26. ~ Merging ~

CHAPTER 26

Upon entering Alex's room, I felt like I had traveled back in time again—as if we hadn't been separated, the knowledge of the hidden past erasing all unfamiliarity. Alex slept, his ashen countenance heartrending to behold. The hollows under his eyes spoke of the fatigue and strain of his long, upward battle. His heart was broken yet still beating, still filled with love for me.

I sat on the edge of the bed, took his hand in mine, and shuddered at the coldness of his skin. "Alex, I'm here. I'm here to stay." I pressed my cheek to the scar on his chest left by the bullet he had taken for my father so long ago. No wonder it impacted me when I saw it the day of the storm. Not only had I dreamed of it, but I had also seen it many times as his wife. I just couldn't remember it then. "You, General, who unselfishly saved so many lives, deserve the chance to live. It's only fair."

"Florence, the doctor is here," Zaira announced from the threshold.

"Please, show him in." I glanced at the clock on the dresser—almost midnight.

Zaira returned with Dr. Ferns. "I'll be in the kitchen if you need me."

"Thank you, Zaira." I signaled to the doctor. "Please, come in."

Dr. Ferns had seen quite a few winters. The small-framed man had silver hair and thick spectacles. He moved slowly across the room, medical bag in hand.

"I fear he has been poisoned," I said.

"Yes, Zaira told me of your suspicion. And I took the liberty to ask her to search the house for any poison." He studied Alex with keen awareness. "We need to know what we might be dealing with. For now, Miss Contini, please explain what you know about his symptoms." Taking a few medical instruments from his case, he started the examination while I answered his question. "Yes, yes, very interesting," he said in reply.

"I'm afraid that's all I know," I concluded.

"Very well. This will take a minute longer. If you don't mind, have a seat." Politely, he excluded me from his working space.

While he continued to check his patient with much care and thought, I retreated to the far wall. Alex made a few soft, groaning sounds but otherwise remained inert. I forced myself to be still, to not distract the doctor, for I had the feeling that if I did, he would banish me from the room. Nonetheless, a whirlwind of emotions churned inside me. Would Mrs. White succeed in taking Alex's life? Would he be the one standing in spirit form near me now, unable to comfort me? Each passing second stretched indefinitely as I fought to stay positive. Alex had to live. We had a bright future.

At length, the doctor informed me, "I have a partial diagnosis," while returning the instruments to the briefcase. "Without further testing, I can't be 100 percent sure, you understand. But yes, I'm afraid you are correct. Mr. Sterling has been poisoned."

"I can't believe I was so blind."

Zaira hustled in, held the doctor's gaze, and shook her head. "We searched everywhere. We didn't find anything."

My stomach turned. Mrs. White had carefully covered her tracks.

"Thank you, young lady," Dr. Ferns said, and she withdrew. "Well then, we must work with what we know. His symptoms suggest the poison was administered in small doses over an extended period, slowly shutting down his system. Does Mr. Sterling have any close relatives?"

I flinched at the implication. "No, he doesn't. I'm the closest to a relative he has. We contemplated marriage." I omitted that I had broken the engagement the previous day.

"In that case, you'll have to decide. I'm going to send a blood sample to the hospital right away to determine the kind of poison we're dealing with. But it will take time—time we don't have." Dr. Ferns reached for Alex's hand, finding his pulse. "If he is going to survive, we must give him the antidote without delay. Now, not knowing which toxin is in his system—the medicine, instead of healing, might help to kill him."

"It's too dangerous."

"It is. However, if we don't give it a try, he'll die in the next few hours. He needs the antidote right away," the doctor affirmed. "And, thank heaven, I brought some with me. It's used for myriad things, you understand."

Gambling with my soul would be easier than this decision. If I chose wrong, it would weigh on me for eternity. I looked at Alex's pale face, and my heart constricted. "Give him the medicine."

"I'll take the samples to the hospital," Friar Thompson, who had graciously driven the nuns and Dr. Ferns to Oak's Place, kindly offered.

