Bitten By Regret (Just One Bite #2) (10 page)

Diandra waved that off. "Okay, so either this was an
organized attack against all of us or it was personal. Either we're all marked
or only Lizbeth is. This is not exactly helpful. Can we change the subject
until we find something useful to say?" She rubbed a weary hand over her
face, smearing blood and bleach across one cheek without noticing.

Eamon gave a wicked grin. "Sure. Why don't we discuss
how things are going between you, Lizbeth and Jonah?" Diandra glared at
him and his grin faded. "Seriously, I'm your mentor as well as your
friend. Do you have anyone else you can talk about all this with?"

Her glare diminished and she thought it through. "No,
you're right. I definitely don't have anyone else to talk to." Diandra
gave a heavy sigh. "It's a mess, that's how things stand right now.
Lizbeth was so angry with me and I don't blame her. I just wish she understood.
It's nothing personal, it's not that I regret her, and I definitely don’t want
to get back together with him. I just feel so guilty!" She sat back
heavily against the cabinets, drawing her knees to her chest so she could hide
her face behind them.

"Hey, don't do all that. Talk it out. I promise to
listen without judgment or smart ass comments, okay? Just talk it out,"
Eamon urged, laying a surprisingly gentle hand on her shoulder to show his
support.

"I never allowed myself to grieve for him, Eamon,"
Diandra began. "When I lost him it felt like the bottom dropped out. I
knew I was carrying RaeLynn so I couldn't indulge in the grief, not like I
wanted to. At least, that's what I told myself at the time. Now I think it was
just a way to avoid having to deal with the pain. I threw myself into settling
our affairs instead and setting up the program for the homeless. I just
pretended life could go on the way it was, and in a way I guess it did. That
lack of emotion is catching up to me."

Diandra rubbed her forehead wearily. "Life didn't turn
out the way it was supposed to. Jonah and I were happily married, life was
great, and it all changed. He never knew I was pregnant, he never held my hand
through it, and he wasn't there to help in the delivery room. Lizbeth did
everything, and I love her so much, but it was not the way it should have been.
As RaeLynn's father he should have been the one at my side, not her. That sounds
horrible but I don't mean it that way."

Eamon nodded in understanding. "You're happier with
Lizbeth than you were with him. You know Lizbeth, and you've found out you
never really knew him at all. Everything changed on you and a part of you feels
guilty for preferring the way things turned out. That's logical."

"It is?" Diandra pondered. "I certainly
wouldn't have called it that- illogical maybe, but certainly not logical.
Shouldn't I be miserable? I thought he was the love of my life. I owe him more
than this."

"You owe him nothing," Eamon said kindly. He
waited until she looked at him before continuing. "You were faithful
through your marriage, and after you knew he was back you allowed him
visitation. That was all that was owed to him, maybe more than was due. The
only thing owed is honesty- for Jonah, for Lizbeth, but especially for you. Do
you want him back?"

"No, I really don't," Diandra said slowly. "I
thought when I lost him that I'd do anything to have him back, and then I
learned what he was really like. More importantly I learned who I am, and I
like who I've become. I'm better and stronger for being apart. Lizbeth is all I
want now. I like the life we have built together." She drifted off in
thought as she finally found some relief- she hadn't realized how cathartic it
felt to speak the truth.

As the pair finished working in the kitchen, the last of the
guilt and regret that Diandra carried with her eased. She didn't make Jonah
turn to crime. Had he stayed on the straight and narrow perhaps their life
would have continued as it had been. While not perfect, their life had been a
happy and safe one. The thought made Diandra queasy. She'd have never met
Lizbeth, never discovered that love can be constantly exciting, eternally
challenging, and forever full of joy. She'd have been content but never truly
happy, much like an animal bred in captivity, yearning to find the place they
know in their hearts they truly belong.

Eamon was nodding thoughtfully at her when she looked up to
him once more. "Yes, Dia, that was a very good analogy actually. That's
the difference between loving someone and being in love with someone."

