Fly With Fire (48 page)

Zack had been in her life for
a short time. If she had to go by her immediate sensation, he would affect her
life for a very long time. She would certainly never forget him. Only time
would tell if she’d stop longing for him.

The elevator pinged then
opened. Roddy stepped off with Al Simpson. She hoped Al brought the news she
wanted to hear. Instead of speaking she waved for the men to sit down. Roddy
bent to give her a kiss on the head and took a seat beside her. She reached out
and took his hand waiting for Al to speak.

“Misha Severinsky has
confessed to the murder of Ling Wong.” Al watched Mo squeeze her eyes shut for
a moment and exhale the tension. “It was not airtight so a confession is the
best tool for a conviction.”

“I knew you’d get him to
confess. Mo’s voice was very hoarse, her throat still very sore. “You almost
had me confessing.” She cut short a painful chuckle. “Thank you Al. Thank you
for coming to tell me.” She turned to her manager. “Roddy, I’ll see you when
you get back from New York.”

“If you need me I stay. No
sweat the problem.” He clasped her hand.

“No, Roddy, go. You love her.
Go fix things, do everything you can.” She kissed his cheek. “I’d like to talk
to Al…Detective Simpson, alone. Do you mind staying a minute?” She saw the
trepidation in the big man’s eyes.

“I see you the moment we get
back. You rest. You take care of yourself. We go to D.C. in just a few days!”
Roddy gave her a wink and stepped onto the elevator.

The doors whooshed shut. Mo smiled
as best she could until Roddy disappeared from view. She saw the wariness in
Al’s eyes. The same wariness she’d come to notice in all their eyes. It was a
cop thing.

“How is he?” She searched
Al’s eyes. “You’ve seen him. How is he?”

“He’s good; recovering.” She
might have been the only one who could make him break his stare. He looked
down.

“Has he asked for me?” It was
a strain to talk.

“No,” Al answered. Now it was
hard to breathe as well.

Mo felt her heart would sink
to unrecoverable depths. “He’ll be okay.” It was a question and a statement.

“Yes. He’ll be out of the
hospital tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow.” She would be
packing with Deb’s help.

“I’ll let you know any new
information. Severinsky’s going to plea so they’ll be no trial. I wish you all
the luck in the world Ms. Whitman. You deserve it.” Al rose to leave.

“Thanks again for everything.
Thanks for coming by.” She started to rise but he signaled her to stay seated.

“Goodbye Ms. Whitman.” Al
walked to the elevator and pressed the call button. He looked at Mo and swore
he’d never seen such a forlorn woman. Enough was enough. “Ms. Whitman!”

“Huh!” she started at his
tone.

“I’m sick and tired of the
two of you acting like idiots and since I think you’re probably just a little
bit less of an idiot than Burnham, it’s up to you to put the kibosh on this
bullshit. I don’t care what you have to do, but you make that college boy act
like he’s got some sense. And do it now before he start’s to believe he wants
to be a cop again ‘cause he sure as hell doesn’t.” Al’s hands were on his hips,
his big chin jutting.

“What? Of course he wants to
be a cop. He always wanted to be a cop!” Mo jumped up and rasped at Al.

“Okay. I take it back. You’re
just as much an idiot as Burnham.” He stepped into the elevator leaving Mo
completely astonished.

A little later, when Mo
called for the car and said she wanted to go to the hospital, all Meese could
do was groan.

Zack stared out the window at
the Oak Lawn Tower Hotel. The late afternoon sun came in the window almost blinding
him. The sun felt good but did nothing for his mood. He was a little groggy
after having dozed in the wheelchair. The pain was there but had become
tolerable with a minimum of medication.

He was looking forward to
Dino coming by with pizza. He was at his limit with hospital food and since
he’d been given the go ahead he was going to take advantage of it. Not that he
had much of an appetite.

