Part 35 (1/2)
”Definitely better?” Canady queried.
”Definitely. Really, truly,” she said, smiling. ”The doctor just more or less ordered me to go home. Lieutenant, I have to tell you, I am so sorry. I completely forgot about you until seeing you this very moment, I'm sorry to admit. When Gavin called me about Rick-”
”It's all right. I understand.”
”You've been waiting here all this time as well?” she asked.
”Yes.”
”You think I'm in that much danger?”
”Yes,” he said flatly.
”But-”
”I'm going upstairs for a minute; I'd like to take a quick look at Rick myself. Don't go anywhere without me right now, understand?”
”All right.”
”I mean it now. You wait here.”
She lifted her hands. ”Of course. You waited all day.”
He still looked at her suspiciously, as if she might run out the second he left her. She looked worriedly at Shanna.
Shanna shrugged.
”I'll be right back,” he said.
”I'll be right here, I swear,” Jade promised. ”I'm just going to get some coffee out of the machine.”
He left them, looking back every few feet until he reached the elevator.
Jade bought coffee, then sat down beside her sister. ”Do you know what's up with him?”
Shanna arched a brow at her. ”I know he's okay at gin, and a whiz at chess. He likes his coffee black. He adores his wife and kid.”
”But... he's so worried. I mean, what a great cop.”
”Yeah, well, let's not knock him. This isn't looking real good. Jade, it's really scary, what's happening.”
”I know,” Jade murmured, sipping her coffee. She squeezed her sister's hand. ”Thanks! Thanks for waiting, too. You're a doll.”
Shanna eyed her sister carefully. ”Rick's a great guy.” ”I know.”
They sat together then in silence and waited.
When Sean entered Rick's hospital room, the doctor was gone.
There was a dark-haired nurse, her back to Sean, fiddling with Rick's IV.
”Hey!” Sean said sharply.
She turned. She was an extremely attractive woman, but something about her made Sean uneasy.
”What are you doing to him?” he asked her.
She smiled with no humor. ”Blood transfusion. Who are you?”
”Canady. Lieutenant Canady. Homicide.”
”They're bringing in Homicide detectives on the flu now, eh?”
”Is it the flu?” Sean asked.
She gave him a strange look, then suddenly lowered herself over the patient.
She's going to bite his neck! he told himself.
He quickly pulled out the vial of holy water he'd kept in his pocket all day. He threw it at the woman. She rose, shaking herself off, staring at him. ”What the h.e.l.l are you doing? Homicide cop or not, buddy, you're going to have to get out of here.”
She wasn't a vampire, he decided, feeling like a fool. She had just been leaning close to get a good look at her patient.
”Sorry, sorry! Really, un . . . we're working under a lot of pressure these days.”
”So are we, Lieutenant, so are we,” she told him wearily.
”I'm so sorry. Honestly.”
”Well, you can't arrest any flu bugs, Lieutenant. And you can't drown them, either.” She smiled again suddenly, this time a real smile, a warm smile. ”He's doing so much better, really. He's going to be okay. You go on home, Lieutenant, and get some sleep. And quit squirting water at people!”
”Yeah, sure, thanks. Uh, good night.”
Sean exited the hospital room and started back downstairs, barely noticing the women at the nurses' station as he left. One of them, however, watched him depart.
Her eyes followed him until he reached the elevator.
She then turned and started toward Beaudreaux's room.
He arrived too late.
Lucian knew it the minute he came to the handsome house in the Garden District. He could feel that Darian was gone.