Eyes (26 page)

Jill smiled as she imagined life as Doug's wife. He'd hold her hand in the labor room and rub her back between contractions. He'd help her with her breathing exercises and encourage her when she was tired. And he'd be at her side in the delivery room, telling her how much he loved her.

After the baby was born, Doug would spend hours on the phone, calling everyone with the good news. He'd pass out cigars at work and take so many snapshots, the nurses would probably confiscate his camera. He'd bring her flowers. He might even sleep in so that he could hold the baby for the night feeding. And once they got home, it would be even better.

Jill began to dream about how wonderful their life would be. Doug would enjoy spending time with the baby so much, he'd urge her to go shopping or take in a movie so that he could stay home and babysit. He'd learn all the nursery rhymes and the silly little songs babies loved to hear, and he'd buy every toy and gadget on the market for the baby's room.

But he wouldn't ignore Jill. He'd love her even more than he had before. He'd tell her she was beautiful, even though she hadn't lost all the weight she'd gained during her pregnancy. He'd smile at her every time she walked into the room, and he'd never miss an opportunity to touch her. There would be a gentle hand on her shoulder when she was cooking dinner, or a loving caress when she brushed past him. And he'd make love to her passionately and tenderly when they were alone in their bedroom at night.

Jill was lost in her happy dream as she glanced out the window. The sky was overcast, but the grass was bright green and the leaves on the trees were glistening. The flower beds in front of the building were vivid with red and purple and pink blooms. The brick window ledge was a lovely shade of deep red.

“What are you smiling about?” Jill's secretary stuck her head in the doorway.

“Why shouldn't I smile? It's a beautiful day!” Jill's voice was soft.

“I guess it is, if you're a duck.” Her secretary frowned as the first few drops of rain splattered against the windowpane. “Personally, I hate weather like this. Do you want me to type up your notes on the Foxworthy case?”

“Yes, Mary. Thanks.” Jill waited until her secretary had left and then glanced out the window again. Mary was right. It was cold and rainy, now that she was no longer imagining life as Doug's wife.

CHAPTER 31

Jill turned to Neil with a frown. “But, honey . . . You know tonight's class is important. We're doing the countdown to delivery and the tour of the hospital. It's our last meeting. We're supposed to bring our husbands.”

“I'm sorry, Jill.” Neil looked a little guilty. “I feel really rotten, springing this on you at the last minute, but I have to present the budget. Everybody in the department is counting on me to get more money for next year.”

Jill couldn't help being disappointed, but she nodded anyway. “Okay. I understand. But it's Connie's night off, and you're not supposed to drive yet. How will you get there?”

“That's no problem. I'll take a cab. Harris says the department will pay for it. Are you terribly upset with me, honey?”

Jill debated for a moment, then decided to be perfectly honest. “Not terribly, but I
am
upset. I really wanted you there tonight. What happened to Professor Harris? I thought he was supposed to present the budget.”

“He was, but his wife's sick. When he called to tell me, I offered to do it. Since I worked on it with him, I'm the only one who's prepared to answer their questions.”

Jill looked concerned. “Is Harris's wife all right?”

“She'll be fine in a couple of days. The doctor says it's a bad case of the flu. He put her on antibiotics, but she's still running a fever and she's flat on her back in bed.”

“That's too bad.” Although Jill had never met Mrs. Harris, she couldn't help feeling sympathetic.

“Look, Jill. I didn't realize this class was so important to you or I never would have told Harris I'd do it. Do you want me to call him back and tell him I can't?”

“Of course not.” Jill sighed again. She really wanted Neil to go with her, but if she insisted, she'd feel like a bitch for dragging Professor Harris away from his sick wife. “What time do you have to be there?”

“At seven. Would you call a cab while I get dressed?”

Jill nodded and picked up the phone. “Your tweed jacket's at the cleaner's, but you can wear your blazer.”

“Good idea.” Neil nodded and started up the stairs. “What time do you have to leave?”

“I don't have to be there until eight. Do you want me to help you dress?”

“No, I can handle it.” Neil turned around to smile at her. “Connie put a halogen bulb in my closet, and now I can see just fine.”

