AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Carly
We arrived atCypress General around five p.m. Jake had followed in his truck, so he was there to help expedite things where Marie was concerned. She was first brought to the emergency room for triage, then taken back to a treatment room for fluids, as it was determined she was indeed dehydrated.
I called Nana to let her know what was happening. “Dr. Gill insisted on having Marie admitted for observation overnight to let the drugs from Pine Hill clear from her system. That way, he can do a psych evaluation and a physical to make sure she doesn’t have any underlying conditions.”
“Praise the Lord, they found her in good shape. It coulda been so much worse.” Nana’s relief matched theirs. “When I think of all the horrible things Carson’s done, I swear this takes the cake.”
“Tanner’s meeting with the DA to fill him in now. It will be up to him as to whether to press charges. They’ll have to question everyone involved to determine what laws have been broken and who broke them. It could take a while to figure it all out. Plus, there’s got to be evidence, and we all know how well Carson covers his tracks.”
“Well, let me know when you’re coming home. And bring that sweet Lisa with you. No sense in her staying at the office another night. We’ve got plenty of room here.”
“Yes, I’ll tell her you said so. She’s a little uncertain, but hopefully she’ll be convinced.”
“Well, I got some fresh blue crabs from the market brought in from the Gulf Coast this morning. I had them steam them for me, so I’ve been picking the meat all morning.” Nana would spend an entire day picking crabs to make her “famous” stuffed crabs. They were a treat, and we only had them a couple times a season.
“My stomach’s growling now. I can’t wait.”
“There’s plenty, so y’all come home and eat when you can, and bring Lisa and Tanner with you. I’m assuming Lisa will come on over and stay with us now. We’ve got reason to celebrate. We’ll save some for Marie for when she gets out of the hospital.”
“I’ll let them know.”
I couldn’t help but think about Tanner in his meeting with the DA I would have liked to be there with him. It felt strange not to be by his side. Yes, I was still having those crushy feelings, and it was happening more frequently lately.
Lisa and I were sitting in the general waiting area when I heard the clicking of heels on tile. Not just any heels though. When I looked up, I groaned. I thought about a quick getaway, but it was too late. Elizabeth Keller already had me in her sights.
Elizabeth was a cardiothoracic surgeon and Leah’s nemesis, because Elizabeth had always had a crush on Jake. And she was a really nasty person, in my opinion. She was also Judge Keller’s daughter, and my new sister, Allison’s half-sister. So many reasons why I wanted tonotdeal with her.
“So, what’s this I hear about y’all giving Daddy a hard time again?” Elizabeth didn’t mind making a scene. Anywhere. And who knew what had gotten to the judge about all of this so far.
“I’m not discussing legal business, Elizabeth.”
“And who’s this?” Elizabeth nodded toward Lisa. Rudely.
“I’m Lisa Henry. You?” Lisa—I was finding out—could hold her own against the likes of the worst in this town.
Elizabeth’s shoulders stiffened in great offense. “I’mDoctorElizabeth Keller. Heart surgeon here at Cypress General.”
“Remind me not to have my heart attack here. Excuse me, I’ve got to take this call.” Lisa stood, and turned her back on Elizabeth, dismissing the woman completely.
“She’s got good taste.” Elizabeth stared at the back of Lisa. “Nice shoes.” Elizabeth wore designer brands always. So, I suppose, did Lisa. Elizabeth was a strange one. She could admire a good insultanda good pair of shoes.
“What do you want, Elizabeth?” I didn’t have the patience for Elizabeth right now.
“I want to know what’s going on with Daddy. Hasn’t your family put him through enough?” Our family, meaning my momma’s ratting him out for his fathering my sister thirty-five years ago. That secret had netted some stress for their family, I supposed.
“Whatever your daddy’s done doesn’t have anything to do with my family. If you want to know something, ask him. I’m not at liberty to discuss anything related to our cases. You should know that.”
Elizabeth looked around, then unexpectedly sat down beside me. “Listen, I’m worried about him. He’s being unusually secretive and he’s very stressed. Momma says he’s up all hours making phone calls. I don’t doubt he’s doing something that maybe he shouldn’t, but I’m worried about his health. His heart isn’t so great, you know?” It was the first time I’d seen her façade crack. Her perfect mouth with all the red lipstick wobbled a little. An unusual sign of vulnerability.
“Whatever he’s got going on, Elizabeth, he needs to admit to. Trying to hide things will only make it worse for him in the long run. That’s all I can say about it.”
Elizabeth shrugged. “You know Daddy. He’s proud. He won’t go down without a fight.”
I looked her directly in the eyes so there wasn’t any confusion. “But he will go down this time. You can be sure of that, so if you’re concerned for his stress and health, encourage him to come clean.”
A gleam came back into Elizabeth’s eyes. “You’re trying to extort my emotions to get to Daddy. Very clever, little Bertrand. Too bad your big sister isn’t as smart as you. Oh wait, your middle sister. I haven’t figured outourbig sister yet. That should be fun.”
She stood and brushed off her lab coat as if my proximity had somehow contaminated her. “Lay off my daddy.”
