Tygers Page 7

  “Ouch.” Keith furrowed his brow. “It gets worse, doesn’t it?”

  Carol nodded sadly. “I’m afraid so. By the end, he claimed Kyle wasn’t even his child. That was about the end for me. I was planning on leaving him when—”

  “Kyle heard him say that?”

  “I’m sure he did. I can’t see how he could have missed it. God only knows what he told his family. I know he told them I was sleeping around. I know he told them that both Katie and I are dangerous.”

  “Dangerous? Where would he get that idea?” he demanded.

  “Well, Katie was pretty blunt about what she would do to him if he ever attempted whatever he propositioned her with, and I threatened to go to her or to Mom when I left. He could stretch that into me threatening him with Katie as my enforcer, I suppose.” She shrugged. “I’m not really sure.”

  “And now his family is threatening to take Kyle from you. What’s their plan?”

  “Expose me for the adulterous murderess I am, of course. They have it all figured out. My lover somehow arranged Peter’s death, and the police will expose it.”

  “That’s interesting. How do they think you managed it?”

  “I have no idea. Oh, and it gets better.”

  Keith grinned. “I’m afraid to ask how.”

  “You’re my lover.” She raised an eyebrow and bit back a smile.

  They started laughing at the same time.

  “You’ve got to be kidding,” he exclaimed through a fresh gale of laughter.

  “That’s what I said when I heard it.” She sobered. “But, I’m afraid I’m serious.”

  “I was afraid of that.” His heart sank slightly.

  “I know. Always the subject of conjecture and never the fact.”

  “What is?” he asked distractedly.

  “Your involvement with women in my family.”

  Keith laughed harshly. “Was that an offer?”

  “If I thought you were really interested, it would be, but you have your own problems to work out.”

  Keith glanced back at the merry-go-round and furrowed his brow. “What the—” He was on his feet and in motion so quickly that it took Carol a few seconds to catch up. “Is he asleep?” he asked as he crossed the center court.

  “I don’t know. Maybe he’s staring at the clouds and getting dizzy,” Carol suggested. He could tell she was trying to be calm, but she was failing at it miserably.

  Keith watched Kyle for a few minutes before he stopped the slowly spinning ride. Kyle’s eyes were wide and unfocused and his lips parted. His legs extended over the edge of the merry-go-round, and his arms were wrapped around the tiger, petting it over and over. Keith took Kyle’s pulse while Carol tried to get him to answer her.

  His mind was taking in what he was seeing. The repetitive motion, the lack of awareness and response—“Carol, has Kyle ever had a seizure before?”

  “Is that what this is? Epilepsy?” she asked in a panic.

  Keith checked his watch again. “Maybe. I can’t be sure.”

  He scooped Kyle up and headed for the street. Carol fell in beside him.

  “Let’s get him to the hospital. I’ll call Evan on the way,” he decided.

  “Is it that serious?”

  “I can’t be sure of what I’m seeing without the right tests.”

  Carol nodded and rushed ahead to open the car. Once Kyle was in his seat, she started driving.

  Keith’s conversation with Evan was short and to the point. Evan was calling ahead, and he’d meet them at the ER. They beat the other doctor by ten minutes. Evan had barely started his examination when Kyle started and pulled away.

  “How long was he like that?” Evan asked as Kyle reached for his mother fearfully.

  “At least thirty minutes but no more than about thirty-five,” Keith informed him.

  “Like that the whole time?”

  Keith nodded. “Pretty much. Unfocused, unresponsive, and petting the tiger.”

  “Ty,” Kyle managed sleepily.

  “Do you remember what happened, Kyle?” Evan asked.

  “I was running with the tigers.”

  “Where?”

  “By the Children’s Museum. Then, we went into a white building and there was music.”

  “What next, Kyle?”

  He looked at them in confusion. “I don’t remember.”

  Evan shook his head. “You don’t remember or it ended like a TV show ends?”

  “I don’t remember,” Kyle insisted.

