Chapter 147 Chapter 147
Mrs. Meyer had regained consciousness, but her body was still mostly paralyzed and she couldn't speak. Grace hurried over, but paused at the hospital room door and turned to give Benjamin, who was following closely behind her, a cold look.
Benjamin froze for a moment before understanding her meaning. He lifted his lips in a self-deprecating smile and stopped outside the door. "I'll wait for you outside," he said softly.
Grace entered alone and stood by the bedside, looking down at Mrs. Meyer. She took the elderly woman's hand and said in a hoarse voice, "Mrs. Meyer, it's Grace."
Mrs. Meyers' reaction was sluggish, but when her gaze fell on Grace's face, her cloudy eyes suddenly brightened. She struggled to part her lips and emitted a hoarse "Huh! Huh!" sound from her throat.
Grace realized that Mrs. Meyer had something to say, so she quickly leaned closer and soothingly urged, "Take your time. I'm right here.”
But the old woman's tongue refused to obey her. Unable to express her thoughts, her frustration grew.
Grace watched with alarm and urged, "Please don't get upset. It'll be too much for your body." After speaking, she glanced around the room. Seeing no one else besides the relative caring for Mrs. Meyer, Grace leaned in again and whispered, "I know what you want to say. Don't worry; I'll take care of things with Wendy."
Mrs. Meyer's lips trembled uncontrollably. Tears welled in the corners of her eyes and trickled down her wrinkled skin, pooling at her pale temples.
Her fingers quivered faintly as she strained to grasp Grace's hand. Grace sensed this and squeezed her hand tighter, repeating, "Rest assured, I'll take care of everything for you."
Grace's voice caught in her throat, nearly choking her words.
She paused, then leaned close and whispered into Mrs. Meyer's ear, her voice soft enough for Mrs. Meyer to hear only: "Rest assured, I won't let him get away with this."
Mrs. Meyer's emotions gradually calmed. She was an exceptionally strong and rational elderly woman. Slowly closing her mouth, she took two deep breaths before opening her lips again. She trembled slightly as she silently mouthed something. The mouth movements were simple, as if forming only one word. She repeated them over and over, straining every ounce of her strength to convey her message to Grace.
Grace mimicked the shape of her mouth and murmured a similar sound, guessing at the meaning. "Cori—door?" A sudden realization dawned on her. She leaned closer to the old woman's ear and whispered, "Corridor, right?"
Mrs. Meyer closed her mouth and nodded.
Grace pondered the meaning of the word as she recalled the layout of her building's stairwell. It was an old apartment building without an elevator, only a winding staircase spiraling upward.
The stairwell was poorly lit, and the only source of outside light was a small window at the landing between floors. Unfortunately, someone had placed junk in front of the window, blocking most of it and making the already narrow staircase feel even more cramped and dim.
Junk! The landing on Meyer's floor was also piled high with things. Recalling it now, she remembered only a rickety old wooden shelf heaped with countless items. She'd always been careful not to bump into it, but she never paid attention to what was stored there.
Grace's heart skipped a beat. She leaned closer and whispered to Mrs. Meyer, "The things are hidden on the shelf, right?"
Mrs. Meyer couldn't speak or nod, but her eyes flashed with relief.
Only then did Grace understand why Benjamin had searched so long without finding what the elderly woman, limited by her mobility, had hidden.
He had sent people to search her home thoroughly, but he could never have imagined that Mrs. Meyer would hide something so important outside her home, buried in the junk pile on the staircase.
"Don't worry. I'll take it and put it to good use," Grace whispered to Mrs. Meyer.
Mrs. Meyer showed no further reaction, closing her eyes wearily.
Grace didn't disturb her further. She glanced at the woman sitting across from the bed, hesitated, then beckoned her over and signaled for her to step outside to talk.
The woman had been watching Mrs. Meyer and Grace with growing confusion. Seeing Grace motion to her, she followed her outside.
Once outside, Grace lowered her voice. "Is someone handling things with Wendy?"
The Meyers had few close relatives. This woman was merely a distant niece of Mrs. Meyer's who had come from a small town to care for the elderly woman.
Shaking her head at the question, she complained, "I can't manage everything alone. I'll wait until my husband arrives to arrange the funeral.”
Grace nodded slowly, ignoring Benjamin, who was standing nearby. Her voice was solemn as she said, "If you trust me, I'll handle Wendy's arrangements. Mrs. Meyer was anxious earlier because she feared Wendy would be lonely. She wanted to buy her a grave plot next to Officer Meyer.”
Mrs. Meyer's niece was rather naive. She couldn't have imagined that Grace was deliberately speaking within Benjamin's earshot or that Grace was pretending Mrs. Meyer's earlier distress stemmed from this matter. Her face clouded with concern as she replied, "Wendy's father's ashes are still at the columbarium. Grave plots are so expensive now. Wendy said she'd buy her dad a large plot once she started working. Where am I supposed to find that kind of money now? Besides—"
"I'll handle the money." Grace cut her off, glancing briefly at Benjamin nearby, then continued, "You stay here and care for Mrs. Meyer. Leave everything else to me.”
"Oh, thank you so much," Mrs. Meyer's niece hurriedly said, wanting to express more gratitude, but Grace stopped her. She gave a faint, bitter smile and said, "Officer Meyer helped me a lot in the past. I'd do anything for them."
No sooner had she spoken than the heart monitor in the ward blared an alarm. Both women outside froze, then spun around and dashed toward the room. Grace checked the monitor first, then hurried to press the bedside call button. She shouted urgently, "The patient's condition is critical! Get a doctor here immediately!”
But in that brief moment, the numbers on the monitor plummeted. By the time the doctor and nurse rushed in, the line representing the heartbeat had flattened into a straight line.
Grace felt dazed and was somehow pushed out the door. Taking another step back, she collided with a solid chest. She turned and saw Benjamin's face. His expression was grim as he said in a low voice, "This isn't your fault."
Grace nodded blankly, then turned back to stare at the bustling medical staff. After a moment, she suddenly murmured, "Alex, buy three graves next to each other. Let them be together as a family."
Benjamin paused briefly before responding flatly, "All right."
Grace fell silent again. After a long while, she suddenly let out a soft, bitter chuckle. Turning her head slightly, she asked, "Alex, do you know what I just thought of?"
He guessed it wouldn't be anything pleasant. He didn't answer or press her, simply remaining quiet.
She murmured to herself, "I was thinking about myself. If not for your inexplicable love, my family should be dead by now. Me, my parents, and Adrian. I wonder if our family could be buried together."
"Grace!" he snapped, his face hardening. "Don't talk nonsense."
She turned to look at him, her gaze lingering silently for a moment before she twisted her lips into a mocking smile. "Alex," she murmured softly. "I'm pregnant."