29.
An electric anticipation filled the Hummer as Horatio drove left, around the protected compound to a parking spot. Behind them, in a covered carport, was his blue BMW. Not hearing a response from the passenger seat, he glanced at Schell. She was looking away from him, staring out the front windshield and he could see that she was distinctly bristling.
"Schell?" he asked, turning the engine off.
She shot a glance his way that revealed storm clouds darkening her blue eyes. He paused, a frown knitting his brows for a moment.
"You could have at least warned me..." Schell began in a very soft voice.
Horatio sat very still, as she looked him in the eye, then he dropped his head, pursed his lips and shifted towards her. Setting his arm on the steering wheel, he looked right back at her.
"Will you listen to me for a moment?" he asked, simply.
Schell blinked, a look of consternation on her face, before lifting her chin in acknowledgement.
Horatio sighed a little and nodded. "You're right, I should have warned you better, but I think when you hear what I have to say you'll understand. Okay?" he asked, looking at her with that hopeful, expressive look he so often used to full effect to get her attention.
She sighed, turning her gaze away and pursed her lips in distaste, knowing it was working. "I just want to go home..." she whispered.
"I understand, and if I were you I would too, but you need to hear me out..." Horatio said consolingly.
Another flash from those storming eyes was directed his way before she relented.
"Something came up that created the need to get you out of that hospital and to some place safer..." he said slowly. "Dr. Alcalá was not going to release you, until I explained that the person who has been responsible for all that has been happening to you is about to make another attempt."
Schell froze, staring back into Horatio's eyes and letting his words sink in. She started to speak, but he raised his hand to stop her. "Let me finish, all right?"
The look of fear he had so much wanted to prevent, came lurking again in the depths of her eyes, causing her to pale even more before him.
"Your doctor also wasn't going to let you out unless she knew someone could help keep an eye on things, until you recover enough to take care of yourself. If I am going to keep you safe, and help out, my place is the natural choice."
"What about my..." Schell started, causing Horatio to close his eyes wearily. She paused, casting a hurt look at him.
"Because they know where you live..." he said gently. "And they will soon find out what hospital you've been in."
"You know who it is don't you? Who is it?"
"I know who it is, yes," he confirmed, "but I won't tell you that until I have 100 of the evidence I need to make sure of a very lengthy jail sentence." He gazed steadily into her eyes. "I also want to keep you safe." He gestured meaningfully at the security gates and fences. "And besides," he looked at her ruefully, "I know you won't get any rest at your place."
"In my own bed, at home, sure I will..." she protested, still trying to come to grips with the idea that Horatio had figured out who had been putting her through months of hell.
"And what's to stop you from getting up in the wee hours and starting work on your paintings?" Horatio asked in a soft murmur.
Schell, looking abashed, could only blink a moment in response.
"Here," Horatio nodded at the condo, "At least I know you'll sleep. Plus the bed is very comfortable," he added. "And you can trust me, you'll be safe."
Satisfied that she hadn't objected right away, Horatio smiled, and climbed out of the car, going around to help her out.
As he gently helped her down from the Hummer, she said in a soft voice, "We'll talk about this more later."
Horatio nodded, trying to suppress his smirk of triumph. "Ok..." he said, indicating for her to leave the bags where they sat. "I'll get those in a minute; let's just get you upstairs."
"Stairs?" she asked, looking up, feeling her legs literally shaking with fatigue.
"Just one flight, and I'm right here with you. I'm on the second floor," he said, tucking her arm firmly in his as he elbowed the door shut.
"Second floor," she murmured, gazing up toward what she guessed was his window. "And literally blocks from my own place.."
"Surprised me," he commented, guiding her forward.
By the time they reached his door, she was holding his arm in a vice grip in an effort not to fall over.
"All right," he murmured to her, getting his keys to open the door, "Just a little further and you can lie down."
"I'm sorry..." she said in a whisper. "This is causing you a lot of trouble and I hate feeling so weak..."
"Nonsense," he replied, pushing the door open. Helping her to stand, he carefully walked her into the foyer, dimmed by the closed curtains, and refreshingly cool from the Miami humidity. A big, open kitchen leading to the living room was on their left, and he helped her through them before turning right down a short hall. The master bedroom was on the left, with a second on the right. He steered left.
