Hush (14 page)

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Red asked.

“Why do you ask?” I replied with a question of my own.

“Because you hardly know this girl.  Look at what you’re already willing to do for her.  Is your heart really in this or just your dick?”

“I’ll leave the dick-thinking to you.  It’s your specialty and I wouldn’t want to steal your thunder.”  I winked at him.  “I’ve got this under control.  Are you with me?”

Red nodded firmly.  “Always, boss man.”

I knocked with the side of my fist.  The door opened, releasing the scent of cheap cigarettes, cheap motel air freshener, and a stinging aroma of foul body odor.  It was shady inside, yet I could still make out the grizzly five o’clock shadow wrapped around his face like a bristly mask, thanks to the streetlight across the parking lot and over my left shoulder.

His eyes grew wide when he saw me.  His mouth opened, but before he could say anything, I was pushing my way into his hotel room.  One gloved hand clapped over his mouth and the other gloved hand was on his chest, giving him a quick shove backward.  He stumbled over his own lazy feet and toppled to the floor with a hard grunt.

Red closed the door behind us, locking it.  I walked to the dingy bathroom and flicked the light on, filling the small room with white light.  Michael gapped up at Red and me from the floor.  I walked towards him slowly.  Scared, Michael scampered backward until his back was up against the foot of the nearest bed.

Crouching, I rested my elbows on my thighs and bent down to his level.  Michael cowered slightly, lifting a hand off the ground to use as a shield.  His stench burnt my nostrils as I got closer to him.  I saw the track marks on his inner arm as he raised it in defense.  I looked into his yellowing eyes.  “I thought I made things very clear last time I was here,” I started.  He didn’t say a word.  He looked up at me, not defiantly nor in terror.  His expression was calm.  He’d been expecting us.  “How did you get Olivia’s number?”

“Dumpster diving,” he admitted very easiy.  “I found one of her business cards in the trash behind her office.”

“Did you think she wouldn’t tell me you called?  Did you think I wouldn’t come back?”

He shook his head quickly.  “Not at all.  I figured I’d see you again.”

I smirked.  “Then you must not have believed me last time I was here.  Honestly, I’m surprised you’re stupid enough to stick around.  I would have skipped town if I were you.”

“I didn’t think it’d matter.  You said you’d find me one way or another.  I was just hoping she’d come to thank me for tipping her off.”

“Tipping her off, on what?”

“On you,” he said firmly.  “I’m not a fool.  I’ve been in the game a lot longer than you, son, and I’ve seen a lot of things.  I know what you are.  I know what you do.  I wanted to warn Olivia before she got burned.  You and I both know burns scar and I’m sure the flames trailing you will leave one epic scar on anyone who gets too close.  And I’ve seen enough to know Olivia is good.  She’s smart and she’s driven, I can tell without even knowing her.  She deserves better than you.”

“You’re a funny guy.”  I grinned.  “You think you’ve got me pegged.  You don’t know jack shit about me, old man, and you certainly don’t know the first thing about Olivia.  I know more about her than you do, more than you ever will.  You didn’t scare her, by the way.  All you did was push her further away from you and into my arms.  She’ll never want you, ever.”

“If it was the last thing I ever did, I’d say my peace and make my voice heard.  I did that so if you’re going to kill me, just get on with it.  If not, get the fuck out.  I’d like to get back to sleep.”

I scoffed, looking up at Red.  Michael wasn’t making this any fun.  Standing, I sighed.  I nodded, though still looking at Michael.  Red knew what I meant.  He jumped from his post and tackled Michael, pinning him down.  The old man fought weakly.  Red twisted Michael’s head, pushing his mouth into the carpet to muzzle his cries.

Pulling a syringe out of my pocket, I pulled the cap off the needle and grabbed Michael’s arm.  I stuck him where the other dots blotted the underside of his elbow.  When I had emptied the contents of the syringe into Michael’s veins, I stood and covered the needle.  I knew it wouldn’t take long.  This shit was lethal and, in the dose I’d just administered to my patient, it would only be a matter of minutes before he stopped kicking.

