Rest in Pieces (30 page)

“She’s going into shock.” Haley was at my side. “Call nine–one–one.”

“All our phones are in the car.” I managed before my knees buckled.

“Not all of them.” Monica slid a phone out of her back pocket. “I’ve got Molly’s.”

The irony was fantastic.

The world around me faded into darkness.

Chapter 25

I woke with the feeling that I was flying through the air. I opened my eyes to find myself on a stretcher, being lifted out of an ambulance and into the emergency bay of Brackenridge Hospital. I could see the sign, a little blurry, as they set my gurney gently down on the concrete. I guess it was the closest hospital. I was strangely relieved that they hadn’t taken me all the way back to Lakeside Regional because a bullet hole would have been hard to explain, when I’d just gone home early with the fake stomach flu. Come to think of it, I was still going to have to explain a bullet hole. Damn it. Maybe no one would notice.

I looked around. Haley was on my right holding my hand and a really cute EMT smiled down at me. “Ms. Ridges, you’re going to be okay. You were shot in the shoulder, but we stopped the bleeding.”

“I got shot…in the shoulder?” I tried to sit up so I could look at my shoulder, but the straps across my chest, waist and knees prevented any movement. It was weird, my shoulders didn’t hurt, in fact I felt really mellow…like I’d had three or four margaritas. “Are you sure?”

“I’m pretty sure.” The EMT winked at me. “You enjoying that morphine?”

“I have morphine?” I looked around trying to figure out where I’d gotten morphine. “Are you sure?”

“Yes ma’am.” He leaned down. “I’m the one who gave it to you.”

He pointed to an IV bag.

There was a hose running from that bag to my arm. “I have an IV? When did that happen?”

All sorts of strange things were happening to me. I really needed to get on top of this situation. If I could just figure out why my body was floating in the air, I could get a handle on things.

“I bet she’s a fun drunk.” The EMT looked up at Haley.

“You have no idea.” Haley patted my hand.

“Haley, I got shot in the shoulder. Did you hear?” I watched her face as she nodded slowly…like super slow–mo slowly. In fact, the entire world seemed to be in super slow–mo.

“Wait a minute…you were there. You shot Dr. Turley. Is he still dead?” I couldn’t quite remember if it was a dream or real. I think Channing Tatum had been there dressed as Elvis, but I couldn’t remember why.

“Yes.” Her hand shook a little bit in mine.

“Don’t worry. He was bad—Turley, not Channing Tatum—it’s okay to shoot bad people because they deserve it.” My eyes were very heavy.

Sometime later, I peeled my eyelids open to find that I was lying in a bed in a room I didn’t recognize. There was an IV taped to the back of my right hand and some clear liquid was dripping into my vein. I tried to sit up, and pain rocketed through my left shoulder. Oh yeah, I’d been shot.

“Try not to move your shoulder, doctor’s orders.” Monica grabbed the remote control by my hand and clicked the up arrow. Slowly, the head of the bed tilted up.

“Max?” I choked out. My throat was so dry. It felt like I’d swallowed a prickly pear cactus and washed it down with the Sahara Desert.

“Haley is with him. She has all of the kids at her house for a big sleepover. He’s fine. We decided that one of us needed to be with the kids and the other would stay here. I figured that her being around the kids would take her mind off of Turley.” Monica wrapped the cord of the remote around the rail close to my right arm. “If nothing major happens like you rip your stitches or don’t contract some hideous infection, you’ll get to go home in a few hours. They did surgery on your shoulder to remove the bullet and patched up the hole. Your orthopedic surgeon should be by in an hour or so.”

“It’s not Dr. Chambers, is it? He likes to give free pelvic exams.” He was the last person I’d want looking at my shoulder or my cervix.

“No, it’s some guy named Wong.” Monica scooted her chair closer so she wouldn’t have to lean. “We explained everything to the Austin Police Department and they aren’t filing charges. It was clear that our lives were in danger and they found all of the ricin that Turley had been making.”

