Chapter 33 – Ink
INK
“I’m going to get some coffee from the cafeteria,” Presley said. “Do you want anything?”
“Yeah, I could use a cup.”
Presley nodded and left the room.
It had been almost two days since the attack, and Ariel still hadn’t woken up. Presley had been maintaining a brave face, but I knew she couldn’t hold it together much longer.
“Ink?” Ariel croaked.
“Hey, kiddo,” I said calmly, even though she scared the shit out of me. “How are you feeling?”
“My head hurts, and my mouth tastes gross. Where’s Mom?”
“She went downstairs to get some coffee. Do you know where you are?”
“Yeah,” Ariel said, like I was ridiculous for asking. “I’m in the hospital. You know, because those shitheads attacked me. Again. Thanks for handling that, by the way. I’m assuming y’all—”
“Stop talking, Ariel,” I interrupted and lowered my voice. “You need to be careful what you say.”
“Got it.”
“How do you know what happened?” I asked.
“Because I heard you and Mom. You two talk pretty loudly for people who want to keep things quiet. Especially while someone—me—was trying to sleep.”
“You heard us talking?”
“Yes,” she said slowly and gave me a curious look. “How’s your head injury? Do you need to have that checked?”
“Maybe,” I said, feeling a little confused. “Let me get your mom.”
“Okay,” Ariel yawned.
“On second thought, I’ll stay here and keep you talking. If you’re asleep when she gets back, it will crush her.”
“She’d never leave this room again,” Ariel agreed.
“I knew it,” Presley said as she entered the room. “I knew you’d wake up if I left the room.”
“No, you didn’t,” Ariel said.
“No,” Presley said, and burst into tears. “I didn’t.” They spent a few minutes embracing and talking before Presley said we needed to let Ariel’s nurse know she was awake.
While several people came in to examine her, I stepped out and called Presley’s parents.
“She’s awake,” I said when Eugene answered.
“Hot damn!” he said excitedly. “Wait. Is she …?”
“There was nothing obvious. She hasn’t been awake long, but her speech is clear, and she remembers what happened.”
“Hot damn!” he shouted again. “We’ll be right there. Alice!” I heard him shout before he disconnected the call.
I scrolled to Jake’s name and paused, my finger hovering over his name. He was also staying at the hotel near the hospital, and he’d asked someone to let him know when Ariel woke up, but something was making me hesitate.
I was still standing in the hall trying to figure out what it was when the doctor stepped out of Ariel’s room, which was also when Eugene and Alice arrived.
“What did the doctor say?” Eugene asked while Alice embraced Ariel.
“He said they would keep monitoring her. If she continues to improve, they might transfer her to a regular room later today,” Presley said.
“And if she doesn’t continue to improve?” Alice asked.
“She’ll stay in the ICU.”
“I’ll be fine,” Ariel insisted weakly. “But my head really hurts.”
“You and Nana will have matching scars,” Eugene said.
“What?” Ariel asked as her eyes widened with surprise before she grimaced in pain. “My hair?”
Presley zapped her dad with a laser glare before turning much softer eyes to Ariel. “You have a cut on the back of your head that had to be closed with staples. Yes, it will leave a scar, but they didn’t have to shave your head to close it, and your hair will cover it.”
“Sorry, doodlebug. I didn’t realize you didn’t know about the cut,” Eugene said.
“I had time to think while I was napping, and I’ve decided I’m going to do what Ink does. I will only accept apologies that are offered with food,” Ariel announced.
“That’s a good one,” Eugene laughed. “You name it, doodlebug, and it’s yours.”
“Not yet,” Presley interrupted. “She hasn’t been cleared for regular food yet.”
“You’d think they’d at least let you have ice cream after stabbing an aspiring rapist and getting whacked in the head,” Ariel grumbled.
“About that,” Presley said. “I’m supposed to let Chuck know when you’re awake. He needs to ask you some questions and get your statement.”
“Um …” Ariel said and looked around the room before her eyes found me. “What am I supposed to say?”
“Tell them what happened?” I looked at Presley for help, unsure why Ariel was asking me.
“You told me to be careful about what I said,” Ariel said.
I chuckled nervously as all eyes were on me. “I was referring to the assumptions you were trying to verify, not about what happened. Tell Chuck everything you can remember about that.”
“Yeah,” Presley said knowingly. “He’s right. Tell Chuck what you remember. We’ll talk about everything else later.”
“Okay.”
“Oh! I need to call Jake and tell him you’re awake,” Presley said, reaching for her phone.
Ariel closed her eyes and tilted her head back. “Mom, please don’t.”
Presley paused and studied her daughter before she nodded and slipped her phone into her pocket. “Can I ask why?”
“You may,” Ariel and I said at the same time.
“Blame my mother for that,” I said when Presley glared at me.
“Why don’t you want me to call Jake?” Presley asked gently.
“Can we talk about it later when we talk about everything else?”
I wasn’t going to correct her, but I chuckled when Presley snapped her fingers and pointed at me, thinking I was, as she answered Ariel. “Yes, but I think we should at least let him know you’re awake and doing okay. He’s been here or at the hotel since Friday.”
A few tears rolled down Ariel’s cheeks when she closed her eyes again, causing me to—in the words of Alice—put my protective pants on.
“That’s fine, but I don’t want to see him.”
“Do I need to go speak with him?” I asked, ignoring the growing ache in my head.
“No,” Ariel said softly. “He didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Wait a minute,” I said, cupping the back of my head. “Why wasn’t he with you?”
“You need to sit down,” Presley said sternly. Damn, I loved Bossy Nurse. “And don’t get upset.”