We worked like a magician and his assistant, each of us knowing our jobs, seeing the cues, and pulling off the performance without a hitch.  Red held Michael down until the slight convulsions stopped.  I put my still gloved fingers to his neck.  No pulse.  I patted Red on the back.  When he stood, we carried Michael’s body to the bed.  I put his finger prints on the syringe, left it on the end table while Red wrapped Michael’s arm with the dead man’s belt.  I planted a few other tell-tale items throughout the disgusting room to point the investigative detectives to an accidental overdose.  Case open and shut.

Red and I slipped out of the room as quickly as we’d come.

“It was just amazing,” I gushed to Erin and her parents.  Callem and I had finally found the time to make it over to Downy so I could introduce them.  “Callem’s apartment was out of this world.  It was thirty-plus stories up and one wall was all windows, overlooking Central Park.  It was so beautiful.  All you could see for miles was city.”

“That sounds amazing,” Erin’s mother, Lauri, said.  I had a hard time considering them my parents, even though they had adopted me.  I called them mom and dad, but those were more like titles than identities.  They were the closest things I had to parents yet, there was still something preventing me from referring to them as my parents.  “Christmas and New Years in New York, I can’t imagine.”

Truth was, I was being modest.  New York was by far the best time I’d ever had in my life.  The private jet was just a tease for the luxury and extravagance I lived in all week.  Callem had made the apartment out to be older from the way he spoke of it.  Really, it was something you could only dream of.  I felt like an heiress or royalty.  Everything was clean and sleek, updated and the highest of quality, from the furniture and fixtures, right down to the linens and flooring.  We toured the city, stayed up late.  We made love and learned so much about each other.  It was a trip I would not soon forget, one that was long overdue, and one I couldn’t wait to take again.

“Have you ever been to New York?” Callem asked Lauri.

“No, well, I’ve been to Albany, but I’m sure it doesn’t hold water compared to the Big Apple.”

“It’s something you have to experience at least once in your life.  I’d love to take you all out there.  It’s not easy for Olivia and me to find much time for ourselves, but if we can all get away this summer, perhaps spring break, I’d be more than happy to have you all.  There’s plenty of room.”

Lauri looked over at her husband, Joe, with a wide grin.  “Wouldn’t that be lovely?  You’ll have to keep us updated on your schedule then.  You see, Joe and I don’t do more than go up to the wine country during the summer.  We’d love to do more, but we’re both still working.  Only a couple more years, the way I see it.  Five for me, six for Joe before retirement sets in.”

“I hear you.  Jobs can be demanding,” Callem replied.

“Making plans with the family for the summer.  Does this mean you two are dating or is it one of those casual city things?” Joe asked.

I smiled, half because Joe cracked me up with his efforts of keeping ‘with-it’ and half from blushing.  “Yes, we’re official now.  We talked about it over the winter break and we’ve labeled ourselves now.”

Lauri’s smile grew as she giddily tapped the two of us on the knees.  “That’s so exciting.  I’m really happy for the two of you.  I only wish we would have met sooner.  I feel like we don’t know you well enough to be dating our daughter.”

“What does that mean?” Erin asked with a grimace on her face.

“Well, I suppose that means I’d like them to come around more often.”

“Ma, this was the first weekend they both had free since they started seeing each other.  They’ve already come as often as they could,” Erin explained as if Callem and I weren’t in the room.

“But, you’re right,” Callem stepped in.  “We should have come earlier.”

“What are your intentions?” Joe asked, starting a new line of questioning.  “Do you have plans for this relationship?  Have you had a chance to talk about it?”

I looked over at Callem.  “We’ve got a very positive outlook,” I started.  I used this phrase a lot with my patients and their parents so it felt peculiar using it in this context.  “We’re just going to see how things go doing what we’re doing now.  I’m guessing the next step would be to move in with each other, but we haven’t really talked about anything officially.  It’s more just a casual commitment at this point.”

Joe nodded.  I could tell he had something more to say.  I could tell he asked for a reason, but he refrained from continuing.  “So tell me about your job, Callem.”

Callem went on about his services to the three of them, though Erin already knew most of what he was explaining.  Lauri went on to ask him about his family before he did the same.  “Well, our folks have both passed, except Joe’s mother.  That woman has the biggest will to live.  She lives in Napa.  That’s where Joe grew up and that’s why we travel there in the summers.  We stay with her.  We have family in Arizona and in Nebraska, but don’t hear from them much,” Lauri explained.

