Chapter 4

Jarrod went to see this Dr. Matson and was impressed with the man. He saw a couple of his patients whose twisted limbs he'd helped straighten, and even if they weren't perfect, they weren't as useless as Carol's was. They were both men, walking with only slight limps and without canes. Jarrod thought that if Dr. Matson could do this much for Carol, no one would even notice the limp beneath her skirt.

He talked with the doctor for a while about "Karen Martin." Dr. Matson wasn't willing to discuss particulars about Carol's case, but he did say, "I'm pretty sure I can get her walking without the cane. I can't do anything about the scar, but after dark, with the right type of hat or bonnet, and without a cane, she could look normal enough to avoid being arrested – probably. Of course, I can't make guarantees."

"Of course not," Jarrod said. "How long have you been treating her?"

"Not long. I know her history. She was treated at this hospital before."

Jarrod nodded. "I know her history, too, and I knew her long before she was injured. Has she discussed her personal history with you?"

"No, and I don't need or want to know it. It's better that a surgeon not get too involved in a patient's life."

"I understand," Jarrod said. He did not disclose a thing he knew about her personally, not even her real name. "I want to help her. I know she doesn't have the money for the surgery you think might help, but I want to see if I can get it for her. How much are we talking about?"

Dr. Matson told him. It was a hefty amount, but Jarrod thought he could raise it by selling off some shares of stock he held in his own name in businesses that had nothing to do with the family.

Jarrod told Dr. Matson he would get the money together and pay for the surgery, if "Karen" wanted to go through with it. They shook hands and parted company, with Jarrod agreeing to get her to see Dr. Matson if she decided to go through with the surgery.

"You're an awfully good friend to do this," Dr. Matson said as Jarrod was leaving.

Jarrod just nodded his thanks and didn't explain anything more.

When Jarrod returned to Carol, to tell her what he had found out and what he wanted to do about paying for her surgery, she burst into tears. He took her into his arms. "Now, now. It's a big decision and it's totally up to you, and it's not contingent on you letting Joe know you're alive. I'll take your secret to my grave if that's what you want, but I'm hoping, once the surgery is successful, you might give some more thought to seeing Joe and maybe going back to your marriage."

"Oh, Jarrod – " she started and turned away.

But Jarrod took her by the arms and turned her to face him. "Look at me," he said and did not flinch at her scar. "Listen to me. Joe thinks he is a widower. He still loves you and misses you. He hasn't found anyone else."

She tried to turn again.

Jarrod turned her back toward him. "Listen to me. Have the surgery. I'll pay for it – it's not that big a hardship. Dr. Matson thinks that with your leg corrected and the proper hat or bonnet, you can go out at least at night and not be arrested. Let me at least do that for you, and for me, please, consider letting Joe know what's really happened. Let him hold you again."

Carol fell into his arms again, and Jarrod held her, and in a way, in his heart, he was holding Beth again.

XXXXXXX

Carol agreed to the surgery. Jarrod went back to Dr. Matson, told him he would pay for it, and left the arrangements to him. Dr. Matson would go see Carol at her home.

Jarrod returned to Carol and told her the plan, then told her he was going back to Stockton. He put off his work in San Francisco to get back to Arthur Martin. Martin needed to know what was going on, and he needed to be defended on the burglary charge.

Carol still would not let Jarrod defend Martin on the basis that he had only taken what already belonged to her, and Jarrod knew Martin wouldn't go against her on that. Jarrod didn't like it, but he knew it wouldn't help on the breaking and entering charge anyway. Martin was still in a lot of trouble.

Jarrod still hoped to get back to San Francisco before Martin's trial, after Carol had talked to Dr. Matson, to make one more plea for her to reveal herself and let Jarrod defend Martin with everything he had available. He hoped as the trial got closer, after she arranged for the surgery, that she would change her mind.

Jarrod saw Martin as soon as he got to Stockton and told him what had happened in San Francisco.

"I can't thank you enough for helping her get the surgery, Jarrod," Martin said.

"I just wish you'd come to me in the first place instead of trying to take the jewelry," Jarrod said.

"She wouldn't let me," Martin said.

Jarrod gave Martin a serious look. "Arthur – are you in love with Carol?"

Martins smiled a little. "In my own way – but – "

"But what?" Jarrod asked. "What you say won't leave this room."

"I – don't prefer women," Martin said. "Carol is my friend, like a sister. She knows my preferences. We're that close. The full truth is that I – care for someone else in San Francisco."

Jarrod was surprised. He hadn't considered that angle. "Why didn't you have me see your – " He didn't know what word to use.

Martin shook his head. "It's not necessary. He's taking care of Carol in my absence. She'll tell him what's going on. We're friends, Jarrod, all of us. We need each other for different reasons."

Jarrod let it sink in. "I've been pressing Carol to come back to her husband."

Martin snorted a little. "So have we. Believe me – we're not keeping her trapped or anything. We just love her. We'll care for her as long as we need to, but we'd like to see her come back to her life, too. Mr. Barkley – I may not love a woman, but I know about love. You understand."

Jarrod nodded. "I do, and while I can't exactly say I approve of your choice in life, I appreciate very much that – " He fumbled for words. "I appreciate that your love extends to Carol. I just want to try to keep you out of prison, and that would be easier if she would let me explain you took only what already belonged to her."

"Then she'd have to reveal she's alive, and she's not ready to do that."

"I plan to go back to San Francisco and try again, after she's talked to Dr. Matson."

Martin nodded. "It'll be her decision, and I'll abide by it."

"Arthur," Jarrod said, "you need to understand something. We might be able to dance around the question of why you stole this particular jewelry at your trial, but if the prosecutor asks - you have to tell the truth. If you don't, my obligation as your attorney is to ask to withdraw from the case."

Martin thought about that. It was clear he hadn't thought about it before, but now that he did, he just said, "We'll have to cross that bridge if we come to it. I'd like to see if we can get a deal out of the prosecutor and never go to trial."

"We'll see," Jarrod said. He marveled at the man in front of him, what he was willing to sacrifice for a friend. He extended his hand, and Martin took it. "I'll do everything I can for you, Arthur – everything Carol will let me do. And I won't reveal anything she doesn't want revealed. I don't like it at all, but I'll do it."

"Thank you, and I trust you won't let my other secret out either," Martin said.

"I won't," Jarrod said. "I don't know if you've actually broken the law but ethics don't require me to find out. You haven't been charged with anything on that score. I'm sure you're aware of the risks that it will come out though, regardless of what you want."

"And I have been for a long time," Martin said. "Love is a funny thing, isn't it? The way we feel it whether we want to or not. I feel love I can't legally feel. Carol feels love she can't feel because she's decided it hurts too much. Carol's husband feels love he can't feel because he thinks it's dead."

Jarrod didn't reveal his own feelings. He just said, "Maybe we can do something about the last two, even if we can't do anything about the first."