dear. I’m feeling quite fantastic right now. Maybe the program has already worked, and I don’t need to continue.” She looked up at her friends, who both gave her a thumbs-up.
“Mother, would you at least consider it? Sleep on it, as they say. Please?” Maryann was begging.
Myra grabbed a pen and paper and wrote, “Tell her yes.”
Charlotte looked stunned and shrugged her shoulders, as if to say, “Why?” But Myra was mouthing, “Yes.”
“Oh, okay, honey. I will sleep on it. Happy now?” Charlotte was finally playing along.
“Yes, Mother. I know everyone will feel better when you get back on track.”
Charlotte took a finger and started swirling it around her temple, as in the “crazy” pantomime. “I’ll give you a call in a day or so. Give my love to Liam and Allan. Bye, dear.”
She couldn’t wait to get off the phone. Turning to Myra and Charles, she said, “Now will one of you explain why I should consider going back to either one of those lowlifes?”
Myra took Charlotte by the hand and explained what was happening. The sisters were going to put an end to this charade.
“I really don’t understand, Myra. What do you mean, put an end to it?” Charlotte was very confused and looked up at Annie, Charles, and Fergus for an explanation.
Myra started. “Remember when Barbara was killed? The driver got off because he had diplomatic immunity.”
“Yes, it was horrible!” Charlotte exclaimed.
“Then you will recall how depressed I was? Nothing could snap me out of it until I was inspired to help other women who had been wronged and had got no justice.”
Charlotte gasped. “You mean those stories about you are true?” Her eyes were as big as saucers.
“Yes and no,” Annie answered. “Let’s just say we help people, and we want to help you and the two other families that have been stricken with heartache by those doctors. You know about them, correct? The alleged suicide and the coma?”
“I heard rumors, yes.” Charlotte was getting pale.
“We have some ideas, but we will require some assistance,” Myra said.
“But how can I help?” Charlotte was becoming dizzy with confusion.
“Annie and I can be referrals. You bring us to see Dr. Marcus. That will get us inside legitimately,” Myra suggested.
“Legitimately?” Charlotte seemed dubious.
“As Annie mentioned earlier, we help people. We have a large network that aids and assists in a variety of tasks. Fergus and I are the key contacts and disseminate information to the sisters in order to allow them to carry out their plan,” Charles explained.
“Or ‘mission,’ as we call it,” Annie added.
“Wow.” Charlotte spoke in a whisper. “So what is the plan? Or mission?”
“We are in the process of gathering information about the three doctors. Once we know their strengths and weaknesses, particularly their weaknesses, we hatch a plan. Each sister brings her own personal area of expertise to bear.” Myra was matter of fact.
Another “Wow” emerged from Charlotte’s mouth.
“Indeed.” Charles put his arm around Myra, who put her arm around Annie, who put her arm around Fergus. “We are part of a team. You have already met the others.”
“You mean . . . the girls?” Wide-eyed saucers appeared again.
Everyone broke into laughter. “The sisters!” they said in unison.
Charlotte felt a level of excitement. Visiting Myra and Charles had been an excellent idea. “So, when do we start?” she asked, jubilation ringing in her voice.
“The sisters will be here in a couple of hours. We’ll have a meeting. And then we’ll have dinner, my special recipe of chicken cacciatore.” Charles was a man of many talents.
* * *
By four o’clock, everyone had arrived except Kathryn. She was on her way back from Aspen and Denver.
Myra escorted Charlotte down the dark steps as the other women followed. Myra explained that they always saluted Lady Justice upon entering and exiting. Charlotte was very nervous and made a weak attempt at complying.
Myra chuckled. “You’ll get used to it.”
Charlotte gazed around the impressive room. It looked like something you would see in a James Bond movie or in Star Wars. She wasn’t sure which. “Myra, I almost feel as if I don’t deserve the attention.”
“Don’t be silly. We’ve known each other since we were teens. And we have always trusted each other.” Myra pulled out a chair for Charlotte.
“Ditto for me,” Annie said and cackled.
The women pumped their fists in the air. “We’re all in!”
Chapter 21
Sag Harbor
Sasha sat in a small sedan in the Hampton Jitney parking lot. Corbett did not get off, so she followed the bus to the