Chapter 17

As far as the police were concerned, the case of Dr. Wayne Ames was a closed affair.

But it was anything but closed as far as Carol was concerned. In the days and nights that immediately followed the tragedy, Carol's memory recounted every lurid detail of the incident.

Several times she awakened early in the morning in a cold sweat, shrieking as she ob served herself wielding the surgical knife in her nightmare. She could see Wayne standing there, moving toward her menacingly. Then suddenly she would thrust out, landing the knife instinctively into him. She would observe his eyes rolling. Then his face would turn suddenly pale as she observed him fall in a heap to the floor.

On one occasion the nightmare was so vivid that her whole body was trembling helplessly.

Betty came running into the room, flipping on the light.

"What happened, dear?" Betty asked sympathetically.

"I could see him so clearly this time," her voice trembled as she answered her roommate.

"That's what I thought. Another nightmare. The same one."

"Yes, I can't forget it."

"You poor kid. You're just gonna have to pull yourself together."

"I know. But it's easier said than done."

"You have been through a terrible ordeal."

"I just can't get over it, Betty," she shook her head despondently. "I'm not a killer. At least I don't think that I am. But look at what happened. I killed him, Betty, I killed him."

"It was self defense, dear. If it had been anything but that you would have been prosecuted." v

"But I still did it."

"Sure, but you've got to look at all the circumstances," Betty did her best to persuade her friend. "That's the way the authorities looked at it. That Wayne Ames was a madman. I read some articles about him in the paper."

"The papers really played the whole thing up, didn't they?"

"Oh sure, you know how that type of thing goes. A beautiful girl and a successful young doctor. All the ingredients for a drama. But from what I read even his friends and family were concerned about him. He was much too cocky and much too demanding in his relations with women. Why, he was a dangerous man, Carol. You've got to take that into account. Actually you were doing nothing more than fighting for your life. It was nothing more than that, and the sooner you realize it the better. There's a good chance you would have been killed if it hadn't been for what you did. He was an angry man, angry and dangerous, and he was beating you up at the time. Don't forget that."

"The whole thing still gives me goose pimples. I just can't get it out of my mind."

"You're going to have to, dear. Don't let a sick guy like that ruin the rest of your life."

"But I killed him!"

"You didn't mean to. You've got to remember that. Then you've got to put this whole thing behind you. I'm not going to let this wreck you. You're a beautiful young girl and you've got your whole life ahead of you."

"I appreciate your concern, Betty. It's good to know that I've got a friend I can count on."

"Thank you. I know that you're a good gal. You just got caught up in a bad set of circumstances. Now can I fix us some coffee?"

"No thanks. I'll never get to sleep if I drink that."

"I guess you're right about that," Betty smiled. "Then how about some hot milk or something like that?"

"No, I'll be just fine. Thanks for taking some time to console me. I'm sorry I woke you up."

"Don't worry about that," Betty reassured. "I just want to see you snap back and become the girl I used to know."

"I'll do my best."

"You know what I think. I think you could use a vacation. You ought to get completely away from the city for awhile."

"Oh, I don't know."

"Think it over."

"Okay, I will. Goodnight now."

"Goodnight. And if you need me for anything else, feel free to call me."

"Thank you."

With some effort, after a good deal of tossing and turning, Carol finally managed to get to sleep. Fortunately she did not have another nightmare, sleeping until late in the morning.

Carol fixed herself some breakfast, which she picked at unenthusiastically. As she ate her sausage and eggs and sipped her coffee, she began to think a good deal about the suggestion that Betty had made about taking the vacation.

She had saved her money frugally in her nursing job, and just maybe she could afford a good vacation, provided that she wanted to take one.

Her mind shifted back and forth. When Betty had first made the suggestion she had not taken it that seriously. But now, as she sat alone in the kitchen finishing breakfast, it began to assume a good deal more plausability. Perhaps, she thought, a good vacation would be just the thing to get her mind off of tragedy and into a new frame of mind.

After breakfast she started thumbing through the morning newspaper. She came across an advertisement showing a smiling man and woman surfing in the waters of sunny Miami Beach.

When her eyes then focused on the amount that the vacation would cost, she realized that, if she wanted to, she could readily afford such a vacation.

After thinking the matter over for several minutes, Carol picked up the phone and dialed the number. She placed a reservation for herself.

That evening when Betty returned home from work, Carol had something to tell her. "Guess what I did today," Carol began. "What, dear?"

"I took your advice. I'm gonna take a vacation."

"Great. Where to?"

"Miami. I think I'll leave day after tomorrow."

"That's beautiful. You really deserve it," Betty smiled.