Under Illusion Part 2 Continuing chapters

Martha is frustrated at every turn as she tries to piece together how her daughter ended up in a crash with a strange man…

What do you mean, a turn for the worse?” said Martha, jumping up. Their son-in-law, Oscar, ushered her and Chris back into the unit just as Lynn, the nursing sister, bustled over.

“Don’t worry, it’s just a minor setback,” she said. “Oscar, you really must take a break. I know it’s difficult but everything’s under control, honestly!”

Oscar crumpled onto one of the seats next to Lizzie’s bed, head in his hands. “What kind of setback?” Chris asked. “We’re putting a new chest drain in and giving her more sedation. She was coming round a tad too early. We’re back on track now.” She gestured towards Oscar. “Poor lad – he really should get some rest.”

Martha nodded, sat next to him and took his hand. The noise of the ventilator pumping and hissing, together with the heat and the stress of the situation, had given her a thumping headache.

“Why don’t you two get something to eat – have a walk round,” suggested Chris.

Suddenly Oscar pulled his hand away, stood up and began to rage at his wife.

“What were you playing at, Lizzie? And now look – look what you’ve done!” His eyes were bloodshot, his voice breaking.

Lynn strode over and led him firmly from the room. “Now, now – we’ve other patients in here. Come along, young man.”

She looked over her shoulder, gesturing to Martha to help. “Go with him,” said Chris. Realising her hands were clenched with fury, Martha reached for her bag. She could hardly look at him.

Why did both of them think the worst of Lizzie, especially when her daughter couldn’t speak for herself ? Neither of them seemed to believe Lizzie had actually had a stalker! Yet they believed she’d had an affair without any evidence apart from the fact she’d been in a car with another man at the time of the crash. She stood up. www.myweekly.co.uk “OK. Call me if there’s any change.” His voice was so soft she almost didn’t hear him. “Martha…?” She turned round. “I’m sorry,” he said. “What for?” He rubbed his hand over his face, leaving it red and blotchy.

“For believing the worst of her. It’s just… oh, I don’t know, feeling such shock, impotent fury. I feel so useless.”

She gave his arm a squeeze, tears prickling her eyes as she left the claustrophobic, overheated room. Oh Lizzie. Why didn’ t you come tome? What had happened to make this open, trusting, confident young woman – the girl who had always confided in her – try to cope with something like this on her own?

A vision of Lizzie as a young child flashed into her mind, a spark of memory. Her daughter was running towards her down the garden path, with flushed cheeks and scraped knees. An altercation with next door’s Pekinese had tipped her off her bike. All she’d needed was Mum to make it better and put her world to rights.

Well, maybe Lizzie had grown up and didn’t need her any more, but the need in herself had never died.

She sat down next to Oscar. “Want a coffee?” He nodded miserably. “We’ll find out what happened, Oscar, but all in good time, OK?”

A quick glance at the clock. Not long now before she could go down to Ward Ten and talk to the other man.

Apart from anything else, unravelling the mystery would keep her mind off more painful things like her daughter’s life, her own marriage, Lizzie’s marriage…

She looked at the clock again. Was the hand moving backwards?

At six on the dot, she located Ross’s room, and with a thumping heart was about to rap on the porthole window when she realised it wasn’t him in the bed. She looked and looked again. There sat a tiny old lady in a pink cardigan, propped up against a stack of pillows. “Can I help you?” Martha swung round to face a young male nurse with Student on his name tag.

“I came to see the patient who was in here earlier …” Goodness, what was his surname? She floundered. “Ross…?”

“Oh yes – he’s been transferred to a private hospital across town. He only went an hour ago.”

A hot flush burned its way up her neck and the ground swayed beneath her. Oh no! What now? Unless Lizzie woke up and told them all something different, her father, husband, and best friend would all be thinking the worst of her.

What next? She couldn’t leave the hospital while Lizzie was still so poorly. “Are you all right?” She nodded, itching to go back and see how Lizzie was. “I’m OK, thank you. He’s a friend of my daughter’s – they were in a car crash. I wanted to see he was all right.” The student smiled. “I’m sure he will be. He had two police officers with him.” “Police officers?” The student nurse smiled.

“Mates of his. He was one, apparently, though he’s now a private detective. He’s a really interesting guy – I’m sorry he’s gone.”

A buzzer sounded and the student nurse began to back away in its direction.

“I hope your daughter’s OK. I’ve got to go now – sorry.” She nodded, her thoughts whirling. A detective? Oh my goodness! So Lizzie really had been scared out of her wits, then?

It had to be about the stalker Rose had mentioned, it really did. The one Oscar said did not exist.

