Bosom Bodies (Mina's Adventures)

by Swan, Maria Grazia

  “You can’t. He isn’t allowed visitors.” DeFiore’s voice was full of apology and sadness.

  “I’m not a visitor.”

  “Really, so what are you?” If DeFiore wanted to be hated, he was succeeding.

  “I’m the person whose life he saved.” She said it with such intensity both men stared at her without saying a word.

  Finally, DeFiore spoke softly. “I’ll have a nurse take you to him once we are done here.”

  Mina closed her eyes to hide her sense of relief and anticipation. “Well, start asking away.”

  There was a knock at the door and the nurse came in with a small pitcher, a glass and a bent straw. She deposited everything on the night table, assessed the room with one quick glance and was out of there.

  “Mina, I need specific details about the Bosom Bodies uniform: when it was first given to you, what was said, any information that will help us reconstruct the facts from the beginning. Ginger must not have trusted Barbara and didn’t want to let her know where the diamonds where until the last minute. The only way we’ll be able to arrest the people responsible for the murders of Ginger and Barbara is with your cooperation.”

  “Didn’t you say you arrested Angelina and Sam?”

  “We did, but they’re part of a larger organization. I doubt they had anything to do with the physical part of the killings. They both have strong alibis. The night Ginger was killed, both Angelina and Sam were at Bosom Bodies. Remember?”

  Mina nodded. “Maybe so, but Angelina had access to my car the night Barbara was murdered. Don’t forget that the following day Angelina came to work with bruises on her face.” Mina felt a little ashamed, but all she wanted to do was see Diego, not talk to DeFiore under Adams’s eagle eyes. She yawned.

  “Am I boring you?” DeFiore asked.

  “I’m sorry. It’s not you. It’s the sedative. Can’t this wait? I don’t remember the exact day I got the uniform. Ginger had the whole thing neatly packed, skirt, top, padded bra, wig. If you ask me, the wig was totally over the top.”

  DeFiore shook his head.

  Too much information?

  “Anyway it was three days before she left for Las Vegas. Well, you said she never went to Las Vegas and never got married, so you know more about this than I do.” She yawned again. This time she didn’t even excuse herself or try to conceal it.

  Adams stood. “Dan, look, I appreciate what you are trying to do, but unless what you need from Mina is time sensitive, perhaps you could wait until she is a little more… focused? Or maybe you could make up a list of questions so she can take her time and double check dates and places?”

  DeFiore let out a long sigh. “We could do that. None of this made the news. Well, Sam Perez did. She’s the talk of the County, but we kept Mina out of the picture. The hospital is releasing her in the morning. Will she be going back to her condo?” He spoke to Adams as if she wasn’t even there.

  “That’s up to Mina. If she wants to do that, I’ve arranged for Margo to spend some time with her. West Coast Software is closing for the holidays, and Mina seems to get along fine with Margo.”

  “Hey, I’m right here. Isn’t anyone going to ask me what I want to do?”

  “We’re listening,” Adams said.

  “I want to go see Diego.”

  The two men exchanged glances and shook their heads.

  “I’m going back to the office,” Adams said. “Call if you need me. I’ll send Margo in. Mina, rest. Don’t do something silly, okay?”

  “How am I going to do something silly? I’m in a hospital. Hey, DeFiore, you promised I could see Diego.”

  “I did indeed. Now remember, that’s all I said. You can see him. Period.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “He is in a medically induced coma because of extensive injuries. Let me talk to the head nurse, they can wheel you down there.”

  “I can walk, thank you very much.”

  “Mina, it’s hospital regulation,” Adams said. “Behave.”

  “I need to comb my hair and…”

  “He can’t see you,” DeFiore said.

  “Maybe—maybe he will wake up when he hears my voice.”

  “He won’t hear your voice because you won’t be talking to him. Got it?”

  “You don’t need to be mean about it.” Mina cringed. She wasn’t being unreasonable. He was.

  “Oh, for Christ’s sake, I’m not mean. I’m giving you a reality check. Never mind. I’m not going to stay here and argue with you. I’ll get the nurse.”

  That was interesting. She had never heard DeFiore curse before. Must have been because of Sam, the traitress.