Dino had been in and out.
Dino’s wife and her brother had stopped in. George Travers had been by. Mayor
Tyler and Mayor Brody had been in for a visit and a photo opportunity with the
hero everyone was talking about. Roddy had visited along with a number of
people from the show. The Whitney’s had visited and sent gifts. He’d received
flowers and letters from all over the country. He was a celebrity. The instant
news media was in full swing. A number of secret filmers had posted the entire
incident at the coliseum online.  It was too much, it was insane. He’d had
to make arrangements to stay at a hotel so he could avoid the media camped
outside his condo and spend some time alone. Members of the press had even
tried to sneak into his room. But since hospital staff had gotten hip to that
possibility, security had tightened up. Let ’em try it now, Zack thought. God,
he just wanted to be left alone.

He needed time to think about
what he would do with his life when he was recovered. He didn’t want to be a
cop anymore. He couldn’t go back to it. Not even with Tyler’s offer of a
position as head of his detail. Especially not with that offer.

 He was entertaining law
school without great enthusiasm. He’d been told he was going to get a
settlement for his injuries. Sure. Would be helpful. Now what?

He closed his eyes and
thought about Mo. That last frightening time he’d seen her. Maybe if he had
just…no he didn’t want to burden her, be a burden to her. He was a survivor. He
would go forward. Somehow. Without her. She needed to live her life. He knew he
couldn’t be a part of it. She had tried to visit him. He couldn’t see her.
Couldn’t handle seeing her. He didn’t want her gratitude or pity. He sat
staring into a future without her in it. It felt like no future at all.

“Detective Burnham?” a nurse
or aid with a husky female voice softly called his name as she came in quietly.

“My friend’s bringing pizza.
No dinner, thanks.” Zack held his face up to the evening sun. Small comfort.

“No, Dino’s not bringing
pizza.”

Startled Zack clumsily moved
to turn his chair. “What…”

Mo stood in a colorful top
and green uniform pants. The giveaway would have been her sandals, if anyone
had looked closely enough. She gazed at Zack embarrassed and sad. She surveyed
the bandages that wrapped his shoulders and chest. He had rope burn on his
cheek from the net.

“You shouldn’t be here.” His
heart stopped. Did his heart stop?

“I know.” The tightness in
her throat made talking more difficult than it already was.

“Roddy said you wanted to
thank me. It’s not necessary. I was just doing my job.” He held up a hand his
voice shaking. “Please. Just go.”

“No.” She had his attention
and she wasn’t going to lose it. And he could stop wallowing. “You owe me an
apology, Detective.”

“I’m not a detective
anymore…what the…”

“You lied to me. You didn’t
tell me about Roddy’s offer. For all your self-righteous bullshit about honesty
and trust you kept from me the most important information of all.” Mo’s hoarse
voice rose. She became animated. She had something to get off her chest. Plus
it was her last chance. “How dare you accuse me of withholding information when
you didn’t tell me about the offer from Roddy? How dare you lie to me? Am I
supposed to me so grateful to you that I overlook the fact that you kept that
from me? Didn’t I mean anything to you? Were you so hung up with your notch on
the bedpost mindset that you didn’t see how that would hurt me?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to
hurt you, now if you would just…you know damn well I didn’t mean the notch
thing! For Chrissake, will you ever let me live that down?” Zack actually
backed up as far as he could into the wheelchair as Mo bent into his face.
Tears ran down her cheeks. It took a moment to find her voice. 

“You tell me you don’t love
me and I’ll walk away. You tell me, Burnham, that you don’t want to be in my
life, don’t want that job and don’t want to be with me. Don’t mumble. Say it,
Mr. You Tube hero!” Oh shit, here it comes. Silence.