  “Okay, I need to talk to a few people, and I’d like Mitchell to evaluate an EEG. Sound okay to you two?”

  Keith looked to Carol. “It’s your call, Carol.”

  “Let’s find out. Should I call his pediatrician?”

  “I’ll take care of it,” Evan offered. “In the meantime, I want to check his blood sugar again.”

  Keith nodded in understanding.

  Kyle was less than pleased with the idea of the EEG, and even less pleased than that with idea of the blood tests Evan ordered. He was pleased with the cookies and juice they fed him to bring his blood sugar back up, though. Mitchell grumbled at coming in for the EEG on a Sunday, but he bent to a bribe from Keith.

  “What did you promise him?” Evan asked in awe.

  “Just a bottle I’ve had put back that he’s been lusting after forever.” He grinned to let Carol know that he really didn’t mind losing it all that much.

  In the end, the EEG was little help. Mitchell pronounced Kyle as ‘hyped,’ but he noted no signs whatsoever of epilepsy even with the flash test. “If it was some sort of seizure, I’m fairly sure it wasn’t epileptic.”

  Keith shook his head. “What the hell are we seeing, then?”

  “Damned if I know. You could try an MRI if it happens again. There are things that would show up on an MRI that I can’t see on an EEG. Either way, I’ll pick up that bottle later, right?”

  Keith nodded. “Anytime after we’re done here.”

  “Good luck,” he called over his shoulder.

  Kyle’s pediatrician, Joshua Baxter, took his turn poking and prodding, and—clueless as everyone else—released Kyle from care. “Keep an eye on him,” he instructed Carol. “If anything concerns you, call me and bring him back here right away. I want to start testing his blood sugar a few times a day. This fluctuation bothers me.”

  All three of them were exhausted and famished by the time they left the ER. Dinner consisted of drive-thru from the Burger King on Carson Street, a veritable feast by that point, but one that was cut short.

  Keith followed Carol’s line of sight as he closed the car door. She peered suspiciously at the man waiting on her porch, stopping with her hand still outstretched to Kyle in the back seat of her car.

  “Mac? What are you doing here at this hour?” she demanded.

  The man stood and stretched his back. “Waiting for you and freezing. Can I come in and talk to you?”

  Keith reached to hand Carol her bag of food. “I guess that’s my cue,” he joked.

  “Actually, I’d like to talk to you, too. It is Mr. Randall, isn’t it?”

  Carol gripped Kyle’s hand and headed for the door. “No. It’s Dr. Randall. You’re slipping, Mac. Keith, this is Julian MacRey, one of my uncles.”

  Keith shook his head and smiled. “That explains a lot. Sure, I have a few minutes.” He followed the rest of the procession into the house and through to the kitchen where they set themselves up with their food, determined not to miss their first shot at eating in hours.

  Mac leaned against the countertop. “You two have been together all afternoon?”

  Carol raised an eyebrow. “That a crime, Mac?”

  “You know it’s not. Give me a break here.”

  Keith cut in. “Yes. We’ve been together since twelve fifteen this afternoon,” he offered.

  “Anyone who can verify that?”

  “Sure. Evan Carter talked to me at twelve thirty or so. Then, there’s Bryan Mitchell and half
the nurses and lab techs at the ER and neurology departments at Mercy. Let’s see— The technician up in neurology on day shift today was Carla Norbert, and there was Josh Baxter, of course. I think that’s the whole list. Did I forget anyone?” He looked to Carol.

  She shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. That about covers the list unless he wants to talk to the drive-thru girl at Burger King. Ah, that’s right. There should be a receipt on the bag somewhere.” She took a bite of her BK Broiler and smiled at Mac around it.

  “Mercy?” Mac echoed. “Kyle was back in again?”

  Carol nodded as she chewed her mouthful of sandwich.

  “Why?”

  Keith swallowed his mouthful first and shrugged. “We thought it might be epilepsy. It was some sort of seizure. Cause undetermined thus far.”

  “What is your specialty, Dr. Randall?” Mac asked pointedly.

