The Vanishing Type, page 14
Jack had never hired a night manager. He was always there for the dinner service and liked to fraternize with the customers when he wasn’t cooking.
Nora placed her order and then asked after Jack.
“Nobody knows!” Keisha cried over the din in the background. “Hang on a sec. I can’t talk out here.”
A door slammed and the noise abruptly ceased.
Keisha said, “I’m in my office, digging around for Tylenol. I’ve got about a minute before I need to get back out there, so tell me, what’s the news from Estella?”
“I haven’t talked to her since yesterday. She told me how you found Jack. Thank God you did.”
“But that was yesterday!” Keisha spluttered. “I sure as hell expected an update by now. Last night, Estella said that Jack had a real bad infection. He was sedated and they wouldn’t let her see him. I figured she’d have spent all day camping out at that hospital.”
Nora was sure that’s exactly what she’d done. “I’d bet my store that she’s there right now.”
Keisha sucked in her breath. “Then it’s gotta be real serious. Oh, Lord. I can’t stand this. Jack is such a good man—one of the best I know. I’m going to call my cousin Jasmine. She’s a nurse at that hospital. I wasn’t going to get her involved because she just started working there, but I have no choice.”
Before Nora could reply, someone yelled, “Keisha! We’ve got a situation. This guy’s Visa keeps declining, but he says to keep trying. Says we’ll make it work if we wanna get paid.”
“Gotta go,” Keisha said.
When Nora entered the diner ten minutes later, she saw Estella and Keisha standing together in the office doorway.
Without waiting for permission, Nora joined them.
“Hey, you,” she said, placing a hand on Estella’s back.
At Nora’s touch, Estella visibly sagged.
Nora slid her arm around her friend’s waist and wordlessly guided her into the office. When she was settled in a chair, Keisha stepped into the room and closed the door.
“I swear, this Monday is a week long,” she said. “Anyone who likes Mondays is either retired or two sandwiches short of a picnic.” Keisha fixed her gaze on Estella. “Have you eaten anything today?”
Estella flicked her wrist, a dismissive gesture. “I had a protein bar.”
Keisha and Nora exchanged glances.
“I’ll split my chicken with you. It’s too much food for one person, especially with that salad and garlic bread. Can we eat in here, Keisha?”
“You sure can. I’ll get some water and silverware.”
As soon as Keisha left, Estella said, “I’m not hungry.”
“You look like a gust of wind could knock you over. You need to get some food in your belly.”
Estella responded in a flat, lifeless voice. “How can I eat when Jack’s food is coming through a tube?”
Nora covered her friend’s hand with hers. “Has there been any improvement?”
Estella shook her head. Her eyes were dull and ringed with black mascara smudges.
She’s in shock, thought Nora.
Keisha returned, carrying a tray. She put the plates of food and glasses of water on her desk and pressed a fork into Estella’s hand.
“You eat, or I’ll tell Jack how you added to my worries by going on a hunger strike.”
Nora waited until Estella started on her salad before turning to her own plate. She poked her fork through the molten melted cheese draped over the chicken. Steam escaped through the vents, so she tore off a piece of garlic bread and popped it in her mouth. The bread had a crisp crust and a soft, buttery middle, but Nora was too concerned about Estella to truly enjoy it.
“Is he still in the ICU?” she asked softly.
Estella twirled noodles around and around her fork. “Yes. He’s hooked up to all these machines. I don’t know what half of them are for. He has all these tubes and lines. It’s like something from The Matrix. Monitors track his pulse, his breathing—I stare at the lines and try to understand what they mean. Everything makes noises. And he’s there, in the middle of all of it.”
“Did they tell you more about his infection?”
For the first time since Nora’s arrival, Estella became animated. “They don’t know exactly what’s causing it, so they don’t know exactly how to treat it. That’s scary enough, but I have this feeling they’re holding something back.” She started sawing her chicken with her knife. “I can tell it’s serious, but I don’t know why. When people hear that I’m a hairstylist, most of them assume I’m dumb. Or that I’m not tough. They don’t know that I grew up fending for myself. They look at me and see a woman who’s good at hair and makeup. They think I grew up playing with Barbies instead of scrounging for food and fighting off my mom’s boyfriends.”
