Another Deception (14 page)

“I do not care who you are, get your hands off me. Where are my clothes?”

     The nurse calmly explained,

“I am so sorry Pastor…Mr.
Jacks,
your clothes are not here. You were in an accident and they were ruined, but we will get you something else to wear if you calm down and let me get the doctor. We do not want you to injure yourself by falling, now do we?”

“Accident, what accident?”

     Confusion clouded his eyes as he immediately turned docile and allowed her to sit him on the bed. He had to admit he did feel a little weak and shaken.

“I do not remember any accident.”

     Dwight exchanged looks with the nurse and she shook her head.

“It is all okay man, you do know me but don’t worry,
it
will all come back to you. Just lay back now and take it easy. The nurse needs to get your vitals, okay?”

     Surprisingly, Jacks obeyed and lay back on the pillow. He felt so tired…

“Alright, I don’t feel so good.”

     He lay still while the nurse put the blood pressure cuff on his arm and stuck a thermometer under his tongue. As soon as she removed it, he asked,

“What sort of accident?”

“You were sideswiped by a car. It was not so bad though and you are going to be fine. You just need to take things easy for a bit and let us take care of you.”

     After she checked everything making sure her patient was going to stay put, she raised the rails.

“There, just so you do not roll off this bed. You have to get your strength back. The doctor will be here directly and I am sure he will let you go as soon as he makes sure you are ready.”

      Jacks nodded and looked past her at Dwight.

“Was it bad enough to call a minister and a guard?”

      Dwight responded,

“Just a precaution on the guard’s part and me…well, I was close by.”

     He wanted to avoid telling him any details, unsure as to how he would handle it.

     The nurse, satisfied that her patient was in no physical danger and seemed fine aside from his obvious confusion, said with her professional bedside manner evident,

“Now you take it easy sweetie and rest. The pastor will stay with you while I go see where the doctor is on his rounds coming this way.”

     Dwight gave a nod of approval as she left taking the guard with her to stand his post outside the door. After the door closed, he pulled a chair up close to the bed and sat quietly while Jacks looked annoyed. A few minutes went by before he finally said,

“There is no need for you to stay, you can go too.”

     Dwight said patiently,

“I would like to stay if you don’t mind. We should talk. There are things you need to know.”

“Like what? Wait, will you make a phone call for me?”

“Who do you want to call?”

     Dwight was hoping to hear Honey’s name but instead Jacks insisted that he call Sheila, his secretary.

“Where is my phone, her number is in it.”

    Anna had left the phone in the bedside table and Dwight took it out. However, he knew this was just going to confuse Jacks even more so he suggested,

“It is terribly early to wake someone up, are you sure? It is barely six-thirty.”

“I guess you are right. There is someone else I know will be up though, and she will not mind going to my apartment and bringing me some clothes. Look for Sang-mi on there.”

     Dwight scrolled down to where the name was and knowing there would be no answer, he called her number and gave Jacks the phone.

“She is not answering. She should be up. The restaurant…something is not right, is it? My head hurts…there is something wrong…what is it? Why
can’t
I remember? Tell me, I know you know. Who did you say you were? I do know you. How do I know you?”

     Dwight calmly replied,

“Yes you do, but do not force it. Rest and we can talk later. I promise, I will tell you everything after you rest.”

     Jacks squeezed his eyes tight as if he was trying hard to remember and somewhere deep down inside he thought of praying and could not understand, for he hated the very idea of Christianity. The urge would not go away. The name Jesus rumbled louder and louder in his head until he almost shouted,

“Jesus!”

     Trying to sit up in the bed, he looked around like a maniac.

“Oh my God, Sang-mi is dead isn’t she? And…and…”

     Dwight was also praying furiously inside but kept silent for as painful as it was going to be, Jacks must remember.

“You…you, something I have to remember about you. What is it? What is it?”

     Jacks held his head in his hands.

“Oh God, how it hurts…it is all mixed up…Sang-mi…the funeral… I was not alone though…who is the woman…tell me who the woman is!”

“You need to remember on your own Jacks, I am sorry.”

“My head…I can’t take it…my head…help me get these blasted rails down!”

“
Shhhh
!
You will have the guard back in here! Lie back and take it easy and maybe it will all come back to you. You must be still.”

     Jacks reluctantly did as Dwight said. The pain in his head eased and calm flowed over his body. He stayed so still and quiet that he dozed into a restless sleep with dreams of a golden haired woman whose face he did not recognize, floating in and out as if trying to force him to remember. When he did wake back up a few minutes later, his eyes flew wide open, and he groaned like a dying person.

“Honey!”

     Dwight knew he was remembering and said softly,

“Yes, her name is Honey.”

“She is not dead, I would know if she were dead.”

     Why she was important to him, he could not remember, but he knew she was. He did not understand for he never had known anyone by such a name.

“No, she is going to be fine Jacks.”

“I am confused, please, help me. I know you are someone I know but I am so confused. I have no idea of when we met or even how I would come to know a minister.”

“Then you should know you can trust me. Do you trust me?”

“I think so, no I know I can. Yes, for some odd reason I do know that I can trust you.”

“Then listen to me. This is very important. Do not let anyone else know that you are having memories of anything past your last court day in New York. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, but I do not remember, just bits and pieces.”

