ROMANTIC SUSPENSE : DEATH WHISPERED SOFTLY (11 page)

The officers thanked Steve for helping Ms. Kingsbury and the old lady, and for telling them all he knew, and informed him that he wouldn’t be needed for anything else. Steve couldn’t believe his good fortune. He had miraculously got out of this mess. He couldn’t believe he was free!

It was now two days, since that event-filled evening. Was it destiny? Or was it something far greater than destiny? Could it be what his parents relentlessly spoke about … God? 

He wondered if God had anything to do with this, for the coincidence was too huge to ignore. How could the old lady have crashed her car at the very last second unless a much higher and greater power was directing her? Could it be true that the God his parents spoke so devotedly about was actually involved here?  These thoughts made him uneasy.

His mind also kept wandering back to Grace Kingsbury. He wondered how she felt. He had learned from the hospital authorities that Grace would be in the hospital, under observation, for the next few days. This was not bad news for Steve, for he would get ample opportunities to see Grace. And the thought of seeing her brought considerable excitement and joy to him.

Steve had spent a peaceful night at a new hotel. Since he didn’t want to see or meet Riccardo yet, he had purposely checked out of the shabby little hotel he was staying earlier on, and checked into a much better hotel in a different part of the city—as soon as the hospital authorities had let him go. He still had Ricardo’s thirty thousand with him and could afford a good hotel now. 

Immediately after Steve had checked into the new hotel at eight in the morning, he had hit the sack and fallen asleep almost instantly; and he slept like he had never slept before in his life, peacefully.   Ever since he had met Ricardo, Steve was not able to sleep well; he had not had one good single night’s sleep. The tormenting thought and guilt of murdering an innocent girl would continually gnaw him, robbing him of peaceful sleep. But now by a sheer quirk of fate, he was not a murderer. He was a free man, and he still had a lifetime ahead of him. He wondered how he could have made such a rash, crazy, stupid decision of committing murder.  “Damn it! What was I thinking? Had the old lady, Ruth not crashed her car at that very last moment, he would have surely murdered…” Steve was surprised to discover that he couldn’t now even bear the thought of any harm coming to Grace Kingsbury.

What kind of life would I have had if the old lady had not gotten drunk and drove her car into the café window crashing her car, changing the situation completely?  The thought of becoming a fugitive, a felon for life made Steve cringe. He couldn’t convince himself entirely that this was not an act of providence, but a mere coincidence. “Coincidence or something far beyond my understanding”, revolved in his thoughts.  He didn’t know the answer. Could it be divine intervention? He would speculate uneasily.

     But the most important element was that Grace was alive and well, and that he was not a criminal, or a fugitive on the run and he was exceedingly grateful for that. He couldn’t believe he had nothing to worry or fear!

Even with all this going on, he didn’t forget about the two thugs, Ricardo Lopez and Gustav Nilsson.  But they didn’t worry him anymore; he knew that there was precious little they could do to him now. They must have learned that it was
the crash
that thwarted Ricardo’s plan—
not me
.

Sure they must be enormously furious, and even frustrated, by the turn of events. But there is not much they can do now. The thought of not carrying out their plan, and the fact that there was nothing they could do about it brought a smile of immense satisfaction to Steve’s face.

There would be a time for a rendezvous with Ricardo and Nilsson that Steve knew he must face.  He would have to contend with the two loons who must be surely raged at the turn of events. But because it had happened the way it did, Steve knew they couldn’t blame him for it.
Besides, my contract with them is over!  I had gone to carry out the plan and it wasn’t my fault that the old lady, (My Angel) had crashed in at the very last moment!
Steve couldn’t contain his grin whenever he thought of Ricardo and Nilsson’s failed plan.

He knew that the crash had not only let him off the hook from the law, but also off the hook of these maniacs as well.

