Unwritten Rules (Phoenix, Ltd. Book 1) Read online

  Memories of Herman flashed through her mind: their first meeting in her office, his comic attempt to ride a horse, his unbounded glee when Carter’s book hit the bestseller list. He was such a vibrant character. She hadn’t known him long, but his death would leave a hole. Anger rolled in and swallowed her fear.

  She had to move. Leaving Carter parked in front of the television, she wandered into the empty hallway with no destination in mind. A familiar ring from her purse drew her up short, and she grabbed for her phone.

  “I can’t talk now, Grandma.” She scanned the hall. “I don’t think they allow cell phones up here because they might interfere with the equipment.”

  “Where are you?” Grandma Li demanded.

  Madelyn spotted a nurse pushing a cart down the hall and slipped behind a tall plastic potted palm. “I’m at USF Hospital,” she murmured, “and I’ve got to go.”

  “What happened? Are you hurt?” Grandma’s voice was shrill with alarm.

  “No, I’m fine, but someone with me was shot. I really can’t talk now.”

  “You stay where you are. I’m coming right away. Bernice Yu can drive me.”

  “No, don’t,” Madelyn protested. “I’m in the surgical waiting room, and—”

  But Grandma Li had hung up.

  A vending machine in the waiting room produced a paper cup of hideous coffee that soured in her stomach the minute it hit. She glanced at her watch. Grandma and Bernice would likely show up within the next half hour, assuming Bernice could find her car keys.

  Madelyn hated to bring the two elderly ladies out after dark but found the prospect of their presence unexpectedly comforting. She hadn’t seen Grandma Li in six months, and with her parents still on sabbatical in Paris, she could use a big dose of family.

  “Come watch TV. It’ll help distract you.” Carter patted the seat next to him.

  She sat down and stared blankly at The Tonight Show but couldn’t stop thinking about Herman. Finally, in desperation, she picked up an outdated, dog-eared copy of Urology Today lying on the small, laminate-topped table. Why couldn’t hospital waiting rooms ever have any decent magazines?

  Carter reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Waiting’s a bitch.” Lines of worry and fatigue fanned out from the corners of his eyes.

  “I hate feeling so helpless.”

  “Me too. I’d rather be in the middle of a firefight than sitting around a hospital, waiting for news.” He squeezed her hand again and pressed a kiss against her knuckles.

  A growing clatter of voices distracted her, and she closed the magazine in time to see Grandma Li charge into the waiting room dragging Bernice Yu along behind. Grandma dropped her friend’s arm and scurried toward Madelyn.

  “There you are! Why do you scare me this way?” Wrapping her arms around her granddaughter’s middle, she held on as if some malevolent force threatened to snatch her away.

  Sudden tears stung Madelyn’s eyes. Her grandmother might fuss and nag, but the ferocity of her love could not be questioned. She returned the hug and planted a kiss on top of the old woman’s silvery head.

  “Don’t you know I’m too old for this?” Grandma complained.

  “You shouldn’t have come. I told you I was fine.”

  Grandma pulled back and examined Madelyn’s face. “You said someone was shot.”

  A vision of Herman’s chalky face and bloody shirt filled her mind. “Yes.”

  “Was it your client? Did you let your client get shot?”

  “No, ma’am. I’m fine.”

  Madelyn whipped her head around. Carter stood at her shoulder. He’d taken off his jacket, loosened his tie, and rolled up his sleeves. With the shadow of beard darkening his jaw, he looked like he belonged in the fathers’ waiting room of an obstetric ward from the ‘fifties. All he needed was a cigarette dangling from his lips.

  “You’re the client?” Grandma squinted up at him.

  He tipped his head. “Yes, ma’am. Carter Devlin, at your service.”

  She nodded in satisfaction and turned to Madelyn. “You’re right—very good-looking. Much better than Bernice’s grandson-in-law.”

  Bernice planted her hands on her hips and scowled.

  “Well, he is,” Grandma insisted. “Charlie has many fine qualities, but he’s no George Clooney. More like George Clooney’s monkey.”

