LETHAL OBSESSION (20 page)

Gene
had been staring at Ellen willing her to look at him.  How could she have
betrayed him like this. Back when they first met he knew there was a special
connection between them. He went out of his way to get her to the crash site. 
They had so much fun at the fishing rodeo.  And then there was that night she
called him terrified from an intruder.  Ah, that night, he could still feel the
warmth of her body against him.  There was something magical between them, he
couldn't have imagined it.  Why didn't she feel it too?

      Now
Richard was horning in on what rightfully belonged to him and the man was
making a bad mistake.  Gene had yet to figure out how the son of a bitch did it,
but it seemed Ellen had eyes only for him.  She had not glanced his way all
night and it was pissing him off big time.

      "So
Gene", Rick said. "You're pretty quiet over there.  How's the sheriff
business going?"

      "We
seem to be doing a half way decent job cleaning up the county derelicts and bad
guys."

      That
was when Ellen's eyes swung in his direction. "Like Raymond Bodine?"

      "I
believe you and I have already discussed that case in private."                                                                     

      An
uncomfortable silence fell over the group. Rick called for the check.  Ellen
knew this was not the evening he had planned but there would be other times.

      "Thank
you so much Richard for a wonderful dinner." Martha slipped her arm
through Gene's looking at him with adoring eyes. "We are both so happy for
the two of you, aren't we Gene?" He gave a non committal grunt and she
kissed her husband on the cheek.

      Rick
and Ellen looked at each other.  Martha would stand by Gene no matter how he
treated her or cheated on her.  There wasn't much they could do about that but Ellen
had an idea. She did not want to discuss it in front of Gene.

      "Martha,
may I call you tomorrow?"

      "I
would be delighted."

      Gene
chimed in.  "Hey what am I, chopped liver?"

      Ellen
looked at him and didn't miss a beat.  "I think more like ham, maybe the
butt portion."

      Ellen
called Martha making sure it was at a time when Gene was at work.  Later that
morning she swung by and picked her up.

      Once
in the car, she turned to Martha. "I wanted a chance to talk with you just
the two of us, because I want you to know I love your brother very much.  It
happened sudden for us and I don't want you to think badly of me because of
that."

      "Ellen,
I couldn't be happier.  I saw it in your eyes last night and in his.  You can't
imagine what Richard has gone through these last two years.  Laura was my close
friend and those precious babies were part of me too. It was so awful and we almost
lost Richard too." Tears came to her eyes and Ellen reached for her hand. "Well
that's all water under the bridge now.  I know you have suffered your own loss
and I think it's just a wonderful miracle that you and Richard have found each
other."

      "Me
too."

      "Where
are we going?"

      "I
want to start off by showing off the shelter.  It's just a very large, empty
house for now but I've hired a building contractor.  The mansion is going to
need a lot of work before we're ready to open. I think you will be able to see
its potential.  After that we are going to visit some of my favorite places. 
It's a surprise. I'll tell you when we get there."

      Their
first stop was a luxurious spa.  Ellen had arranged for them both to have a
full facial, manicure and pedicure. They walked into sparkling waterfalls and
soft music.  Martha looked around like Alice in Wonderland.

      "Oh
my goodness, I've never been in a place like this before."

      "Great,
you will love the experience."                        

      They
changed into fluffy white terry robes and took a seat in soft lazy boy chairs. 
Someone came around with a tray offering chilled glasses of mineral water with
lime and cucumber slices.

Martha
was led into a massage room that smelled of lavender. She was told to lie on a cushioned
heated table and just relax.  It felt like being on another planet.  Martha had
no idea a place like this even existed except for the ultra rich.

      Her
hands were given a warm wax bath while her shoulders got a heavenly massage. 
Then the professional went to work on her face. An hour later Martha emerged
feeling like she had gone back in time with a brand new silky soft face. 

      Next
Martha was treated to a makeover. Picking a foundation closely matching her
skin, she learned how to put it on as well as eye liner and mascara. Staring
into the mirror, Martha couldn't believe this beautiful woman in the mirror was
actually her. Clutching her bag of makeup, she walked out of the salon feeling
like a movie star.

      "Wow,
you are stunning," said Ellen.

      "I
can't believe it. I haven't looked like this since my senior prom, and even
then I did a lousy makeup job.  I never knew how.  Look at my fingers and
toes." They radiated with the most delicate shell pink that seemed to
sparkle when light hit it.

      "There's
more to come, so get ready."                       

      "Oh
Ellen, this is already too much.  I can't believe what the cost must be."

      "Don't
worry about that.  You are worth it."

      The
next stop was Ellen's hair stylist. Martha's hair was colored a delicate brown
with auburn highlights.  Her gray was completely gone.  Then the style was trimmed
and shaped to frame her face.  A blow dry completed the sexy do.  When Martha
looked in the mirror her eyes popped.  She actually had the look of a youthful,
pretty girl. 

      Martha
never considered herself a raving beauty, but today she was astounded. It seemed
the professionals who worked on her managed to find the glowing gem from within
and polished it to a high sheen.

      "Ellen,
I don't feel like this is me."

      "This
is the real you, Martha. Don't ever let anybody tell you different.  Now we're
still not finished."

      "There's
more?"

      "Absolutely,
I'm having fun. Come on, let's go to my next favorite place."

      The
Cherry Tree Boutique had the most beautiful clothes Martha had ever seen.  Then
she checked out the price tag. "Ellen," she whispered.  "I can't
afford anything in here."

      "You're
not buying, I am."

      "No,
no, I can't let you do that. You've done too much already."