  “Good bye, Adams. I’ll see you later. Can you make sure Margo comes back?”

  Adams nodded and left. A few minutes passed and DeFiore came back with a nurse she hadn’t met yet. The nurse was pushing a wheel chair, maledizione. Margo was right behind them.

  “Okay, Nurse Smith will take you to see Diego. Don’t give her any grief. She’s just doing her job. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Margo, keep an eye on your friend here. Will you?” He lifted his hand in a wave of sorts and left.

  Mina couldn’t wait, she jumped out of bed, landing on the leg with the bandages. “Ouch, ouch…damn it hurts.”

  “That’s why we have the wheel chair,” Nurse Smith said.

  Margo didn’t waste any time. She practically pushed Mina into the chair. “Okay, sit still a minute and let me make you presentable.” She pulled a comb from her purse and ran it through Mina’s hair in spite of all her arguing. She also applied some gloss on her lips.

  Nurse Smith watched with a stern look on her face. To Mina, the nurse looked six-feet tall next to Margo and her.

  When they headed toward the elevator, Mina memorized every turn. She intended to go back later to see Diego all by herself. There was nothing complicated about the route. All elevators sported big signs mapping the location of the ICU. They went down two floors and crossed through two massive secured doors after Nurse Smith punched in a code. Now that could be a problem. Maybe there was another way in. Maybe this was for specialized personnel only.

  They rolled by the nurses’ station without stopping, down a wide corridor with doors on both sides. The last door on each side was a glass door and the whole upper wall seemed to be made of glass also. On the inside, curtains were drawn closed.

  Diego’s room was easy to spot. A man sat by the door. Mina had no doubt the man was a cop. Her heart fluttered, and she had to fight the impulse to jump off the wheelchair and run to Diego. She wanted to hold his hand, stroke his face. She needed to touch him, to assure herself he was alive. Instead, she behaved like she promised she would.

  Nurse Smith stopped near the man by the door. They exchanged glances, nothing else. Then the man got up and went inside Diego’s room. A few minutes passed, the curtains opened.

  The room was dimly lit, and transparent curtains tented the bed. There were all kind of tubes and blinking boards. The man in the bed could have been anyone, body and face covered in bandages or cast—she didn’t know which.

  “Can I go in?” she asked Smith.

  The nurse shook her head. “Only approved personnel can enter the room.”

  Margo’s labored breathing sounded behind her. The whole scenario felt so wrong.

  “Is he going to be okay?” The knot in her throat made it hard to talk, made it hard to breathe.

  “I’m sure he is getting the best care available,” Nurse Smith said. “Detective DeFiore will keep you posted on the patient’s progress.”

  That’s it? Behave Mina. You promised.

  “Can’t I go into the room? Just for a moment. I won’t get out of the chair. I swear.”

  “I’m sorry, Miss Calvi. It’s for the patient’s well being. You can talk to DeFiore. He’s your best chance.” Without hesitation, she whirled the wheelchair around and headed back.

  Mina was seething. Her hands gripped the arms of the wheelchair,
and her eyes welled up. She wanted so badly to get near Diego, to know he was going to be okay. If she could talk to him, she just knew he would recognize her voice. She felt an unexplainable bond between them. A bond that transcended the sexual attraction, something much deeper, something she never felt for another man. Oh, God, please make him okay.

  By the time Nurse Smith dropped her off in her room, supper was being served.

  “Margo, why don’t you go home? I bet you are tired, and it looks like you’ll be the one driving me home in the morning. I’ll be fine. I’ll watch a little TV and go to sleep. Not sure why I have to stay overnight, but so be it.” Maybe she would sneak down to the ICU after everyone went to sleep.

  “Okay then, I’ll be here by nine a.m., and don’t try to sneak back to see your friend. Don’t deny it. I can see it in your eyes. Well, call me if you get lonely. I’ll tell you about the windshield guy.”

  “I knew it,” Mina said. “Your flat tire story didn’t fool me.”

  Margo laughed, checked her lipstick in the bathroom mirror and left.