“I think I’ve only met them a handful of times,” I added.

“Yeah, we’re pretty distant.  We don’t have any family in the area, which is why we’re all so close,” Lauri continued.

Callem nodded.  “I can see that.  I know Olivia can’t hardly go a day without talking to Erin at least once.”  Everyone chuckled.

“They’re really close.  They’re really lucky to have each other.  You see, I got sick after I had Erin and I couldn’t have any more children, which is why we started taking in foster children.  We had our share of kids in and out of here, but none took to us like Olivia, and vice versa.  She is just such a joy and we’re blessed to have her in our lives.”

Lauri was a very sentimental, kind-hearted woman.  She was exactly what I would have wanted my own mother to have been.  I was blessed to have her, too.  I smiled brightly at the woman.

“How’s work been for you,” Joe asked, changing the subject.  He wasn’t the softest of men.  He was the protector and had a front to uphold.

I sighed at the question.  “It’s been so busy.  Dr. Sladek is set to leave next month.  We’ve got two new oncologists on staff now and another nurse.  It’s been crazy with all the changes and the work load.  I’m just hoping once these two doctors get settled in, I’ll start to level out and I’ll be able to keep my head above water.”

Lauri shook her head.  “I’ll never understand how you do it and how you do it at such a young age, Olivia.  Most kids your age don’t know what hard work is and here you are, juggling patients and saving lives.”

She was talking me up for Callem, putting on a bit of a show.  I grinned.  “It just wasn’t what I thought it would be, even after all I’d seen and done during my residency, I still wasn’t prepared for this.”

“Have you talked to Dr. Sladek about it?” Joe asked.

I nodded.  “That’s why he hired two new oncologists.  A competitor’s practice closed a few months ago and a lot of her patients moved over to us.  We’re getting so busy, there’s even been talk of relocation to a larger, newer facility.  We’ve even had to turn a few patients away, which is sad, but they wouldn’t have gotten the time and attention they would have needed.”

“Oh honey, that doesn’t sound good,” Lauri said.

“It’ll all work itself out.  I’m not too concerned.  I’ve just got to get over the hump and it’ll be smooth sailing.”

“I hope so.  I’d hate to see you get burnt out.  That type of stuff spills over into your personal life and can be detrimental.”

“Mom, simmer down,” Erin sighed.  “She’s a big girl.  I think she can handle it.”

I smiled.  Erin was perfectly blunt sometimes, saying the things I couldn’t.  “I’ll be fine,” I added.

Callem and I stayed around for another hour or so before bidding my family adieu.  We hopped into his car and headed back to Huntington Beach.  Callem took me over to his house for the night.  “Maybe we should talk about it,” he said, leaning against the back of his white leather couch.  “Maybe we should talk about moving in together.”

My eyes got a little big.  “Uh, well, to be honest, I haven’t thought of it, not that much at least.”

“I think we should think about it.  I mean, consider it.  You’re here most of the time anyway, now that Erin’s moved into your place.  We’re together every night now.  I don’t see how it could be a bad idea.”

 “It’s a great idea in theory.  Don’t you think it’s too early into things to make that kind of decision?”

Callem shrugged.  “That’s a matter of opinion.  My opinion is no.  I just feel like it doesn’t matter how long we wait.  You and I both know that’s exactly where we’re headed.  We may as well stop delaying the inevitable and get your stuff over here.”

“What would I do with the house?  I can’t just kick Erin out to sell it,” I said.

“Why don’t you just leave the house to Erin?  You don’t owe much on it, right?  Just pay it off, let her live in it.  Keep it in your name and you can still live with me.  We can work all this out.”

My work phone rang.  I stepped away to answer it.  “I’ve got to go in,” I said to Callem after hanging up with my nurse, Amanda.  “I’m sorry.  Can we talk about this when I get back?”

Callem nodded, crossing his arms over his chest.

I sashayed over to him, pecked him quickly on the lips before heading out the door.

He was right.  We were delaying the inevitable and I’d always had an inkling that we’d be living together at his house.  It was newer, bigger, in a better location.  There really wasn’t much argument on the side of my little fixer-upper.  I guess I just wanted to play hard to get for a little while, make him squirm.