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“I don’t know. I don’t think so. With Jessi unavailable to her, she might decide the gig is up. That it’ll be just a matter of time before we get Jessi to talk and close in on her. I get the feeling that our Jess is a bit of a disappointment to this bizarre chick. I doubt she trusts her to stay quiet. She’s seen her weakness, her need for the regard of others. If she could work her magic on the girl, what says we can’t do the same?” Lori had been thinking out loud, but it all made sense.
Beau swore, his voice crushing the cussword. “Look, everyone. I’ll be forced to work from the office mostly, which means I won’t be in the field as much. There’s been a viable threat on Agent Page and so I want her covered at all times. To begin with, she needs to be working with a partner.” He turned to Larry. “It’s about time the big guy left the comfort of his desk, right? I’m depending on you, buddy.”
“Got it. I’ll be available whenever you need me, Lori.” Larry didn’t flinch at the extra load this order entailed. He just smiled, and Beau felt slightly better. Because of his unbridled affection for Lori, if he couldn’t protect her himself, he wanted the best backup possible. He’d worked a lot of cases with this overweight, happily married man, and there was no one he trusted more to keep her safe.
Yet the niggling feeling of fear wouldn’t go away. It warned that he still might be forced to take on two jobs for a while.
Chapter Forty-one
From her new hospital room, Jessi watched the routine over the next day and knew that the evening visiting hours might be the best time to make a move. It was when they changed shifts for the guards also.
When the young, harried nurse came late to get her supper tray, Jessi started coughing and gasping for air. Forcing herself to speak, she complained, “I fell. Against my chair.” Convulsing, grasping at her chest, pretending to be in pain, she begged for help.
“You fell on your chest? When?”
“It just happened.”
“Can you breathe okay if I take you to Imaging in the chair rather than making you climb onto the bed?”
“Yes. It hurts though.”
“Okay, hold on. I’ll call the doctor. We’ll get you to x-ray to see if one of your ribs might have punctured a lung.” A few minutes later after a brief discussion on the phone, she wheeled Jessi from her room. “I’ll get the guard to take you. I shouldn’t leave the ward as it’s crazy in here right now.”
When they left the room and didn’t see the guard, she commented, “The guards must be changing shifts right now. No matter, we need to hurry.” Her features distraught, a clue that she’d thought to rely on their help to save time, she started pushing the chair herself.
In a very few minutes, they arrived to the place where Jess remembered getting an earlier x-ray after they’d switched her from the old hospital. As per her plan, she stopped clutching her chest and pretended to be able to breathe easier. “Oh, it’s better now. The pain is lessening.”
“Good. That’s good news.” Looking at her watch, the nurse seemed disturbed when the only other patient got called inside which left them alone to wait. “The Imaging department is very overworked at the moment, but I’m sure they’ll bring you in next.”
Jessi looked at the nurse, relief being acted out. “I’m better. I’ll be fine to wait here alone. I know how frantic it is on the ward right now. You go ahead. They’ll only be a few minutes.”
“Bless you, child. The place is overrun tonight. So many flu patients. Are you sure you feel well enough to be alone?”
“Of course. The guard will be along any minute and help is only a call away.”
“Right. Look, I’ll see you back in the room. Sit quietly until then and call out if the pain returns.” The older woman hastened away, leaving her at the door for the technician to come and take her inside.
As soon as the nurse slipped through the double doors, Jessi took off. She wheeled the chair around the corner and then walked as quickly as she could until she got to the women’s section where she meandered along as if she had every right to be in the corridor.
Not making eye contact while moving to the end of the hall, she headed into a room where an older man stepped out, leaving the door open enough that Jessi could see the patient had the curtains closed around the bed.
Slipping inside, she spotted the bathroom and went in there. A locker built into the wall had been opened and someone hadn’t completely closed the door. Thanking God for this small gift, she quickly withdrew the clothes and began to dress.
The old lady articles were for a larger body. Pulling the tie from her cotton robe through the belt loops on the knee-high pants, she knotted it tight to keep them from slipping down. Then she held up the large blouse-like top and groaned.
Looking around, she saw a roll of gauze. Thinking quickly, she flung off her gown and using the small pillow she’d been holding in front of her chest, she began to tie the gauze around both her body and the cushion. Stifling moans of pain when she had to encircle her back, she persevered. Finally in place, she slipped the wrinkled, multi-colored, silk blouse over her head and did up the buttons. Next came the sweater which provided warmth for her trembling body.
It hung somewhat but not where it would grab attention. Next, she stepped into the too-large summer thongs and said a thank-you prayer for the purse pushed to the back. Ransacking it, she found a twenty and a few one-dollar bills among the many more there. Better yet, a cell phone that looked like it still worked could be seen and she snagged it too.
Happy now, she pulled the top off the tube of lipstick and plastered her lips red, then flipped the comb though her hair to frizz it all around her face. Ready, she opened the door and stepped out.
Smiling at the nurse who wished her a goodnight, she made her way out of the building and breathed a huge sigh of relief once she’d gotten a few blocks away.
Walking to a corner to get her bearings, Jessi realized she wasn’t that far from Ray’s house, a place she’d often stayed at. Feeling a bit better for not being aimless, she faded into the night, plans forming with each step.
Chapter Forty-two
Beau cuddled Lori close as they sat on the big chair together. They’d just finished a meal that had become his favorite… scrambled eggs with grated cheese, reams of wonderfully smelling thick bacon he’d cooked as her helper, and a huge platter of hot buttered toast.
