30
Jared didn’t know what he’d find when he got to Sporty’s house. What he feared most was finding Tandi even more devastated than she was after finding him and Evonne together, if that were possible, and it was possible if her argument with Sporty got nastier after he got off the telephone. He should have known better than to listen to Les and call the house. He should have known better than to speak even one word to Sporty Belson. In his desperation to speak to Tandi, he had really messed up, and he saw that the minute he pulled onto 112th Avenue and saw a police car and two ambulances parked outside of Sporty’s house. They were closing the door. Double parking, Jared leaped from his SUV and ran to the ambulance. He reached for the door handle.
“Sir,” an EMS officer said, “don’t open that door.”
Jared yanked open the door anyway.
“Hey!” The EMS officer knocked Jared’s hand away.
Jared saw only Tandi. She was sitting on the side of the stretcher staring down at Sporty. “What happened? Are you all right?”
Tandi’s blank, shell-shocked gaze was Jared’s answer.
The EMS officer tried to close the door in Jared’s face. “Mister, we have to get this patient to the hospital. Get back.”
“That’s my wife,” Jared explained.
“Then meet her at Jamaica Hospital.”
“Tandi, I’ll meet you at the hospital.”
“No,” she said softly.
“You shouldn’t be alone. Where’s MJ?”
“He’s with Glynn.”
“I’ll meet you at the hospital,” he said again.
“No.”
“Tandi—”
“Let’s go!” the paramedic working on Sporty shouted to the driver.
A police officer came up, and taking a firm hold on Jared’s arm, led him away from the ambulance. The EMS officer then slammed the ambulance door, sending it on its way, its sirens blaring, its emergency lights flashing wildly.
Jared stood in the gutter watching the ambulance speed away.
“Go home, mister,” the police officer said.
“What happened to Mr. Belson?”
“Looks like a stroke.”
“Is he alive?”
The police officer began walking away. “Check with the hospital.”
Jared looked at the house. It looked locked up. There was nothing for him to do. At a time like this, when Tandi needed him, she didn’t want him near her. MJ was going to need him and, in time, he hoped Tandi would also.