About TO RAP on the door, she realised it WASN’T HIM in the bed

She couldn’t sleep. Was a hospital never quiet – even at three in the morning? Outside the visitor’s overnight room, trolleys clattered and lift doors pinged. Through the slatted blinds, neon lights glowed and beneath her the plastic mattress was hot, bowing uncomfortably in the middle. She turned on her back and stared into the darkness.

When she’d got back to Intensive Care after her attempt at seeing Ross, she found Oscar and Chris in the waiting room. “How is she?” Chris nodded. “Good. Stable.” She sat down. “That man Lizzie was in the car with… He’s a private detective.”

Oscar swung round to stare at her. “Seriously?” “He’s transferred to another hospital.” “Which one?” “Oh, no. You’re in no fit state to go interrogating people. If anyone talks to anyone, it’s going to be me.” “As long as you don’t go around making accusations until we know the truth,” Chris said. “No, of course I won’t, but someone put her in hospital, Chris – albeit indirectly – and I will find out who if it’s the last thing I do. And if it is her deputy head, Tony, as Rose thinks…” Chris sighed heavily. “Martha…” “OK, OK – I’m just saying.” Still, there was something going on that none of them had got to the bottom of. If only her foggy brain would work. Why would the man actually stalk Lizzie, frightening her so badly she had to hire a detective? Why was she cutting off her best friend? And why had no one believed her fears? Especially Oscar… …I heard she was with some bloke in a black Audi… I’ ll never forgive myself… He’ s on Ward Ten… Oscar had an information source. Perhaps he was the one having an affair? No, nothing made sense.

Next morning at eight, while Chris and Oscar took a turn to rest and she was on bedside duty, Lynn bustled up. “You’ve got another visitor. Tony somebody. I’ve told him he can’t come in – he’s your daughter’s deputy, apparently. Do you want a word?”

Martha’s eyes widened. “I certainly do. Thank you.”

She found him pacing up and down behind an enormous bouquet of flowers. Tony was one of life’s pumped-up little men, his suit too tight and his face too red. The wedding ring on his finger cleaved into his skin, and perspiration beaded along his upper lip as he handed over the bouquet together with a stack of homemade Get Well Miss! cards from the school children.

“I’m Tony – Lizzie’s deputy. These are from all of us at the school.”

Martha forced a smile as she took the gifts. “Thank you, that’s very kind.”

“I’m so sorry to intrude. Is she going to be OK? We’re all in terrible shock.”

Martha made a swift assessment. This man was no stalker. Aggrieved maybe, and a little officious – thought he should be top dog – but at a guess he was the kind of guy who went straight home to a wife who fussed over him, and a couple of noisy kids.

“It was good of you to come, Tony. We’ve never met, have we?”

“No. We – I mean my wife and I, try to spend as much family time as possible when I’m not working so, well, I don’t do the social networking scene like Lizzie – you know, the drinks parties and after work get-togethers. That could be why.”

He looked over at the door, at the clock on the wall, at his feet – anywhere but at her. She narrowed her eyes. “Tony, can I talk to you for a minute?” “Yes, of course. How is she though? Please tell me – is she still unconscious?”

Martha nodded. “At the moment. They’re going to try and bring her round this afternoon, so let’s hope for the best.” “Yes, oh dear yes, let’s hope so.” He sounded convincing. Or guilty and remorseful… Which? Maybe it would be best to simply come straight out with it and clear the air?

She indicated chairs by the window, and he followed her over. She waited for him to sit, then cleared her throat.

“The thing is… oh, this is so awkward but I’ve got to ask… the thing is, I’ve just found out that Lizzie was under a considerable amount of stress prior to the accident. Apparently she thought she was being stalked, and I wondered if you knew anything about it?”

Tony visibly reeled back. “Good grief! I didn’t know that.” “Nor did I until yesterday.” “Was she driving? Do you think that’s what caused the accident – her mind on other things?” “No, she wasn’t driving.” “Well, well… how odd. Oh dear, yes…” He rubbed his chin several times, huffed and puffed a bit, and then after a moment appeared to come to a decision. “Maybe I should tell you something then, Martha?”

She raised her eyebrows. Good grief, what on earth was coming?

“The thing is, you see, we were getting phone calls in the night too – me and my wife, that is – never anyone there on the

other end, in fact the line went dead every time, but it’s given us a few fractured nights’ sleep, I can tell you.

