Dangerous Secrets (13 page)

I shook my aching head.
‶
There were snowy
mountains. It said Colorado.”

‶
And you say the truck
deliberately hit you?″

‶
It was a Blazer. Too bad my car
went up in flames—you′d have seen the black paint on the driver′s
side.”

She asked me where we′d been headed, if I
knew a reason why someone would do this, and I don′t know what else. The
interrogation exhausted me. Finally, she promised she′d call a wrecker to
tow what was left of my car. Someone would follow up on our case tomorrow.

Great, now
we
were somebody′s case.

She patted my shoulder, wished me luck and left
me alone.

Time dragged.

My heart pounded endlessly. Could that much
adrenaline pumping through you for hours on end be detrimental?

Half an hour passed and Richard hadn′t
reappeared.

That was okay. If he were with Maggie,
he′d make sure she got the best care ... professional courtesy and all
that.

I looked down at myself. Maggie′s blood
stained my shirt and pants, making me look like I′d dived into the slops
of a slaughterhouse. I got up and asked the woman at the reception desk where
to find the men′s room, then staggered off in that direction.

Leaning against the counter, I avoided looking
at my reflection in the mirror. As I washed the blood from my hands, my gaze
strayed. Red-rimmed eyes looked back at me. My stiff neck and chest ached like
I′d gone nine rounds with a heavyweight champ. I raised my shirt. Red and
purple welts—the beginnings of bruises where the seat belt had saved me—were
livid.

I′d survive.

I shuffled on unsteady legs back out to the
waiting room and sat as far away from everyone as I could. I couldn′t
concentrate to read the out-of-date magazines. I couldn′t watch whatever
nonsense boomed from the TV attached to the wall. I avoided the eyes of the
other people waiting for word on their own loved ones or friends. My head ached
and I couldn′t think, and it was all I could do to keep from crying. For
Maggie, for me, for this whole convoluted mess we were in.

Eons passed.

Like a tape on a loop, in my mind I replayed
the image of Maggie lying so deathly pale in the back of the station wagon. Her
eyes closed, her hair matted with blood.

Should I call Brenda? What would I tell her?
That her best friend was hurt. That she might die.

No, I couldn′t put her through that kind
of worry.

I′d let Richard do it ... later, when the
crisis wasn′t so close at hand.

So I sat there. Trying not to think. Trying not
to feel. I couldn′t manage that either. Instead, I tried to numb my
thoughts by staring at the floor, counting the tiles, reciting my times tables.
Everything and nothing occupied my mind. I leaned back in my chair, idly
rubbing the back of my sore neck. I wanted a drink, no matter how badly my head
would pound for it. A nice warming glass of bourbon—

Then I remembered that nice, tall, stiff gin
and tonic Richard had made when we′d gotten back from the police station
earlier in the evening. Could that comforting drink have impaired my reactions
enough to nearly get Maggie and me killed? If I hadn′t had that goddamned
drink, could I have steered out of the skid? If I′d never taken a sip,
would Maggie be bumped and bruised but otherwise okay? If the lady cop had
given me a Breathalyzer test, could I have passed it?

Yes, damn it! I knew my limits. I knew the
legal and moral ramifications of driving drunk. And after my ordeal at the
police station, it would′ve taken a hell of a lot more than one drink to
numb my reflexes—not to mention my anger.

At the time of the accident I was stone, cold
sober.

If I owned any guilt for this, it was because I
hadn′t listened to that feeling of warning every time I passed that spot
in the road. Why hadn′t I investigated an alternate route into the
village? Why?

It was a long time before Richard, dressed in
pale blue cotton scrubs, finally walked through the double doors into the
waiting room. Instantly on my feet, I met him halfway.

He rested a hand on my shoulder.
‶
They′ve
got good people here. She lost a lot of blood—has a nasty muscle tear—but
she′s going to be okay.”

I could′ve cried with relief; instead, I
hugged him.
‶
Thanks.
I can′t tell you—″

He pulled back and looked me in the eye,
looking haggard.
‶
This
is
why you needed me to come to Vermont, right?″

‶
I think so ... yes. I ...
just—she would′ve died if you weren′t there for her. Thanks, Rich.
Thanks for saving my lady.”

