CHAPTER 40
The two men walked out onto the small sun porch, which was empty this early in the morning.
Duncan pulled the UPS envelope out of his coat and handed it to Methos.
Methos noted the return address and then pulled out the contents. It was a newspaper obituary
section … Not recognizing anything on one side of the fold, he turned it over and saw a listing
circled in red. Lt. Randall F. Taylor.
"I guess this explains why you weren't able to reach him." Methos said bleakly, throwing the
paper down on the iron table. He took a seat in the chair beside it, rubbed his eyes and worried
about how this news was going to affect Beth.
"Did you get that this morning?" he asked.
"No … it was delivered last night. That's why Richie was at the beach … he was coming to find
you."
"I wondered about that." He admitted. "Don't get me wrong … I was glad he showed up and got
Beth out of there. But I was a little worried he had resorted to stalking … glad you cleared it up."
"It didn't list a cause of death, but Joe made some calls … he was shot in the head … execution
style …"
"And Devan couldn't wait to gloat … to let her know no one was safe." Methos said, standing up
and walking to the edge of the patio.
"To let her know he could get to her when he was ready." Duncan replied. "It was supposed to
be delivered yesterday morning … but Richie said something about the driver pulling a double
route … so it's delivery was delayed."
"He was timing it to come just before Mitchell made his move … so she would already be terrified
… and helpless." Methos added, punching the brick column and wincing when he felt his
knuckles crush under the force of the blow.
Duncan didn't say anything for a few minutes as Methos watched his hand slowly begin to restore
itself. He knew his friend needed time to think … time to try and figure out what to do … how to
tell Beth.
"This is going to tear her apart." Methos told him, turning and leaning against the low wall.
"So we don't tell her."
Methos shook his head. "No … we can't keep this from her. I'll talk to her doctor and explain that
she needed to receive some hard news … and let him decide when to tell her. At least if she's
here when she gets the news it won't be such a risk."
"How long are they going to keep her?"
"Another three … maybe four days."
"She's not going to be happy about that." Duncan mused and Adam shook his head confirming
the statement.
"She can't lose that baby … we've got to get to him before that can happen."
Duncan agreed.
"Listen … there are some things I want to check on … old notes … I never paid attention to his
name before because I didn't relate it to the immortal I buried, but I still might have recorded
something. Maybe the notes can help us find a way to get to him … or tip us off to anyone else
he might be using to get to her."
"You want me to stay here?"
Adam nodded. "I'll be back this afternoon … but I don't want her to be alone … ever. Until she
goes home we need to make sure she is guarded 24/7."
"Amanda, Richie and I can take shifts … I'm assuming you will be taking care of nights?" Duncan
asked, raising one eyebrow and looking for confirmation.
Adam mumbled something about going to tell Beth he would be back later, not giving his friend
the satisfaction of being right.
When he got back to her room, Beth was sitting up in bed … wearing a soft blue gown and
matching eyelet robe. Amanda was just starting to work the tangles out of her hair with the brush
she'd packed … thinking how glad she was to have cut her own … remembering what a mess
hair this thick could be.
"Adam." Beth smiled, glad he'd returned.
"Amanda … could you give us a minute?"
"Sure … I'll be right outside …" Amanda replied, handing the brush to Beth as she walked out.
Adam walked over to the bed and when he saw how tough it was for her to manage the brush
while connected to the monitor and I-V, he covered her hand with his own … taking it from her.
Beth sat up a little, and Adam began to brush through the tangles that hadn't been tended to
since the night before. He started at the bottom and slowly worked his way up, being careful not
to pull.
"It was good of Amanda to bring me my things … " she said, enjoying the simple but intimate
attention he was paying her.
"You look like you're feeling better." He commented, as he continued to brush her hair, unable to
get the image of her hair spread out on the pillow they shared the night before out of his mind …
trying not to think about how her hair would look falling wild about her shoulders and face as he
made love to her …"
Those thoughts weren't far from the one's Beth was having. She wondered what it would feel like
to have him wrap her hair around his hand and pull her to him … anchoring her against his mouth
as he lowered her to the bed …
Her face flushed noticeably.
"Are you warm? Should I get the nurse to check the air?" he asked, causing Beth's cheeks to
flame even hotter as she told him the temperature was fine.
"I can finish …" she said reaching for the brush. "You got out most of the worst of it …"
Adam handed her the brush, and swept the dark mass of her hair over her shoulder so she could
better reach it … letting his fingers sift through it one last time before moving to sit on the edge of
the bed facing her.
"I need to go do a little research … on Asher Devan." He told her and saw her eyes dip to the
blanket in disappointment.
He lifted her chin and leaned forward. "I'll be back … with the chowder … before dinner ok?"
smiling as she smiled back and nodded her head.
"Amanda and Duncan are going to stay with you for awhile … and I'm sure Richie will be here
later. You won't be alone … ever." He promised.
"And you promise you'll be back tonight?" she asked.
"I promise sweetheart." He replied, kissing her gently before tearing himself away to try and find
a solution to this madness.
