Chapter 27
Mark and his questions could go to hell. A serious discussion on boundaries loomed on our horizon, but not tonight. Any agency we set up would be far more humane or I wouldn’t be involved.
People in the hospital waiting room skittered out of his way, much as the cruiser had moved the cars on the highway. Following in his wake, I wrestled with thoughts of Stella and his request. A gong demanded attention. An ethereal voice smothered the hubbub of the emergency room. “Dr. Johnson, code 432. Dr. Thaddeus Johnson, code 432.” No one seemed to pay any heed to the announcement. Hope Dr. Johnson did.
Pissed me off, him asking me to pump for information. I shot daggers at his broad back. Was he always this way? Couldn’t he see more here than a case, and evidence? This visit was about her and me—and life.
Needed to drop this funk before we got to Stella’s room. She’d spot it right off. Or would she? Would she still the same person, or had the accident changed her? Mark said nothing about Stella’s condition. Shit. No time now.
Could use a stiff drink about now, but didn’t even have one at dinner. The meds and “mother” Joe’s voice in my head prevented my indulgence. What did Mahoney think about dealing with a teetotaler? Didn’t say anything or even seem to notice. All business right up until the point where I agreed to join the team and we clinked glassed to seal the deal—mine water.
We turned down a corridor long enough to shrink the people at the far end to miniature stick figures. I trotted to keep up. No one stopped us, no one asked our business. Most smiled as we passed. Mark nodded back. Now, I began to understand why he wore his uniform. The staff recognized him, and his dress said this was official.
A nurse called us over the ward station, and inquired if we were to see Stella Burns. “This is police business, right? Visiting hours are over.”
Mark stepped in before I could complain. “Yes, all part of the investigation.”
“Doctors insist you limit your visit to ten minutes tops. She’s stable now, but she tires easily and needs to remain calm.”
He smiled back at the nurse. “I’ll time him, to make sure.” He glanced at me. “Hey, cheer up grumpy. Stella doesn’t want to see that face.”
I let my face go neutral. “Sorry. A little worried.”
“Nothing to worry about. You’re the best medicine she’s had since they brought her in.”
The nurse’s eyes flicked back and forth between the two of us. “Thought you said you were here on official business.”
He grabbed my arm and pulled. The pain roared out from my shoulder. Tossing his words back to the nurse, we scurried away from the desk. “We are. All above board.”
Wanted to ask the woman if Stella seemed different. A stupid thought, she didn’t know her from before. And Mark gave me no time as he dragged me off down another long hallway. Did he mean what he said about my being good medicine? Or was he telling me to “put on a smiley face. All the better to extract the information with, my dear”. The “big, bad, gray wolf” led us further into the depths of the hospital.
A uniformed State cop jumped to his feet and went to rigid attention. We came to a halt in front of the trooper. “At ease Sullivan. Everything OK here?”
The officer leaned against the wall. “All quiet, sir. Except she keeps calling me in asking about—him?”
Mark chuckled. “Al, this is Sergeant Jim Sullivan, one of my best.” Jim, Chief Snodgrass from Granite Cove.
Sullivan flushed. I stuck out my hand. “Ex-Chief actually, good to meet you.”
Mark held up a finger, “Once a chief always a chief.”
I opened my mouth to protest when a voice slipped out through the crack in the door propped ajar. “Al? Al Snodgrass is that you out there?” Stella’s voice, I listened to it a thousand times over the years, on the phone, on the radio and best of all in person. Not as strong as I remembered, but her for sure.
Mark hiked his thumb at the room. “Close the door all the way for some privacy. Need to go over some things with Jim, so I’ll be out here.”
A half-grin he always wore when he wasn’t telling you the complete story, crept over Mark’s face. Maybe he did drag me down here for reasons other than the case. Grabbing a breath, I pushed through the door.
She lay on the bed, her face to the door. Some of the original bandages were replaced by smaller versions, a stitched cut slashed across her forehead above one enormous shiner. Battered to be sure, but her smile could have melted gold. Didn’t consider myself golden in any respect, but I was melting.
“Well Chief, you gonna stand over there and stare? Am I that bad looking?”
“Bad? Oh no–I don’t think I have seen anyone more beautiful.” I hurried across the room and took her outstretched hand. Once out, I realized my words were far more than meaningless platitudes. They were the truth. How could anyone want to hurt this person?
My throat began to close off. Didn’t trust my voice so I bent to kiss her cheek. She turned and our lips met, a quick peck, then a longer more sensual meeting. Modesty sent me an urgent jolt to recoil that fizzled before I could react. I was meant to be here. I kissed her back.
She sank back on her pillow. “They said you’d been shot. Scared to death I wouldn’t see you again. Are you all right?”
“A little sore, but I’m fine. You’re the one who freaked me out. I—we thought we lost you. The first time I saw you in Southport, about did me in.”
The smile faded and color drained from her face. “I—I don’t remember any details before here. All a blank. Southport General?”
“Yes, they took you there first, but not for long. Moved you in here for the best possible care.”
“This is the only place I remember after going over the cliff. Thought the end had come when I couldn’t stop the car or turn. Right through the barricade, rolled over and over. Guess I passed out. Don’t recall hitting bottom. What happened Al? What went wrong?”
Clouds gathered over those beautiful eyes. I wanted the sparkle and laughter to return. “Stell, it’s a long story and I promise to tell you everything, but not here and not now. They want you to rest up and not get excited. How about we go over the details at a nice private dinner somewhere? Just you and me, as soon as they let you out of here.” Jesus, did I just ask her out? I did, and it felt right.