Jill nodded and dialed the number for the cab company. She'd never thought of putting a halogen bulb in Neil's closet, but it made good sense. Connie was an absolute marvel. She did all sorts of things to make their lives easier. Sometimes Jill wondered how they'd ever managed to exist without her.

* * *

“What's the matter, Jill? You sound kind of down.” Doug frowned as he paced the floor in his small living room.

“My car won't start, and Neil's gone off to a meeting. He took a cab, so his Mercedes is here, but I can't find the extra set of keys.”

Doug nodded. “And tonight's that baby class you were telling me about?”

“That's right. I guess I'll just have to miss it.”

Doug reached for his jacket and started to put it on. “No, you won't. I'm off tonight. I'll pick you up in twenty minutes.”

“You will?” Jill sounded delighted. “But, Doug . . . it's really out of your way. And you'd have to come to pick me up again—unless you want to sit in.”

“That sounds good to me.”

“Are you sure you're interested?” Jill sounded doubtful. “It might be boring for you. Before we tour the hospital, they're going to teach all the husbands how to diaper a baby and give them a lesson on burping.”

Doug laughed. “That might come in handy. If you need me to babysit, I'll be prepared.”

“Then you wouldn't mind changing a diaper?”

“Of course not. Isn't the whole object to keep them warm and dry—and full of milk and happy?”

Jill's laugh was like sunshine in his ear. She sounded absolutely delighted. “That's it, Doug. You can babysit for me anytime you want. You'd be absolutely terrific!”

Doug was grinning as he hung up. He hoped Jill was serious and she'd really let him babysit for her. He was going to love her baby. He knew that already. And maybe, once in a while, he could pretend that he was the baby's father and Jill was his wife.

* * *

There was a grim expression on Connie's face as she pulled in to park. She'd overheard Neil's plans on the extension phone in her room, so she knew who he was meeting. Lisa, his former teaching assistant, was coming to his office at seven.

“Maybe I should kill her, too!” Connie's eyes glittered as she fingered the knife she'd taken from Willy Rossini.

“Alan!” Connie drew in her breath sharply. “Darling! I've missed you so much!”

I'm always with you, Connie
. Alan's voice was clear
. And I'm stronger now that you're about to reclaim what was taken from me.

Connie smiled. “I'm so glad you're with me, darling. But . . . I don't understand. Why wasn't it murder when we killed the others?”

Connie didn't want to argue with Alan, but she wasn't sure she understood. “I guess that's true. Willy and Mark would have died without your kidneys, and the reverend's heart disease would have killed him. But how about Neil? He would have gone blind without your gift, but he'd still be alive.”

Connie nodded. “I see. But I'm not entitled to take Lisa's life?”

“All right.” Connie settled back to wait. She'd parked in a perfect position to see the entrance of Neil's office building. As she watched, a woman approached it, glanced at her watch, and then sat down on one of the benches to wait.

“That must be Lisa.” Connie tried her best to see the woman's face, but it was in deep shadow. Then she noticed the lights of an approaching taxi. “He's coming, Alan! And he's right on time.”

Connie gasped at the phrase Alan had used. “Alan! I've never heard you say that before!”

Connie watched as Neil kissed the woman, and they climbed the steps. He unlocked the door and they went in, locking it again behind them.

“I have a key. I could—”

“Yes, Alan.” Connie smiled and rolled down the window, letting in the cool night breeze. The rain they'd had that afternoon had freshened the air, and the scent of the flowers in the planters outside was very pleasant.

” Do you ever miss it, Alan?” There was an expression of dismay on Connie's face as she considered Alan's plight. “I mean . . . the flowers and the sun and just being alive to see it all.”

When Alan answered his voice was soft, so soft and caring Connie had to strain to hear it.
No, darling Connie. I don't miss the things of the world because I still have them.

“But . . . how can that be?” Connie's voice was shaking with emotion.

* * *

“Do you want a ride, Neil?” Lisa smiled as he unlocked the outside door. “It's still early. We could go back to my place and pick up my car.”