  Carter burst out laughing, and heat washed up Madelyn’s cheeks until the tips of her ears burned.

  “Thank you for the compliment, ma’am...I think.”

  Grandma studied him then nodded again. “I like him. He’s polite. Not like so many young people these days. I give my blessing.”

  Madelyn’s mortification swelled to epic proportions. Could this possibly get any worse? “I think you’d better go home now, Grandma.” If Bernice is still willing to let you in her car. “It was great to see you, but I’m worried about you being out so late. Maybe we can have lunch in a day or two, when my friend is better.”

  Grandma nodded and pulled her down to plant a boisterous peck on her cheek. “Okay. That’s good.” She glanced up at Carter. “Bring him too. I’ll invite the whole mahjong club. Call me soon. Let’s go, Bernice.”

  The two tiny ladies marched off down the hall exchanging staccato, guttural phrases in the dialect of their ancestral village while waving their hands for emphasis. Madelyn sighed and turned to face Carter. “Sorry about that.”

  He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close against his chest. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. I like your grandmother.”

  “Apparently she likes you too.”

  He leaned back without releasing her and waggled his brows. “That’s because I’m so good-looking.”

  “Don’t let it go to your head. She’s also a big fan of barbequed chicken’s feet.”

  “Mmmm, tasty. Just like you.” He swooped down, surprising her with a deep kiss, too brief to be satisfying, but continued to hold her in a firm embrace.

  Madelyn wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her cheek against his chest. His solid warmth gave her strength. “I’m worried. We should have heard something by now. It’s been so long.”

  “I know.” He tightened his arms. “But all we can do is wait.”

  He was right, so they made their way back to the orange vinyl sofa and sat down to wait. And wait. And wait. Outside, blackness draped the windows with an impenetrable curtain. The oppressive silence was broken only by the muted squawk of the television. And still no doctor came.

  A little after two o’clock, Carter stood and stretched. “I’m going downstairs to make a call since they don’t allow cell phones in here.”

  “Then I’m coming with you. The last thing I need is to have both you and Herman shot in one night.”

  “I’ll stay in the lounge, right next to the security guard. One of us needs to stay here in case the doctor comes out.” He pulled her toward him and dropped a kiss on her forehead. “I need to call Ski.”

  She frowned. “Why? And why now?”

  “He’s been doing some digging for me. I need to know what he’s found.”

  “You have a suspicion, don’t you? And you’ve been keeping it to yourself.”

  “A possible theory, that’s all.”

  He reached up to touch her hair, but she pushed his hand away. “We’re supposed to be partners.”

  “We are partners. I just need to get my thoughts in order before I share them.”

  “And Ski has information that will help you?”

  “I hope so.”

  “All right, but don’t be gone too long.” She released his arm. “Please.”

  “You have my word.”

  She plunked back down on the sofa, picked up the remote, and spent the next twenty minutes watching a grainy sixty-year-old episode of The Cisco Kid. A middle-aged couple whose daughter had been admitted for an emergency appendectomy came in and huddled together across the room, but Madelyn barely noticed their worried whispers.

  Ca
rter returned and sat beside her as the opening notes of the I Love Lucy theme song sounded. “Any word?”

  “Not yet.”

  “I talked to Ski. He had some interesting information.”

  She straightened. “Yes?”

  “Sam Barnett’s back in Washington.”

  “What’s interesting about that?”

  “Chick Avery and Laura Burns aren’t with him.”

  She tipped her head and regarded him. “I know my mind’s not the sharpest right now, but I don’t see the significance. Chick and Laura might have stayed in Texas to work on something, or they might be traveling on official business.”

  He leaned forward, his features hard with intense concentration. “There may be more to it than that. I need you to think back to last night again. Was there anything distinguishing about the waiter who pushed you? Could it have been Chick or Laura?”

  She closed her eyes and visualized the shadowy figure. Medium height. Medium build. Unisex uniform. She opened her eyes. “I can’t be sure.”

