That morning, David sat in his office, still awake after spending the night there, hoping desperately to avoid going home. He’d tried to get more sleep before the sun came up but old age was making his body less flexible. He stretched his arms and twisted around in his chair trying to get comfortable. He’d told Shandrea she could stay with him since she had no place to go, and although his offer seemed gracious, his intentions were not. He was certain that Rose was gone for good and he blamed Shandrea. Now, it was his turn to get her back. Tit for Tat. They’d been playing this game for years and David was determined to win...one last time. 2
Unable to get his mind to focus clearly as he deviously entertained the thought of killing Shandrea or having her permanently committed, David paced the floor in front of his desk. To him it seemed like too much of a coincidence that he’d been seduced by Shandrea only to have Rose show up moments later and he suspected a set up. Proving it, however, was another story.3
He missed Rose and he was certain he’d never find another woman like her, afterall, she was the only woman who’d even come close to making hime feel the same way he had with his first love. Bitterness ached in his stomach and he felt like putting his hands around Shandrea’s neck. “Who does she think she is trying to control me like that and why didn’t I see it coming?” he thought.4
Pouring a drink and taking a few more painkillers calmed him down and he sat in his leather wing backed chair considering his options for getting rid of his psycho ex-wife. With Shandrea alive David was taking a huge risk. She knew too much about his past and if she wanted, could end his career... maybe even his life. In his mind, it was offensive enough that she’d destroyed his relationship with Rose and absolute revenge seemed ominously appropriate. He knew she had a weakness for mind altering substances and that suicide via drug use would easily appear believable, especially since her last hospital visit had been for a sleeping pill overdose. Being a doctor gave him access to such medications, but he wondered how he would get her to take massive amounts of drugs without casting suspicion on himself, particularly now that she was staying at his house. “Keep your enemies closer.” he thought. and dialed his home number.5
“Hello?” Shandrea said, sounding smug and still a little drunk.6
“I just wanted to call and check on you.” David said. “You know, make sure you’re okay.”7
“I’m alright, but I wish you’d come home. Why did you leave in such a hurry last night? Are you angry with me for what happened?” Shandrea asked, and after a moment of awkward silence David answered.8
“Sure, but after a lot of thought, I’ve come to realize that it’s my own fault and things between Rose and I would never have worked out anyway. We’re just too different. You on the other hand have been with me through thick and thin. If I had a choice to make I would still choose you.” David said, smiling as the smooth lie rolled off his forked tongue. He knew that timing was important and if he was going to get rid of Shandrea he would have to play her game. 9
“See, I’ve always told you we were made for each other, and now fate has brought us back together again.” Shandrea said, sounding as though she’d watched one too many soap operas. “I suppose it was just meant to be. Please tell me you’re really not angry with me for showing up at your house?” 10
“Of course not. How could you have possibly known what was going to happen. If anything, it’s my fault for attempting to keep you a secret. I’m just not cut out for it anymore. Getting too old, I guess. Anyway, everything worked out for the best. ”11
Humility was not a characteristic Shandrea had ever seen in David and she wondered what he was up to. Outside, she heard a car door slam and looked out the window. Two men in black suits were walking around in the driveway looking at her car. They wrote down her license plate and peered in her windows. “I have to go.” she said, “There’s someone here.”12
The men standing in the front yard looked like detectives and she wondered if Rose had gone to the police. They walked up to the door and continuously rang the doorbell until Shandrea thought she was going to lose her mind. The stress was unbearable and she felt trapped. The unmarked Police car began backing out of the driveway and Shandrea thought they were leaving, but she knew they’d be back with a warrant. “I have to get out of here.” she thought. “Rose broke her promise not to tell the Police. There’s no way I’m returning that baby now! They‘ll never find her!” She had not fed the baby for nearly twelve hours and figured she was likely very hungry and very mad. She left David’s house through the back door and began walking toward the woods, taking a shortcut to the guest house. Heavy fog kept Shandrea from being able to see clearly, but as she got closer, she could see yellow crime scene tape tied around several tree branches. A white van with Crime Scene Investigation Unit printed on the side in blue and gold lettering was parked out front. Uniformed men swarmed like honey bees in around the abandoned house and she knew that they’d already found baby Sarah. Shandrea had not told anyone about her plan and she couldn’t believe how quickly it was unraveling.13
