Bess
Something wet was on my forehead, but my arm didn’t feel strong enough to reach up and touch it. Maybe it was Brooks licking me? No, it didn’t feel like that.
I heard a few hushed voices.
“It doesn’t appear as though she hit her head, so it’s probably more a reaction to stress. She’ll come out of it. Her pulse is steady and her heartbeat sounds good.”
“Are you sure?” a deeper voice asked. “Maybe we should be more careful and take her to the hospital in the city.”
“No, she’ll be fine. Let her rest on the couch and she’ll come to.”
The voices all sounded garbled, as if they were underwater. Or maybe I was underwater? Was that why my forehead was wet?
I concentrated on lifting my hand and it worked. Bringing it to my forehead, I felt a towel or something soft there. It was cool and wet. I patted it in place, making sure it stayed put, and heard all the sounds in the room go quiet.
“Bess?” the first voice said. It sounded like Doc. I’d just seen him, so I would know.
“Bess?” he said again.
I think I nodded my head, or at least I was trying to. Prying one eye open, I tried to turn my head to the direction the voice was coming from.
I squinted and saw a blurry Doc, May from work, and someone else who looked like Lane, but he had short hair. A buzz cut.
When did he do that? Where am I? How did Lane get here from Florida? What happened?
And then I remembered. The call. AJ. Lane yelling on the other end of the phone.
I shut my eye and attempted to open both together. It took two attempts, but I did it. Taking in my surroundings, I noticed it was still dark out. I wondered if it was the same night or a night or two later.
I swallowed. “Doc?” My voice was broken and raspy.
“Bess, honey. Don’t strain.”
“What happened to me? How long have I been like this?” I said while patting my hand along my body, making sure I was still all there. “Where’s Brooks? Forget me,” I added, straining to look around the room.
“He’s in your bedroom. He was pacing and nervous while you were unconscious, and he seemed to settle down back there.”
“Get him.” I managed to say it firmly, and Lane with short hair turned and walked away.
Doc frowned down at me. “As for you, I think you had a panic attack and passed out. You sort of came to shortly after, but fell into a deep sleep right away. Probably stress-induced.”
I took a shuddering breath and pressed my hand to my stomach. “How long ago was that?”
“Well, AJ called Shirley about two and a half hours ago as he was peeling down your driveway, and said you were passed out. He was having some kind of fit himself, so Shirley decided to go after AJ and called May to take care of you. May found you about fifteen minutes after AJ called. That’s when you woke for a moment.” Doc came close and bent down, taking my pulse.
Brooks ran to me after being released and nearly knocked Doc out of the way, sticking his snout right in my face and giving me his own snuffling once-over.
In the soft light coming from the lamp, I reassured my dog as I watched Lane continue to stay back. He was hesitant, so unlike his normal direct self.
“Lane?” It came out all wrong, hoarse, unsteady, questioning.
He stepped closer and shook his head. “No, I’m Jake. His brother, Jake Wrigley.”
When I tried to frown, he explained.
“His twin brother. Identical. I can see he doesn’t talk about me much . . . I get it. But he called me in an absolute panic when you went silent on the phone. He said there was screaming and fighting in the background, and he was beyond worried. I’ve never heard him yell like that. He begged me to come here.”
“You’re his twin?”
“Yes.”
“Where do you live?” It was a stupid question, but it came out.
“Pittsburgh.”
“Doc, can I sit up?” I asked.
Doc put his arm around my back and propped me up against the back of the couch. Brooks didn’t go far, staying put right at my feet on his hind paws, staring down anyone who came close.
“Do you feel light-headed?” Doc asked.
“No,” I said, trying to sound firm as I rested my hand on the top of Brooks’s head.
“What happened, Bess?” May asked, coming to sit down next to me.
I told them what I remembered about AJ showing up and flipping out, demanding my attention and feelings.
“That was before he saw the necklace,” I explained.
Jake frowned at me. “What necklace?”
I pointed toward the counter where it had been. “Lane sent me this necklace today. A heart. It was why he was on the phone, why he called. To see if I received it.”
I tried to stand up and my robe gaped open. Oh my God, I was still in my robe. Had anyone seen my body?
“Not right now, missy,” Doc said, settling me back into the couch.
“But I have to find the necklace and the note . . . and get dressed.”
“There’s nothing there, Bess,” May said. “I checked all around the room for clues as to what happened when I got here. Nothing was out of place other than the vase and sand by the mantel. I cleaned it up.”
“Wait!” I called out. “What did you do with the sand?” Tears started to flow at the thought of losing that memento of my time with Lane.
“It’s in the garbage.”
“Get it out!” I yelled with as much strength as I could.
“Bess, darling, you’ve had a rough day. Lots of stress. Let’s just try to stay calm now,” Doc said in a soothing voice.
Calm?
“There was a letter? Where is it?” I leaned forward. “And a necklace?” I tried to stand again, but May held me back as I freaked out, mumbling to myself.
May was running her hand up and down my back when Jake interrupted, “Hey, Doc, maybe something to calm her nerves? A Xanax?”
“No!” May and Doc shouted at the same time.
“I can’t take that,” I said quietly, absently rubbing the leather collar around Brooks’s neck.
“Okay, suit yourself,” Jake said with a shrug. “Listen, my brother is on his way. He’ll be here soon, and I’m sure he’ll solve all this. He’s very good at cleaning up messes.”
I nodded and said, “Really? He’s coming here?”
“Yeah,” Jake said, then edged toward the door. “I gotta go. Take care, Bess.”
Watching him leave, I could have sworn I saw something deep and tormented behind his blue eyes—just like in Lane’s.