nostrils. “Is he
hiding inside the house again?” Peg asked Ivy.
Ivy shook her head but didn’t
answer.
“Hello?” Peg waved at her, smoke trailing
from the long cigarette.
Ivy startled, finally looking at the
woman again. “I don’t have anything
to say to you,” she replied. And
then she stood up and began trying to leave.
Peg reached out and grabbed for her
arm. “Don’t go,” she pleaded.
“Don’t touch me.”
“I’m sorry,” Peg said. “I’m just desperate.”
Join
the club , Ivy thought. “Cullen’s not home right now. And he’s not coming back anytime soon…”
“Sorry if I’ve inconvenienced you,” Peg
said, pulling her glasses off and revealing two weary eyes with dark bags under
them. The woman looked as though
she hadn’t slept a wink in weeks. “But you have to listen to me. My sister needs his help.”
“You need to stop harassing him,” Ivy
told her. “And besides, he’s not
here—“
“I’ll wait until he returns.”
“Why can’t you go and bother some other
doctor?” Ivy said, her voice rising. “And good luck waiting for him to come back. You’ll be waiting a long time—“
She caught herself and stopped talking
immediately.
“Look, I know you have no idea who I
am. I’m a total stranger,” Peg
continued, smiling and taking quick drag from her cigarette. “But maybe, just maybe—if you gave
me a chance, I could help you.”
“Help me?” Ivy said, frowning
skeptically. “How could you help
me?”
“It’s obvious that you’re in distress,”
the woman said. “I’m in the same
club. It’s easy to recognize a
fellow sufferer. You’re terrified
and you don’t know what to do.”
Ivy was surprised. “Well, even if you’re correct about
me…you have no way of helping anything.”
“Try me. What do you have to lose?”
Ivy shook her head. “Anything you do for me is only to get
Cullen to help with your sister’s surgery.”
“So what?” Peg shouted. “That’s how things work. People scratch each other’s backs. Now if I can help your situation, then
all I ask is that you try your best to put in a good word for me.”
“You can’t help. The mere thought of it is ridiculous.”
“You might be surprised,” Peg said,
folding her arms. “Why don’t you
tell me why I came here and found you crying on Cullen Sharpe’s front steps?”
Ivy sighed. She thought about it. What did she really have to lose by telling
this woman what had happened to Cullen? His arrest would soon be public knowledge in any event, so there was no
reason to be coy.
“Cullen’s been arrested,” Ivy said.
“Arrested,” Peg Woodhouse said
thoughtfully, and began pacing in a small circle in front of his home. “Arrested for something serious? DUI? Disorderly conduct? What?”
“It’s complicated,” Ivy said. “I can’t get into details. Let’s just say, it’s serious enough that
I can’t say when he’ll be released, or even if he’ll be released.”
“Of course he’ll be released. And I’m fairly certain Cullen Sharpe can
afford all the lawyers he needs,” Peg told her.
“They might not even set bail. He could be considered a flight
risk.” Ivy took a deep breath and
closed her eyes. “I can’t tell you any
more and I shouldn’t have even said that much.” She opened her eyes. “I’m so sorry about your sister, and
believe me—I wish I could help. But I can’t.”
She turned and started to walk away,
planning to call her mother and see if she couldn’t throw herself on her
mercy.
I
could promise to come home and live in her house and never speak to Cullen
again if she’ll just agree to go and tell the police she lied to them…
Ivy was already planning her new
strategy, when Peg called after her.
“I think I can help you!” Peg yelled out.
Ivy stopped in her tracks.
hiding inside the house again?” Peg asked Ivy.
Ivy shook her head but didn’t
answer.
“Hello?” Peg waved at her, smoke trailing
from the long cigarette.
Ivy startled, finally looking at the
woman again. “I don’t have anything
to say to you,” she replied. And
then she stood up and began trying to leave.
Peg reached out and grabbed for her
arm. “Don’t go,” she pleaded.
“Don’t touch me.”
“I’m sorry,” Peg said. “I’m just desperate.”
Join
the club , Ivy thought. “Cullen’s not home right now. And he’s not coming back anytime soon…”
“Sorry if I’ve inconvenienced you,” Peg
said, pulling her glasses off and revealing two weary eyes with dark bags under
them. The woman looked as though
she hadn’t slept a wink in weeks. “But you have to listen to me. My sister needs his help.”
“You need to stop harassing him,” Ivy
told her. “And besides, he’s not
here—“
“I’ll wait until he returns.”
“Why can’t you go and bother some other
doctor?” Ivy said, her voice rising. “And good luck waiting for him to come back. You’ll be waiting a long time—“
She caught herself and stopped talking
immediately.
“Look, I know you have no idea who I
am. I’m a total stranger,” Peg
continued, smiling and taking quick drag from her cigarette. “But maybe, just maybe—if you gave
me a chance, I could help you.”
“Help me?” Ivy said, frowning
skeptically. “How could you help
me?”
“It’s obvious that you’re in distress,”
the woman said. “I’m in the same
club. It’s easy to recognize a
fellow sufferer. You’re terrified
and you don’t know what to do.”
Ivy was surprised. “Well, even if you’re correct about
me…you have no way of helping anything.”
“Try me. What do you have to lose?”
Ivy shook her head. “Anything you do for me is only to get
Cullen to help with your sister’s surgery.”
“So what?” Peg shouted. “That’s how things work. People scratch each other’s backs. Now if I can help your situation, then
all I ask is that you try your best to put in a good word for me.”
“You can’t help. The mere thought of it is ridiculous.”
“You might be surprised,” Peg said,
folding her arms. “Why don’t you
tell me why I came here and found you crying on Cullen Sharpe’s front steps?”
Ivy sighed. She thought about it. What did she really have to lose by telling
this woman what had happened to Cullen? His arrest would soon be public knowledge in any event, so there was no
reason to be coy.
“Cullen’s been arrested,” Ivy said.
“Arrested,” Peg Woodhouse said
thoughtfully, and began pacing in a small circle in front of his home. “Arrested for something serious? DUI? Disorderly conduct? What?”
“It’s complicated,” Ivy said. “I can’t get into details. Let’s just say, it’s serious enough that
I can’t say when he’ll be released, or even if he’ll be released.”
“Of course he’ll be released. And I’m fairly certain Cullen Sharpe can
afford all the lawyers he needs,” Peg told her.
“They might not even set bail. He could be considered a flight
risk.” Ivy took a deep breath and
closed her eyes. “I can’t tell you any
more and I shouldn’t have even said that much.” She opened her eyes. “I’m so sorry about your sister, and
believe me—I wish I could help. But I can’t.”
She turned and started to walk away,
planning to call her mother and see if she couldn’t throw herself on her
mercy.
I
could promise to come home and live in her house and never speak to Cullen
again if she’ll just agree to go and tell the police she lied to them…
Ivy was already planning her new
strategy, when Peg called after her.
“I think I can help you!” Peg yelled out.
Ivy stopped in her tracks.
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