Twist (Siren Publishing Allure) (20 page)

Rolf sniffed. He turned and popped up the toaster, the kitchen filling with smoke. “Final insult for the day, the toaster is malfunctioning.” He plucked the burned waffles from the slot and pitched them in the sink, running cold water on them. The smoke alarm started to screech, the sound grating. Rolf grabbed a towel, waving it under the alarm. When it didn’t go off, he reached up, ripping it off the ceiling and tearing out the battery. With a grunt, he threw it in the trash.

Lana chuckled as she got up to open the back door.

“What the hell is so funny?” Rolf asked gruffly.

“Absolutely nothing,” she replied, unable to stop laughing. Rolf stared at her for a moment and then joined her. Mona looked pointedly at Lana and then, with a final glance at Rolf, turned and walked out the front door. Lana watched her go, her laughter increasing until she was sliding down the wall to sit on the floor. Tears leaked from her eyes, and Rolf sat across from her, his face bright with enjoyment.

The laughter slowly came to an end, and Lana spun, dropping back into his arms. Rolf kissed the top of her head. “How did you get home from Lee’s?”

“I walked. What happened at the doctor’s office?”

“They checked him out, took blood and urine samples. They wanted Lee to go to the hospital, but he refused. They gave him something for the vomiting, but obviously it didn’t do much good. I had to stop twice on the way home because he was throwing up. What happened with the police?”

“Nothing. They finished their report, didn’t find anything concrete, fingerprints or anything. They are going to check Ant out and get back to us. In the meantime, we have to go over and make up a complete list of what is missing to give to the insurance company.”

Rolf wrinkled his nose. “My brother with all his wisdom had the house insured but he didn’t have the necessary riders to cover the contents. The insurance will pay for some stuff, but not the paintings or sculptures. He asked me what happened to the folder on the table, did you move it?”

“Yeah, I put it in the bedroom before Ant came over, why?”

“Because he was a nervous wreck that Ant had taken it. It contains all the documents for Enar’s estate. Did you look at it?”

“Briefly. Why?”

The suspicion on her face made him ask, “Suddenly worried that I’m after his money?”

She gave him a cheeky grin. “No. If Enar wasn’t worried, then why should I be?”

Lee staggered out of the bathroom with the trash can in his grasp. He dropped into a chair, looking at them. “Who the hell was yelling, and why are the two of you sitting on the floor?”

Lana rolled her eyes. “Mona was yelling. Rolf lost it and took his frustration out on the smoke detector. We need a new one. Then we got a case of the giggles and ended up where you see us. How are you feeling?”

“Like a truck ran me over. Can I use your bed?”

“Of course. Do you have any magic potions for vomiting?”

“A few, but without knowing what he slipped me, I don’t dare take anything. I’m going to lie down.”

“Want some ginger beer at least?”

Lee nodded. “Yeah, that might help.”

Lana rolled to her feet, pushing herself up in a way that didn’t require her to put pressure on her kneecap. She grimaced at the pain shooting up her leg and limped into the kitchen, getting him a warm bottle of ginger beer from the cubby. She popped the top, handing it to him. Lee sighed. “Sorry I took the keys with me. I wasn’t even thinking about you having to walk home.”

“I’m fine. It was a nice walk. Melissa called and sent regards from the office. Once you are feeling better, we can refurbish your house. If nothing else, it will keep us busy.”

He smiled. “Right after I get done kicking myself in the ass for trusting Ant.”

“It happens.”

“Yeah. I should know better.”

Lana shrugged. “Maybe, and the word ‘afterthought’ should be banned from the dictionary.”

Lee pushed himself to his feet, chuckling at her comment. “I do love you.”

“I know. I love you, too.”

He dragged her into a hug and then tottered into the bedroom. Rolf joined her in the kitchen. “Would you like me to make you something to eat?”

She sighed, suddenly feeling weary again. “I would love that.”

Rolf gathered the ingredients for an overstuffed omelet, sautéing onions, chunks of green squash, and mushrooms in a large frying pan. He removed the vegetables, pouring in half a dozen eggs and then added chopped ham, salami, and cheese, returning the veggies to the mix before putting a cover on it. When he turned to ask if she wanted toast, Rolf saw that she had her head down on the table. He put four slices of bread in the toaster and made her a fresh cup of coffee. She needed food more than a nap. Leaning back on the counter, Rolf smiled. What he really wanted to do with Lana had nothing to do with food.