      "Nonsense,
I've got the money. I want you to think of it as a gift to my future sister,
because that is what you are going to be, the sister I never had."

      "Oh,
Ellen," Martha wiped tears as she hugged her. I'm just so happy and I'm
smearing my makeup. Nobody has ever done anything like this for me before. I'm just
overwhelmed."

      "Oh
look."  Ellen took a soft feminine skirt with matching sweater off the
rack.  "This would look stunning on you.  Go try it on."

      Martha
came out of the dressing room beaming.  "I love it."  She twirled
around in the soft, clingy skirt.  I feel like a girl again." The soft, sweater
clung to her curves in a most enticing way.

      "That's
the whole idea, and you look just like a model."

      "I
don't think Gene is going to like it though."

      "He
doesn't have to wear it.  This is for you."

      "All
this must've cost you a fortune.  Why I could never justify spending this much
money on myself."       Ellen gave her a hug. "Hey, we're going to be
sisters.  I think you're worth it.  Now you need to believe
you
are
worth it, okay?"

      "It's
been so long since I've felt that way."

      "This
is a new beginning for you, me and Rick.  You are not a slave to your home or
your husband or to anybody."

      "He
seems to think so."

      "He's
wrong, and if he gives you any grief about this, you call me. Trust me when I
tell you that you look just like yourself only many years younger.  And I'm
sure Rick will agree with that. Now let's go meet your brother and show off a
little bit."

      The
elation Martha felt being with Richard and Ellen was dissipating quickly. 
Apprehension prickled her senses as she wrung her hands and waited for Gene to
come home.  Martha couldn't count the number of times she had checked herself
in the mirror. 

      Her
hair was back to its original color. It was shiny, healthy and soft, framing
her face in a most enticing way. Her light brown eyes appeared large and
luminous, fringed with dark, lacy lashes.  Her lips were pink and dewy with
gloss, and her skin glowed with healthy youthfulness. For the first time in her
life, Martha felt attractive.  It was a heady, wonderful feeling.

      When
she heard the front door open, Martha took a deep breath, stood tall and
waited.

      "I'm
starved, what's for supper?"  Gene never even looked in her direction.

      "I...I
had dinner with Ellen and Richard. I've been out all day with Ellen and..."

      That
was when Gene threw a sharp look at his wife.  "What do you mean you've
been out all day with Ellen?" Then he did a double take. "Good God
Almighty, what in the hell happened to you?"

      "Ellen
and I had our hair done, a facial and a makeover. We even got a manicure,
See?"  She held out her hands showing shiny pearl pink nails. "I'm
wearing a new outfit and I feel very pretty, something I haven't felt for a
long time. I was hoping you'd be pleased."

      "Yeah?
And who paid for all this because I know you didn't."

      "Ellen
insisted on paying for it."

      "Figures,
rich bitch that she is."

      "Gene,
that's not a nice thing to say."

      He
looked Martha up and down with a scowl. "Looks to me like you're trying to
be something you're not. I think you look like a harlot." Ignoring
Martha's sharp intake of breath, Gene sat in his recliner and shook the paper
out. "Ellen is a bad influence on you.  Go wash that mess off your face
and fix me something to eat."

      Tears
swam in Martha's eyes as she stared at her husband. Then she ran into the
bathroom and slammed the door.  Peering in the mirror, she watched her tears make
dark streaks of mascara down her cheeks.  Taking a damp wash cloth, Martha put
it to her face then stopped.  There was a look in her eyes she had never seen
before. "Not this time, Gene," she murmured.

      Martha
opened the gift bag containing her newly acquired makeup.  Carefully removing
the black streaks, she reapplied foundation and eye makeup the way she was
taught. It was her face and her body, just like Ellen said. Sometimes for
better or worse only went so far.  Like a butterfly escaping its cocoon, a new
more confident Martha was emerging.

      Walking
back into the living room, she took a fashion magazine and settled into her
favorite chair ignoring her husband.  Martha heard the paper rustle and knew
Gene was staring at her.

      "Where's
my dinner?"

      "It's
in the freezer."

      "Damn
it, if you don't want to act like a proper wife, I'm out of here." 
Throwing the paper down, Gene grabbed his jacket and slammed out the door.

      Martha
didn't look up.  She was quite accustomed to him being gone.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

      The
following morning Rick had appointments so Ellen was in the shelter doing some
painting on the window sills. Construction workers were busy with a lot of
noise and hammering. She was so proud how quickly the shelter was taking shape. 
Even in these few hours Ellen could see a big difference. Ellen

didn't
hear Gene approach until he was right behind her.

      "Should
I thank you for turning my wife into a cheap floozy?"

      Ellen
took a deep breath to rein in her fury. She whirled around, wet paint brush in
hand.  He was standing so close behind her that the brush created a white
streak right across the front of his tan uniform.

      "Shit,"
he backed away with his hands in the air.

      "Oh
I'm sorry. You shouldn't have been standing so close."  Ellen pierced him
with a glare. "So what seems to be your problem with Martha's new
look?"

      "I
don't like it and it's your fault."

      "She
didn't think you would. Would you like to know what I think?"

      "I'm
sure you're going to tell me."

      "Martha
has always been beautiful but now she has confidence in herself. You're having
a hard time controlling her, aren't you? The little mousy woman has stepped out
of her apron and that just frosts you, doesn't it?  Well, let me tell you
something."  Ellen pointed the wet paint brush in his face.  "Your
wife is going to be my sister. I plan on doing everything in my power to make
her feel good about herself. If you truly love her like you say you do, then
you should be happy that she's happy. Calling her a "cheap floozy" is
a pretty low blow coming from a supposedly loving husband."