From the direction of the studio came asound. Indecipherable at first, then unmistakable. Gentle and sweet, the soundof singing.
Liddy crawled; found her phone. Her numb fingersshook as she finally hit 9-1-1.
“They’re almost there,” a voice said. “Youalready called.”
“No…I didn’t.”
“Well someone did.”
Liddy didn’t understand. Then thought…Sasha?
There was a sudden pounding at the door.
“I hear them,” she managed. “They’re here.”
“Are you able to let them in?”
She didn’t answer. Just lay her head downand passed out.
51
“Look at her throat.”
Voices came to her, then hands, she felthands tending her, cradling her head. “Get the neck brace on. Easy, defensivewounds can wait.”
Feet moving, more voices as wheels rolledin, but her head reeled and her eyes refused to open. Much safer, here behindclosed lids, safe and dark down here…no pain down here…
Sounds came clearer. The snap of anironing board being collapsed to the floor…no, not an ironing board…one ofthose collapsible gurneys. Hello gurney, it’s been a whole three months,gurney…
Strong hands lifted her, covered her with alight blanket, strapped her down. In the crowded murmur someone’s hand was onher shoulder, and a voice said, “Three flights, another strap.” She picturedthem managing the gurney on the stairs.
Should have gotten an elevator place. The ridiculous thought came unbidden, probably mercifully. Minutiaewere so much easier than the fact that your life as you knew it had just ended.Horribly. The final nightmare made real. So just allow in minutiae…or nothing. Laterwill be time to grieve, deal with – no, stop it - you’re safe…and goodpeople who save people have strapped you to an ironing board that’s carriedhundreds of others. Welcome back to the trauma club…
Liddy opened her eyes; saw the ceiling comecloser as they raised up her gurney. She was dimly aware of Kerri arriving,trading brief exchanges with the others, then bending to her, hugging hergently. “Thank God. Your call was in the nick.”
The lips were too dry to speak, but Liddytried. “I never called,” she whispered.
“Huh?” from Kerri, distracted by grimmonosyllables filling her in about “the body;” and, “No way she couldhave struck from that angle;” and, “With that strength? She’s a noodle.”
Their voices floated out there, far fromthe dark comfort of eyes closed again: Kerri saying that other detectives werecoming; they’d go over the room; someone else commenting about the force itmust have taken to plunge in those scissors. Kerri’s hand stayed on Liddy’sshoulder. “I’m coming with you,” she said, and Liddy opened her eyes to her, triedto smile; felt her face crumple and cried.
The gurney wheels were moving. Liddy saw theceiling busy with shadows, activity, then the top of the door frame as theymaneuvered through, then the living room ceiling, the dreadful white ironcolumn. Kerri was by her side, comforting. Liddy tried to roll toward her.Kerri said, “Don’t move, honey. You’re pretty banged up.”
The stairs, the stairs. Feet first and strappedin, strong guys on each side. Sometimes you just have to depend on others tocarry you, but if they’re good people… Liddy’s eyes even closed stung andbrimmed. “Hey,” said a man’s voice, reaching to wipe her cheek. “It’s gonna beokay. You’re okay.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
The night was ablaze with emergency lightsswirling. Liddy saw bright, winking stars and an almost full moon, and then – “One,two, three,” she heard – she was hoisted into the ambulance to hands that got busytaking her vitals, swabbing her arm, starting her IV.
Kerri climbed in, sat on the bench next toher. Peripherally, Liddy saw a man in plain clothes appear too; stand over Kerriand reach for Liddy’s hand.
“This is Alex Brand, my partner,” Kerrisaid.
“Oh.” Liddy smiled weakly. “You savedKerri’s life.”
“We save each other,” he said, squeezingher hand, sitting next to Kerri as the ambulance started to move. The sirensounded…such a safe sound. Liddy felt every swerve of the small Soho corners,and then they were really moving. Somebody mentioned Bellevue, which meantstraight up First Avenue.
“Sasha…” Liddy breathed, straining at hergurney straps.
“Easy, hon.” Kerri had one hand on hershoulder as her free hand pinged her cell phone. “I’m calling your friend Beth.She’s your first in case of emergency contact?”
“Yes, thanks.” Not counting Paul. Neveragain counting Paul. Impossible to believe, would she ever process it? Kerri’squestion and its answer were devastating; hearing her on the phone with Beth, loudlyweeping and frantic, was a wrecking ball to the heart.
“She’s okay, yes conscious,” Kerri wassaying. “May need a night in the ER for observation…Good, I’ll tell her.”
She disconnected. “Beth’s on her way,” shesmiled encouragingly.
Alex told Liddy, “From the sound of it,you’ll have to calm her.”
She thanked them, but her heart felt ruptured,in real physical pain. So many dreams, that whole future, gone. But she hadnever known him, had she? Understanding who he was, what he’d done…that wouldtake time. Years, maybe.
Sasha loomed up again, her silver, ghostlyfeatures going from rage to something softer, like peace. And then shevanished; Liddy heard the sound of singing from the studio.
Compulsion forced the words out. “Hedrowned Sasha,” Liddy breathed, looking at both detectives. “Swam…out with herfrom the dock, let the current take her.”
“He told you?” from Alex.
“When he was drunk that night. Lucked outthat my concussion...I didn’t remember.”
She watched Kerri go limp with the sudden knowledgethat it was over; her long, hard struggle was solved. They’d be needing moredetails…there’d probably be an attempt to retrieve what might be left of thebody…but that, really was it.
“Whoa,” Kerri said quietly, with her lipsparted.
Alex held up a phone he’d been fiddlingwith.
“Yours,” he told Liddy, looking confused. “Youcalled Kerri, right?”
“No, I couldn’t.” The words came hard. “He knockedthe phone away.”
Kerri said, “I got your call at 7:38. Heardyou screaming for help.”
“I didn’t make the call.”
“Who then?”
The ambulance swerved. Liddy felt toodrained for more; just managed, softly, “Sasha. It must have been her.”
She closed her eyes, picturing the twodetectives trading looks. She was in pain but her mind was sharp again; sharpenough to remember cops’ voices saying No way she could have struck fromthat angle, and, With that strength? She’s a noodle.
A noodle. That was funny.
They would take