“You can‘t trust anyone.” a voice said. “You’re going to rot in prison, like you deserve.” The voice belonged to Shandrea’s mother, but she could hear other voices in the background. Not wanting to hear anymore, she began running fast through the woods until she came to a gravel road, but the voices followed her. “You’ve always wanted someone to take care of you. How does three meals a day and a concrete cell sound?” 14
“Stop it!” Shandrea screamed, but they were relentless. Her incredible night had gone exactly as planned but it was quickly turning into a dreadful morning. The long gray road stretched out before her like a snake as the early morning fog lifted. The cold air was stinging Shandrea’s cheeks and she rubbed her face trying to regain sensation in her fingers and nose. A red barn in the distance offered solace and she walked through a field of winter wheat, wrapping her jacket tightly around her. Stiff, frozen wheat stalks poked through her jeans and the frozen dew was melting on contact, making her legs wet and cold. 15
When she got to the barn she found the door locked. After several unsuccessful tries, Shandrea saw a small window sitting above a bail of hay. She climbed on top and squeezed her delicate frame through the small opening. The smell appalled her but getting out of the wind had warmed her up considerably and she climbed a tall ladder to the top of the barn where several more bales of hay were stored. She looked down over the animals who were watching her with casual interest and used her foot to push loose hay into a pile. Her makeshift bed was comfortable and Shandrea could feel her eyelids becoming heavy as she listened to the laughing and whispering going on in her head. She did not want to return home until she was sure the Police had gone. Feeling completely hidden and safe, she fell asleep.16
Meanwhile, David absent mindedly tapped his fingers on a stack of papers. His last phone conversation with Shandrea had seemed very strange and he wondered if she was really seeing people outside his home or if it was just another one of her hallucinations. Curious, he called her back, but became concerned when no one answered. “Maybe she’s playing a game with me.” he thought, After all, it wasn’t normal for his ex-wife to ignore a phone call unless she was trying to make him worried. A master manipulator and highly skilled at perpetuating problems, Shandrea had often managed to make David’s life a living hell. Although he considered himself more intelligent, he knew she was absolutely crazy and her unpredictability made him nervous.17
He picked up the phone and tried to call again, still getting no answer. Frustrated, David slammed the phone down in cradle, ran his fingers through his hair, and took another drink. The person he truly wanted to call was Rose but he was certain she’d have nothing to do with him. Not now and probably not ever.18
* *
Monday morning Rose reluctantly went to her doctor’s appointment. She had good medical insurance and she liked Dr. Barnes, but getting undressed, putting on a paper gown and getting poked at with needles made her uncomfortable. The waiting room was empty and they called her name right away. Dr. Barnes met her at the door and shook her hand. He was a large soft spoken man with a sympathetic smile that put her immediately at ease. 21
“What seems to be the trouble?” Dr. Barnes asked.22
Rose told him that she was always tired and frequently feeling sick. 23
“You could be low iron. Are you still smoking?”24
Rose nodded, and shamefully concentrated on a crack in the floor. After giving blood and urine samples, Dr. Barn made her lie on her back while he poked her stomach and listened to her lungs. “You sound a bit congested.” he said. “but everything looks alright to me. If you call the office tomorrow my nurse can give you your test results.”25
Rose went home feeling worse then ever. She was certain she had cancer, but hoped it was just mono or the flu. When she got home, her father and Charlie were sitting outside in the parking lot.26
“What are you guys doing here?” Rose asked.27
“We thought you might need some more help moving. You’ve got less then a week you know.” her dad said.28
“I know.” she whimpered. “I need to call Caldwell Realty and tell LaShawn that my loan’s been approved and I’m interested in buying the house.” She really wanted a cigarette and wished her father wasn’t there. 29
“We’ll meet you at your place’” Charlie said, and they followed her into the apartment. Rose made an appointment with the realtor for Tuesday, but she was too tired to feel excited. Charlie and Richard spent the rest of the night loading boxes and furniture until there was nothing left but her telephone, a change of clothes, and a few toiletries.30
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