Lana opened her eyes, yawning. Rolf was sitting next to her, reading a book. She glanced at the title,
Treasures of Rome
. “What time is it?”

“About nine.”

“I barely remember finishing my omelet.”

“You almost passed out with your face in the plate. I gave up on waking you up and carried you in here. Lee has been up a few times, but last time I checked, he was also sleeping. The doctor’s office called. They found some drug in his bloodstream with a long name. I wrote it down. They said that the best thing Lee could do was to simply sleep it off. It is not known to create any lasting problems. They said he should feel better in the morning. The funeral home called. The police department is holding Enar’s body for an investigation into his death. I called the police department, but Officer Pole had already left for the night.”

“What is there to investigate? Why didn’t they just call his doctor’s office?”

“I asked Lee that. He said that Enar hadn’t gone to the doctor.”

“What?”

“He hasn’t been to the doctor in almost two years. His doctor told him that his heart muscles were getting weaker and that there was nothing conventional left to do except some experimental drugs. The doctor was pushing the drugs and Enar refused to go back to him.”

“So how did he know that he would be dead in five months?”

“Lee said that he felt it coming on. Enar started getting really tired during their runs. It started before he even met you, but it was mild. As time went on, things continued to get worse. The homeopath suggested that he find a different heart doctor, but Enar never did. He probably hoped for five years, but when he got weaker, he simply said five months to make us feel better.”

“Why didn’t Lee intercede?”

“He said that he tried, but Enar wanted to do things his own way.”

“Did you know?”

Tears sprung in his eyes as he shook his head. “No. He only told Lee. I’ve been sitting here thinking that if I had been a better brother, maybe he would still be alive.”

Lana stared at him. She knew that Rolf wasn’t accusing her of being a bad wife, but Enar hadn’t trusted her enough to tell her. “Then I wasn’t a good enough wife because he lied to me also.” Fury boiled in her mind, and she spun, thumping her feet to the floor, with the intention of escaping to be alone.

Rolf grabbed the back of her shirt, preventing her from moving. “Let me finish! My brother was a very independent and stubborn man. He spent a good portion of his childhood in bed. When other kids were running around and playing, he couldn’t even walk. He was three before he was strong enough to start getting up by himself, and his muscles were so weak that he spent two years with a therapist coming to our house every day. The exercises would drain him. Just after his fifth birthday, he had a stroke.”

Rolf ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. “Of course. That’s where the number five came from. Five years old when he had a stroke and he was born in May, which is where the fifth month, so five months. Anyway, after the stroke, he had two more surgeries that kept him in bed for almost a year and left him paralyzed on one side. My brother was seven years old before he even really experienced what life was like. Once he was able to get out of bed and start doing things, he just kept fighting. Our mother was overprotective of him, always telling him that he pushed too hard, always trying to get him to slow down and rest. Enar didn’t want to rest. Whenever she wasn’t looking, he was exercising. Growing up like that left a mark on his mind. I think that he knew I would be able to influence his decision and that’s why he didn’t tell me. That’s why he didn’t tell you either. He told Lee because he wanted someone to know the truth, someone who couldn’t change his mind. He wanted to live out whatever life he had left. He didn’t want to end up in bed or in the hospital being pumped full of drugs. He had enough treatment and bed rest as a child to never want to go through that again. He told me a long time ago that he was glad to be alive, but if anyone had asked his permission when he was child, he would have told them to let him die. This time he had a choice and he made it, his way.”

“But he didn’t have to die.”

“We don’t know that. You know what happened to Sue. She tried the experimental treatments and paid the price. He told me that Sue said that she wanted to die because of all the things the drugs had done to her. Yeah, they kept her alive for a few more years, but in the end, they didn’t cure her, the drugs simply extended her misery. That’s why she checked herself into a care facility. They would pump her full of drugs to kill the pain and let her sleep. She stopped allowing Enar to come see her, because he tried to get her up and moving. He tried to encourage her to fight. She didn’t want to fight.”

