Connelly had arrived again, this time accompanied by a young woman. “Sandra met Kate last night,” Doug explained. “She wanted to come with me to see her.”
“You are not bringing a stranger in to look at my sister.” Hannah remembered that her voice had become high-pitched.
“I don’t want to intrude,” Sandra had said, her voice soothing.
Doug had gone alone into the ICU. After a moment Hannah had decided to follow him. She watched carefully as he bent over Kate. It appeared her sister’s lips were moving. Then as her father straightened up, Hannah saw the way the color was draining from his face. “Dad, did she say anything that you could make out?” Hannah had asked, frantic to hear that Kate was able to communicate.
“She said, ‘I love you, Daddy, I love you.’ ”
Something inside Hannah made her sure her father was not telling the truth. But why would he lie?
Jessie was looking at Hannah.
What was the question Jessie asked me? Hannah thought. About representing her and Kate. “Of course, I want my trusted friend Jessie to represent my sister in this situation,” she said.
“Then as Kate Connelly’s lawyer, I must insist that there be no attempt to see her at the hospital or talk to her unless I am present.”
The fire marshals left soon after that, saying they would be in touch. Relieved for the moment, she and Jessie sent out for sandwiches from the local deli. Then they went back to the hospital. Kate, deep in a coma, did not speak again.
While at the hospital, Hannah called Lottie Schmidt and gave her her heartfelt condolences, and promised to be at the services for Gus. Lottie said they would take place the next afternoon.
After that Hannah insisted that Jessie take her own cab home.“You’ve had a long enough day with the Connellys,” she insisted. Then she hailed herself a cab.
Finally back home in her apartment, Hannah went straight to bed. She left her cell phone on the night table with the volume set to the highest pitch. She knew she needed to sleep but was afraid she might miss a call. Instead for over an hour she lay there, her eyes closed, her mind demanding to know what Kate might have said that made her father react like that. What was the expression that she had seen on his face?
As she drifted off to sleep, the answer came. Fear. Dad had been terrified by what Kate whispered to him.
Was it that she admitted she had set the fire?
17
K ate was trapped in a well. There was no water in it but somehow she knew that it was a well. Her whole body was weighted down and her head was detached from her neck. Sometimes she heard the rustle of voices, some of them familiar.
Mommy. Kate tried to pay attention. Mommy kissing her good-bye and promising that someday she could go out at night on the boat, too.
Daddy kissing her good-bye. “I love you, Baby Bunting.”
Did that happen? Or was it a dream?
Hannah’s voice, “Hang in there, Kate. I need you.”
The nightmare. The flowered nightgown and running down the hall. It was very important to remember what happened. She was almost there. For a moment she had remembered. She was sure of it.
But then everything was dark again.
18
T he fire marshals did not catch up with Doug Connelly until later Thursday evening.
They called the hospital and learned that he had made a second visit there in the late afternoon. He had been accompanied by a young woman and had gone in with his daughter Hannah for a brief visit with Kate in the ICU.
The marshals had grabbed something to eat, then had gone to Doug’s apartment building and waited, but he did not show up until after nine o’clock, with the young woman, Sandra, on his arm.
He invited them upstairs and promptly prepared a drink for himself and Sandra. “I know when you’re on duty you can’t have any,” he said.
“That’s right.” Neither Ramsey nor Klein was unhappy to see the already slightly drunk man pour himself a strong scotch. In vino veritas, Ramsey
“You are not bringing a stranger in to look at my sister.” Hannah remembered that her voice had become high-pitched.
“I don’t want to intrude,” Sandra had said, her voice soothing.
Doug had gone alone into the ICU. After a moment Hannah had decided to follow him. She watched carefully as he bent over Kate. It appeared her sister’s lips were moving. Then as her father straightened up, Hannah saw the way the color was draining from his face. “Dad, did she say anything that you could make out?” Hannah had asked, frantic to hear that Kate was able to communicate.
“She said, ‘I love you, Daddy, I love you.’ ”
Something inside Hannah made her sure her father was not telling the truth. But why would he lie?
Jessie was looking at Hannah.
What was the question Jessie asked me? Hannah thought. About representing her and Kate. “Of course, I want my trusted friend Jessie to represent my sister in this situation,” she said.
“Then as Kate Connelly’s lawyer, I must insist that there be no attempt to see her at the hospital or talk to her unless I am present.”
The fire marshals left soon after that, saying they would be in touch. Relieved for the moment, she and Jessie sent out for sandwiches from the local deli. Then they went back to the hospital. Kate, deep in a coma, did not speak again.
While at the hospital, Hannah called Lottie Schmidt and gave her her heartfelt condolences, and promised to be at the services for Gus. Lottie said they would take place the next afternoon.
After that Hannah insisted that Jessie take her own cab home.“You’ve had a long enough day with the Connellys,” she insisted. Then she hailed herself a cab.
Finally back home in her apartment, Hannah went straight to bed. She left her cell phone on the night table with the volume set to the highest pitch. She knew she needed to sleep but was afraid she might miss a call. Instead for over an hour she lay there, her eyes closed, her mind demanding to know what Kate might have said that made her father react like that. What was the expression that she had seen on his face?
As she drifted off to sleep, the answer came. Fear. Dad had been terrified by what Kate whispered to him.
Was it that she admitted she had set the fire?
17
K ate was trapped in a well. There was no water in it but somehow she knew that it was a well. Her whole body was weighted down and her head was detached from her neck. Sometimes she heard the rustle of voices, some of them familiar.
Mommy. Kate tried to pay attention. Mommy kissing her good-bye and promising that someday she could go out at night on the boat, too.
Daddy kissing her good-bye. “I love you, Baby Bunting.”
Did that happen? Or was it a dream?
Hannah’s voice, “Hang in there, Kate. I need you.”
The nightmare. The flowered nightgown and running down the hall. It was very important to remember what happened. She was almost there. For a moment she had remembered. She was sure of it.
But then everything was dark again.
18
T he fire marshals did not catch up with Doug Connelly until later Thursday evening.
They called the hospital and learned that he had made a second visit there in the late afternoon. He had been accompanied by a young woman and had gone in with his daughter Hannah for a brief visit with Kate in the ICU.
The marshals had grabbed something to eat, then had gone to Doug’s apartment building and waited, but he did not show up until after nine o’clock, with the young woman, Sandra, on his arm.
He invited them upstairs and promptly prepared a drink for himself and Sandra. “I know when you’re on duty you can’t have any,” he said.
“That’s right.” Neither Ramsey nor Klein was unhappy to see the already slightly drunk man pour himself a strong scotch. In vino veritas, Ramsey
Similar Books
