Thirty-Three and a Half Shenanigans

by Denise Grover Swank

  The sight of him upset me instead of giving me relief. A nasty cut about two inches long ran across his forehead, and the left side of his face was covered in dried blood. The front of his shirt had a large bloodstain on it, and his face was paler than usual. “Mason!” I jerked hard and broke loose, running down the hall toward him.

  “Hey, it’s okay.” He pulled me into a hug, and I clung to him, even though the thought registered that this was all wrong. I was supposed to be the one comforting him.

  “You’re covered in blood.” My voice broke.

  “I’m okay.”

  The receptionist grabbed my arm. “You are leaving now.”

  Mason’s grip on me tightened. “She’s staying.”

  “Mr. Deveraux, she and her friend have disrupted the entire waiting room in a stunt to get her back here without permission. We can’t reward bad behavior.”

  “Neely Kate, I presume?” I heard the dry amusement in his voice.

  The woman crossed her arms over her ample bosom. “It’s not amusing, Mr. Deveraux. That young woman has convinced half the waiting room that she has Ebola.”

  His eyebrows lifted as he looked down at me. “She told everyone she had Ebola?”

  “No.” I tried to look innocent. “She only asked a hypothetical question.”

  I could see he was trying to decide if he actually wanted to know more.

  “I asked the receptionist nicely, Mason, I swear. But she wouldn’t let me back here, and she wouldn’t tell you I was here. I was scared to death. I knew you were getting a CT scan of your head, and I kept envisioning you in a coma. I couldn’t just sit out there and wait.”

  He gave me a soft smile. “It’s okay. I’m sorry you were so scared.”

  “She has to come with me, Mr. Deveraux.”

  Mason stepped between us. “And I said she’s staying.” When the woman still glared at him, he gave her his no-nonsense look. “Or I can leave with her.”

  She huffed out a loud breath. “I’m filing a report.”

  “You go ahead and do that,” Mason said, sounding angry. “And I’ll file one too.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said as he ushered me into the room and shut the door behind us. “I didn’t mean to cause so much trouble. But I had to see you or at least know you were okay.”

  “No.” He grimaced as he sat on the edge of the bed and grabbed my hand, tugging me to sit next to him. “This is all my fault for not calling you in the first place. How did you know I was here?”

  “Joe.”

  A scowl covered his face, then he grimaced in pain.

  I turned to look at the gash on his forehead.

  “Honestly, Rose, it looks worse than it actually is. Head wounds tend to bleed a lot, and I have a nasty cut.”

  “I can see that. Do you really need to get a CT scan?”

  He frowned. “Joe talks too much.”

  “Well, is it true?”

  “Yes, but I’m sure it’s an overreaction. I lost consciousness for a short bit, probably less than a minute, and my pupils were a little dilated. While I’ve assured them I’m fine, they’re still insisting that I get my head checked out.”

  “You should be lying down, Mason.”

  “Rose, I’m fine. I’ve lost a little blood. I have a killer headache, and my side hurts some. Otherwise, I’m perfectly okay.”

  “You are not fine. Why haven’t they given you stitches yet?”

  “They said they were going to wait until after my CT scan.”

  I hopped off the table and pulled several paper towels out of the holder and held them under running water. “What happened?”

  “A car passed me, then stopped abruptly, but mine didn’t slow down when I stepped on the brakes. So I ran off the road to avoid rear-ending the car. I tried to miss the pole, but when I swerved, the tires hung up on some gravel. I clipped it with the left front end.”

  “Your brakes didn’t work?”

  “They must have gone out.”

  I walked over to the exam table and set most of the paper towels down, then started wiping his cheek with the one still in my hand. “And your head?”

  “The air bag went off, but I still hit the door.” He reached up and grabbed my hand. “You don’t have to do that, Rose. The nursing staff will do it.”

  “I have to do something.”

  He leaned over and gave me a kiss. “I know.”

  I looked away, focusing on wiping off the blood. “So, why didn’t you call me?” I tried not to sound accusatory, but it was hard to hide my hurt feelings.

