I walk out of the doors rubbing my tummy lovingly as Celine put her dark shades back on. This is the reason why I didn’t want to come with one of the guys. This is a hospital, a delicate place and these people have a thing about dark images I still can’t figure out where they adopted it from.
‘So the baby is fine?’ Celine asks the same question she’s been popping since the third floor. I am now tempted to tell her something that would put her into a full blown panic mode, just for fun.
‘Fine, healthy as a horse.’
Celine breathes, ‘then what took you so long to come out- she was just supposed to examine you, a quick and normal procedure.’
‘Well you are not a medical practitioner and it wasn’t that long.’
It was half an hour because the doctor and I spoke a little bit too much about the baby and my emotions got a better of me, I couldn’t help but be sad that Taylor wasn’t there to experience this. I cried too. So it took fifteen minutes for them to calm me down and another five to convince them not to call my sister who they assumed was Celine.
‘Well you don’t look fine.’ Celine hedges.
I stop walking and turn to face her. I grab her purse and start going through it while she is wondering what I am doing. I find another pair of shades and I put them on to cover my- what I think must be puffy eyes.
‘Heather.’
‘Just take me to the house.’ I snap.
‘I want to know what is wrong!’ Celine demands taking her purse back from me.
I plant my hand on my hips in the middle of the hospital parking lot and Celine glances around uneasily as I transition into full blown hysterical mode.
‘What is wrong Celine? Seriously? All you have to do is drive me to my appointment and return me to house arrest. I don’t want to be in the same car with Lawyer because the last time I let him drive me I almost got killed by one of the great uncles—and Julian—I may strangle him before we even reach the destination considering the stress I have been under the past few hours—oh and did I mention that I keep wondering what they did with Malcom but I couldn’t ask Lawyer because well he is not very forthcoming and I am too mad at him for coming on to my friend to talk to him about anything serious, because he is not the type to take anything serious…and I am months away to bringing my child into the world without Taylor here.’ My voice breaks at the last words. Tears brim in my eyes- thank god for the dark glasses.
Celine raises two palms at me, ‘okay—I’m sorry, let’s just go home.’
‘Home—I don’t want to go anywhere.’ I make a sharp turn and march away from her.
‘Heather!’ she calls after me and I keep going.
Gosh I wish I was able to stride faster or even break into a run. Because that’s what I really want to do right now—run. I walk past cars and soon I am out of the parking lot and walking towards the small gate where a number of people are filling in for visiting hours.
‘Taxi mama?’ a young man waves at me and I shake my head before I walk out through the small gate. I take a deep breath as the sun caresses my skin.
‘Heather?’ a female voice breaks into my thoughts and I turn towards the voice catching that it sounds very familiar. The woman in question has a wide smile on her face as she marched towards me and stretches her hand, ‘how have you been,’
It takes a precious half a minute for my chaotic brain to finally recognize detective Alice. The recognition immediately bringing a jump start to my heart before it starts beating erratically.
‘Detective Alice.’
‘Please just Alice, I am not working.’
I nod, ‘Alice.’
‘You look good.’
My hand comes to my tummy, I have been feeling like a fat cow for months now but I appreciate her comment. ‘Thanks?’ I say it like a question
‘How is it going?’
‘Oh—just three more months.’
‘Oh lovely, you and your husband must be very happy.’
It comes again, that damn dark feeling. I fist the material of my dress into one hand and force a smile, ‘yeas we are… how is work?’
She rolls her eyes, ‘fine.’
‘Solved any cases lately?’
‘Some’ she nods at the hospital, ‘you are not driving?’
I glance behind me, Celine’s car is nowhere in sight, ‘I had a fight with the driver.’ I say as I return my gaze back to Alice, ‘I guess I will have to catch a taxi home.’
Alice scowls a little, ‘I could give you a ride.’
‘Oh its fine I don’t want to impose on you.’
‘I would love to… like I said I am off duty.’
She takes my arm and leads me across the road towards a blue Honda vitz. She opens the passenger door for me and I slide in, my ankles start screaming at me for the stress I have put then through the last few minutes.
‘Man I hate October, no holidays, no breaks, not even a birthday on my side.’
I chuckle, ‘right!’
She smiles and glances at me as she joins the traffic, ‘so is it a boy or a girl?’
‘It’s a girl.’
‘Oh lucky you—I have three boys, I love them but sometimes I feel like they conspire with their father against me.’
A huge grin breaks on my face, ‘sometimes girls just have to stick to each other,’
‘Right.’ She chuckles. ‘So have you two thought of a name?’
I inhale to keep the dark feeling with the sense of loss I feel for the things I should be doing together with Taylor.
