Blue Collar Town

"Please hold on, I can hear the ambulance in the distance."

"Don't leave me."

"I'm right here."

She kept trying to talk but all she could seem to get out was, "It was so simple, so obvious I feel so stupid to have missed it."

"Shhh, don't worry about it. You can tell me later. It's over now."

With all that had happened in the span of less than a minute I had completely forgotten about Alana as I held Nicole close to me and gently caressed her face.

I don't know if I saw her or felt her but Alana was standing to my left and slightly behind me as she looked at the aftermath of the shooting. The intruder lay on his side, alive or dead I didn't know or care and I was on the floor with Nicole holding her as she bled from her belly wound. I looked up at Alana but didn't say anything nor did she. As the shock of the moment eased for Alana she asked, "What can I do?"

"Get a blanket would you?"

"Which one?"

"I don't care." It was like she was in a trance as she returned dragging a blanket from my bed and lay it over Nicole. I pulled it up to her chin and continued to hold her close as Alana stood nearby. When I really did hear sirens I said, "Alana go open the front door and wait for them please."

Chapter Fourteen

I heard what sounded like car doors and saw Alana waving her arms at whoever it was for them to hurry. The first faces I saw were the police with weapons drawn. I simply said, "It's okay it's over." I nodded to the intruder and said, "He may be dead I just don't know. He was going to kill us. This lady needs help right away." The paramedics were right behind him and soon had taken control of Nicole and I was forced to the perimeter of the action. The next several minutes were a blur of questions and activity. Alana rejoined me and we held each other close until we settled down. Then one officer took her aside to talk to her while another one talked to me. It seemed like there were police everywhere and then a couple of detectives joined the mix and we went through the same questions again plus more. It seemed to go on forever.

Alana and I were finally reunited and we stayed in the far corner of the living room while the police went over everything in fine detail. Photographs, fingerprints and notes being taken. Several times somebody came in as they thought of yet another series of questions. I finally told one of them we had to get to the hospital to check on Nicole. After repeating that demand a few more times we were allowed to do just that but made it clear they wanted to talk to us again. That twenty minute drive to the hospital was filled with a continuous exchange of questions and observations as our nerves and our fears drove our tongues and our thoughts. Alana said more than once, "You can't imagine what it was like hiding in that little room hearing first Nicole's voice and then gun shots. I had no idea what was going on or what to do. I was afraid that if I looked out I'd be shot and I was afraid you had been killed. I don't even know what really happened or what was said."

"I'm sorry Alana. It all happened so fast that it still doesn't seem real to me."

"What was it that Nicole said?"

"She was talking to that guy like she knew him."

"Who is he?"

"I still don't know."

"She knew him and he still shot her?"

"He said he would and after I had shot him he managed to squeeze one round off as he fell. His aim was off or I'm sure he would have killed her."

"My God are you two going to go through life saving each other? If so I want out, I can't take any more of this."

"I can't either Alana, this has to be the end of it."

We finally found where we needed to be at the hospital and took up positions in the surgery waiting room. It was only a couple of hours later when a nurse came out and said, "She's still in surgery but they're almost done and she's doing okay. The doctor will be out shortly and he'll tell you what he can." Once the nurse left I took Alana's hand but didn't say anything. My nerves had settled down and now they were replaced with exhaustion. I felt like everything was dropping out from under me and I closed my eyes as I leaned against her and

dropped into a dreamless sleep. It was over an hour later when she shook me awake but it seemed like only minutes had passed.

"Russ the doctor is here."

He sat next to us and was smiling.

"She'll be fine now. It took us a while but it wasn't terribly serious. We've patched her up and she's on her way to recovery. Why don't you two go home and get some rest while she wakes up and then gets settled in her room. You can see her in the morning and she can tell you what we did." He made it clear in a friendly way that he wasn't going to get into her medical information since we weren't family. We thanked him and then followed his suggestion.

