Edge of the Heat 2 (Westwood Harbor Corruption) (8 page)

Norman’s skin was crawling. He hated feeling like this. Out of control. He had started to put his plan to get rid of Masterson into effect, but when he called his second contact at the hospital, he found out Masterson wasn’t awake yet and his contact had no reason or no way to get in or out of his room until Masterson woke. But once Masterson woke, things could be all over for Norman.

The doctor had no reason to get into his room either, and the doctor wouldn
’t do what he wanted anyway. Norman prided himself on his judge of character, and he judged the doctor would rather go down for the cocaine charge than be an accomplice to murder.

Norman had been careful, and there should be nothing Masterson could recall that would pin the crime on him, but you
never knew. Those FBI guys were slick. He’d also done his level best to frame Emma for the crime, but he hadn’t seen Emma at her house in days. From what he could tell she was with Masterson. No one had arrested her yet. And they would have already found the gun, wouldn’t they have?

Norman paced through his sparsely-furnished living room, looking out the window every time he passed it. He knew what he was expecting, but he was trying desperately to deny it to himself. He was expecting the FBI to come to his
house and arrest him.

How had things gotten so out of control, so quickly? He pondered whether the Senator could get him out of this mess.
Would
the senator get him out of this mess? If the Senator was president he could pardon anyone he wanted - but the senator wasn’t making a presidential bid for 2 more years.

Think man, think! There has to be a way out!

He could make it very clear to the senator that if he went down, the senator was going down with him. But that would mean confessing to a lot of crimes they probably couldn’t pin on him right now. But the senator didn’t know that.

Norman punched himself in the side of the head, hard. He saw stars.
He needed to get a look at the files and know what the FBI knew!
But his hacker friend had found no files to access. Nothing related to any investigation in Westwood Harbor or having anything to do with Emma Hill or Craig Masterson or Craig MacDonnell. On a whim, Norman had him check files by Holden Kinkaid and found nothing over the last 2 years. But Kinkaid was still an agent. Norman wondered if they were so deep undercover none of their files were being entered into the network. It was possible if they suspected computer hacking.

Norman started to think he needed to prepare for the inevitable. If the FBI cl
osed in on him, maybe the best thing to do would be to just run. To take off and build a new life somewhere else. He could even leave the country if he needed to. That might be his best bet if the FBI were looking for him. He toyed with this idea. Brazil, Paraguay, Spain Sweden, Japan? He would be leaving everything he worked for behind, but it would be better than being in jail. And what about Emma?

If he were going to have to pull this off he would need some time to get away. How could he buy himself some
time? Norman’s mind started churning. If the bomb were dropped, and the FBI closed in on him, what could give him time to get away? He didn’t want to leave now. There was still a chance this could all work out in his favor.

He looked around his house, th
inking about what would happen if the FBI decided to arrest him. They would most likely do it here, where he was relaxed. Almost certainly they wouldn’t do it at work where he would be guaranteed to have his guns on him. How could he make that work in his favor? If the FBI showed up at his doorstop. The beginnings of a plan formed in his mind.

Norman
’s phone rang, interrupting his musings. He picked it up.

“
Captain Foster, you wanted me to call you if anything changed with Craig Masterson.” It was Dr. Paloma.

“
Yes, what has changed?” Dread and excitement crept into Norman’s bones in equal measure.

“
2 things. His status has been changed from guarded to stable, and he is being moved from the ICU to a recovery room. I can’t find out where though until they actually move him. It should happen in the morning. And he still has his guards.”

Norman
’s mind raced. He was getting better. He was going to live. In the new room Norman’s other contact at the hospital could probably get to him.

“
Perfect. Is that it?” Norman barked.

“
Well, there is one more thing. I don’t know anything about it because I still haven’t been able to get a look at his chart, but the nurse I talked to said he has amnesia. She didn’t know how extensive it was.”

“
Amnesia!” Norman felt a giggle building up inside him.

“
Yes, some sort of amnesia.”

Norman laughed. “
Thank you Doctor. You’ve done a good job. You can consider that debt of your’s almost paid off.” He hung up the phone.

Norman stopped pacing. He went into the kitchen, whistling. All his doubts fell away. For the first time in several days he felt like the whole world was on his side. Like God himself was smiling down upon him. A thought struck him. Maybe God was ensuring
he had another chance to get this right.
Well don’t worry, Big Guy, this time it’s going to stick.

Dimly, Emma was aware of nurses entering during the night. She slept on and off, sometimes getting up to rearrange Craig
’s pillows or massage his legs.

As the early light filtered through the window, she took her spot again next to his bed, and grasped his hand, laying her head back for a bit more rest.

She woke again, feeling like she was missing something. Her hand was empty. She sat up quickly, opening her eyes. Craig was watching her, his hands folded in his lap. “Your fingerprints are on the gun, aren’t they?” he asked without smiling.