“I know, but it will all straighten itself out in time. Everyone must think you remember nothing! It is too dangerous, for you and Honey.”

“She is important to me, I can feel it. Why is she so important to me, can’t you at least tell me that?”

     Dwight struggled with wanting to tell him and knowing it could backfire. However, if he told Jacks this, it might be the key to the rest following, so he decided to risk it.

“Honey is your wife.”

     Jacks looked stunned and Dwight reminded him,

“Remember, you have to act as if you do not remember anything, you hear me?”

“My wife?
I have a
wife?
I am
married
?”

“Yes, but we will talk more about that later. Right now I want to make sure you understand that when the doctor comes in here how important it is that you tell him you remember nothing past the last time you left that court house!”

     Jacks nodded, still reeling from the fact that he had a wife. There was urgency in Dwight’s tone, which caused him to feel somber, and when the doctor came in shortly after that, he had no trouble feigning a lapse of memory.

    The doctor checked Jacks over and was satisfied that he was doing well but for the memory loss, which he explained to Dwight privately, was due to the
Sotiaturon
given in the shot.

    It was his guess that he would never regain his short-term memory loss and saw no reason to keep him any longer.  He ordered a few more test and said if they came back good in the afternoon, he would release him.

     Later in the morning, yet still early, both Detectives arrived, thrilled that Jacks was awake but daunted by the fact he remembered nothing of the accident. Not only did he not remember the funeral and accident, he did not have to pretend to have no recollection of Cranford, which came as a surprise to the detective. Frank on the other hand, was not surprised at all and doubted he ever would regain the memories lost. It was unfortunate the people got to him like that, but he would not let this detour his own plans. He surprised them all by boldly asking Jacks,

“Would you show me the birthmark you have?”

“How do you know I have one?”

“It was in the reports. I would like to see it.”

“No, I don’t think so.”

      And, in an attempt at humor said,

“You are not a woman…what reports?”

      Dwight was afraid the detective was leading to more questions from Jacks and quickly insisted,

“I do not think we need to go into all that, do we? The report from the accident may have mentioned it.”

“Oh gee. Nice to know I was looked at so closely.”

      Frank looked amused and conceded to those feelings but still persisted,

“When you are better maybe you will reconsider.”

     He was disappointed when he left with Cranford but he was already sure it would prove him to be right about who Jacks was.

     Because of the test ordered, it was in the afternoon before Dwight had the opportunity to be alone with Jacks again. By that time, he was still sketchy at best with the memories he was having and none of them made sense. He felt that he should remember Dwight, but for the life of him, he could not remember how and under what circumstances.

     Honey, while he felt the importance of her, was only a vague memory and he could not even fathom having a wife. He remembered a funeral, which he knew must have been Sang-mi’s and a fresh wave of grief consumed him just to think he would never see her sweet face again.

      Someone brought clothing so Jacks could dress, as the doctor, after looking over the test results, saw no physical reason to keep him. As soon as the paper work was ready, Dwight intended on taking him to
Sang-mi’s
. The police were finished with their work there and Anna hired a crew to clean the place up and set things in order. She insisted they stay there, just as Sang-mi would have wanted.

     Dwight felt some guilt about Honey but it was best Jacks not know she was involved in the accident and still at the hospital. He intended to go back to be with her as soon as he got Jacks settled. Cranford was having Sang-mi’s place patrolled often, so Jacks would be safe for the time being. He also had a long conversation with Sheila and felt her concern but assured her everything would be fine. As far as she knew, the accident was just that, an accident. He fully intended to tell her everything when he returned home. 

   What he did not suspect was that she read more in to what he did tell her and immediately after she got off the phone with him, she was arranging to join him in New York. She knew he would not approve of her plans but asked Mildred to watch Gem and determined to go. She packed and after Gem was safely at Mildred’s home, she headed for the airport.

     Her mind was never far from the last time the four of them were in New York and the memories dangled before her as she shuddered at the thought of the ones of her former husband and the evil, which had surrounded him, his inexplicable death, and the horrible old man, Asa. She had an eerie feeling that her husband was keeping something from her. She pushed the ominous thoughts away from her mind, trying to concentrate on happier things.

     As she boarded the plane for the direct flight to New York, she forced herself to read a book she brought with her. It was light, funny and entertaining the entire flight so that before she realized it, the plane had landed and she shuffled off it along with a rush of other people.

     Once she was outside the airport, she again took a deep breath and willed away the past horrors of the last time she took a cab in the city. This time it would be different, she was thinking as she hailed the next one in line. Still, she was relieved when the car pulled up in front of the hospital and she prepared to face her husband, who she knew was not going to be happy with her.

17

“
M
ildred!
Hi…
it is Jean. Can you hear me? Yes, I hear you fine. Yes, the book is on schedule and I will be home soon. Do I hear Gem? You must be babysitting! How is Sheila doing with her…you know…pregnancy? Oh, that is good. Why did you say she went to New York?
Honey and Jacks?
No! How bad?
Dear Lord!
Did she say what hospital?  That is okay, I will look it up. No, no, I am only a forty-minute drive from there.  Really, Mildred, New York is just down the mountain... I will be careful and I will call you as soon as I get an update….love you…
bye
now.”