Cecily went through the cabinets looking for something to eat. “Absolutely nothing fit for human consumption,” she yelled out to Mike as he was changing the bandages on Fetch. Grabbing a box of dog bones, she headed toward the living room and dropped onto the couch. She felt exhausted. Cecily had never heard gunfire before but when she did she recognized it immediately. Instinctively she dialed 911 from her cell and could hear the screeching sirens before she saw the lights. It still felt like forever before the first cops arrived. Staying on the beach, she watched as Delaney’s body was carried into the ambulance by stretcher. She was certain her new friend was dead. When Mike ran down to meet her all she could do was grab him and cry. He held her for awhile before she had the courage to ask. She was relieved to learn her friend was going to survive and felt a little guilty for being happy that Mike was safe. She couldn’t live without him. Tossing a few bones on the floor she motioned for Mike to come lay with her. It was only minutes before they fell asleep in each other’s arms. They didn’t wake for nine hours. Then they made gentle love and went back to sleep.
The sound of the ringing phone startled them and they both jumped up from the couch. Cecily answered. “Hello?” She could hear the grogginess in her voice and looked at the clock. It was already ten in the morning.
“Hi, Delaney? It’s Caroline O’Sullivan.”
Cecily’s ears perked up at the name. She glanced at Mike and watched him trying to pull on his pants without falling over. “No, I’m her friend Cecily. She’s not home right now. Can I take a message?” Cecily didn’t want to talk about her friend being shot.
“Oh, I didn’t think she would be home. I just read in the paper and saw that she was shot. Is she going to be okay? Do you know if it had anything to do with me?”
Cecily wasn’t a good liar. “I’m not sure why someone shot her but maybe it had something to do with you and maybe not.” Mike just shook his head. She was even a bad liar over the phone he thought.
“Well I guess I’ll call back in a couple of days. I already tried the hospital but the operator wouldn’t put me through to her room. My mom told me she was here at my house with a man from the FBI. She had given them a box with a camera. Do you know if she found out anything?”
Cecily knew she was referring to Jake but had no idea about anything involving a camera in a box. “I’m sorry, I really don’t know anything about the case.” Sounding much more sincere and believable, she said good-bye and hung up the phone.
Mike was outside with Fetch now so Cecily decided to do some snooping. Entering the home office she spotted the camera box right away. Next to it was Delaney’s MacBook. Gathering up the items she pulled the computer charger from the wall socket and shoved it into the box with the camera. Then she carried it all out to the ice cream truck.
She had Mike drop her off at her apartment so she could shower and change. After telling him to take the box with the camera and laptop to the hospital, they gave each other a long kiss and said their good-byes. Mike watched as she walked up the path to her front door and he smiled as she blew him a kiss. He couldn’t wait to make her his wife.
Mike was surprised when he entered Delaney’s room and found her awake watching HGTV and Jake sleeping like a baby on a pull out chair. “Look who it is. I just wanted to go sailing and instead get in a shootout and have to be interrogated by cops. Then I spend the night feeding bones to your dog and sleeping on your couch. You really know how to entertain.” He had a huge grin on his face and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
Looking up, she read his tight fitting t-shirt that had U.S.M.C. Uncle Sam’s Misguided Children written across it. She let out a laugh and felt instant pain travel up her arm. “Don’t make me laugh, it hurts too bad.”
“Sorry. I’ll try to be boring and fast. Cecily wanted me to tell you Caroline called and knows you were shot. She read it in the paper. She was asking about a camera and if you found new information. She thought you might want these.” He placed the box on the bedside table and pushed it within her reach.
“Tell Cecily I said thank you. And Mike, thanks for saving me and Jake. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”
Smiling broadly he said, “You already did.” Delaney gave him a strange look but before she could respond Mike started laughing and said, “Cecily and I had wild monkey sex on your couch all night. Thanks for letting us use it.” Then he turned and walked out. Delaney grabbed her arm and didn’t know if she should laugh or cry.
She waited for the nurse to plug in her charger before booting up her laptop. Carefully removing the SD card from the side slot of the camera she transferred it into the slot of her Mac. It was only a matter of minutes before the pictures were transferred to her hard drive. She created a folder, named it Andrew, then used Photoshop elements to open the file. She clicked on Play Slide Show. All she saw were close ups of random things in the hospital room, a mauve water pitcher, a privacy curtain, and then the wall clock. She wasn’t kidding when she said she didn’t know how to work this camera. Delaney felt like she would be looking at five hundred pictures of nothing.
