Authors: Dianne Yetman
“Mind if I join this conversation”, said a voice from on high.
“Please do”, Kate said. “I’m drowning here.”
Hanya took a seat, waved to Jock for her usual glass of red wine.
Over the meal, the three friends talked about food, men, sex, and jobs. Abir went on for some length about her volunteer work at the homeless shelter.
“
Hazel and I manage to have coffee together once at week at the shelter
”, Abir said
.
“You
know her, don’t you, Hanya?”
“Yes, for a few years now.”
“Well she told me the
cops came to their abode and read the riot act.
Before you say anything, Kate, I’m not fault finding the police; they’re only doing their job. It’s the
politics
that
sucks. My ten minute rant is up so I’ll close my mouth – for now. If anyone wants to hear more, you have my number.”
Hanya
sat very still as if making a decision.
“Funny you should bring up Hazel, I was just talking about her with Alexis and Susan
.”
They all listened as she told them the story about the two women’s research project and their chance meeting with Hazel.
“I’m not entirely convinced there is a maniacal red headed woman trolling for a killer but
the research project is ended.”
Kate couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
A woman canvassing the homeless to find someone to do a hit on a black man.
She waited until Sandra
finished speaking about the lack of mental health care funding before taking her leave.
“I’m sorry but I can’t stay for
dessert,
I have a bitch of a headache. Enjoy”, she said rising from the table.
Kate h
opped in the car and
fifteen minutes later
walked through the doors of the hospital
.
***
At that moment, further downtown,
Roger opened his eyes and looked around the hospital room.
He
must be healing. The nurses
aren’t
bringing the trays filled with all those pink, blue, red, white and puking green coloured pills. Only those tiny white ones now; only pass out for a little while now.
He lifted his head, did it every chance he got just because he could now that the head brace is gone. No visitors.
Hungry.
He thought about the last time he ate.
Jello, red jello
.
The last time I ate that I was ten years old. And custard, a yellow lump in a dish the size of a teaspoon. And the tea, too bad Aunt Jane hadn’t been here to tell them what she thought of their tea in a plastic, paper lined cup. No Java yet? Why?
His mouth watered at the thought of those
barbecued
steaks he and Randy demolished
over the summer.
Where’s Kate? She was in here not too long ago. I asked her something, what was it? It had something to do with the bathroom. Yes, that was it. I asked her to help me to the bathroom. Brave woman but not too bright sometimes.
He could hear the sound of the crash as the pole holding the bag of liquid meds tipped over. Remember feeling himself go, bracing himself for impact on the floor then feeling the softness of Kate’s body.
H
e could feel a wave of sleepiness wash over him.
He looked at the bathroom door to the right of the bed, it was slightly ajar, an open invitation. He sat up slowly and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He was gazing at the pole with the bag when he felt rather than heard someone enter the room. He looked over to see
the Doctor
and Nurse whoever - he couldn’t keep their names straight.
“Trying your luck again Roger. Not to worry you’ll be disconnected from that pole very soon. I come bearing good news. You’re healing faster than we thought; the swelling in the brain has subsided and there’s no damage to the frontal lobes. Doesn’t get much better than that, does it?”
“Sure doesn’t. So, when do I get out of here?”
“Slow down. We need to check out the left eye, the
blood thinners are
doing its job. The clot is shrinking. Takes time though
.
We need to take the bandages off and test your vision. You’re scheduled for testing tomorrow morning. Everything goes
well;
I’ll sign the release papers tomorrow morning.”
“Am I going to regain my sight in the left eye?”
“Can’t say. It’s a wait and see thing.”
He looked at Roger’s expression and apologized: “Sorry, no pun intended. Broken ribs have knitted, bruises and contusions are fading. It’s all good.”
“
Yes but
I
still
can’t seem to remember anything for any stretch of time.
”
“That’s natural, at the rate you’re healing, your memory will be back where it should be
in no time
.”
“
Really?
Put that in writing, will you, so I can read it to interested persons
.”
Chapter 12
Catherine
Stone
sat
at the stainless steel kitchen table
gazing out the patio doors at the
autumn
leaves
; the faint
smell of decay drifted in the open kitchen window.
F
ive days
had passed
since she flushed
the drugs
; s
ix days since
Jeffrey’s
funeral;
six days
since she had
seen her lover.
She jumped at the sound of her sister’s voice.
“Catherine
”
,
Nora
said
“
you’re shivering.” She leaned over the kitchen sink and closed the window. “Let me get you a sweater. The last thing you need right now is a cold.”
“I’m fine Nora
, r
eally I am. I don’t n
eed a sweater and I don’t need the
window closed, the air helps clear my head.”
“Okay
.
”
S
he
lifted the window.
“Let me make some fresh tea. I could use one filled with lots of sugar and cream.
