Wishing for Wonderful (Serendipity #3)(47)

Cupid

The News





When John returned home from the game the house was empty, so he showered and dressed for dinner. After a full day of shopping, he figured Eleanor would most likely be tired and in no mood for cooking. Besides, he was anxious to try that new steak house on Route 70. Thinking about the steak smothered in onion rings with a buttery baked potato sitting beside it, he grew hungrier by the minute. John waited until shortly after six, and then began calling Lindsay’s cell phone. He clicked caller #3 but nothing happened. No ring, nothing. He tried again—still nothing. He punched in the number manually. Still nothing.

“Son-of-a-gun,” he grumbled. “She’s turned the phone off because they’re busy shopping.”

He’d called the number a dozen times before the doorbell rang at seven o’clock. John hurried to the door and yanked it open expecting to see Eleanor and Lindsay overloaded with packages. Instead, he found Matthew standing there.

“Is Lindsay ready?” Matthew asked.

“She went shopping with Eleanor and they’re not home yet.” The annoyance in John’s voice was obvious.

“Really?” Matthew pulled his cell phone from his pocket and scrolled through the messages. “Strange, she hasn’t called.”

“That’s because they’re busy shopping,” John griped. “Looks like she could take a few minutes to telephone and say—”

“Lindsay would have called,” Matthew cut in. “She knew I was picking her up at seven.”

“Maybe they’re caught in traffic.”

“Lindsay would’ve called,” Matthew repeated.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m positive!” The look on Matthew’s face indicated something was wrong.

John’s expression quickly changed from one of annoyance to one of concern. He began picturing a five-car pileup on the bridge.

“Let’s check the news,” he suggested.

Matthew agreed although he thought it more likely Lindsay had misplaced or lost her cell phone, perhaps allowed it to fall from her pocket as she walked through the department store. A lost phone and traffic jam combined would make sense. It would explain why—

They were both standing in front of the television waiting for a commercial to end when the doorbell rang.

“That must be them,” John said happily, but the downturn of Matthew’s mouth didn’t change.

When John opened the door, the sight of a uniformed police officer was not what he expected.

“Apparently there’s something wrong with your telephone,” the officer said. “Your daughter has been trying to call but couldn’t get through. She asked—”

“Is Lindsay alright?”

“There’s been an accident, but your daughter is going to be okay. According to the paramedic I spoke with she has a broken leg, but other than that—”

“What about Eleanor?”

“Eleanor? The paramedic didn’t mention an Eleanor.”

Standing right behind John, Matthew asked, “Where are they?”

“They? The only one I know about is Lindsay Gray. She’s in the emergency room at Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. It’s downtown—”

“I know where it is,” Matthew said, and by then he had his jacket on and was pulling the car keys from his pocket.





In thirty minutes they made the drive that normally took double the time. Before Matthew parked the car, John jumped out and barreled into the emergency room.

“Do you have an Eleanor Barrow here?” he asked the nurse at the admissions counter.

“I’m on the phone, sir,” she answered. “I’ll be with you in a moment.”

Less than a minute later Matthew rushed in and asked, “Did you find out anything yet?”

John shook his head and glared impatiently at the nurse who was still talking.

When the nurse finally hung up the phone, she turned to them and asked, “Okay, now what was that name?”

“Eleanor Barrow,” John said.

“Lindsay Gray,” Matthew added.

“Only family is allowed in the exam rooms, are you—”

Before she finished the question both men answered, “Yes.”

“Okay then.” The nurse’s finger moved slowly down a list of names. “Ah, here they are. Lindsay Gray is in Exam Room Seven.” She pointed a finger down the hallway. “And it looks like Eleanor Barrow is still in radiology. When they bring her back, she’ll be in Room Eight. You can wait there if you’d like.”

The two men walked the long hallway together, and when they arrived at Room Seven John went in with Matthew. Lindsay was groggy but awake. She began to explain most of what had happened.

“…the car…almost dark…no headlights…Eleanor shoved me out of the way…but…”

“Did you actually see the car hit her?” John asked. His words had the weariness of someone trying to tread water in an ocean of tears. “Do you think there’s any chance…”

While Matthew stood by Lindsay’s bedside, John lowered himself into a chair in the far corner of the room and allowed his head to drop into the cradle of his hands. Although his sobs were silent, his shoulders shook as violently as the earth does when a crater opens up.