Part 25 (1/2)
”How did he get it?” Heath moved closer, to the end of the bed.
”I don't think he knew who sent it. He wanted me to tell him who'd mailed it.”
”And who was running the blackmail operation?” Heath asked.
”I thought it might be the dead guy, Zackary Logan.”
”But that wasn't good enough?”
”They wanted the name of a live person.” He slowly opened his good eye; the other remained a slit. ”It wasn't Rubio who scared me. It was the little one. He looked like he was going to perform a tango any moment.”
”Luis?” Heath asked.
The train tooted. ”You know him?”
”Oh, yes.” Heath nodded.
”He kept smoking like Bette Davis, then he'd lean over me and press the cigarette into my leg and hold it there. He enjoyed it.”
”Is your doctor reliable? Is he going to show up?” I asked.
He rubbed the tips of his forefinger and thumb together indicating cash. That didn't make me feel confident.
”While Rubio beat me,” he continued, ”and the other one burned me, Parson sat on his bed, howling like an animal, demanding I tell him who did this to his little girl.”
”Did he mean who killed her? Or who videoed her having s.e.x with you?” Heath asked.
”I don't know.”
”They could be one and the same,” I said.
”Or not,” Heath countered.
The doorbell chimed.
”My doctor.” Ryan said. ”I told you.”
”Remember,” I warned. ”If he asks what happened, you tell him you got beat up. That's all you know.”
”I love it when she mothers me,” Ryan said to Heath, who repressed a smile.
I hurried downstairs and looked through the peephole. It was the doctor, all right. I opened the door and stepped back. A seedy cliche wearing an Armani suit, Italian loafers, and sporting a Rolex strolled in. Even his medical bag had a Gucci racing strip down the middle of it.
”You're kidding,” I said.
”I beg your pardon?” He peered over gold-wire gla.s.ses at me.
”Nothing. Ryan's been badly beaten. You can't just throw pills at him. He's up here.” I started up the stairs.
”Drunk?” He followed me.
”Not now.”
In the bedroom he peered down at Ryan. ”You've had some going over.” He set his bag on the floor and leaned over him. ”His right eye will have to be looked at.”
His sterile-looking hands felt Ryan's abdomen and ribs. The Rolex gleamed. The train's guardrail went up.
”Pain?” the doctor asked.
”Ribs.” Ryan groaned.
”He could have a punctured lung.” He studied Ryan's legs. ”Your attackers burned you?”
”Yes,” I answered for Ryan.
Now he peered at me as if I were another wound he had to fix. ”Odd thing for them to do.”
”Ryan's a lucky man.” Heath s.h.i.+fted his weight.
The doctor's shady eyes turned skeptical. ”Extremely lucky.”
”This is luck?” Ryan burbled.
”I only ask to know whether I may be implicating myself in something ... that could be a ... problem.”
”You aren't,” I a.s.sured him. ”Ryan's a drunk. You're not responsible for what he can or can't remember.” Hearing my words aloud, I knew I'd just demeaned my friend and the beating he had taken. But at the same time, I had to make sure he was taken care of.
”Well, I can't treat him here. He must be hospitalized.”
”But under your care and no publicity,” Heath said.
The doctor looked over his gla.s.ses at Heath. ”Who are you?”
”I'm none of your business.” Heath casually pulled open his jacket, showing him the holstered Colt on his belt.
He nodded submissively. ”Under my care and no publicity. It's what I get paid the big bucks for. I'll call a private ambulance service I've used successfully in the past.” Taking out his cell, he dialed and issued orders. When he'd finished, he smiled obsequiously at me. ”Sorry about your mother. I attended to her often, especially in her later years. If you ever need anything else... .” He reached into his jacket pocket and handed me a pristine white engraved card.
How could one person be so clean and sleazy at the same time? This was the first man I had met lately whom I was completely sure my mother had not gone to bed with.
”I'll be taking him to St. John's in Santa Monica. He'll be in the VIP wing, if I can get him in.” He punched in another number.
”That's not good enough,” I said. ”Make sure you get him in the VIP wing. It's what you get paid the big bucks for.”
Another obsequious smirk. ”Touche.” He made arrangements for Ryan in the VIP wing and then disconnected.
”Would you two mind waiting downstairs?” Ryan asked the doctor and Heath.