Good Deed Bad Deed

Valerie McKinnon’s doctor. He apologized for forgetting the doctor’s name. She seemed to understand and pointed to a chair where he assumed he was meant to wait. After about a quarter of an hour that seemed much longer, he saw a lanky man in a white coat push the ICU door open and stride quickly toward him. It was the doctor who had come to Olivia’s room to tell them about Valerie’s condition. As Doctor Garces re-introduced himself, Ben recalled his difficulty with English, so he proceeded to speak slowly, describing her strange behavior and seeming departure from reality. However, to be very sure of what he was being told, the doctor asked him to wait while he looked for an English-speaking nurse. He soon returned with the nurse who had assisted him when speaking with the family. He told Ben that memory loss could be a side effect of not only the emotional trauma of her experience, but also as a result of blood loss and short term oxygen loss. He then related the fact that while on the operating table her blood pressure had dropped twice, and although her breathing stopped, they had managed revive her. He said the memory loss could be short term, yet there was a possibility it could be emotional—that she could be taking refuge in a time of life where she felt safe. He asked if she had ever experienced psychological problems.

Ben told him about the ongoing problems for which she was still being treated, and that they had been divorced for several years. He added that there was no going back. The doctor nodded his head in understanding then said that given her previous situation, the lapse could be more complicated and less temporary. Asking about her next of kin he emphasized they should be notified and advised to be present. The doctor extended his hand to Ben, offering to be of help in any way he could. He thanked the nurse then excused himself, citing his need to finish rounds.

Ben’s thoughts ran rampant, and he shook his head in frustration. He cared deeply about her recovery, and after all, besides the fact that she had been his wife, she had saved his life. But where did his responsibility end? He wasn’t prepared to live a charade for her sake. No one knew how long her break with reality would last. Ben’s focus was now on Ana and where their developing relationship might go. Valerie was his past. He decided to put his rumination aside long enough to inform his parents of what they were facing. Valerie’s parents needed to be on the next plane for Spain. When Ben peeked into her room he was glad she was asleep. He returned to Olivia’s cubicle in the ER, where his parents continued their vigil at her bedside. His Dad was on the phone and his sister was sitting up, her color having returned to normal, her eyes alert to the surroundings. All three turned to look at him as he entered.

“Well, we have more of the unexpected to deal with.”

Olivia was quick to question him. “Is it Valerie? She’s still okay, right?”

“Physically, yes—for now. Psychologically, no.”

Paris joined the conversation. “What in heaven do you mean, psychologically?”

Hugh glanced from one to the other as if waiting for the other shoe to drop, but before Ben could continue, Hugh’s phone rang. When he heard the voice on the other end he put his hand up to hush the others. He listened carefully then thanked the caller and rang off.

“That was my colleague at Interpol about the DNA results on the man killed at the airport. They put a rush on it, but they aren’t in yet.” He turned to Paris and said, “But there is news. You may need to sit down for this one, my darling.”

Paris leaned against the small chest of drawers and said, “I don’t know why I would care who it is one way or the other. I’m just glad the person is dead, and I don’t feel guilty for it.” She stiffened and crossed her arms.

“You may not care, but you will be shocked. It was Lyle Brett, that little prig in the office across from yours.”

She slumped into the closest chair and shook her head in disbelief. “Surely not…”

“The identification will be confirmed by DNA and dental records, but it will take a few days.” He quickly added, “The car’s VIN number was still readable. It was a rental and easy to trace. From that point it was a short step to identify who rented it. He wasn’t smart enough to use an alias.”

“If the person who crashed it was actually the one who rented it,” Ben said.

“I have no doubt about that. As soon as his cohorts were arrested in the hangar, one of them gave up Brett’s name —just minutes before the crash.”

Once Paris had recovered her composure the words began to flow easily. “Seems I wasn’t just imagining he was jealous of me… and there’s no doubt he came across as a narcissist. But this?” Paris stopped talking, but the wheels were still turning. Everyone just waited for her to continue. “It would take a sociopath—a megalomaniac—to believe in the success of such an elaborate plan—ill conceived as it turned out.”

“Considering he had an assortment of conspirators and their individual ‘schemes’ to coordinate in two different countries, he actually came quite close to succeeding. That terrifies me. The girls would have been collateral damage,” Hugh said, beginning to pace back and forth in the small enclosure.

Paris looked into the faces of her loved ones, and her voice quavered as she spoke. “I feel so guilty for making you all a part of this, for creating so much risk in your lives. If Valerie should die, I won’t be able to live with myself.” She broke into tears and Hugh moved to embrace her.

Each in turn made their case about her lack of responsibility for all that