholic and partier who just found the love of his life. And Ben is the investment broker who is always going after the next bigger, better stock or IPO, then brooding for months when it doesn’t pan out.”
“Actually, from what little I know about Ben, you’re being quite generous in your description.” Grace paused. “Wait! You said Alex just found the love of his life. You mean me?”
“Duh! He and I didn’t get a chance to talk after he met you, but Dad and Silas went on and on about how they’ve never seen him so happy. Actually, they were both concerned and that’s why I’m here.”
“I was wondering about that…”
“It seems that no one has heard from Alex for two days. I know he has one of those new cellphones that can send messages like a pager.”
“Yes. He gave me one, too. I left it at the house. He sent me a few text messages, but he never called me.”
“Yup. That’s what Dad said, too. That doesn’t sound like him. I called his office and they said he had a new girlfriend and would be incommunicado for a week. That didn’t sound like him, either. New girlfriends are usually bored wives and never last more than a few hours at a time.”
Grace raised her eyebrows but remained mute.
“Sorry. That was probably too much information. So, missing brother number one and mystic message on my answering machine from brother number two.”
“What was the message?”
“‘Do you know where I can get a hurry-up passport and visa to Thailand? Something’s just come up.’ That meant to me that he was probably in trouble with the securities exchange commission again and had to leave the country. I came over here to see if I could help. I certainly didn’t find what I expected!”
“Do you think he’s going to be okay? I mean, can we go to the hospital and wait there?”
Chuck looked up and saw the apartment door was open, police tape draped across it. “Let me make sure they don’t have any more questions for me. Or you. You don’t mind if I speak for both of us, do you?”
“Actually, I’d appreciate it. I don’t know what I’m doing.”
Chuck reached up and touched her forehead. “A little clammy. You might be in shock. We’ll get some fluids in you; maybe a little juice or soda. The sugar will do you good. Wait here.”
Grace glanced up at the apartment and got a shiver. “Yeah, staying here’s fine.”
A short minute later, Chuck was back. “I gave him my number and said he could contact both of us there.”
Her back straightened in terror at Chuck’s words. He noticed it and changed his approach. “I gave him my pager number. I figure we’ll both be at the hospital until Alex is out of trouble. After that, I hope you plan on staying with Dad. That is unless you have another place. Sorry, I don’t know anything about you other than everyone who meets you is infatuated with you.”
“I’m beginning to hate the word infatuated.”
“Well, Ben’s screwed no matter what. I don’t think you’ll ever have to worry about him. I don’t think there’s a death sentence in this state for kidnapping or attempted murder, but a life sentence sounds like a definite possibility.”
“Or life in a mental institution.”
“I pity the poor doctors there,” Chuck said, then nodded to the dinged and faded van. “My chariot awaits.”
“You’re sure you’re part of this family?” Grace asked, suddenly wary. Then she remembered how he had just come in and literally saved the day for her. “But even if you’re not, thanks for what you did.”
“I had about twenty years of getting-even punches pent up. It was definitely my pleasure. I just wish I’d been here sooner.”
Grace accepted his help getting in, then reached out and put her hand on his forearm. “I’m just glad you weren’t a minute later.”
Chuck gasped and straightened up as he realized what he could have walked in on. “Oh, Lord. I didn’t even think of it that way…”
“Come on.” Grace pulled the seatbelt across her and clicked it in. “Let’s get to the hospital.”
***
“We can go through this way,” Chuck said, leading her through the emergency room, past the nurses’ station.
“Hey, Baby Doc! What are you doing on this side of town?”
“Slummin’!” Chuck answered back, slapping his hand down on the counter and grinning. “Nah, I got someone special in here I want to see.”
“Hey, is that your girlfriend?” one of the younger nurses asked.
“Maybe,” he said, then touched Grace’s elbow. “Play along,” he whispered, then led her through the corridor.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Grace pulled away. “Play along?” she asked. “What? Who?”
“You’re going to hear about it sooner or later,” Chuck said, looking around to make sure they were alone. He saw the chapel and pulled her into it. “I’m gay but still in the closet, shall we say. A few of the nurses have been hitting on me. Actually, both male and female nurses. If I pretend to have a girlfriend, both groups will leave me alone.”
“Groups? You have groups of nurses hitting on you?”
“Not really groups. Let’s just say factions. I think they’re all just fishing, trying to get me to come out one way or the other.”
“Sorry, Chuck, but I’ve led a very sheltered life. I’ve read some stories about gay people. You’re just regular folks with yens for the same gender, right?”
“Wow. That’s blunt. Blunt but accurate.”
