He struggled to speak. His voice sounded as if it were coming from under water. “How — Ted?”
“Hush. The doctor told me not to let you talk when you woke up. How’s Ted Jasper? Still alive in the Intensive Care Unit and his mother’s with him. That’s all I know.”
He turned his head to one side and saw the cot beside the window, looking as if it had been slept in.
“Your doctor’s been with you all night,” Charity said. “I sent her out to get some breakfast. How are you feeling?”
“All right.”
“Smedler gave me the whole day off to help look after you. I was a nurse once. I don’t remember much about it but I can still plump pillows, give a bath and hold your hand. Want me to hold your hand?”
“More than I want you to give me a bath.”
“I’ll overlook that remark, junior. Are you hungry? Of course you are. How about something revolting like poached eggs and mashed potatoes? You’re supposed to be on a soft diet.”
“Why?”
“Beats me. If I were in charge of your case I’d give you steak and french fries. There’s nothing like a long cold swim to sharpen the appetite.” Charity leaned over and peered into his face. “Everything considered, you don’t look so bad. Maybe your doctor will let you have steak and french fries after all. She’s very sympathetic. Cute, too. In fact, a real knockout, with blue eyes and black hair and dimples. Dimples yet. I’ve always wanted dimples. When I was in high school I sent away for something advertised in True Romances guaranteed to make dimples. For one buck I received a little piece of metal I was supposed to stick in my cheek with adhesive plaster every night. I used it and in the morning I’d have a dimple for fifteen minutes. That’s the story of my life — none of my dimples lasted more than fifteen minutes.”
“Laurie,” he said. “You were describing my wife, Laurie.”
“Of course I was. I called her yesterday afternoon as soon as I heard what had happened. Smedler himself went to pick her up at the airport. How’s that for a first?”
“Laurie.” He put his arm over his forehead so Charity wouldn’t see the tears welling in his eyes.
She saw them anyway. “Now don’t get sloppy and sentimental. Here’s some Kleenex. Or maybe you’ll need a towel if you’re going to pull out all the stops. Incidentally she seems crazy about you, too. She doesn’t see as much of you as I do — that may explain why.”
He wiped his eyes with the piece of Kleenex she handed him. “Who rescued—?”
“Don’t ask questions and I’ll tell you what I know. The harbormaster became suspicious when you didn’t come back from the Spindrift. He tried to contact the boat by phone and couldn’t. Then he saw it speeding out of the harbor and he notified the Coast Guard. They sent the cutter after you. Ted Jasper was in bad shape by that time, suffering from loss of blood and shock and hypothermia. You had some degree of hypothermia but they warmed you up and stuck a few needles into you and here you are.”
“What about Cleo and Donny?”
“They’ve both been arrested. That’s all I was able to find out.”
Donny Whitfield. He thought of the fat, morose boy he’d first seen outside Holbrook Hall. If it wasn’t for one small mistake, Donny might still be there, sitting under the oak tree eating corn chips and chocolates. It’s my fault. I made the mistake. I left the keys in the ignition. My fault—
“My fault,” he said and began shaking his head back and forth as if to shake off his guilt.
“Stop that,” Charity said, readjusting the oxygen mask none too gently. “Any more acting up and I’ll call the nurse to jab you with another needle.”
“Car key—”
“What do you want your car keys for? You’re not going anyplace. Now shut up or I’ll resign from your case. This Florence Nightingale bit is a drag. Where do you want me to put the flowers I brought you?”
He told her.
“Junior, that’s not nice. But since irritability is one of the first signs of convalescence, I’ll overlook it this time. I may, however, bring it up in the future when you’re asking for a favor at the office. By the way, congratulations.”
“What for?”
“You were hired to find Cleo. You found her.”
There was a knock on the door. Charity said, “Come in... Oh, he’s doing fine. Weepy, hungry, crabby. Can’t ask for better signs.”
“Thank you, Miss Nelson.”
The voice was pleasant and cool; the hand that touched his forehead was soft, the fingers on his pulse gentle.
“I’m Dr. MacGregar,” she said. “I’m in charge of your case and I don’t believe you need that oxygen mask on anymore. Mind if I remove it?”
“Laurie. Laurie. It’s really you.”
“Please don’t get emotional — Tom, you might have died. You might have died.”
They held each other close for a long time, unaware that Charity was watching from the doorway. She would be expected to describe the scene later to all the girls in the office and she wanted to make sure she didn’t miss any details.
Rachel Holbrook knew what was coming but she was not sure when or what form it would take: perhaps an invitation to appear at the next board of directors meeting in two or three weeks, or a formal letter from the executive committee, or a long-winded legal document full of whereases and therefores. What she didn’t expect was a phone call from Smedler, her only longtime friend among the directors.
Smedler didn’t waste time on amenities. “Have you seen today’s papers, Rachel?”
“No.”
“The reporters and photographers are having a field day with this. The L.A. Times has it featured as their leading story, and in the local paper there’s a whole page of pictures, a rundown on everyone involved and even a history of the school. There’ll undoubtedly be an editorial within the next few days crying for blood. Some of it is bound to be yours, Rachel.”
“That’s understandable.”
“For sure they’ll demand an investigation of the school and its policies. There’ll be suggestions ranging from your resignation to the complete closure of the school, all from outraged citizens, many of whom have wanted to close the place for years.”
“What do you propose that I do?”
“Anticipate. Get your licks in first and fast. Write a letter requesting an indefinite leave of absence until the matter has been fully investigated and steps are taken to prevent further incidents.”
“Indefinite,” she said. “That could mean a long time.”
“Yes.”
“I can’t be held responsible for what happened.”
“Whether you can be or can’t be, you will be. Harsh criticism is inevitable, perhaps a drop in enrollment and some defections among the faculty. There may also be a decrease in donations and bequests. You’re in for a lot of flak, Rachel. The only way you can avoid it is by leaving town for a while.”
“Perhaps I should change my name and assume a disguise.”
“Don’t be bitter, Rachel. This thing has affected a great number of people. Some of them will want your hide. So put it out of reach. Take a holiday.”
“Is that your legal advice?”
“It’s my advice as a friend. I hope it will be accepted in the same spirit.”
“Thanks. I’ll think about it.”
“Pack first, think later,” Smedler said. “There’s only one hitch to the plan. Should the police ask you to stick around, you’ll have to stick. You may be subpoenaed if and when the Whitfield boy comes to trial and there’s some kind of hearing concerning Cleo. But if I were you, right now I’d sit down and write a letter requesting an indefinite leave of absence. Bring it to my office and I’ll have copies made and hand-delivered to all the members of the board. Your request will be immediately accepted.”