  A few minutes later a young woman brought a tray with her supper, adjusted the bed, refilled her water glass, and left. Mina toyed with the mashed potatoes and the chicken. She couldn’t stop thinking about Diego. Was he suffering? Did he have broken bones? Would his family come and visit?

  The phone on her night table rang. Although the room had two beds, she was the only occupant. The phone call had to be for her. She picked it up.

  “Hello, hello…” a few clicks, then, “Mina, God, finally.” Brian. “Mina, my sweet Mina, I’m so sorry. Adams told me what happened. I should have never left. I’ll make it up to you. A miracle happened. Bad choice of words, but at this point it felt like a miracle. The American Embassy called us. I don’t know how they tracked us down. Just when I’d given up, I got the call. Our new passports are waiting for us at the airport. We are on our way home. We’ll be back before Christmas.”

  In her mind’s eye Mina remembered that morning, not so long ago, in Diego’s condo.

  “Give me their names. I may be able to help.”

  “Names? What names?”

  “Brian and his mother.”

  “What do you care?”

  “I care about you.”

  “Mina, did you hear me?” Brian’s voice snapped her out of reminiscing.

  “Yes, I did. I’m so happy for you and your mother. Glad your problems are solved.”

  “That’s an odd thing to say. My problems are solved,” Brian said. “Are you medicated?”

  “I am. I am. I’m very sleepy, but I’ll be better soon. I’ll talk to Adams, get all the details and this is really good news. So happy you are both safe and on your way home.” She wanted to hang up.

  “Mina, you are not going to hang up on me again. Are you? I understand you’re annoyed I wasn’t there for you. But when we left, everything was good. I’m all my mother has, so it wasn’t like I had a choice. Right?”

  She listened, staring at her supper growing cold on the plate. He did have a choice, but obviously his mother would always come first. And that was okay. Right now she really, really didn’t want to talk to him. Maybe it was guilt for cheating on him.

  “Mina, are you there?”

  “Yes, but I don’t feel so good, I’m going to say good night and we can catch up when you get back. Have a safe trip.” She hung up.

  The truth would have to be told. She was never any good at cheating or lying, and she owed so much to Diego. Brian would have to understand. Diego probably saved their lives, too. Besides, Brian had family, friends. Diego only had her. She pushed the rest of her supper aside. She had made her decision. She would go to Diego and share it with him. She would thank him for helping out Brian and his mother. It didn’t matter if he was in a coma, his heart would hear her.

  A nurse came into the room before Mina’s bare feet reached the floor. The night shift must have started because she didn’t recognize the woman.

  “Do you need to use the bathroom?” The nurse asked.

  Mina gave her a really big smile. “Huh, yeah, going to the bathroom, brushing my teeth.”

  “Need help?”

  “Nooo, no help. Thanks.” She went into the bathroom and closed the door. What now? Whatever the reason for the nurse’s visit, she wasn’t going to go away. Shit. Might as well face the music. She did brush her teeth and wash her hands, then went back to bed like a good girl.

  The nurse checked her temperature and her heart, same stuff. It was getting old. She was just fine. The nurse left and came back with a small tray and some pills.

  “What’s that?” Mina asked.

  “Your medications.”

  “What for? I’m not sick. I’m going home in the morning.”

  “Your doctor prescribed them, to prevent your wounds from getting infected.”

  Her wounds? She wasn’t going to argue. “Okay, give it to me.”

  The nurse slid the tray toward her and handed her the glass of water. Two small white pills, no big deal. Mina popped them in her mouth and drank most of the water, then opened her mouth.

  “See? All gone.”

  Maybe the nurse would get the hint and be “gone,” too.

  Instead, she lingered, checking the monitor, making notes on the chart, fluffing the pillow. Don’t they have nurse’s aide for that?

  It was getting late. Mina still wanted to sneak downstairs to see Diego. With the night shift it should be easier. No one would recognize her. She had to hurry. She was getting tired. Very tired. Her eyelids felt so heavy. What was going on? What the hell were those pills? She searched the room for the nurse, but no one was there. Maybe she should just sleep for a while, just a while. Then she would go see Diego.