‘No, not really, I am still just trying to survive sharing everything with somebody else.’
‘It gets better believe me, I’ve done it three times.’
I turn to smile at her, it’s nice to talk to someone. Even if it’s the same detective who is currently investigating my father’s murder and if she has any intuition she would know where to look or stay away from it.
My phone buzzes in my purse. It’s a small light sling bag I had almost forgotten I had it strapped at my side. I fish out my phone. It’s Celine. I saved her number with a picture of her with little horns on her head yesterday. It was for making fun but now it sort of fits.
‘I’m on my way home.’ I tell her before she says anything
‘Heather are you mad? You can’t give that woman Lawyer’s address—she looks feminine and normal but she is the same pest who has guys sleeping outside your apartment for days after your father’s murder.’
‘Yes I am aware of that.’
‘So what the hell are you doing in her car?’
‘I will see you at home.’
‘Heather.’ She practically yells and do I sense a pleading in her voice, ‘those two will have my head if you show up at the apartment with a detective, please just give her your old address and I will meet you there.’
‘Why should I do that?’
Celine lets out a frustrated grunt, ‘listen, if you do this one thing for me I will break up Lawyer and Judith.’
I raise my eyebrows before I realise that she can’t see me, ‘what?’
‘It’s for the best I am with you okay—and I give you my word.’
‘You shouldn’t prattle promises you can’t keep, even in desperation,’
‘I am desperate right now.’
I sigh, ‘fine, see you there.’ I end the call before she make me do some there silly things.
‘That the driver?’ Alice asks
‘Yeah she wants to make amends.’
Alice raises an eyebrow at me before looking back at the road.
‘My sister in law.’ I explain and she chuckles.
The rest of the drive is silent until we reach the gate. I haven’t been here in three months. The place looks the same, nothing has changed. I tell her to drop me at the gate.
‘Thank you Alice.’
‘Sure, it was nice seeing you again Heather.’ She smile gently, ‘it’s good to see you doing well after what you have been through.’
And she wants to fish for information.
‘Yeah it gets better with time.’
I wave at her car as it drives away. I wait for it to disappear down the road before I take out my phone and dial Celine’s number.
‘I am here— where are you?’
‘Five minutes.’
I sigh and decide to wait for her in the little gardens. I ease down a wooden bench before stretching my legs in front of me trying to relax and erase all thoughts from my mind. I can’t believe Celine just made a deal to break up Lawyer and Judith? In fact there are many things I can’t believe right now.
My phone buzzes minutes later and I fish it out of my little bag
‘Better be here.’
‘Where are you?’ it’s Lawyer.
‘What?’
‘Where is Celine? I am trying to call her but her phone is off.’
I scowl, ‘I just spoke to her minutes ago.’
‘What do you mean you just spoke to her minutes ago aren’t you with her?’ his voices rises.
‘No I am not I am waiting for her to pick me up—are you okay?’
I am answered by curses and expletives before the call cuts off. I look at the phone for a moment, a part of me blaring red lights while another part brushes it off. I dial Celine’s number. The call doesn’t go through. What? I try again and again.
I slowly rise to my feet and look around. The garden in empty. The residents here were never one to stay home anyway. I walk out of the garden to the gate. There is no car anywhere close to the gate.
My brain companions stand straight as panic and fear step into all my senses. Something is wrong. Of all the things I know about Celine I know she is always latched to that phone like a snail is attached to its shell. If she were ignoring me it would ring but Celine’s phone is never off. Horrid images go through my mind as I try her number again.
Still not going through. I take a deep breath and start towards the road deciding that I will take a taxi to the house. I feel like I should run, I just don’t know from what. I take off my shades because I feel like they are blocking my senses from going on full alert. I stuff them into my little bag and start down the road.
The sun is hot and is heavily scented with rain. I wish I had packed a sun hat. Well I hadn’t planned to go into a full blown five year old tantrum and walk off the hospital premises on my won. Oh and getting a ride from a detective and be talked into dropping off at the wrong address by Celine who is now nowhere in reach.
I vaguely register the sound of a car racing down the road behind me as I continue on. Somehow the hairs at the back of my head stand on end and I feel the car getting closer. I try to increase my pace, but that is hard for my size.
Then because I can’t resist I glance behind me and the moment I see a black SUV my heart screeches to a halt before I suck in a breath and try to run. My body screams in protest and all I manage is a few jogs as the car comes to easy park itself in front of me.
I stop and catch my breath, mostly in horror as the front door opens and none other than Alex steps out and smiles at me.
‘Hello Heather! Isn’t it a bit late in the day for a leisure jog?’
Crap.