Read Online Deadly Medicine by Jaime Maddox - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jaime Maddox
Ads: Link
As the lone occupant of the ten-room house, she wouldn’t be crowded, but she’d check out Jeannie’s lake house when she’d finished the last of four consecutive shifts the following Tuesday. For the moment, though, she had nothing to do.
A pile of DVDs sat next to a small, flat-screen television, and Ward leafed through them, but none were appealing. In the study, a wall of bookshelves was filled with volumes of old medical books as well as works of fiction. Normally, the texts would have fascinated her, but not today.
Being this near to Jessica was upsetting her equilibrium, and she felt an inexplicable pull to her. She knew she shouldn’t stop by without calling, but the fear that Jess would say no was too real to suppress. So Ward climbed into her SUV and programmed the GPS to direct her toward Garden. Forty-five minutes later, she was parked in the driveway of the Victorian that had been home for four months. Jess’s car was in front of hers.
The back door opened before Ward even reached the porch, but instead of the warm welcome she’d hoped for, Jess’s expression and her manner were neutral. “Hey,” she said.
Ward heard no emotion in her voice—no anger, surprise, happiness. Suddenly she regretted her decision to drop by and scrambled for an excuse. “I needed to pick up some clothes,” she said. “And my fishing pole.”
“Oh,” Jess said, nodding. She seemed relieved, as if Ward might have stopped by to assault her, or argue. Then she seemed to remember her manners and offered Ward a drink.
“No, thanks. I have a long drive.”
Jess nodded. “That’s smart. I guess you learned your lesson.”
Ward’s mouth dropped open in shock. They’d spoken of that night a few times during the two months since then, but it wasn’t usually the opening gambit. Either Jess was in a rotten mood, or Ward’s visit was really making her uncomfortable.
Ward shook her head, and when she spoke, her voice was low, choked with tears. “I still can’t believe that happened, Jess. I’ve never done anything like that. You know that. I almost feel like I was drugged or something.”
“Huh!” Jess said, and began to pace, waving her arms around. “You’re unbelievable, Ward, do you know that? You get drunk and assault two men, and then you try to blame it on someone else.”
Ward ran her fingers through her hair and studied the high windows looking out to the mountains beyond. They were still covered in snow, and in the fading light of day, the world looked as gray as she felt. “I guess it doesn’t make sense. It’s just so hard to understand. First the violence and then the blackout. There has to be a reason.”
“Why would anyone drug you? Do you think George wanted to rape you? Or was it Emory?”
Ward looked up and met Jess’s eyes. “No, Jess. Emory wants you, not me. If he was going to drug someone, it would be you.”
Jess’s head popped up, as if she’d been hit by the force of the words. Then she shook her head. “You’re ridiculous. Now maybe you should get your things and go.”
*
Pulling back the curtain, Jess watched Ward pack her car and back out of the driveway. The reel of their conversation replayed continuously in her mind. Emory wants you, not me. If he was going to drug someone, it would be you. Pushing her memory back a little further, she thought of a night two weeks earlier. Valentine’s Day and the dinner she’d shared with Emory to protect what little was left of Ward’s reputation.
He’d insisted on picking her up at her house, and then after she’d endured mediocre food and a stale monologue of childhood memories, he’d refused to take her home. Instead, they’d stopped at George’s pub, and he’d steered her to a table where some of his friends were celebrating the evening.
Jess knew most of them, but like the town, she’d left them behind when she went away to college. They were good people, though, and she quickly found herself engaged in
A pile of DVDs sat next to a small, flat-screen television, and Ward leafed through them, but none were appealing. In the study, a wall of bookshelves was filled with volumes of old medical books as well as works of fiction. Normally, the texts would have fascinated her, but not today.
Being this near to Jessica was upsetting her equilibrium, and she felt an inexplicable pull to her. She knew she shouldn’t stop by without calling, but the fear that Jess would say no was too real to suppress. So Ward climbed into her SUV and programmed the GPS to direct her toward Garden. Forty-five minutes later, she was parked in the driveway of the Victorian that had been home for four months. Jess’s car was in front of hers.
The back door opened before Ward even reached the porch, but instead of the warm welcome she’d hoped for, Jess’s expression and her manner were neutral. “Hey,” she said.
Ward heard no emotion in her voice—no anger, surprise, happiness. Suddenly she regretted her decision to drop by and scrambled for an excuse. “I needed to pick up some clothes,” she said. “And my fishing pole.”
“Oh,” Jess said, nodding. She seemed relieved, as if Ward might have stopped by to assault her, or argue. Then she seemed to remember her manners and offered Ward a drink.
“No, thanks. I have a long drive.”
Jess nodded. “That’s smart. I guess you learned your lesson.”
Ward’s mouth dropped open in shock. They’d spoken of that night a few times during the two months since then, but it wasn’t usually the opening gambit. Either Jess was in a rotten mood, or Ward’s visit was really making her uncomfortable.
Ward shook her head, and when she spoke, her voice was low, choked with tears. “I still can’t believe that happened, Jess. I’ve never done anything like that. You know that. I almost feel like I was drugged or something.”
“Huh!” Jess said, and began to pace, waving her arms around. “You’re unbelievable, Ward, do you know that? You get drunk and assault two men, and then you try to blame it on someone else.”
Ward ran her fingers through her hair and studied the high windows looking out to the mountains beyond. They were still covered in snow, and in the fading light of day, the world looked as gray as she felt. “I guess it doesn’t make sense. It’s just so hard to understand. First the violence and then the blackout. There has to be a reason.”
“Why would anyone drug you? Do you think George wanted to rape you? Or was it Emory?”
Ward looked up and met Jess’s eyes. “No, Jess. Emory wants you, not me. If he was going to drug someone, it would be you.”
Jess’s head popped up, as if she’d been hit by the force of the words. Then she shook her head. “You’re ridiculous. Now maybe you should get your things and go.”
*
Pulling back the curtain, Jess watched Ward pack her car and back out of the driveway. The reel of their conversation replayed continuously in her mind. Emory wants you, not me. If he was going to drug someone, it would be you. Pushing her memory back a little further, she thought of a night two weeks earlier. Valentine’s Day and the dinner she’d shared with Emory to protect what little was left of Ward’s reputation.
He’d insisted on picking her up at her house, and then after she’d endured mediocre food and a stale monologue of childhood memories, he’d refused to take her home. Instead, they’d stopped at George’s pub, and he’d steered her to a table where some of his friends were celebrating the evening.
Jess knew most of them, but like the town, she’d left them behind when she went away to college. They were good people, though, and she quickly found herself engaged in
Similar Books
