The Value Of Valor - KJ3 Read Online Free PDF Page B

this instance, since the event leading to the amnesia had a physical, in addition to the psychological, component as a result of her head injuries, it’s a little more complicated.”
    “What do you suggest?”
    “I think it would be best if she recovered her memory as naturally as possible. Who she is, where she came from, the ring, and the other woman in the car—it’s inside of her. When her mind and body are ready, assuming they will be, it’ll come back.”
    Terri detected a hesitation in her friend’s voice. “What is it, Andy?”
    “Have you been paying attention to the news lately?”
    “I’ve been trying to, but Alexa’s care has kept me very busy. I miss watching the television, but at least I’ve been able to keep the radio on in my office.”
    “Terri, I think there’s a good chance the dead passenger is the press secretary’s lover, Jamison Parker.”

    Lynn Ames

    “I know, I’ve come to the same conclusion,” Terri answered. “It must have been—all the details fit. Which brings me to my next question.
    Should I try to call the press secretary—Katherine Kyle?”
    “To what end?” Andrea asked.
    “To see if she knows who Alexa is. I haven’t done this yet, because I’ve been afraid to intrude on her grief.”
    “I’d be surprised if you could get through to her in the first place,”
    Andrea said. “And, psychologically speaking, it’s still important not to force Alexa’s memory. The patient has to be the priority. She’ll come to it in her own time.”
    “I hope, for her sake, that time is soon.”

    “Kate?” Peter called through the door.
    “Yes?” She nervously fumbled with an earring.
    “Everybody’s here.”
    There was a pause.
    “Okay, I’ll be right out.” Kate had managed, with the help of friends in important places, to secure a historic mansion in Saratoga Springs, New York, in which to hold the service. She picked this spot because it was the site of her very first date with Jay.
    They had spent the day hiking at Kaaterskill Falls in the Catskills.
    Kate wanted to do something special for their first dinner date, so she called in a favor from a friend—the curator of this site. It had been the one-time headquarters of Revolutionary War General Burgoyne during the famous Battle of Saratoga. Kate surprised Jay by taking her to dinner in the intimate private dining room of this house, which was closed to the public. The evening had been magical.
    Kate sighed, looking down at the picture in her hands. There was Jay, laughing and smiling, looking elegant in the rust-colored silk pantsuit she had worn that night, showing off the two dozen roses Kate had given her.
    “Jay, I can’t say goodbye to you.” A teardrop fell onto the picture. “I just can’t. You might still be out there—it’s not impossible. I won’t give up on you as long as there’s hope. So today is not about an ending, okay?
    It’s just a celebration of your life and who you are. I know you’re going to come back to me.” She choked on her tears. “Please come back to me, Jay. I love you so much.”
    When Kate walked out into the great room where the service was to be held, she was both dumbfounded and touched. There, assembled before her, was a “Who’s Who” of people who had played a role in her life and Jay’s. In the front row were Peter, Barbara, Trish, President Hyland, and Vander Standislau, the editor in chief of Time . Just behind them were colleagues and friends from the media like Wendy Ashton of The Associated Press; Wanda Nelson, host of the nighttime news The Value of Valor

    magazine America’s Heartbeat ; Gene—Kate’s favorite cameraman from her days at WCAP-TV; and Phil, her news producer. In the next row of seats were the current and former commissioners of the New York State Department of Correctional Services Randy Garston and Brian Sampson.
    Alongside Sampson sat Sarah Alexander, Jay’s college roommate and first lover. The list went on and on. Kate