The Door Into Summer
Chapter 29Kookie didn't take long in Jeff's room. He, like Suzanne, was struck by how still the figure in the bed was. "Hey, dad, I just wanted you to know I was here, too, and we're all waiting for you to wake up. So quit your stalling, okay?" He patted Jeff gently on the arm and went back to the waiting room.
"You weren't gone long," St remarked when he returned.
"Didn't have much to say. Just wanted to let him know I was here and to hurry up and come back to us."
Stu stood and stretched. "I'm going to find out where Rachel is, and go see her."
Kookie nodded. Suzanne had been staring out the window and didn't say a word. Stu went out to the nurses' desk and waited until one of the ladies wasn't busy. "Excuse me, how can I find out what room another patient is in? She was brought in with Jeff Spencer. The name is Rachel Ames."
"Give me just a minute, sir," the pretty blonde told him as she picked up the phone and dialed an extension. "Mildred, this is Cathy in ICU. Can you check and let me know the room number for Rachel Ames? She is? Thanks, Mildred." Cathy looked up from the desk. "She's in room 543, Mr. Bailey."
"Thank you, Cathy."
Stu went to the elevators and went up two floors, then wandered down the hall until he found 543. He'd never met Rachel but he'd looked at her picture long enough to know her when he saw her. Blonde and cute as could be, as well as terribly young, Stu walked into the room and quickly introduced himself. "Miss Ames? I'm Stuart Bailey. You've seen the other half of Bailey and Spencer, my partner, Jeff."
"What do you want, Mr. Bailey? I've given all the information I could to the police."
Stu was taken aback. She was everything Kookie had said she was, and more. Cocky, smug, a brat if he'd ever met one. He hesitated, tempted to fight fire with fire. He wasn't sure that was the best way to deal with this teenage delinquent, however, and he took another path. "I came up to see how you were doing, Rachel. You've had a lot of people worried for a long time, myself included. Your parents have been frantic for quite a while."
"I just bet they have. Where are they? Still in Yuba City wringing their hands over their little girl?"
Stu's right hand twitched. He wanted so badly to do just what her father had done that started this whole mess, smack her across the mouth and teach her some respect. That wasn't why he was here, nor was it his place, and he refrained from the natural inclination. "Your parents are on their way down from Yuba City. They came to me after you disappeared and engaged us to find you, then stayed here waiting for word of you until their money ran out. Your mother and father were reluctant to return home, but they had no choice. They never stopped worrying about you, Rachel."
"What's going to happen to Don?"
It was the first time she'd asked about anyone other than herself. "That's up to your parents. If they want to press charges, he'll be tried for statutory rape. He could spend twenty years or more in prison."
The girl in the bed gasped. "What if they don't press charges?"
"Then probably nothing will happen to him."
Rachel appeared to be thinking; she sounded almost human when she spoke again. "Was it your partner that came to rescue me?"
"Yes, it was."
In a very small voice she asked, "Is he dead?"
Stuart shook his head. "No, he's not, and we hope he makes it through what Tony Daggett did to him. Jeff was shot four times, once near the heart, and that's where all the problems have come from. He's in Intensive Care right now."
"He came to save me. Why? He doesn't even know me."
"Because that's who we are, Rachel. When we get hired to do something, we don't give up until we've done what we were supposed to. Your parents hired us to find you. That's why Jeff and I and Kookie have done everything in our power to bring you back safely. I'm sorry you were hurt in the process."
"Do you know where Tony is?" she asked quietly.
"Not yet, but I'll find him. He's hurt too many people that I care about, and he needs to be stopped. One way or the other."
"He went . . . he went to San Diego one day." She thought about it for a minute. "Is Kookie . . . is Kookie alright?"
"Kookie's fine. I'll send him up to see you. I would imagine your parents will be here sometime tomorrow. Are you ready for that?"
Rachel looked up at him. The cocky, temperamental young woman had been replaced by a shy, genuinely sorry teenager. "I will be by the time they get here. Mr. Bailey . . . "
"Yes, Rachel?"
"I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused, and all the people that got hurt."
"The people that got hurt weren't your fault, Rachel. That's all on Tony Daggett's head. But I think you owe your folks an apology. No matter what you think, they're your parents, and they love you."
"I'm beginning to understand that. When the nurses can bring me downstairs, could I come visit Mr. Spencer?"
"Any time you want, Rachel. But I would wait until he's awake and alert before you come. If you'd like, I'll send Kookie up to get you. It's all up to you, of course."
"Thanks. I appreciate that."
Stu reached over and took the girl's hand. "I'm glad we finally got to meet."
"Me, too."
Once Stu returned to the waiting room he told Kookie what he'd found. "She's in room 543, Kookie. And I think she's had a change of attitude – about a lot of things. You should go up and see her. You'll be pleasantly surprised."
"You said somethin' earlier about going home to shower and change, then coming back. You still want to do that?"
Stu nodded. "I do. I won't be gone long. Suzanne, do you want me to drive you home?"
