Prince Charming (Behind the Screen, #1) (8 page)

‘Yes okay.’

‘Be safe.’

‘I will.’

‘I’ll call you tomorrow.’

‘Okay. Harmony waited at the door until he pulled away.

The light switched on and Marcus woke up.

‘Are you hungry yet?’ She placed the tray with the plate of food on the table.

The tape was ripped from his lips.

‘Shit!’ He let out. He felt and looked miserable. ‘Why are you doing this?’ he asked weakly.

‘I said, are you hungry?’

He lifted his heavy head.

‘I have beef casserole with couscous.’ She pulled up a seat. ‘Here, try.’

At first he just looked at the spoon. But hunger got the better of him and soon he took it into his mouth.

‘Was that so hard?’ She continued to feed him.

‘Why?’ He asked between mouthfuls.

‘Why what?’

‘Are you doing this to me?’

Another mouthful of food!

‘Has your memory returned?’ she asked.

He finished the food in his mouth. ‘What do you want?’

‘Oliver. Do you know who he is?’

‘No.’

‘You’re lying!’

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘Do you want to lose another finger?’

‘You’re sick!’

‘Are you really going to sit there and call me sick?’

‘You need help.’

‘No I don’t. God help you! You’ve been a naughty boy, haven’t you?’

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘You never do. The police are looking for you. What have you done?’

He turned away a moment.

‘Hmm. Something bad.’

‘Not as bad as you. You can’t hold me like this.’

‘I can and I have. Now you might want to think about your answers to me.’

‘If the police are looking for me, then they’ll find you.’

‘I doubt it very much. The very detective on the case is blinded by infatuation for me. All he’ll want to do is protect me.’

‘What do you want?’

‘I want you to remember, Oliver.’

‘And then what?’

‘Na, I get to ask the questions. You’ll need a change of boxers.’

‘What do you expect? I haven’t been to the toilet.’

She didn’t answer him.

‘Could I at least go to the toilet?’

‘You’ve already done your mess. I’m a doctor, I’ve seen it all.’

‘Fuck you!’

‘I’ll get you some tena lady pants on my way home tomorrow.’ She laughed. ‘You can do your business in them.’

‘You will burn in hell!’

‘And so will you.’ She taped his mouth, then left.

W
ork was busy as usual. Marcus was forgotten, all that mattered was the life in her hands. The man on the table had a tumour on his pancreas. Risky, it was possible that not all of it would be taken out, but Harmony would do her best to give him a few more years.

‘How’s the dating going?’ asked Doctor Soli. They had a friendship that started and ended in the O.R.

‘Did I tell you?’ She kept her focus on what she was doing. ‘I met two men, one turned out to be a douche bag.’

‘You did not.’ He laughed. ‘It’s been a while since we’ve operated together.

The other team members pretended not to listen, but they always did, how could they not. 

‘Yes well, that’s the latest news. I have met a keeper though.’

‘Yeah?’

‘Yeah, he’s caring, attentive and a cop.’

‘Wow, sounds like a catch.’

Her eyes didn’t move from the patient. ‘He is. He’s the type of guy who would do anything for me.’

‘Then you better give him good reason to stay.’

‘I’m working on it.’ She laughed. ‘How’s your wife?’

‘She’s fine. A little tired with the little one.’

‘Aww, hope you’re helping her.’

‘I am. I’m doing my best. A bit hard with our crazy schedules.’

‘Yes, it must be. I wonder if I’ll ever have a family.’

‘You will. Just give it time. Maybe this cop guy could be the one.’

She laughed. ‘Maybe.’ She worked. ‘Okay, I think I’ve got as much as I can. Any more and we’ll be in trouble.’

‘I agree,’ said Doctor Soli. ‘I think he’ll be comfortable enough for another year or two.’

‘Chemo might get rid of more. But we both know it won’t go away completely.’

‘Yes.’

She sighed. She loved her job, she loved feeling like the hero and sometimes she felt as if life and death were in her hands.

‘Would you like to close up?’ she asked an intern.

‘Yes, I’d like that very much.’

‘Great. All yours.’ She stepped back. ‘It was good to catch up Soli.’ She left them.

The rest of the day Harmony had rounds, and she was on call for any emergency.