By this point, Estella had cut her chicken into tiny pieces, but her frenetic energy was far from spent. Releasing her knife and fork, she grabbed the garlic bread. As she started tearing it into chunks, the door swung open.
“June!” Nora shouted in relief. She didn’t think she’d ever been so happy to see her.
June sent a smile Nora’s way before walking over to Estella and wrapping her arms around her shoulders. “How you doing, baby?”
Estella’s only response was to close her eyes.
“She’s scared and frustrated,” Nora said, gesturing at Keisha’s chair.
June listened while Nora summarized all she’d been told. When Nora was done, June glanced from the phone on Keisha’s desk to Estella.
“Do you have his doc’s number?”
Estella gave her a confused look.
“Come on, woman. Snap out of it!” June’s voice was like a whip crack. “This is your man we’re talking about! Don’t you want to know what’s happening? Are you going to be intimidated, or are you going to put up a fight?”
When Estella stammered something incoherent, June shouted, “What would you do for him?”
“Anything!” Estella shrieked, bolting to her feet.
June nodded. “Okay, then. Let’s have that number.”
Handing her phone to June, Estella pointed at her recent call list. June selected the number and put the phone on speaker. The call was answered by a woman who listened as June explained that she was calling for an update on Jack Nakamura’s condition.
“Are you a family member?” the woman asked.
June replied in a saccharine-sweet tone. “I’m a close friend, but I’m here with Estella Sadler, Jack’s partner. Mr. Nakamura’s mother has passed. Estella is his family now.”
After a lengthy pause, the woman said, “Ms. Sadler has been receiving regular updates about Mr. Nakamura’s condition, so—”
“We were hoping to hear the most current update. I worked in an assisted-living facility for years and dealt with all kinds of illness, and I’d like to understand how a man in excellent health is suddenly so sick. Estella said he had a bad flu case. What is his condition right now?”
“Mr. Nakamura’s flu developed into pneumonia and sepsis. Are you familiar with that condition?”
The woman’s tone was becoming increasingly condescending, but June refused to be baited.
“Sepsis is how the body reacts to an infection. Usually, it’s an extreme reaction. Is Jack breathing on his own?”
“He’s intubated.”
June stiffened. “What about seizures?”
“Two.”
Seeing the fear in June’s eyes, Estella’s face drained of all color. “What does that mean? How bad is this? Is there a chance he could die?”
The woman said, “Unfortunately, that is a possible outcome. We’re going to do all we can to help him fight this, but you should know that even if he does recover, he may never be the same. Sepsis can lead to long-term effects requiring rehabilitation. He may experience muscle weakness, insomnia, decreased cognitive function, organ dysfunction—it might be a long road. It’s too early to tell at this point what will happen.”
Despair swept over Estella. Nora hated how her friend seemed to shrink. She felt so powerless to help. This intense sense of powerlessness made her angry, and without thinking, she shot to her feet. Standing tall, her chin raised in defiance, she looked larger than life. And when she spoke, her voice was a mixture of softness and steel.
“I know Jack,” she said, addressing the women in the room. She didn’t care about the woman on the other end of the call. “He’s healthy and strong. And he can be incredibly pigheaded. Do you know what that combination of traits means? It means he can fight this and win.”
As if Nora hadn’t spoken, Estella said, “It’s my fault. He had a persistent fever. Chills. Excessive sleepiness and clammy skin. He wasn’t getting better. I tried to get him to call his doctor, but he wouldn’t! I was going to take him, and if I’d known his flu had turned into pneumonia . . .”
June quickly thanked the woman and hung up. Taking Estella’s hand, she said, “Jack isn’t sick because you’re a beautician. He isn’t sick because you’re a small-business owner. He’s sick because he let his flu get out of hand. He’s a man, not a child. You cannot beat yourself up over this and you can’t wear yourself out either. I think I know how to get you some help.”