Diandra shook her head. "I asked you before to stay out
of my head. And please don't belittle my feelings for Jonah. They were real and
true and strong. I may not feel them any longer but I am no longer that person,
either."

"Very true, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply," he
started to say.

Diandra waved him off. "I know what you meant, but you
don't understand. I'm sorry if that's harsh but you couldn't
possibly
understand. And thank you very
much for everything. You gave me so much to think about."

Eamon smiled wistfully. "Remember Dia- each person has
a story to tell. Don't judge until you know theirs. But no worries, I'll just go
back to my spot out there. The sun is rising and I like it out there. I'll
watch the house. Go cuddle Rae- she's up now." As Diandra whipped her head
to the stairs and strained her ears to catch the faint sounds of RaeLynn
playing in her crib, Eamon shifted back to his feline form and dove through the
still-open window. Diandra stared out after him for a moment and felt a bit
guilty for judging him as she watched him find the first patch of sunlight of
the day. Then she shook her head and went to cuddle her baby.

Chapter Sixteen

Lizbeth and Alexar sat in the shadows of the hospital's
parking lot waiting for Dr. Leonard Allsgood to make his appearance. They'd
been sitting there about an hour now, and his shift had ended at least 45
minutes before. Alexar was getting frustrated, making noises about bursting
into the hospital to get him rather than wait for him to come out.

"He is a person of interest at this time. Call him a
suspect if you like but we don't have enough evidence for a search warrant, let
alone an arrest warrant. Suppose the man looks like our guy but isn't actually
him. We burst in there, he could lose his job. If he's innocent, he sues. So
how about we sit here and wait. Besides, I'm pretty sure that hospital staff
members don't always get out when their shifts end," Lizbeth pointed out
sensibly.

Alexar rolled his eyes and wiggled around in his seat a bit.
"I know, I know. I'm just so tired of waiting." Lizbeth ignored him,
her eyes locked to the exit nearest the doctor's car. She was surprised to see
him driving a sensible little Toyota and not the expensive vehicle she normally
pictured doctors tooling around in. Then again, with the life she was currently
living she should know better than to judge someone based on stereotypes.

She squinted as she eyed the man in sweats coming out of the
doors up ahead. "That's our guy," she said, and Alexar started the
engine and drove to where the man was unlocking his car door. He had his keys
in one hand, using the other to slick his longish wet hair out of his face.
Obviously he'd taken so long because he stopped to shower after his shift. She
got out and approached the man, her shield already extended towards him as she
called out, "Dr. Leonard Allsgood?" He turned and stiffened when he
saw her badge. She could only stand shocked as he threw his car keys at her
with all the force he could muster. They struck her chest and she winced at the
impact before they tumbled harmlessly to the ground. The doctor was taking off,
already having a nice ten second head start on her.

Lizbeth thanked God as she ran after the man for her
foresight in grabbing loafers instead of her usual high heels. He was quick but
not as in shape as he appeared. Legs hitting the pavement at a rapid clip, she
managed to shrink the distance to mere feet. He braced himself, slowing
imperceptibly to leap over a low fence. Cursing soundly Lizbeth leapt, bracing
herself for the collision. She caught him around the middle as his feet left
the ground, both of them tumbling to the ground in a bone-jarring heap. She
landed on top of him, one elbow in his gut, the other slammed painfully against
the dry dirt. Her left arm hung limp and useless and she prayed it was only
sprained and not broken.

Allsgood lay underneath her, groaning in misery. He'd struck
his head pretty hard on the ground and knocked himself out cold for a few
moments. The delay in consciousness was long enough for Alexar to slap the
cuffs on the man and help Lizbeth to her feet. She stood gingerly, her right
arm cradling the left in an attempt to keep it close to her body. She winced
once more at the pain as the feeling started to return before giving him a
sharp kick, drawing another groan from him.

Alexar loaded him into the back of his vehicle, securing one
side of the handcuffs to his wrist and the other around the reinforced metal
bar on the door. He was transported to a cell at the precinct for questioning
while Lizbeth went into the nearby hospital to see just how bad the damage to
her elbow had been.