The two men walked out onto the small sun porch, which was empty this early in the morning.
Duncan pulled the UPS envelope out of his coat and handed it to Methos.
Methos noted the return address and then pulled out the contents. It was a newspaper obituary
section … Not recognizing anything on one side of the fold, he turned it over and saw a listing
circled in red. Lt. Randall F. Taylor.
"I guess this explains why you weren't able to reach him." Methos said bleakly, throwing the
paper down on the iron table. He took a seat in the chair beside it, rubbed his eyes and worried
about how this news was going to affect Beth.
"Did you get that this morning?" he asked.
"No … it was delivered last night. That's why Richie was at the beach … he was coming to find
you."
"I wondered about that." He admitted. "Don't get me wrong … I was glad he showed up and got
Beth out of there. But I was a little worried he had resorted to stalking … glad you cleared it up."
"It didn't list a cause of death, but Joe made some calls … he was shot in the head … execution
style …"
"And Devan couldn't wait to gloat … to let her know no one was safe." Methos said, standing up
and walking to the edge of the patio.
"To let her know he could get to her when he was ready." Duncan replied. "It was supposed to
be delivered yesterday morning … but Richie said something about the driver pulling a double
route … so it's delivery was delayed."
"He was timing it to come just before Mitchell made his move … so she would already be terrified
… and helpless." Methos added, punching the brick column and wincing when he felt his
knuckles crush under the force of the blow.
Duncan didn't say anything for a few minutes as Methos watched his hand slowly begin to restore
itself. He knew his friend needed time to think … time to try and figure out what to do … how to
tell Beth.
"This is going to tear her apart." Methos told him, turning and leaning against the low wall.
"So we don't tell her."
Methos shook his head. "No … we can't keep this from her. I'll talk to her doctor and explain that
she needed to receive some hard news … and let him decide when to tell her. At least if she's
here when she gets the news it won't be such a risk."
"How long are they going to keep her?"
"Another three … maybe four days."
"She's not going to be happy about that." Duncan mused and Adam shook his head confirming
the statement.
"She can't lose that baby … we've got to get to him before that can happen."
Duncan agreed.
"Listen … there are some things I want to check on … old notes … I never paid attention to his
name before because I didn't relate it to the immortal I buried, but I still might have recorded
something. Maybe the notes can help us find a way to get to him … or tip us off to anyone else
he might be using to get to her."
"You want me to stay here?"
Adam nodded. "I'll be back this afternoon … but I don't want her to be alone … ever. Until she
goes home we need to make sure she is guarded 24/7."
"Amanda, Richie and I can take shifts … I'm assuming you will be taking care of nights?" Duncan
asked, raising one eyebrow and looking for confirmation.
Adam mumbled something about going to tell Beth he would be back later, not giving his friend
the satisfaction of being right.
When he got back to her room, Beth was sitting up in bed … wearing a soft blue gown and
matching eyelet robe. Amanda was just starting to work the tangles out of her hair with the brush
she'd packed … thinking how glad she was to have cut her own … remembering what a mess
hair this thick could be.
"Adam." Beth smiled, glad he'd returned.
"Amanda … could you give us a minute?"
"Sure … I'll be right outside …" Amanda replied, handing the brush to Beth as she walked out.
Adam walked over to the bed and when he saw how tough it was for her to manage the brush
while connected to the monitor and I-V, he covered her hand with his own … taking it from her.
Beth sat up a little, and Adam began to brush through the tangles that hadn't been tended to
since the night before. He started at the bottom and slowly worked his way up, being careful not
to pull.
"It was good of Amanda to bring me my things … " she said, enjoying the simple but intimate
attention he was paying her.
"You look like you're feeling better." He commented, as he continued to brush her hair, unable to
get the image of her hair spread out on the pillow they shared the night before out of his mind …
trying not to think about how her hair would look falling wild about her shoulders and face as he
made love to her …"
Those thoughts weren't far from the one's Beth was having. She wondered what it would feel like
to have him wrap her hair around his hand and pull her to him … anchoring her against his mouth
as he lowered her to the bed …
Her face flushed noticeably.
"Are you warm? Should I get the nurse to check the air?" he asked, causing Beth's cheeks to
flame even hotter as she told him the temperature was fine.
"I can finish …" she said reaching for the brush. "You got out most of the worst of it …"
Adam handed her the brush, and swept the dark mass of her hair over her shoulder so she could
better reach it … letting his fingers sift through it one last time before moving to sit on the edge of
the bed facing her.
"I need to go do a little research … on Asher Devan." He told her and saw her eyes dip to the
blanket in disappointment.
He lifted her chin and leaned forward. "I'll be back … with the chowder … before dinner ok?"
smiling as she smiled back and nodded her head.
"Amanda and Duncan are going to stay with you for awhile … and I'm sure Richie will be here
later. You won't be alone … ever." He promised.
"And you promise you'll be back tonight?" she asked.
"I promise sweetheart." He replied, kissing her gently before tearing himself away to try and find
a solution to this madness.