"I'll go with him to speed things up," Sister Callahan decided. "And I suppose with Mr. Sterling having been poisoned, we must alert the police."

The priest gave her a look of apprehension but proceeded politely. "Yes, yes, Sister Callahan, and I will take care of it."

"There are no words to express how grateful I am for your help," I said sincerely.

Sister Callahan smiled. "Don't mention it, Fannie."

With a nod, the priest gathered his cloak and hat and hurried out into the stormy night, followed by the irrepressible Sister Callahan.

I turned to the doctor and insisted he stay in the guest room. I wanted him to be rested and sharp.

"Very well," Dr. Ferns agreed. "I'll check on Mr. Sterling every few hours. Please don't hesitate to call on me if anything seems out of the ordinary."

Mr. Snider, Zaira, and Granny were determined to keep watch in the kitchen.

"Miss Contini, I'll keep the ladies company. We'll be here if you need us." Mr. Snider shifted on the chair, a bit jittery from all the caffeine Zaira forced into him. As if reading my mind, she veered from the stove with a fresh pot of coffee and refilled his cup to the brim. At this rate, he would have insomnia for months.

The lamplight cast a warm glow over the bed, creating a soothing atmosphere. I lay beside a silent Alex to keep him warm, rain falling faintly in the background.

"General, remember the days in Keyhaven? You promised you'd always come back. You better make good on that promise now. And so you know, I have always loved you. Remember the first time you came to Forti Radici? When we saw each other in the field?" His heartbeat grew louder. I went on.

"Remember the night you followed me out into the gardens and kissed me? Your kiss haunted me until the night of the ball. When I saw you with Nelly, I almost went crazy. Your indifference cut deep into my pride, exposing my true feelings for you. And when we ran out into Brockenhurst's grounds, I had no choice but to accept that I was your prisoner. Remember the happy time we spent in the flat in London amid the war? The world was upside down, and my family was dead, but we had each other and a deep desire to help end the conflict. You did incredible things for our country and those who fought for freedom and their families."

I lost myself in the memories. Minutes and hours crawled by, and my voice became almost inaudible, then stopped altogether.

I awoke with a start. The silence was too thick. Alex lay deathly still. I put my hand on his chest and gasped. I couldn't feel his heartbeat. I dashed into the darkened corridor, shouting for Dr. Ferns.

Zaira, Granny, and Mr. Snider met me just outside the kitchen.

"What is the matter, child?" Granny asked in alarm.

"Alex's heart stopped! Get the doctor."

"I'll get him." Mr. Snider hurried to the guest room.

I rushed back into the bedroom, hit the light switch, and gasped at the white figure on the bed.

How could I have fallen asleep? My eyes burned with tears of guilt.

Dr. Ferns hustled in with the agility of a wildcat, a fierce determination in his eyes. Mr. Snider, Zaira, and Granny trailed behind.

The doctor examined Alex's eyes and pulse. "Quick, turn him onto his stomach. We need him face down," he ordered.

Mr. Snider was fit for the task. I did what I could to assist. Granny and Zaira observed the scene from a safe distance.

"Turn his head to the side and raise his arms. Rest his face on the palms of his hands. Quickly!" the doctor instructed as if commanding a platoon of soldiers. And at once, he applied upward pressure to Alex's elbows, slightly raising his upper body off the bed. He then firmly pressed Alex's shoulder blades with both hands.

The constant motion went on, accelerating my heartbeat instead of Alex's. Dr. Ferns's hands worked steadily, but it wasn't enough. It was taking too long. I held my breath, suppressing a sob. My eyes found Granny's. She remained composed, giving me hope.

"Allow me," Mr. Snider said.

Dr. Ferns wiped the perspiration from his forehead and, with a nod, acquiesced.

Mr. Snider's larger hands had more power behind them. After three tries, Alex let out a sigh, followed by a choking sound.

"Turn him around and bring him to a sitting position," the doctor said.

I arranged a stack of pillows against the headboard, and Mr. Snider set Alex against them.

