Theresa could barely hold the glass of water in her hands. She took several deep breaths and waited a few minutes to get her bearings before she phoned Henry. She gave him the first part of the instructions. She would arrive at his place at 5:15, where they would move to the next phase. He was like a kid going on a new adventure. “Do I need to wear a disguise, too?”
Theresa let out a big laugh. “Only if you want to.”
Florida
Maggie phoned the hospital and asked Clara to let Jeremy know she would be picking him up. “He’s such a nice fella. I’m glad they took those cuffs off of him,” Clara said kindly.
“It was a case of mistaken identity,” Maggie offered, without going into any specific detail.
“That’s very nice of you. I’ll let him know.”
“Great. What time should I be there?”
“The doctor is doing his final rounds at eleven. I’d say one-ish, to be on the safe side.”
“Thanks, Clara. You’re a gem.”
Unbeknownst to Regina, Jeremy, Danny, and possibly Bonnie, their fate was being maneuvered by a group of loyal, kind, responsible, generous people with the utmost integrity. It would be a mere few hours before their future unfolded.
The night before, Annie phoned a friend who owned a large pharmaceutical chain in Florida. They served on several advisory boards together. It was only a matter of telling her colleague that a well-qualified pharmacist needed a job. The answer was quick. “Just tell me what town, and when,” was the response she got.
Yoko contacted one of her landscape vendors just outside of St. Augustine. She knew he was expanding his business and was looking for qualified people. Two simple recommendations from Yoko were all he needed to say yes to hire Danny as a foreman and Regina as an apprentice.
Lizzie was able to secure a position for Danny’s girlfriend Bonnie at a law firm in the same area, should she choose to go with him. The position offered more money, benefits, and the opportunity to advance. It was a no-brainer, as far as Lizzie was concerned. But the decision would be up to Bonnie, who had absolutely no clue as to what was in the offing.
Life was going to be a little topsy-turvy for the four of them, but in the best possible way.
Maggie arrived at the hospital at one. Jeremy was wearing normal clothes, his arm in a sling, with a much smaller bandage on his forehead. “Ready?”
“More than you can imagine.” Jeremy was smiling from ear to ear.
“Let’s go, champ.” Maggie wheeled him to the nurse’s station. “We’ll be on our way, Clara. Thanks for taking care of my cousin.”
“You stay out of trouble, young man,” Clara teased.
“Don’t you worry about that.” Jeremy smiled. “And, yes, thank you. You were the nicest person here.”
Maggie handed Clara a shopping bag with the See’s Candies logo. “Just a small token of our appreciation.”
“Oh, my! How did you know I love chocolate?”
Maggie jutted her chin toward Clara’s desk. “Evidence.” She winked. “Enjoy!”
Jeremy waved as Maggie rolled him into the elevator. “You really are an investigative reporter.”
“That I am.”
When they reached the main level, Maggie handed the parking attendant her ticket. A few minutes later, her rental car pulled up. Jeremy was able to get out of the wheelchair on his own. It was hospital policy to have every patient who is being discharged wheeled out of the building for safetyandinsurance.
On the way out of the parking lot, Maggie began to tell Jeremy about his future, and a little bit about the past. He sat dumbfounded as the words poured out of her mouth.
“So, I was set up?”
“That would be ayes,” Maggie replied.
“But why?”
“You were getting too close.”
