Chameleon by Shirley Kennett

Author:Shirley Kennett [Kennett, Shirley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4532-8684-5
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 2012-10-03T22:51:00+00:00

CHAPTER 25

PJ SAT ACROSS FROM Helen Boxwood and studied the woman as she emptied packs of artificial sweetener into her coffee. PJ had lost track at about six, focusing instead on the delicate manner in which Helen tore open the packs and stirred the coffee after each one. Her small hands, accentuated by long red fingernails, looked as though they had been grafted on to her otherwise blocky shape. She was older than PJ but probably a few years younger than Schultz, and looked about as approachable as PJ’s old professor of comparative anatomy.

It was hard to imagine the woman across from her as a battered wife.

Helen had put that part of her life behind her, but in doing so she had fashioned walls around herself. Not just walls, but a fortress with cannons.

They had already eaten lunch together in the hospital’s restaurant, not the staff cafeteria but the rooftop establishment where hospital execs entertained their visitors. PJ had worried that Helen would feel out of place there, but the woman had accepted the invitation and chatted comfortably and at length, even though her nurse’s uniform stood out in the crowd of dark suits and dresses. Steaming cups of coffee and thin slices of cheesecake topped with fresh raspberries followed a delicious meal.

PJ had to get down to business now that the dessert had arrived.

Helen sipped her drink. “Schultz put you up to this, didn’t he?”

PJ nodded, wondering where to go from there. Years of training and clinical experience, and she was tongue-tied.

“I thought so,” Helen said. “He tried a few phone calls. Even found out when my birthday was and sent me flowers. Now he’s sending in the troops.”

“An evening out won’t do any harm, especially with me and my friend along. Take a chance, Helen. You never know where it could lead.”

“I’m a married woman,” Helen said.

“You’re just hiding behind that marriage certificate,” PJ said. “You should have divorced Jack long ago. He’s a murderer, for God’s sake!”

That had just popped out. PJ didn’t want to embarrass Helen. For all she knew, no one at work was aware of Helen’s circumstances. PJ glanced around, noting that the restaurant had nearly emptied out and no one was seated nearby. The only reason PJ knew about Jack was that Helen herself had told her. The two women had gotten to know each other well enough that PJ had even talked about her own reasons for divorce.

She realized that Helen was the closest thing she had to a confidante. It wasn’t fair to talk about how she felt about Steven with her son. She didn’t want to bias him against his dad, and anyway he was only twelve. It wasn’t appropriate to burden him with the pain she had felt about Steven’s infidelity.

There was Merlin, whom she told everything. But she had never had a face-to-face conversation with him, and sometimes she suspected he wasn’t even flesh and blood.

Helen picked up the spoon and stirred her coffee, sloshing some out on the table.

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