She stared with her arms
crossed. She’d cried enough. He looked at her. “Mo, I’m not like I was. Things
are different…my body…”

She refrained from poking him
in the chest. “Oh, please, Zack! Are you actually feeling sorry for yourself?
You’re being pretty dramatic you know. Just apologize and I’ll call Dino and
tell him you can have the pizza after all. But we’re leaving for D.C. in three
days so let’s not waste anymore time. I suggest you keep the condo. I’d like to
spend more time in Chicago. You’ll like Monteal a lot too. So what’ll be? Do I
need to bring in the boys to twist your arms, maybe rearrange your kneecaps?
And I thought I could get by with the pizza threat.”

“Have you been possessed by
Al Simpson?”

“Let’s just say he and I
understand each other a little better.” Mo crouched in front of Zack’s
wheelchair and ran her hands up his thighs looking into his eyes. “I love you,
Zack. And you love me. So, what’s it gonna be?”

The May run in Santa Fe had
been a smash. A blessed hiatus was anticipated by the whole troupe. Mo was in
top form though sometimes she still got hoarse.  She hugged Deb, and
Claude, who held Lourdes’ hand. She smiled at Roddy, and Luciana, who had a baby
bump out to there. They had certainly worked out their problems. Luciana
actually seemed happy. She had even asked Mo to be godmother.

Al Simpson introduced his
wife Delores to the members of the company. Gerald Tyler had sent his regrets;
election coming up. But the Whitney’s had accepted and were dancing to big band
music while Juan and Jesus watched Reuben balance a stack of full champagne
glasses.

“Careful Reu. You get
champagne on my wife’s pretty dress you’ll have to answer to me,” Zack
threatened with mock seriousness.

“Tough guy now that the
doctor’s given you the all clear, huh, Zack?” Mo held out her hand. Zack swung
her out and gave her a spin.

“Tough enough for you,
beautiful. At least it seemed like it last night.” He brought her close and brushed
her lips with his. “You don’t mind about the party at Dino’s do you? Just a few
days in Chicago, then Phuket here we come!”

“Of course I don’t mind the
party at Dino’s. After that, I’m going to have you all to myself. On a beach.
We’ll being cleaning sand off each other for days.”

“Promise?” He gave her a
whirl. “I hear the pearl diving is great there this time of year.”

“Mmm! I’m sorry Lourdes has
to work and can’t go to France with Claude.”

“The price of dedication. Someone
has to cover for the boss while he’s on his honeymoon.” He pressed his lips on
hers and held her close. The music slowed and they swayed together luxuriating
in the sensation. Zack took in the scent of her. He had almost lost her. Twice.
Not because of a madman but because of his own stupid pride. “Baby?”

“Hmmm?” She loved the feel of
him so close. She never got enough of it.

“At the hospital, when you
gave me that ultimatum, what made you so sure I’d go for it?” He never got
enough of her. Her scent, her feel, her responses.

She laughed a little putting
her arms around his neck. “Al.”

“Al?” Zack laughed out loud.

“He said you didn’t want to
be a cop anymore and that you, okay we, were being idiots and I’d better put a
stop to it because I wasn’t as big an idiot as you. I’m paraphrasing but that’s
the gist. I didn’t know you’d do anything but have me kicked out of the room.
But I hoped like anything I wouldn’t have to twist your good arm behind your
back. I love you so much, Zack. I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“Good to know Al thinks so
well of us. I guess I’m in his debt despite is low opinion of our
intelligence.” Zack wrapped both arms around his bride and felt a deep sense of
contentment. “I love you, Mo. See, you didn’t even have to twist my arm to get
me into this monkey suit.”

“You might not be as big an
idiot as Al thought.” They held each other as if their lives depended on it.
“Zack, you once said you wouldn’t know how to be anything but a cop. Do you
have any regrets about…leaving it behind?”

“How can I regret anything
when I get to hold you in my arms every day? Besides that, this job makes me
something only you can top.” He brushed her lips with his then swung her out.
He turned her so her back was to him as they swayed to the music.

“What’s that?” Mo asked as
she basked in the sensation of his lips on her neck.

“Happy.”

The End