Where the Sun Sets
Chapter 7
The alarm clock sounded. The television went on automatically, preprogrammed to
the news channel. In the bathroom another alarm sounded. Josephine cursed the sun as
she forced herself from her bed. She must have sat up too fast because her head hurt.
She put her hand to her head in an attempt to hold back the pain and was quickly
reminded of the previous nights events when her hand came into contact with a tender
area. Josephine got herself up and grabbed the bottle of pain pills the nurse had given
her the night before. Shutting off the alarm clock, she walked to the bathroom, where
she shut off the second alarm and grabbed a glass of water. Tossing a pill into her
mouth, she chugged the glass of water. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and
noting the lump on her forehead, she told the reflection, "She should have lumped you
up years ago."
After a quick shower she returned to her room to hear all about the previous night's
events. The news station had her house live, as a reporter gave the story from her front
lawn. "Jesus." She muttered to herself. Josephine went in search of Billy, only to find
him dozing in a chair outside her bedroom door.
"Hey, wake up dammit." She batted him on the shoulder. "Got reporters all over the
grounds, hell they probably showed me in the shower. What's with you?" Billy jumped up
and wiped his face with his hands. He ran down the stairs to the foyer where he picked
up his phone and started barking out orders.
Josephine made her way to the kitchen where her preprogrammed coffee maker had
obediently done its job. She poured herself a cup and proceeded to the back hall to
retrieve her morning paper. Chloe always placed it neatly on the back table for her,
so she didn't have to venture outside to get it. She peeked out the window and didn't
see anyone with a camera. She smiled to herself, Billy must've been working extra hard
at the moment. She made her way back to the table and read the paper while having her
coffee.
Josephine picked up one of the many cordless phones she had lying around her estate.
One of Chloe's many jobs was to keep the phones fully charged. She dialed up her
secretary. The phone rang four times before he picked up.
"Jim Deloryan, how may I help you?"
"Morning Jim, what's on the agenda for today?"
"Josephine, how are you feeling this morning? You sound well."
"Perhaps you did not hear me, I believe I said, Morning Jim, what's on the agenda
for today?"
"Meeting in Ohio at two this afternoon, followed by dinner with Leon Tune's leading
lady."
"Reschedule both for next week at the earliest. Cancel all appointments for the
next two days and get your ass out to the Paper Mill and grab a copy of everything printed
in the last twenty-four. Take them and your little self over to my attorney's office and
read everything."
"Joseph..." She clicked the phone off before waiting for his response.
Jim got under her skin. He felt powerful in his position. He felt some sort of
invisible bond with Josephine and she wanted him replaced badly. Anthony was supposed
to take care of it for her.
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