"Would you mind?" Dr. Ferns pointed at Alex's shirt, and I unbuttoned it. With his stethoscope, he listened attentively to Alex's chest. "Good. Very good. He has a steady heartbeat."

"Thank goodness." Granny looked up as if thanking heaven.

"That was too close, too close indeed." Zaira held Granny's hand in reassurance.

Mr. Snider smiled, a rare occurrence with him.

"Is Alex going to be all right, then?" I desperately wanted an affirmative answer.

"Miss Contini, I think this was his body's natural reaction to the conflict between the poison and the antidote. I'm happy to say the antidote won." Dr. Ferns took off his spectacles and stood a little taller, clearly pleased with his work.

I collapsed into a chair, relieved that my worst nightmare hadn't come true.

Sunlight poured in through the east window, and birds chirped excitedly over the new day.

Alex's health continued to improve in the following hours. Though he hadn't woken, his heartbeat remained strong, and his skin gradually regained color.

The doctor walked in. "I spoke with the hospital. We won't have the results back until tomorrow, but I think it is safe to say Mr. Sterling is reacting well to the medicine. I'll proceed with a second dose if you agree."

"Thank you for all you did last night. You've saved his life."

"My pleasure, Miss Contini. But now there is a more pressing matter. The police have arrived and would like to speak to you."

I glanced at Alex, not wanting to leave his side.

"I need to check on Mr. Sterling anyway. No worries, I'll watch over him until you return," assured the doctor.

I kissed Alex's forehead. "Stay put. I'll be right back, General."

Two police officials and a detective conversed with Zaira and Granny in the kitchen.

"This is Inspector Stanley," Zaira said. "We have told them everything we know about Mrs. White and Mr. Vines."

After a brief set of questions, the handsome, olive-complexioned, middle-aged inspector said, "There is only one thing that doesn't fit. We don't have a motive for the lady in question to want to dispatch Mr. Sterling. Without a motive, we can't accuse her. Anyone could've done it. In fact, each of you is guilty until proven otherwise." His gaze wandered suspiciously from face to face.

I hadn't thought about it that way. I felt pretty sure it was the other way around. People were innocent until proven otherwise, but I knew enough not to cross him. However, it complicated matters. I had no proof against Mrs. White. That she might be in love with Alex was in her favor, and comments on her mental state would play against me, for it was my assumption.

"I'm afraid you're right. We have no evidence against her," I stated, "except for the poison."

"That explains Mrs. White's fixation with overseeing Mr. Sterling's tea. That's how she did it," Zaira deduced.

"That's exactly how she did it," I agreed. She mixed it with his drink, just like she did to Frederick. "And the poison had to be bought somewhere."

The inspector rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Once we get the results from the hospital and know with certainty what we are dealing with, we can act. If it's a controlled substance, someone prescribed it. Zaira mentioned a Dr. Petersen, so we'll start there."

"Then, of course, it could be something simple as a household poison used to kill rodents or undesirable plants," Granny reflected.

"Yes, of course," the inspector agreed. "We'll check with the local stores."

"You must do it quickly, before she is halfway around the world," I said to the inspector, anxious to see her put safely away. This woman with a murderer's heart had escaped justice for way too long.

"Wait." Zaira's eyes brightened with excitement. "She went to New York City when Mr. Sterling was in England, remember?"

"Yes, but he's been sick longer than that," I argued. "Besides, if she bought anything there, it would be impossible to find out. The city is too big."

"Not to mention how many shady transactions go unnoticed," the inspector added.

"I'm thinking about a motive," Zaira said. "I'm not sure if it's relevant, but when I searched Mrs. White's room for the poison, I found several newspapers. They caught my attention because she circled quite a few places in New York."

"What types of places?" I was instantly interested.

"I'm not sure. I didn't think much about it until now, but it could be helpful. I'll go grab them."

"That's interesting indeed." Granny poured herself more coffee.

Inspector Stanley settled at the table, eagerly jotting down notes.