As the slideshow played pictures of the walls and floors, she suddenly spotted the gloved hands of the midwife reaching down and pulling Andrew into the air. The baby was covered in blood, and a thick purple shiny cord attached him to Caroline. She had never seen such graphic pictures of a birth before but she knew she was seeing a miracle unfold. The camera was now shooting in continuous fast mode at four frames per second, almost as if it were a movie. Every following picture was only slightly different from the previous. He had huge dark eyes and they reminded her of Caroline. It was amazing to see the second in time when mother and baby first met. Tears were flowing down Caroline’s face and she could tell she was saying something to Andrew. In the next frame she saw the start of the seizure, eyes rolling back followed by the next frame when only the whites of his eyes were shown. As the slide show played she could almost feel the panic in the room. Caroline’s arms were outstretched for Andrew as the nurse took the blue baby from her. He was limp, his head back and little limbs just dangling in the air. The lifeless baby was lying in the incubator and Susan was still snapping away. She probably didn’t even realize her finger was pressing the button, Delaney thought. As Susan turned to watch her grandson be swept away down the hall to intensive care, the camera continued clicking away. Delaney couldn’t believe her eyes. In the next frame was Dr. Wu. She recognized him immediately and it was beginning to make sense. He was standing in the hall outside of the room with his back against the wall. In the following frames she could see him following the little incubator down the hallway and through the NICU doors. “Oh my God,” were the only words to come from her mouth.
Quickly she replayed the DVDs from the hospital security cameras. As she watched Dr. Wu walking through the doors with a bag over his shoulder, she zoomed in and saw an older model car parked in the valet area. Behind that car was another, occupied by Chief O’Malley. Her mind racing, she recalled how Becca O’Malley had been pregnant that same summer as Caroline. At the time she was amazed by the woman’s strength. She knew that Becca had suffered from a string of miscarriages and for a long time assumed she couldn’t have children. Chief O’Malley bragged how his wife gave birth at home in their bathtub and he cut the cord. He had told everyone they had attended classes on the “Bradley Home Birthing Method” and the home delivery had been planned the whole time. Not knowing much about childbirth herself, Delaney never questioned it. But now she knew Becca had never been pregnant, at least not long enough to have a baby on her own. She had to find O’Malley. He would lead her to Andrew.
Chapter Twenty Three
Picking up the bedside phone, she insisted the operator take her credit card information and connect her to her father’s international cell phone. Five minutes of arguing later, she heard the first ring. “Come on, Dad, answer.” A second ring. Then the third and fourth. She was getting ready to hang up when she heard her dad’s voice trave
ling across the Atlantic. “Dad, what took you so long to answer?”
“Well, it’s nice talking to you too, Delaney. I’m at the market picking up bread and produce for dinner. How are you?”
“I could be better. I’ve been shot and I’m in the hospital.” She waited for her dad’s response.
“What? When did this happen? Are you okay? Your mom and I will be on the next flight to the States.”
“No, don’t come. I’m coming to you but I need your help. Do you still have your contacts in the National Security Agency?” she asked.
“A person never really leaves the NSA, sweetie. I still keep in contact and on occasion they call me for small jobs. Why? What do you have yourself involved in?”
Delaney gave him a quick rundown with the names and descriptions of the couple she was looking for. “I’ll see what I can find out. I’ll have a tap on their cell phones up and running in no time. Our government listens to private phone conversations of its citizens all the time. You would be shocked at all the laws we break. I love it.” She told her dad how much she loved and missed him and her mom. She told him she would be arriving in the next few days and would call upon her arrival.
She watched the slideshow again. This time tagging the pictures as evidence. She then went into editing and enlarged the pictures, zooming in on Dr. Wu. Using the sharpening tool, she enhanced them until they were crystal clear. She didn’t want any mistakes made this time around and it was important for them not to know she was on their trail. She minimized the pictures and opened her e-mail. Clicking on her dads e-mail, she attached the images and video from the hospital security camera.
Next she logged onto Newark International Airport and scoured the site for the next available flight leaving for Paris. She tapped her credit card information into the computer with her good hand and bought two one-way tickets. Then she checked the availability and booked the most luxurious suite at the Hotel Du Louvre in the heart of Paris. She logged off the computer and closed the cover. She called for the nurse to bring her more pain medicine. Before she had the opportunity to even ask, Delaney said, “It’s a ten.” She waited for her to walk out of the room and watched Jake softly snoring in the corner, all curled up. This time she fell to sleep with a smile on her face.
Delaney and Jake argued for an hour. She called the nurse to her room and requested the forms to sign herself out of the hospital Against Medical Advice. Initially the nurse refused to bring the paperwork in but Delaney threatened to call the patient advocate number listed on the back of the door. She had been reading the poster her entire stay, and knew her rights by heart. One of those rights was to sign herself out of this place. Caving in, the nurse stormed from the room loudly complaining about her as she walked down the hall. Jake was furious but she gave him a choice. “You can come with me or stay here. It doesn’t make a difference to me; I’m going with or without you.”
Jake stood over her begging her not to go. “You’re not better yet. You’ll never be able to handle the flight let alone chase kidnappers. You’ve lost your mind. I’ll go and I promise to call you with updates; we’ll be in constant contact.”
