Read Online Her Last Letter by Nancy C. Johnson - Free Book Online Page A

trying to reach you ever since.”
    “Oh, man. Oh, I’m so sorry, Gwyn. Really. I’ll be right over there.”
    “Why didn’t you call her?”
    “Oh-work. I don’t know. You’re right. I should have.”
    “Yes, you sure should have. If not for me she might have lain there waiting for who knows how long.”
    “Listen, Gwyn. It’s not what you think. She calls me every minute of every freakin’ day with something. If I called her back every time she called me I’d never get any work done.”
    “Well, that’s still no excuse. Look what happened.”
    “I know. You’re absolutely right. I’ll be right over.”
    Fifteen minutes later he stepped through the sliding glass doors. I watched as he approached the desk and spoke with the nurse in charge. He acknowledged me with a raised hand as the woman before him pulled out forms and a clipboard with a pen attached. He walked over and took a seat beside me.
    “I guess they’re putting her in a room pretty soon,” he said.
    “Yes.” I looked him over. He wasn’t in his work clothes, but a pair of tan slacks and a brown leather jacket. I had to assume he’d taken the time to change at the house before coming over.
    He studied the forms on his lap, flipping the pen between two fingers. “I need a coffee. You want one?”
    “I guess. Sure.”
    He stood and looked down at me, and I could see the impression of his muscular thighs bulging beneath his slacks.
    “How do you like it?”
    “What?”
    “Your coffee. How do you like it?”
    “Oh, cream and sugar. But don’t bother. I can get it.”
    “Don’t worry about it. How much sugar?”
    “Just a little, a spoon.”
    He stepped over to the coffee machine.
    He made me uncomfortable. I didn’t like being alone with him, especially being this near to him. Could this be the man who’d killed my sister? I’d never bothered to try and figure the guy out, or to look behind the obvious flirtatiousness to see what might be lurking there.
    Wolfgang held the Styrofoam cup toward me. “It’s hot. Be careful.”
    “Thanks,” I said.
    “You’re welcome.”
    He sat down and scooted his chair closer to mine, then balanced the clipboard on his knee. With a half smile, he leaned in toward me. “Tell me why in this age of instant information we still have to fill out these idiotic things.”
    “I don’t know. Guess they need updated information.”
    “Yeah, guess so.” He bent forward and began filling in the blanks.
    After a minute, I glanced over his shoulder. “So, what is it they need to know so badly?”
    He turned to face me. “Boy, you must be bored.”
    “No. Just asking.”
    “You sure are a funny gal. Now don’t take this wrong, because I’m just asking. But I get the feeling you don’t like me very much.”
    “What?”
    “Hey, it’s okay. I can see you’re a very private person. You don’t warm up to people that easy. I’m a little that way myself. Not everybody can take my sense of humor. And … maybe there’s something about me that kinda turns you off. I don’t expect everybody to like me. It’s not a problem.”
    “I don’t dislike you, Wolfgang. I don’t. I just don’t know you very well. I’m sorry if you got that impression.”
    “Okay, that’s fair.”
    “But I do worry about Linda. You didn’t call her back when she needed you. That upset me very much. And she absolutely refused to let me call her an ambulance.”
    “She did?”
    “Yes.”
    “Why?”
    “I don’t know.”
    “Well, she should have. What, you think I’d care? If she’s hurt, for sure I want her to call somebody .”
    I studied his body language. He appeared sincere, but there was something glib and rehearsed about his answers, as if he’d already anticipated the questions. “Will you excuse me for a minute?” I said. “I need to call Trevor and tell him what’s going on.”
    “Sure thing.”
    I walked a short way down the corridor, then dialed my cell. Trevor didn’t answer, so I left a