Splintered Heart (29 page)

The chore was waiting.

...Connie. Susanne. Betts...
 
Each with her own perfume, and the batches of letters that she hadn't read.

...And what about Elena...

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Chapter 44

It was hard to associate Elena's condition in the hospital with the gentle, quiet artistic man who had been Marian's head writer for eight years, but all the evidence pointed to Victor Parsons.

When Victor answered his phone, the first thing he said was, "Ellie?"

"This is Marian Cooper calling, Victor."

"Mari, what a pleasure to hear your voice. I've been relishing, indeed, enjoying the concept of trees and roots!"

"Then Elena has been working with you?" Marian had forgotten how very British Victor sounded.

"I've been desperately trying to reach the dear girl all morning. She promised faithfully to ring me up, so we could set a time for the next session. How are you Mari? Ellie says FRE has twenty-two clients, you must be — "

"Victor, excuse me for interrupting. Did you work with Elena last night?"

"Great heavens, no! I had my two creative-writing classes to teach at the New School. Anyhow, last night was the 'fiancé' — Ellie never works on one of
 
his
 
nights!"

"Fiancé?"

"She's meeting his family, I do believe, making all the final nuptial arrangements."

"Are you sure?"

"I must confess, I was a bit taken aback — I thought Ellie was still intimately involved with her dentist friend."

"I didn't know she had a dentist 'friend'. I certainly know the dentist who takes care of her teeth..." Marian had sent Elena to Dr. Rothman.

"T'was a bit of sticky situation, he was married — I gather he expected her to be faithful."

"Dr. Rothman wanted her to be faithful?" He was seventy-three.

"'Rothman' — yes, that's the chap! Apparently Rothman wanted to wed her, but Ellie always says 'who wants to be married and faithful?' In fact, Ellie says Ceila and I are the only permanent happy couple she knows. Anyhow, the Dentist caught her with another friend so he popped her one in the eye."

"Rothman 'popped' Elena?" The story was so absurdly familiar, it was all she could do
 
not
 
to laugh.

"Surely you remember, Mari — my last day — Ellie with those nasty contusions around her eye?"

"Victor, what about your affair with Elena —?"

"My what? Me?" Through his cackles and guffaws he attempted to explain, "Can you picture me, Petruchio to her Kate? Good God, Ceila will expire laughing!"

"I thought, from what Elena said, that you and Elena..."

"Mari, you must have me confused with Dennis! I gather Dennis more than fills the bill in all departments."

"Dennis? The jogger — the one who likes natural foods?"

"A veritable Othello — I don't know about the jogging and the foods, but I've gathered he's a violently jealous type."

"I see."

"That's why I can't phone her. Our Ellie's a capricious Cleopatra, and quite as unpredictable, isn't she? If you do reach her, please remind her that I'm waiting to hear from her. We're supposed to have one more session on the speech."

"Yes, I'll let her know, next time I speak with her," Marian said, more perplexed at the end of the conversation than she'd been at the beginning.

Though it was mid afternoon, clearly the phone call had waked Dennis. He was sleepy and unfriendly but as soon as Marian said "Can you tell me how I can reach Elena Ortega," Dennis woke up, was gabbing away as if he and Marian were school chums.

"Let's face it, one never knows about Laney, she could be anywhere. I mean she's my dearest friend but she certainly doesn't tell me where she's spending the night! You did try to reach her the office I presume?"

"She's not at the office."

"Then she's probably still with her friend from California.

"From California? Mrs. Weidman —?" Marian knew her California client was arriving momentarily, to discuss the Luncheon plans.

"Weidman — yes, that's the name. He's got a suite at the
 
Plaza
 
Hotel
."

"That sounds right — Beth Weidman's at the
 
Plaza
, we made the reservation."

"Laney said something about a
 
him
, not a her. She raced off last night even before we finished dinner and it was one of her favorite dishes! A heavenly, fabuloso Sushi! You like Sushi?"

"Well — "

"It can be rather repulsive if it hasn't been marinated for at least forty-eight hours you know."

"No I didn't know — "

"My friend is a heavenly cook, he made it especially for Laney, she's a vegetarian you know. You're not one are you?"

"One what?"

"Vegetarian?"

"Dennis, did you see Elena last night?"

"Absolutely! She wolfed the Sushi down — she gorged — and then she dashed! Didn't even offer to help Chang clear the table. The way she flew out of here, she must have had a heavy date! You try the
 
Plaza
, maybe Laney and that California person had a late night!" Dennis tittered. "Or try Dr. Schenker — I've got the number somewhere around here, Laney keeps trying to get me into therapy. Here it is — 677-0992. If you do speak to the dear girl, tell her Chang and I aren't mad but we'll be out of town next week with Korishna.

"Korishna?"

"It's a religious group for gays — Laney will understand — just tell her we'll phone when we get back."

Dr. Schenker was a surprise. Not the accent — it was German-American voice with the typical intonation, but the pitch was...

"Doctor, could you spell your name for me — is it Shan-kar, Alec or Alex?" It was awkward but worth a try. The voice was mezzo soprano.

"S-c-h-e-n-k-e-r, Madame, and the first name is A-l-e-x-i-s. Many are confused by the name, but in Germany it is very common." The Doctor cleared
 
her
 
throat. "This patient you are inquiring about — are you sure you are calling the correct Doctor, the correct number?"

"Doctor, I'm sure this is the correct number." That "dear Alexis" was a woman was definitely a surprise. "Perhaps Elena Ortega is using one of her other names."