“How’s Haley?” She was the one who’d take the brunt of the blame. And she’d killed a man. Yes, he was a bad guy, but still…

“She’d doing okay. A bit shaken up and worried about you, but she’s going to be okay. Being around the kiddos will take her mind off of things.” Monica laid her hand over mine. “We did it. We found out who killed Molly.”

We sure did. The case was closed on Miss Molly Miars.

“Unfortunately, we uncovered something much worse.” It just hit me. “Where’s your phone?”

This whole bugging thing was getting on my nerves.

“I took the battery out of your phone and mine. Also, I swept our phones and purses in case they were bugged. Nothing. This room is clean.” Monica pulled the lipstick jammer out of her pocket. “I found this in your pocket. I left it on.”

I’d turned it on at the beginning of our stakeout and had forgotten to turn it off. Oh well, the bad guys probably already knew that Turley was dead.

There was a knock on my door.

I looked at Monica. She slid the jammer under the blanket by my right hand.

“Maybe it’s the doctor.” She yelled. “Come in.”

A giant bouquet of flowers walked into the room with a man behind it. He put the flowers on the tall rolling table next to my bed. It was Ben.

Of all the nerve, we’d found out who killed Molly, so I didn’t have to be nice to him anymore.

“I just heard and I was frantic.” To his credit, he looked frantic. His hair looked like he’d finger–combed it a thousand times and his shirt was untucked, but he’d had time to buy a giant flower arrangement.

“Get out.” I hissed. I’d had enough man–handling for one day. “You bugged my house. Get out.”

His eyes turned enormous. “I don’t know—”

“Really, lying. That’s your play here?” Monica glared at him.

“I know it was you. You used me and you bugged my house.” If I hadn’t been shot in the shoulder and could lift the flowers that he’d brought, I’d have thrown them at him. “Get out.”

His face turned the color of oatmeal. I hate oatmeal.

“Get out!” Now I was using my loud voice.

“It’s not what you think.” He backed up a foot. “I was trying to protect you—”

“I don’t know about you, Monica, but my bullshit meter is going off.” I pointed to the door. “I don’t want to ever see you again. And all the bugs in my house and Monica’s and Haley’s better be gone by the time I get home.”

Screw the stitches. I reached over with my right hand and grabbed the rim of the vase one–handed. “I trusted you, I let you in my house, I let you play with my son. Get out.”

I hurled the vase all of four inches where it caught on the edge of the table and crashed onto the floor. Water, glass and flowers went everywhere. I’m pretty sure some water splashed on his boots. Not quite the destruction I was aiming for, but I’d take what I could get. My left arm burned and I doubled over in pain.

“Get out.” It was weak, at best.

“Let me explain.” His voice shook with controlled rage.

“There is nothing to explain.” I needed him out of my room and out of my life. “Get the bugs out of my house…now.”

Monica stood. “Don’t make me call the cop that just left and have you dragged out of here.”

“Don’t threaten me.” He shoved his index finger in Monica’s direction.

She picked up the phone. “I don’t threaten. You forget, we’re the heroines who just uncovered a horde of ricin and a contract killer. APD loves us.”

Ben turned back to me. “Let me explain.”

“Are you the one who put the contract out on me? Or was it Cervantes?” I’d just remembered that my name had been on Molly’s hit list and I was the reason that she was dead. I didn’t feel bad for her anymore.

“Contract? There’s a contract out on you?” All his swagger broke and he looked honestly rattled. “I’ll take care of it. I’ll make it safe for you.”

He turned to go and as he reached the door, he looked back at me. “One day, you’re going to let me explain and then you’ll know the truth.”

He opened the door, walked through, and it swung closed behind him.

“Don’t forget to remove the bugs from my house.” I yelled after him.

“What an asshole.” Monica walked over to the door and locked it. “I guess I should unlock it so maintenance can clean up this mess.”

She unlocked it and I hit the nurse call button.

“Yes.” Said the voice over the intercom in the hospital bed remote.

“We have a little mishap with some flowers, can you please send maintenance to help us clean it up?” I said.

“Of course.” The intercom voice hung up.

