Life Support (12 page)

Alexia got off the elevator. A sign on the wall directed her to the ICU waiting area. She pushed open the door and saw an expensively dressed young woman with blonde hair talking in an animated way to a medium height, pudgy man wearing a brown, wrinkled suit and green tie. Alexia walked quickly over to her.

“Excuse me,” Alexia said, “are you Rena Richardson?”

Startled, the woman shifted her eyes from the man to Alexia.

“Yes.”

Alexia extended her hand. “I'm Alexia Lindale, a lawyer with Leggitt & Freeman in Santee. I'm here to help you.”

“You're my lawyer?” Rena asked.

Alexia repeated her instructions. “Our firm represents you and your husband's family. We learned about the accident, and I came up to help.”

Alexia turned toward the bald man and saw the scar on his face. The detective spoke first.

“Ms. Lindale, I'm Detective Giles Porter with the Mitchell County Sheriff 's Department. I made the initial contact with Mrs. Richardson and helped transport her to our local hospital for medical care while a helicopter flew her husband here to Greenville.”

Alexia shook the detective's outstretched hand.

Rena turned toward Porter and spoke with an edge in her voice. “That's enough questions for now. My husband is on life support, and I have some difficult decisions to make without the distractions of being interrogated. I told you everything I know yesterday.”

“I'm not interrogating you, Mrs. Richardson,” Porter said in a slow voice. “But I have a few more questions to ask before I file my incident report.”

Rena shook her head. “You've already asked a lot more than a few questions. I need a break. I can't think straight.”

Hearing the tension in Rena's voice, Alexia stepped in. “Could it wait, detective? I haven't had a chance to talk with my client.”

The detective touched the place over his left eye where his scar began. “I'd like to finish my investigation so I don't have to make another trip. I only have a few more questions.”

“That's what he always says,” Rena interjected.

“What kind of questions?” Alexia asked sharply.

“About Mrs. Richardson's conduct after her husband fell.”

“I can't remember anything else,” Rena said. “I told you everything yesterday and again today. Leave me alone! I don't want you in my face every time I turn around!”

“I'm not trying to be difficult, Mrs. Richardson, but I have a job to do.”

Alexia spoke. “Is she under criminal suspicion?”

Porter looked directly at Rena when he answered. “Maybe.”

Rena's face went white. “No!” she shouted.

Alexia stepped back. The hospital worker sitting at the desk glanced up. Porter didn't budge.

“You can't do this to me!” Rena cried out. She grabbed Alexia's arm. “Please, help me!”

Since totally focusing her practice on divorce cases, Alexia hadn't handled any criminal cases, but she knew Rena Richardson was in no condition to answer questions about anything. She touched Rena's shoulder.

“Please, go sit down. I'll be with you in a minute.”

Rena fled across the room to a chair where she buried her head in her hands.

Alexia faced the detective. “What's going on here?” she demanded.

“Just doing my job. Mrs. Richardson made statements about the incident that are inconsistent with the facts.”

“What kind of statements?”

“I'd rather not go into that right now,” Porter responded dryly. “I don't see any benefit to talking to you if your client isn't going to talk to me.”

Alexia felt a flush of anger at the man's attitude. Porter gazed back impassively.

Alexia spoke in a soft but intense voice. “I'm going to advise my client not to answer any more questions at this time. She's obviously distraught. If you give me your card, I'll call you later so we can discuss the matter more fully.”

Porter took out a card and handed it to her. “Suit yourself. But I want to talk to her, not you.”

Alexia handed the card back to the detective. “Then here's your card. I won't be calling you. There's no sense in wasting our time in a pointless discussion.”

Porter shook his head. “No, keep it. May I have one of yours?”

Alexia passed one to him. He glanced at it and put it in his shirt pocket.

“You know, Mrs. Richardson has been hiking in those woods all her life,” Porter said. “She didn't tell me, but I found out that her maiden name was Callahan. After her mother died, she lived with her stepfather in a bend in the road called Nichol's Gap.”