He brushed aside the comment and clasped my
shoulder.
‶
She′s
got a concussion. They′re going to keep her for a few days. Are you
okay?″

I rubbed the back of my neck.
‶
I
think I got whiplash. I don′t care. Can I see her?″

‶
Just for a minute. Come
on.″ He led me back to one of the curtained treatment rooms.

Maggie lay on a gurney with an IV in her arm; a
unit of blood and some other bag filled with clear liquid hung overhead. A
blanket was drawn up to her chin. I searched under it for her other hand and
her eyes fluttered open.

‶
Were you trying to scare me to
death?″ I asked her.

‶
Are you okay?″ she
whispered, taking in my bloodied clothes.

‶
I′m fine—it′s you
I′m worried about.”

‶
Richard took care of me. He
held my hand the whole time. He made me feel safe.″ Her voice was so quiet,
so strained. She squeezed my hand ever so slightly.
‶
Will you bring me
some clothes so I can get out of here?″

‶
Sure. I′ll be here first
thing tomorrow.”

A nurse tapped me on the shoulder.
‶
Sir,
you′ll have to leave.”

‶
Okay.″ I turned back to
Maggie.
‶
I
gotta go.″ I kissed her. Her skin still felt cool to the touch. She
wouldn′t let go of my hand.

‶
I gotta go, Maggs,″ I
said again, and reluctantly pulled my hand free.
‶
I’ll see you in the morning.”

A tear seeped from her eye. I dabbed it with
the corner of the blanket before turning my back on her, feeling like a monster
for leaving her alone.

I couldn′t look back.

Richard waited for me in the hall.
‶
Come
on, Dr. Wimberly′s going to check you out before we go.”

‶
I don′t need—″

‶
No arguments.″ He grabbed
me by the elbow and steered me to an empty treatment room.

A couple of x-rays later I, too, was dressed in
clean scrubs—my bloody, bio-contaminated clothes discarded—and was released
from the ER. Though bumped and bruised only, I still felt lousy.

‶
Do you want to stay in town
tonight? If we can find a place,″ Richard amended.

I glanced at my watch, shocked to find it was
after one.
‶
No.
I have to bring some clothes up for Maggie in the morning anyway. Do you think
you can find your way back to the inn?″

‶
I expect so. Come on. You look
beat.”

We headed for the car. The rain came down hard,
that steady downpour that makes flowers grow in the spring. But this was early
fall; the flowers would die at the first hint of frost.

I handed Richard the keys and maneuvered myself
into the passenger seat. I remembered the bloodstained rug in back and idly
wondered what the rental company would charge Richard for a cleaning fee.

Moments later we were on the road, heading
south back toward Stowe.

The thump, thump of the windshield wipers was
hypnotic. I must′ve fallen asleep, for the next thing I knew Richard was
nudging me awake. I blinked, taking in the inn′s familiar parking area
and the line of cars I recognized. Of course there was no black Blazer sitting
among them.

‶
You ought to stand under a hot
shower for a few minutes,″ Richard suggested.

‶
We don′t have a shower.”

‶
I do—and I′ve got two
double beds. You can bunk with me tonight.”

I opened the car door and just about every
muscle in my body screamed as I struggled to stand. Richard had to steady me as
I staggered to the front door. It was locked. Richard leaned on the bell and it
wailed somewhere in the quiet, darkened inn. Nobody showed up for what seemed
like ages. Finally the lights came on and a bleary-eyed Zack shuffled to the
door, clad in a fluffy, white terrycloth bathrobe like the one Eileen had worn
the night she was murdered.

‶
Do you know what time it
is?″

‶
Somewhere around two
o’clock,″ Richard answered easily, pushing past the startled innkeeper.

‶
We have rules—″ Zack
sputtered.

‶
Take a look at us. Do we look
like we′ve been partying?″ I asked.

Zack finally noticed our hospital costumes.
‶
Good
God! What happened?″

‶
I had a little accident.″
I didn′t have the energy or the patience to explain it to Zack—I just
wanted to crash. I started in the direction of Richard′s room.

‶
Good night,″ Richard
said, ever polite, and followed in my wake.

I leaned against the wall, waiting for Richard
to find the key and unlock the door. He went in ahead of me and turned on the
light. I stepped into the room, saw the bed and made a beeline for it.

