What if they had two or more troupes traveling to different cities performing different themes at the same time? Deb was getting better and better. Haaken was almost as good as Claude. She knew there had to be a few people that could do what she and Claude did as well as they did it. If they could train enough people, they could have shows touring Europe, America and even Asia, all at the same time. They needed well trained understudies as well. Recent events had cemented in her mind the urgent need for that.
The cost of having several themes traveling at once would be stupendous. But the profits would be limitless. The demand only increased. What about a Las Vegas show? A fixed show with changing themes in the pleasure palace of the United States. She’d have to think more about that one.
The soreness limited her drawing. She set her sketchpad down and gingerly pulled her laptop over. She winced with pain, her bandaged wrist throbbing. She lost enthusiasm for the diversion she had been using to keep her mind off Zack.
Zack had been taken to the Greendale Hospital emergency room then transferred south to Oak Lawn Hospital. He’d had surgery to repair damage done to his clavicle and the plate that had been dislodged while he fought with Misha. His side had had to be restitched for several inches. She had insisted on going to see him when she had been released from the hospital.
She held her hand up to her bruised throat and recalled with sadness not being able to see him. How she had wanted to. She’d gone almost mad with fear for him. She wasn’t on the visitor list, he had given express orders she not be allowed in. She had been devastated. Mo had not left her room for days afterward. She had avoided papers and TVs and anything that might remind her of what had happened. Mo had reminders enough. She didn’t need reminders to make her think of Zack.
Mo tried hard to think about the future. Her many ideas would take her mind away for a few minutes but her mind would drift to Zack again and again. It was not meant to be she told herself. She’d have to live with it. She could live with it. If only he hadn’t pushed her away.
He had saved her. Once again. He had saved her in so many ways. He had come into her life at an awful time and had shown her passion and compassion and love. He had helped her embrace the carefree child inside she had lost. He had saved her very life while risking his own and now he didn’t even want to see her. She was deep in these thoughts when the phone rang.
When she put it down she sighed. She thought about Ling and how much she missed her vibrant presence. She would have talked all this over with Ling. She would have been the butt of some friendly ridicule and would have dished out some of her own. They would have cried then laughed at the vicissitudes of life. Ling was gone. Linc was gone. He had called her when everything that had happened was national news. He was okay, starting a new life while grieving the old. He’d made a decision. He would not be back.
Zack had been in her life for a short time. If she had to go by her immediate sensation, he would affect her life for a very long time. She would certainly never forget him. Only time would tell if she’d stop longing for him.
The elevator pinged then opened. Roddy stepped off with Al Simpson. She hoped Al brought the news she wanted to hear. Instead of speaking she waved for the men to sit down. Roddy bent to give her a kiss on the head and took a seat beside her. She reached out and took his hand waiting for Al to speak.
“Misha Severinsky has confessed to the murder of Ling Wong.” Al watched Mo squeeze her eyes shut for a moment and exhale the tension. “It was not airtight so a confession is the best tool for a conviction.”
“I knew you’d get him to confess. Mo’s voice was very hoarse, her throat still very sore. “You almost had me confessing.” She cut short a painful chuckle. “Thank you Al. Thank you for coming to tell me.” She turned to her manager. “Roddy, I’ll see you when you get back from New York.”
“If you need me I stay. No sweat the problem.” He clasped her hand.
“No, Roddy, go. You love her. Go fix things, do everything you can.” She kissed his cheek. “I’d like to talk to Al…Detective Simpson, alone. Do you mind staying a minute?” She saw the trepidation in the big man’s eyes.
“I see you the moment we get back. You rest. You take care of yourself. We go to D.C. in just a few days!” Roddy gave her a wink and stepped onto the elevator.
The doors whooshed shut. Mo smiled as best she could until Roddy disappeared from view. She saw the wariness in Al’s eyes. The same wariness she’d come to notice in all their eyes. It was a cop thing.
“How is he?” She searched Al’s eyes. “You’ve seen him. How is he?”
“He’s good; recovering.” She might have been the only one who could make him break his stare. He looked down.
“Has he asked for me?” It was a strain to talk.
“No,” Al answered. Now it was hard to breathe as well.
Mo felt her heart would sink to unrecoverable depths. “He’ll be okay.” It was a question and a statement.
“Yes. He’ll be out of the hospital tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow.” She would be packing with Deb’s help.
“I’ll let you know any new information. Severinsky’s going to plea so they’ll be no trial. I wish you all the luck in the world Ms. Whitman. You deserve it.” Al rose to leave.
