Truths Unveiled - By Kimberly Alan Page 0,39

long wooden floorboards. “I couldn’t get out of there until after midnight. I knew about the cast party. I planned to meet up with you there,” he told Pam. “Then I heard about the accident over my scanner. I remember getting a sick feeling in my gut, even before the dispatcher mentioned your car.”

DeOreo cleared his throat. “Pam, do you have any more questions for Tom about what happened before the accident?”

Tom’s hooded eyes implored her forgiveness. She offered him a small but genuine smile and shook her head. He reclaimed her hand and kissed it.

“Very well. Then I’ll presume the two of you have settled that issue between you. Now, tell us Pam, what made you scream?”

Truths Unveiled

Truths Unveiled

Chapter Twenty-Four

Pam’s breath caught in her throat. Without realizing it, she dug her fingernails into the palms of her hands. How stupid of her. She’d almost forgotten why they were here. Maybe the mellowed feeling she’d experienced moments ago came from her needing to hear Tom’s side of the story more than she’d realized. His explanation went a long way to fill in the blanks, but she didn’t feel comfortable asking him anything more than he was willing to volunteer.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” DeOreo reminded her. “Take it one scene at a time. Close your eyes, if you think it will help.”

Pam took the suggestion. “It was very dark. The road was slippery. The rain wouldn’t let up. I remember driving slower than usual because it was so difficult to see. Megan and I were talking about Tom and Susan. I was trying not to cry. We were going downhill, around a curve surrounded by huge trees and woods.”

Pam paused. She could feel her heart pounding against her ribs.

“There was no warning. Not even headlights. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, something smashed into us.” She placed her hands over her ears. “The noise. It went on forever. And I couldn’t see anything!”

Her upper chest and neck, and her chin, began to throb as she recalled the impact against the steering wheel and dashboard.

“I could hear Megan scream. I couldn’t stop the car. Glass shattered. I kept trying to slam on the brakes and maneuver away from the woods, but I couldn’t. The car just kept going. I lost complete control. Then, like a flash, I saw an enormous tree coming right at us.”

Emotionally spent, Pam collapsed against the back of the recliner.

“Congratulations,” the doctor said. “That’s a major breakthrough. You forced your subconscious to recall the accident.”

Wearily, Pam pulled herself up and walked over to a bronze bust of Chopin sitting on a tall, pedestal table near a heavily draped window. She pretended to examine it.

“I understand what you’re saying. But what about the green can I was holding? I can name two types of beer that come in green cans.”

“And I can name at least one kind of soda,” Dr. DeOreo interjected, playing devil’s advocate. “Furthermore, a lot of different kinds of beer come in brown bottles. You guys were kids. And under age. Chances are you didn’t have too much variety of booze. If I were voting, I’d say that the green can was filled with soda.”

“Like ginger ale,” Tom recalled. “You loved the stuff. I remember you ordering it every time we’d go out.”

Pam remembered it, too. She also remembered her mom bringing her a two-liter bottle when she was in the hospital. To their surprise, she had gagged on it and hadn’t touched a drop since. Wasn’t that weird? Who was she kidding? The whole thing was weird. And being here, getting hypnotized, was even weirder.

She met the gaze of both men. “Okay. I hear you. I guess I’m thinking that if I was drinking, even if I wasn’t legally drunk, my reflexes would have been impaired. Therefore, even if there had been some way to avoid Ryan, I wouldn’t have been able to think or act fast enough to do it.”

“You could be right,” DeOreo replied. “But there’s more about this, Pam. Isn’t there? Something that won’t let you let go of it.”

“What do you mean?” Tom asked. “Pam?”

It took her a full minute to respond. He was right. Something still irked her. But what? She couldn’t put her finger on it. “I don’t know. It’s more like a feeling, I guess.”

“Should we try the hypnosis again?” Tom suggested.

Dr. DeOreo rose and shook his head. “Not at this time. I think you’ve learned enough for now. Take some time to digest it.