As we walked out Alana said, "We better go to my place to sleep, yours is an awful mess." It was a rare event for one of us to spend the night at the other's place. It was one of those things that we had agreed to some time ago, but this was going to be one of those times. We took the time to wash and brush our teeth but then just stripped and dropped into bed. We moved close to each other and in minutes were using sleep to escape the horrors of the last few hours of our lives.

Alana was up long before me and was dressed and drinking coffee as she read the paper when I staggered out to the kitchen. She gave me a second and then said, "Good morning you doing okay?" I nodded my head and reached for a cup and poured my coffee.

I dropped into a chair across from her and managed, "Yeah I'm okay. A lot better than last night that's for sure."

"We're already in the paper."

"I'm not surprised."

"They don't say much because nobody seems to know anything beyond the actual shooting."

"I can't wait to talk to Nicole about everything." She finished the paper and I had a couple cups of coffee in silence as I replayed the previous evening. It was strange how detached I felt about all that had happened. I had shot a man and he was likely dead but I felt nothing but anger at him for shooting Nicole and frustration that I had been forced to shoot him. As near as I could tell the police believed what we told them and they weren't hostile toward us. But that said they still wanted to talk to us again at some point in the next few hours.

Alana and I made the drive to police headquarters and talked to the detectives once again but it didn't take very long. Then as we were heading to my place she said, "You better call Mel and tell him about last night."

"Yeah you're right." As she drove I called him at work and told him what little I knew.

"Let me know the whole story when you can."

"I'll do that. Most likely later today."

I hung up and Alana asked me, "You ready to go see Nicole and see how she's doing?"

"I'm anxious to see for myself that she'll be okay."

"Want me to go home?"

"Of course not I want you to go with me."

"Are you sure? I mean the way you held her close to you last night and talked softly to her...and caressed her..."

"Yes I'm sure I want you along. Once we've seen her you and I need to spend some time together."

"Is that a good idea? I mean look what happened when we tried that last night."

"It will take more than guns and pretty women to keep me away from you."

"That's pretty smooth talking, but then you heroes are pretty smooth."

"Hero my ass, Nicole practically threw herself on her sword for me by confronting that crazy guy. She was alone and unarmed when she tried to convince him to leave. She was either very brave or very careless."

"There is another possibility. Or she loves you."

"Now that's a reach."

"Maybe, maybe not."

"Alana what could ever make you think that?"

"Russ there is no reason in the world for her to stay in this little town when she has homes in the tropics and in New York and I forget where else. She told you that she was going to stay close until this whole mess has been resolved even though she's hired detectives to do the work for her."

"But we haven't..."

"You haven't made love right? Okay but you can bet she's thought about it and so have you. Do you love her?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. I like her a lot but how much of that is because of her looks and her money I just don't know for sure. It isn't like we have a lot in common."

"You two are sharing a rapidly developing and very interesting and exciting past."

"I can't argue that point."

Chapter Fifteen

We reached the hospital parking lot and walked in holding hands. As we waited for the elevator Alana asked me, "What will you do if Nicole doesn't tell you what you need to know?"

"I don't know but you can bet I'll be talking to the police at the least. My life used to border on the boring but I'd give a lot to have that problem right now." We followed the directions for room five nineteen given us by the lady at the desk. The elevator was taking forever and that gave me time to think about the money that Mel and I now had. I still hadn't told Alana about that and I needed to do that pretty soon.

The door to Nicole's room was open part way so we slipped in and saw her lying there with her eyes closed. I was undecided what to do until she opened her eyes and saw us standing there. She smiled and we made our way to her bedside. I leaned down and kissed her tenderly without thinking and then realized what I'd done. "Nicole this is Alana."

"Hi Alana."

"This is an awful way to meet you."

"Thanks to my hero saving me yet again I'm alive so I'm not complaining."

I interrupted saying, "We're not getting into that hero saving stuff again. You tricked me and went back to talk to him. You nearly died trying to protect me."

"It didn't turn out the way I had envisioned it."