She tried to smile, but foreboding filled her. “
You FBI guys are pretty smart,” she joked, feebly.

He looked
at the clock on the wall, and then towards the door.

Emma wanted to jump out of the chair and cover him with kisses. She wanted to cry and tell him how scared she had been. She wished he would look at her and say something, anything.

“So, Emma,” he began, but trailed off.

All of a sudden she was scared to death of what was going to come out of his mouth. Was she going to lose him again, a 4th time?

He looked at his hands and said, “I wanted to say thanks for coming to find me.”

Her eyes teared. Well that
wasn’t so bad. She opened her mouth to speak but he went on.

“
I don’t remember what happened that night. Hawk says I forgave you. I wanted to forgive you before anything happened but I wasn’t able to find that place in my heart again, where things felt good between us.” He rushed on, seeming to want to get everything out before she said anything. “I’ve been awake for a while now, watching you sleep. You really are a lovely, wonderful person, but I still haven’t found that place. I really can’t thank you enough for saving my life, and I do believe you that I forgave you, but until I remember it for myself …”

He looked at her, openly, waiting.

She nodded and bit her lip, her throat clogged with her own heartache. “I know Craig,” she whispered.

“
But I’m definitely not mad anymore. I was mad you know, after you asked Dennis out. But that has fallen away. I just don’t feel, you know.”

“
I do know Craig.” She felt like her heart would burst. But there was still a chance. Actually there were two chances. She could win him back, or he could remember. She turned her emotions away from the despair filling her body and tried to focus on the road ahead.

“
Friends?” he asked with a small smile.

“
Friends,” she declared, with more enthusiasm than she felt.

The door opened an
d a petite nurse in fresh, green scrubs entered. “Mr. Masterson, you are being moved to your new room.”

“
Now?” he asked.

“
Right now, she smiled. “We will move you down there in this bed. Once we get there, you try to walk. If you can walk, I can get rid of some of these wires running out of you. If we can get rid of some of these wires, you get lunch today.”

“
Real food!” Craig rubbed his hands together in anticipation. “I’ll run for a big steak and a Coke.”

Emma couldn
’t believe this was happening so fast! They were asking him to walk? He really must be getting better quickly. She ran and started gathering her stuff.

The nurse piled all of Craig
’s stuff on his bed, unlocked the bed, and rolled it towards the door. She motioned to Emma, “Can you push that?” indicating his heart monitor.

Emma grabbed it and followed.

They went to the elevator and the two FBI guards followed. Emma whipped out Craig’s phone and texted Hawk.
Moving, not sure where yet.

The nurse led them all t
o the new room and helped them get set up. It had an extra bed in it, but the nurse assured them he wouldn’t have a roommate. Emma wondered if she would be allowed to sleep there. Emma texted Hawk the new room number.

The nurse asked Emma to leave the room
while she tried to get Craig moving. Another nurse came in with a walker as Emma was slipping out the door.

Emma ran quickly down to the vending machine and grabbed herself some food. By the time she came back, the second nurse was leaving and said she co
uld go back in.

She pushed the door open and saw Craig sitting in the bed, big chest exposed as his hospital gown fell open to the waist The sight of his chest stirred her emotions. She wanted to touch him and kiss him so badly. The bandage on his face rem
inded her that even if he was willing, he was still injured.

“
Did you do it?”

He beamed at her, both dimples in full force. “
I walked! And look, I have a bathroom!”

“
Yay!” she clapped her hands like a little girl. He was going to be OK. “Are you in any pain?”

“
Yeah, my head hurts, but it’s bearable. And my tongue feels all weird in my mouth. I keep accidentally chewing on it.”

The phone in Emma
’s pocket buzzed. Hawk was on his way up. She slipped it back in her pocket and it buzzed again. Jerry and Vivian were on their way over.

“
Craig, can Jerry come by with his new girlfriend? Would that bother you? Because if it would I could just meet them in the cafeteria.”

“
No that wouldn’t bother me at all.” He carefully arranged his sheets so his legs and stomach were fully covered.

Emma texted Jerry,
come to room 417. Craig walked!

Emma looked up at the door opening - Hawk. “
Craig walked!” she cried. Hawk beamed and went to the bedside to shake Craig’s hand and give him a hug. Emma knew Hawk was probably even more excited than she was, but he was good at keeping those emotions in.

Emma slid into a chair, hugging herself. She was content, for now. Craig was on the mend, and she couldn
’t ask for much more than that.
Just that he would love me again.
She pushed that thought away.

A knock on the door pulled her out of her reverie. She opened it and Jerry slid in the room. He looked over at Craig and smiled then whispered to Emma, “
Vivian is waiting outside. She felt embarrassed to come in since she doesn’t even know Craig.”

“
Oh that’s silly!” Emma pulled the door partially open. “I am going to bring her in.”