“Thanks again for everything. Thanks for coming by.” She started to rise but he signaled her to stay seated.
“Goodbye Ms. Whitman.” Al walked to the elevator and pressed the call button. He looked at Mo and swore he’d never seen such a forlorn woman. Enough was enough. “Ms. Whitman!”
“Huh!” she started at his tone.
“I’m sick and tired of the two of you acting like idiots and since I think you’re probably just a little bit less of an idiot than Burnham, it’s up to you to put the kibosh on this bullshit. I don’t care what you have to do, but you make that college boy act like he’s got some sense. And do it now before he start’s to believe he wants to be a cop again ‘cause he sure as hell doesn’t.” Al’s hands were on his hips, his big chin jutting.
“What? Of course he wants to be a cop. He always wanted to be a cop!” Mo jumped up and rasped at Al.
“Okay. I take it back. You’re just as much an idiot as Burnham.” He stepped into the elevator leaving Mo completely astonished.
A little later, when Mo called for the car and said she wanted to go to the hospital, all Meese could do was groan.
Zack stared out the window at the Oak Lawn Tower Hotel. The late afternoon sun came in the window almost blinding him. The sun felt good but did nothing for his mood. He was a little groggy after having dozed in the wheelchair. The pain was there but had become tolerable with a minimum of medication.
He was looking forward to Dino coming by with pizza. He was at his limit with hospital food and since he’d been given the go ahead he was going to take advantage of it. Not that he had much of an appetite.
Dino had been in and out. Dino’s wife and her brother had stopped in. George Travers had been by. Mayor Tyler and Mayor Brody had been in for a visit and a photo opportunity with the hero everyone was talking about. Roddy had visited along with a number of people from the show. The Whitney’s had visited and sent gifts. He’d received flowers and letters from all over the country. He was a celebrity. The instant news media was in full swing. A number of secret filmers had posted the entire incident at the coliseum online. It was too much, it was insane. He’d had to make arrangements to stay at a hotel so he could avoid the media camped outside his condo and spend some time alone. Members of the press had even tried to sneak into his room. But since hospital staff had gotten hip to that possibility, security had tightened up. Let ’em try it now, Zack thought. God, he just wanted to be left alone.
He needed time to think about what he would do with his life when he was recovered. He didn’t want to be a cop anymore. He couldn’t go back to it. Not even with Tyler’s offer of a position as head of his detail. Especially not with that offer.
He was entertaining law school without great enthusiasm. He’d been told he was going to get a settlement for his injuries. Sure. Would be helpful. Now what?
He closed his eyes and thought about Mo. That last frightening time he’d seen her. Maybe if he had just…no he didn’t want to burden her, be a burden to her. He was a survivor. He would go forward. Somehow. Without her. She needed to live her life. He knew he couldn’t be a part of it. She had tried to visit him. He couldn’t see her. Couldn’t handle seeing her. He didn’t want her gratitude or pity. He sat staring into a future without her in it. It felt like no future at all.
“Detective Burnham?” a nurse or aid with a husky female voice softly called his name as she came in quietly.
“My friend’s bringing pizza. No dinner, thanks.” Zack held his face up to the evening sun. Small comfort.
“No, Dino’s not bringing pizza.”
Startled Zack clumsily moved to turn his chair. “What…”
Mo stood in a colorful top and green uniform pants. The giveaway would have been her sandals, if anyone had looked closely enough. She gazed at Zack embarrassed and sad. She surveyed the bandages that wrapped his shoulders and chest. He had rope burn on his cheek from the net.
“You shouldn’t be here.” His heart stopped. Did his heart stop?
“I know.” The tightness in her throat made talking more difficult than it already was.
“Roddy said you wanted to thank me. It’s not necessary. I was just doing my job.” He held up a hand his voice shaking. “Please. Just go.”
“No.” She had his attention and she wasn’t going to lose it. And he could stop wallowing. “You owe me an apology, Detective.”
“I’m not a detective anymore…what the…”
“You lied to me. You didn’t tell me about Roddy’s offer. For all your self-righteous bullshit about honesty and trust you kept from me the most important information of all.” Mo’s hoarse voice rose. She became animated. She had something to get off her chest. Plus it was her last chance. “How dare you accuse me of withholding information when you didn’t tell me about the offer from Roddy? How dare you lie to me? Am I supposed to me so grateful to you that I overlook the fact that you kept that from me? Didn’t I mean anything to you? Were you so hung up with your notch on the bedpost mindset that you didn’t see how that would hurt me?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you, now if you would just…you know damn well I didn’t mean the notch thing! For Chrissake, will you ever let me live that down?” Zack actually backed up as far as he could into the wheelchair as Mo bent into his face. Tears ran down her cheeks. It took a moment to find her voice.
