Free Crazy For You by Marie Higgins

Lamont inside, wouldn’t it appear nicer than it was?
    An older woman waddled to the front desk, wearing blue scrubs and white sensible shoes. He gave her his best smile, praying he’d be able to get in.
    “Good morning. May I help you, sir?”
    “Yes. I came to visit Lamont Walters.” He leaned his elbows on the desktop. “Lamont is my grandfather.”
    Her eyes widened in shock. “He is? I didn’t think he had family.”
    “I’ve been out of the state for a few years in the military,” E li nodded. When the nurse still gave him a skeptical look, he continued, “I know grandpa is forget ful at times, but I assure you, he will know me. Tell him I’m...” He hesitated, wondering whether or not to give him Joshua’s name. He must. There was no other way. “Tell him I’m Joshua Montgomery’s son.”
    “I’ll be right back. I don’t think he’ll approve. His health has been declining lately—as has his memory—and he’s not allowed to see people he doesn’t know.”
    “I understand. Will you try anyway?”
    “Yes. I’ll be right back.”
    It had been five years...which means the nurses who were working back then were probably not still here. With any luck, the new nurses wouldn’t know that the poor man had been sent her e against his will.
    It only took five minutes before the older woman returned. Worry etched her withered brow as she scratched her graying brown hair. “Well, Mr. Montgomery, I don’t know what has happened...but Lamont does wish to see you.”
    Eli didn’t dare shout for joy just yet. “Thank the good Lord he remember s me.”
    She smiled. “Yes, it’s a miracle. Follow me, please.”
    He slipped his hand into the inside of his jacket and pressed the record button. Lamont had to know something. Eli was running out of options …and running out of days. Soon he’d have to go back. He didn’t know right now which one he’d miss more. His freedom—or Kendra .
    Then again, Kendra was freedom. He’d never felt so alive—or so free.
    When Eli walked into the man’s room, the strong odor of urine struck him and nearly made him gag. These nurses were definitely not doing their job well.
    Lamont sat in a chair facing the window. He turned his frail body to look upon Eli. The man’s bushy white eyebrows lifted slowly as awareness brightened his face. Not a word was said until after the nurse left, then Lamont gave him a toothless grin.
    “I can’t believe my eyes. I never dreamed you would escape your gilded cage at the asylum, Joshua.”
    Eli nearly laughed out loud to think t he old man saw him as Joshua.
    He rushed to the older man’s side, knelt and gripped his hand. “It’s good to see you, Lamont. Most of Ad am…um, my father’s servants have died or moved out of the country. I’m thrilled to see you’re still here.”
    Lamont chuckled as tears filled his eyes. “ Terrel and Lisa tried to dispose of me, but I’m a stubborn man and wouldn’t let them. I knew I’d eventually end up in a nursing home, so I convinced them to put me here early.”
    “Smart man.” Eli patted the man’s hand. “But I need your help now. Terrel and Lisa must be stopped. They are corrupt and they are running people’s lives. Good people are suffering because of them.”
    “Tell me what you need, Joshua. I may be feeble, but I do have an alert mind...just don’t let the nurses know.”
    “You have my silence on that, I promise you. But what I need from you is to tell me in your own words what happened the night...I was put in the nut house.” He pulled out the mini- voice recorder.
    Nodding, Lamont linked his bony fingers across his chest. “I shall never forget that day. A storm was brewing outside the house as well as inside. The servants were whispering...they’d heard bits of conversations from Lisa and Terrel . Lisa had slipped a drug into your coffee that morning. Once it took e ffect, they dragged you out to the car and instructed me to take you to St. Benedicts.