My thoughts raced in many directions. Could this be what we needed for an arrest warrant?

"Here they are." Zaira resurfaced and dropped the newspapers on the table.

We all took a paper to examine it.

I flipped through the pages, hoping to find something useful. "Solicitors offices."

"Same here," Inspector Stanley said.

"Here too," Zaira and Granny echoed.

"A legal matter is the only reason why she would contact a solicitor," the inspector reasoned. "Any ideas what it could be?"

"No. As far as I know, she has nothing back in England that requires that type of assistance," Zaira affirmed.

"There is one way to find out." I held the inspector's gaze. "We must call them."

"While it might be a good idea, I can't do that," he stated. "I can't meddle in personal affairs without a valid reason. I mean, for now, I only have an employee who left."

"I'll do it, then." I dragged a chair close to the telephone, calling one number after another. My anticipation dissolved when I dialed the last number with the same result. No one had a client by the name of Deborah White. I shook my head in disbelief, frustrated to have wasted this much time. I needed to return to Alex. I abandoned the chair, my sense of defeat weighing on me.

"I'm sorry, child," Granny offered.

"Let's take another look at the papers to make sure we didn't miss anything," Zaira proposed.

The telephone suddenly rang, everyone stirring to attention.

"Yes, this is Florence Contini," I said into the receiver. "Yes, I called a few minutes ago. Yes, I'm Mr. Sterling's secretary."

"You spoke to my colleague, Mrs. Green. She said you called on behalf of Mrs. Deborah White." The man on the other end provided his name and office information.

"Oh yes." I gestured for Zaira to hand me a pen. I wrote everything he said in the margins of a newspaper. "She's been a bit busy lately and asked me to contact you."

"I was planning on reaching out today to finalize the paperwork. I apologize that it took longer than we planned. But as you might know, testaments and wills can be a lengthy process, more so when dealing with overseas assets."

"A will, you say?" My gaze darted to the inspector.

He signaled for me to keep them speaking.

"Mr. Alexander Sterling's will," the man informed.

"Oh yes, of course. Is it ready, then?"

"That's correct. Mrs. White can stop by to pick it up at her earliest convenience. Please remind her that, by law, Mr. Sterling must sign it in the presence of at least one witness."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. Mr. Vines would have served the purpose well. I fished for more details. "And Mrs. White is the sole beneficiary, correct?"

"As requested, yes."

"Thank you for your call. I'll let her know." I turned to the inspector. "Looks like we found our motive. She wanted to steal Alex's fortune. All she needed was his signature."

"In his condition, it would have been easy enough to have him sign without knowing what he signed," Granny remarked.

"Is there any chance Mr. Sterling might have been in on this?" the inspector questioned.

"None. Why would he give away everything he has when just yesterday we planned to marry and start a life together?"

"Just when you think you've heard it all." With a loud sigh, Zaira leaned against the counter, seemingly, like the rest of us, trying to reconcile herself to the jarring reality.

Perhaps last night, when I told Mrs. White over the phone, "I know what you've done, and I'm coming to settle the debt," she thought I had discovered her attempt to steal from Alex. Thankfully, the completion of the will had taken longer than expected. I shuddered to think how she must have timed his death to the minute.

"I'll take your word on this for now, but I'd like to speak to him as soon as possible." Inspector Stanley copied the information I had written on the newspaper. "I must get in touch with these people. And we'll track down Dr. Petersen, see what he knows."

"I'll let you know as soon as Alex is well enough to speak with you."

"I'll leave my men to search Mrs. White and Mr. Vines's quarters." With that, Inspector Stanley left Oak's Place.

"It's been a long night." A long night of twenty-three years of recovered memories.

"Why don't you rest awhile?" Granny suggested. "I'm afraid Dr. Ferns will have another patient if you keep going like this."

"I'll rest beside Alex."

"I'll prepare a hearty breakfast," Zaira decided. "We can all benefit from that."

"I'll help you, dear." Granny swiftly moved to the stove.

I walked out of the kitchen with deep gratitude for these women in my life.