On the Other Side(23)
“It was my strength that kept me from killing you.”
Her expression betrayed her disgust for him. “You’re sick. You really are sick. Do you actually believe the shit that you say?”
“Be very careful, Damita. After all, you’re not exactly in fighting shape, are you?”
“So what’s next, Neal? Since you’re the big strong man calling the shots, you tell me, what’s next?”
“I’ll tell you what’s next. I’m going to call one of my doctor friends and he is going to come over here and mend whatever wounds you may have. Then, either you or I are going to call your office and make an excuse for your absence, if you haven’t already. You’re going to stay home for a week or two, or quit altogether. I don’t really care which you choose. While you are at home getting well, I’m going to hire a nurse to stay with you, while I check into rehab and we are going to both save this marriage.”
“So you expect me to stay married to a murderer?”
“Who’s a murderer?”
“You are. You admitted it.”
“I never did any such thing. You assumed all that from my words, but I never told you I killed anyone.”
Damita knew he was trying to confuse her. It was a tactic. It made perfect sense. She knew what she heard. She knew the kind of man she was married to. She did realize that she might have to play the game long enough to get her and those close to her, out of his reach.
CHAPTER EIGHT
After Brandon’s death, Carmella and Karen tried to reach Damita every day, sometimes several times a day, to no avail. There were several messages from Carmella on Damita’s voicemail.
“Damita, your mother and I are really starting to get worried. We’ve both been calling for days and have gotten no response. You’re probably shaken up by Brandon’s death, but your mother thinks you might be hurt or worse. If you’re okay or if you’re not; whatever is going on, please call one of us as soon as possible.”
“Is it them again?” Neal asked.
“Yes.”
“You should probably call them back and you need to get out of that bed and take a shower.”
“They will want to know why I won’t see them or why I’m not going to Brandon’s funeral.”
“You aren’t going?”
“How can I go? Look at me. My job may have believed that story about a car accident, but Carmella and my mother never will.”
“Why wouldn’t they believe it? They both consider me a joke. It would never occur to either of them that I’m capable of any of the things you’re insinuating.”
“As soon as they see me they’ll know what happened. Neal, you and I both know there is a big difference between what a person looks like after a car accident and what they look like after being beaten. After all, isn’t that why you called in a doctor for a house call? A visit to the hospital would have brought a great deal of questions.”
“I did it for us. We have to work this all out on our own. The moment we start allowing other people to intrude on our relationship is the moment everything is over.”
“When are you leaving for rehab?” Damita asked.
“I’m leaving as soon as your nurse gets here.”
“Neal, can I ask you a question?”
“Of course you can.”
“Why did you hire a nurse for me? Was it so you could have someone around to keep tabs on me?”
“I hired the nurse to take care of you. You’re in no position to care for yourself.”
The irony of it all was incredible. He had hired someone to take care of her because of the injuries he himself had inflicted.
“What did you tell her?”
“What did I tell the nurse?”
“Yes. What did you tell her about our situation?”
Neal’s face took on a haughty expression. “She works for me. I didn’t tell her anything but the fact that you have a broken rib and two broken fingers and that you would need a nurse for a couple of weeks, maybe more. Besides, there is no situation.”
As if on cue, the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get that,” Neal offered.
“Hello, I’m Florence. I will be your wife’s nurse.”
A woman who appeared to be in her mid-thirties, and spoke with a thick Jamaican accent, entered the living room. She was wearing a white uniform and sensible white shoes. Her brown, medium-length hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail and she wore very little makeup. Despite her rich mocha complexion, her skin seemed sallow. Neal wondered if it was due to the long hours many nurses worked.
“Great! I’m going to be out of town for a few weeks, but I believe everything you need is right here.”