So Far From Yesterday

"Thanks for letting me know Jeff, but all they'll get out of me is no comment. The last thing I want to screw with is any of that. I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah, keep me in the loop."

"You know I will," and he closed his phone and told Anna what had happened.

"Oh, great Sam, so now what?"

"Now nothing. I can't imagine there's enough of a story for them to bother with me, but if they do I won't say anything. This isn't about me."

"I disagree. It's about the strange coincidence of you and Carson looking alike without any familial connection. It's about Carson being a convicted murderer too of course, but they will try to make a bigger story of it than just that."

They were quiet as they made the short drive back to Anna's, just as they had been going to the restaurant. Both of them had a lot on their minds. As they went up Anna's walk to her front door she slipped her arm around his waist, and leaning into him asked, "So how was it to kiss Nadia?"

"Now how did you know I kissed her?"

She smiled and smugly said, "I didn't know until just now, I just guessed."

"That was quite a trick."

And it worked." She handed him her key and he opened the door handed her keys back to her and slapped her butt.

"Now I'm going to have to watch what I say around you."

"Why, you didn't do anything wrong you know."

"I'm not comfortable being with you and talking about kissing another woman. That's rude in fact."

"True, but I'm the one that started it. Now were I your girlfriend and you told me you had kissed her, I'm sure there would be some strong words back and forth."

He smiled and said, "Yes, I'm sure there would be."

"By the way, you just patted my butt again."

"No, I slapped it. That's different."

"A fine technicality."

"One that I exploited," he kissed her cheek and said, "Now I'm going home before you pull another of your tricks on me."

Anna turned more toward him, put her hands on his hips and said, "Sam, thank you for a wonderful evening: Wonderful food and even better company. And Jeff even threw in a little excitement for us."

"So, Ruth's Chris is next then, unless you've changed your mind."

"I haven't changed my mind, but Sam you don't have to do that. I enjoy it when we're together even if it was at IHOP. You're still my best friend." Then she kissed his cheek and added, "Even if you did slap my butt."

"Night Anna," and he headed for his car. But he didn't make it.

Chapter Fourteen

Anna jumped back when she heard the cracking sound of the gun and she was vaguely aware of a car racing away as Sam silently but quickly fell to the ground. Seconds passed as she stood there looking at Sam lying on his side with blood pouring out of his head. She would never remember screaming before racing inside to call for help and then going back to Sam. She knelt down so she could raise his head and cradle it in her lap as she cried. That was all she could do was cry and talk to him as she gently stroked his cheek. The police arrived first, but the ambulance was there a minute later, and Anna was moved back out of the way. She watched every move the paramedics made as the officer tried to calm her and ask her questions. "The best way to help him now is to talk to me ma'am. What is your name?"

"Anna. Anna Ruggles."

"And your relationship to the victim?"

"He's my best friend."

"Did you see anything, anything at all?"

"I heard the shot and I think I heard a car race off."

"You didn't see the car?"

"It was a dark car, but mostly I was staring at Sam. I just couldn't believe what was happening."

"His name is Sam Anderson correct?"

"Yes."

"Does he have family locally?"

"He has no family."

"None at all?"

"None. I need to go with them to the hospital."

"Anna, you can help him much more by talking to me first. Besides, they are going to be very busy with him for quite awhile."

"How bad is he hurt?"

"I don't know, but I do know that he's still alive and that's a very good sign." As he continued to talk to her a detective arrived. The police officer quickly shared what information he had with the detective and then rejoined his partner. The detective stepped over to Anna and said, "I'm Detective Fontana and it's going to be my job to find out who did this and why." The questions continued then. Did Sam have any enemies and had there been any hint of trouble. Had Sam told her anything at all about any problems, and on it went. Detective Fontana didn't learn much, but they were all questions that had to be asked and answered. The detective finally left, but with no place to even start he knew he was in for a tough time trying to solve this mystery that he had inherited.

Anna had settled down a little, but her hands were still shaking as she looked down at her bloody blouse and slacks. That was something she could do without thinking too much, so she stripped, throwing her clothes into the washer before going for a quick shower. Then it was off to Memorial hospital to be there for Sam.