“You tell me you don’t love me and I’ll walk away. You tell me, Burnham, that you don’t want to be in my life, don’t want that job and don’t want to be with me. Don’t mumble. Say it, Mr. You Tube hero!” Oh shit, here it comes. Silence.
She stared with her arms crossed. She’d cried enough. He looked at her. “Mo, I’m not like I was. Things are different…my body…”
She refrained from poking him in the chest. “Oh, please, Zack! Are you actually feeling sorry for yourself? You’re being pretty dramatic you know. Just apologize and I’ll call Dino and tell him you can have the pizza after all. But we’re leaving for D.C. in three days so let’s not waste anymore time. I suggest you keep the condo. I’d like to spend more time in Chicago. You’ll like Monteal a lot too. So what’ll be? Do I need to bring in the boys to twist your arms, maybe rearrange your kneecaps? And I thought I could get by with the pizza threat.”
“Have you been possessed by Al Simpson?”
“Let’s just say he and I understand each other a little better.” Mo crouched in front of Zack’s wheelchair and ran her hands up his thighs looking into his eyes. “I love you, Zack. And you love me. So, what’s it gonna be?”
The May run in Santa Fe had been a smash. A blessed hiatus was anticipated by the whole troupe. Mo was in top form though sometimes she still got hoarse. She hugged Deb, and Claude, who held Lourdes’ hand. She smiled at Roddy, and Luciana, who had a baby bump out to there. They had certainly worked out their problems. Luciana actually seemed happy. She had even asked Mo to be godmother.
Al Simpson introduced his wife Delores to the members of the company. Gerald Tyler had sent his regrets; election coming up. But the Whitney’s had accepted and were dancing to big band music while Juan and Jesus watched Reuben balance a stack of full champagne glasses.
“Careful Reu. You get champagne on my wife’s pretty dress you’ll have to answer to me,” Zack threatened with mock seriousness.
“Tough guy now that the doctor’s given you the all clear, huh, Zack?” Mo held out her hand. Zack swung her out and gave her a spin.
“Tough enough for you, beautiful. At least it seemed like it last night.” He brought her close and brushed her lips with his. “You don’t mind about the party at Dino’s do you? Just a few days in Chicago, then Phuket here we come!”
“Of course I don’t mind the party at Dino’s. After that, I’m going to have you all to myself. On a beach. We’ll being cleaning sand off each other for days.”
“Promise?” He gave her a whirl. “I hear the pearl diving is great there this time of year.”
“Mmm! I’m sorry Lourdes has to work and can’t go to France with Claude.”
“The price of dedication. Someone has to cover for the boss while he’s on his honeymoon.” He pressed his lips on hers and held her close. The music slowed and they swayed together luxuriating in the sensation. Zack took in the scent of her. He had almost lost her. Twice. Not because of a madman but because of his own stupid pride. “Baby?”
“Hmmm?” She loved the feel of him so close. She never got enough of it.
“At the hospital, when you gave me that ultimatum, what made you so sure I’d go for it?” He never got enough of her. Her scent, her feel, her responses.
She laughed a little putting her arms around his neck. “Al.”
“Al?” Zack laughed out loud.
“He said you didn’t want to be a cop anymore and that you, okay we, were being idiots and I’d better put a stop to it because I wasn’t as big an idiot as you. I’m paraphrasing but that’s the gist. I didn’t know you’d do anything but have me kicked out of the room. But I hoped like anything I wouldn’t have to twist your good arm behind your back. I love you so much, Zack. I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“Good to know Al thinks so well of us. I guess I’m in his debt despite is low opinion of our intelligence.” Zack wrapped both arms around his bride and felt a deep sense of contentment. “I love you, Mo. See, you didn’t even have to twist my arm to get me into this monkey suit.”
“You might not be as big an idiot as Al thought.” They held each other as if their lives depended on it. “Zack, you once said you wouldn’t know how to be anything but a cop. Do you have any regrets about…leaving it behind?”
“How can I regret anything when I get to hold you in my arms every day? Besides that, this job makes me something only you can top.” He brushed her lips with his then swung her out. He turned her so her back was to him as they swayed to the music.
“What’s that?” Mo asked as she basked in the sensation of his lips on her neck.
“Happy.”
The End
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