It took a few moments — Marian identifying herself, the Doctor somewhat reluctantly identifying the patient as "Lena Dortszynski." But after Marian described Lena's condition and the concern of police and hospital, the Doctor was cooperative. "Not to worry, Mrs. Cooper. Our Lena-Elena is not an addict. The incident is clearly the result of some intra-personal exchange, an erotic experiment perhaps."

"'
Intra-personal
 
erotic
 
experiment'?"

"It will be very interesting to see how Lena handles the problem with the police, if our Lena can assert herself and respond to their aggressive behavior, it will be a significant step forward."

"Forward?"

"Our Lena is attempting to change her life patterns. We have here a remarkably persistent young woman, with a fantasy problem."

"Fantasy problem?" Marian could only echo and repeat the phrases.

The terms the Doctor used —
 
masochist tendencies, childish regression, sexual dysfunction
 
— it was as if the Doctor were describing another person. Elena/Lena's adventures were not wild, mad, passionate romances. They were one-night stands with blue collar workers — brick layers, truck drivers, men she generally picked up at bars. Lena's heritage was not South American nobility. It was Russian-American, Jewish immigrant and she still lived with her family in Bayonne, New Jersey.

Suddenly the black eye, the hundred other little things that had never quite added up, began to make sense. It was an amazing fiction that Elena had created. And what was even more amazing was how convincingly the fiction had passed for the truth.

"The extreme violence is interesting — " The Doctor was saying. "This 'accident' may be Lena's way of showing the Doctor that the child is ready to become a grown up girl. Indeed, Lena may be beginning the process of terminating her therapy."

"You mean what's happened to Elena could possibly be a sign of good mental health?"

"Precisely. Mrs. Cooper, ordinarily these things you and I discuss are confidential, but I sense your 'persona' Mrs. Cooper.
 
You
 
have a powerful need here.
 
You
 
must examine your own ambivalent feelings about your father and your mother, then, perhaps you can come to terms with these sexual-maternal emotions that are so focused on another young woman. If I may suggest, there is a new group which I will be forming next month. Perhaps you may want to attend a few sessions yourself?"

"Dr. Alexis, if I find I can't handle my maternal emotions in the next month," Marian said in politest tones, "I'll certainly give you a call."

Long after the conversation, Marian was still shaking her head, mumbling and sputtering.

...Lena, Laney, Ellie — no one probably really knows her — she just keeps making herself over to impress her friends and lovers...Well whoever she is, dammit, I hate her ...

Once the words were out, it was laundry on line, drying out in the fresh air and Marian was wondering if she, herself, and the real Elena didn't have a great deal in common after all. Weren't they both trying hard to make themselves into an ideal creature — the Princess who was worthy of a handsome Prince's love?

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Chapter 45

Marian sat in Ferris' executive chair, with the box of letters in her lap. She knew she was holding
 
Pandora's box
. It was a legend Marian remembered well. While Anatol was reading her the story, she'd squirmed in the chair, crossing her fingers and her legs, thinking — "Don't do it, don't open it Pandora!"

When Anatol came to the part about the evil bats and winged black creatures that had flown out to torment the poor lady, little Marian wasn't surprised. "I knew what was going to happen, Daddy. I could have told her not to open that box!"

Connie
. Her letter had referred to a weekend in a Philadelphia hotel.

Susanne.
 
She was somebody's secretary who had been at a conference.

Betts.
 
It might have been platonic. She was a college teacher who'd been in town for vacation.

Kikki...
 
Marian read a part of the letter and realized it was an old letter, an old flame from his college days. Then, Marian picked up a letter signed
 
Georgianna
, but after reading "Dearest Ferris," she put it down.

...Is this going to be a daily-nightly recreation? Wondering? Picturing him with other women...?

...What do I do?

...Get a drink? Take out the two batches of letters I haven't read, take off the rubber bands, go through every single letter...?

...Or shove it all back into the shoe box? Put the box back in the drawer where it belongs...

Marian didn't know what to do, so she left it the way it was, didn't even bother to move his chair back, just went out of the room and closed the door to his study.

Marian moved a chair next to the hospital bed so she could hold her mother's hand and watch Mamma's eyes.

"I just dropped in to say hello on the way to the office. We've got a personnel problem. One of my employees is out sick. I'll probably have to go to California in June."

Marian could see that Mamma was trying to say something so she tried to supply the information that would answer the questions that Mamma probably wanted to ask. "You're wondering when Ferris is going to visit? He's still down south doing research. Ferris is just about ready to make some major decisions in his business Mamma. And I've got some major decisions to make too."

There were raspy sounds. Mamma sounded as if she was saying something about her shoe — that it needed to be shined. Or maybe she was asking about Ralph. "Dr. DeLisio didn't have anything new to tell us. Ralph isn't any better, but he isn't any worse, either. We're all on a holding pattern, aren't we?" She was talking about Ralph, Ferris and herself as well.

Hannah gave her a sharp and steady look.

"Mamma, I can't let you move into my maid's room Mamma. For the time being, you're going to be living in the Highland Nursing Home."

"Pearls," Mamma said, articulating the word clearly.

"You mean you want your pearls?" As soon as Marian said it, she knew pearls had to mean something else. "The room at the nursing home is nice — you'll have privacy. There's a garden, you'll be able to go for walks. We'll visit you, it's only a half an hour from here."

"My pearls." Mamma made a strange mewing sound.