His Lovely Ward

Chapter 3

Angelica didn’t know what to do. She felt like her surrounding was frozen, not her. She could feel her chest heaving and heart hammer, but everything else was silent. Even the tick of the clock right across her was slowly fading, leaving behind a short hum. Her eyes were restlessly trying to figure out the device she held in her hand while her brain was screaming, ‘There’s no use!’ and that she had to use a computer to know what was inside.

With that thought, everything went back in motion, but this time, it was in fast forward. She suddenly felt dizzy, every scene from the moment she received the news that her father had passed away came flashing back in front of her eyes.

What is this? She repeatedly asked herself, staring at the black USB device like it was a specimen from one of her patients.

She was about to open her father’s computer when the maid came knocking on the doors, snapping her out of the new strange world she found herself in.

Why does everyone have to have the most perfect timing today? She muttered then asked loudly, “What is it?”

“Ms. Dalton, some guys are here to take your father?”

Shit, she forgot about that. “Yes, yes, lead them to his room. I’ll be there shortly,” she straightened and clasped the black device in her hand. After the maid was gone, she tried to compose herself. Actually, she didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t call Chanty and tell her friend everything. Chanty would only scream and say stuff that would be completely irrelevant.

Okay, first things first… she cleared her throat and walked out her father’s study, her steps purposeful. She had to handle her father’s affairs first.

I can’t go home. Those guys might be there and I don’t want to meet my father yet, God bless his soul, she started planning as she made her way to her father’s bedroom. I’ll stay in the hospital. I will be safe there and I will look into this thing. Whatever I know, I can’t tell anyone. No, not until I’m sure I have things under control.

What about Henry Bell?

Yes, the big question was the guy. What to do with him?

He has to disappear, she finally decided as she entered the big room and found two men standing by her father’s bed.

“I want to make an autopsy,” she announced.

The men looked startled. “An autopsy?”

Angelica nodded. “Yes, an autopsy. I want to know the cause of his death.” Actually, that decision just came out of nowhere and she didn’t even know why. But now that she had said it, she couldn’t take it back, right?

The black guy shrugged and said, “Sure. But there would be a lot of papers to sign and follow up.”

“You can contact Mr. Cole Hartman about that,” she answered.

“Okay, ma’am,” the white guy answered.

Angelica travelled her gaze towards her father for the last time and absently nodded. “Okay, you can take him now.”

“We’ll call you.”

“No,” she hastily uttered. “I mean, call Mr. Hartman. You have his number, right?” When they nodded their heads, she added, “Call him and he’ll let me know.” Without another word, she walked out of the room and to the front doors.

She couldn’t watch those men place her father in a bag. Her emotion was a mixture of a lot of things right now and she didn’t think she could deal with that.