  Chapter 21

  Mina woke as abruptly as she went to sleep. She couldn’t prove it but was convinced the pills the nurse gave her had something to do with the uninterrupted night of sleep. What time was it? Seven thirty. Margo would come to take her home in a little over an hour. Should she dare try to sneak out of her room to see Diego?

  The place was abuzz with nurses and all kind of medical personnel making the rounds, delivering breakfast and meds. Fat chance she could walk past everyone unnoticed, especially wearing the one-size fits all hospital gown that didn’t close properly in the back yet was big enough for a super sized weight lifter.

  Better wait for Margo. Mina didn’t know what to do with herself. She turned on the TV. The local news was on.

  Oh, my God, Sam Perez’s perfect smile graced the screen. The remote fell out of Mina’s hand. What were they saying? She was under arrest for discharging her police-issued shotgun on a biker? They called it road rage. Road rage?

  “Good morning.” The nurse’s cheerful voice snapped Mina from her state of disbelief. She put the TV on mute, but kept her eyes on the screen. Maybe they would show a picture of Diego, give an update. A Dunkin Donuts commercial came on and Mina turned off the news.

  “Sorry, good morning. I’m going home in an hour, what do I need to do?”

  “Not much, you can start by having breakfast, then you can get dressed. The clothes your cousin brought are in the closet. We’ll have some release papers for you to sign, and when your ride comes we’ll safely deliver you to your transportation by wheelchair. Sorry, regulations. After that, as far as we are concerned, you’re free to do whatever you want.”

  “Fair enough.”

  The breakfast consisted of oatmeal, a small bowl of berries, a glass of milk and coffee. Not bad.

  Mina was restless in a mental way, anxious. She didn’t understand why, but something nagged at her deep down. Road rage, that’s what the TV news reported about the shooting. Downright bizarre. No mention of Diego. No mention of victims. Maybe they already ran the full report and she caught the tail end? That’s when it hit her that she didn’t even know Diego’s last name. How was that possible? All the time she spent with him in his home, in his car, in his arms—she didn’t know his
name. Her first impulse was to phone DeFiore. And say what?

  No. She wouldn’t call DeFiore. She wouldn’t draw any further attention to herself, not if she could help it. If she wanted to see Diego, she must become unnoticeable. No fuss, no muss. Mina had no idea what muss meant, but she liked the sound of it. Yes, visiting Diego was number one priority. The rest could wait.

  The phone rang, “Hello?”

  “Good morning, Mina. How are you feeling? Ready to go home?”

  “Hi Adams. Yes, as ready as possible, waiting for Margo.”

  “You should be a happy young woman. You are going home, and Brian is coming back. He’s arriving tomorrow afternoon. He is anxious to see you. You think you’ll be well enough to drive to the airport?”

  “Oh, yeah, I guess. I don’t know if I’ll have my car by then.”

  “No, no. Your car wouldn’t do, not with luggage and all. I’ll pick you up and we can take the Continental. It’s large enough to accommodate the suitcases and the four of us, too. I’ll call you this evening and we can work out the details. Aren’t you excited?”

  “Ecstatic. Well, I better get dressed. Thanks, Adams.” Shit.

  So Brian and his mother would be coming back tomorrow. Mina had to tell Brian about Diego. Sneaking around wasn’t her style. Besides, the only reason Brian and his mother were safely on their way back to the States was because of Diego. Because Diego cared about her. She was getting misty. Mina jumped off the bed, surprised at only a small ache in her leg. She went into the bathroom.

  By the time Margo arrived, Mina was ready.

  “What the hell? Mina, why are you wearing that leather jacket? It’s not that cold and you look like the Michelin Man.”

  “Shh. I’ll tell you later.” She sat in the wheelchair and held Diego’s black helmet on her lap. The flowers and the balloons were left behind with the nurses who were instructed to distribute them among the other patients and the chapel.

  Outside, the sun was shining and the sky was blue. Only forty-eight hours had passed since Diego dropped her off at West Coast Software, and yet her life would never be the same. The nurse’s aide helped her get into the car. Mina was still bundled up in Diego’s jacket. They waved good-bye and Margo headed toward the parking lot exit. Mina unlocked the safety belt and started to take off the jacket.