Always Watching (27 page)

“
Enough excuses
already.”  I sniffled softly, tried to bury the riot going on
inside my body.  “Maybe you’re right.  It’s a lot of
unpleasantness for one week.”

“
You want to wait here
while we do this thing with the press?”

Ordinarily, the patronizing tone would’ve
made my blood boil and resulted in a spectacular lesson involving
jujitsu.  Today, I cowered against his body and nodded. 
To make matters worse, foreign words fell out of my mouth. 
“Hurry back.”

Hurry back? 
I wondered if Maya performed a culture of my
blood, if she’d find some alien species of bacteria. 
Extraterrestrial variety. 

The flip side of this sudden affliction with
damsel-in-distress-infection, it sparked a look in Johnny’s eyes
that sent the butterfly battalion flapping through my stomach in a
particularly enjoyable fashion.  It was all I could do to keep
my hands from ripping his clothes off, climbing astride and riding
him for all I was worth.

He must’ve read where my dirty mind
flew.  His thumb stroked over my lower lip.  “Soon,” he
murmured.  “When we get home, all right?”

Dammit, why was he still standing here
talking to me?  “Get out there and talk to them.  I can’t
wait much longer,” I rasped.

I’m pretty sure that Johnny’s confusion
dwarfed mine.

Chapter 22

I ignored the whispers between Zack, Johnny
and Crevan after the press conference.  Nobody said where Maya
disappeared, and I was still too mortified to ask.  Instead, I
cradled my head in my hand and pretended a blinding headache.

Maybe that was my problem.  Brain
tumor.  Some lethal and inoperable glioblastoma affecting the
emotional center of my brain. 

Johnny gripped my hand and tugged me out of
my morbid thoughts.  “It went better than I would’ve
expected,” he said.  “Everyone is mollified that your actions
were heroic.”

The pendulum swung the other
direction.  “Are you implying that I’m glad Preston murdered
–”

He silenced me with an exasperated
glance.  “You saved the baby and killed the man who murdered
someone that a whole lot of people wanted brought to justice,
Helen.”  Johnny paused and pressed the backs of his fingers
against my forehead.  “I wonder if I should take you to the
hospital instead of home.”

“
Please don’t.  I’m
just so tired, Johnny.  I promise I’ll feel better
tomorrow.  Let’s go home.”

Sucker.  He caved.  If the tables
were turned and he started acting like Sybil, I’d have had his
brain inside a scanner so fast he wouldn’t have known what hit
him.  Not Johnny. 

“
All right, but I’m giving
you fair notice.  If you’re not feeling any better tomorrow,
we’re finding out what the hell is wrong with you.”

I made an X over my heart and vowed to chew
off my own tongue tomorrow if it meant avoiding the intrusive pokes
and prods of a doctor.

On the drive home, my ire melted back into
the sizzle of unsatisfied lust.  He drove into the garage and
barely had the car parked when I tried to climb into his lap. 
“How much time do we have before everybody else gets here?”

Johnny chuckled.  “Jesus, Helen. 
I don’t know.  Does it really matter?”

Pretty sure in hindsight, he was joking, or
having a little bit of playful sarcasm at my expense. 
Instead, I took a path toward a literal calculation in my
head.  Maybe they wouldn’t get suspicious if they were ten
minutes behind us, and it took Johnny five minutes to open the
front gate.  He could claim that I was – how did Maya put it?
– barfing up my shoelaces in the bathroom.

“
Doc, let me get out of
the car.”

I clawed for purchase over the center
console.

“
In the house. 
C’mon, baby.  I don’t wanna do this in the garage.”

Fair enough.  I let him slide out the
door before bounding out the driver’s door behind him.  My
arms slithered around his neck, lips attached at the pounding pulse
at the hollow of his throat.  I stood on tiptoe and tried to
climb to a more readily accessible position.

Johnny groaned and accommodated the unspoken
request.  “You’re making me crazy, Helen.”

“
Mmm, good,” I
purred.  “Take me to bed.  God only knows how many
minutes we have before those losers show up and interrupt
us.”