****

‘Y
ou look tired. Bad date?’ asked Yasmina when he walked in.

‘Not actually. It was a great date.’ He couldn’t get what Harmony had said to him last night.
Prince charming?
Was he the same man?

‘I think my date has met prince charming.’

Yasmina looked up from the screen. ‘Did you get a description?’

‘No, not yet. I didn’t want to worry her.’

‘A name, a number?’

‘Well... his name is Tony.’

‘Tony who?’

‘She doesn’t know.’

‘That’s odd, why date someone you barely know.’

‘That’s the thing, I don’t even know her surname. It makes me wonder how many things people do without thinking. We...’ He decided not to give her the details. ‘Dating is a funny thing. You go from one date to another; you forget who is who sometimes.’

‘But guessing by the look in your eyes, you won’t be forgetting her any time soon.’

‘No I won’t. But I’m worried about her.’

‘’You’ll have to get a description. It would be helpful. I’m sure she knows where he works.’

‘Yes well, I’ll set it up. I’ll plan a date and try to get that information from her.’

‘The sooner the better, this guy could strike again.’

‘Yes, if he’s the guy, he could come for Harmony’

‘You wouldn’t want that.’

‘No, I feel like a fool. I should’ve asked her all those questions.’

‘Ah, but you couldn’t. You like her, you were probably floating on cloud nine. I also think you did the right thing. You wouldn’t want to alarm her.’

‘Of course not. I’ll arrange to see her soon though. The sooner the better, it’s for her safety too.’

Just then a meeting was called. The chief wanted progress on the case. The media and the families of the women were breathing down his back.

‘Where are we? Any clues, anything at all?’

‘We have something,’ said Derek.

‘What? What do you have so I can get the wolves off my back!?’ He hated the media. They had a way of spinning the story and making the police look bad.

‘We know that he’s using the name Prince Charming and I know someone who might have met him.’

‘Who is this someone? Why don’t we have more?’

‘I’m working on it sir.’

‘That’s not good enough. We need to work on this fast.’

‘I don’t want to alert this person.’

‘Well if you don’t she could be next.’

‘I’m aware of that. Could you please let me handle it my way? We both know I’m good at my job, and we will find this bastard and the women.’

The chief sucked in a deep breath to control his temper.

‘Fine! But don’t take too long!’

There was a bit more discussion, but it didn’t bring them any closer to finding the women.

‘I’m counting on you Derek. Twenty four hours. You have twenty four hours to get the information we need, or else I’ll have someone else on this case.’

‘Yes sir.’

****

S
he walked into the crowded restaurant and looked around.

‘Can I help you ma’am?’ asked a waiter.

‘I’m meeting someone, not sure if she’s here yet.’ Harmony scanned around the restaurant. ‘Ah, there she is.’ She walked towards the table. ‘Misty!’

Misty stood up and took her into a hug. ‘I thought you’d never call.’

‘But I did.’ She smiled.

They sat down.

‘You want another one of those?’ Harmony pointed at the empty glass of wine.

‘Yes, that would be great.’ Misty had toned done the outrageous persona and became more of herself.

Harmony called for the waiter and ordered two glasses of wine.

‘You’re off tomorrow?’

‘I am. And I have a date. That wasn’t the plan, but this new guy was insistent.’

‘You like him, don’t you?’

‘Yes, you could say that. I never thought I’d find someone I’d actually like.’

‘Yes well, its early days.’

The waiter returned with the drinks. ‘Are you ready to order?’ he asked.

Harmony looked at her friend. ‘Should we go for the usual? Share a pizza?’

‘Yeah, go on.’

‘Could we have the family size pizza with ham, pineapple, red onion and sweet corn?’

The waiter took down the order then left them.

‘How long should I hold off calling the police?’ asked Misty.

‘Why?’

‘Clients at the gallery are asking questions, I can only hold off for a little longer. He’ll obviously become a missing person.’

‘I know. I just need a few more days.’

‘Has he said anything?’

‘No, he claims he doesn’t know Oliver. We both know he’s lying.’

‘Gosh. I don’t know what to say.’

‘I know, but it is what it is.’

‘What are your plans for him?’

