Read Online 3 Can You Picture This? by Jerilyn Dufresne - Free Book Online Page A

to George.
    “I keep wondering how Richie is doing. Can you check, please?”
    “Sure. I forgot to call, but I’ll do it now. Since he was a crime victim I can get some information from the hospital.” He called and spoke to the nurse manager of the floor Richie’d been moved to. He spoke for a few minutes, and his eyebrows shot up in disbelief, before thanking her and putting his phone down.
    “He’s doing really well,” he said before I could even question him about it. “And the thing that flabbergasted me was the reason he didn’t die.”
    “What. Tell me.” I couldn’t contain myself.
    “He was stabbed the same way as the first guy, but he has a rare condition called,” he looked down to consult his notes, “dextrocardia. It means his heart is on the right instead of the left side of his chest. So even though the knife went in the same place, it didn’t hit his heart. He’ll be fine. He’s going to be discharged in the next few days.”
    “Wow. I’ve heard of that, but don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who had it. And I sure didn’t know what it was called.” I had to think about it for a while. What amazing luck Richie had. “We need to visit him.”
    George agreed. “We can go this evening or tomorrow. I have lots of work to catch up on.”
    Later that morning, after checking with the station again, George said I could probably stay at my house safely. As he drove me home, my mind was cluttered with useless facts, and my vibes had deserted me…‌at least for the moment. Even Clancy wasn’t able to help me. Our connection was lessened when there was an abundance of people around.
    I realized it was too late for me to go to work because the agency would have already called my clients to cancel for today. But I did phone in a message for the receptionist, Clara Schmidt, to let her know I’d be there tomorrow.
    George said he’d pick me up later so we could go to visit Richie at the hospital, then dropped me and Clancy off at my house. I sighed as I walked through the door to my domain. This was my very first home ever where I’d had a bedroom to myself, not to mention the luxury of a bathroom attached. When I was young, I had shared with my sisters, and of course I shared with Joe while I was married.
    There was something so right about having a place of my own. I wondered if I ever could share a place with someone again. My kids didn’t count. They were part of me, plus they were seldom home anyway. Adam would graduate after one more year and he’d most likely move out as soon as he could. Sarah had a few more years at school and I hoped she would consider this place her home until she finished.
    I dropped my bag on the floor and plopped my body onto the couch. And there I sat with my feet on the coffee table until my kids walked in. Without any prompting one sat on either side of me. I took both their hands and held them close for a short time. We didn’t even talk. Just sat in silence until Clancy let me know she needed to go out.
    “I’ll take her,” Adam said.
    “No need, hon,” I said, getting up, “I want to take her for a little walk.”
    “I’ll go with you,” said Adam and Sarah at the same time.
    I smiled at how sweet they were both being.
    “Nope. I need to be by myself a little and enjoy my freedom.”
    Clancy got excited at the sight of her leash, because it meant she was going for a real walk and not just a pee in the courtyard. As we exited my house, the mansion’s back door opened and out walked Georgianne in her loud, flowered housecoat.
    “Yoo-hoo, Sam!” Even though I was standing a few feet away from her back porch she still yelled as if I couldn’t see or hear her.
    “Good morning,” I said, happy with the world for the moment, and that world included even Georgianne’s housecoat.
    “Are you home for good?” she asked. “Gus has been worried about you.”
    “Welcome home, Sam. I missed you and Clancy.” Gus stuck his head out of the door and