CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Ellie was setting the table in the dining room when she heard pounding on the front door. She ran into the foyer.
“Ellie!” she heard David yell through the heavy door.
She yanked the door open and saw that David was carrying a woman. Not just any woman either. He was carrying Jenny Marks. He pushed past her into the house.
“Help me get her someplace warm,” he said.
“The library. I’ve got the fire going,” Ellie said.
She followed David down the hallway and into the library. She felt only the slightest pang of jealousy as she saw him gently place Jenny’s limp form down on the sofa.
“Blankets? Do you have something warm that we can bundle her in? I’ve got to get her out of these wet clothes,” David said as he took charge immediately.
Ellie rushed to fulfill David’s orders, bringing him blankets from the hallway closet. Then she hurried upstairs to get a pair of her flannel pajamas, although she didn’t believe that the bottoms would fit Jenny in her swollen state.
She watched David deftly remove Jenny’s clothes, and looked away in modesty as he redressed her. Of course as a doctor, he had seen a woman naked millions of times. Then he bundled her in blankets and checked her forehead. Jenny had only mumbled a few times as David had moved her about, and her breathing appeared shallow, but steady.
“What happened?” she asked.
“It appears she had a run-in with Linda’s crazy real estate agent,” David said.
“Joe Klein? Why? What happened?” Ellie asked.
“I have no idea, but this is the third time that guy has been skulking around, and now I’m convinced he’s dangerous. We need to call the police,” David said. Then he nodded toward Jenny. “What was she doing here? I know the two of you aren’t friends.”
“I hope you are not implying that I had anything to do with this,” Ellie said defensively. “Look, she came over here, how she got this address I have no idea, and obviously wanted to start something with me. I told her that until she could hold a rational conversation, I had no desire to get into anything.”
“What was she so upset about?” David asked.
“That’s what I was going to tell you tonight.” Ellie sighed and shifted uncomfortably. “Turns out that Jake and I weren’t divorced yet.”
“What?” David stopped working on Jenny and gaped at Ellie.
“I told you I had a lot to talk about tonight,” Ellie admitted.
“Okay,” David said, shaking his head, “One thing at a time. So she came over here and confronted you. You asked her to leave. Then what happened?”
“She left,” Ellie said simply.
“When was this?” David continued his questions.
“She left probably about twenty minutes ago or so,” Ellie said.
“You didn’t hear anything after she left that would have indicated to you that she was in any kind of trouble?” David said. “You didn’t hear that guy yelling at me when I found him dragging her through the snow?”
“No, but then again I was back in the kitchen,” Ellie said. “How dangerous is he, David?”
David shook his head. “I just thought the guy had a thing going on with Linda. But attacking a pregnant woman is sick, and he said some pretty disturbing things. You can’t stay here by yourself.”
He turned back to Jenny and started exploring her head carefully. He winced as he found what he had been looking for. There was a gash just above Jenny’s ear that had been hidden by her long hair.
“It looks like he clobbered her in the head, probably took her completely by surprise when she was leaving. Bastard.”
As David continued to tend to Jenny, Ellie immediately felt bad for every awful thought that she had had about Jenny since the woman had left the house. “What can I do?” she asked. “Should we call an ambulance? Do you think the baby is okay?”
“Why don’t you go see if you can find some gauze and something that we can use to clean this. Then we’re going to call an ambulance and the police.”
“I’m glad you’re here, David,” she said to him. “Doubly glad that you’re a doctor too.”
“We do come in handy sometimes,” he said dryly. “Now go see what you can find.”
Ellie returned a few minutes later with a first-aid kit that she had found in the pantry. “Hope this helps,” she said as she handed it to David.
“Thanks,” he said.
He opened the box and pulled out some antiseptic. With a piece of gauze, he started cleaning the wound on Jenny’s head. Jenny, still unconscious, started thrashing. Ellie was alarmed.
“I’m calling the ambulance now,” she said. She opened her cell phone and looked at it in surprise. “Damn, I think I let the battery die.”
David pulled his out of his pocket and frowned. “Mine’s dead too.”
Jenny’s groan drew their attention. David placed his hands on her stomach and gently prodded. He smiled suddenly.
“That was a strong kick. I think the baby is fine,” he said to Ellie.
She closed her eyes with relief. “Thank God. Let me go look for Linda’s phone.”
Ellie did a quick scan of the three floors and returned to the library with a frown on her face as well. “This whole thing is getting stranger by the minute. Linda doesn’t appear to have a phone in the house.”
David stood up and started pacing. Ellie could tell he was frustrated.
“Ellie, this evening is turning into a nightmare. Look, I think Jenny’s okay for now but it’s hard to say if she’s out of the woods yet. I don’t want to move her. As soon as she wakes up, I’m taking the both of you out of here. I don’t want any argument.”
Ellie sat down on the opposite couch. She couldn’t believe the crazy things happening in her life, and she said so to David.
“A week ago my life was so normal that it was infinitely dull and boring. Now it seems like everywhere I turn I’m confronted with some new drama. I think I’m bad luck to be around,” she said with a twisted smile on her face. She was trying not to cry.
“None of this is your fault, Ellie. Although I will admit that there are a lot of bad things that have happened to you recently,” David said, sitting down beside her. They both studied Jenny, who appeared to be peacefully sleeping now.
“How much longer should we wait?” Ellie asked. “It seems like she’s been out for a long time.”
“She’s just asleep now. Try not to worry. I’m here and I’m not going to let anything happen to either one of you,” David said, trying to assure her. Ellie laid her head on his shoulder, and then he reached out behind her so that his arm was around her.
“You look like you’ve been through the wringer, Ellie,” he said.
“I feel like I’ve been through the wringer,” she replied. The wine was starting to have a now familiar effect on her senses, and Ellie felt the lids of her eyes growing heavy and her jaws cracked in a wide yawn. "I don't know why I'm so tired all of the sudden. I had a couple of glasses of wine; that must be it."
“It’s okay. You can close your eyes for a few minutes,” David said, reading her mind.
The long day and the emotional drama had finally caught up with Ellie, and within moments, she was asleep.