Page 78 of Bad Seed

“No. There are plenty of sous-chefs who know how to bake everything we make. I’ve trained them well. Before the nurse gets here, I have to ask. Did you recognize the man who shot you? His name was Oliver Prine.”

“I don’t recognize the name, but I did see him a couple of times. The only reason I remember him at all is because he looked like one of my college professors. In fact, the first time I saw him, I thought that’s who it was, until he turned sideways and I realized the profile was all wrong.”

“Where did you see him?” Brendan asked.

“While I was still in investigation stages, I drove bythe warehouse once just for location purposes and saw him standing outside it, and then I saw him in the parking lot of the Crossley Building another time. I didn’t think anything of it. But now that I know that name, I also know he is not on Wilhem Crossley’s payroll.”

“Okay. That’s another plus in the old man’s innocent column, and maybe incriminating for Tip Crossley. I’ll pass that along to Rusty. She can send it up the line.”

“I just want this over,” Harley said. “And I want a drink of water, too. Can you help me?”

He reached for the pitcher, poured some cold water in her cup, and then tilted the straw toward her lips so she could drink.

“Little sips, Sunshine, or you’ll choke yourself.”

She drank until she’d had enough. Her eyes were heavy. She’d worn herself out talking, but she didn’t let go of his hand.

“Did I tell you I love you?” she mumbled.

He brushed a kiss across her cheek. “Yes, you did. Almost as many times as I said it to you.”

“Forever and always?”

“Forever and always,” he said, and watched her eyes finally close.

A few minutes later, a nurse came in and began taking Harley’s vitals, then gave Brendan a look. “Good call. Her fever is back up. I’ll check with the doctor about increasing the antibiotics, and I’ll be back shortly with her pain meds.”

Brendan pulled up a recliner by Harley’s bed andsat, but always with a constant eye on her face. He kept looking at the bandage above her ear and thinking,But for her quick reaction and the grace of God, she wouldn’t be here anymore. In this short space of time, she’d stolen his heart. Losing her wasn’t an option.

***

Liz called her father that night about the shooting.

Ray was horrified, apologetic, and threatening to come back tomorrow until she finally talked him down.

“None of what happened to Harley had anything to do with you or the job you hired her to do. From the little we’ve been told, this all had something to do with the case she’d worked for the client before you.”

“How close is she to being finished with the audit?” he asked.

“Close, for sure. The bullet only grazed her head. They hospitalized her because of the concussion it caused. We’ll do everything we can to aid her after her release.”

“Yes, okay. Just let me know. I want to get rid of Beaumont and sell the hotel before something else happens,” Ray said.

“I will, Dad, and please don’t worry. We’re doubling precautions. Only a few guests on the eighth floor even knew something had happened, and there was such a large police presence in the hall that they didn’t see anything specific. Nearly everyone was at an event in theballroom, and when they carried out the body and took Harley to the hospital, they took them out the back way, down the staff elevator into the back parking lot. Once the site was released, housekeeping quickly cleaned the blood from the wall and carpet in the hall, spackled the bullet holes in the Sheetrock, and cleaned up Harley’s suite. I checked for myself before I came home. You can’t tell that anything ever happened there. The FBI took over the case. Apparently, the shooter was a person of interest who they’d been looking for, and we’ve been cautioned not to talk about it to anyone. The incident won’t be reported to the public. The reputation of the hotel is still intact.”

“More importantly, Harley Banks is still alive,” Ray said.

***

Ollie Prine’s quest was over, but Berlin didn’t know. After the Jubilee police notified the FBI, they were certain Harley Banks had been targeted for the same reason Paget was dead and their special agent had been murdered. Only Harley was still alive.

According to the identification in the dead man’s wallet and the phone in his pocket, his name was Oliver Prine, a current resident of Philadelphia. This was no coincidence. The feds were now digging for information that would tie him to the trafficking gang and maybe the big boss himself.

***

It was a little after 9:00 p.m. The hospital was mostly quiet, lights were down low, and Harley was asleep. Brendan had long ago eaten the food his brothers brought, sharing a couple of bites of cinnamon roll with her before she dozed off again.

He’d already sent a text to Larry Beaumont telling him he was taking off work until Harley was well enough to leave the hospital, and that there was no need for concern because Anthony and his other sous-chefs were perfectly capable of following through.

---