“I’m proud of you for throwing the vase. It didn’t go far but your point was made. It was very dramatic.” Monica knelt down and picked up the larger broken pieces of glass and the flowers and tossed them in the garbage can.

“I try.” I sat back. My shoulder was on fire.

“How are your stitches?” Monica continued to throw things away.

I glanced down at my left shoulder. “It hurts, but it’s not bleeding. I think I’m okay.”

The fact that Ben had the nerve to show up here was amazing. I felt like an idiot because I couldn’t stop liking him even after knowing what he’d done.

“Why are the cute ones always bad for us?” Monica stood, grabbed a towel from the sink that was outside of the bathroom, and knelt down again.

“I have no idea.” I laid back. “He seemed like he was really into me.”

“That’s because he is. Trust me, he wasn’t just using you, but it doesn’t matter now. He’s a liar.” Monica mopped the floor.

She was right, it wouldn’t matter if Ben declared his undying love for me, I would never believe him. Call me a cynic, but I didn’t believe in undying love.

All I wanted to do was get home to my son.

My life wasn’t going too great. I’d been shot, there was a hit out on me, and my ex–husband may or may not be dead. But my house would no longer be bugged…that was something.

The door burst open, bounced off the wall, and nailed Daman right in the nose.

“Damn.” He rubbed his nose and kicked the door out of his way. He looked terrible. His clothes were wrinkled, his hair was a mess, and his eyes had dark circles the size of half dollars. He practically ran over to my bed. “I got here as fast as I could.”

“I can see that.” It struck me that he hadn’t stopped off for flowers, he’d just come. Somehow, that was more important than flowers.

“I was so worried. When I got the call that you’d been shot, I walked out of my meeting, drove to the airport, and hopped on my plane.” His eyes scanned my body to make sure that I was in one piece. He zeroed in on my shoulder. “The doctor told me that he removed the bullet without any complications and that you shouldn’t move your arm for a while.”

“When did you talk to my doctor?” I hadn’t talked to my doctor. Clearly my doctor had never heard of HIPPA. I most certainly had not given him permission to disclose anything to anyone.

“He called me as soon as you were out of surgery.” He pulled the chair right out from under Monica as she was about to sit down. He looked over at her like he’d just noticed she was there. “Hey, Monica.”

“Seriously? Am I invisible?” She stomped to the door. “I’m going to the cafeteria. Anyone want anything? And by anyone, I’m talking only to Mustang, as I don’t care if you starve to death.”

“I’m good.” I grinned at her.

She rolled her eyes as she huffed out the door.

“The doctor said that you’re going to be okay, but I wanted to make sure for myself.” His eyes were beginning to look less frantic as he scooted the chair next to my bed and took my right hand. “I’ve spoken to Max four times and he’s fine.”

“How did you track him down at Haley’s house?” It meant a lot that he’d thought of Max. I glanced outside. I had no idea what time it was. The sun was low on the horizon.

“As soon as I’d heard you were shot, I called Haley. She told me everything.” He placed his other hand on top of my hand. “How could you go after Turley? You could have died.”

“We didn’t go after him so much as follow him and get caught breaking into his house.” I was willing to admit that possibly we should have planned things a little better…next time.

“Have you lost your mind?” His hand tightened on mine. “He was a killer. You can’t do things like that.”

I wanted to believe there was more between us than just a promise he’d made to my ex–husband, but right now, my man–reading abilities weren’t in top form.

“I think you and Max should move in with me. You can pick any of the twenty–two guest bedrooms in my house.” He was completely serious.

I stared at him for a moment waiting for the punch line, but his black coffee eyes didn’t crinkle in the corners and his dimples hadn’t made an appearance.

“That’s not going to happen. Believe it or not, I can take care of myself.” I glanced at the IV sticking out of my hand. Okay, so that wasn’t my finest argument. “Wait, you have twenty–two guest rooms? I don’t even know twenty–two people I’d want to spend the night at my house. Come to think of it, I don’t know four people I’d want to spend the night at my house.”