Alexia didn't respond. There was something inherently accusatory in the way the detective spoke. He made it sound as if growing up in Nichol's Gap with the name Callahan was a criminal act. Alexia could understand why Rena Richardson didn't want to talk to him.

“I hope your client's husband makes it,” he continued. “He took quite a fall. He's lucky to be alive. If he comes around, I'd like to talk to him.”

“That will be up to him.”

Porter straightened his tie, but it remained crooked. “I hope you'll suggest that the family keep a close watch on Baxter. He's been through a lot. He may be in a coma now, but the human body has a remarkable way of coming back. I'd hate for anything to stand in the way of a full recovery.”

“I'm sure the family will see that he receives the best medical care available.”

Porter nodded. “Of course. I'm sure they will.”

As soon as the detective left, Alexia went over to Rena. She was still crying.

“I'm sorry about that,” Alexia said.

Rena spoke through sobs. “That horrible man has been bothering me ever since they found me on the road in the forest. I know I shouldn't have yelled, but the past twenty-four hours have been a nightmare, and I couldn't take it anymore. ” She dried her eyes. “What did you tell him?”

“To leave you alone. You can tell someone like him the truth, and he would make you think it was a lie. I can see why he upset you.”

Rena looked up and dried her eyes with a tissue. “That's exactly how I felt. I told him exactly what happened, but he wanted to twist it around and make me think I was lying.” Rena's chest heaved one more time, and her voice trembled. “Is he going to arrest me?”

Alexia wanted to reassure the young woman without making any guarantees. “I don't know, but I think he's just fishing for information. Was anyone else with you and Baxter on the hike?”

“No.”

“Did you see other people?”

“No. The trail was deserted.”

Alexia thought for a moment. “He's suspicious because that's his job, but you probably don't have anything to fear. If he comes back, don't talk to him. He'll just try to twist your words.”

Rena rubbed her eyes. “Okay. I'm so glad you came when you did. I need somebody I can trust.”

“That's one reason that I'm here.”

Alexia waited for Rena to regain her composure.

“Has your family been to the hospital?” Alexia asked.

“What about my family?” Rena responded sharply.

“The detective said you grew up in this area. He said your maiden name was Callahan.”

Rena's eyes grew wide in fear. “Did he contact my stepfather?”

“He didn't say. He mentioned a place called Nathez Gap.”

“Nichol's Gap. It's where I lived until I was fifteen.” Rena put her head back down in her hands. “My mother died when I was eleven, and my stepfather is a horrible man. I haven't seen him in years. I didn't even let him know I was getting married, and he doesn't know where I live.”

Alexia could imagine a few things that would make Rena want to sever all contact with her stepfather. She looked at the young woman with increased sympathy.

Rena's tears threatened to return. “Do you think the detective will tell my stepfather where I am?”

“I'll give him a call and tell him not to reveal any information about you. If need be, I'll seek a court order for your protection.”

Rena sniffled. “Thanks.” She wiped her eyes again and then looked up with a new fear in her eyes. “Don't tell Baxter's father either. Baxter made up a story about my past so that his father would accept me. It would be a disaster if he knew the truth.”

Alexia hesitated. One of the land mines she'd feared was at her feet. She chose her words with care.

“Everything between us is confidential and protected by the attorney-client privilege. That means I won't repeat it to anyone. Your father-in-law is also one of our clients, but the information about your family is not related to our representation, so I won't repeat it to him or anyone in my firm.”

Rena sighed. “Okay. That makes me feel better.”

Alexia wanted to ask more questions but stopped. Rena Richardson's present stress was bad enough without dredging up additional memories from the past. She took out the folder with the documents she'd brought from Santee but left it unopened in her lap. Rena needed space, and Alexia gave it to her. The young woman sat with her eyes closed for several minutes while Alexia kept guard. Rena opened her eyes.

“How long are you going to stay?” Rena asked.