“What do you mean?”
“Tyson’s girlfriend can check on Jack. Not only is this lovely young lady a nurse, she’s also Keisha’s cousin. I came here tonight to have dessert with Tyson and Jasmine. Keisha’s out there now, explaining everything to her.”
A few minutes later, a young woman cracked open the door and peered into the office. Catching sight of June, she entered the room. Tyson stepped in after her and shut the door.
“Hey, Mama,” he said. “Hey, Ms. Nora. Ms. Estella.”
June walked over to the young woman and put a hand on her shoulder. “Ladies, this is Jasmine Jones.”
At first glance, Tyson and Jasmine seemed like a mismatched couple. He was tall and lean while Jasmine was short and curvy. Tyson’s eyes and skin were dark brown. His hair was close-cropped. Jasmine’s eyes were peridot green and she had fawn-colored skin. Her braided hair was swept up into a thick bun, and as she slipped her arm around Tyson’s waist, the top of her bun kissed the bottom of his chin. He smiled down at her with a mixture of tenderness and pride, but her attention was fixed on Estella.
“Keisha told me about Mr. Nakamura,” she said. “He’s in good hands, I can tell you that. And I’ll check on him every shift.”
Estella’s eyes lit up with hope. “You don’t know what this means to me. Thank you.”
June turned to Jasmine. “I know you won’t to do anything to put your job at risk, and I also know that Estella will drive straight to the hospital as soon as we’re done here. Will she be able to see Jack?”
“I think so, but only for a few minutes. Visiting hours will be over soon,” said Jasmine. “Since you’ll probably be visiting a lot, it wouldn’t hurt to bring something to the nurses. Everybody loves pie. I’ll call the floor and let them know a friend of mine is coming in with treats.”
“I’ll buy all the pie the diner has! Thanks again.” Estella kissed Jasmine on the cheek and hurried out of the office.
After Tyson and Jasmine said their good-byes, they also left.
“We should go too,” Nora said to June.
She nodded. “You read my mind.”
* * *
Ten minutes later, Nora and June were on the highway in a silent car. The radio was off and neither woman felt like talking.
After a while, Nora said, “We should call Hester.”
“If she answers, I’ll put her on the car speaker so we can both talk to her.”
June pushed a button on her steering wheel and issued a verbal command to call Hester’s cell phone.
Hester picked up right away. “I’m on the other line with Jasper. They think they found the truck that forced Lea off the road. Hold on. Let me tell him to call me back when he knows for sure.”
Nora looked out her window to where the asphalt gave way to grass. It was too dark to see the ditch that ran parallel to the highway.
“It is the truck,” Hester said, her voice shrill with excitement. “It’s a big pickup with a crew cab. Half of the sheriff’s department is checking it out. Guess where they are?”
June said, “I’m in my car and Nora’s with me. If you tell us where the truck is, we’ll tell you why we’re on the highway right now.”
“What?” After a brief pause, Hester said, “The truck’s at the train station. It was parked next to an RV, and whoever checked the lot the first time didn’t see it. The sheriff walked around the whole lot on foot, so he spotted it. Okay, your turn.”
June glanced at Nora. “Go on. I’ll focus on driving.”
“We’re following Estella to the hospital. She’s in her car with a boxload of pies.”
Nora described the scene in Keisha’s office. She barely had the chance to finish when Hester exploded.
“That woman sounds like my brother—that judgmental, self-centered, stuck-up bastard!” she snarled. “Even when he was in high school, he’d talk down to women. Waitresses, flight attendants, grocery store clerks. He’d talk trash about anyone who didn’t own a jock and a set of golf clubs.”
The venom in her tone surged through the speaker. Nora wasn’t sure why Hester was so focused on her brother, but she had no idea how to respond. Apparently, neither did June.