  “But it’s possible.”

  “I suppose so. If I had to choose, I’d say Laura because of the height. But why? I can’t imagine her flying to San Francisco and signing on with the caterer for a single event just for the opportunity to drown me.”

  “We have to look at it in connection with everything else. Ski just reminded me that Chick Avery was a sharpshooter in the Army.”

  She stared at him. “How could you forget a thing like that?”

  He shrugged. “He worked in the supply depot when I knew him, but he wore a sharpshooter ribbon on his dress uniform. I only saw it a couple of times. Something about him had been bothering me ever since the reception in Washington, so I asked Ski to check his service record.”

  Energy sparked through her nerve endings. They might have their first solid lead. It wasn’t evidence, but it was a start. “Do you think he has the skill to pull off those shots?”

  “He earned the ribbon, so he has the skill, especially with the right equipment.”

  “How about a motive? Any new thoughts there?”

  “I don’t know, but it has to be tied to Sam and our time in the service. It’s the only connection.”

  A trim, middle-aged woman in green scrubs carrying a clipboard approached and caught Madelyn’s eye. Her heart lurched. The woman must have news.

  “Ms. Li? Mr. Devlin?”

  They jumped up to face her, and Carter reached for Madelyn’s hand.

  “I’m Dr. Hightower. Mr. Perryman is out of surgery.”

  “How is he?” Carter asked.

  “He’s stable at the moment. The bullet nicked a major blood vessel and perforated his right lung. He’s lost a lot of blood. We patched him up, but he’ll be in ICU for several days.”

  A fine tremor passed through Madelyn’s shoulders. She was almost afraid to ask. “Will he be all right?”

  “The next few days will tell, but at this point there’s no reason to believe he won’t make a complete recovery.”

  Madelyn exhaled, and tension drained from her body like air from a punctured tire. She’d tried so hard not to dwell on the likelihood of Herman’s death that she hadn’t realized how much she was holding in.

  “Thank you, doctor.” Carter shook her hand. “When can we see him?”

  “He’s in Recovery now. I recommend you go home and come back tomorrow afternoon. By that time he’ll be settled in the unit, and you can see him for a few minutes.” The doctor studied Herman’s chart. “Will you be able to contact his family? We don’t have any information.”

  “We called his employer, and they’re handling it. Thank you again.” Madelyn shook the doctor’s hand then turned to Carter. “Let’s go back to the hotel. I’m almost too tired to breathe.”

  “You won’t get any argument from me.”

  As they approached the sliding doors of the ER, she stopped and grabbed his sleeve. “Stay here while I get the car.”

  “It’s dark. I’m not letting you go out there alone.

  “It’s you they’re after.”

  “Maybe so, but they haven’t hesitated to target the people around me. First you. Now Herman. I can’t let you expose yourself like that.”

  “See that nice armed guard over there?” She pointed to an off duty police officer standing outside the doors. “I’ll ask him to walk me to the car. It’s only a few yards.”

  He opened his mouth to argue, but she touched a finger to his lips. “Don’t give me a hard time. I don’t have the energy to fight with you. Let me do my job.”

  “All right, but make it fast.”

  She did. Moments later she pulled up to the entrance, and Carter climbed in. They drove back to the hotel in silence, rode the elevator in silence, and trudged down the deserted hall in silence.

  Once inside the room, she collapsed on the bed and groaned. “I can’t move.”

  “Then don’t.” One by one, he pulled off her shoes. Gentle hands unzipped her pants and shimmied them down her legs.

  She levered up on her elbows. “I can’t. I’m too tired.”

  “Relax. In this case, the mind is willing but the flesh is weak.” He stripped off his clothes and joined her under the covers. “I just need to hold you.”

  She cuddled against him and entwined her legs with his. He was so warm and solid, and she cared for him so deeply it shook her to her core. He was a rock to lean on, but he was also a flesh and blood man with all the vulnerabilities that entailed.

  “It could have been you,” she whispered against his chest. Her arm trembled as she pushed up to see his face. “I don’t know what I would have done if he’d shot you.”

