Chapter 4: Things Look Brighter

I awoke sometime later with someone putting a cold cloth on my forehead. I blinked a few times to get the sleep out of my eyes, and when they were fully open, I saw a vision of loveliness that I hadn't seen in many months. I was staring into the eyes and smile of my ex-wife, Monique.

"Monique, why ... ah ... What are you doing here? We're not married anymore; or are we? And how did you get in? I thought I locked up last night!"

"Oh, my Darling, Bill! I'm so very sorry that you had to go through all this. I never meant to hurt you, I just didn't think! I somehow became this other person, I do still love you more today than the day I met you. I somehow forgot that. Brad was attentive and always complimenting me. You did those things too, but you were supposed to; you were my husband. Being married means that you say those things. I know that you really meant them when you said them, but I just expected them from you, then here came someone new and exciting, saying the very same things, and they somehow meant something different coming from him.

"It was never meant to last; and it didn't, in fact. I ended it with him the day before you confronted me. I told him it was over, and I was getting him transferred to another junior partner. I would write a glowing recommendation, but that we couldn't work together again, ever. I knew that someone in HR would probably put two and two together, but I needed to get back to my proper priorities, you. You were to be my main priority, I only wanted you. No one else ever mattered to me, just you.

"Then I came home that night and you dropped your bomb on me. I was stunned. You knew, and yet you were not going to be nasty to me or to Bradley. I just knew that I deserved what you said. I signed the papers after I calmed down and left. I went home to my parents, and sulked and bemoaned my life in silence over what I had done to you. I explained everything to Mom and Dad three days later. Daddy said that I should come back to you, get on my knees and beg you to take me back. I packed back up and drove all night to come back to you. Then I heard on the news about Bradley, and I couldn't believe that you did that awful thing. I called you that morning and you know what happened after that. And yes we are still married, with you in jail the divorce paperwork never went to the judge to get approved, so we are still married. Isn't that great news?"

"But why are you here now? How did you get in?"

"Silly, Billy, I still have my keys, and you never changed the locks. As to why I'm here ... well, I still love you. Mike called me, and explained that there is no way you could have done this. I can testify for you, too, now that I understand. I had never even been to Bradley's place, so I didn't know.

"I'm here to get you well and help you fight this, and to hope that all is not lost between us. I want to start over, and I promise you if I ever start thinking or acting like an idiot again, you are to put me across your knee and spank me 'till I'm acting normally again. I don't want to ever leave you again; and I never, ever want you to leave me alone again. We can even repeat our vows again so we can start over fresh again. I have been so very alone and lonely lately."

Monique lay beside me and cried. I opened my arms to her and she snuggled into my embrace and we lay there for several minutes. Sleep evaded me at first, but then my weakened body and mind shutdown and I was lost to the world around me. I felt safe and loved again for the first time in almost a year.

When I next awoke, it was to aromas, delightful aromas! I could smell bacon, toasted bread, and coffee. I usually preferred water to caffeinated drinks; but nothing beats coffee to wake you up, well except a cold shower!

As I was struggling to get out of bed, in walks an angel with food. Monique had a tray with legs and told me to sit up. I maneuvered myself into a sitting position and she placed the tray across my legs. I saw scrambled eggs, toast with orange marmalade, five strips of bacon, a large cup of coffee, and a glass of orange juice.

Monique sat on the bed, Indian style and fed me. She wouldn't let me lift a finger, except to drink my juice or my coffee.

"We have to keep your strength up and get you well. All your people have been so worried about you, even John Stevenson. He told me right after it happened that he could never believe that you could do such a horrid thing. All the people there who had worked with you said it couldn't have been you. I was so confused; I know that if you had been cheating on me, maybe I would have thought that I could kill my rival, but not like Bradley died. He was beaten to death with a baseball bat. If you had cheated, I would have taken one of your guns and killed the bitch, then maybe you, too; then I probably would have just killed myself because I lost you.

"You have to know that for a long time you were my reason for living, Bill. You came into my life just when I thought I would never find my true love, my soul mate, my other half. Then the day I met you when you first came to SS&H, something grew inside me. I knew that I had found my Prince Charming when we had lunch together that very first day; you were my knight in shining armor. You even came to me riding a noble steed. That is how I saw you that day. I guess I had forgotten that for a while, but Bradley never could measure up to you. He was even lacking in the sex department, but I thought it was glorious, fresh, new, and exciting at the time. Then the glamour wore off, and I saw it and myself for what it was I as cheap and tawdry. I didn't deserve you or your love. I began to feel as though I was something you have to wipe off your shoe after a walk in the park.