  He hesitated. “I’m so sorry, Rose. I should have. But I lost my phone in the accident, not to mention I knew what I looked like. I didn’t want to scare you.”

  I tossed the bloody paper towel into the trash and picked up another wet one. “Well, you scared me worse. I imagined all kinds of terrible things.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry. What can I do to make it up to you?”

  I gave him a stern look. “Promise to call me immediately if you’re ever in an accident again.”

  A soft smile lit up his face. “Okay. I promise.”

  “Have you called your mother?”

  “Not yet. For the same reason.”

  “You need to call her, Mason,” I said as I continued to scrub.

  “I will. After I’m released. Our family has given her enough to worry about.”

  I scowled, but I understood his reasoning. How many times had I avoided calling Violet after all of my scrapes?

  He was silent for several seconds while I continued to scrub. “With the break-in last night and then our shenanigans later, I never got a chance to ask you how your investigation into Neely Kate’s cousin’s disappearance is going.”

  “Slow. We found out some things, and Neely Kate told Joe, but he said it still wasn’t enough to do anything. At this point, I’m counting on his promise to have someone start looking for her tomorrow if we haven’t found her or if she hasn’t turned up.”

  “Well, that’s something, right?” he asked. “What did you find?”

  “She got a job not too long ago at a new club—”

  The doors swung open, and a man wearing scrubs entered pushing a wheelchair. “Time for your CT scan, Mr. Deveraux.”

  He gave me an apologetic grimace. “I’m sorry. Will you fill me in when I get back?”

  “Of course. I think I better check on Neely Kate and make sure they haven’t stuck her in quarantine.”

  “Good idea. She might be in some trouble. She really should have thought of some other distraction.” He climbed into the wheelchair, and the orderly pushed him into the hall, with me at his side.

  I stopped with them at the elevator. “I’ll be here when you get back.”

  “Let me know if Neely Kate needs help.”

  “Okay.”

  I watched him get on the elevator, then went into the waiting room, where Neely Kate was talking to a hospital security guard. The waiting room was still in chaos, but it was much calmer than when I’d made my flight.

  “Is Mason okay?” Neely Kate asked as she saw me approach.

  I nodded. “They just took him to radiology for a scan. Joe was right. He’s going to need stitches. But otherwise, I think he’s okay.”

  One of the security guards snapped his fingers in Neely Kate’s face. “Hello, I’m talking to you.”

  “Excuse me?” She shot him a condescending look. “You did not just snap your fingers in my face.”

  “Getting a statement out of you is like squeezing glue out of a dried-up bottle.”

  “Well maybe if you weren’t so rude, I’d be more willing to cooperate.”

  “You caused a panic!” He raised his voice, then looked around to see if anyone had noticed before continuing in a calmer manner. “I think we should call the Henryetta Police Department to take you in for questioning, ma’am.”

  “Ma’am?” Neely Kate screeched. “Do I look like a ma’am to you?”

  His face lost all
expression.

  A man with dark brown hair walked over. He appeared to be in his thirties and was dressed in a button-down shirt and loosened tie. “Excuse me, Officer, I’m sorry to interrupt, but I observed the entire incident, and I’m not sure you have sufficient evidence to press charges.”

  The security guard looked confused. “What?”

  “I think you’re trying to invoke the Schenck case, and I assure you, that case has no precedence in this matter.”

  Neely Kate was at a loss for words, and the security guy scratched his forehead, equally at sea. “Huh?”

  “Miss . . .” The man’s blue eyes twinkled as he turned to Neely Kate. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know your name.”

  “Neely Kate,” she fumbled out. “Neely Kate Colson.”

  He turned back to the security guard. “Miss Colson did not announce to the room that she had Ebola. She merely asked what someone might have if they presented certain Ebola-like symptoms. To truly be comparable to the Schenck case, she would have had to tell everyone that she herself or someone else in the room had contracted the disease. Thus, you have no grounds to have her arrested. Any charges filed would never stand up in court.”