“
Ok,” Jerry said, “Good luck, and just so you know, we’re not really a romantic item anymore. We had the talk last night and decided we are just going to be friends, but I told her she could hang out with me still. Her birthday is coming up and she didn’t want to celebrate it alone in a strange town.”

At the mention of a birthday Emma had a strange niggling in the back of her head. Her birthday was this month too. Sh
e hadn’t even thought of it with everything that was going on. What day was it? She pushed the thoughts away as not important.

“
Already Jerry? That’s too bad. I really liked her.”

“
I know, she’s a sweet girl, but you can’t force it if it doesn’t fit.”

“
True, true,” Emma said, slipping out the door. She heard Jerry’s hearty “Craig! You look great!” from behind her.

She looked around and spotted Vivian leaning against the wall halfway down the hall. She ran down. “
Vivian! Hi!”

Vivian smiled shyly. “
Hi Emma, sorry I didn’t come in. I didn’t want to intrude.”

Emma was struck again by her eyes. The light blue, so much like her own light blue, contrasted with Vivian
’s skin, making her look extremely beautiful and unique.
Is that what people think when they look at me?

“
No intrusion. I’m so happy you’re here. You should come meet my, well, uh, he’s not really my boyfriend but I hope he will be soon.” Emma pulled Vivian by the hand towards the door, past the two guards.

“
Emma, you should know, Jerry and I are just friends. We aren’t dating anymore.”

“
I know silly, he told me, but that doesn’t matter.” Emma pulled her into the room.

Hawk and Jerry were laughing by the head of the bed, obviously at Craig
’s expense. He was putting on a show of being upset with them but Emma could tell he wasn’t. Emma was glad that Hawk and Jerry were getting along already. She was already thinking of Hawk as one of her friends. She wasn’t surprised though. Jerry got along with most everyone, especially cops and firefighters.

She pulled Vivian close to the bed and introduced her to Craig and Hawk as
‘my friend, Vivian.’ Everyone said hello and nice to meet you and Emma noticed Vivian’s wide-set, lovely eyes looked even more nervous now, darting around the room and looking down constantly, lighting occasionally on Hawk. She tried to make her new friend feel at ease.

“
Vivian, when’s your birthday?”

“
It’s tomorrow.”

Emma thought for a second, her brow furrowing. “
What’s the date tomorrow?”

“
It’s the 13th.”

The men were talking and joking again at the head of the bed. Their voices fell away. Emma
’s reality shrunk down to just her and Vivian. Tingles marched up and down her neck and scalp, her hair trying to stand on edge.

“
How old are you going to be?” Emma asked, her voice sounding tiny and strained in her own ears.

“
31, why, Emma, what’s wrong?” Vivian grabbed her hand, concerned.

Emma didn
’t know what she looked like. Probably white as a sheet. She felt like she was about to pass out, or maybe puke.

“
Vivian, where were you born?”

“
Right here in Westwood General Hospital, actually.”

Emma knew. Her heart knew and it was telling her body. Only her brain needed to confirm it. “
D-Did you have a twin sister that you were separated from at birth?” Emma had to force out the last words. She was choking on them.

“
Oh my God. Oh my God.” Realization dawned on Vivian’s face. She grabbed Emma’s other hand. Her mouth dropped open. A wail of excitement built up in her throat, sounding almost like a train whistle. “Oh my God!”

She threw her arms around Emma
’s neck and started sobbing. The tears flowed just as freely down Emma’s cheeks. Emma laughed and sobbed at the same time. She hugged her sister back and cried out 30 years of separation.

The men looked at them, mou
ths open. They hadn’t been following the conversation. Not one of them could imagine what the two women were crying and laughing and shrieking about.

Emma pulled back, grasping her sister
’s face. “That’s why we have the same eyes!” At the same time, Vivian put her hands up to Emma’s eyes and said, “I thought you were so lovely and interesting when we met and I so wanted to get to know you better. No wonder!”

Emma hugged her again. “
I was fascinated with you too. We knew, we recognized each other!”

Jerry i
nterrupted. “Do you two want to tell us what’s going on here?”

Emma turned to them, her arm slung around Vivian
’s shoulders as though she never wanted to stop touching her. “Guys, you are looking at two twin sisters separated at birth, if you can believe it!”

“
But, you guys don’t really look alike, except the eyes,” Hawk said, frowning.

“
Yep, we’re fraternal twins,” Vivian said.

Emma turned back to Vivian, wanting to hash out what Vivian knew and didn
’t know about their parents and their birth, Craig forgotten for the moment. “We should go somewhere. Want to have lunch at the cafeteria?”

“
Yes, OK,” Vivian smiled teasingly, “Sis.”

Emma threw her head back and laughed. “
I have a sister!” she cried, exuberant. The two women walked out, arms around each other, leaving the three men still trying to understand what had happened.