“All right.”
“You could have an injury to your spleen, liver, or reinjured a kidney. The thing about organ injuries is that they can bleed slowly or stop-only to bleed again days or weeks later. This is serious. You are going to have to rest.”
“How’s Frank?”
“I answered that. Don’t avoid the subject.”
“I’m not. I was just thinking, maybe you shouldn’t tell him.”
“He’ll find out.”
They wheeled Diane for yet another series of X rays and scans, to the surprise of the X-ray technician, who was the same one she had before. He admonished her to be more careful. When she came out, Linc was waiting for her.
“Can I go home now?” she asked.
“No, you may not. You’re going to stay here at least for tonight.”
“I’m feeling much better, and I’ve got a lot to do.”
“Did you think that by asking for me I’d stick on a Band-Aid and send you home?”
“No. Not at all, I. .”
“Good. I’ve reserved you a room across from Frank. That way, Henry and I can keep an eye on the two of you. That’ll be much easier on the two of us.”
“I didn’t realize you’re so tough when I asked for you.”
“You’re pretty tough yourself.”
Diane’s first visitor was Frank, wearing a dark green-and-navy plaid robe and smelling of cologne. He came in under his own power, looking pale but better than he had in several days. Diane was so relieved to see him up, she almost cried.
He leaned over and kissed her mouth gently.
“Smells good. Is that for me?” she asked.
“Yeah. It’s hard in a place like this, but I’m trying to make a good impression.”
“You’ve already made a good impression.”
“I’m so sorry I got you into this.”
It pained Diane to see the worried look in his eyes.
“I’m not. This is no one’s fault but whoever’s doing this. We must be really close for them to take these kinds of chances.”
“What exactly did happen? Linc only knew you’d been attacked.” He pulled up a chair by her bed and sat down, making a pained face as he settled on the chair.
“I hate being in bed,” she said. “It makes me feel weak.” She found the controls for the bed and put herself into a sitting position.
“I know what you mean. I’m ready to go home.”
He took her hand as Diane told him her story, from the time she was dragged into the van at the hospital to Hector Torres’ surprise at finding a woman walking out of the pond. When she finished, Frank sat openmouthed.
“Diane. Damn. Diane, I had no idea. I thought it was something like the other evening-not that that was a piece of cake, but damn. You spent the night in the water? You must have been terrified.”
“It kept my heart rate up.”
Frank shook his head in amazement.
“I didn’t want them to kill me.”
He caressed the top of her hand with his thumb. “So the attack was about the bones.”
“Yes, definitely. Their entire focus was on getting them.”
“Have you talked to the police yet?”
Diane rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry, Frank, but I’m so tired of hearing that they can’t do anything.”
“You need to tell them about this. This is assault and kidnaping.”
“I think the hospital called. Someone will wander in in a few hours, or days, and take my statement and that will be it.”
“No, it won’t. I’ll see to it. Have you called your family?”
“No.”
“You want me to call them?”
“No. My family isn’t like yours. We aren’t speaking at the moment.”
“I’m sorry, but they might be a comfort if they know you’re injured and in the hospital.”
“I don’t think so. My father would say something like, ‘Well, what do you expect,’ and my mother’s a lot like Crystal McFarland.”
“I didn’t think there could be two of them.”
“Mother’s more refined, but the sentiment’s the same. When I told them I was adopting Ariel, Mother’s comment was ‘Is that wise?’ My sister, Susan, suggested that perhaps it was for the best when I told them she’d died. She couldn’t quite understand that I loved Ariel. To Susan, she was like a stray cat I found by the side of the road that was going to be nothing but problems. So no, my family isn’t a comfort. They certainly wouldn’t go to the lengths your brothers go to for you.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Me too. I think the concept of family is a good one.”
Frank managed a laugh, though she could see it hurt him. “Actually, my brothers-they’re great guys, but they aren’t usually this attentive.”
Diane didn’t say anything. He’d probably send them home if he knew she’d asked them to stay and keep a lookout. On the other hand, she doubted they could be run off very easily. She envied Frank for his family.
“How are you? I mean really, how are you?” she said.
“I’m lucky. It could have been much worse, but both bullets managed to miss important nerves and organs-if you don’t count my lung. The repair work the doctors did will take some time to heal, and I’d be out sooner if it weren’t for the infection. But that’s under control.”
Frank sat with her until a nurse ran him back to his bed.
“I’ll visit later,” Diane called after Frank.
“Get some rest,” he said.
Diane slept for about an hour, until Andie came in with an armload of shopping bags. She’d brought pajamas and a robe, a change of clothes, cosmetics and various other sundries, the ToughLove laptop, a new cell phone and flowers.
“Andie, you’re worth every penny I’m paying you, probably more.”
Andie went about the room, putting things in drawers, while Diane showered and changed into the pajamas and robe. The peach-colored silk nightgown was sexier than she would have bought for herself, but it was soft and did have a back to it.
“This is much better. Now I don’t have to go around with my butt hanging out.”
“How’s Frank?”
“He’s doing well. He’s across the hall, if you’d like to peek in.”
“That’s convenient. You can have a midnight rendezvous.”
“His brothers keep a pretty close eye on him.”
“He has brothers? Do they have his eyes? Are they married?”
“Yes, yes and yes, with children.”
“Too bad.”
“What’s going on at the museum?”
“You’re the big topic of conversation. Donald is really upset. It’s strange. I’ve never seen him like this. Do you think he had something to do with this?”
“I don’t see how. It was about the skeleton.”
Andie looked alarmed. “Oh.”
“Any museum business?”
“Korey went to the airport to get some mysterious guest. I called Jonas at the site and told him what happened. He’s very concerned.”
“I don’t think we’ll ever get our chess game finished. I don’t suppose he mentioned finding the skull?”
“No. Still no sign of it. Do you think the murderer cut it off?”
“No. I think it probably got carried off by some animal. It could be somewhere in the woods.”
Andie shivered. “Gruesome.”
“Have Korey call me when he knows something.”
“What exactly is he supposed to know?”
Diane grinned. “I think it’ll be a surprise, a really big surprise. One that’ll get the Graysons off our backs.”
“OK, you got me hooked.”
“Ms. Fallon, I need to talk with you about your attack.”
In the doorway stood Janice Warrick. She wore the same pulled back hairstyle, but its severity was softened by the white blouse, blue blazer and skirt. Her face was smooth, free of the angry lines from their last encounter, but she seemed as reluctant to speak with Diane as Diane was to invite her into her room.