  The security guard looked irritated. “And how do you know all this?”

  The man broke into a wide smile and held out a hand. “Carter Hale, attorney at law.”

  The guard studied the man’s hand and gave it a light shake before dropping it as though the attorney himself might have Ebola.

  “I guess you’re right,” he grumbled. “But we’ll be watching out for you,” he told Neely Kate.

  “Well, I hope you’re watching in about seven months when I come here to have my baby. Ronnie Jr.’s sure to make an entrance just like his momma.”

  The guard didn’t look happy. “Thanks for the warning.” He walked over to talk to the rest of the people in the waiting room, who had crowded together on the other side, and assured them it was a false alarm.

  Neely Kate turned to the attorney. “Thank you for calling me Miss and not ma’am, Mr. Hale.” She shuddered dramatically, then winked. “And thanks for helping me get out of that mess.”

  “Honestly, I’m not sure why I did it,” he said. “Your announcement scared the hell out of me too, you know.”

  Neely Kate cringed. “Sorry. I was trying to create a distraction, and it was the first thing that came to mind. I didn’t have much time to prepare.”

  “Well, good job on creating a disturbance. I’ll be sure to seek you out should I ever decide to create a flash mob.”

  “Thanks for helping me. For once we didn’t have to rope in Rose’s boyfriend or ex-boyfriend.”

  He grinned mischievously. “And who might they be?”

  I cringed. The last thing I needed was someone else in town thinking I was a “badge bunny.” “It doesn’t matter. Thanks for your help, Mr. Hale.”

  “Please, call me Carter.” He held his hand out toward me.

  “I’m Rose. Rose Gardner.”

  “Nice to meet you, Rose Gardner.” I wasn’t sure I liked the recognition in his eyes when I shook his hand. At least he didn’t add that he’d heard a lot about me, even though I was sure it was true.

  He leaned closer to us and stage-whispered, “I lied.”

  “What?” Neely Kate asked.

  “I think they could have convicted you in a court of law.”

  Neely Kate put her hand on her hip. “Then why’d you help me?”

  He laughed and held out his hands. “I’m a defense attorney. It’s in my blood, I guess. I just can’t help myself.”

  Neely Kate gave him her best stare-down, and he didn’t flinch. Crappy doodles, he was good.

  I turned to Neely Kate. “I’m not sure how long I’ll be here.” I purposely avoided using Mason’s name. “Do you want me to take you back to your car?”

  “You don’t have to leave, Rose. I can find another way to the town square.”

  “The town square, you say?” Carter asked, looking amused. “I’m headed that way to my office now. I can give you a lift.”

  Neely Kate put her hands on her hips and gave him a sassy look. “What are you even doin’ here, anyway?” she asked. “Are you ambulance chasin’?”

  “Neely Kate!” I gasped.

  He chuckled before reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a business card. “Here’s proof that I am who I say I am.” He pointed to the card. “You’ll notice right away that it says defense attorney and not ambulance chaser.”

  “Oh, I know who you are,” Neely Kate said. “I’ve heard all about you.”

  He laughed. “Is that so?”

  “I’m married, Mr. Hale.”

  “It’s only a ride to the courthouse. I’ve saved you from these fumbling fools who call themselves security officers. Surely I don’t plan to ravage you in broad daylight on the way to the courthouse.” He winked. “I’d save that for after dark.”

  Neely Kate tried to look horrified, but it was easy to see she was amused. “Well, as long as you don’t take six hours to get to the courthouse, we should be good.”

  “I do know a long way . . .” he teased.

  I pulled Neely Kate to the side. “Are you sure? I don’t know how long Mason’s gonna be getting his CT scan. I’ll have plenty of time to take you back.” I shifted my eyes toward Carter Hale who stood three feet away with his arms crossed, looking like he’d caught the world by its tail. “He looks too cocky.”

  “I know all about Carter Hale’s exploits,” she said with a grin. “Even if I were single, I wouldn’t be stupid enough to get caught up in his web of lies. He’s a love ’em and leave ’em kind of guy, and god love ’im, he’s soon to run out of women in Fenton County.” She laughed. “I’m safe, but if it makes you feel better, I’ll text you when he drops me off.”

