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“I have a concussion, a broken collarbone, sprained left ankle, my forehead looks and feels like someone hit me with a baseball bat, and I have cuts and bruises all over the place, so to answer your question—yeah, I’m okay.”
“Just rub some dirt on it, right? That’s what my old football coach would have said.”
“I played baseball, and my coach would have said to walk it off. ‘Don’t baby yourself. Walk it off.’”
“I’m really sorry about this, McKenzie.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“Yes, it is,” Nina said.
We both looked at her.
“Not all your fault, but you get your share of blame,” she said.
“I’m sorry,” Gillard said.
“Have some more egg roll.”
He did.
“How did the boys and girls take the news?” I asked. “The boys and girls at the museum.”
“Everyone’s pretty upset,” Gillard said. “What’s her name, Perrin Stewart? I thought she was going to break down and cry. That Anderson guy, the one with the big mouth? He went a little crazy; wanted to fire everybody. Said they should get rid of Stewart; said he knew just the woman who should take her place. Stewart claimed that Anderson had wanted to get rid of her ever since he started sleeping with some blond bimbo who knew nothing about art but plenty about, well”—he smiled at Nina—“since there’s a lady present I won’t complete the quote. But by the reaction around the room, I’m guessing not everyone knew about Anderson’s extracurriculars. Accusations really began to fly. It was all very entertaining. I wouldn’t be surprised if Bravo made a reality TV series out of it.”
“Did you get a name?”
“A name? Oh, for the woman. No, she was always referred to as ‘the bimbo.’ Why?”
“What about Randolph Fiegen? How did he take all this?”
“The man who’s really in charge?”
“You noticed that, too, did you?”
“Yeah, I noticed. Fiegen was very quiet. Didn’t say much of anything. You could see the wheels spinning in his head, though. While everyone else was carrying on, I think he was wondering about the same thing I was wondering about—how come there was no sign of the Lily in the debris?”
“Good question,” I said.
“You don’t know anything about it?”
“Not that I recall.”
“That’s what Donatucci said. The concussion, because of that you don’t remember what happened.”
“I don’t know what to tell you, Jer.”
“Well…” Gillard picked up another egg roll, prepared to take a bite, and then put it back in the carton. “Well. The insurance company is going to drag its feet just like you said. I suppose if we knew for sure that the Jade Lily had been destroyed in the explosion…”
“Sorry,” I said.
“Nothing, huh?”
“Sorry.”
“If you were to remember, it would be worth a lot of money.” Gillard waved at me then. “If you remember. No worries. That damn Lily—you know what? I think it really is cursed.”
“I think you’re right.”
Gillard might have said more, might have become even more blatant in his bribery attempt, except he was interrupted by another knock on the door, this one much softer. Unlike Gillard, my visitor waited until I called, “Come in,” before opening the door.
Heavenly Petryk stepped into the room.
“Speaking of curses,” Nina said.
Heavenly paused, glanced from face to face, smiled that incandescent smile of hers, and said, “Hello everyone.”
“Look who’s here,” Gillard said.
He moved toward Heavenly as if he wanted to give her a hug. She rotated her shoulder to block him, patted his arm, and said, “Jeremy, good to see you,” as she made her way to my bedside. “McKenzie, are you all right?”
“People keep asking that. I’m in a hospital, for God’s sake. Of course I’m not all right.”
She nodded as if she expected that answer all along.
“I’m sorry you were hurt,” Heavenly said.
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“We don’t know that for sure, do we?” Nina said.
There was a shocked expression on Heavenly’s face, but it didn’t last. She watched Nina return to the chair next to the table, pick up her carton of kung pao chicken, prop her feet up on the chair opposite hers, and start eating.
“The reason I came is because it’s important that you know I had nothing to do with what happened,” Heavenly said. She was looking at Nina when she spoke. Nina waved her chopsticks at her.
“It’s true,” Heavenly said. This time she was talking directly to me.
“Why would you want to blow up McKenzie?” Gillard asked.
“Exactly,” Heavenly said.
“I never thought you were involved,” I said. “But I am glad you’re here.”
That caused Nina to raise an eyebrow, although she didn’t speak. Heavenly took my hand and gave it a squeeze like we were the best of friends. Nina said nothing about that, either.
“Have you heard what happened to the Lily?” I asked.
“I heard,” Heavenly said.
“Looks like nobody gets it now.”
“So it would seem.”
“Poor Tatjana.”