Schell, just concentrating on not collapsing, didn't register thier destination until Horatio was supporting her with one hand, flipping back his blankets with the other, and helping her to sit down.
"Oh, not your room.." she protested softly as she began to realize.
"Sh, sh, shh," he hushed, bending over to tug her Birkenstocks off her feet. "It's all right," he said with soft smile. "Come on," he encouraged, "Lie back..."
Schell gave up, she didn't have the energy to argue, and with his looks of concern, she moaned in pain again as he helped her to bed. However, as she sank back, and he was tugging the blankets into place, she heaved a sigh of relief. He smiled wryly, before sitting on the bed next to her.
Settling in, she nudged the blankets down a little with her good hand then opened her eyes wearily.
"Somehow, this isn't how I would have imagined sleeping in your bed," she murmured.
Horatio suddenly ducked his head, started to smile then abruptly began to chuckle. The faintest of blushes appeared on his own face.
"No," he said, fighting the urge to laugh. "No, you're right about that," then he leaned over and murmured close to her ear... "You've imagined?"
He got up from the bed, smiling at the look of horror and embarrassment that flashed across Schell's face before she started to giggle in return, wincing in pain at the same time. Sliding her hand down the blanket to hold her stitched up side, she managed to gasp, "Oh, that hurts!"
Somewhere along the line, Horatio had slipped her cell phone into his pocket and he now pulled it out. "I want you to promise me something..." he said, his features turning sombre as he looked down at the phone in his hands. She saw the seriousness in his eyes. He smiled slightly, "If you start to feel anything going wrong, anything..." he stressed, "You call me..." He gazed at her steadily.
"All right..." she said as he reached down and curled the phone in her hands.
"I..." he hesitated, "I should be staying here," he said, wrestling with his thoughts, "but I am also needed elsewhere, so if something should start to go wrong..." he looked at her apologetically.
"I'll be all right," Schell said, "I'll call you," she offering him a gentle smile of her own, "I promise, I'll call you. Just speed dial you, right?"
"That's right," he murmured and relaxed a little.
"I'm not going to be doing much anyway..." she added softly, ruefully. "I'm pretty much gonna be in one spot."
Horatio nodded, and smiled at her attempt at humour before he reached down to squeeze her hand. "Just relax, I'll be right back."
On his return, from a quick trip to the Hummer, he only needed to poke his head in his bedroom door to see that his plan was working to full effect. Schell had gone out like a light.
Quietly, he moved closer to the bed, searching in the prescription bag before setting her meds on the night stand. The rest of the items, including an additional package, he set in the master bathroom, knowing she would find them later. Returning to the bedside, he gazed down at Schell, who looked grey with fatigue. Reaching down he gently ran the backs of his fingers against the soft skin of her cheek. She never stirred.
For a moment, the weight that seemed to permanently bow his shoulders was lifted as he fully relaxed, gazing at her. With her firmly ensconced under his protection, he felt better and all that much more focused on putting an end to the countless attempts on her life.
The soft smile that was playing around his lips slowly faded away as the ghosts and realities of his past resurfaced in his thoughts. Did he have any business, whatsoever, of getting himself involved with this young woman, when he knew a very dangerous serial killer named Dresden was stalking him with the intent of inflicting as much emotional damage upon his already beaten psyche as possible? Memories of Rachel Turner's body being pulled out of the Tamiami Canal flashed across his thoughts.
Staring silently at Schell's bruised face, he felt the guilt that he should have been more alert, more protective, more... Horatio let out a sigh. He had made a promise to her, one that he failed on. Now he could, at least, keep that promise, despite the fact that she had been injured again due to his lapse of vigilance.
Vigilance... he mused in self mockery. Dresden's actions against Rachel had caught him during a distracted moment. He should have been better focused with Schell as well. As he gazed at her, the thought again went through his mind; did he have any business at all bringing somebody into the maelstrom that swirled around his life? Part of him kept saying no, push this woman away, protect her from having to be a part of that business, it has nothing to do with her. Keep her away for her own safety.
Yet another part of him was screaming at the years of isolation he had imposed upon himself. That part also knew that Schell was not turning him away. It was growing stronger and more insistent as the days passed, and one that Horatio was growing weary of resisting. Stetler had revealed to her a large portion of the ugliness surrounding him and she had not turned him away.
As he studied her in her sleep, he knew he couldn't turn her away either.