  “Good. But don’t be thinking about going to find Billy Jack without me, okay? He’s bound to still be ticked off at us. We should go together.”

  She gave me a hug. “If you need me for anything, call me. And keep me updated on Mason.”

  “Okay.”

  She walked out the door, with Carter following behind her. He tried to put his hand on the small of her back, and she shoved it off as though it were a white-hot poker. I almost felt sorry for him.

  Almost.

  Chapter Twenty

  I went back to Mason’s room to wait for him, the receptionist shooting me a hateful glare as I passed. A short while later, Neely Kate texted me to say she’d made it to her car, safe and undefiled. I wasn’t used to sitting around, so I started thinking about Dolly Parton again, trying to piece together the clues we’d found about her disappearance and Nikko’s, but we were still missing too much information.

  After a half hour Mason still hadn’t returned, and I started to worry, but the door opened several seconds later, and the orderly pushed Mason back into the room. He’d changed clothes and was now wearing a blue hospital gown. And he didn’t look happy about it.

  “Is everything okay?” I asked, getting to my feet.

  “They refused to tell me anything,” Mason complained. “But I feel fine. It’s a waste of time.”

  The orderly tried to help Mason out of the chair and onto the bed. Mason grabbed the opening in the back of his gown and shot the orderly a frown. “I have a cut on my forehead and a pounding headache. I’m not a damned invalid.”

  I laughed and gave the poor hospital worker a sympathetic look as I said to Mason, “You do seem to be feeling fine.”

  The orderly hurried for the door, and Mason called after him, “Would you please send a doctor in here to stitch up my head so I can get the hell out of here?”

  The poor guy mumbled something unintelligible and left the room.

  “You really should be nicer to them, Mr. Cranky Pants,” I said, moving next to him.

  His face broke into an ornery grin. “You mean like shouting something about Ebola in a crowded waiting room?”

  “For the rec
ord, Neely Kate regrets that. Especially after hospital security threatened to call in the cops.”

  He sat up. “Does she need help?”

  “No, an attorney was sitting in the waiting room, and he got her out of it.”

  His back stiffened. “Which attorney?”

  “Carter Hale. Do you know him?”

  His mouth pursed. “Oh, I know him all right. What was he doing here?”

  I paused. “You know, he never told us. He heard Neely Kate talking to a security guard and cited some court case to get her off the hook. Neely Kate knew of Carter and accused him of sitting in the waiting room to chase ambulances.”

  He laughed. “I wish I could have seen that.”

  “Is he that bad? He took Neely Kate back to her car by my office. Maybe I should have taken her instead.”

  “No, he’ll be harmless to her. If anything, she’s liable to chew him up and spit him out.”

  The door opened, and a doctor entered the room.

  “It’s about time,” Mason muttered.

  “You need to be patient, Mason,” I said in a low voice. “What happened to your usual patience?”

  “It’s nonexistent when it comes to hospitals.”

  The doctor introduced himself and said, “You’re not the first man to be eager to escape this place, and you won’t be the last. Let’s see what we can do to get you on your way.” He put on a pair of gloves before he poked and prodded.

  Mason grimaced a few times but kept silent.

  “You have two choices,” the doctor said. “I can stitch it, and there will be a slight scar, or we can get a plastic surgeon in here to work on it. There’s no guarantee it won’t scar with him, but it will probably scar less.” The doctor grabbed a mirror and handed it to him. “Why don’t you have a look at the position of the gash before you decide?”

  Mason examined the wound, which was diagonal across the left side of his forehead.

  “I’m fine with a slight scar. You can stitch it.”

  “It will give you roguish look,” I teased.

  The doctor chuckled as he began to work. When he finished, Mason was eager to go. “Can I get dressed now?”

  The doctor stopped in the doorway. “We’re waiting for the CT scan results. It should only be about another half hour or so.”