“He said that she had a couple of heart attacks and diabetes caused by the drugs.”

“That was only part of it. During the seven years after she was diagnosed with cancer, her liver failed. She was forced to wear diapers because she lost control of her bowels. She would have blackouts and couldn’t even remember her own name. Six other tumors grew like wildfire, and she had five different surgeries. Her right arm would swell like a balloon, and she would cry from the pain. The final insult was that one of the medications caused her to have a stroke. It left her deaf and blind on one side. All of those things weren’t from the cancer, they were from the drugs that she was given. Each and every time, they would promise her the world and make her sign a waiver to acknowledge that she was aware of the possible side effects. She died anyway. Enar didn’t want to die like that.”

“I know he didn’t.” Lana dropped back on the bed, her head on his stomach. “He asked me to allow him to die with dignity. I agreed, but now I fully understand what he meant.”

Rolf was silent, his hand stroking her hair. When she tried to sit up, he clamped his fingers tight. “Stay with me,” he mumbled in a sleepy tone.

“I was going to. I have to go pee.”

He released her hair and Lana headed to the bathroom. Upon consideration, she realized that Rolf hadn’t slept at all in the last two days. She returned to bed, curling into his chest. He wrapped his arm tightly around her, his fingers curled around her throat.

* * * *

She heard the doorbell and rolled from the bed. She had a vague memory of Rolf calling out something in his sleep and almost choking her. She rubbed at her throat on the way to the front door. Officers Pole and Rinds stood in the doorway. “May we come in, Mrs. Manard?” asked Officer Pole.

“Sure,” she replied, stretching her back. “I’m gonna get myself a cup of coffee, do you want one?”

“No. Thank you.”

She wandered into the kitchen, pushing back her unruly hair. Lee walked out of the bedroom in his boxer shorts, dropping into a seat. “Make me one, Lana?”

“Do you want another beer instead?”

“No. Coffee would be fine.” He glanced at the two officers. “Good morning.”

They both nodded. Officer Pole said, “If you don’t mind, we would like to speak with Mrs. Manard alone.”

Lana frowned, handing Lee a cup of coffee. “You can ask me in front of Lee. He’s my brother-in-law and my friend. What seems to be the problem?”

“We received a call from your stepdaughter yesterday. She said you have marks on your side like someone stabbed you with a knife. She says you are acting strangely and she is afraid that you are being drugged. What happened to your neck?”

She shrugged. “What’s wrong with my neck?”

“You have a dark bruise that appears to be a handprint. Did someone choke you?”

She took a long drink from her coffee, unsure of how to reply without sounding as if Rolf was abusing her. “I have no idea how to answer that without it sounding wrong. The truth is that Rolf and I were talking last night. Lee was sick and sleeping in my bed. I lay down with Rolf. I have a vague memory of him having a nightmare. He had his arm around me, and I guess he reflexively tightened his fingers around my throat. He didn’t choke me. I just bruise easily. I am not being drugged or abused. As I told Mona yesterday, the marks on my side are because I set a coffee cup on the floor and then lost my balance and slid off the bed, landing on the coffee cup. It shattered, leaving small pieces of thin porcelain in my skin. Rolf patiently picked them all out and bandaged me up. I went for a walk and the bandages got soaked with sweat and stained my shirt. No great mystery. Why have you put a hold on releasing Enar’s body?”

Officer Rinds looked up from his notepad. “Let me make sure I have my facts right. You were sleeping with your brother-in-law the night after your husband’s death and he unintentionally choked you.”

Rolf walked out of the bedroom, his eyes focusing in on Lana’s neck. He tilted his head, walking past her, and took an ice pack from the freezer. He wrapped a towel around it and handed it to her. Lana sat down, leaning back and putting it to her skin. “I was having a dream that death was chasing me. It went to swing its sickle at me and I grabbed it by the throat and choked it until it faded away. I guess my fingers were actually around Lana’s neck.” He grimaced at her. “I’m so sorry. I told you that I had really reactive dreams.”

“Yes, you did,” she replied with a smile. “I’m fine. As I said to the officers, I just bruise easily.”