Pirro would come after her again. She knew that. Even so, the attempt on her life had challenged her and made her angry. He had picked on the wrong girl.
She buzzed the nurse for help sitting up and asked for the phone. She needed a different kind of help just now. "Hello, Linda, it's Sandy. Thanks for the orchid plant."
"Sandy! So happy you're okay. I hope Chip catches that bastard. May I come up to see you?"
"Not yet, but I do need a favor."
"Anything."
"Do you own a gun?"
"Anything but that. You're not getting it. The police will protect you from Pirro."
"How did you know his name?"
"Some cop mentioned it, I guess."
"I need the gun for preemptive purposes. What do you have?"
"Preemptive, my ass. Don't even think about that going after him crap. Yes, I have a .38. Do you even know anything about firearms?"
"I've been shown a few things. I'm serious, Linda, and I'm not going to argue with you. Do I get your gun or not?"
"The Florida sun has baked your brain. Let me warn you, Sugar, if you go through with this, Chip won't hesitate to arrest you."
"It'll look like self-defense. A cop in Philly showed me exactly how to set it up. They won't even bring charges against me."
"You're talking about murder. It's dangerous, and you could get yourself killed. You know, you could lose Chip over this. He hates people who pick up a gun to settle a score. He's says they're not trustworthy. He's likely to write you off in a hurry."
"Linda?"
"You're a wild woman, you know it?"
"Linda?"
"Okay, okay, you could get one fast in Florida anyway. But I have to meet with you first and discuss it. I must be certain that you're off all medications."
Sandy started forming a vague plan. She'd lure Pirro into the open. That part would be easy. He would underestimate her just like everyone else. He'd macho around, showing off. She'd let him strut for a minute. Then, she'd blow him away. He'd die with a surprised look on his ugly face. She'd do it for Elena and God knows how many other women-past and future.
After the evening meal and more medication, she felt sleepy. Cloudy thoughts swirled around in her mind. There in her drowsy fog she saw herself going after Pirro. He was standing there beside his huge vehicle. She saw herself taking out the gun and slipping the safety off. Then he got blurry and disappeared. She was drifting and floating. Looking down, she could see the blurry body of a tall, skinny man wearing a baseball cap. He was lying face down in a pond filled with blood, his body kept jerking with spastic movements, in spite of the iron sword piercing his chest and sticking up out of his back.