  Keith sighed and fished out his wallet for his work ID. He handed it over to Mac and wolfed down another bite of his sandwich before it could go stone cold.

  Mac surveyed the ID critically then handed it back. “You’re one of ours?”

  “I take on a few private patients, but most of my work is out of the city office.”

  “You’re in on this case?” he glanced at Kyle out of the corner of his eye.

  “No. I was just in the right place at the right time today to be of some use.”

  “What about Peter?”

  Keith was impressed with how Mac asked in front of Kyle without causing any distress in the little boy. “At the city office seeing patients. You can stop by and get a copy of my time card and schedule if it helps.”

  “I’ll have to, but I guess that answers my questions for now.”

  Carol looked at her uncle in confusion. “What brought this up, Mac?” she asked suspiciously.

  “Monica Taylor. She drove away from church this afternoon, and when Bill got a ride home—” His face paled.

  “Like?” Keith moved his eyes toward Kyle, and Mac nodded. Keith and Carol pushed their food away almost in unison. “So much for dinner,” he grumbled. “Looks the same?”

  “Afraid so, but since you two are spoken for and Dianna spent the whole day with Toni, the family needs to find another excuse.”

  “Lovely,” Carol decided.

  “Actually Carol,” Mac hesitated for a beat, “Katheryn isn’t around, is she? Dianna said she’s moving back.”

  She tightened her jaw. “Can’t you muzzle them, Mac? Katie is more than five hundred miles away. Call her if you don’t believe me. Check the airlines. This is ridiculous.” She waved her arms in exasperation.

  “Carol, you know—”

  “You’re just doing your job? Sure. I know it. Why don’t you go check them out?”

  “I intend to,” he replied patiently.

  “Then, go do it. I have to give Kyle a bath.”

  “I have to go home, too,” Keith interjected. “Mitchell should be stopping by for that bottle soon.” He ruffled Kyle’s curls. “Take care, buddy. Maybe, we’ll try the playground again next weekend?”

  Kyle nodded and yawned widely. “Okay. Bye, Uncle Keith.”

  Mac followed him out to the city steps. “Dr. Randall, can I ask you another question? This one as an uncle not as a cop?”

  “That sounds more dangerous to me. What’s on your mind, officer?”

  “Just Mac. What happened between you and Katheryn back in high school?”

  “Nothing. I’d add a flip ‘unfortunately’ to that if I didn’t think it would get me killed.”

  “It won’t. She’s quite a woman. She always was, even when she was a little girl. What I meant was, I’ve seen the yearbook for Senior year. You two were very close for awhile there. Then, something happened to break it off, and it wasn’t your idea.”

  Keith sighed. “You’ll have to ask Katie about that.”

  “In other words, you’re taking the fifth.”

  “In other words, you’re asking for information I don’t have,” he countered angrily. “I’ve spent fifteen years trying to figure this out, Mac. If it was my fault somehow, I don’t know how. I thought we wanted the same thing, but I don’t know what Katie wanted anymore.”

  “What did you want?”

  “Forever.”

  “So, you stay close and hope?” Mac wasn’t good at hiding surprise, he noted.

  “I gave up hope a long time ago. I stick close to Carol because we’re friends. When Katie dumped me, she was the only one who understood.”

  “I think I understand what you mean.” He started to move away. “Well, good night, Dr. Randall.”

  “Call me Keith. Mac, can I ask you a question?”

  “Like what?”

  “Why did Bill Taylor have to get a ride home? If they attend St. Stephen’s, it’s only a short hike to their house.”

  “They don’t attend St. Stephen’s. The rest of the family does, but Monica and Bill attend a non-denominational in North Side.”

  “By the Children’s Museum?”

  “You know it?” Mac asked. His eyes narrowed.

  “No. I think Kyle mentioned something about it. Goodnight Mac. I have to get home before Mitchell gets ticked at me.” He took the city steps up to Primrose, but he did it on autopilot. The Children’s Museum, a white building, and music? He shook his head in disbelief. There had to be another explanation.