"I'm sure. How are you feeling?"

"Not bad considering. Of course I'm full of medication too."

"Nicole just who the hell was that guy?"

"His name is Clarence Jolly. He worked for my dad until not long ago."

"Can you tell me what that was all about or would you rather wait until you're stronger?"

"I can tell you. Remember when I told you about Dak talking out of his head about having a jolly good time or something?"

"Yeah you said he had his phrasing all screwed up and sounded confused."

"I can't believe I was so slow to put it together. Clarence went by his last name only. What he was really trying to say was Jolly will have a good time."

"What does that mean?"

"When Dak failed his mission with you he knew that Jolly would want to come here and take care of things himself. Jolly likes to hurt people."

"So was he the so called mastermind of all of this?"

"He doesn't have what it takes but I still think so. Dak looked up to him for some reason so I'm sure that if Jolly asked Dak about the family, Dak was only too happy to tell all that he knew."

"Did you know that the plane crash wasn't an accident?"

"I think I remember somebody telling me that."

"It isn't official yet but that's what I was told. How it happened I don't know though."

"So all of us were supposed to die?"

"I can only guess but I have to think so. I think the plan was for the plane to get to altitude before it went out of control but by it crashing just after take off you managed to survive it in spite of the fire."

Nicole lay there staring at the ceiling for a minute and I thought she was going to slip off to sleep. Instead she looked at us and took a breath before asking, "Did Jolly survive?"

"I don't know now that you mention it. I haven't watched the news or read the paper."

Nicole shared a small smile and said, "Either way I think you're going to get your wish for having your old life back now."

"I hope so."

"According to the doctors I'll be out of here in a couple of days or so."

"Then what?"

"Then I guess I'll go home and start over. I have a lot of work to do, selling a lot of our real estate, getting rid of some of Dad's business interests and so forth, but I want to see you before I leave. Alana take very good care of him he's one hell of a guy."

"I think so too."

"Fair warning though I plan to come back when things settle down." I smiled and said, "Come incognito and just maybe we can stay out of trouble."

"I just might do that." I took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze and smiled. "Get well."

"I will. And Russ...thank you."

"And thank you."

Alana smiled and said, "I'm very glad I got to meet you."

"Thank you Alana you too."

We said goodbye and left her room and walked back to the elevators in silence. We rode down in silence and we walked half way to the car in silence. Alana finally said, "I was wrong when I said I thought she was in love with you."

"I don't think she is either."

"No...I know she is."

"That can't be. Maybe she thinks she is right now but that's all."

"Why is it so hard for you to see it?"

"Because she grew up in a different world, she went to school in a different world and she lives in a different world. There is no way she could ever be happy with anybody like me, not for long anyway."

"You just keep believing that and we'll be okay I think."

"By the way what was it that make you so sure she loves me?"

"She hardly took her eyes off of you. I could have stepped between you two and she would have looked right through me."

"You aren't mad at me are you?"

"No of course not you haven't done anything wrong...that I'm aware of at least."

"Nicole just looked so pale and vulnerable lying there."

"Of course, she has just been shot and had belly surgery." The conversation on the drive home was the stop and start variety. Neither of us was quite ready to celebrate the fact that our crisis might be over. I thought about both Nicole and her problems and Alana with her idea that Nicole loved me. I just couldn't buy into that one.

When the two of us got back to my place I had a message waiting for me. As soon as I heard his voice I looked at Alana and shook my head. "This is Detective Murrow, give me a call sometime before six." I just couldn't imagine what else they would want to talk to me about. I was about half angry when I punched in his number and then asked for him. "Murrow."

"This is Russ Gantry."

"Thanks for getting back to me. I just wanted to let you know that I think we have our main man."

"You mean Clarence Jolly?"

"The one and only."

"So he's still alive."

"Oh yeah they put him back together and he'll stand trial."

"So you think it might finally be over?"

"I think so." I almost dropped the phone as the reality finally hit me.