Hester saved them the trouble by saying, “Sorry. I’m such a mess these days. I should be in the car with you. I’ve been too wrapped up in my own stuff lately. You, June, and Estella are my best friends. I want to help.”
June shook her head. “Honey, you get up before dawn. There’s no sense in your driving to the hospital when we don’t even know if Estella will be able to see Jack or for how long. I’ll call you when we get there, okay?”
“Okay.”
Hester sounded so dejected that Nora had to say something to make her feel better. “Hester? You’re allowed to be wrapped up in your own stuff. You could sail to the other side of the world and we’d be here, waiting. We’re the lights at the end of your dock. We’re the Daisy Buchanan to your Jay Gatsby.”
“Thanks, Nora.”
After Hester hung up, June said, “She still hasn’t told Jasper, has she?”
Nora looked out the window at the pinpricks of light coming from a farmhouse perched atop a dark hill. “No, I don’t think she has.”
Eager to change the subject, she asked how Tyson and Jasmine had met. June was more than happy to talk about her son and the goings-on at Oscar’s Theater. When those topics were covered, she grilled Nora about her date with McCabe.
By the time the hospital sign came into view, they were exchanging theories on how Miss Rose ended up in the box in Nora’s stockroom.
“Anyone could have stuck it in there,” June said, pulling into the parking garage. “It’s not like you and Sheldon follow your customers to the restroom. Is the stockroom ever locked?”
Nora said that it wasn’t.
“You don’t worry about shoplifting?”
“No. Most of the new releases are in sealed boxes until their sale date, and if someone goes in there to steal back stock, they could shove a book or two in a bag, under their shirt, or down their pants. But most people wouldn’t bother. Did you know that back when I was a librarian, the Bible and the Guinness World Records were stolen more than all other books?”
June snorted as she pulled into a spot and killed the engine. “The Bible? Guess those folks didn’t know about the Ten Commandments.”
“Do you know which book people steal the most from my shop? It’s The Book Thief.”
“No!” June’s shout bounced off the walls of the parking garage.
Heads bent and shoulders hunched, the two women made their way into the hospital. They found Estella sitting in the ICU waiting area, her face hidden in her hands. Her muffled sobs were heartbreaking.
“Oh, Estella,” Nora whispered, putting an arm around her friend’s quivering back.
June yanked tissues from the wall dispenser and sat down next to Estella. She leaned over, lightly pressing her shoulder to Estella’s shoulder.
“We’re here, honey. We’re right here.”
Estella raised her head. Her face was wet and puffy. Red blotches had bloomed on her neck and cheeks.
“What good am I to him? All I can do is talk to him and hold his hand.”
“He needs that from you,” Nora said, her vision blurring with tears. “The medicine, the doctors and nurses—they’ll treat his body. But his heart? It’s only going to listen to one person. You. You’re the person who loves him the most. No matter what you see or don’t see, he can hear you. He can feel the touch of your hand.”
June was crying too. Her chin trembled as she said, “I know what we need to do now.”
She pulled Estella and Nora to their feet. Then she opened her arms, gathered them in close, and lowered her head.
As June began to pray, Nora closed her eyes and tightened her hold on her friends.
In this intimate huddle, they found comfort.
Chapter 12
Human society, the world, and the whole of mankind is to be found in the alphabet.
—Victor Hugo
The next morning, Nora saw that she’d missed calls from Bobbie and McCabe. She’d muted her phone at the Pink Lady and had left it that way for the rest of the night.
Bobbie had also sent a text: Where are you? I have info on your mystery books.
Nora carried a mug of coffee to her kitchen table, booted up her laptop, and called Bobbie.
“It’s about time!” Bobbie bellowed. “Do you know how much I wish you still lived in the city? I’d love to drop by your apartment with a bottle of wine and some Thai takeout. I’d love to meet up for coffee and a massive book-buying session. Just think of all the things we’d be doing if you were here.”
“I wish we lived closer too,” Nora said. “Why don’t you take early retirement and move to Miracle Springs? We could run the bookshop together.”
