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Her question made me realize I had no real clue about his family. “I’ll ask if and when I see him again.”
“Now, you’re being coy. If you don’t go out with him again, I’ll call you nuts.” She shook her head before moving toward the computer, her fingers flying on the keyboard. “Don’t forget I’m taking a couple days off.”
“I am nuts. Haven’t you figured that out? I hope you’re doing something kinky.” I couldn’t believe I’d said the words.
She glared at me, rolling her eyes. “The only kinky thing I’ll be doing is going to flea markets with my sister. That’s what she wanted for her birthday.”
“Ugh.”
“I’ll say.”
I moved to another terminal, checking the rest of the schedule for the day. The two surgeries earlier in the day had gone well, but there were two more scheduled, which could make for a long day. “What happened to the second surgery?” I asked, confused as to why I wasn’t notified of a change in schedule.
When Maggie remained quiet, I lifted my head. What the hell was she looking at?
“Maggie?” She seemed to tense then beckoned me closer. I walked closer, narrowing my eyes. “What is it?”
“Keep your voice down. Look at that guy.” Her voice was little more than a hoarse whisper.
I glanced at the smaller waiting room, noticing an older couple and a man dressed in black jeans and a dark jacket. “What about him? That’s a waiting room.”
“He was here yesterday, as in all day.”
Half laughing, I twisted my head to look at her. “Some people do spend hours waiting for loved ones. Remember? We’re in a hospital?”
“No,” she said then turned around. “Yesterday when I was here, I accidentally bumped into him, and I could have sworn I saw a weapon in his pocket. I got busy then by the time I thought about it again, he was gone. I would have said something to you, but you’d left for the day.”
There was no reason for there to be a sudden rush of creepy crawlies, but as the hair stood up on the back of my neck, I sucked in my breath. “Maybe you were wrong.”
“I’m pretty observant. You know how I am. There’s something not right about him being here.”
While he wasn’t looking in our direction, I did find it curious that he wasn’t glancing at his phone or a magazine. Nothing. He was sitting there staring off into space. Granted, I’d seen and experienced what grief did to a person, so I couldn’t jump to conclusions. “Look, just keep an eye out. If he does anything strange, let me know. Remember, we have surgery in an hour.”
“I know and as far as the second one, I thought you knew.”
“Knew what?”
“The man died late last night.”
For a few seconds, my throat closed. While I had only spoken with the man and his family for a few minutes discussing his upcoming surgery, there was no indication his health was declining or that he’d become critical. “No, I hadn’t heard.”
“It was sudden. Cardiac arrest. I’m sorry. I would have told you.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m headed to my office.”
“Hey. What’s the hunk’s name again?” she asked, her bubbly personality returning.
I gave her a stern look then laughed. “You promise you won’t spread it around the joint?”
She acted as if she were zipping her lips shut, tossing away the key. “Scout’s honor.”
When she held up four fingers together, all I could do was laugh. “Now, I know you’re lying. You were never a Girl Scout. His name is Gabriel Riccardo.”
“Sexy name. What does he look like?”
“Get to work.” I started to walk away then glanced back. “Let’s just say he could be the next Zorro.”
“Holy mother of God. I need one.”