“Yeah, well, you should hear my mother rant and rave about how queers are ruining America. I figured if she was that adamant about it, something had to be wrong.” Grace looked around the small chapel and saw the clock. “Do you think he’s out of surgery now?”
“If they had to perform surgery, he’s prob
ably still there. Or at least, in post-op. The only thing he might have needed would be a tracheotomy.” Chuck pointed to the soft spot under his Adam’s Apple. “Ben messed him up pretty good.”
“I was worried about his hands but being able to breathe is way more important.”
“Come on. I’ll see what I can find out.”
“Won’t they tell me anything?” Grace asked.
“Nope. You’re not his wife or mother or sister and probably don’t have medical power of attorney. You don’t, do you?”
“Alex and I weren’t together that long; just long enough to know that neither of us saw an end to our relationship.”
“That’s good to hear. He was due to have a good woman. At least, one he didn’t have to share…Sorry, that was crass. I think I have a little shock going on, too.”
“Here,” Grace said, offering him her can of soda. “I’m not afraid of your cooties.”
“Yeah, being queer ain’t contagious, darling,” Chuck said, then took a long swallow of the lemon-lime soda. He handed it back to her and put a comforting arm around her shoulder. “I’ll never hit on you, but right now, I need you next to me more than you’ll ever know.”
“Back at ya,” Grace said and snuggled into him.
***
The two walked down the hall, their easy pace identical and comfortable. “So, how come everyone knows you here?” Grace asked.
“I’m a doctor. I don’t operate out of here, but I do have courtesy privileges.”
“Which means?”
“Which means if I ask, they’ll tell. I’m not a surgeon, anyhow. I mean, I can cut and sew, but I run a clinic on the other end of town. You know, the proverbial wrong side of the tracks?”
“Helping those who can’t afford to pay?”
“Pretty much. Say, look up. See who’s here?”
Papa Doc was as gray as dirty springtime snow and just as precarious as he stood up, Silas quick at his side to steady him. “Any word yet?”
“I was just going to ask you the same thing, Dad.”
“And you?” Papa Doc asked Grace. His hand gently explored the side of her face where Ben had punched her. “Ouch. Looks like a good chunk of steak would help that. Did he, um, do anything else?”
“Other than just about kill Alex, no. Pretty much intimidation. He would have, though, if Chuck hadn’t interceded.”
Grace looked up and saw Chuck in a different light. Yes, he was still the tall, good-looking man who had come to the rescue, but he also looked like a younger version of his father. All the men in the family had broad shoulders, strong jawlines, and bright blue eyes, but Alex had darker hair and a more robust nose. Chuck’s nose was finer, almost feminine. She shuddered as she started to consider Ben, then blocked him out. He couldn’t bully her anymore, even as a memory. She wouldn’t allow it.
“Are you all right?” Chuck asked, feeling her falter. He squeezed her close again. “We have you: Dad, Silas, and me. And Alex when he gets better. All of us are here for you. You know that, right?”
Grace nodded, the tears starting to slip out. “I just want this day to be over. I want to go back in time to three days ago…”
“Oh, Gracie! Hello, Gracie, dear!”
Grace slumped at the sound of her mother’s voice. She looked up at Chuck. “Tell me I’m hallucinating. That isn’t my mother, is it?”
Chuck looked up at the ultra-thin woman walking down the hall, rushing but trying to look like she was on a catwalk, one foot placed in front of the other in a practiced manner. “It’s a woman, but nothing about her reminds me of you.”
“Yeah, that’s her mother,” Silas said. “Put on your shit boots.”
Papa Doc and Grace both sniggered into their hands, then looked at each other, comfortable in their identical reaction to Silas’s spot-on declaration.
“Boots on, strapped, and tied,” Chuck said softly through a clenched smile as he watched the woman approach. He gave Grace a quick cuddle of assurance then waited for the drama that was sure to come.
“Gracie, darling. Where have you been? I went to the Armstrong’s to see if you’d recovered. I was sure you’d be better by now.”
Chuck looked down, his movement causing Grace to look up. She had a moment of clarity, realizing this woman had nothing on her now. “Why are you here, Mother?”
“Oh…I…ahem. I thought that if you were severely sick, you would have been admitted to the hospital.”
“You could have called,” Grace said, her voice icy. “Certainly, they would have told a mother if her daughter was a patient; no medical power of attorney required.”
Victoria gasped at the remark, surprised that her little girl – so easily intimidated four days ago – was suddenly secure and independent. Or at least had found no less than three strong men to protect her. “Oh, and your little friend Dusty came by looking for you,” she lied, an evil glint in her eye. Don’t mess with me, Missy! I can still play dirty.