Johnny chuckled.  “Losers?”

“
You know what I
mean.  Why does everybody always have to camp out at
our
house?  Why
can’t they use OSI or Crevan’s place or some musty old conference
room at the district courthouse?”

“
Because we’re
accommodating the fact that you’re not acting like yourself,” he
reminded me.  “But I’m glad you seem to be feeling better
now.”

“
Not yet.”  I ground
my hips against his middle where he held me against
him. 

One of his hands plowed through my hair and
anchored my head into his palm.  “I’m worried about what’s
gotten into you, Helen.  I’m not complaining, but this really
isn’t like you to –”

“
Put lust ahead of a
case?  I’m not a cop anymore.”  I nipped at his neck,
savored the soft moan that vibrated beneath my lips.

“
Is that all this
is?  Lust?”

I peered up into his concerned eyes. 
“Love.  But at the moment, some pretty intense need.”

“
Me or the sex?” 
Something that looked suspiciously like doubt flickered in the dark
blue eyes peering with such intensity. 

Women know the right answer to this
question, but I’m not feeling like myself these days.  The
thought of anyone else touching me the way Johnny does, well it
literally turned my stomach.  “Let me down,” I rasped.

Fortunately, this week had taught him to
recognize the change in the color of my skin.  Johnny’s hands
let go so fast, I almost lost my balance.  I made it as far as
the bathroom right off the mudroom before the retching started
again. 

He was on his knees beside where I draped
over the toilet in abject misery with another cool, damp
cloth.  Johnny pressed it to the back of my neck.  He
recoiled a little at how fast my skin had become clammy with
billions of microscopic beads of perspiration.

“
Honey, I’m really
starting to worry about this,” lips pressed against my
temple.  “Maybe you should see the doctor –”

“
I’m all right,” I
rasped.  “Maybe if you didn’t say such disgusting things to
me, I wouldn’t get sick all the time.”

Unfair.  Yes.  I couldn’t seem to
control the pendulum swinging inside my emotional body any more
than I could stop the nausea.

“
What did I
say?”

Another wave of revulsion roiled through
every cell inside me.  “It makes me sick thinking of anyone
else … anybody but you … ”

“
I’m sorry it made you
feel sick, but I’m really glad you don’t like the idea,” he
whispered against my neck.  One hand slid around my belly and
massaged tenderly.  “I can’t stand it either.”

Tears slid from my eyes.  “Now I’ve
ruined everything, haven’t I?”

An arm slid around my shoulders and
tightened.  “Because the thought that you might want some
other guy even a little bit is supposed to make me happy?” 
Johnny’s chuckle teased.

“
No,” I whispered. 
“Because I wanted you so much, and now I’m sick again and stink
like puke.  How many times are you supposed to hold my head
while I do this before you have a change of heart about me all
together?”

Johnny pulled the damp washcloth from my
neck.  “Look at me.”  He dabbed the corners of my mouth
gently.  Our eyes connected, mine droopy and wet, his shining
with resolve.  “Nothing will ever make me love you less than I
ever have.  Are we clear on that now?”

I nodded.

“
And this queasy stomach
business has gone unchecked for far too long.  It’s been
almost a week.  Like it or not, you’re going to the doctor,
Helen.  No more arguments.  If it makes you feel better
to call me high-handed and overbearing, go for it, but you will see
a doctor as soon as I can make an appointment.”

“
But –”

He silenced me with what had to be the most
disgusting kiss he’s ever endured.  “No arguments.  I’m
not letting you waste away to nothing again, Doc.  It’s not
normal for someone to have a stomach bug this long, and you know
it.  If it’s nerves, fine.  We’ll find out what’s making
you so anxious and fix it.  But I won’t risk your
health.  If something else is wrong with you, we’re going to
find out.  Now.”

Breath shuddered out of my lungs.  “All
right.”

“
I want you to go to bed
and rest.  I’ll call my doctor and make an
appointment.”

“
What about the
case?”