"I hoped and prayed that you would never know how I had disrespected you and your love, how I sullied what was once my whole life. I became convinced that I had to tell you everything. That was going to happen the night that you told me you knew. I had planned to explain everything and beg for your forgiveness that night. Once you told me about the divorce, I knew I had lost you forever. I was so ashamed that I had to leave. I knew you couldn't stand to be around me, and that I would always be a disappointment to you. Can you ever forgive me, Bill?"

"I think I forgave you when you and I cuddled in this bed last night. You know I could never stay mad at you, but that you actually thought I could do this thing that I'm accused of, deeply hurt me. That one thing hurt more than the cheating. I thought that you would know me better than that after five years together. But having you back in my arms healed at lot of that hurt. The fact that you are still here now, helps to lessen the pain."

"I called Daddy when I realized that you couldn't have done this awful thing, Bill. I told him what I found out, and he told me that he always knew it wasn't you. He said that he thought that he and my mom had raised a smarter daughter than to believe such nonsense. But then he thought that his daughter would have been smart enough to not cheat on her husband, either. So you see; Daddy has always been on your side. Mom was kind of like me, she had her doubts; but not after Daddy explained that you couldn't physically have done it.

"Now what can I do to help? I want to help my man and I'll do anything I'm able to do to help you in this."

"For starters, just love me and only me. Secondly, talk to John Stevenson and see if he knows where Sam Goodman, Ted Lorenzo, and Dan Stark are. I think one or all of them are the ones who did this thing. They are the only people with the clout and the anger to frame me for this crime. They all lost more than their jobs when I had them fired. They lost their reputations, and Sam lost his wife and children. I think Sam is our prime suspect, but all three might be in on it. They will probably be each other's alibi, but who knows for sure. I think someone who is close to them still works at SS&H contacted them when they found out about your affair and that you were being divorced, they set this up. For all I know, they may even have had Bradley seduce you so that they could break our marriage up. I really don't know all the ramifications of their plot, but the one thing I am sure of is that one, or all of them, are involved.

"You can move back in with me, if you want. I think that we need each other more than either of us realize. I know that last night was the very first good night's sleep I've had since this whole thing started almost a year ago. But that's your decision alone."

I could see the joy in her eyes when I said that she could move back in.

"Oh, I love you so much, Bill! I will try to make sure that you know just how much you mean to me until my dying day. I will move in tonight, but I need to go to work now and help you solve this case."

She kissed me with such passion that I instantly was hard. I hadn't even been sure that it worked anymore! It sure was nice to know that it did. The dreamy look in her eyes was like it used to be, before her big promotion, when the kiss ended. I thought I'd just gotten my 'angel girl' back.

A Possible New Beginning

Mike was back with a nurse about twenty minutes after Monique left. This nurse reminded me of one I saw in some film, play, or something. She was named Nurse Helga. She was over six foot tall, and probably weighed at least two hundred pounds; maybe a little more. By the scowl on her face and by the arms on her; you knew with one glance that she was not to be messed with. This nurse was a six foot four inch tall blonde and built like a Nordic goddess, but bigger and more muscular. Not at all like a Swedish bikini model.

Mike said, "Bill, this is Svenda Nordstrom. She is the one we hired to get you back on the road to recovery. She's also a cousin of Gary's from work. She is a rehabilitation nurse with fantastic credentials, and is very able to take care of you.

"I also understand that Monique is moving back in tonight. Are you sure that's wise?"

"Mike, if she feels safe to move back in here, don't you think that that would speak volumes to a jury? If I had really killed her lover, would she ever come near me, let alone live with me? I want you to have her make a deposition, in her own words, stating that she is coming back of her own free will. Make sure there are witnesses that can testify to the truth of her statement, and then file it away for the trial."

"That is brilliant, Bill! Hooray, the boss is back! That's the first sign of your old self coming through that I have seen, since this whole thing started. Welcome back, Boss!"

"Goot, now ve start recovery. Ju all flab, I vill fix ju up goot, ja?" said Svenda, with a very heavy Nordic accent. I think Gary said his family came from Orebro, Sweden, so Svenda must be Swedish.

"Svenda, I am all yours. I have lost almost a hundred and fifty pounds in the last six months due to living on prison hospital food," I said.

I waved a flabby man-boob at her. The damn thing came down to my waist.

"Ve vill fix ju up, but ve keep da floppies, ja?"

"Yes. For right now, we have to keep all the floppies. It is very important that I stay weak looking and require a nurse to build my strength up. I have to be able to prove that I was unable to kill anyone at the time of the murder. If I am still weak and can't walk for any distance, I can prove that I am innocent."