Anna had been in the waiting room for over two hours when Jeff appeared and saw Anna sitting there staring at a magazine. As he approached he said, "Anna, is there any news?" He bent down and kissed her cheek and saw that she had been crying.

"Hi Jeff, no, the nurse was out once but just said that he was still alive and they were going to be doing a series of tests that could take some time."

"What the hell happened?"

"We were just getting home from dinner. Sam walked me to my door, we talked a second and he said goodnight. Then as he turned he was shot and that's all I know."

"You didn't see anything?"

"I just heard the bang and that's it. I couldn't believe what was happening."

"You look pretty rough, is there anything I can do for you?"

"No, but thank you, there's coffee over in the corner, but I've had enough caffeine." He sat next to her and they fell into a silence as they waited for some word about their mutual friend. "Jeff, I don't even know who I should call or how I'd get hold of them."

"There really isn't anybody that I know of other than Noah, but I don't know how to reach him. Oh and that couple...Roger and...hell I don't even know their names."

"What about Nadia?"

"I don't know where to find her either." Again silence reigned and they flipped through the magazines and would glance up every time somebody would enter the waiting room.

It seemed like an eternity before a tall lanky doctor appeared in his scrubs with a paper mask dangling around his neck. "Are you Anna Ruggles?"

"Yes."

"I'm Dr. Yancy, the neurosurgeon that has been with Sam." He sat next to her and asked, "You are his fiancée right?"

"Yes...yes, that's right."

Without easing into it he said, "The bullet struck the right side of his head and managed somehow to travel under the scalp and exit a few inches farther back. He has a minor skull fracture and some swelling of the brain, but I think we'll be able to pretty much control that now. He's in intensive care now and will be there at least until tomorrow sometime. He's heavily sedated and getting medications to control the swelling and of course antibiotics to prevent infection. He was extremely fortunate the outcome wasn't much worse."

"Can I see him?"

"It will be quite awhile and even then he won't know you're there. Once he's settled you can go in, but I'd suggest you then go home and try to get some rest and come back tomorrow morning. Depending on his progress, we may be able to ease the sedation a little, but he's still going to be pretty unresponsive to your touch and voice, so don't let that worry you."

"So he'll be okay?"

"We think so, but we won't know for sure until he's awake and we can talk to him. Right now, he needs to rest and give the medications a chance to do their job." The doctor stood up and shook her hand and left them sitting there.

"I think we should do as he suggested," Jeff said. "Let's give him until morning, then we can go see him. By the way, when did Sam propose to you?"

Anna showed a thin smile and admitted, "He didn't. I just said that because I was afraid the doctor wouldn't tell us very much otherwise."

"Oh. Damn, that really threw me when you said that."

She showed him a better smile and simply said, "Sorry."

Chapter Fifteen

When Anna went back to the hospital Saturday morning, she found Sam in intensive care, and just as the doctor had said, Sam wasn't aware that she was at his bedside. She held his hand and talked to him and bent down to kiss his cheek. Then after talking to him for another minute and promising to be back, she wiped her eyes and went to the waiting room where she found Jeff talking to some man. As she neared they stood up and Jeff said, "Anna, this is Noah, Sam's friend from Indianapolis." She offered her hand and then they sat down and she gave them the latest on Sam's condition. Jeff told Noah he would wait to see Sam, so Noah went in for a minute and then returned.

"Anna," he said. "I've notified Roger and Angeline and they will get in touch with Nadia and whoever else they can think of that would want to know."

"Thank you Noah, we didn't know who to call or how to get in touch with them. How did you find out?"

"I usually check the South Bend news on line, plus one of his former workers called me on my cell phone. Jeff told me what happened. What a mess."

"Anna," Jeff said, "I have Noah's card so if we learn anything we'll know how to get in touch with him."

Noah put his arm around Anna's shoulder and told her, "If you need anything, let me know."

"Thank you Noah, I'll keep that in mind."

Sam continued to be unresponsive through Saturday and most of Sunday, but late in the day, while Anna was at his bedside he stirred and opened his eyes. He saw her and looked around, but then closed his eyes again without speaking. On the one hand she was disappointed that he hadn't said something, but on the other, she was encouraged by his stirring.

