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That was good intel to have. Maybe Reuben could pose as an extra guard. I’d have to get the name of the guard so we could hack into the security company’s system. It would make things much easier for Loxely Crew if they had an in with the security.
“Ooh, that sounds delightfully clandestine.” I giggled, making her smile more. “Good for you, girl. I hope he’s able to get off. Though, I must admit the security was slightly more extreme than I expected.”
She nodded, walking over to a table with a chart. She motioned for me to take a seat.
“Yeah. It’s a lot at first, but eventually, you get used to it.”
I leaned forward, hoping I wasn’t pushing too soon, but with us already on the topic, I didn’t want to bring it up later, and it appear out of place.
“Do you know why they have so many? Is he famous or something?” I asked, opening my eyes wide to give myself a look of innocence. It made me feel like they would pop out of my head.
“Not in the way you’re thinking. He’s not a rockstar or professional athlete.”
“Darn. Don’t tell anyone, but I once got to work for one of the doctors from a top-rated TV show.” I sat back, pretending to be disinterested and hoping she’d rise to the bait.
“It wasn’tPhoenix Hospital,was it?” she gasped. “Dr. Romano?” Rebecca wiggled her eyebrows, her cheeks flushing.
I gave her a wink as I leaned forward. “Let’s just say it was bigger in person, if you know what I mean.” I giggled, moving my hands to indicate size. Her eyes grew wide, a hand covering her mouth as she laughed.
“What are you ladies giggling about in here? Shouldn’t you be working?” An older man who looked like he had a stick up his butt while sucking lemons appeared from the hallway. Rebecca stiffened, a grimace appearing at his interruption. Okay, so this wasn’t a friend. Nosy buttstick might be difficult to handle.
“Hi, I’m Molly. I’ll be here while Rebecca’s away. We’re just going over the details. She’s been a great tutor so far,” I gushed, hoping to earn some brownie points with the redhead. Her shoulders relaxed marginally, giving me a win.
The man glanced between the two of us before stepping closer. He placed his hands behind his back, puffing out his chest. I hated him already.
“You may address me as Mr. Silver. I’m the head of staff for the house. You’ll be under my authority while you’re here.”
I stood, pretending not to notice how dismissive he was, not wanting to make an enemy of the small man just yet. I held out my hand, his eyes dropping to it with a frown before shaking it carefully with two fingers. His hand was cold and wet. Gross. I’d need to wash it before I touched anything I wanted to keep.
“It’s a pleasure to be working with you, Mr. Silver.”
Rebecca stood, carrying the binder with her. “I’ll show you the room and the medication schedule and run through the machines with you.”
She left out a side door, ignoring the man. I nodded, spinning on my heels to follow. I leaned in to whisper when I was out of range of the creepy butler.
“He seems fun.”
She smiled, but it was tense. “Watch out for him. He likes to think he’s more important than he is. He’ll turn anyone in for the smallest thing. Bethany Duke uses him to know what’s going on. She mainly stays in her wing of the house, but he has her ear and will make your life hell. Word of advice… stay out of both of their paths.”
“Got it. Nose down. Do you really have to call him Mr. Silver?” I asked, hoping to catch his first name so we could do a background check. The staff’s names hadn’t been public knowledge since they’d been hired privately.
She snorted, a smile appearing. “Yes. Because he hates his real name.” She paused, bending down to whisper. “It’s Fern. Fern Silver.” She giggled, and I joined in as we approached an ornate door. Her eyes lit up as she spotted the guard near the door. Her eyelashes fluttered as we neared. The man was good, keeping his focus straight ahead, but I caught how he watched her, one side of his mouth ticking up at her arrival.
“Hey, Nate. This is Molly. I’m training her for when I’m gone. Any changes with Mr. Duke?”
His eyes assessed me, but there was no heat like I felt from my guys. It was purely clinical as he cataloged my level of threat. He nodded in greeting before his eyes landed on the older nurse, the corners softening toward her.
“No changes to report. He’s sleeping, and Mrs. Duke has already been by to say her goodnight. It’s nice to meet you, Molly.”
“You too.” He too gave me a nod, making me wonder if the men here were born with that imaginary hat they all seemed to dip.
Rebecca brushed past him, her hand touching his arm as she did—smooth, girl. The room we entered was massive, spanning at least six windows in the front. Heavy drapes hung off to the sides, the night sky filtering through. A medical bed sat in the middle, with IVs and machines hooked up to the man resting there. Time had not been kind to John Mathis. His skin was thin and sagged on his bones, and he had a slight yellow pallor. His hair drooped off his forehead, the strands limp and oily.
My eyes trailed over the room, taking in the paintings, grand piano, and ornate couches. The room resembled more of a sitting room than a medical one, but I guess the man could choose where he wanted to die. A few cameras were visible in the corners of the ceiling, the red light flashing a steady rhythm. I wondered if the safe was in here or if that was a different room.
Rebecca walked over to the patient and wrote down the readings she found. “We have to input how he’s doing every two hours, then scan into the computer so that Mrs. Duke and his doctors can tell if there’s a problem right away.”
Shit. That might create an issue. I would need to make his numbers decrease, but not enough that they would intervene. It would be a delicate balance to figure out. My hand itched to grab a pencil and write down the equations so I could solve them out. Math soothed me when things got too complicated in my head.