"Murrow that's about the best thing I've heard in a long time."

"I can imagine. How are you and Nicole doing?"

"I'm tired but okay and Nicole is on the mend."

"I'm glad to hear that. I hope the two of you can get on with your lives now." "I guess she's heading back east as soon as she can."

"So you two aren't...getting together?"

"No, I'm putting my money on Alana."

"Good luck to both of you."

"Thanks and thanks for calling." I hung up and threw my arms around Alana and said, "It's over. Now we can go back to our boring simple small town life again."

"You're putting your money on me? I'm not a horse you know."

"You definitely are not a horse but I'm putting my whole fortune on you and on us. Now I think we have to have a bottle of your favorite wine and toast the future and happy endings."

"You better call Mel."

"Now?"

"Well he's your best friend and you hid out at his place for many days."

"Okay you open the wine and I'll call him. Then I have something pretty big to tell you about." I called Mel but he wasn't home so I left him a message giving him the short version. I simply told him everything was okay now and I'd give him the details in a couple of days.

Alana returned with the wine and the two of us settled down and toasted each other and our future together. "Okay Russ now tell me this big news." We each tasted our wine and I refilled our glasses and leaned back and then started. "Remember the metal briefcase?"

"I remember you telling me about it but I never saw it."

"You remember there were papers in it that I gave to the police."

"Yes I remember all of that."

"There was another paper in there addressed to me from Vicki. Well really to whoever was in possession of the case. It said that since the note was being read that meant something had happened to her."

"Okay."

"It went on to say that the sealed envelope had to get to the police but whatever else was in the case went to the holder of the briefcase."

"What else was in there?"

"Four hundred and ninety thousand dollars."

"What?"

"Cash, hundred dollar bills. Piles of them in fact. It's all stashed at Mel's and we're dividing it. Some for him, some for me and some for our new business."

"What business?"

"Home construction."

"You and Mel?"

"Me and Mel."

"You've kept this from me all this time?"

"Until I knew it was safe for you to know about it."

"And Nicole?"

"You mean did I tell her?"

"Yes of course."

"No she knows nothing about it at all." That stopped her and her voice softened.

"Never?"

"There's no reason for her to know. It was Vicki's to do with as she chose. Alana put her glass down and leaned back next to me and took a deep breath.

"What will you do with your share?"

"Put most of it away for retirement. I have a very small nest egg started and that money will be very helpful when I'm ready to retire."

"What will you do now?"

"Now I'm going to quit my job and start building houses."

"I hope you know what you're doing."

"I do too." Alana left fairly early because she had to be at work early and I had the last of my wine and then went to bed too.

Chapter Sixteen

I went back to work and gave them my two week notice. I didn't feel as elated about that as I thought I would but at the end of the day I did leave smiling. I called Mel after dinner and then went over to his place and we spent the next couple of hours talking about all that we had been through and then started talking business. By the time I'd left I'd had too much to drink but we had the beginnings of our new business venture in place. I was still looking over my shoulder every place I went and watched the cars around me. Life was slowly returning to normal now. Alana and I had dinner at the River Front Café on Wednesday and she noticed how much more relaxed I seemed. I told her about Mel and I laying the groundwork for our new business. Her only question was, "Have you heard from or seen Nicole?"

"No."

"You didn't go back to see her?"

"I didn't think that would be a good idea."

"Why not?"

I smiled at her and said, "You know why not. You're going to go nuts until she's out of here."

"No I'm not I was just curious."

"Right."

"Well can you blame me? I mean the way you and Mel acted that day when you saw her on television. Then after you had dinner with her you talked about her until I was ready to shoot you myself. Then when you held her and caressed her after she was shot. Then to top it off you kissed her at the hospital."

"I felt sorry for her. I mean you were right there when I held her so I must not have seen it as anything significant. The same at the hospital, I kissed her in front of you and it was just a light one by the way."

"I'll still feel better when she's gone."

"I'll even tell you all about it if she does contact me before she leaves town."