Monday right after work, Anna drove straight to the hospital and went to Sam's room. She was disappointed to see him lying there with his eyes closed, but she went over to him kissed his cheek as usual and said hello to him. Sam stirred and softly said, "Hi honey." It was so nice to hear his voice again, but what he said hurt her because she was sure he was confused and thought his Holly was back with him.

She smiled and tears slipped down her cheeks as she said, "Hi, it's good to hear your voice again, how do you feel?"

"Tired," and he nodded off again, but it wasn't long before he was awake. Dr. Fontana came in on his rounds and checked Sam and talked to Anna.

"He's doing just fine."

"He talked to me not long ago."

"That's good. I'm going to further reduce his medications so he'll start to be more responsive. He'll continue to get enough to keep the pain at bay, but by tomorrow he'll be moved to another unit and they'll start getting him up and walking him. He should be able to go home in a few days." That's what she had been waiting to hear. She stayed with him for almost an hour and then went home. She hadn't realized how tired she was from worry and after a light dinner she fell asleep on the couch and didn't wake until after midnight.

Sam was released from the hospital Tuesday afternoon with a prescription for pain pills, and Anna took him home and got him settled. He could get around pretty well, but his strength wasn't back so he was content to sit on the couch and read, doze or watch the news. Anna stayed with him until ten and then she went home and went to bed.

Thursday evening when Anna got there, he told her, "Relax love, I have dinner coming and Jeff will join us for a couple of hours."

"Oh, and just what did you fix?"

"I cooked with my credit card. Dinner is being delivered: Famous Dave's famous ribs and cornmeal muffins and baked beans. I even have a hefty red wine that will be perfect for the meal."

"Excuse me, but you can't have wine while you're taking those pain pills."

"That's why I quit taking them."

"Did you really? How are you doing without them?"

"Not too bad actually, if I can, I'd like to stay off of them now."

When Jeff arrived, they had their ribs and red wine and talked about the shooting. Sam started it by saying, "I talked to Medina today, but he doesn't have much to share. He's eliminated a lot of people and ideas, but that's about it."

"Does he think there's a connection between what he's working on and the shooting," Anna asked,

"He can't find a connection of any kind. Oh and he hasn't talked to Carson, because Carson got into a fight and his visiting privileges were suspended for the next week."

Jeff poured a little more wine and offered more to the other two, but they passed as he said, "How can there not be a connection? I believe in coincidences, but this is a big one. None of what you've learned is good news because you weren't shot by accident. Somebody wants you dead for some reason. Notice that's present tense. The threat is still out there."

"I just hope the police are coming up with something."

Sam was quiet as he listened to his friends trying to help him. "I hope both of you realize that just by being with me puts both of you at risk. Anna, when whoever it was shot me last Friday night, you could have been shot, or hit by accident by the bullet that hit me. Both of you better think long and hard about even being here or wherever if you're near me."

Anna straightened her back and said, "Well I'm not about to just abandon you, that's not an option."

"Same here partner," Jeff added.

"Thanks. Okay, let's go over this again. If there is a connection between Carson and the person he murdered, or supposedly murdered, and with me, just what the hell could that connection be? People don't shoot other people without a reason. I mean he even risked having Anna see him...or her, I guess, but I doubt that."

"Maybe there's somebody else in the mix that we don't know about."

"That's a stretch, but I suppose it's possible. How they'd ever find who that might be, I have no idea."

Anna got up and started collecting the dishes saying, "I can't get past the good possibility that there is a connection with Carson. What is he really like? How did he really live before he was arrested? Okay, he looks like you, but so what? Could somebody suspect that, now that you're visiting him he might have told you something you aren't supposed to know? Could that person think you two really are related, but you're hiding that fact for whatever reason. I mean this whole thing could go in just about any direction. If Carson did kill that woman, then maybe there's a reason behind that event that nobody has even suspected. Whoever it was that shot at you, is getting either very brave or very reckless out of desperation. Maybe you having the private cop looking into everything is spooking that person, and once you're dead that problem goes away."

