late, Angela, I appreciate it.”
He sat back in his chair. He felt a strange cramping in his stomach. It started with a mild twinge, but grew into an unbearable pain. He doubled over, crashing into his desk. The cup of tea careened onto the floor, breaking into pieces and scattering across the floor. His paperwork and folders flew onto the floor and spread over the tea.
Angela sat back in her chair and watched him with a small smile on her face. The tea was working. Soon Bradley would be coming to live with her forever.
Bradley looked up at her, pain evident in his eyes. “Call for help,” he whispered. “Call 911.”
She stood and went to his side. “It will take them too long to get here,” she said. “I’ll help you. My car is just downstairs.”
Sweat beaded on his forehead, his whole body felt clammy and he couldn’t keep anything in focus. But a quick drive to the hospital sounded like a good idea. He forced himself to stand. Angela put her arm around his waist and he leaned against her as he staggered across the room.
“Don’t worry, Bradley,” she said brightly. “Soon you won’t be feeling anything at all.”
Chapter 18
Mary looked at the clock and sighed. It was after nine, Bradley was probably not coming tonight. She looked down at her Chicago Police Department sweats and thought of the way Angela had dressed both times she had seen her, form fitting clothing, high heels, make-up and sex appeal.
Mary walked over to the mirror, looked at herself and sighed. She admitted that she was nice-looking, but definitely more apple pie and baseball than musky perfume and moonlit beaches. She lifted her hair up and piled it on top of her head, to see if a more sophisticated style suited her. She turned slightly to the left and then to the right to get a good view. Still not right. She sucked in her cheeks slightly and pursed her lips. She sighed. Oh, yeah, that’s the look. Really sexy. Mary O’Reilly sucking lemons.
She let her hair fall around her shoulders and shrugged. What you see is pretty much what you get, she thought. It had better be enough for you, Bradley Alden or I’ll kick your butt.
She grinned. “What man could resist that?”
Suddenly, Mary realized that she wasn’t the only one in the mirror. Jeannine had just appeared behind her. She quickly turned.
“He needs you, now,” Jeannine said urgently. “City hall. Quickly!”
Mary grabbed her purse and dashed out the door. She hopped into the Roadster and floored it, spinning in reverse and sliding onto the street. She shoved it into first gear and sped off down the street.
The roads were clear and, luckily, empty. Mary turned onto Empire Street and sped toward West Street. The light was turning yellow; Mary accelerated and just made the left onto West.
The speed limit was 30 mph on West, but she decided if she got caught speeding, she could bring them along to City Hall to help with Bradley. She turned on Highway 75 and slowed a little on the narrow residential street. She turned right onto Walnut Street; City Hall was only three blocks away. Mary fudged the last stop sign and slid into the parking spot for the Director of Community Relations, facing the wrong way on the side of the street.
She jumped out of the car and slid on the snow, only then realizing that she was still wearing her house slippers. She hurried across the sidewalk and to the side door to City Hall. She pushed on the door. It was locked. She was about to pound on it, when an unseen hand opened the door for her.
“Thanks, Jeannine,” she whispered and entered the building.
She took the stairs two at a time, but slowed at the top, not sure what she would find. She eased her way around the corner and saw Bradley draped over Angela. At first her heart clenched, thinking they were romantically entangled. But then she took a closer look and realized that Angela was half dragging Bradley out of his office.
She ran forward. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
He sat back in his chair. He felt a strange cramping in his stomach. It started with a mild twinge, but grew into an unbearable pain. He doubled over, crashing into his desk. The cup of tea careened onto the floor, breaking into pieces and scattering across the floor. His paperwork and folders flew onto the floor and spread over the tea.
Angela sat back in her chair and watched him with a small smile on her face. The tea was working. Soon Bradley would be coming to live with her forever.
Bradley looked up at her, pain evident in his eyes. “Call for help,” he whispered. “Call 911.”
She stood and went to his side. “It will take them too long to get here,” she said. “I’ll help you. My car is just downstairs.”
Sweat beaded on his forehead, his whole body felt clammy and he couldn’t keep anything in focus. But a quick drive to the hospital sounded like a good idea. He forced himself to stand. Angela put her arm around his waist and he leaned against her as he staggered across the room.
“Don’t worry, Bradley,” she said brightly. “Soon you won’t be feeling anything at all.”
Chapter 18
Mary looked at the clock and sighed. It was after nine, Bradley was probably not coming tonight. She looked down at her Chicago Police Department sweats and thought of the way Angela had dressed both times she had seen her, form fitting clothing, high heels, make-up and sex appeal.
Mary walked over to the mirror, looked at herself and sighed. She admitted that she was nice-looking, but definitely more apple pie and baseball than musky perfume and moonlit beaches. She lifted her hair up and piled it on top of her head, to see if a more sophisticated style suited her. She turned slightly to the left and then to the right to get a good view. Still not right. She sucked in her cheeks slightly and pursed her lips. She sighed. Oh, yeah, that’s the look. Really sexy. Mary O’Reilly sucking lemons.
She let her hair fall around her shoulders and shrugged. What you see is pretty much what you get, she thought. It had better be enough for you, Bradley Alden or I’ll kick your butt.
She grinned. “What man could resist that?”
Suddenly, Mary realized that she wasn’t the only one in the mirror. Jeannine had just appeared behind her. She quickly turned.
“He needs you, now,” Jeannine said urgently. “City hall. Quickly!”
Mary grabbed her purse and dashed out the door. She hopped into the Roadster and floored it, spinning in reverse and sliding onto the street. She shoved it into first gear and sped off down the street.
The roads were clear and, luckily, empty. Mary turned onto Empire Street and sped toward West Street. The light was turning yellow; Mary accelerated and just made the left onto West.
The speed limit was 30 mph on West, but she decided if she got caught speeding, she could bring them along to City Hall to help with Bradley. She turned on Highway 75 and slowed a little on the narrow residential street. She turned right onto Walnut Street; City Hall was only three blocks away. Mary fudged the last stop sign and slid into the parking spot for the Director of Community Relations, facing the wrong way on the side of the street.
She jumped out of the car and slid on the snow, only then realizing that she was still wearing her house slippers. She hurried across the sidewalk and to the side door to City Hall. She pushed on the door. It was locked. She was about to pound on it, when an unseen hand opened the door for her.
“Thanks, Jeannine,” she whispered and entered the building.
She took the stairs two at a time, but slowed at the top, not sure what she would find. She eased her way around the corner and saw Bradley draped over Angela. At first her heart clenched, thinking they were romantically entangled. But then she took a closer look and realized that Angela was half dragging Bradley out of his office.
She ran forward. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
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