If they dare tell the cops, which was not going to happen, that they had planned to kill Grace Kingsbury and hired Steve to carry out their plan, what cop would buy their story, since he had actually saved her life! That scenario, Steve knew, was now an impossibility. Plus he had been smart to remove all evidence that he ever met with Ricardo or Nilsson. He had thrown Ricardo’s gun in the river, along with his cell phone. There was now nothing that could link him with the two thugs, he thought with a smile.  But would they try to attack Grace again?

“Well they better not try anything with Grace now. For I am here now to protect her with all my strength” he said aloud in a fiercely determined voice. 

“Yep I will meet with them someday, but now is the time for Grace…my Grace. “My Grace? What am I thinking?” He was annoyed with himself for thinking
that way
. 

“She is not mine; yet, but what the heck, I love her!”

As he now lay on the comfortable bed of his Hotel room, Steve couldn’t stop thinking about Grace Kingsbury. She had entered deep in his mind and heart. Steve could not comprehend how she could have impacted him so profoundly in their first encounter—that he had fallen madly in love with her. Love, like this, was something that he had never experienced before in his life.

He also discovered that it was perhaps for the very first time in his life there was with nothing on his mind to torment him.  He had not a care or a concern in the world, except for the thoughts of Grace that occupied his mind. He was amazed to feel as he did- completely and deeply in love with Grace. Sure he had few relationships with other women, but then he had never really fallen in love before. It was such a different feeling. There was no single word to describe how he felt. Warmth, joy, impatience, restlessness, amazing peace, and elation, were some of the emotions he was experiencing. He was truly amazed how love could produce such a wide variety of emotions- all served at once!   He couldn’t wait for it to be morning so that he could go to the hospital to see Grace…
my
Grace, he thought, almost shyly.  It suddenly dawned on him that the word “Grace” had become the most precious, the most beautiful, and the most important word in his life.

CHAPTER XV

    Since Grace was under observation for 72 hours after the accident, no visitors were permitted to meet with her for the first three days.

Meanwhile Steve was very anxious to know how Grace felt about him. So when the three long and miserable days finally passed, and the doctors finally allowed Grace to meet with visitors, Steve went to the hospital with a bouquet of roses and a box of chocolates.

He hoped that she would like his flowers, that she would like
him
…

He had never given flowers to any girl in his life. Grace was the first one and Steve felt awkward about it. It was a bright and sunny morning and everything seemed perfect when Steve reached the hospital, a bouquet of bright red roses in his hands.

The receptionist recognized him instantly, as Steve entered the hospital. “Good morning Mr. Neal” she said enthusiastically, as she beamed at Steve.

Steve had taken care to look good that morning. He had shaved off his stubble, taken a long hot shower, put on his best shirt and trousers, and wore new shoes and applied a generous amount of after-shave.  He wanted to be sure he looked his best. And when he had examined himself in the mirror, he smiled…for he knew he
was
looking his handsomest best. This was also the first time in his life that he was wearing clothes to impress someone. But then this
someone
was very special to him.

Steve had a hunch that the receptionist thought highly of him. Obviously she knew that he had saved Grace Kingsbury’s life. “She must think of me as a hero or something” he smiled.

His thoughts were interrupted by the receptionist who informed Steve that   Grace was recuperating in room 507. “She has been waiting for you Mr. Neal. She has asked about you several times” she said giving Steve a knowing smile.

The news blew Steve away. All the time he was worried that Grace may not even remember him, but here is this nurse telling me enthusiastically that Grace inquired about me not once but several times! Could it be true, that she too likes me...perhaps even is falling for me?  The thought made him go warm in the heart and weak in the knees. Yet he managed to give the receptionist his widest smile and as he walked past her, he winked at her—which made her blush.

The room where Grace was recuperating was on the fifth floor of the large hospital. Steve hated hospitals, but
this
hospital was an exception, it had Grace in it! As he reached room 507, he paused for a moment. He discovered his heart was hammering and his mouth had turned dry.