She shrugged. Deep down she knew what she had planned, but she wouldn’t share it with her friend.

‘Thanks for doing this for me,’ said Harmony.

‘You know I’ll do anything for you.’

‘I know. You didn’t have to get a job you didn’t like and act like a clown.’ She laughed.

‘Well, I think it’s worth it. Who knows what else this guy does?’

‘Talking about that, I think he’s been up to something.’

‘Why?’

‘Derek.’ Her thoughts drifted back to the night she’d told him about Marcus as prince charming. ‘The detective seemed a little shaken when I mentioned the name Prince Charming. He didn’t say why, but I can smell trouble.’

‘It’s not surprising.’

‘Yes well, I shall soon find out.’

‘You don’t want to be part of an investigation.’

‘I won’t be. They’ll have no reason to suspect me. I’m an upstanding citizen, a sort out surgeon and valued person in my community. No one will be looking at me. They’d try to protect me instead.’ She laughed.

‘Yes, I guess so. So what happens when this is all over?’

‘I have a few ideas. Plans might change a little.’

‘Why? Actually don’t tell me. It’s him isn’t it?’

‘Yes. I like him. I really do.’ 

‘Tough one.’

‘I know. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I’ll see what happens.’

The pizza arrived. They tried to talk about normal things women talked about, but it always went back to the subject on Marcus.

‘It was good to see you, and thanks for everything.’ Harmony hugged her at the door.

‘Yes, good to see you too. See you soon?’

‘Of course. Just give me a few more days before declaring him missing.’

‘Yes okay, I can’t promise someone else won’t.’

‘That’s fine. No one will find him soon.’

‘I agree. Who would think such an upstanding citizen like you, would capture a demon like him.’ She laughed.

‘I couldn’t have said it better.’

They parted ways.’

‘S
o, what’s this all about?’ she asked Derek. ‘It sounds serious.’

‘It is. It’s about what you told me the other night.’

‘I figured.’

‘I have to ask you a few questions.’

‘Why?’

He sat back and sighed. This was harder than he thought. He didn’t want to frighten her, and he didn’t want to cause panic. He knew the moment he let this out, it would get to the media soon enough.

‘It’s about an investigation I’m conducting.’

‘I knew it.’

‘You can’t say anything. No one is supposed to know. At least not yet.’

‘Why not?’

‘Because it will interfere with our investigation.’

‘I see.’ She took a sip of wine. ‘What would you like to know?’

‘Anything you can remember about this man.’

‘Has he done something wrong? Am I in danger?’

‘I don’t know if it’s him. But we’re investigating a man who uses the name Prince charming on his online dating profile. It may be someone else, but we have to cover everything.’

‘Okay.’

‘Could you give me a description?’

She was silent a moment. He waited. Nerves scurried up and down her body like ants.

‘He’s about your height, has blond hair, blue eyes.’

‘Almost sounds like you’re describing me.’ He laughed.

‘Well, I guess it’s the type I go for.’

‘Yes, okay. Anything else? Any unique features? Anything that stands out?’

‘He has a smallish mole just above his lip.’ She lied.

‘Anything else?’ He wrote down what she’d said.

‘Erm...he likes red wine.’

‘Like you.’

‘Yep.’

‘I think he’s left handed.’

‘Okay.’

‘What does he do?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Career?’

‘Oh, he’s a...what did he say he was?’ Her eyes darted to the left as she formed another lie. ‘Banker. He’s some sort of investor. I can’t tell you, things like that make me yawn. That’s probably why we didn’t get along.’

‘Thank you.’ He shifted closer. ‘This has been very helpful.’

‘I’m glad you think so.’

‘I do.’ He kissed her.

She melted. His touch was always welcome. Derek couldn’t keep his hands off her even if he wanted to. She was everything he’d ever dreamed of. A teacher, which meant she was good with children. He’d always wanted a family. He smiled against her lips.

‘What?’ she asked.

‘Just thinking ahead; probably not a good idea.’

‘Think ahead, it can’t do much harm.’

‘Well in my experience it always turned out wrong.’

She pulled back. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to spoil the mood.’

‘It’s okay.’

‘It’s just that I fall deeply in love with some of the most incredible women. Well they seem like that in the beginning.’