The Guarded Widow (27 page)

As she anxiously awaited the EMT’s summons to climb into the back of the ambulance with her father, she glanced back toward the cabin and noticed Gavin.

He was standing just inside the doorway of the cabin, watching her.

“He’s really mad at me,” she mumbled as Ron offered her his hand to help her climb into the ambulance. He looked up at her and nodded.

“Yeah, he is. Look, we’ll be in to talk to you after we process Johnson. After he’s discharged from the hospital, he’ll be handed over to the FBI. So we’re going to need a formal statement from you, today.”

Then Ron closed the heavy ambulance door and Olivia sat down to hold her Dad’s hand as they traveled to the hospital.

Maddy arrived at the hospital as the first rays of sunlight dawned on New Year’s Day. Ron Barton had called earlier to inform her of the dramatic events which had taken place during the wee hours of the morning. She’d remained speechless throughout the detailed explanation of Johnny Johnson kidnapping her father, of Olivia single handedly setting out to obtain his freedom, and how they’d both been transported to
Liberty
Hospital
. Much to her dismay all this had occurred as she’d slept off her post New Year’s Eve party festivities, courtesy of her coworker, Thad Wolfe.

Sheesh, there I was getting it on, while my sister and Dad were fighting for their lives. I’m going to throttle her, Maddy fumed angrily as she barged through the hospital’s emergency entrance.

After checking with a receptionist, she was ushered through a set of ominous looking, heavy double doors which led into a large overly crowded room that was partitioned off for patients with heavy vinyl pea green curtains. Olivia was seated between two of these hideous curtains, lying flat on her back with her eyes closed, listening to a nurse.

Maddy took one look at her sister’s bruised face and bloodied forehead and her own hands began to tremble uncontrollably. Jamming them into her pockets, she silently stood by waiting until the nurse finished. As soon as the nurse swept past her, Maddy made her presence known by completely entering the partitioned area and wrapping her arms around Olivia, needing a moment to hold her.

Then she stepped away and let loose.

“What the heck were thinking going after Daddy all by yourself?”

An angry threatening male voice reverberated off the curtains.

“Actually, I’ve been wondering that very same thing myself,” Gavin stated as he completely parted the curtains to enter in.

Olivia lifted Maddy’s concerned hands into her own, choosing to ignore Gavin.

“Maddy, I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you when I got out of your car…”

Her astonished gasp ended Olivia’s explanation in midsentence.

“Do you mean to tell me you knew when I dropped you off? You knew Daddy was being held by that lunatic and you didn’t care to tell me?”

Olivia stared down at their joined hands. “I was afraid you’d want to come along. You could’ve been injured.”

Maddy’s temper flared, yanking her hands away, she vented her frustrations on her sister.

“Are you kidding me, Olivia? You’re sitting here battered and bruised. Ron said you’re probably going to need stitches and he also told me when Gavin entered the scene Johnny Johnson was on the brink of raping you! You don’t think you were injured?”

Her blunt reminder of the morning’s dramatic events made Olivia shudder involuntarily, and then she glanced up at Gavin.

He stood near the edge of the privacy curtain, his arms crossed over his chest with his piercing blue eyes narrowed, gleaming dangerously, as he studied her, waiting for an answer.

“I understand that you’re upset, Maddy. I really am sorry for my poor decision.”

Beyond exasperated, Maddy waved a hand toward Gavin, her words dripping with sarcasm.

“I’ve heard enough. It’s your turn, Gavin. I’m sure you’re ready to yell at her. Maybe you can penetrate that thick skull of hers, but I doubt it,” Maddy spat, shaking her blond head in disbelief. She surveyed her sister one last time before sweeping back the curtain and hurrying out of the room.

Left alone with a huge scowling police officer was rather anticlimactic compared to earlier this morning; Olivia decided as Gavin turned his back on her and inhaled deeply.

“Olivia, I don’t think I will ever understand why you’d choose to meet Johnny Johnson alone rather than, God forbid, ask for my help. I’d promised you I would protect you. But then you go and deliberately place yourself in a situation that prevented me from being able to so.”

She noted his low, calmly controlled tone of voice, and realized over the last few weeks she’d grown to despise that tone.

However, when she started to open her mouth to justify her rational, Gavin finally spun around to face her and the cold angry look on his face quickly silenced her explanation. “There’s nothing you can say to me that could make me understand. You simply didn’t trust me.”

“Well, I’m sorry you feel that way Gavin. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust you, I just needed to get to my Dad before it was too late,” she said, trying to stifle tears of frustration and exhaustion.

Renewed anger surged through him as he stepped forward, hurling questions at her.

“I’m not buying it! If that’s the case, why didn’t you immediately call me after receiving the call from Johnson? Why did you leave a note, instead?”

He gripped her upper arms and gave her a small shake.

“Why would you risk your life like that?”

The full depth of his fury raged like wildfire through his eyes.

Then he left go of her arms and repeated himself, sounding disappointed. “You just didn’t trust me enough to help you, Olivia.”

Ron stepped up to the curtain partition and stopped to listen. He waited patiently, until there was a lull in the conversation before coughing into his hand and entering into the tense curtained space. As he walked in, Gavin dropped back, shoving his hands deep into his jeans pockets.

Ron spoke quietly.

“Olivia, I just saw Maddy. She wanted me to tell you, your Dad will remain hospitalized for the next twenty four hours, but it looks like he’ll be fine.”

Relief flooded through her, unleashing the restrained tears she’d so narrowly managed to control thus far. Embarrassed by her own outburst of emotion, she swiftly attempted to regain her composure.

Olivia was still wiping away tears when the heavy curtain was pushed aside again. The nurse returned, informing them a physician’s assistant would be coming in soon to place the stitches.

