like it,” I said. “Then we
don’t have to worry about losing them. We can follow at a
distance.”
“ That’s right. We’ll need another
driver. I was thinking we could ask Cindy.”
“ I’m not so sure that’s a good
idea,” I said. “You know stress makes her symptoms
worse.”
“ I know but this won’t be a big
deal.”
“ I hope you’re right,” I said. “I
can just picture her losing it and standing in the middle of the
road blabbing about snakes. Are you going to have to go out of town
to follow up on what Lionel comes up with?”
“ Probably. Marian told me she was
born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky. I’m sure I’ll start there.
She was very vague about where she lived before she moved to
Alton.”
“ Maybe this is a blessing in
disguise,” I said. “You know, we’d be branching out a little bit.
That might be a good thing.”
“ I was thinking the same thing.
I’ve started wondering if following comp cheats will get old after
awhile.”
We both stopped talking when we heard the office
phone ring. We could hear Crazy Cindy talking to someone and then
the phone on the desk buzzed. Roni hit the speaker button and we
heard Cindy say. “Roni, it’s Lionel Phelps.”
“ Hi Lionel,” Roni said as she
picked up the phone. “My partner Kitty is here. Is it OK if I put
you on speaker phone?”
“ Sure,” Lionel said as his voice
boomed in the room. “I’ve got some initial information on Marian
Cirillo. I’ll fax it over when we get done talking.”
“ That sounds great Lionel,” Roni
said. “What have you come up with?”
“ It’s interesting,” Lionel said.
“I think you’re definitely going to want to follow up on this
stuff.”
“ What do you mean?” Roni
asked.
“ Without going into all the
details on the phone,” he said. “Marian has been married six times
including your dad and it seems like it’s not good for your health
to be married to Marian. Beside your dad, only one of her husbands
is still alive.”
Chapter Nineteen
Another day, that’s the thought that ran through
Brad Henry’s mind as he watched the sun slowly rise. Brad Henry
spent increasing amounts of time letting his consciousness drift to
his alternate reality where he existed as a whole man and time
stopped the day before his fall. The world he created remained
sunny, warm, and free of the usual constraints life imposed on
everyone else.
Brad’s psychiatrist, Dr. Jake Weber, visited twice a
day though Brad managed to tune out most of his well-intentioned
suggestions and adamantly refused the antidepressants he ordered.
The man’s innate kindness and compassion only intensified Brad’s
rage. If this was a test of wills, Brad was determined to have the
dubious distinction of being the winner. His transfer to the
rehabilitation unit was imminent; Brad figured he might as well go
although he already had decided not to participate in any
meaningful way.
Roni Edelin had been a pesky little thorn in Brad’s
plan from the first time she walked into his room. He had to admire
her tenacity and innate ability to cut through the bullshit. She
was the only one keeping him from completely sliding into his other
world. His wife, Jennifer, couldn’t understand that she represented
everything he felt he had lost, which made it imperative he totally
ignore her.
Brad was pretending to be asleep while he worked the
high iron. In this dimension, he was able to fly from one beam to
the next and falling produced no adverse consequences. It was
exhilarating with the wind billowing and blowing him back and forth
as he danced through the puffy, white clouds.
A swooshing sound accompanied the booming voice.
“Hey, asshole, wake up.”
Startled, Brad opened his eyes and stared at the
wheelchair bound man glaring at him. No one had dared to utter a
single even remotely unkind word to Brad since his injury. As the
days passed, his behavior more closely resembled that of an
out-of-control toddler
don’t have to worry about losing them. We can follow at a
distance.”
“ That’s right. We’ll need another
driver. I was thinking we could ask Cindy.”
“ I’m not so sure that’s a good
idea,” I said. “You know stress makes her symptoms
worse.”
“ I know but this won’t be a big
deal.”
“ I hope you’re right,” I said. “I
can just picture her losing it and standing in the middle of the
road blabbing about snakes. Are you going to have to go out of town
to follow up on what Lionel comes up with?”
“ Probably. Marian told me she was
born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky. I’m sure I’ll start there.
She was very vague about where she lived before she moved to
Alton.”
“ Maybe this is a blessing in
disguise,” I said. “You know, we’d be branching out a little bit.
That might be a good thing.”
“ I was thinking the same thing.
I’ve started wondering if following comp cheats will get old after
awhile.”
We both stopped talking when we heard the office
phone ring. We could hear Crazy Cindy talking to someone and then
the phone on the desk buzzed. Roni hit the speaker button and we
heard Cindy say. “Roni, it’s Lionel Phelps.”
“ Hi Lionel,” Roni said as she
picked up the phone. “My partner Kitty is here. Is it OK if I put
you on speaker phone?”
“ Sure,” Lionel said as his voice
boomed in the room. “I’ve got some initial information on Marian
Cirillo. I’ll fax it over when we get done talking.”
“ That sounds great Lionel,” Roni
said. “What have you come up with?”
“ It’s interesting,” Lionel said.
“I think you’re definitely going to want to follow up on this
stuff.”
“ What do you mean?” Roni
asked.
“ Without going into all the
details on the phone,” he said. “Marian has been married six times
including your dad and it seems like it’s not good for your health
to be married to Marian. Beside your dad, only one of her husbands
is still alive.”
Chapter Nineteen
Another day, that’s the thought that ran through
Brad Henry’s mind as he watched the sun slowly rise. Brad Henry
spent increasing amounts of time letting his consciousness drift to
his alternate reality where he existed as a whole man and time
stopped the day before his fall. The world he created remained
sunny, warm, and free of the usual constraints life imposed on
everyone else.
Brad’s psychiatrist, Dr. Jake Weber, visited twice a
day though Brad managed to tune out most of his well-intentioned
suggestions and adamantly refused the antidepressants he ordered.
The man’s innate kindness and compassion only intensified Brad’s
rage. If this was a test of wills, Brad was determined to have the
dubious distinction of being the winner. His transfer to the
rehabilitation unit was imminent; Brad figured he might as well go
although he already had decided not to participate in any
meaningful way.
Roni Edelin had been a pesky little thorn in Brad’s
plan from the first time she walked into his room. He had to admire
her tenacity and innate ability to cut through the bullshit. She
was the only one keeping him from completely sliding into his other
world. His wife, Jennifer, couldn’t understand that she represented
everything he felt he had lost, which made it imperative he totally
ignore her.
Brad was pretending to be asleep while he worked the
high iron. In this dimension, he was able to fly from one beam to
the next and falling produced no adverse consequences. It was
exhilarating with the wind billowing and blowing him back and forth
as he danced through the puffy, white clouds.
A swooshing sound accompanied the booming voice.
“Hey, asshole, wake up.”
Startled, Brad opened his eyes and stared at the
wheelchair bound man glaring at him. No one had dared to utter a
single even remotely unkind word to Brad since his injury. As the
days passed, his behavior more closely resembled that of an
out-of-control toddler
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