He grinned.  “Crevan is getting the
sketch artist over to meet with Florence Payette.  Zack didn’t
plan to come back here this afternoon, Helen.  You’re not
missing out on any action.  I figured we’d spend the day
trying to figure out how these people are in contact with one
another.”

“
What about the records
from Central Division on the other infant abductions from Saint
Mary’s?” I asked.

“
I’ll make a deal with
you.  Call Charlie Haverston and ask him if he’s tracked down
the reports yet.  If he has, we can either have him bring them
over, or if I can get you an appointment with my doctor this
afternoon, we’ll swing by central and pick them up on the way
home.  Good enough?”

I nodded.  “Thank you, Johnny.”

“
For?”  He extended
one hand and helped me off the floor.

“
Everything, from the
moment I met you.”

It earned a gentle hug.  “Off to bed
now,” he said. 

I called Charlie from beneath the soothing
warmth of a down comforter.

“
Hey,” the smile tickled
across the phone connection, “I wanted to talk to you after that
press conference this morning, but you and Orion seemed like you
were in a big hurry to duck out.”

“
Did you find the files on
those two infant abductions from Saint Mary’s?”

“
I did,” he said, “but I
haven’t had time to review them yet.  You want me to run them
over to OSI?”

“
We’ve sort of set up camp
at my house,” I said.  “And if I know Johnny, the odds are
pretty good that we’re going to have some business downtown this
afternoon.  We’ll stop and pick them up.  Unless
something happens, let’s plan on that.”

“
You want me to peruse the
files and give you the basics over the phone?”  Charlie
remembered too well how little tolerance I have for delays
investigating anything. 

I gnawed on my lower lip, mindful that
Johnny could show up any second and demand that I keep my end of
the bargain and take a nap.  “I guess I can wait until I get
the hard copy.  I’m supposed to be working on something else
right now.  Maybe you could review the cases and give us a
bullet when we show up?”

“
Consider it done,”
Charlie said.  “See you soon.”

Johnny’s head popped around the corner
before I hung up the phone.  “What’s this?” he grinned at
me.  “My girl, practicing restraint?”

“
Hush,” I pretended
offense.  “I was trying to avoid another lecture.”

“
I’m glad you haven’t
fallen asleep, actually.  Dr. Schwartz can see you right
away.”

“
Johnny, I really don’t
think this is necessary.  We’ll get to his office and end up
sitting indefinitely while his staff tries to fit me into an
already packed schedule.  I’m feeling better now.  Can’t
you call him back and get a regular appointment so I don’t have to
be there for hours?”

“
Nope,” Johnny shook his
head adamantly.  “He promised.  No wait.  When I
explained what was going on, he insisted that I bring you over
right away.”

I huffed and grumbled and made more excuses,
but in the end, Johnny and his doctor won.  I sulked and
stared out the window of the Expedition while Johnny drove back to
Darkwater proper and escorted me into the plush medical building
not far from Central Division. 

The reactions of Dr. Schwartz staff to
Johnny didn’t go unnoticed.  My cast probably deepened to
something in the jealousy spectrum than its previous puke green
family.  His outrageous smile, all flirtation, made me certain
it had everything to do with our quick trip to an exam
room. 

It wouldn’t work on Dr. Schwartz, unless of
course, he was a she or more like Crevan than Johnny.

I was surprised when he entered the exam
room less than a minute after I was stripped to my underclothes and
clad in a paper gown.  I perched on the end of the table.

“
Helen,” he said warmly,
stretched a well-worn hand in my direction.  “Johnny tells me
that you’ve been experiencing some persistent nausea and vomiting
for over a week now?”

I nodded.  “It’s probably stress.”

“
Hmm,” he hummed
softly.  “If the past few days are any indication of the
stress level in your day to day life, I wouldn’t be
surprised.  Johnny said you retired from police work two
months ago.” 

He wrapped a blood pressure cuff around my
left bicep and started inflating the rubber bladder.

“
I wouldn’t say that my
stress level is typically what it has been this week,” I
said.  “It’s difficult, child abduction cases, doctor. 
More than anything else.”