‶
Oh no you don′t—get in
that shower,″ he ordered, grabbed my arm, and led me to the bathroom.

‶
I just want to sleep.”

‶
You won′t be able to move
tomorrow if you don′t.”

‶
It′ll wake the other
guests.”

‶
Well, one of them is a murderer
anyway. Besides, in case it escaped your attention, little brother, that same
person probably tried to kill you and almost killed Maggie tonight.”

I met his angry gaze.

‶
I′ll try to stay in the
shower for twenty minutes.”

Too tired to stand, I think I only lasted five.

By the time I toweled off and staggered into
the bedroom, I found the bed turned down and Richard gone. A note on the pillow
read:
Went downstairs to call Brenda.
Back in a few minutes.

I found two Tylenol and an empty glass on a
tray sitting on the bedside table. I poured water from the carafe, downed the
pills and hit the sack.

As I drifted off to sleep, I thought about what
Richard said. One of the other guests was probably a murderer.

Either that, or one of the inn’s owners.

Chapter 15

‶
Jeff—hey, come on, wake
up.″

I squinted up at Richard looming over me. My
head ached. Every muscle in my body protested at the slightest movement. I
closed my eyes, burrowing back under the covers.
‶
Go away.″

‶
They′re shutting down the
kitchen in fifteen minutes. If you don′t get up now, you won′t
eat.″

‶
I don′t care.″

‶
Yes, you will. Besides, Maggie
will be waiting for us.”

That, at last, made an impact on me.

I remembered Maggie′s frightened, crystal
blue eyes boring through me with such trust back in the emergency room the
night before. I promised to be there for her—that I′d bring her some
clothes. I′d felt like a heel at leaving her.

I managed to rouse myself, feeling hung over
and sick to my stomach. The thought of greasy eggs and bacon made my stomach
roil.
‶
I
can′t eat.″

‶
Yes you can. Listen, I′ll
go down and get you a muffin and some fruit. Get in that shower, or I′ll
throw you in when I get back.″ His voice was stern and I had no doubt
he′d carry through with his threat. The door closed behind him.

Richard was right. I needed to eat; I needed to
take my medication. I had to get rid of the headache or I′d find myself
cowering in a dark, silent room all day, and I couldn′t afford to waste
that kind of time.

Straightening, and then walking, proved an ordeal.
Evidently Richard had gone up to my room, for I found a clean change of clothes
on the vanity in the bathroom. It took nearly ten minutes in the shower before
the hot water eased the aches down to my bones. I′d hoped the cloud of
steam would clear my head as well, but things were still a muddle when I
emerged.

Richard waited for me in the bedroom, flipping
through an old copy of Smithsonian magazine. As promised, a breakfast tray sat
on the coffee table in front of the loveseat, along with a muffin, a banana,
and a small carafe of coffee. Richard′s prescription was simple:
‶
Eat.″

‶
Thanks. Thanks for getting the
clothes, too.″

He moved to sit on the chair adjacent to me.
‶
The
police really did a number on your room.″

‶
My God, that′s right.
It′ll take me an hour to straighten it out.″

‶
It′s okay. I got most of
it back in order.″

‶
What time did you get
up?″

‶
About seven. You were dead to
the world. I was the first down to breakfast, too. I apologized to Zack for
coming in so late last night, and explained what happened to Maggie. Susan
seemed quite concerned.″

‶
She′s probably worried
the article won′t get finished.″

Richard frowned. He isn′t half as cynical
as me.

‶
Thanks, Rich. I don′t
know what I would′ve done if you weren′t here.″

‶
Until we got to the hospital—until
I knew she was okay.... I was worried that I′d made the wrong decision,
that I—″

I started working on the muffin′s paper
wrapper.
‶
What
are you talking about?″

‶
The way we got Maggie out of
the car wasn′t exactly by the book.″

‶
We had to get her out. The
fire—″

‶
I know. I was afraid
she′d bleed to death, and yet I didn′t know how serious her head
injury was. If her neck had been broken....″

‶
Don′t dwell on it, Rich.
There was no time. We did what we had to do and she′s going to be
fine.″

He nodded.
‶
You′re right.
You′re absolutely right.″

Then why did he look so guilty?