”
Catherine shook her head. “I can’t drink anymore. I’ve had three cups already.”
I need you to leav
e me alone, that’s what I need.
She watched as Nora filled the kettle
.
My only sister, the youngest of the brood, stands in my kitchen, rattling in the cupboards, and endlessly rattling conversational nonsense. Go home, Nora, go home. The children have left and so should you.
“The police called this morning to set up a time to meet with you. I took the liberty of confirm
ing for 10:00 tomorrow morning.”
Nausea rippled through her
intestines.
“Yes, that will be fine.”
Nora brought her tea over to the table
.
“I am grateful for all you have done,
Nora,
but it’s time for you to go home. You’ve put your own life on hold long enough. I’ll be fine by myself now.
”
She
watched
the struggle on her sister’s face. Happy at the thought of returning home and concern she would be perceived by others as cruel for leaving her so soon.
“I don’t know I would feel right about it Catherine. It’s so soon for you to be alone.”
“No it’s not. I’m off the medication now so you don’t have to worry about me stumbling around in a daze
.
You’re only a phone call away,
four
hours by car,
and
one hour
by plane.
”
She could see the idea of freedom and home taking root.
“Why don’t you take the afternoon for yourself? Go shopping
. I’m going to rest
before Susan, Alexis and Eleanor arrive
.
”
Nora nodded. “Louise put together a cold meal for us before she left and there’s plenty of finger food in the freezer for our guests. I could pick up a fresh salad at the market and a good bottle of wine.”
“That would be very helpful.”
“Okay,
it’s a sacrifice, but I’ll go shopping.”
She took a long swallow of tea, went over to the sink and rinsed her mug, chatting away.
“I better go compose those thank you notes I was going to do this afternoon. If you’re resting, I’ll leave them on the dining room table for you to sign.”
“Thanks
.
”
Alone. Touch and go, wasn’t sure if she would leave, and don’t know what I would have done if she didn’t. I suppose I could have passed it off as an unexpected visit rather than a pre-arranged one.
It was important that she get her words right so while she waited, she rehearsed her speech over and over again.
An hour later she tried to focus on what the voice was saying but the
cold heaviness
pushing through her veins wouldn’t allow her.
The voice was fading.
She tried to move but couldn’t.
Sorry, Nora. I shouldn’t have sent you away. Please come home
.
She fought against slipping into unconsciousness.
Her body felt
swollen
,
weighted
down
with molten lead.
The fist broke her nose with one blow. A handful of hair was torn from her scalp as the killer pulled her from the chair. Kicks bruised her kidneys and she heard the crack of her ribs.
Her fading vision barely caught the flash of the knife
. S
he felt the molten lead pour from her body. Its heat burned as it flowed from her nose – wet, hot, rancid. She heard glass smashing and the whoosh
of the knife as it ripped through the cushions. She didn’t hear the knife land on the floor, or the front door open
, she was unconscious
.
***
Nora trounced up Spring Garden Road to
Jennifer’s,
a craft store she couldn’t pass up visiting whenever she came to
the city.
Thirty minutes later she put a cable knit sweater into her bag, glanced at her watch and hightailed it down the street towards the market. There was just enough time to pick up the salad and wine, grab a cab back and be back before their guests were due to arrive.
Descending the long hill towards the Maritime Centre, she jumped at the blast of car horns. Turning around, she looked in horror as she saw a city bus, going too fast for the left hand turn, slam into a parked car, flip on it
s side, and slide down the hill.
The friction of metal on pavement filled the air with smoke. She hear
d
the screams of the passengers on the bus as it sped past her. Oncoming cars veered up on the sidewalk blasting their horns to warn the pedestrians.
Her eyes remained riveted on the bus
’s
collision path. Horror-struck, she
watched as
it t
ook on a life of its own, flying
through the intersection, taking curb, finally coming to a stop,
laying on its side,
like a broken toy, halfway up the concrete steps in front the of Centre.
The silence following the noise of the impact was as ominous as the sound of the bus’
s
screaming descent. She
pulled out her cell and began to run. Dialling 911, she found herself
unable to speak
and
hung up. Reaching the bottom of the hill, she
heard the first of the sirens. She wasn’t sure how long she stood and watched the rescue but when the last ambulance pulled away, she
headed for Catherine’s on foot. No cabs were available.
Forty minutes later, she turned onto her street and saw Eleanor step from a cab parked in front of the house. She hurr
ied
towards her.
“My God, what happened to you, Nora
?”
“
Th
ere was an accident. I’m not hurt but there are lots of people who are.”
“You’re in shock. You need a drink. Come on, let’s get inside.”
Nora allowed herself to be led as if she were a child. She fumbled inside her purse for the house key but Eleanor
had
reached for the handle and opened the door.