“I heard a car engine outside in the early hours too, which is most unusual in our little cul-de-sac, but I never saw who it was. To be honest – oh dear, this is ever so embarrassing – well, I had it on reasonable authority that it was Lizzie. I didn’t want to say anything but now…” Martha narrowed her eyes. “Pardon?” “Oh dear, what a predicament.” He slumped against the back of the chair. “I would never have said a word because it all stopped after she got the headship. I just thought… well, I had no proof except what I was told, that it was ruthless ambition and how some people will stop at nothing to get to the top and all that.

“Oh dear. It’s not true, is it? My wife said as much but I wouldn’t listen, that it had to be Lizzie because who else could it be? Oh, I feel dreadful now. Dreadful.”

Martha sat next to him. “But Tony, who would do such a thing? I mean who was your ‘source of reasonable authority’ – and why would they give you and Rose false information?”

He looked away and flushed. “I’d rather not say…”

“OK, let me put it another way. Who would gain from you and Lizzie being at odds with each other, and both losing sleep at a time when you were being interviewed and assessed?”

He seemed to drift off in thought. “I really don’t understand this at all…” “No, nor do I, but…” With a little jump he suddenly appeared to notice the time. “Oh dear, I’d better get going.”

There was something he still wasn’t saying. Martha frowned. This whole thing was more and more perplexing.

“Yes, of course. Well thank you for the lovely flowers. It was good of you to come, especially since you can’t have thought much of my daughter’s behaviour, as you saw it.”

“Oh Martha, I didn’t have any proof – it was all whispers. I shouldn’t have given it a moment’s credence and yet I did – not something that makes me feel particularly proud of myself. To be honest, flowers are the least I can do, and the children adore her – we’ve had tears in assembly!” Martha smiled. That was good to hear. “Please will you give her all our good wishes from the school – everyone’s upset – we just want her back.”

“Of course I will. And thank you. Really. I’m glad we’ve cleared the air.”

Yet had it cleared the air or simply muddied the proverbial waters? After he’d gone Martha sank her head in her hands. If only her brain would work properly, but it was like a wheel stuck in mud, grinding ever deeper into a rut with each attempt to move forwards.

Suddenly Oscar burst through the double doors. For several seconds she stared at him before it computed who he was. Oscar – yes, Oscar. Her son-in-law.

Charcoal smudges under his bloodshot eyes told her all she needed to know about

She took a DEEP BREATH, keeping the rest of her ANGER in

his love for her daughter. Of course it wasn’t him having an affair – he worked at the hospital and his colleagues would have given him details of his wife’s admission. How ludicrous she’d even thought it.

Yet they had to find out what had put Lizzie in danger, and suspecting each other wasn’t going to help.

She gestured towards the brightly lit drinks machine. “Want a coffee?” He nodded. “Thanks.” “Oscar, can we have a chat?” She handed him a cup before pouring her own. “A couple of things are bothering me and I’ve been churning them over all night. Why didn’t you believe Lizzie when she said she had a stalker? She wouldn’t make up something like that, surely?”

He hung his head. “Because there was absolutely no proof, Martha. On the nights I was home trying to get some sleep, she’d be pacing round the bedroom, twitching the curtains, trying to convince me she was being watched. But it never happened when I was there.

“I never saw or heard a thing – it was all her peeping out of the window when she was home alone and saying a car was parked outside, or there’d been another phone call with no one at the other end.” “I see.” “I thought it might be work-related stress – anxiety, paranoia, that kind of thing because she was so agitated. I suggested she see our GP. I was worried about her mental health, especially with the strain of her recent promotion. That’s all I said and she went nuts. Typical doctor –it’s all in your mind! I’m sorry, you’re right – I should have believed her…”

“Oscar, when you’re frightened out of your wits the one thing you desperately need is the person closest to you to be in your corner – to be there for you and support you.”

The anger had burst out of her. She took a deep breath, keeping the rest in.

“I know that now. I couldn’t be more sorry. And now I might never get the chance to tell her.”

She put a comforting arm around his slumped shoulders. “She’s going to wake up. I know she is. I’m not going to give up hope and neither should you.

“Anyway, I wasn’t asking you about it to make you feel any worse – I can see how much you love her – I was just trying to find out if you could shed any light on what was going on before the accident. To be honest I’m so tired I can’t think straight any more.” He shook his head. “All this is my fault – for leaving her to cope with all this on her own.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I do love her, you know”

“I know you do. And we will find out more as soon as we can. Meanwhile I’m just grateful to Rose for trying to put me in the picture. If it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t have any leads to follow at all.” He looked up. “Rose? Rose Mayhew?” “Yes. Why?” Oscar stood up and it seemed as if he kept on unfolding until all six foot four of him towered over her.

“Talk to Rose Mayhew again, Martha,” he said. “Seriously. Because one thing I can tell you for sure – Lizzie was avoiding her like the plague.”