  Carter’s arm tightened around her shoulders. “Now you know how I feel.” He pulled her down and kissed her. “Go to sleep.”

  Sometime later she stirred to the sensation of a big, warm hand drawing slow circles on her back and hip.

  “I’ve got some of my energy back,” he murmured. “How about you?”

  “Energy?” Her brain was still asleep, even as her body roused.

  “Mmm-hmm.” His hand roamed further afield.

  “For what?”

  “How about I show you?”

  And he did, gloriously.

  ****

  Carter awoke to a persistent buzzing. It took a moment to recognize the sound of his cell phone on the bedside table beside his head. Maybe if he ignored it, whoever was calling would go away. He didn’t want to talk to anyone right now. He was too comfortable with an armful of warm, sleeping Madelyn. Then he remembered he’d given the hospital his number as a contact last night.

  He carefully disengaged his arm, picked up the phone, slid out of bed, and padded barefoot across the plush carpet to the other side of the room. He pushed back the curtains covering the expanse of windows enough to allow him to read the number. It wasn’t the hospital. It was his mother.

  “Hi, Mom. What’s up?” He kept his voice low, trying not to disturb Madelyn.

  “It’s not your mother, dear. It’s me.” His grandmother’s voice chirped in his ear.

  Gran was well into her eighties and had lived with his mother since his father had been killed in the line of duty twenty years earlier. She had once been as sharp as the blade on his grandpa’s old straight-edged razor. Unfortunately the edge had dulled a bit over the past few years, and now anything outside her comfortable routine confused her. But she was still as sweet as ever, and Carter loved her as much as he had as a boy.

  “Hi, Gran. How are you?”

  “Still full of prunes.” It was one of her favorite expressions. “But dear, I think you should come home.”

  He sighed. What was it this time? She called him at least once a week to come over and solve some imaginary problem. Last time she thought Mr. Jankowski from next door was sneaking over and putting pennies in the refrigerator. When Carter checked, there were indeed pennies in the refrigerator, but he suspected Mr. Jankowski had nothing to do with it.

  “Wh
at’s the problem, Gran?”

  “You have a visitor.”

  “I have a visitor? At your house?”

  “Yes, dear. There’s a young man here to see you. He says you need to come home right away.”

  “Who is it? One of my friends?” Maybe she was thinking of one of his high school buddies. More and more often these days, her memory led her into the past.

  “I’m not sure he told me his name. If he did, I must have forgotten it.”

  “Gran, is Mom there? I need to talk to her.”

  “Your mother’s not feeling well. The young man told me she’s lying down in her room.”

  His gut clenched. Something was wrong. If his grandmother was imagining this scenario, she’d taken a sudden turn for the worse. If there really was a strange man in the house, he needed to call the police.

  “I need to talk to Mom. Why don’t you take the phone in to her. She can talk lying down.”

  “All right, dear.”

  His grandmother must have lowered the phone because her voice faded into a series of background noises. After a few moments, she came back on the line.

  “I’m sorry, but the young man won’t let you talk to her. He says if you want to see her or talk to her, you have to come home. I’m not sure I understand.”

  Tendrils of cold dread unfurled in his chest. “Let me talk to him, Gran.”

  “All right, dear. Here you are.”

  A familiar male voice spoke. “Devlin.”

  He felt no surprise, only the unhappy satisfaction of having his suspicions confirmed. “Avery. What are you doing with my mother and grandmother?”

  Chick chuckled. “Just visiting. They’re lovely ladies. And they’d love to see you. Right away.”

  Carter swore, infuriated when Chick chuckled again. “What are you playing at?”

  “No playing. I’m dead serious.” Chick’s tone was all business. “I’m sick of chasing you. You’re going to come to me this time. If you want to see these two alive and well, you’ll be on the next plane.”

  “What have you done to my mother?”

  “She’s sleeping, with a little pharmaceutical assistance.”

  “What did you give her, you bastard?” Carter shouted into the phone.