“After the bell, just go back down the hallway, the same way you came in. Someone will release the lock.”
Theresa looked at the young man. “Thank you. You’ve been truly kind.”Or you’re a zombie. As the orderly began to walk away, Theresa asked, “Do you know what happened to my aunt’s ring?”
“Ring? Sorry, I don’t know anything about rings. I’ve been on duty since she arrived, and I do not recall any jewelry.” He continued down the hall.
He may have been telling the truth, but something inside was nagging at her. Theresa realized there was nothing she could do and began to walk back to the lobby when she spotted a woman in a wheelchair, also behind a glass window. Theresa stopped abruptly as she spotted a ring on the left hand of the woman, whose face was slack. Even though the woman was close to ninety, there was a resemblance Theresa immediately recognized. She rushed to the front desk and inquired about the woman in the wheelchair. “There is someone in another room, who I think is wearing my aunt’s ring.” The Cheshire Cat lifted a finger as if to say, “one minute,” and picked up her phone. She turned away from Theresa, making it almost impossible for her to discern what was being said on the other side of the plexiglass. The receptionist ended the call and directed her attention back to Theresa. “Someone will be with you shortly.”
The buzzer sounded, and a hulking woman around Theresa’s age entered the foyer. “What is this about a ring?” Theresa recognized the voice immediately. It was Nurse Ratched, aka Janet Turner.
Theresa explained the story about the ring and how Dottie never took it off, and there was a woman in a wheelchair wearing the ring. Nurse Turner insisted Theresa was mistaken and that her aunt had no such ring or any jewelry when she entered Sunnydale. But Theresa wasn’t taking Janet Turner’s word for it and insisted they go to the woman’s room. Turner seemed to know Theresa wouldn’t back down and agreed to follow her back to the room where she claimed to have seen the woman in the wheelchair. When they got to the room, the woman was no longer there. No wheelchair. No bed. It was as if the person didn’t exist or had vanished.
“You see? There is no woman in a wheelchair wearing a ring.” Nurse Nasty gave her anI told you sosmirk.
Theresa wasn’t buying it, but she wasn’t going to argue with the brute force standing in front of her.
“My apologies. Must be the heat and the jet lag.” Something wasn’t right, and Theresa needed to find out more. “I have to go back to Virginia and want to see my aunt one more time.”
“Very well. You can make another appointment if you wish, but I can assure you her condition will not change between now and then.”
It was obvious that Nurse Nasty wanted her gone, but Theresa was not going to back down. “I’ll make that appointment with the receptionist before I leave.”
Cheshire Cat was still smiling as she typed some information into her computer. Satisfied she would find some answers, Theresa thanked her and was buzzed out of the building.
She rolled down the windows of her car, cranked up the air-conditioning, and sat with the door open, waiting for the interior to cool down a bit. She recalled what she knew about Sunnydale. From her research, she knew they had three complexes and spent a lot of money on television advertising. On the surface, they were a legitimate business, yet her brief encounter and strange behavior from the staff stuck in her craw.
She decided the car was cool enough and began to pull out of the parking lot. As she proceeded toward the main road, a large dump truck sideswiped her, causing her to crash into a telephone pole. The airbag deployed, hitting her squarely in the head. She was dazed and waited for someone to come to her aid, but there was no one. She pulled out her phone and dialed 911. Fortunately, she only suffered a bruised nose and had a massive headache. She knew the car rental agency would want a police report, and she should get checked out by a doctor. The police and ambulance arrived at the same time.
The officer took her statement. “He came out of nowhere,” Theresa noted.
“Were you able to get a look at the license plate? Any markings on the truck?”
Theresa shook her head. The dump truck was nondescript.
“And he didn’t stop?”
“Correct. Had he stopped, I would be able to give you more information.” Her head was pounding, and she was losing her patience. “Please, can I go now? I can go to the police station tomorrow to finish your report.”
The officer was amenable and suspended the query. “Perhaps you’ll be able to recall a few more details after the shock wears off.” He scribbled something down and handed her his card. “We’ll check the surveillance. Meanwhile, if you think of anything, let me know.”
“Thank you.”
A medic ushered Theresa onto the stretcher, where they made sure she remained upright. She watched as her rental car was towed.
After a thorough exam, including a CAT scan, she was released from the hospital. They called a cab to take her back to the hotel, where she spent the last few hours of the afternoon phoning her sister and Brian. They were not going to be happy with this news.
Chapter Four
Sunnydale Do-Over-Again
Rather than renting another vehicle, Theresa decided to call a cab to take her to Sunnydale the next morning. It was also a precautionary measure. The doctor advised her not to get behind a wheel for a few days.
Even though she made the proper appointment, she knew the staff would not be happy to see her again. She was also curious as to what their reaction to her accident would be.Concern? Indifference?She was going to take copious mental notes of everyone and everything. Theresa did not believe in coincidences, but she also wasn’t prone to nefarious plots. But this? This needed some consideration.
The car delivered Theresa to Sunnydale on time. The driver was kind enough to tell her there was a shuttle bus that could bring her back to the hotel if she preferred. “You can pick it up at the roundabout on the other side.”
“How do I get over there?” Theresa asked.
“You’ll have to walk back to the security gate, unless you want to climb through the bushes,” he said, and grinned.
