The Other Side of Lone Mountain

Chapter Eighteen

When she got home she checked her machine for messages, there were none. Paul must still be at the hospital with Vickie. She went into the bedroom and removed her uniform and put on a robe. She also removed her shoes and slipped into her favorite pair of slippers. She then went into the bathroom and ran herself a bath. She felt as though the tension of the last few days were finally catching up with her. She put on one of her favorite CDs and brought the phone into the bathroom in case Paul called. She lit several aroma therapy candles and placed them around the tub and bathroom. Once everything was in place she stepped into the hot sudsy water. She inhaled the fragrance of lavender and chamomile, one of her favorite scents. She gracefully slid down into the water until it completely covered her body. She leaned her head back and relaxed. This feels like heaven, she thought to herself. Without warning she found herself thinking of what it would be like to have Paul sharing her bath. She bolted upright and shook her head. “What is wrong with me? Why do I keep thinking of him like that? After all we’re just friends, sort of. He’ll be gone when he’s finished here and I’ll never see him again. Mandy, get a grip!” she scolded herself. She lay back down and tried to listen to the music and relax but each time she closed her eyes, Paul’s face was in front of her. Finally she gave it up and got out of the tub and dried off. She put on her robe and slippers and headed for the bedroom to get dressed. She never made it to the bedroom.

Just as she came out of the bathroom the phone rang. She picked it up. It was Paul. Her heart skipped a beat. She tried to sound casual, “Oh, hi Paul! How’s Mark doing?”

“Hi, he’s about the same. The doctors think its going be a while before we see any real improvement.”

“How’s Vickie holding up? Is she alright?”

“Yah, we’re at your mom’s right now. Sarah just took over. The kids love her and she’s great with Vickie. You’re lucky to have such a great mom.”
“Thanks, I know. I love her.”

“I’ll be over as soon they get settled in.”

“Okay, I’ll see you soon.” Mandy went into the bedroom and looked in her closet for something to wear. She finally settled on a full length black knit skirt and a pale pink knit sleeveless turtleneck. She pulled out a pair of open backed sandals and slipped her feet into them. She then walked over to her dresser, picked up her brush and began brushing her long curly chestnut brown hair. She decided to leave it down. It cascaded over her shoulders and caressed her face. She finally applied a light color lipstick to her lips. She then picked up her bottle of L’Air du Temps perfume and applied some to her throat, behind her ears and her wrists. Mandy is not an extravagant person but she does treat herself to some special things like the kind of perfume she wears. She stepped back and examined herself in the mirror. She was happy with what she saw. She left the bedroom and went into the kitchen. There she got a couple of wineglasses from the cupboard and brought them into the living room. The CD she had been playing had stopped. She went to the entertainment center and picked out another CD and put it on. Even though her CD changer held five CDs at once she didn’t want to do that until Paul arrived and they were able to pick them together.

Just then the doorbell rang. She went to the door and opened it. His eyes almost crossed when he saw her. “Wow! Exclaimed Paul. “You look absolutely gorgeous! I almost didn’t recognize you!”

“Thanks; come on in.” Paul followed her into the living room. He couldn’t keep his eyes off of her.

“I told Lone Wolfe that I would let him know when you got here so he could bring us up to date with the information he has gotten. Let me give him a call.” Mandy walked to the phone and placed the call to Lone Wolfe. Paul watched every move she made. She returned and told Paul, “He said he’ll be over within the hour. While they waited for Lone Wolfe to arrive Mandy offered Paul a drink. He opted for a shot of cognac. She got a brandy snifter from the bar and poured him a shot of Courvoisier and handed it to him. She poured herself a glass of wine and they chatted as they waited for Lone Wolfe to arrive.

About an hour later the doorbell rang and Mandy got up to answer it. Paul watched her as she left, amazed at how beautiful she was. He felt a stirring in his heart that was unfamiliar to him. At first he thought it was just his imagination, but when she returned with Lone Wolfe in tow, he felt it again. He couldn’t understand what was happening to him. He’d been in love before; at least he thought he’d been in love, but it never felt like this.

Lone Wolfe walked over and shook Paul’s hand. “Hi, how’s Mark doing?”

“As of this evening there hasn’t been much change. The doctor says it’s going to be a while before we see any significant change. We just have to be patient. What did you find out?”

“Before we get into that”, said Mandy. “Lone Wolfe, can I get you something to drink?”

“I’ll have whatever Paul’s drinking.”

“A shot of Courvoisier coming right up”, she said. She went to the bar and geo another brandy snifter and poured another shot of Courvoisier. She handed the glass to Lone Wolfe and then sat on the floor next to the fireplace facing the two men. “Okay, tell us what you have”, said Mandy.

“Let me start with the blood. I got a sample of Mark’s blood from the hospital and it was compared with the one found on the leaf, it was a match. The license plate was also run for fingerprints. There were two sets of viable prints. One should prove to be Mark’s but whom does the other set belong to? Mandy I brought the plate with me. Maybe you can run the prints. If one of those prints belongs to anyone other than his wife, we may have found the person who threw or pushed Mark over that ridge. We need to talk to Mark and find out what actually happened on that trail and why his blood was on that leaf.”

“Well the blood probably came from when they hit him on the back of head. I’m going to call his doctor again tomorrow morning to find out if I can ask him some questions. If I get the go ahead, you want to join me?” asked Mandy.

“Sure”, said Lone Wolfe. “How about you Paul, are you going to be there?” he asked.

“I’m going to the hospital with Vickie, Mark’s wife. I can meet you guys there.”

“Okay, the sooner we can get the information from Mark the sooner we can solve this puzzle.” They chatted for the next hour or so, then Lone Wolfe went out to his Hummer and brought the license plate and copies of the prints he lifted to Mandy and she put them in the backpack she always took to work. She confirmed that she would have them checked out first thing in the morning before going to the hospital.

Eventually Lone Wolfe said that he had a lot to do the following day and had to get up extra early so he said goodnight. After he left, Paul excused himself and went to the bathroom. While he was gone, Mandy thought about what Lone Wolfe had said. She wondered whose prints the other set belonged to. Paul returned and walked over to her. He held his hand out to her. “I hate to see this beautiful music go to waste. May I have this dance?” Mandy wasn’t even listening to the music, as a matter-of-fact, she had forgotten about the music but she took his hand and stood up. He took her in his arms and they began moving across the room. She felt light in his arms. He could smell the perfume she was wearing. It was subtle but very intoxicating. He didn’t want to let her go. She nestled her head on his shoulder and gave a slight deep sigh of contentment. They danced through two numbers. Paul could feel his reserve slipping. He knew that if he didn’t leave at the very moment he would not be able to stop himself. He wanted to kiss her but he wasn’t sure what her response would be. She lifted her face up to him wanting him to kiss. That was it; he couldn’t resist those beautiful soft lips. He leaned down and softly kissed her lips. She returned his kiss with her own. “Mandy, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting.” He kissed her again. This time it was a deeper kiss and he could feel her melt in his arms. Finally, he pulled himself away. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that. I’d better leave before anything else happens. I’ll see you at the hospital tomorrow. Again, I’m sorry.”

Mandy just stood there; she was too stunned to say anything. As he reached the door he again said, “Good night.” He opened the door and was gone. Mandy just stood in the middle of her living room wondering what had just happened. She could still feel his lips on hers. She lifted her fingers to her lips. Why did he leave so suddenly? And why did he apologize? She had to ask him when she saw the next day. She finally turned out the lights and the music and went to bed.