Grace tensed, held her breath, then let it out. “That’s funny,” Grace lied back. “I talked to him just yesterday. He said he joined the army because his dad got a new job upstate. I wished him well and that was that. Are you sure it was Dusty who called?” I know you’re lying. Get out of my life and out of my head!
“Actually,” Victoria said, strutting over to sit next to Papa Doc, “I heard that Alex had been involved in an accident. He didn’t crash his helicopter, did he?”
Papa Doc and Silas looked at each other, wondering how she could know Alex was in the hospital. A smile started to bloom on Silas’s face. “You’ve been talking to Jimmy, haven’t you?” he asked.
“Well, I may have met him at coffee this morning…” Victoria said, a sudden blush rising to show through her three layers of foundation.
“Victoria, Victoria, Victoria,” Papa Doc said condescendingly, patting her hand like she was a six-year-old. “You have to quit following after the paparazzi. You’ll get more gray hairs than Lady Clairol can keep up with.” He looked at her temple, noticing the telltale smear of a recent dye job that hadn’t been completely cleaned up. “All is fine here. It was just a little incident. Nothing major. Grace has agreed to stay at the house and keep him company while he recovers.”
“What happened?” Victoria asked.
Chuck stepped in. “That’s private,” he said. “Family only. Now, if you don’t mind, I had asked everyone here for a family meeting and we were just getting started.”
“And who are you?” Victoria snapped. Her eyes widened as she realized that he looked just like Papa Doc had thirty years ago. “You’re not…”
“Oh, yes, I am. I’m Chuck, the youngest Armstrong son.” He moved away from Grace, nudging her gently, nodding toward Silas and his father. “So, now that you’ve seen Grace is in good hands, I’m sure you’ll allow us a little privacy.” He put his elbow out, enjoining her wordlessly to follow him.
Grace sat between the two older men, one hand on each man’s arm, clutching them with her fingertips until Chuck and her mother were out of sight. She lay her head on Papa Doc’s shoulder, ready to share. “I think I need to tell you something,” she said softly.
“You mean that your mother set you up with Alex; that it wasn’t your idea to come to the party?”
“Did Alex tell you?” she asked, sitting up straight with surprise sprinkled with irritation.
“Sweetheart,” Papa Doc said, “that’s the way things go in this crazy world. Whether rich or poor, mothers have been setting up their daughters with good ‘finds’ for centuries. She’s no different than any other mother.”
“Well, maybe,” Silas and Grace said at the same time. Silas nodded to her, urging her to continue.
Grace shrugged. “She’s horrid. I came to the event under duress. She threatened my friend Dusty. Or rather, she threatened me with what she’d do to Dusty and his father if I didn’t do what she said.”
“And the other thing you’re not telling me?” Papa Doc asked. He turned her h
ead to the side and traced over the yellowing bruise. “If I’m not mistaken, this is a woman’s handprint and it’s a few days old. That means she physically and emotionally coerced you into crashing the party.”
Grace nodded, the tears spilling as she relived the horror of her mother threatening to rape her with a wine bottle and blame it on Dusty and his father if she didn’t obey her. “Why couldn’t it have been her, not Alex? She doesn’t deserve to live and he does.”
“He’ll be fine,” Silas soothed, then looked up. “Here comes Chuck. Maybe he found something out.”
Chuck saw the apprehension in the men’s eyes and the tears on Grace’s cheeks. That meant they hadn’t heard anything about Alex yet, but also that Grace had just revealed something intense. “Remember, Grace,” he said, kneeling down in front of her, “We’re here for you.”
“You know what’s the worst part? I’ve lost my father. I mean, he’s not dead, but I can’t get to him without going through her.”
“Don’t worry about him,” Silas said. “In case you haven’t heard, I’m the miracle worker when it comes to social imbroglios. I’ll get in touch and let him know whatever you want to share or where you want to meet. And I’ll hold back whatever you want to keep private. It looks like I’m going to have to have another talk with Jimmy and his new assistant. He’ll get nothing if he starts playing me against Victoria.”
“Wow. This really is a different world,” Grace said, wiping her tears with the cloth Silas offered.
“And now you know why I keep away,” Chuck said so softly, he was certain the men wouldn’t hear him.
Grace looked up at him and winked. “And I’m here for you, too.”
***
“How long have we been here?” Grace asked, suddenly awake from the nap she hadn’t planned on taking.
Chuck rubbed his eyes and looked down at his watch. “Almost three hours. Something’s not right here. We should have received an update.” He unwrapped his arm from around her shoulders and sat up. “Excuse me a minute while I check this out.”
The Set Up (Triplets: Three Aren't One Book 1) Page 7