The Other Amanda. Lynn Leslie

      “Did we play together as children at the lake?”

      Far too dangerous to go down this path. “No, not as children,” he answered truthfully.

      “There you are darling!”

      He was saved by Margaret. She and Randall were outside Amanda’s door, obviously waiting for her to return. He felt a sharp stab of relief. Right now, she didn’t need the baggage from their past.

      “We thought we would be on time for your tests.”

      Randall appeared to have aged ten years in the past three weeks, Jonathan thought. He saw his hand tremble as it reached for Amanda and gave her a gentle hug. He also noticed her flinch at the touch.

      “Is everything all right?” Jonathan asked.

      “I’m just tired. I need to rest.” She laughed, a genuine, carefree sound that transformed her bruised face. She looked straight into his eyes. “I’m beginning to sound like you.”

      Whatever barriers he’d thrown up developed a few more cracks. He pushed open her door and urged her inside. “Take a nap. Doctor’s orders. We’ll all be here when you wake up.”

      She waved and sank down onto her bed. He pulled the door closed as Margaret turned to him.

      “Well, what happened with the tests?”

      Randall slumped against the wall, as if standing had become too difficult for him.

      “It would be best for Dr. Newman to fill you in, Margaret.”

      She turned on her heel and marched toward Pat’s office without another word.

      Jonathan searched Randall’s tortured eyes. “I really believe Amanda will make a full recovery.”

      In slow motion, Randall moved away from the wall, the effort draining all the color from his face. “Thank you for everything. This has been a very trying time.”

      Jonathan watched him move. Randall’s steps were clumsy, heavy, especially compared to the determined stride of his wife. He made a mental note to check the last time Randall had been in for a physical.

      He found Detective Savage waiting for him outside his office.

      “I need to ask you a few questions, Dr. Taylor.”

      Surprised to find him alone, Jonathan glanced around. “Your partner isn’t with you today?”

      “Oh, no, sir. Officer Mahoney isn’t assigned to this investigation. I brought him along the other day hopin’ Miss Braithwaite might recognize him, since he was first on the scene.” He sat on the chair Jonathan indicated and stretched his legs. “She still has no memory of the night she was attacked?”

      “No.” Jonathan sank into his swivel chair behind a desk piled high with paperwork. Bonnie, he noted, had formed two piles, one marked Urgent, the other Urgenter. He smiled absently before looking at the detective, who was regarding him with a curious gaze.

      “Amanda only remembers me in the ER, before her surgery. That’s it—the rest of her past is a blank.”

      “Well, that’s what I want to talk about.” Relaxing, the detective loosened his tie. “After givin’ the matter some thought and questionin’ a few of your old friends, it became clear to me that you and Miss Braithwaite have had a prior relationship. I mean before the night you performed surgery on her.”

      Jonathan’s stomach clenched in warning.

      “Had you and Miss Braithwaite resumed the affair durin’ the six weeks before she was attacked?”

      He resented feeling as if he’d fallen into the middle of an old Columbo episode. “My relationship with Amanda Braithwaite has nothing to do with your investigation, Detective. Actually, I haven’t seen or spoken with her for ten years.”

      Ignoring his icy tone, Savage continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “So, you know where she was those six weeks?”

      “Damn you…” Before he could issue his denial, a sharp knock on the door interrupted him.

      Margaret paused on the threshold to stare at the detective. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were busy.” Nonetheless, she shut the door behind her and joined them.

      Both men stood, but Margaret refused to sit. She glared at the detective. “I’m surprised to see you here. Have you learned anything more about Amanda’s attacker?”

      “No, ma’am, we haven’t. I was hopin’ your niece had regained some parts of her memory.”

      “When that happens, we’ll let you know. Is there anything more we can help you with?”

      Perhaps Margaret’s style wasn’t to his taste, but right now he found her refreshing. The detective looked like a man ready to call it a draw.

      “No, ma’am. But I’ll be in touch.” He nodded in Jonathan’s direction. “Thanks for your time. I’ll get back to you.”

      Margaret lifted her eyebrows in disdain as soon as he was gone. “Do you think that man has been watching too many old detective movies?”

      Relieved that he wasn’t her target this time, Jonathan grinned. “He’s probably great at his job.”

      “Well, I hope so!” Dropping down into the chair the detective had vacated, Margaret heaved a deep sigh. “I want to catch the monster who hurt Amanda. Which is why I stopped by.”

      Her imperious anger was gone, replaced by a soft charm that almost disarmed him. “I know I’ve been difficult to get along with. I’m sorry. Between Randall’s falling apart and Mother Chambers’s health, I’ve been going a little crazy. I want to thank you for everything you’ve done for Amanda. Dr. Newman thinks your presence is responsible for her progress with the tests. Can you tell me what’s next, Jonathan?”

      “She has to take it one day at a time. So do we.” He turned the page on his calendar, although it was unnecessary. He knew what was there—it burned in big red letters behind his eyes. Tomorrow was the day he’d find out how well he’d done. “Tomorrow I remove Amanda’s plate and the wires. She should look more normal and will see her face for the first time. Let’s hope it helps her remember.”

      

      TODAY WAS THE BIG DAY. Jonathan had promised she could see herself for the first time. She’d look in the mirror and know who she was.

      When no one was watching, she’d begun to explore her face, touching it tentatively with her fingertips. High cheekbones. A wide mouth—of course the wires could have something to do with that. Her ears felt small and fit flat to her head. She’d kept her fingers away from the plate over her nose.

      Sometimes she wondered why she hadn’t cheated, trying to see her reflection in the bathroom mirror. But Jonathan had seemed to think she should wait, so she had. His warning hadn’t kept her from exploring her head, though. On one side her hair was stubble, on the other silky and about shoulder length. She’d pulled a piece forward so she could see it out of the corner of her eye. It looked light, almost without color. Her skin was fair, she could tell from her arms. Her fingers were long, the nails strong ovals.

      But she didn’t recognize any of it! And when she started to think like that, her head hurt. So finally she’d given up.

      However, today was the day!

      Whatever pill the nurse had given her made her feel as if she were floating. Jonathan and Bonnie worked in slow motion; his mouth moved so she knew he was talking, but she couldn’t hear a word he said. Despite her best effort, she finally fell asleep.

      After a while she sensed someone at her bedside, but she couldn’t seem to open her eyes. Whoever it was stood over her for a long time.

      “Jonathan,” she muttered, trying to fight the heavy fatigue.

      No one answered,