“Think about it Jake. How much French do you speak? You won’t even be able to rent a car without drawing attention to yourself. Remember this is my case, your only here because I asked for your assistance, I don’t need you. You can be easily replaced.” She instantly regretted her choice of words. The hurt on his face was unbearable and she turned away before continuing, “There’s no way I can’t go. Plus I already have my dad tapping their phone lines. My parents live in Paris and they’re expecting me.”
Jake stared down at her. “You speak French? Your father listens to people’s private conversations? You’re willing to replace me just because you don’t get your own way?”
Growing more frustrated, she snapped, “I already paid for your ticket. You’re either with me or you’re not. So get your panties out of a ruffle and help me. I’ll tell you about my dad on our way to the airport. And for your information I speak several languages. Now help me get these monitors off and get dressed. I’m going nuts lying in this bed. Our flight leaves in four hours. I hope big red can make it to the airport fast enough.”
Delaney had enough foresight to book first class seats. The extra space was good for her arm, which now hung in a sling and was visibly bandaged from the shoulder to her wrist. She let Jake take the aisle seat, giving him enough room to stretch his legs. When the stewardess went by Delaney ordered a glass of white wine. She took a drink then threw two pain pills down her throat. He glared at her. Closing her eyes she said, “Wake me when we get there.”
He was angry and tired. Unable to get comfortable, he finished her wine and ordered another. Pulling a blanket from the overhead bin he thought he would try watching a movie. When the stewardess returned with his drink, he asked, “What movie are you showing?”
She looked down and replied, “Steel Magnolias. Can I get you some headphones?”
Jake thought the only thing worse than having to watch a chick flick would be falling out of the sky. “No thank you. I’ll just take my drink and try to get some sleep.” Looking at the bottle of Percocet in Delaney’s bag, he couldn’t resist and removed two of the pills. He tossed them back with the wine and closed his eyes.
Landing in Paris, he got their luggage from the carousel and headed to the car rental desk. He carried their one bag and she did all the talking. He had no idea she spoke fluent French and it sounded so beautiful coming from her lips. He listened closely, but had no idea what she was saying. He watched as she handed over her credit card with an international driver’s license. She turned to him and winked before finishing the transaction. Even with a bandaged arm Jake thought she looked good. “Are we staying with your parents?”
“Are you kidding me? We’re in Paris for crying out loud. I booked us a room at the most exclusive hotel in France. We have a suite with a view of the Louvre Museum courtesy of the Mullica Township Police Department. Not that I plan on spending all my time in a museum when I can be taking advantage of you.” She gazed down at his bulge then back up at him. His blue eyes were sparkling in the light and his slightly crooked smile said it all. He wanted her as much as she wanted him. “Babe, I’ll follow you wherever you go,” he said.
Crossing into the parking garage she threw the keys at him. “Good catch. That’s our car over there, the red smart car.”
“No way. I can’t drive that; I won’t even fit in it.”
“You have to fit. We’re in Europe. You’re not going to see people driving big red trucks over here. Or SUV’s for that matter. And by the way, it’s a stick. Be grateful I didn’t rent a moped; that was an option but I wouldn’t be able to hang on to you with one arm.” She started laughing and couldn’t believe how huge he looked next to the car. She almost felt sorry for him.
Squeezing in, he started the engine and backed out. Shifting into first gear, the car lurched forward and he hit his head on the ceiling before stalling out. Delaney gave him a sarcastic look and said, “Oh this is going to be a real adventure. The French drive like maniacs; I hope you don’t get us killed.”
“You’re a real comedian. I haven’t driven stick since college. Just tell me how to get there.” Then he turned the engine over again and away they went. Tugging on her seat belt to make sure it was working, she told him where to go. As they approached the rotary at the Arc de Triomphe Jake started to sweat. It was eight lanes of traffic speeding around a circle, and there didn’t seem to be any order. Everyone drove as if they had the right of way and headlights were flashing all around them. “Why is everyone flashing their lights?” he asked.
“It’s a French thing. Americans beep our horns, the French flash headlights. Just hit the gas and go. Cars coming from the right have the right of way, if it matters. It’s really about who can cut off the other driver faster. Just don’t stall out. I don’t feel like getting killed today.”
Jake did as she said
and made it to their exit. Thirty minutes later he pulled up to their hotel and spent twenty more minutes finding a place to park. He grabbed their only bag and followed Delaney to the hotel. It was magnificent. The stone walls rose from the center of the city with long windows wrapping around all five of its floors. Entering the lobby they were greeted by staff and he listened to the cadence of her voice as she checked them in. The walls were all a vibrant yellow with a grand staircase that broke off into opposite directions. The floors were marble with huge blue pillars throughout.
Opening the door to their fifth-floor suite, they were both giddy with excitement. Immediately Jake eyed the king size bed with its silk sheets and lush comforter. He threw himself into the center of the bed and patted a spot next to him for Delaney to join. “No way. I’m taking a bubble bath first but feel free to join.” He had the tub filling before she could even undress. He opened the complimentary wine and poured two glasses.
Sail With Me Page 10