the bed Alyx looked confused, and for a moment, the confusion rendered her silent. She glanced to her left hand, probably to confirm that she wasn’t married to Bob anymore. Perplexed, she turned to him for an explanation, and he said he’d explain later.
Smarts stepped up to her bedside. “Are you Alyx Hille?”
“Yes, I am.”
“I’m Detective Smarts, Beachside Police, and this is my partner, Detective Albright.”
Albright nodded his acknowledgement.
“Ms. Hille, do you know why you’re here?”
She brought two fingers to her temple in a useless gesture, as it didn’t seem to ease her pain.
“Yes, the nurse told me I was hit on the head.”
“Can you tell me what you remember about Saturday morning?”
At that moment, Doctor Casey came back into the room and interceded on her behalf.
“Excuse me, Detective Smarts. I understand it’s your job to ask questions, but Ms. Hille’s not ready to be questioned, and I’ll have to ask you to do it another time.”
“All right; but can I just ask one question before we go?”
“One question and only one.”
The detective turned back to Alyx. “Did you see who hit you?”
She shook her head and shrugged. “The last thing I remember is sitting at the kitchen table, then sudden blinding pain followed by an abyss of darkness.”
“Thank you, Ms. Hille; we’ll talk again when your doctor gives his permission.”
Bob stepped back as the others left, but he didn’t go out; then he stood in the doorway for a moment as if he didn’t want whoever was out there to see him. Alyx waited for the room to empty, before she asked, “So why are you here, Bob?”
He shifted from one foot to the other. “I’m not staying long. You have other company here to see you.”
“Did something happen to Ethan? Why are you here instead of him?”
“Ethan is fine...but...Alyx, I don’t know how else to say this other than just say it. He’s not here because he’s been arrested for attempted murder.”
Her body went limp so she could barely speak. “Attempted murder of whom?”
“You.”
“Happy owner, happy cat. Indifferent owner, reclusive cat.”
–– Chinese Proverb
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Guilty Until Proven Innocent
“You’re joking, right?”
“I wish I was, but no; I’m not joking”
“I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. That’s unbelievable. How did they arrive at that conclusion?”
“His lawyer, David Hunter, says the evidence against him is substantial.”
“I’m sorry; I’m having trouble processing what you’re saying. Did you say Ethan has been arrested for trying to kill me?”
They stopped talking when Maggie entered the room in a whirlwind and went straight to Alyx’s bedside. “He told you, didn’t he?”
The animosity was palpable between Bob and Maggie, as always. Bob said he had an appointment with Ethan’s lawyer and that he’d be back later to check on her and left in a hurry, almost stepping on my tail which was dangling a bit under the screen, as he stormed out of the room.
“He’s got a lot of nerve,” snarled Maggie.
“Maggie, it’s okay,” replied Alyx. “He said Ethan asked him to keep an eye on me.”
“I know; Ethan told me he was going to do that. He’s worried that since the police think they have their man, they’ve stopped looking and whoever wanted to hurt you is still out there.”
“Well, then give him a break, Maggie. I know you don’t like him. I know you think he’s a jackass for his emotional abandonment of Ethan, and I agree, but he’s trying to make up for it. After all, he did hire the attorney for Ethan’s defense. The ‘best in the county,’ meaning he didn’t come cheap.”
“Yeah, well…that wasn’t exactly his idea,” Maggie said in a hushed tone. “I knew you’d be mad when you found out,” then louder, “but that man has had an easy ride for too long.”
“He didn’t know I was struggling to make ends meet while Ethan finished college. I never
Smarts stepped up to her bedside. “Are you Alyx Hille?”
“Yes, I am.”
“I’m Detective Smarts, Beachside Police, and this is my partner, Detective Albright.”
Albright nodded his acknowledgement.
“Ms. Hille, do you know why you’re here?”
She brought two fingers to her temple in a useless gesture, as it didn’t seem to ease her pain.
“Yes, the nurse told me I was hit on the head.”
“Can you tell me what you remember about Saturday morning?”
At that moment, Doctor Casey came back into the room and interceded on her behalf.
“Excuse me, Detective Smarts. I understand it’s your job to ask questions, but Ms. Hille’s not ready to be questioned, and I’ll have to ask you to do it another time.”
“All right; but can I just ask one question before we go?”
“One question and only one.”
The detective turned back to Alyx. “Did you see who hit you?”
She shook her head and shrugged. “The last thing I remember is sitting at the kitchen table, then sudden blinding pain followed by an abyss of darkness.”
“Thank you, Ms. Hille; we’ll talk again when your doctor gives his permission.”
Bob stepped back as the others left, but he didn’t go out; then he stood in the doorway for a moment as if he didn’t want whoever was out there to see him. Alyx waited for the room to empty, before she asked, “So why are you here, Bob?”
He shifted from one foot to the other. “I’m not staying long. You have other company here to see you.”
“Did something happen to Ethan? Why are you here instead of him?”
“Ethan is fine...but...Alyx, I don’t know how else to say this other than just say it. He’s not here because he’s been arrested for attempted murder.”
Her body went limp so she could barely speak. “Attempted murder of whom?”
“You.”
“Happy owner, happy cat. Indifferent owner, reclusive cat.”
–– Chinese Proverb
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Guilty Until Proven Innocent
“You’re joking, right?”
“I wish I was, but no; I’m not joking”
“I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. That’s unbelievable. How did they arrive at that conclusion?”
“His lawyer, David Hunter, says the evidence against him is substantial.”
“I’m sorry; I’m having trouble processing what you’re saying. Did you say Ethan has been arrested for trying to kill me?”
They stopped talking when Maggie entered the room in a whirlwind and went straight to Alyx’s bedside. “He told you, didn’t he?”
The animosity was palpable between Bob and Maggie, as always. Bob said he had an appointment with Ethan’s lawyer and that he’d be back later to check on her and left in a hurry, almost stepping on my tail which was dangling a bit under the screen, as he stormed out of the room.
“He’s got a lot of nerve,” snarled Maggie.
“Maggie, it’s okay,” replied Alyx. “He said Ethan asked him to keep an eye on me.”
“I know; Ethan told me he was going to do that. He’s worried that since the police think they have their man, they’ve stopped looking and whoever wanted to hurt you is still out there.”
“Well, then give him a break, Maggie. I know you don’t like him. I know you think he’s a jackass for his emotional abandonment of Ethan, and I agree, but he’s trying to make up for it. After all, he did hire the attorney for Ethan’s defense. The ‘best in the county,’ meaning he didn’t come cheap.”
“Yeah, well…that wasn’t exactly his idea,” Maggie said in a hushed tone. “I knew you’d be mad when you found out,” then louder, “but that man has had an easy ride for too long.”
“He didn’t know I was struggling to make ends meet while Ethan finished college. I never
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