idioms...sayings understood by native speakers part eighty two

Deshaun estimated the time of alarm to the time of guards showing up to be about ninety seconds. He would have to clear this lower roof and make it into that half opened window. He continued up the pipe with the limb caught under his arm. As he got in position, he waited. Saying a little prayer, the rain had begun to pick up into a steady flow when suddenly a lightning bolt flashed. He threw the limb and jumped up onto the roof heading for that second window like his life depended on it. As he pulled up the window it became stuck. He threw in his pack and then proceeded to squirm through, clearing everything but his shoes. He took a breath telling himself not to panic and prayed no one would notice his size fifteen boots. As he tried to figure out what else to do.

---

Carl sat quietly in the chair.

"What do you mean the alarms went off?"

John glared at him.

"This was all an act, right?" He placed his glass down on the table and walked slowly towards the man that everyone here thought of as the next heir. The man that seemed to stand between him and Jenny. He reached down and pulled Carl up by the collar.

"Carl? I have killed many people in my time, but this... is going to be the best."

"Calm down, John. This is my son, you know." A.J. came up behind him and grabbed hold of John's arm, who released Carl and shoved A.J. away.

"Don't you get it. This was just a set up. He has to be wearing a wire." John grabbed Carl's shirt and in one swift move the buttons flew.

Bare skin was all that showed.

Carl reached up and pulled the man's hand away. He tried hard not to smile at the surprised look on his Uncle's face.

"Uncle John, I did not know you swung that way." As he shrugged off the man, and proceeded to tuck his shirt back in. The phone rang in John's pocket.

"Are you going to answer that or shall I?" Carl inquired with as deadly a face as he could muster.

John stepped back. He grabbed his phone and pulled it out.

"Just a limb?"

"From the storm."

"Fine. Keep me posted if anything, I mean anything else happens." He pocketed the phone and turned to Carl.

"Now, now, now, let's keep our heads clear about all of this. John was just doing his job. Carl, you still pass with flying colors. I suggest we should discuss what to do about that Hauser brat." Martin sat back, folding his hands together, his forehead wrinkled in contemplation. A.J. yanked on John to go sit. Carl resumed his seat.

"Hauser brat?" He arched an eyebrow.

"I would say to kill her but Chris has become attached." John stated quietly.

Carl looked at his Uncles, confused.

"Chris doesn't need that kind of distraction. I vote for killing her." A.J. spoke up.

"Don't you guys get it?" John spoke up again. "He is obsessed. Just like Melanie, and you know how that outcome almost killed him."

"Ah," Martin looked at John. "Do I hear remorse in your voice? It was your idea to get rid of that girl.."

"That was because..."

"Because why?"

"She kept wanting to be with Chris. She threatened to tell him..." John stopped.

"That you were making her life a living hell?" A.J. spoke up.

Carl took a deep breath looking into his glass trying very hard to not blow his cover.

"I just don't get it." He stated. "You are all talking like everyone here knows what is going on."

---

Dejuan caught his breath. "Did you get that, Scott?"

"It sounds like the Matthews don't take prisoners. Any word from Deshaun?"

"No. But right now, no news is good news."

"I hope you are right. I can't believe you guys are doing this."

"Look, we have waited for someone to get involved. What is going on with your people?"

Scott leaned back and sighed.

"I will get back with you, keep sending. I am receiving the transmission just fine."

Scott grabbed his cell and dialed.

---

Jenny sat in the ER break room with Janice and the prosecuting attorney.

Exhaustion was taking its toll.

"So that is what happened."

"Yes. We did not see the crime. Only the aftermath..." Jenny trailed off, stifling a yawn.

"I know it is getting late. But I need your statement about the night of the attack. From what I gathered from the reports, there was no damage to the office. One of your people let the person into your office, with your permission and you entered willingly."

"I really thought it was my friend Rick Richardson. His.." she paused and wondered how in the world she would describe Lynn. "His employee had been involved in that terrible accident. He had no idea where she was and when I located her, I called him. The timing for him to be here would have been right and I only thought that he was trying to contact me."

He looked at the older woman who was sipping her coffee and trying to maintain.

"Mrs. Clark... you said that this man had been seen around the hospital?"

"Yes. He even tried to accost me. I think he must have thought I was Miss Lundstrom. She had stayed in the hospital for a few days waiting to see if her fiance and her future mother in law would be okay. I had lent her some clothes. She returned them to me and I went out in them. I felt like I was being followed all day."

"Really?"

"Hummmmnn." Taking another sip of coffee, Janice stated. "When I returned to the hospital, that man, the same one who attacked Jenny, grabbed my arm. When he saw my face, he stopped what he was doing, but he kept being persistent about my clothes, and such. If Sam had not come out when he did, I don't know what would have happened."

"Why would you exchange clothes with Miss Lundstrom here?"

Jenny thought about this. "Mrs. Clark was trying to help me. She met me as I was planning to flee the hospital."

Stanley arched an eyebrow. "What was making you desire to flee?"

"John Matthews had threatened some friends. If I did not meet with him, he was going to blow up their house. This happened the night before. So I met with him."

"What happened at that meeting?"

Jenny looked at the prosecutor. "John Matthews wanted me. He said as much. I had to keep him busy while my friend called the bomb squad. You can check it out. I am sure there is a state police report. It did not happen in this county. And the Matthews own the police where I live. So I met him and played along with him. I portrayed myself as a gold digger." She shuddered. "It threw him off his game and I was able to come out unscathed. I talked with Carl that night, and prepared to leave the next morning."

"I see, and so that is where Mrs. Clark intervened."

"Yes."

Stanley sat back. This was turning out to be a he said, she said case. Only slight bruising to Miss Lundstom's abdomen showed there was any kind of resistance. But that could be explained away by the defense.

"I can see by your face, this is going to hard to prove."

"It has to be a jury trial and will be solely based on your integrity." Looking at the exceptionally beautiful blond, she could easily be turned into a temptress by Zebrowsky.

He took a drink of his coffee.

"If you are still willing to press charges, then I will go forth with the case, but understand, the defense attorney will try to make you appear like Heidi Flice and Mata Hari rolled into one. Can you handle that?"

Jenny took a gulp of her coffee. She rubbed her eyes, set her jaw...

"Yes."

"Oh, one other thing, do you have any other sexual history that might come up?"

Jenny looked into her coffee.... not answering..

"Any other boyfriends? Anyone that would testify that you are not into um, how can I put it delicately..." Stanley found himself at a loss for words.

"Someone to testify I am not into S and M? No. I never had a boyfriend save Carl."

Stanley looked at her disbelieving. "Give me a break, Miss Lundstrom."

Jenny sighed. "Fine. Here is my sexual history. Janice, could you excuse us?"

Mrs. Clark gave a nod. "I need to check on Sam anyway." She gave Jenny a squeeze. "Sometimes, Jenny, the truth will hurt, but it can also set you free."

She nodded her goodbyes and headed back to the quiet room where Sam was sleeping. She looked at his drawn face, as she noticed another nurse placing another bag of IV fliud up. She nodded as the nurse left and reached out holding Sam's hand. He moved then to the edge of the cart, holding the blanket up. She crawled in after dropping her shoes, closing her eyes.

---

Deshaun looked at the remnants of his shoe laces. Some how the boots went unnoticed by the guards. Probably the storm kept them from investigating too much. It had picked up in its steady pour, the wind and lightning seemed to be taking turns as rumbling thunder came in from the distance. He gathered his gear and stopped at the door of the bedroom he had found himself in. He hid his shoes in a trash can and crept out slowly. The short wave did not make it through the frantic entrance from the window. So Deshaun was flying blind.

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