After the fight with McNulty, Sam is taken to the hospital. Emma is allowed to stay over night. The others head home.
"All right," Tan said, asserting himself. "Everyone but Emma needs to go home. Raleigh, I'll talk to you tomorrow. You go home and get some rest. Have you been checked by the doctor?"
"Yes. Few bumps and bruises, but at least he didn't stick me with that shit."
"Good. Emma, if you don't mind, I'm staying, too. I'm going to sit outside the door."
"You don't think that we're safe yet? Even here?"
"I'm sure you're safe. But I promised to stay and I'll stay."
"You weren't at Ravenwood when he attacked us," she reprimanded after the others left.
"I know. I was on my way back from Dr. Abernathy's apartment."
"Is she really sick?"
"No, of course not. She was too afraid to come in. She had a lot to say, much of it pointing at McNulty. I came back as soon as I could."
The staff got Emma settled in the room with Sam. Frank sat in a chair just inside the door. Emma felt better having him in the room. They talked for a little while, then she fell into an exhausted sleep. Frank listened to his recordings and went through his notes, trying to piece everything together.
Two days later, Sam was allowed to go home. Glenn, Carlos and Vera were allowed to drive over in the van and pick him and Emma up at the hospital. Glenn practically carried him into the common room.
"I can walk, man. I'm not that broken," Sam protested.
"I'm under strict orders from the women. You gonna argue with them?"
"F**k no," Sam mumbled.
"As you're recovering from a near death experience, I shan't charge you for that language," Molly said as she walked in. "But no more."
"Yes, ma'am. I mean, no ma'am."
She smiled, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Don't you dare scare me like that again, is that clear?" She hugged him to tightly, she nearly chocked him.
"Yes, Molly. I promise," Sam gasped.
The residents had fixed a huge feast and even baked a cake. They were about to serve the meal when Frank Tan walked in. A tall, beautiful blonde was with him.
"Everyone, this is my wife, Sylvia. She wanted to come meet the heroes of Ravenwood."
Dinner was delicious. Everyone had pitched in to cook and they all cleaned up, except for Sam and Emma. Even Frank and Sylvia took their dishes to the washer. Once they were settled with after dinner coffee, Frank took out his notebook.
"I imagine you want to know what the hell happened."
He was greeted by nods, smiles and a million questions, all fired at him simultaneously.
"Let me just start with what happened the night Emma and Sam found Dr. Spiner." He cleared his throat, sipped his coffee and looked at his notes. "Spiner found out that Hempe was intimidating and manipulating some of the residents in lock down. He had also gotten his hooks into some of the staff. We're still sorting out how extensively he'd influenced people. Spiner confronted him, and Hempe killed him."
"How did he find out about Sam and Emma?" Vera asked.
"Unfortunately, Hempe had his hooks in McNulty rather deeply. Hempe threatened his wife and daughter. He also threatened to reveal that Dr. Abernathy and McNulty were having an affair."
"Really?" Sam scoffed. "She bought the hot red shoes for that pimple of a man? What a waste."
Everyone eyed him strangely. He waved it off as unimportant.
"So, between the two of them, they kept Hempe informed, whether they wanted to or not. Hempe had pictures of the two of them together, or said he did. We haven't found them yet."
"Why did he trash Dr. Stewart's office?" Emma asked.
"Hempe said he'd hidden them there the night he killed Spiner. We've been through it top to bottom and have found anything," Frank said.
"He could have been lying about that," Raleigh said.
"We considered that possibility. McNulty is still unconscious and Abernathy never saw pictures, though she thinks McNulty may have."
©2020 Dellani Oakes
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