Read Online Don't Close Your Eyes by Carlene Thompson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Carlene Thompson
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two years ago. Besides, I didn’t plan on spending my life taking care of my mother. So much for my troubles. Why are you calling?”
“Got some news I thought you’d like to hear.”
Dee shifted from one tired foot to the other, running a hand through her short, curly brown hair. “Well? Do I have to guess?”
“Tamara Hunt was murdered.”
“Murdered,” Dee said without emotion. “When?”
“It must have happened last evening because she was out on Hyacinth Lane underneath a limb brought down by the storm. Her sister Lily and Natalie St. John found her.”
“Natalie St. John?”
“Yeah. I guess she’s here on a visit.”
“Visiting Daddy Dearest. She hardly ever comes home. Wonder what she’s doing here now?”
“She didn’t discuss it with me,” Ted said.
Dee either ignored or didn’t catch his sarcasm. “So how’s old Natalie looking these days?”
“Looking?” He’d just told her a woman had been mur
dered and she was concerned about another woman’s appearance. Ted shook his head in amazement. “She looks good. Hair’s long. Slim as ever.” Silence. Ted realized his mistake and added quickly, “Of course she’s not my type.”
“I could tell,” Dee said coldly. She touched her face. The skin was dry and she’d gained twelve pounds over the past year. She suddenly felt unattractive and depressed. “I guess the animal doctor was freaked out. She liked Tamara, God knows why.”
“I liked Tamara, too. She was a good woman, Dee.”
“Well, I couldn’t stand her,” Dee snapped, suddenly angry at the offended tone in Ted’s voice. He didn’t like her criticizing Tamara and she didn’t like his protectiveness. “I worked at her stupid suicide hotline for a year. Volunteered hours of my time. And after my trouble at the hospital, she made me quit.”
“You told me it was Warren who called you and ordered you not to come back.”
“So? He’s her husband.”
“He’s also a jerk and what he did wasn’t her fault.”
“Pardon me. She was a saint. The whole country will be in mourning over her death.” Dee took a breath. “So what about the animal doctor? Did she immediately call for Daddy?”
“No, Natalie didn’t.”
“I know her name is Natalie. I remember her all too well from high school. Part of that stuck-up group that wouldn’t wipe their shoes on me.”
Ted sighed. “I don’t think you really knew any of these people. Natalie’s not bad.”
“She’s a bitch,” Dee said acidly. “Not that she had any right to be so snobby. Her mother took off and joined the Manson family.”
“Dee, the Manson family was long gone when Natalie’s mother left.”
“And then there’s her father,” Dee went on, seething. “He killed poor Eugene Farley on the operating table two years ago.”
Ted’s face flushed. Dee had once been in love with Eugene Farley. He’d been head accountant at Bishop Corporation, where Viveca Cosgrove was an executive, and he’d dumped Dee for Viveca. Dee remained obsessed with him, though, and she was certain he’d return to her when his affair with Viveca ended. Instead he’d been arrested for embezzlement. During his trial, Dee had taken the night shift at the hospital and come to the courtroom every day.
The jury returned a guilty verdict. As a seemingly limp Farley was led out of the courtroom, he’d suddenly snapped to life. With amazing speed he grabbed a deputy’s gun and shot himself in the head. Everyone screamed and hit the floor, dodging the hail of bullets they thought would follow. But no other shots were fired and when the screaming stopped, someone checked Farley to find him still alive. They’d rushed him to the hospital and St. John operated. Dee was a surgical nurse. She’d hurried back to the hospital, slipped into the operating room and watched Eugene Farley die on the table. For two years she’d never stopped talking about Farley, claiming his death resulted from Andrew St. John botching
“Got some news I thought you’d like to hear.”
Dee shifted from one tired foot to the other, running a hand through her short, curly brown hair. “Well? Do I have to guess?”
“Tamara Hunt was murdered.”
“Murdered,” Dee said without emotion. “When?”
“It must have happened last evening because she was out on Hyacinth Lane underneath a limb brought down by the storm. Her sister Lily and Natalie St. John found her.”
“Natalie St. John?”
“Yeah. I guess she’s here on a visit.”
“Visiting Daddy Dearest. She hardly ever comes home. Wonder what she’s doing here now?”
“She didn’t discuss it with me,” Ted said.
Dee either ignored or didn’t catch his sarcasm. “So how’s old Natalie looking these days?”
“Looking?” He’d just told her a woman had been mur
dered and she was concerned about another woman’s appearance. Ted shook his head in amazement. “She looks good. Hair’s long. Slim as ever.” Silence. Ted realized his mistake and added quickly, “Of course she’s not my type.”
“I could tell,” Dee said coldly. She touched her face. The skin was dry and she’d gained twelve pounds over the past year. She suddenly felt unattractive and depressed. “I guess the animal doctor was freaked out. She liked Tamara, God knows why.”
“I liked Tamara, too. She was a good woman, Dee.”
“Well, I couldn’t stand her,” Dee snapped, suddenly angry at the offended tone in Ted’s voice. He didn’t like her criticizing Tamara and she didn’t like his protectiveness. “I worked at her stupid suicide hotline for a year. Volunteered hours of my time. And after my trouble at the hospital, she made me quit.”
“You told me it was Warren who called you and ordered you not to come back.”
“So? He’s her husband.”
“He’s also a jerk and what he did wasn’t her fault.”
“Pardon me. She was a saint. The whole country will be in mourning over her death.” Dee took a breath. “So what about the animal doctor? Did she immediately call for Daddy?”
“No, Natalie didn’t.”
“I know her name is Natalie. I remember her all too well from high school. Part of that stuck-up group that wouldn’t wipe their shoes on me.”
Ted sighed. “I don’t think you really knew any of these people. Natalie’s not bad.”
“She’s a bitch,” Dee said acidly. “Not that she had any right to be so snobby. Her mother took off and joined the Manson family.”
“Dee, the Manson family was long gone when Natalie’s mother left.”
“And then there’s her father,” Dee went on, seething. “He killed poor Eugene Farley on the operating table two years ago.”
Ted’s face flushed. Dee had once been in love with Eugene Farley. He’d been head accountant at Bishop Corporation, where Viveca Cosgrove was an executive, and he’d dumped Dee for Viveca. Dee remained obsessed with him, though, and she was certain he’d return to her when his affair with Viveca ended. Instead he’d been arrested for embezzlement. During his trial, Dee had taken the night shift at the hospital and come to the courtroom every day.
The jury returned a guilty verdict. As a seemingly limp Farley was led out of the courtroom, he’d suddenly snapped to life. With amazing speed he grabbed a deputy’s gun and shot himself in the head. Everyone screamed and hit the floor, dodging the hail of bullets they thought would follow. But no other shots were fired and when the screaming stopped, someone checked Farley to find him still alive. They’d rushed him to the hospital and St. John operated. Dee was a surgical nurse. She’d hurried back to the hospital, slipped into the operating room and watched Eugene Farley die on the table. For two years she’d never stopped talking about Farley, claiming his death resulted from Andrew St. John botching
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