doctors’ lounge. I knew where it was. Luke and I maneuvered our way through the gurneys and orderlies and stopped in front of the lounge. I took a deep, calming breath and stepped in.
Chuck sat at a small table in the middle of the room, sipping coffee. He hadn’t changed much. His brown hair was cut about an inch from his head and his hazel eyes were heavy with sleep. He’d lost a little weight. When I last saw him a beer belly was in the works. The change was probably Justine’s influence.
He didn’t smile when he saw us. I couldn’t remember him when he didn’t have a smile on his face. He was always so gregarious and fun-loving; though having the person you loved taken from you so violently wiped all remnants of a smile from your face. I could attest.
He appraised me, but the conclusion he drew didn’t show in his eyes. He slowly stood up from the table and walked over to me, completely ignoring Luke to my left. When he stood a foot away from me, he stopped. Then he did something I didn’t expect. He wrapped his arms around me, squeezing tight. I was shocked enough to stop breathing. Without realizing it, I hugged him back. We hugged for what felt like hours, but was really only a few seconds.
He broke away first. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I just…had to hug you.”
“It’s okay,” I chuckled. “I don’t mind.”
He half-smiled. “You look…” he began but trailed off.
“I know. I look like hell. Everyone keeps telling me.” I glanced at an uncomfortable Luke, then told Chuck, “You don’t look so hot yourself.”
“Well…” He shrugged his shoulders. We left it at that.
Luke, deciding it was time to end the love fest, took a step toward us. “Dr. Winkler, we just have a few follow-up questions for you.”
“Right.” Chuck gestured at the table for us to sit. I took the chair across from him, with Luke taking the seat next to him; he moved the chair closer to me. The few dinner parties I’d managed to put together with the four of us were always this awkward. Luke and Chuck never seemed to get on, which always puzzled me because Chuck liked everyone, but he never warmed up to Luke. They tried at the beginning, but later on Chuck just seemed to get colder and colder toward him. I never thought to ask why, and in the later years I just gave up. That air of frostiness filled the doctors’ lounge.
“How long were you and Dr. Romy dating?” Luke began.
“Six months,” Chuck said. “She actually asked
me
out.”
“I believe it,” I said with a smile. “You were always shy.”
Luke cleared his throat. We both glanced back to him. “In the past month or two did you notice anything out of the ordinary? Any strange men following you or her?”
“No, nothing. She would have told me if something was off.”
“Did she attend any medical conferences lately?” I asked.
“Not for about a year.”
“Did she go out of town at all?” Luke asked.
“No,” he answered, shaking his head.
“Have you ever heard the names Sarah Illes, Amanda Denker, or Patricia Curtis?”
“None of those are familiar, except from the news,” he said.
“Do you know of anybody who would want to hurt her? Old boyfriends? Disgruntled patients?”
“No.”
Luke let out an exasperated sigh and clicked the pen he was using to take notes shut. “You said you had new information for us,” Luke said, not veiling his annoyance.
“No,” Chuck countered, sounding equally annoyed, “I said I had
something
new for you. Do you want it or not?”
Both men glared at each other in a duel to see who was the more pissed off of the two. I jumped in before the fisticuffs began. “What do you have for us?”
They broke off the stare. Luke peered down at the floor, embarrassed he’d shown any emotion, let alone anger. Chuck chuckled uneasily. “I have some things she left over at my place in my car.”
“Why don’t I walk you to your car to get them,” I suggested. “Luke, I’ll meet you at
Chuck sat at a small table in the middle of the room, sipping coffee. He hadn’t changed much. His brown hair was cut about an inch from his head and his hazel eyes were heavy with sleep. He’d lost a little weight. When I last saw him a beer belly was in the works. The change was probably Justine’s influence.
He didn’t smile when he saw us. I couldn’t remember him when he didn’t have a smile on his face. He was always so gregarious and fun-loving; though having the person you loved taken from you so violently wiped all remnants of a smile from your face. I could attest.
He appraised me, but the conclusion he drew didn’t show in his eyes. He slowly stood up from the table and walked over to me, completely ignoring Luke to my left. When he stood a foot away from me, he stopped. Then he did something I didn’t expect. He wrapped his arms around me, squeezing tight. I was shocked enough to stop breathing. Without realizing it, I hugged him back. We hugged for what felt like hours, but was really only a few seconds.
He broke away first. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I just…had to hug you.”
“It’s okay,” I chuckled. “I don’t mind.”
He half-smiled. “You look…” he began but trailed off.
“I know. I look like hell. Everyone keeps telling me.” I glanced at an uncomfortable Luke, then told Chuck, “You don’t look so hot yourself.”
“Well…” He shrugged his shoulders. We left it at that.
Luke, deciding it was time to end the love fest, took a step toward us. “Dr. Winkler, we just have a few follow-up questions for you.”
“Right.” Chuck gestured at the table for us to sit. I took the chair across from him, with Luke taking the seat next to him; he moved the chair closer to me. The few dinner parties I’d managed to put together with the four of us were always this awkward. Luke and Chuck never seemed to get on, which always puzzled me because Chuck liked everyone, but he never warmed up to Luke. They tried at the beginning, but later on Chuck just seemed to get colder and colder toward him. I never thought to ask why, and in the later years I just gave up. That air of frostiness filled the doctors’ lounge.
“How long were you and Dr. Romy dating?” Luke began.
“Six months,” Chuck said. “She actually asked
me
out.”
“I believe it,” I said with a smile. “You were always shy.”
Luke cleared his throat. We both glanced back to him. “In the past month or two did you notice anything out of the ordinary? Any strange men following you or her?”
“No, nothing. She would have told me if something was off.”
“Did she attend any medical conferences lately?” I asked.
“Not for about a year.”
“Did she go out of town at all?” Luke asked.
“No,” he answered, shaking his head.
“Have you ever heard the names Sarah Illes, Amanda Denker, or Patricia Curtis?”
“None of those are familiar, except from the news,” he said.
“Do you know of anybody who would want to hurt her? Old boyfriends? Disgruntled patients?”
“No.”
Luke let out an exasperated sigh and clicked the pen he was using to take notes shut. “You said you had new information for us,” Luke said, not veiling his annoyance.
“No,” Chuck countered, sounding equally annoyed, “I said I had
something
new for you. Do you want it or not?”
Both men glared at each other in a duel to see who was the more pissed off of the two. I jumped in before the fisticuffs began. “What do you have for us?”
They broke off the stare. Luke peered down at the floor, embarrassed he’d shown any emotion, let alone anger. Chuck chuckled uneasily. “I have some things she left over at my place in my car.”
“Why don’t I walk you to your car to get them,” I suggested. “Luke, I’ll meet you at
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