Truth or Lies? by A. Gomez (book club recommendations txt) 📗

told us how alert you were in the ambulance. That’s very unusual given the medications you ingested. I’d say you have the constitution of a super human.” Ben was still wearing the sweats I saw him in last night.

“What happened?” I asked. My mother took my hand and stood up to kiss my forehead. I squeezed her hand so she would know I was fine.

Ben exhaled heavily as if inflating a balloon. “Long story short, we think someone switched the medications David prescribed for you.”

“I heard y’all arguing. I know David didn’t do this. He would never do anything remotely like this.” Talking felt a little easier now.

“Wait, you heard us? That’s incredible! Did you hear everything? Ben wondered.

“I don’t know. But I did hear you yelling and cursing at David. I never knew you could lose your temper like that, Ben. I’m impressed.” I grinned. His eyes were wide. He was at a loss for words.

“Honey, how do you feel?” My mother sounded and looked relieved. I hoped she wouldn’t tell me to come home.

“Actually, Mom, I’m feeling fine,” I said, raising the head of my bed a bit so I could see them better. “My headache is gone and strangely enough, I feel rested. My body still feels heavy but not like before. Where are Belín and Charles Andrew?”

“Oh, honey, they went to do an errand for me. I told them not to come since you were complaining of a severe headache. However the doctor that saw you did a good job of taking care of that pain for you.” She was stroking my hair and still holding my hand, “Honey, how do you know David wouldn’t hurt you like that?”

“I just know, Mom. David is selfish, loves himself, and only hurts women emotionally, not physically and certainly not to kill. The Triads are the ones that want me out of the way or gone. My guess is there’s one of them working at Cook County and knew David was filling a couple of scripts for me.”

“Uh, about that, Isabel, we feel you should take a break from work for a while, just until the trial at least. We don’t want any more of these incidences. We already have our hands full trying to keep you out of harm’s way and locating the Triads.” Ben was eyeing my mother. “We were thinking that perhaps you should go home with your parents while you convalesce. I or another agent would be accompanying you, of course.”

“Mother, this was your idea, wasn’t it?” I was annoyed.

“Honey, I promise you, I suggested no such thing to Ben. The only thing I said, and it was really just me thinking out loud, was if we were back home we would see those thugs coming a mile away, since there are no thugs that look like these men in our area at all.”

“Your mother is telling the truth. When I heard her say that, it was the perfect solution.” Ben was back to his calm and composed self. His arms crossed on his chest while he was talking to me. “You’re going to tell David, very inconspicuously of course, that you’re taking time off and going home to Texas. Our people will be watching him here and everyone around him. Hopefully, we get some sort of lead this way.”

I let out a defeated sigh. “I suppose me saying no wouldn’t help, would it?”

“No, not really. We’d get you there somehow,” he answered.

“I’m not leaving until after group therapy on Friday. That’s in twelve days and since my father has a company jet at his disposal, and he owns the company, we have the luxury of leaving whenever we want. And this is what I want.” I made sure to sound unyielding.

“Why not let one of the other doctors handle therapy this time?” Ben asked.

“Ben, I have to be there. It has to be me. While I was at the office, before those hit men showed up, I saw the RSVP list for therapy and it was full. All thirty slots were full and ninety-nine percent of those names were girls. I have a feeling that however Tori got out of her situation, these girls did too and Tori told them about me. So, I have to be the one there. You do understand, don’t you? This could also be a lead.”

He stared at me for a moment. Was he thinking I was too weak to go or he didn’t want to chance it? It didn’t matter. I was going.

“Fine, you can go but I insist on being with you at all times.” He too sounded unyielding.

I laughed awkwardly, “Ben, Ben, Ben…I wasn’t asking but I’m glad you’re fine with it. It’ll make life easier. And since your background is medicine then yes, I will let you be in the same room as my underage patients.” My mother scoffed lightly and was shaking her head. Probably remembering our battle of the wills when I was a teen.

Ben pursed his lips, stating, “It looks like you’re doing a lot better, Isabel. I’m going to go find the doctor and see if he can release you.”

“No need, I’m right here.” A tall, striking man with salt and pepper hair walked in wearing a big smile. He was handsome for an older man. He shook Ben’s hand. They exchanged a heartfelt pat on the shoulder with each other as if they’d known one another for years. He then gazed at my mother and walked over to her, extending his hand. She shook his hand but he took her hand with both of his. “Doctor Langley, are you enjoying the book I gave you?” he asked.

“I love it,” my mother answered. “I was almost hoping Isabel Grace would take her time in waking up so I could finish it.” She winked at him and grinned.