Sam leaned back and said, "Shit, all we're doing is coming up with a dozen reasons, several possible suspects and not one theory, let alone a fact or a discovery. I think I'll call Detective Fontana tomorrow. The worst he can say is they still know nothing." Jeff was the first to leave after dinner and soon after that Anna gave him a hug and said, "I think I'll go home too. If I stay, you'll think you need to entertain me."

He put his arms around her waist and told her, "Anna, how can I thank you for being right there for me? For worrying about me and looking after me, all of that means so much to me."

"Sam, you could have taken care of yourself, so don't put too much importance on what I did."

"That isn't the point. The fact is, you put your life on hold and wore yourself out looking after me. You even cried for me."

"Now how did you find that out?"

"I just guessed. I learn fast," and he smiled at her.

She gave him a quick kiss, and headed for the door. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

She was halfway to her car when he called out, "Hey."

She turned and smiling asked him, "Hey what?"

"How about dinner next Friday night. Same time, new place."

"I'd love it. Night Sam."

"Night Anna."

Chapter Sixteen

Thursday afternoon, Nadia called Sam and said, "I was out of town so I just learned from Roger and Angeline that you were shot, are you okay?"

"I'm healing. I was very lucky and that puts it mildly."

"I'm full of questions. Who and why and..."

"We don't know any of those answers right now. We can only assume that whoever it was, followed me from when I left the house Wednesday evening and waited until he was comfortable with the situation to shoot me."

"Roger and Angeline were stunned of course, just as we all were when we heard. I really didn't even expect you to answer your phone."

"I'm getting around pretty well now. Headache is pretty much gone and I'm getting my strength back. I sure was out of it for a couple of days though."

"Where were you Wednesday night? Maybe somebody with road rage came after you."

"Anna and I were just back from Tippecanoe Place when I was shot."

"Was she hurt?"

"No, thankfully she wasn't. She was frightened out of her mind of course, but unhurt."

"I won't keep you Sam, but I had to hear for myself that you're okay."

"Thank you, Nadia. I guess I better call Roger and Angeline and give them the latest too."

"They'd like that. You be careful. Maybe we can do dinner again after you're fully healed."

"I'd like that, bye." Sam hung up and quickly called and talked to Roger and told them the whole story and then went to the living room. He wasn't really that tired, but he wanted to just sit in the semi-darkness of the living room and think. He thought for all of five minutes before he fell asleep.

Sam waited until Sunday and then drove down to Westville to see Carson. His punishment must have been over, because they let him in and seated him at the first station. Sam picked up the phone and Carson said, "I heard the news, you doing okay?"

"More or less. What did you hear?"

"Not much, just that you were shot, but that you were still alive. I can see from the shaved area on the side of your head just where you were shot."

"I got lucky. Have you had a visit from a guy named Medina, a private cop?"

"No, was I supposed to?"

"He came down here, but he said you were being punished for fighting."

"Oh yeah that. Like I told you before, things happen in here. I had to defend myself. It was worth a week of punishment. Now maybe the asshole will leave me alone."

"You won?"

"Yeah, I won that one. It's amazing the skills you learn in here: Nothing that would help on the outside of course."

"Probably not."

"So what's with this Medina?"

"I hired him to just look into everything."

"Like what?"

"Like your case, like you and I looking alike, and now, like who the hell shot me. Of course Detective Fontana is doing that too, but I improved my odds a little by hiring Medina."

"So you got a few bucks then because those private cops don't come cheap."

"I can handle it."

"Damn it, I still can't get used to looking at myself through this glass. That whole thing freaks me out. I even wondered if the eye witness got confused, but that doesn't fit. Nothing about my case fits. Did you getting shot have anything to do with me in here and us looking alike?"

"Can't say, but probably not. Unless somebody out there saw me that had a grudge against you and thought it was you he was shooting."

"Hell, you don't make enemies being in graphic design. That's about as exciting as being a CPA. Maybe less. I don't see a ring on your finger, you married?"

"I was, but my wife and baby died in a fire."

"Oh shit. Damn that's bad."

"It's been quite awhile, but I'm still dealing with that."