Despising any type of medical procedure, Ron chose this opportunity to excuse himself.

“Olivia, don’t forget we’re going to need a statement,” he said, nervously eyeing the curtain. “Gavin, can you bring her down to the station later?”

Gavin shrugged. “Either I will or Maddy will.”

As antiseptic was rubbed onto her forehead, Olivia winced. She couldn’t decide if Gavin’s cold attitude or the antiseptic stung more. She breathed out slowly as the local anesthetic was administered by the physician’s assistant and was quite pleased when he announced the completion of the stitches. She hadn’t felt a thing.

Numerous emotions raged through Gavin as he watched Olivia’s stitches being placed. He was relieved, of course, that she was alive, and thrilled that her only injuries involved a few stitches with a couple of bruises.

But he was also furious. Her decision to meet Johnson alone galled him. Every time he thought about it, new waves of fury would crash over him.

Once the nurse completed relaying the post operative instructions, Gavin offered Olivia his hand to help her slide off of the exam table.

She smirked at him.

“Don’t pull the mannerly cop act with me. I know you’re mad. I know you, Gavin. Since this whole fiasco’s over now, you can finally move on with your life. You don’t need to worry about guarding me any longer.”

He grabbed her arm again, immediately lightening his grasp when he felt her flinch beneath his hand.

“You’re damned right, I’m mad,” he whispered, harshly. “I’m absolutely furious with you right now. I’m just not sure what I’m supposed to do about it.”

Angrily yanking her arm away, she shrugged. “I don’t want you to do anything about it. I don’t need you to do anything about me. I can take care of myself. Now, I’m going to go see my Dad. I can find my own way to the station. I certainly don’t need you as a police escort any longer,” she sneered.

Then she squared her shoulders, cast him a hateful look, and stomped off.

Sheer aggravation made Gavin roughly drag his hands over his own face as though trying to grind out frustration. Then he turned in the opposite direction and walked out of the hospital.

As Olivia approached the hospital room where her Dad was being treated, she slowed her gait, experiencing an episode of panic and a wave of nausea upon seeing how small he looked lying in the hospital bed. The room was completely silent except for the periodic blips from the IV machine and her Dad’s labored breathing. Slipping quietly into the room, she whispered a tearful apology to him, and then rose up onto her tiptoes to take a closer look at the sutured wound on the top of his head. So completely engrossed in examining her father she didn’t realize Maddy was sitting in a chair, partially hidden behind the wooden door, silently observing her.

“Olivia, he’s going to be alright,” she said, softly. “I’d asked Ron to tell you that when I saw him leaving Dad’s room earlier.”

Maddy walked over, reached across the bed and gathered Olivia’s hand within her own. They faced one another, their hands linked over their father.

“This isn’t your fault. Johnny Johnson and Tom are the ones to blame.”

Sighing heavily, Olivia spoke in a whisper.

“He, Johnny Johnson, told me that Tom was trying to end it. Tom must’ve wanted out and he was going to contact the FBI. Johnny Johnson confessed to me that he was responsible for Tom’s death. He killed my husband, Maddy.”

She brushed away the few tears which were gently slipping down her face.

“Tom wanted to make things right because of me and the boys. I’d been so enraged with him and now that I know all this, I feel differently. Honestly, I know this sounds ridiculous but I’m thankful I went out there alone, because now I feel like I’ll be able to finally forgive him and move on with my life.”

Olivia sobbed quietly as Maddy walked around the foot of the hospital bed and embraced her weeping sister.

Wiping away tears, Maddy told her, “If the silver lining in your stupid decision is finding closure for the betrayal in your marriage, then I guess I won’t be able to stay mad at you.”

“I wonder if Gavin will be as forgiving as you are, Maddy,” Olivia asked aloud, but she highly doubted it.

Olivia stood outside the front door of the police station, not wanting to go in. She knew once she entered the building she would need to relive the entire morning again, recalling every detail with as much clarity as she possibly could.

Feeling vulnerable and exhausted, she opened the door and crossed the threshold anyway.

Ron spied her walking down the corridor and met her halfway.

“Olivia, thank you for coming in. I know you’re probably tired, but we’ll obtain more details if we do this today rather than if we wait another twenty four hours.”

Smiling wistfully, she contemplated turning around and walking right back out the front door.

Instead she replied, “I understand, Ron. I just want to get this over and done with so I can finally go home.” She flashed him a genuine smile. “I can go home and know this is whole ordeal is over. It’s finally over.”

He led her down a narrow hall, into a windowless interrogation room where Gavin and another man were already seated at a long rectangular table. They stood up as Olivia entered. Gavin moved forward, addressing her first.

“Good afternoon, Olivia. I’d like to introduce you to Agent Harold Messinger; he’s with the FBI. Agent Messinger’s been conducting the investigation pertaining to employees associated with Viccerroy Malpractice Group, who were suspected of collecting insurance premiums on fraudulent insurance policies.”

She extended her hand to greet him and then swayed involuntarily toward a chair.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I really need to sit down.”

Agent Messinger pulled out the chair for her, once she was seated comfortably, everyone else selected seats around the table.

Ron addressed her in a formal tone. “We’ll begin with your statement. I need to tell you this will be recorded.”

Nodding her acceptance, Ron started the tape recorder. After stating her name, date, time, and the case number, he then nodded in return, giving her permission to begin.

Olivia drew in a deep calming breath and closed her eyes, allowing her memory to return to the early morning hours of this interminably long New Year’s Day.

She began by describing the phone call she’d received at Mulligan’s and how she returned to her house to obtain the fake policies and floppy disk from the safe. As she talked she kept her eyes closed, trying to visualize the events of the morning so she could recount them in correct chronological order.