I took a bite of muffin and remembered
something Richard had said the night before.
‶
What did you mean when you said
Eileen′s murderer tried to kill Maggie and me last night?″

He looked up, surprised.
‶
You′re
the psychic. You mean you don′t think these incidents are
connected?″

‶
Yes, but—″

‶
First someone tries to
implicate you for Eileen Marshall′s murder. Next they push you down a
flight a stairs, then ram your car. I′d say someone′s serious about
getting you out of the way. Now what did you see or know about the murder that
can expose the killer?″

‶
I don′t know.″

‶
Well, you′d better think
about it.″

I poured the coffee, doctoring it with milk
from a small metal creamer. I dug in my pocket for my prescription bottle,
shook out a pill, and downed it with a sip of coffee. Some things just
didn′t add up.

‶
How′d you find us so fast
last night, anyway?″

‶
I decided not to change clothes
after all, just grabbed a sport jacket and headed for the restaurant. I
didn′t see the car that ran you off the road, but as I came round the
bend I saw headlights down the embankment. I didn′t know it was you until
I stopped.″

‶
Thank God you did.″

‶
Now I want some straight
answers.”

I didn′t like his tone.

‶
Jeff, you knew something
wasn′t right—that′s why you asked me to come to Vermont. Why
didn′t you come home? Why did you stay here?″

‶
Because ... this was
Maggie′s trip. I couldn′t ask her to leave.″ Not exactly an
articulate defense.

Richard stared at me, his worried frown like a
judgment.

‶
Besides, what if I′d been
wrong? What if being wrong blew Maggie′s chance at another magazine
article? She doesn′t want to be a secretary for the rest of her life. She
wants to write. How could I spoil it for her on a dumb feeling I wasn′t
even sure about?″

‶
Because you trust those
feelings.″

‶
Maybe I don′t trust them
as much as I think I do. As much as I should.″

‶
Maybe none of us listens to our
survival instincts like we should,″ he admitted.
‶
I didn′t want
to believe in this psychic ability of yours, but we both know it works.″

‶
Then maybe you′ll believe
me when I say that I just can′t walk away from this crap. It holds me
prisoner.″ I wasn′t explaining myself well.
‶
If I′d gone
home, I would′ve gotten the same insights—the same feelings, and what I
know would′ve forced me back here. Like it forced me to go to Buffalo
with you after I was mugged in Manhattan.″

‶‵
There are more things in
heaven and earth than are dreamed of in your philosophy,′″ Richard
misquoted.
‶
Okay,
no more guilt trip. But Maggie won′t be up to traveling for a couple of
days, which means we′re stuck here. At least she′ll be safe at the
hospital—away from this place.″

‶
Then you really think
we′re in danger?″

‶
Don′t you?″

I nodded wearily.
‶
I guess so.″
I peeled the banana and broke it in half. God, I really wasn′t thinking
clearly. Was it some kind of delayed reaction?
‶
What do we do next?″

‶
It′s your call.″

‶
See Maggie. Tell her
we′re going to leave her up in Morrisville alone ... she′ll love
that.″

‶
Jeff, she could′ve died.
She needs complete rest for a couple of days. And coming back here is not
conducive to the peace and quiet she needs.″

‶
That sounds very logical. But
she′s Irish, like our mother, and you don′t want to mess with those
fightin′ Irish genes.″

‶
I′ll talk to her.
We′ll get her a TV, make sure she′s hooked up to a phone.
It′s not like we′re abandoning her. We′ll go see her this
morning and later we′ll have dinner with her.″

I mulled it over. What he said made a lot of
sense, and I was more than content to let Richard try to sell Maggie on the
idea. He could probably pull it off, too.

I drained my cup and stood.
‶
I′d
better go up to the room and figure out what to take to her.″

‶
Meanwhile, I′ll take this
tray back downstairs and meet you by the car.″ He dug in his pocket.
‶
Here′s
your key.″

‶
Thanks.”

The stairs seemed steeper, and I found myself
slowing as I neared the top but there was no one there.

The door to our room swung open and I saw that
thanks to Richard′s efforts a certain degree of order had been restored.
The bed had been put back together, with the spread drawn up and smoothed over
the pillows. Though Richard would never make it as a domestic, our clothes were
neatly folded in piles on top of the bed.