Suzanne shook her head. She looked tired but she wasn't willing to leave. "No, Stuart. I want to stay until . . . well, until we're sure he's going to be alright."
Stu watched the lovely Frenchwoman. The love for his fallen brother was so clear on her face, she should – but it wasn't up to him to decide what she should or shouldn't do. And he wasn't going to push her to make a decision. Especially when Jeff still wasn't out of the woods. "Good enough. Anybody want anything when I come back?"
"A hamburger and a coke," Kookie requested.
"There's only one thing I want," Suzanne insisted. "And you can't give it to me."
Stu reached out and took Suzanne's hand in his. "He'll come around. Just keep talking to him."
"How did you know . . . " she started
"Because that's what you do. Keep him company while I'm gone." Stu let go of her hand and kissed her on the cheek. "Kookie, take care of her."
"I will, dad. Drive safely."
Stu left the waiting room and headed for the elevator. In just a few minutes he was downstairs and outside, wondering where he'd parked his car. Oh dear lord, he thought to himself, I left it in the Emergency Room parking. I wonder if it's still there?
Much to his surprise, it was right where he'd left it. Stu looked around for any trace of Daggett, then opened the door and got behind the wheel. The engine turned over and the car didn't explode, so he was already a step ahead. Stu pulled out of the parking lot and into evening traffic, which was lighter than usual.
He arrived at his apartment some forty-five minutes later. He headed for the lobby and picked up his mail, then caught the elevator to the third floor. The phone was ringing as he got in the door. "Hello?"
"Boss, you're there!"
"Roscoe, I'm sorry you've been stuck there so long."
"Never mind that. How's Jeff?"
"Not good. When I left he still hadn't woken up from the surgery."
"Is he gonna live? I mean . . . "
Stu almost chuckled, Roscoe was so flustered from asking the question. "We're all hoping and praying, Roscoe. Kookie and Suzanne are still at the hospital. I just came home to shower and change clothes. Close up the office and go home. See if you can get Janice upstairs to baby-sit the board tomorrow. Something has to happen soon, and one of us will be back in the office."
"What if . . ."
"Don't even think about that. Look, Roscoe, just hang in there for us, okay? I'll make it worth your while."
"Don't worry about that, Stu. You all are needed at the hospital. This is the least I can do. Go take your shower and I'll take care of the phones."
"Thanks, Roscoe. Talk to you tomorrow."
"See ya."
Stu hurried into the bedroom and stripped off his clothes. It was a good thing Mrs. Hunter was coming to clean the place and take care of his clothes tomorrow – otherwise, he might have had to burn what he'd just peeled off. He took a hot shower and shaved, then toweled off and went looking for underwear. Fifteen minutes later he was dressed in clean blue jeans and a white polo shirt. He grabbed a windbreaker out of the closet and headed for the door. Just as he approached there was a knock, and Stu looked out the peephole to see who it was. A kid stood there holding flowers, and Stu opened the door to sign for them. He brought them inside and read the card that was attached. All it said was 'My aim will be better next time' and it was signed 'Daggett.'
"You son-of-a-bitch," Stu muttered, and he took the flowers with him as he locked the door. Once he got downstairs and outside he threw them in the trash, sticking the card in his pants pocket. "Your day is coming," the angry private investigator finished as he walked to the car. He sat behind the wheel and pushed the cigarette lighter in; when it popped out he lit a cigarette. Now, where could he get Kookie a hamburger and a coke?
There was a small diner about a block from the hospital, and that seemed like a good place to grab food. Once he got there and went inside everything smelled so good that he ordered three burgers, fries and three cokes. It was only a few minutes to Beach Presbyterian Hospital's parking lot, and without too much trouble he was back in the ICU Waiting Room. "Anything?" he asked Suzanne, and she shook her head.
"I went back in, but there was still no response. Do you suppose . . . ?"
It wasStu's turn to shake his head, which he did as he passed out the food and drinks. "I don't suppose anything anymore. He's not going to wake up until he comes back to us from wherever he's gone. And we don't have any control over that."
"Thanks for the food, dad. You look a lot better. Fresher, I mean," Kookie told him between bites.
"Roscoe called while I was at the house. I tried to get him to have Janice from upstairs babysit the phones tomorrow, but he said no, he'd handle them. And flowers arrived before I left."
"Flowers?" Suzanne questioned. "Where are they?"
"In the trash at home."
"But why?" she wondered. Stu pulled the card out of his pocket and handed it to her. After she read it she handed it to Kookie and simply said, "Oh."
Kookie read it, then promptly tore it up. "You don't need trash like that."
"No, I don't. None of us do. Kookie, get on the phone and see if you can find out where Dagget was when he called the order in. The florist was Nosegay Bouquets in Hollywood. Suzanne, I'm going to see if I can visit Jeff again. And I'll tell you about my visit with Rachel when I return." Stu patted her on the arm as he left the room. He offered a silent prayer as he walked to the nurse's station. It was past time for Jefferson to come back to them.