Tuesday Tales - Chest

You could hear the ambulance and police sirens in the distance. This wasn’t part of the plan. There was blood all over the place. It splattered all over the front door and all over both Alexandra and Billy. The ambulance pulled up first, with the two police cars following directly behind blocking the street.

By now, there were dozens of people in the area making it hard for the police to put up the yellow crime scene tape. It took one officer to pull out a bullhorn asking everyone to step back, before they were able to secure the area. The EMT workers ran off the truck with a big black bag, which was bulging at the seams. The younger of the two men, knelt down in front of Billy.

“Not me,” Billy said, tears in his eyes. “It’s Alexandra,” he said, cradling her in his arms, her head leaning against his chest.

“I’m Gary, and I’m going to have to ask you to let us take care of her. You need to get up and let my partner Tommy, place her on the gurney.”

“Baby, I’m here with you.” Billy kissed the top of her head. “I am so sorry this has happened to you.”

Billy watched Gary clean her forearm. He really wasn’t sure where she was hit. Everything happened so fast. One minute they were walking out of the café, and seconds later a car pulled up stopping at the curb. Before he could even react, or protect Alexandra, the window dropped and the shot was fired. He would never forget the sound or the shrill from Alexandra right after she got shot.

“One, two, three,” Gary said lifting Alexandra along with Tommy. “We need to get her to the hospital ASAP.”

“I’m coming. Just give me a second the lock the door.” Oh might God, this is my fault, he kept saying over and over again in his head. He should have known better than to think Ralphie would just go away. Once again, as he tried to turn his life around, Ralphie returned obsessed that he still owed him for bailing him out fifteen years ago.

As he stepped onto the ambulance, a hand touched his shoulder. He turned around to face two police officers.

“We have a few questions to ask.”

“I’m on my way to the hospital. I’ll be more than happy to speak to you there.” Billy got onto the ambulance, and Tommy closed the door.

As the ambulance sped off, with the sirens wailing, Billy knew he had less than five minutes to figure out what he was going to tell the cops. He couldn’t be sure that Ralphie sent his boys out after him after he refused to give him a cut of their business. The truth would make things worse. A random shooting, maybe they would believe that.

Taking hold of Alexandra’s hand, he kissed the top of her head. “Oh baby, you have to come through this. I am not going to lose you, not now. I need you more than you need me and that’s no lie.” Billy wiped his wet eyes and running nose on his sleeve. Everything was happening in slow motion. “Please don’t leave me.”

The ambulance came to a complete halt and within seconds the backdoors opened and Alexandra wheeled off. Billy kept up with them until they got to the emergency room.

“You have to stay here,” Gary said. “Don’t worry, she’s in good hands. A doctor will be out to talk to you shortly.”

“But…”

The doors shut. Billy tried to open them, but they were electrically locked. He started to tap on the door, when an officer stood behind him.

“I’m Lieutenant Gallo. I need to ask you a couple of questions,” he said resting his hand on his belt.

Billy held up his hand. “I’ll answer all your questions, but first I need to made sure Alexandra is okay,” he said, this time banging on the door.

The door, opened and a nurse approached Billy. “Alexandra is being examined by the doctor. As soon as I find out anything, I’ll let you know so you can come in to see her,” the elderly nurse said, touching his shoulder.

“Thank you.” Billy pointed to the wall opposite the door. “I’ll be right there waiting.”

The doors closed and Lieutenant Gallo stood by his side. “I think this will be a good opportunity to answer a few questions before the nurse returns.”

“Can’t this wait for later?” Billy asked looking over Gallo’s shoulder into the tiny glass window.

“No it can’t.” Pulling his pad out, he flipped it open and clicked his pen against his leather holster. “Full name.”

“Billy Davidson.”

“You’re relationship to the victim?”

It should have been fiancée. I should have asked her to marry her weeks ago. Was it necessary to wait for the opening of the café to ask the love of his life to marry him?

“Girlfriend.”

“Victims full name.”

“Alexandra Scaronni.”

Gallo wrote down the information before asking his next questions. “What were the two of you doing at that dormant establishment?

“We both purchased the property and are working on the inside.”

“I see,” Gallo said scribbling more notes into his pad. “Do you know anyone who would want to hurt Alexandra?”

“No…”

The emergency room doors opened and the same nurse stood at the doors. “Mr. Davidson, you can come in and see Alexandra before she goes into surgery.”

“Surgery?” Billy asked his eyes bulging open.

“The doctor will explain everything.”

Billy followed her down the long corridor and into the room where Alexandra lay hooked up to multiple monitors.

“Oh baby, what have I done?”

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