Part 14 (1/2)
”Reportingforduty,sir!”
”Kitchen, library,room, the study, and the laundry room Okay?”
”WhataboutGrayer's rooht I'll startthere”
I turn on each light as I pass, even the rarely used overheads, illu the darkest corners of the Xes'home
”Nan, you can't say we didn't try,” Josh says, passingbins in thebackstairwell ”She wasprobablybluffing,hopingyou'dtellMrs Xsoshecanstartredecorating”
Sarah lights another cigarette ”Besides, whoever finds them in this apartment deserves to find them
hey're so well hidden Are you sure this woman works with Mr X and not the CIA?” She passes theporcelainPekingeserloghepickeduponhis search ”Tell ain”
”I don't knoo,maybethreethousanddollars,”Sarahsays
”Unbelievable! Why? Why? What a in coelse”
”You better put that back exactly where you found it,” I say, too tired to chase after hiht looking for panties,” I say, stubbing out the cigarette on the her arm around my shoulder ”You'll be fine The Xes have jewelry that has jewelry hey'll befine”
”WhataboutGrayer?”
”Well, hehasyouAndyou've got H H”
”Okay, I don't got nuthin' I have an answering-machine tape in my jewelry box and a plastic spoon I carryaroundinraypurseas a souvenirandthatoes”
”Yeah,yeah,sure CanI ?”
”Honey, if we make it that far you can carry the plastic spoon at the wedding Coerprintsonourwayoutofhere”
WhenI get ho
”Hi, Nanny, it's Mrs X I don't know if you've left for Paris yet I couldn't reachyou on your cell phone again We e I'ave me a week at the Golden Door for Christmas Isn't that wonderful? Lyford Cay is so awful and I still haven't recovered froo nextweek Mr Xwill be around, but I ondering if you'll be back, just so I can tell him you'll be available if he needs you Just so we knowit's covered I'll beinCall me”
Myfirst instinctis tocallherandtellhernever toleaveher houseagain
”Mrs X?Hi,it's Nanny”
”Yes?”
I take a deepbreath
”So,will thatwork?” sheasks
”Of course,”I say, relieved thatsheisn't askingabout week froht's at nine, so if you could arrive byseventhatwouldbegreatActually,we bettersaysixforty-five, justtobeonthesafeside”
I roll over for the eighth time in the last fifteen hted, but every tih echoes through the apartment I reach over to pulltheclockbacktowardmeandtherednumbersread2:36AM Jesus I hit the uest-rooed to get in the past three nights and the totaltwenty-four/seven keeping Grayer entertained as his reeted s already waiting in the limo downstairs She just wanted to ”mention” that Grayer had a ”tiny bit of an earache” and that his with his pediatrician's number?justincase”Andthekicker: ”We really prefer thatGrayer notsitinfrontofthetelevisionYou twohavefun!”
I knew ”fun” was hardly going to be the word for it as soon as I found hi acabooseonhis arht?” I hadaskedConnie,dustingnearby
1 39
”Hope you brought your pajaust I've come to look forward to Connie's arrival over the past few days; it's a relief to have another person in the apart As the terees Fahrenheit, we've been under house arrest since my arrival This would have been bearable, ideal even, if H H hadn't had togo rightback up to schoolfor readingperiod He said I could takeGrayer upstairs to pet Max, but I don't think either one of them is up to it Grayer's ”tiny” earache hhas onlyworsened
And, needless to say, his father has been coht Numerous phone calls to Justine have unearthed only the voice o Meanwhile the reception desk at the spa is screening Mrs X's calls as if she were Sharon Stone I took Grayer back to the doctor this afternoon, but his only advice was for Grayer to finishthepinkahs e's even ested now than he sounded at dinnerti that I'etus
I get up, draping the cashmere throw around my shoulders like a cape, and shuffle over to thePulling theheavychintzdrapestotheside,I let thestreetlightfroainst thecoldpaneA cabpulls up tothebuildingacrossthestreetand a boy and girl stuainst hi She lass and I pullback,touchingit withhtwith it
”Naaanny?”Grayer's s” My voice echoes in the big rooh the darkness of the apart cars outside The war with the whir of his Supersonic 2000 air filter The h his doorway is laboredandhis eyes arewatering1 sitonthecornerofthebed ”Hey,sweetheart, I' The ers touch him he starts to whimper
”It's okay,Grover,you're justrealsickand I knowit's yucky”ButI don't knowany to pick you up now, Grover” I reach tothefloor Hestartstocry fully,theointo autoencyrooainst the wall for support as I dial My ?”
”Moet intoit,but I'hand they've had hi worse and I can't get a h to Mrs X because the receptionist says she's been in some sort of sensory-deprivation tank all day and he can't seem to breathe and I don't know if I should take hio downandI haven't sleptintwonightsand? ”Let h” ”What?”
”Put the phone to his h” Her voice is calm and steady I hold the phone near Grayer's h I feel the vibrations of this effort wherehis chestispressedtomine ”Oh, God, Mom, I don't knohat to? ”Nanny, that's the croup Hhas the croupAnd you need to take a deepbreathYou ht now Breathewitha deepbreathinforGrayerand myself ”And out Listen, he's okay You are okay He just has a lot of fluid in his chest Where are you rightnow?”
”Seven twenty-one ParkAvenue”
”No,whereintheapartment?”
”In thehall”