Does she like me? Will she remember me? Will she be cold to me?  A myriad of troubling thoughts crossed his mind as he entered the room with considerable trepidation and apprehension.

The room was huge, almost 30 feet wide and 40 feet long. It was in immaculate condition, as if it were painted and furnished very recently. But Steve was in no mood to appreciate the décor of the room.  His eyes were searching furtively for Grace…for Grace alone.  And finally he saw her. Grace was lying in the hospital bed, which was located in the corner of the vast room, wearing white pajamas watching the small TV placed near her. Her white PJ’s caused Grace to look like an angel, and it made Steve catch his breath sharply. Her brownish blonde hair was slightly disheveled from lying on the bed; her face, devoid of any make up, looked pale but innocent and virtuous. Steve thought she looked even lovelier without make-up. In his eyes, Grace Kingsbury was easily the most beautiful girl in the world!

And as he stood at the entrance of the room, the roses dangling loosely from his hands, he realized no words were forming—he could just stand and gape at Grace. Even as he struggled to say something, Grace saw Steve, and his heart skipped a beat.  Her face lit up with a smile that was warm, large and genuine.  Steve knew instantly that she liked him. Nay, loved him! How could anybody become so happy seeing someone else, unless….
Grace managed to sit up as Steve stood beside her bed. Looking at her angelic face, and in a rather hoarse voice that he could barely recognize, Steve succeeded in saying, “Good morning Ms. Kingsbury, how do you feel today?”

Grace Kingsbury smiled warmly at Steve, “I feel better, how do you feel Mr…

“Steve Neal” Steve cut in.

“I like your name Steve, I mean Mr. Neal” Grace Kingsbury said shyly. 

“Please call me Steve” he blurted, his voice husky.

Her looks, her persona, her very presence seemed to mesmerize Steve and he continued to stare at her—without wanting to—with a transfixed gaze. 

As he stood staring at her she asked him softly, “Did you get those flowers for me Steve?”

“Yes, yes Ms. Kingsbury” Steve stammered. Do you like roses? He asked Grace anxiously.

“No, I don’t like roses, I
love
them Steve” and she laughed.

“Thank you so much for bringing them” and she got up from the bed and gave Steve a tight hug.  Steve could have kissed her then and there but managed to restrain himself with considerable difficulty.

Warily he looked into her eyes, and was astonished to see that this beautiful, wonderful girl liked him.  It was obvious from her eyes—the way she regarded him. But could she fall in love with a total stranger. Was that at all possible? Steve wondered.  What does she know about me?

He wondered how she would react if he told her the horrible truth, that he had come to the café the other night with the definite purpose of murdering her! But he restrained himself for the fear of what she would say.

Instead, he asked, “How long will you be staying in the hospital?”

Selfishly Steve hoped that Grace would be asked to stay at the hospital for a while so that he could visit her each day. Steve wasn’t sure if he would be allowed in her house—he was sure she lived in some kind of a mansion with plenty of security.

“Honestly Steve I want to go home right now and I do feel well, but the doctors are not letting me go home, they say I may have to stay here for a week” she said in a disappointed voice. But the news did not disappoint him, it actually made him jubilant! And before he could restrain himself he found himself announcing “That’s awesome, now I can come here each day and see you!”

For an instant Grace was surprised by this reaction then she suddenly burst into laughter, and embarrassingly Steve joined her in her laughter.

Soon they had warmed up to each other and were chatting merrily as if they were two long lost people meeting each other after being away from each other for a long time. Steve couldn’t have enough of Grace. She was the loveliest, the most charming girl in the world and every word she spoke was pure music to his ears.

Grace on the other hand was stunned by Steve’s transformation. The stubble was gone, so was the ugly hoodie and the nasty horn-rimmed glasses. The man who stood before her was looking more handsome than many movie stars, she thought admiringly. His blue eyes twinkled with affection for her, while his face beamed with obvious joy at seeing her. She couldn’t believe the man who had saved her life was as handsome as this!