Life flooded back into her eyes. The ends of her lips turned up at the corners. “Dinner would be wonderful.”
“They treating you okay? Anything you need?”
“Everyone is great and the troopers are pleasant. Al, the facts please. Why are the State police outside my room twenty four hours a day? They won’t tell me a thing.”
I scanned the room searching for words as though I could collect them off the sterile walls or the gaudy curtains over the window. They had to be the right ones to answer the question but not upset her. Nothing came, I stalled. “Should have made you my head of detectives back when, instead of hiring Owens.”
“You would still be Chief if you had. Now spill the beans.” A challenge flashed out her eyes. Never allowed myself to acknowledge how expressive they were until this moment. They talked and I listened.
“You can digest all this stuff later, for now—quiet and calm. Remember?”
“Pussy footing around isn’t going to keep me calm, Al Snodgrass. So talk.”
Right on, as she always was, and I sensed she might not be talking exclusively about information. “Alright, but try to stay cool. If your blood pressure goes up they will throw me out. Your brakes and steering were messed with. You didn’t have a chance of making that turn. I’m not saying anything more, for now.”
Her eyes widened and I saw fear consume the fire that resided there a moment ago. “What? You can’t leave me hanging.”
“You’re safe here with a permanent guard watching over you. You need to concentrate on getting better, not this other stuff. Let us finish the investigation. Besides, I don’t know any more than what I told you.” Needed to change the subject. I nodded at several floral arrangements on the window sill and side table. “Had many visitors?”
“Those are from the crew at the office. Only seen my doctors, my nurses and an occasional glimpse of my guard on the doors. They’re screening people, I think. You are my first real visitor. You know more about these restrictions than me, don’t you?”
I shook my head. “Your doctor’s doing, but Renfrew is supplying the muscle. I’ve been out of touch the last few days with my own problems. The blame falls on someone besides me for this one. Can’t believe I’m the first one they let in.”
I kicked myself. As pissed at Mark as I was for requesting this kind of interrogation, here I slid into cop-mode without a thought. Did seem to reduce the tension in our conversation as we each slipped into accustomed roles. All these years on the job made her able to separate emotion from business. Mu guilt drifted away.
“Buddy showed up, but they blocked him at the door. Heard him yelling. Thought he might shoot his way in. Poor kid wound up crying. Hope he gets through all this, okay.”
“He’ll be all right, but you need to understand you’re like a mother to these new recruits. Hell, you’re a mother to all of us.”
Her eyes crinkled around the edges. “You think of me as your mother, Al?”
“Me? What? I mean — no of course not. You know what I mean — well …”
A sly smile painted her lower face. “You just asked me on a date, I think. A girl has to know where she stands.”
A boldness, absent since I chased the ladies as a young buck, kicked in. “Damn right it’s a date, a real one. Someplace special. I want to be alone with you.”
Water ringed her eyes. “Waited a long time to hear those words.”
She was waiting? For me? Her fingers closed around my hand and squeezed. My true feelings lay strewn across the snowy white bed sheet and now I was unsure where to go with conversation. I pressed on with my questions, my safe spot, and my home base. She would understand, always did. “Anyone else show up?”
“Greaseball.”
“Greaseball?”
“Yeah, DeFranchesco. Greaseball’s what we girls in the office call him—fits.”
“Suppose. What did he want and how did he slip by the security?”
“Police business. Wanted to interview me about the crash. Didn’t talk much about it. Seemed more focused on Beanie and pumped me on where he should be looking for him. Sure didn’t mention anything about cut brake lines.”
“Suspect he wasn’t aware of the tampering, or might have wanted it to look that way.”
The fingers clamped tighter, Stella was strong woman. “What do you mean?”
She wasn’t letting the subject go, but her pulse rate remained steady. I bent down again, close to her ear and lowered my voice. “Told you, details later. Understand this though. DeFranchesco is a person of interest in everything going on—your accident, Melissa’s murder. Not sure what his role is, but be very careful around him.”
She turned and our faces touched. “Have been since the day he set foot in the department. Took him less than forty eight hours before he put a hit on me.” She shuttered. “Thinking about him gives me the creeps.”
“Good, stay spooked. I should go. They told me only ten minutes and I’ve been in here fifteen already.”
“Oh, screw them. But you could use some rest. You’re a ghost, too pale.”
“Yes, mother.”
She squeezed again. We kissed fully on the lips this time, a drawn out kiss, as long as our two broken bodies would allow. Stella responded.
“I swear Chief Snodgrass if I wasn’t wrapped up in all this plaster and gauze, I would be tempted to show my appreciation right here on this bed.”
A burning flush raced up my neck into my cheeks and a growing tension mounted between my legs. I pulled back. No question, I would be a willing recipient. The bravado of a few minutes ago gone, I struggled for words. Damn, shouldn’t be so difficult. “Ahem, well –Hmmm. Expect that would bring more than a nurse to check up on us. Maybe when we’re both in a little better shape?”
She laughed, her real laugh, the one I heard around the office. She was back. I didn’t lose her after all.
Mark dropped the question over his shoulder as he rounded the front of the cruiser. “You learn anything?”
I glared across the roof. “Learned Stella is going to be OK.”
He shook his head. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to be insensitive. I’m too case oriented—hazard of the job.”
I nodded, and wrestled myself into the front seat. “Makes three of us.”
Verba Mea 