*****

Lizbeth walked out of the ER a few hours later with her arm
in a sling. She had only sprained it but she couldn't let it hang down to her
side. For the time being it had to remain in the sling, but it was better than
being in a cast. At least she was only looking at a couple weeks of pain as
opposed to the 6 to 8 weeks she'd be laid up if it had been fractured. It gave
her a chance to ask some of the hospital staff about Dr. Allsgood so at least
there was that as a bonus to her unintended trip.

She stopped short in her musings as she spotted Alexar's
tall form in the parking lot. He had a lit cigarette dangling from his lip as
he leaned against his sad little car. It certainly didn't improve any in the
light of day. If anything, the poor car looked worse.

"Hey," she greeted him. "What are you doing
here?"

Embarrassed, Alexar blushed as he tossed the cigarette to
the pavement and ground it out with one shiny dress shoe. "Waiting for
you, what does it look like I'm doing?" He walked around the car as she
approached, opening the door for her to climb in. She aimed a pointed stare at
the cigarette butt he'd ground out in the parking lot. He picked it up and put
it into his pants pocket. Without a word he helped her with her seatbelt,
knowing she couldn't manipulate it with one arm, before shutting her door and
walking around to his side once more. When he was settled behind the wheel he
turned to her. "First thing's first- any prescriptions to drop off at the
pharmacy?"

Lizbeth shook her head, settling back against the seat.
"They tried to send me off with some painkillers and muscle relaxers but I
refused them. I don't like my head to be fuzzy. Where's the doctor?"

"He's in a cell waiting for us to get back. I'll call
ahead and make sure they transfer him to an interrogation room." He placed
his call, gave the order and hung up. Sometimes it must be nice to be in
charge, Lizbeth thought tiredly. No one questioned your orders, at least not to
your face. "Find out anything interesting while you were in there?"
Alexar asked.

"Surprisingly little, actually.
He's well-liked by the staff, a good, competent doctor. He does his shift and
goes home. He's not married but doesn't respond to the nurses' flirtations. No
one knows much about him but no one had a bad word to say about him,
either." Lizbeth shrugged, careful to use only the one shoulder to prevent
pain flaring through her body. "Basically I didn't find out anything
helpful."

Alexar grunted. "No, Lizbeth, you did what you could
with what you had to work with. We'll get more in interview." He flicked
his eyes to meet hers for a moment and offered her a quick grin.
"By the way, nice tackle."
Driving back toward the
station with his foot to the floor he laughed long and hard.

*****

They looked through the glass of the one-way mirror at the
doctor. He sat in interrogation tapping his finger impatiently on the cheap
table in front of him. Occasionally he shifted impatiently in the uncomfortable
plastic chair, no doubt uncomfortable after sitting there for an hour while
they kept him cooling his heels. He looked up for a moment, fixing a glare on
the mirror in front of him as though he knew they were watching him.

"Good cop, bad cop?" Lizbeth asked as Alexar shot
his cuffs and prepared to enter the room. He nodded absently, already in the
room in his mind. She grabbed his arm, holding him back a moment. "Let me
go in first, warm him up by being all sweet and innocent?" She batted her
lashes and made him laugh.

"Yeah, go ahead in. I'll stand here and come in if I
need to break up the flow. For now go do your thing," he consented.
Lizbeth grinned and removed her brown jacket, trying to appear casual in the
caramel shirt beneath. She flung the jacket casually over one shoulder, tipping
him a wink as she left the tiny observation room to enter the interrogation
room next door.

"Hi, Dr. Allsgood," she said brightly as she
entered the room. She smiled at him as she casually draped her jacket across
the back of the chair before sitting. She changed her smile into a look of
puzzled hurt. "Why'd you run from me? I just wanted to talk." She
used her right arm to reposition her sprained one more comfortably in her lap,
smiling internally as she noticed him looking at the sling.

He cleared his throat before speaking. "It was dark in
the parking lot. All I saw was the glint of metal- I thought it was a gun. As a
doctor I've got to be concerned with malpractice and angry family members. I
thought I was in trouble." He gave Lizbeth a weak grin and she nodded.