Read Online Death on a Silver Platter by Ellen Hart - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ellen Hart
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involved far too much with the Jews over there in the Middle East. Then again, he’d taken on the labor unions and won. He had a good heart.
Millie Veelund was Archie Bunker without the twinkle. She used religion and politics like a flamethrower. She was human Agent Orange. Danny hated her. And he loved her. And that was the problem.
“Hi, Mom,” he said, his voice breaking awkwardly into the silence.
She turned to him and her face lit up. Taking a few steps toward him, she said, “Daniel, I’m so glad you came. Did Elaine call you?”
“Elaine? No.”
“Then . . . how did you find out about Tracy?”
“I just learned about it from Zander. He said she’d had an accident, but he didn’t elaborate.” He shut the door. “What’s going on?”
“It’s just . . . heartbreaking. I mean, we all knew she was depressed. She has been for years, but her problems started to come to a head last summer. You must have noticed it.”
Danny hadn’t. He didn’t even know she’d been talking to a therapist.
After giving Danny a kiss, she sat down on the sofa, folding her hands in her lap. She looked defeated. Exhausted. Danny noticed that her ankles seemed unusually swollen. Her health wasn’t good, but then, neither was Danny’s. For years he’d felt that they’d been in a race to see who would kick off first. Except he’d recovered. Four years ago, the doctors had pronounced him cancer-free. Nobody recovered from old age.
Nodding for him to take a chair opposite the sofa, Millie continued, “It happened last night. Tracy and that boyfriend of hers stopped by Elaine’s house, supposedly just to talk, but Elaine wasn’t home. I guess Tracy had been crying about something, which isn’t unusual. They sat and watched TV for a while, then Tracy said she wanted to take a bath.”
“And?” prompted Danny, seeing that this was difficult for his mother.
“She locked herself in the bathroom and slit her wrists.”
He was stunned. “Why didn’t Mick try to stop her?”
“He didn’t know what was happening. But apparently he got concerned so he called Elaine. She came home and they broke the door down. Tracy was unconscious by then. She spent the night at the hospital getting blood transfusions. This morning her therapist suggested that Elaine check her into a facility. You know . . . a—”
“Facility.”
“Right.” She touched the back of her hair. “She said Tracy shouldn’t be alone, but Tracy wouldn’t have any of it. Elaine finally talked her into staying here for a while, not that she didn’t resist that, too.”
“Why doesn’t she stay with Elaine?”
“Because . . . that’s where the suicide attempt happened. The therapist didn’t think it was a good idea for her to go back there. Besides, I can provide her with round-the-clock supervision.”
“God,” said Danny, shaking his head. “Elaine must be devastated.”
“She is.”
“Why is Tracy in therapy?”
“I wish I knew. Tracy insists that it’s her life and that it remain private.”
Danny just looked at his mother. He didn’t know what to say. “And what does the therapist think about what just happened?”
“She’s out on the back patio talking to Tracy right now. As far as I’m concerned, all those people are a load of bunk. Useless. Tracy might as well talk to a witch doctor. She was better off before she went to that woman.”
“What’s her name?”
“Jhawar. Dr. Durva Jhawar. That’s not American, is it? It’s foreign. I thought she might be Spanish, but she’s too brown to be from Spain. Not the sort of person I’d ever hire. I hold her, at the very least, partially responsible for Tracy’s current condition. But,” she sighed, “Elaine doesn’t agree with me, as usual . I’m just her mother and what does a mother know?”
Danny could feel a rant coming on. He tried to distract her. “Does Alex know about the suicide attempt?”
“I called him first thing this morning. Elaine asked me
Millie Veelund was Archie Bunker without the twinkle. She used religion and politics like a flamethrower. She was human Agent Orange. Danny hated her. And he loved her. And that was the problem.
“Hi, Mom,” he said, his voice breaking awkwardly into the silence.
She turned to him and her face lit up. Taking a few steps toward him, she said, “Daniel, I’m so glad you came. Did Elaine call you?”
“Elaine? No.”
“Then . . . how did you find out about Tracy?”
“I just learned about it from Zander. He said she’d had an accident, but he didn’t elaborate.” He shut the door. “What’s going on?”
“It’s just . . . heartbreaking. I mean, we all knew she was depressed. She has been for years, but her problems started to come to a head last summer. You must have noticed it.”
Danny hadn’t. He didn’t even know she’d been talking to a therapist.
After giving Danny a kiss, she sat down on the sofa, folding her hands in her lap. She looked defeated. Exhausted. Danny noticed that her ankles seemed unusually swollen. Her health wasn’t good, but then, neither was Danny’s. For years he’d felt that they’d been in a race to see who would kick off first. Except he’d recovered. Four years ago, the doctors had pronounced him cancer-free. Nobody recovered from old age.
Nodding for him to take a chair opposite the sofa, Millie continued, “It happened last night. Tracy and that boyfriend of hers stopped by Elaine’s house, supposedly just to talk, but Elaine wasn’t home. I guess Tracy had been crying about something, which isn’t unusual. They sat and watched TV for a while, then Tracy said she wanted to take a bath.”
“And?” prompted Danny, seeing that this was difficult for his mother.
“She locked herself in the bathroom and slit her wrists.”
He was stunned. “Why didn’t Mick try to stop her?”
“He didn’t know what was happening. But apparently he got concerned so he called Elaine. She came home and they broke the door down. Tracy was unconscious by then. She spent the night at the hospital getting blood transfusions. This morning her therapist suggested that Elaine check her into a facility. You know . . . a—”
“Facility.”
“Right.” She touched the back of her hair. “She said Tracy shouldn’t be alone, but Tracy wouldn’t have any of it. Elaine finally talked her into staying here for a while, not that she didn’t resist that, too.”
“Why doesn’t she stay with Elaine?”
“Because . . . that’s where the suicide attempt happened. The therapist didn’t think it was a good idea for her to go back there. Besides, I can provide her with round-the-clock supervision.”
“God,” said Danny, shaking his head. “Elaine must be devastated.”
“She is.”
“Why is Tracy in therapy?”
“I wish I knew. Tracy insists that it’s her life and that it remain private.”
Danny just looked at his mother. He didn’t know what to say. “And what does the therapist think about what just happened?”
“She’s out on the back patio talking to Tracy right now. As far as I’m concerned, all those people are a load of bunk. Useless. Tracy might as well talk to a witch doctor. She was better off before she went to that woman.”
“What’s her name?”
“Jhawar. Dr. Durva Jhawar. That’s not American, is it? It’s foreign. I thought she might be Spanish, but she’s too brown to be from Spain. Not the sort of person I’d ever hire. I hold her, at the very least, partially responsible for Tracy’s current condition. But,” she sighed, “Elaine doesn’t agree with me, as usual . I’m just her mother and what does a mother know?”
Danny could feel a rant coming on. He tried to distract her. “Does Alex know about the suicide attempt?”
“I called him first thing this morning. Elaine asked me
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