Page 30
Story: Collapse
“True. What are the doctors saying?”
“They expect a full recovery. I should be up and taking complaints about cats in no time.”
That actually made me laugh, remembering Mr. Withers and his cat. The fact that what he had claimed was actually true, was just too much. “I’m sorry,” I said and waved my hand in front of my face as a nurse in flowery scrubs came in to check on the machinery still hooked up to McAllen.
“You in a fight or something?” he asked, looking at my hand.
“This? It’s nothing. First on scene after a car crash a couple of days ago. Scraped my hand going down a slope.” I was surprised at how quick that lie came.
“Huh. Well, I heard a lot of things have been going on while I’ve been here.”
“Yeah. I just talked to Mel—”
“Hey,” Evans’ voice interrupted as she appeared in the doorway, two cups of coffee in her hands.
“That’s what I heard about,” McAllen said, smiling knowingly.
Damn Mel.
“Coffee for me?” McAllen asked Evans.
“Anything you want,” she said, flashing him a big smile. “Canhe have coffee?” she added to the nurse who passed her in the doorway. She shook her head silently, turned and gave McAllen a stern look to make this clear, and left.
“Oh well,” Evans said. “Maybe this once, Mr. Grouchy can have it instead.”
Fourteen
“Okay then. Thanks, Gus,”Hansen said and ended the call as he got into the driver’s seat of Alan’s car.
I had to think a moment before I realized who he was talking to. “Officer Routledge?”
Hansen nodded as he started the car. “Needed some information. We’re going to see someone.”
“Mulligan?”
“Afterwards.”
I huffed and sank down in the seat. There had been too many close calls with the police lately. I didn’t want to talk to any of them in a while. I glanced at Hansen and decided that didn’t pertain to all of them. By my estimation we’d slept for ten or eleven hours last night, going to bed in the late afternoon, but as we drove through Ashport, I half-dozed off anyway.
As the car stopped, I jerked awake, looking around in confusion. “The harbor? Why are we here?”
“Because, according to Gus, this is where we’re most likely to find your friend Eddie Hays.”
“What?” I sat up properly at that comment. Was he after Eddie now? Then I noticed that Hansen actually looked…well, nice. No suspicious face. His light blue eyes mild as he watched me.
“After something like this, my guess is Yorov and that little corner of the FBI that’s after you, think you’ve left Ashport,” he said. At the same time, Eddie made himself known by exiting the Harbor Grill and Bar. He looked shabby as ever, walking in the opposite direction of where we were, but so slow it wouldn’t be a hassle to catch up.
I suddenly felt nervous. I had forgotten about the new identity. Had pushed the thought away the moment Larkin had agreed to help–when I thought I’d have to go with him.
I didn’t want to leave Ashport. I was so tired of leaving.
I looked over at Hansen in utter bewilderment. Was he still that keen to get rid of me? Boy, had I misjudged things. Silly me.
“No one in their right mind will believe you’ve stayed,” he clarified.
“Oh,” was all I could manage as the realization hit me. I couldn’t help but smile at him.
“So,” he continued, a smile breaking out on his lips as well. “What name do you want to use now?”
“They expect a full recovery. I should be up and taking complaints about cats in no time.”
That actually made me laugh, remembering Mr. Withers and his cat. The fact that what he had claimed was actually true, was just too much. “I’m sorry,” I said and waved my hand in front of my face as a nurse in flowery scrubs came in to check on the machinery still hooked up to McAllen.
“You in a fight or something?” he asked, looking at my hand.
“This? It’s nothing. First on scene after a car crash a couple of days ago. Scraped my hand going down a slope.” I was surprised at how quick that lie came.
“Huh. Well, I heard a lot of things have been going on while I’ve been here.”
“Yeah. I just talked to Mel—”
“Hey,” Evans’ voice interrupted as she appeared in the doorway, two cups of coffee in her hands.
“That’s what I heard about,” McAllen said, smiling knowingly.
Damn Mel.
“Coffee for me?” McAllen asked Evans.
“Anything you want,” she said, flashing him a big smile. “Canhe have coffee?” she added to the nurse who passed her in the doorway. She shook her head silently, turned and gave McAllen a stern look to make this clear, and left.
“Oh well,” Evans said. “Maybe this once, Mr. Grouchy can have it instead.”
Fourteen
“Okay then. Thanks, Gus,”Hansen said and ended the call as he got into the driver’s seat of Alan’s car.
I had to think a moment before I realized who he was talking to. “Officer Routledge?”
Hansen nodded as he started the car. “Needed some information. We’re going to see someone.”
“Mulligan?”
“Afterwards.”
I huffed and sank down in the seat. There had been too many close calls with the police lately. I didn’t want to talk to any of them in a while. I glanced at Hansen and decided that didn’t pertain to all of them. By my estimation we’d slept for ten or eleven hours last night, going to bed in the late afternoon, but as we drove through Ashport, I half-dozed off anyway.
As the car stopped, I jerked awake, looking around in confusion. “The harbor? Why are we here?”
“Because, according to Gus, this is where we’re most likely to find your friend Eddie Hays.”
“What?” I sat up properly at that comment. Was he after Eddie now? Then I noticed that Hansen actually looked…well, nice. No suspicious face. His light blue eyes mild as he watched me.
“After something like this, my guess is Yorov and that little corner of the FBI that’s after you, think you’ve left Ashport,” he said. At the same time, Eddie made himself known by exiting the Harbor Grill and Bar. He looked shabby as ever, walking in the opposite direction of where we were, but so slow it wouldn’t be a hassle to catch up.
I suddenly felt nervous. I had forgotten about the new identity. Had pushed the thought away the moment Larkin had agreed to help–when I thought I’d have to go with him.
I didn’t want to leave Ashport. I was so tired of leaving.
I looked over at Hansen in utter bewilderment. Was he still that keen to get rid of me? Boy, had I misjudged things. Silly me.
“No one in their right mind will believe you’ve stayed,” he clarified.
“Oh,” was all I could manage as the realization hit me. I couldn’t help but smile at him.
“So,” he continued, a smile breaking out on his lips as well. “What name do you want to use now?”