Neil shook his head. “I'd better call a cab. She could be home early, and I don't want to take any chances.”

“You've never been this worried before.” Lisa began to frown. “Don't tell me she's finally got you running scared!”

“Not really. But I don't want to do anything to upset her. She's been a trooper for the past ten months, and I owe her something for sticking it out.”

Lisa nodded. “I guess that's true. You sure as hell couldn't have been easy to live with! So what are you telling me, Neil? Are you going to be a faithful husband from now on?”

“I don't owe her
that
much!” Neil laughed. “I'm just being more careful, that's all.”

“We can keep on seeing each other?” Lisa reached out to hug him.

“Yes, if you're careful, too. Once she has the baby she'll be so busy, she won't even notice whether I'm there or not.”

“How long does she have to go?” Lisa stood on her tiptoes to kiss Neil.

“She's due seven weeks from now, but you can never tell with first babies. The doctor said it could be as early as the end of August or as late as the end of September.”

“Maybe she'll go in on Labor Day.” Lisa started to giggle. “That'd be perfect, wouldn't it?”

Neil laughed at her joke, and then he looked thoughtful. “It'd be perfect in more ways than one. If she's in the hospital, we could spend a couple of nights at the house.”

“Great!” Lisa kissed him again, but then she drew back. “Wait a second. I thought you said you had a live-in housekeeper.”

“We do, but she's very dedicated to Jill. If I suggest it, she'll sleep over at the hospital to keep Jill company. They'll have Jill so drugged up, she won't even know whether I'm there or not.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Lisa snuggled up close and began to unbutton his shirt.

“Hey, cut that out.” Neil pushed her away, a playful grin on his face. “If you keep that up, I'll never get home tonight.”

“That was the general idea.” Lisa gave him a last hug. “But you're right, Neil. We don't want to make her suspicious now. It's just like you said. Once she has the kid, she'll forget all about checking up on you.”

Neil grinned as Lisa walked away. It was great having two women who were both dying to sleep with him. Between Connie and Lisa, he was spending more time in the sack than out of it. Two women were manageable, but there might just be a real drain. Thank goodness Jill hadn't been interested in sex for the past two months!

He'd played things just right with her. At the end of May, when things had started to heat up with Connie, he'd told Jill that he was concerned about her comfort. He'd offered to move into the guest room across the hall, just to give her more room to stretch out. Jill had objected at first, but he had convinced her that her comfort was more important to him than anything else. They could visit back and forth, whenever she wanted, but he could live without sex until the baby was born. He'd told her that even though the doctor had said it was perfectly all right, he was concerned about hurting her or the baby.

After she'd gotten used to the idea, Jill had seemed pleased with the new arrangement. She hadn't knocked on his door, and he hadn't knocked on hers. She went to bed early most nights, and she slept straight through until it was time to get up. That suited Neil just fine. He usually spent the night in Connie's room, but he always woke Jill in the morning. What she didn't know wouldn't hurt her a bit, and he was having more fun than he'd ever had before.

And there was Lisa. Neil grinned as he went back to his office. She was even hotter than Connie, and she'd moved into a new apartment, right across the street from the men's gym. Connie thought he went to the weight room before lunch, to keep in shape. She'd never guessed that his only workout consisted of a roll in the sack with Lisa while her roommate was at work.

Neil called a cab, then chuckled as he went back downstairs to wait. He was the luckiest man alive. He had two beautiful, sexy mistresses and a pregnant wife who thought he was the most considerate man in the world. How much better could life get?

At the sound of approaching footsteps, he turned to see who it was. “Connie! What do you want?”

“I want you.”

Neil started to grin. Lisa had just left, and now Connie was here. He was one popular guy! “I just called a cab, but now that you're here, I can save the fare. You can give me a ride home. I guess it's fate . . . right, Connie?”

Connie nodded, but there was a strange expression on her face. She didn't look angry. That wasn't it. She just looked very determined. “Is something wrong?” Neil asked.

“No, nothing's wrong.” Connie's hand came up to expose the knife, its sharp blade glittering in the moonlight. “It's like you said, Neil. It's fate.”