“I don't have a set schedule. Do you know when Mr. Richardson is coming to the hospital?”

“No, we didn't talk about it last night. He was so upset when I mentioned unplugging Baxter's life support that I left the hospital. I don't want to lose my husband, but when I see him lying in bed kept alive by machines, it seems cruel not to let him go.”

“What did the doctors tell you about his condition?”

“The one in charge told me that Baxter was paralyzed from the neck down and might not wake up.”

From the forlorn look on Rena's face, Alexia decided that Ken Pinchot's snide remark about Rena wanting to end her husband's life to collect a lot of money didn't have the ring of truth.

“Do you remember the doctor's name?” she asked.

“It was Dr. Kolb, or something like that. I think he's a neurosurgeon.”

“Did Mr. Richardson hear this?”

“No, but I told him, and it made him mad. I'm afraid he will try to intimidate me about what to do, but Baxter is my husband.”

Alexia nodded. “We'll discuss everything when he gets here. Maybe I can help the communication between the two of you.”

“He should be here soon. He knew the doctors wanted to meet with us this morning.”

“It might be good if I could talk to him beforehand. Do you have his cell phone number?”

“Yes. I can't use my phone in the hospital, but they will let you call from the desk.”

Alexia wrote down the number and walked over to the attendant's desk and obtained permission to use the phone. She faced Rena as she dialed the number. Before the phone started to ring, the door opened and a man entered the room with a grim look on his face. He walked directly toward Rena. Alexia put the receiver back in its cradle.

Ezra Richardson had arrived.

11

No one can serve two masters.

MATTHEW 6:24

H
e was of medium height, in his late fifties, with thinning but carefully groomed brown hair liberally sprinkled with gray. Alexia immediately noticed his eyes. They were dark and intense, giving him the type of expression that communicated a person who was used to getting his own way. He was wearing a casual shirt and dark slacks. Alexia moved toward Rena as he spoke.

“How is he?” Ezra asked Rena. It was more of a demand than a question.

“The same,” Rena answered.

Alexia stepped forward and cleared her throat. “Mr. Richardson, I'm Alexia Lindale with Ralph Leggitt's office. I flew up this morning.”

Ezra faced Alexia and gave her a quick inspection.

“Why didn't Ralph come?” he responded sharply. “I talked to him this morning and thought he would make the trip himself. What is he doing that is more important than helping my family at a time like this?”

Alexia stepped back before the unforeseen attack. She'd thought Ralph Leggitt had told Mr. Richardson that she was coming. Alexia didn't have a complete answer she could give in front of Rena and inwardly fumed at her boss for putting her in such an awkward position.

“Uh, I'm sure he tried to reach you. The partners met this morning and decided it would be best for me to come.” She held out the folder she'd taken from her briefcase. “I've brought the documents that affect Baxter's care. I'm sure there is a conference room where we can talk.”

“What documents?” Rena asked. “Baxter wanted me to make decisions about his care.”

Alexia stepped back toward the attendant. “Is there a small conference room we can use? Maybe the place where doctors talk with family members?”

“Go out in the hall and turn right. There are two rooms on the left. Use either one of them.”

Before either Ezra or Rena could protest, she led the way into the hall and down the corridor to a wooden door with a small sign that identified it as “Family Consultation Room A.” Alexia flipped the sign underneath to “occupied,” and they went inside. It was a windowless space, smaller than Alexia's office and bare except for a simple table surrounded by six chairs. Alexia sat at the end of the table with the unopened manilla folder in front of her. Ezra and Rena positioned themselves on opposite sides of the table.

Alexia spoke. “Before we get started, I need to tell you that I'm here to help both of you.” Facing Ezra, she said, “Mr. Richardson, our firm does a lot of work for you, and we've also provided legal services to Baxter and Rena.”

Ezra Richardson grunted. “I want you to tell Ralph Leggitt that I don't appreciate him sending a second-string lawyer up here. This is a lot more serious situation than some of the business deals he's dropped everything to attend.”