“I didn’t tell him I left school early because I didn’t want to see him,” Ariel blurted. “He has a girlfriend.”
“And it isn’t me,” she whispered.
I pulled my phone from my pocket as I took my seat. “I’ll text Jake,” I told Presley.
“Afternoon, folks,” Chuck said when he arrived after lunch. “I’m assuming everyone knows why I’m here.”
“We do. Please, come in,” Presley said.
Chuck nodded to the room as he walked to Ariel’s bed. “First, how are you feeling?”
“My head hurts, but I’m okay,” Ariel said modestly.
“Are you sure?” he asked sincerely. “I can come back when you’re more comfortable.”
“No,” Ariel said and repositioned herself in the bed. “I’d rather be done with it.”
“Okay, tell me what you remember from Friday afternoon,” Chuck said.
“During my last class of the day, I told my teacher I had a headache, and she let me leave early.” Ariel stopped and frowned.
“What’s wrong?” Presley asked.
“I feel a little queasy,” she said and visibly swallowed.
“Do you want some ginger ale?” Presley asked. “Or we can ask your nurse for something for nausea.”
“I’ll try some ginger ale first. Can I have crackers yet?”
“I’ll check,” Presley said, and quickly left the room.
I thought Ariel would wait for Presley, but she continued telling her story.
“When I leave school, I usually turn to the left, but I turned to the right that day so I could stop by the store on the way home. Anyway, I wasn’t far from the school when I got a flat tire.
I stopped to change it but couldn’t get the lug nuts off.
I called Mom first, but she didn’t answer, so I called Ink.
While I was waiting for him, my phone rang.
I assumed it was Ink and answered without looking at the screen.
It was Elsie Nelson. She said, ‘Gotcha, bitch!’ right as something hit my windshield. The next part is a blur.”
“That’s okay,” Chuck assured her. “Just tell what you remember, even if you only remember parts of things.”
“We were just on vacation for spring break, and my grandfather must’ve left his knife in my car.
I don’t remember seeing it or grabbing it.
After something hit the glass, the next thing I remember is being out of the car and on the ground with Papa’s knife in my hand.
A man came over and grabbed me by my shirt to pull me off the ground.
I pushed up when he pulled, knocking him off balance.
I think he hit me with something. But I’m not sure. This is where it gets blurry again.”
“You’re doing great,” Chuck said.
Presley stepped forward and placed several packs of crackers on Ariel’s bedside table. “Start slowly,” she said.
Ariel nodded and nibbled on crackers as she continued.
“I kind of remember someone yelling, maybe someone else screaming. I’m not sure.
I do remember my head felt like it was going to explode, and sounds were coming in waves.
Like my hearing was fading in and out. I’m not sure how long that lasted, but the next thing I clearly remember is the man who attacked me on the ground with my Papa’s knife sticking out of his chest.”
“Did you recognize the man?” Chuck asked.
“No, I didn’t recognize any of them.”
“How many people were there?”
“I’m not sure,” Ariel said. “I thought it was just him until Ink got there. I watched a guy walk up and hit Ink with a metal pipe or something. That’s when Ink told me to run.” Ariel’s lip trembled as she turned her tear-filled eyes to me. “I shouldn’t have left you.”
“Aw, kiddo, no,” I said and nearly knocked Presley out of the way to get to Ariel. “You did exactly what you were supposed to do. I wanted you to leave me, and I’m glad you did. You got away, and that was all that mattered to me.”
Ariel nodded and wiped the tears from her cheeks.
“If it makes you feel any better, your mom ditched me, too. You Calloway women are harsh,” I teased.
Presley inhaled sharply.
“What? Too soon?”
Presley wrinkled her nose. “Maybe just a little.”
“Ariel?” Chuck asked gently. “Are you ready to continue?”
She nodded and took a sip of her drink. “There’s not much more after that. Ink told me to run, and I did. A third guy appeared and grabbed me before I got to the trees, but I kicked his knee like Batta taught me. He fell, and I kept running. I don’t remember much after that.”
“Thank you,” Chuck said. “Your statement fills several holes in the timeline for us. I have a few more questions, and then I’ll be on my way. Is that okay?”
Ariel nodded, followed by a yawn.
“You said the unknown call was Elsie Nelson. How do you know it was her?”
“I guess I don’t know it was her. When I answered, she said, ‘It’s Elsie. Elsie Nelson. Gotcha, bitch.’ I’ve talked to her on the phone before, and it sounded like her.”
“Do you know what she meant by that?” Chuck asked.
“No, not at all,” Ariel said. “I was surprised it was her on the phone. She’s been missing for weeks. Has she been found?”
“Yes, she has,” Chuck said.
“Is she okay?” Ariel asked.
“Uh, yes, she’s physically fine,” Chuck said quickly. “Well, I think that’s all for now. I’ll be in touch if I have more questions.”
“What was that about?” Ariel asked as soon as Chuck was gone.
Presley sighed and filled Chuck’s vacant seat beside Ariel. “We can talk about the details when we have more privacy, but Elsie isn’t a good person. She didn’t need a ride home from the party. She lured you there to drug you.”
“What? Why?” Ariel asked loudly, followed by a grimace.
“Because she’s a bad person,” I said. “But trust me, let us tell you about it when you can yell and be pissed off without making your head hurt and your mom’s blood pressure go up.”
“Making it sound more interesting doesn’t help,” Ariel said flatly.
“She’s in police custody and will be for the foreseeable future,” I told her. “She isn’t cooperating, so we’ve had to piece things together, but she’s the catalyst of your story.”
“I guess that will have to do for now.”