I sorted out some things I figured Maggie would
need, putting them in her overnight bag. The camera equipment was stacked
neatly on top of the trunks, looking none the worse for wear. I replaced each
piece in its foam packing and wondered if the cops had made the mess before or after
they′d found the scotch bottle. Had they done as thorough a job on the
other guests′ rooms, or had I been singled out?

The thought bothered me.

Grabbing the overnight bag, I shut the door
behind me and hurried downstairs, turned the corner, and headed outside.

‶
Jeff?″

It was Susan. No way did I want to talk to her.
If it hadn′t been for her, we never would′ve come to Stowe. I
would′ve been home in Buffalo, my car intact. I′d be grilling hot
dogs for lunch instead of heading for a hospital, in a strange town, to visit
Maggie.

She came to the screen door.
‶
Jeff,
the doctor said he was going to drive you to the hospital.″

‶
Yeah.″

‶
Please tell Maggie how sorry I
am that this happened. If there′s anything she needs—″

I tried to swallow my anger at her phony
display of friendship.
‶
Sure. I′ll tell her.″ I turned and
walked away.

Richard waited for me by the Buick.

‶
Let′s get out of
here,″ I said. He took the bag from me and put it on the back seat. I
levered myself into the passenger seat. He got in, started the engine, and
pulled onto the highway.

As we neared the accident site Richard slowed
the car, pulling over to the side of the road.
‶
I thought you might want to
take a look.”

I made no comment as we inspected the area. No
more bad vibes—not a damn thing. If not for the scorched grass and the tilted
power pole, no one would ever guess what had happened there the night before.

I faced him.
‶
Let′s go.″

Hospitals are the scariest places on Earth. But
the neat brick building looked a lot friendlier in the light of day than it had
in a downpour the night before. We paused at the reception desk to get
directions to Maggie′s room. Next we stopped at the tiny gift shop for a
teddy bear and an African violet in a little ceramic pot before heading up to
the second floor. Maggie had a private room, no doubt at Richard′s
request. A huge floral arrangement sat on the bedside table.

‶
Hey, someone beat me to
it,″ I said in greeting, eyeing the vase filled with cheerful
chrysanthemums and carnations.

‶
They′re from Brenda and
Richard. Aren′t they pretty?″

Maggie sat up straighter in bed. Her stringy
hair, lack of makeup, and a pasty skin tone made no difference to me. She
looked absolutely beautiful.

I leaned down to kiss her. She hugged me,
wrapping her fingers in the folds of my shirt—reluctant to let go.
‶
I
brought you some company,″ I said, and managed to escape her embrace. I
put the plant on the table and handed her the sad-looking, little blue bear.

‶
He′s so cute. I′ll
bet his name is Roger.″

‶
As a matter of fact, it is.”

Richard stepped forward.
‶
How′re
you feeling, Maggie?″

‶
Better, but I′ve still
got an awful headache. If yours are anything like this, Jeff, you have my
sympathy.″

I gave her a half-hearted smile.

‶
Did you bring my
clothes?″

Richard held up the overnight bag.

‶
Great. I can′t wait to
get out of here.″

‶
I don′t think
you′re going anywhere, love.″

Maggie′s blue eyes narrowed in betrayal.
‶
What?″

‶
Did the nurses say you were
being released today?″ Richard asked.

‶
No, but—″

‶
If you were my patient,
I′d insist that you stay for a couple of days at least. You were involved
in a very serious accident.″

‶
Yeah. The car didn′t
survive,″ I told her.

‶
The car was totaled?″ she
asked.

‶
It blew up like an
H-bomb.″

She leaned back against the pillows, suddenly a
lighter shade of pale.
‶
But I don′t want to stay here by myself. I
want to go home—to Buffalo.″

‶
We still haven′t been
cleared by the cops. But it won′t be so bad. We′ll get you fixed up
with a TV and a phone—″

‶
I can′t afford even that.
My purse—it was in the car.″

‶
Rich will take care of
it—″

Her gaze darted to my brother, her voice
hushed.
‶
I
can′t ask—″

‶
Maggie, please let me do
this.″

She looked away, her hand gripping the bedside
rail, her knuckles going paper white. Her sorrow, grief and embarrassment
rolled over me. Unprepared, I gasped, groping for the other bed rail to steady
myself.