Page 13 of Betting on Lizzie

Once they moved her father upstairs, the whole family migrated with him to the tiny waiting room outside the ICU. A doctor finally came in to give them an update.

“His arteries are about seventy-five percent blocked. We’ve scheduled him for surgery in a few hours. Barring any complications, he’ll be better than new when we’re done.”

They all heaved a collective sigh of relief. Lizzie went to her mother, who was as distraught as she’d ever seen her. “Everything will be okay, Mom,” Lizzie said.

“I know. I know. Where’s Audrey?”

“Anyone seen Nana?” Lizzie asked.

“She’s in the chapel,” Emma said. “I’ll go tell her the news.”

Only her mom was allowed to visit her dad. Maybe if Lizzie had been an only child, they’d have let her see him, but the horde of people in the waiting room was too much for the doctor. If it was everyone or no one, he cautiously chose no one.

Lizzie’s family overwhelmed the small ICU waiting room. At the doctor’s suggestion, they moved to a bigger one on the surgical floor and made themselves comfortable.

Her mom returned from her dad’s room and announced that he was determined as ever—said he’d be good as new after the surgery and begged everyone not to worry. Fat chance of that.

Once the initial scare passed and they were settled in to wait, Lucy brought up the fire again, and Lizzie told them what had gone down that morning.

“They think you did it?” Adam said. “That’s crazy.”

“If I’m being objective, I can see why they would,” Lizzie conceded. “From their point of view, I have motive, no alibi, insurance money to gain…I think I might be in real trouble.”

“Obviously, you didn’t do it. Any idea who would have?” Dirk asked. “Maybe the best defense is a strong offense. Can you give them someone else to look at?”

“I haven’t really thought about it,” Lizzie said. “At first, I assumed it was an accident. Then, when they said it was arson, I figured it was just random crime. I certainly had no idea they intended to pin it on me! That reminds me, anyone know a good attorney?”

“Dad would be the one to ask,” Daisy said. “He knows everybody.”

“I want the best,” Lizzie said. “Even if that means looking in a bigger town.”

“I’ll ask around,” Lucy’s husband Jack said. He was from Wilmington, where his family ran a multimillion-dollar hotel enterprise. “And have my dad do the same.”

Before they took her father into surgery, Lizzie had Daisy drive her home so she could let Charlie out and get her car. Her brothers-in-law made quick trips to replenish diaper bag necessities. All of them had raced to the hospital, unprepared to be there all evening.

Even though it would be hours before they heard anything, no one would stray too far. They took turns running downstairs for dinner but didn’t stay long.

At one point, Lizzie sat by herself, thumbing mindlessly through a magazine. Nothing on the pages registered, but it gave her hands something to do. Bella came and sat beside her.

“Hey,” Lizzie said, closing the magazine. “This must be hard. How you doin’?” It had only been a few months ago that Bella lost her dad under the same circumstances. Lizzie was sure the pain was still raw.

“I’m okay,” Bella said. “Uncle Edward will pull through.”

Lizzie admired her bravery.

“I wanted to ask you,” she started. “The fire was the night Maya and I spent the night, right?” At Lizzie’s nod, she continued. “I heard you tell the others you didn’t have an alibi. Wouldn’t picking us up count?”

“Well, yes. Probably.”

“Did you tell the fire guy about coming to get us?”

“No.”

“Why not? I hope it wasn’t to protect me. I told Uncle Edward and Aunt Sophie what happened. They were disappointed, and I’m grounded for a month, but they know.”

“It wasn’t that,” Lizzie said. “Honestly, his question came out of the blue and caught me off guard. I was so irritated, I just said I was home alone, sleeping. At that point, it didn’t seem important. After realizing I was a suspect, I decided to shut up and let a lawyer handle things.” She shrugged. “Really, I just stormed off before I thought it through.”

Bella huffed out a laugh.

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