  * * *

  Carol wasn’t surprised that Katie called after Kyle was in bed. “He’s fine,” she assured her sister before Katie could voice her question.

  “What happened?” Katie was exhausted.

  “It never ceases to amaze me that you can know he’s hurt or in danger, know whether or not he needs you, and still have no idea why.”

  “Carol.” She could tell Katie was gritting her teeth as she issued the warning.

  “All right. He had some sort of seizure. It’s not epilepsy, but the doctors aren’t sure what it is. They’re talking about doing an MRI if he has another.”

  “EEG showed nothing?”

  “Just a hyped up little boy. Oh, there’s more. Monica Taylor decided to follow her brother’s example.”

  Katie groaned. “Maybe, I should speed up my arrival.”

  “Maybe not. Mac is all over this. Sure you won’t reconsider staying with Mom? It can’t hurt to have proof of where you are, you know.”

  “I’d go insane inside of a month, and we both know it. My life would be planned for me one date at a time.”

  “Would that be so bad?”

  “Having Mother running my love life? Are you kidding?”

  “No. Obviously not having Mom running it. I meant dating.”

  “It’s overrated, believe me.”

  “That’s a shame, because I know some really nice guys.”

  Katie didn’t answer.

  “What?”

  “I’m just rejecting all of the really wrong and unfair responses coming to mind. Nope. I don’t think I can form a gracious response to that one tonight. Sorry, but I’m tapped out.”

  “Let me guess. Then, you should have married one of them instead of Peter,” she guessed.

  “That was one of the nicer ones.”

  “Ouch. You are in rare form tonight.”

  “I have no luck with men, and I stink at the whole relationship thing. Face it. I have,” Katie responded on a note that was half-cynical and half-miserable.

  “You could be good at it. You were once.”

  “I can’t trust my ability to make sound decisions. That’s what I learned from Keith Randall. That is what this little discussion is really about, isn’t it?”

  “Maybe if you told me what really happened, I’d be able to see that. Right now, all I see is the same angry little girl who drives a wedge between herself and anyone who cares enough to get close. Ever since Dad died—”

  “Don’t start. I don’t need the psychobabble.”

  “Just do me a favor. Don’t make that something you teach my son.”<
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  “Understood. Now, you do something for me.”

  “What’s that?” Carol replied dryly.

  “Let them do the MRI. Let them do any tests they suggest.”

  Carol’s whole body went cold and stiff. “Why? What will they find?”

  “I don’t know. I’m just interested in the results.”

  “If you know something, Katie—”

  “I don’t. I never do. You know that.” She hesitated. “I have to go Carol. I’m shooting for a little less than another week.”

  “I’ll see you then.” Carol hung up the line with an uneasy feeling. What would an MRI show? Why would Katie be interested in the results?

  Chapter Four

  “Life is but a dream, a grotesque and foolish dream.” Mark Twain

  “Oh, the tiger will love you. There is no sincerer love than the love of food.” George Bernard Shaw

  "Hello, Keith. What are you doing here?” Carol asked in surprise.

  Keith cringed inwardly. He had been asking himself that same question all day. “I was hoping to play a game with Kyle,” he answered quietly.

  She looked at him suspiciously before waving him in. “Come on.”

  Keith followed her in and took a seat with her in the living room.

  Carol leaned closer to him. “What are you up to, Keith? Why the surprise visit and the offer of a game?”

  He darkened considerably. “Just a crazy possibility that I want to discount.”

  “What possibility?” she asked in avid interest.

  “The possibility that Kyle—is exhibiting some extrasensory talents.” Keith cringed inwardly, waiting for Carol to laugh—or worse, to tell him he was crazy and send him packing.

  Carol blushed deep crimson and looked toward the window. For what seemed like an extraordinary length of time, she didn’t say anything. “You want to test for that?” she finally whispered.

  “It’s not my area of expertise, but if there’s something there, I might be able to see it. I might not, either,” he qualified. “It will just make me feel better if I don’t, I guess.”