The Ninth Floor

by Liz Schulte

  “What is it?”

  “Leigh Feilding’s employee badge.”

  Chapter 13

  My latest visit with Bee wasn’t going smoothly. She was cranky and tired, her typical smile nowhere to be found. “Did you have trouble sleeping?”

  She shook her head and pushed her tray away—it was barely touched.

  “Do you want to do a lap around the floor to see if that helps?”

  “No, my legs ache.”

  “I’m sorry.” I patted her hand and motioned toward the bag of photo albums and the scrapbook by my chair. “Do you want to look at more pictures? Or I could read to you? We could work on a crossword—”

  “Reading is fine.”

  I pulled out The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield and opened it to where we left off. Bee rested back against her pillows, eyes closed as she listened. I made it through a couple of chapters before Jack made his rounds.

  “How are you this morning, Bee?” he asked, squeezing my shoulder as he walked past.

  She made a noncommittal noise, and Jack glanced at me. I shook my head the tiniest bit to let him know it wasn’t a good day.

  “What seems to be the trouble?”

  “I’m just tired.”

  “She mentioned her legs ache.”

  Jack nodded. “May I have a look?” He pulled back the covers. Her legs were puffy, as they had been for the last couple weeks, but the bottom of her bed and the soles of her feet were black with dirt and soot.

  “What the hell?” I stood up to take a closer look. Jack seemed as flabbergasted as I felt. “Did you go somewhere last night?”

  She frowned at me. “Of course not.”

  I knew it was a ridiculous question. Bee couldn’t get up on her own to use the restroom; I couldn’t imagine her traipsing all over the hospital grounds. Jack cleared his throat and ran his fingers through his hair. He took a cotton swab from a wall dispenser and ran it along the bottom of Bee’s foot. “I’ll speak with the nurse who was on the night shift and have someone come in and help you get cleaned up. I’ll be right back.”

  He walked out of the room and I looked at Bee. “Do you remember anything from last night?”

  A smile bordering on cruel spread across Bee’s face. “I know you were with him last night.” She leaned forward and beckoned me with her finger. “And I know you saw the light.” Her voice was low and dark, and I shivered.

  “What light?” She was freaking me out, and I wanted to back away from her, but I struggled against my fear. This was Bee. She could’ve guessed I was with Jack last night, but how could she know about the light on the ninth floor?

  She blinked and her sneer disappeared. She shook her head a little before looking at me with a normal smile. “Ryan, when did you get here?”

  I stood, gaping at her—and then Jack returned with a nurse and an orderly. “They’ll help get you cleaned up and change the sheets, Bee. Ryan and I will wait in the hall.”

  Bee looked confused and her eyes drifted to the foot of her bed. “Oh dear, what happened there?”

  Before I could say anything, Jack told her there was nothing to worry about and ushered me out of the room.

  “She didn’t even remember me being here. Right before you came back she got really weird. She said she knew we were together last night—and knew that I ‘saw the light.’”

  “We’ll run a blood test to check her ammonia levels. I told you yesterday, this isn’t entirely abnormal.”

  “Well, it’s not normal. Nothing about this is normal. And what about what she said about the light? How did she know?”

  “Know what? What light?”

  I sighed impatiently. “The light on the ninth floor—the one we saw turn on last night.”

  Jack’s laughter filled the hallway. “You said she said she knew we were together last night and that you’d seen the light.”

  “Yes …” I stared down at the floor. Nothing about this was funny. How could he be so blasé?

  “Ryan, Bee’s been my biggest supporter in asking you out, hasn’t she?” I nodded, not sure where he was headed. . “Maybe all she meant was she knows we were together and that you finally saw the light—as in she’s glad you’re finally admitting you like me as more than just a friend.”

  Now I felt sort of dumb. Could it be so simple—so innocent? Her hissing whisper replayed in my memory and I shook my head. No, the comment wasn’t remotely light or happy. It hadn’t even sounded like Bee at all. “Did you talk to the night nurse?”

  “I left a message for her.”

  “What do you think was on the bottom of her feet?”

  Before Jack could answer, my dad’s voice carried down the hall toward me. “There she is now.” I turned to see Dad, Blair, and Briggs walking our way. The sight of Briggs still managed to take my breath away. “Shit,” I muttered under my breath and turned back to Jack. His face wore a questioning look, but I didn’t have any answers—and even if I did, there wasn’t enough time to explain. I moved closer to him and crossed my arms over my chest. Just as they reached us, Jack’s name was called over the intercom.

  He smiled apologetically at everyone. “I’ll be back.” His hand brushed over my back as he walked away.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked, looking directly at Briggs. “I told you not to come here, but then you did. I told you to go home and leave me alone, yet here you are. If I ask you to stay, will you leave?”

  “Ryan—” my dad started, but I cut him, off holding up a finger. This was between me and Briggs.

  “You haven’t cared enough about me or my life to even call me more than once a year so you don’t get to be involved now. Stay out of it.” I knew I was being completely unfair if what Ashley said was true and they were just trying to protect me, but that didn’t wash away years of resentment. Blair wisely looked everywhere but at me. I turned back to Briggs, still fuming. His confident, you-can’t-resist-me smile toyed at the corners of his mouth. “I’m not leaving until you talk to me.”

  I threw my hands up in the air. “I tried and tried and tried to talk to you for a month, but you wouldn’t have anything to do with me. Now, all of a sudden, you want to chat. I don’t care why you left anymore. Just stay gone.”

  “Ryan, I know you too well. If you really didn’t care, you wouldn’t be this angry. You and I both know this isn’t over. Just hear me out.”

  “You have a lot of nerve.” I started toward him, my hands balled into fists at my side. Blair’s arm shot out and pulled me away as Jack walked back to us.

  “See, you’re only proving my point.” He flashed a grin that used to make my knees go weak, but now only made me want to sock him in the eye.

  I took a couple deep breaths and looked away, vowing to ignore Briggs for the rest of the day. The nurse and the orderly came out of Bee’s room and nodded to Jack. He cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “Bee isn’t feeling her best today. I’m going to limit visitors to two at a time so she can get some rest.” He looked at each of us. “It’s important you’re calm and collected while visiting Bee. She doesn’t need the extra stress. Neil, Blair, why don’t the two of you go in first?”

  I started to object, but Jack quelled me with a look and I stood down. He was right. I wasn’t calm or collected at the moment, but that didn’t mean I wanted to be stuck out here with Briggs. When Dad and Blair left, Jack stuck out a hand toward Briggs. “I don’t believe we’ve met officially. I’m Jack Sadler.”

  “Briggs Burke.” They shook.

  “Well, Briggs, there’s a waiting room just down the hall.” Jack pointed behind Briggs.

  Briggs looked at me. “Shall we?”

  I snorted. “Knock yourself out.”

  Jack smiled cordially. “Yes, if you don’t mind …Ryan and I have a couple things to discuss.”

  Briggs looked back and forth between us before focusing on Jack’s hand that had moved to my lower back. I had a brief moment of triumph. “You’re the one who answered
her phone.”

  “As I said, we were never officially introduced. The waiting room is just three doors down on the right.” Jack and I turned in the opposite direction and headed for our favorite meeting place—the stairwell.

  I was a mixed ball of emotions. I was worried about Bee, angry with Briggs and my family, and confused about Jack. I appreciated him getting me away from Briggs so adeptly, but Briggs had a point. It wasn’t over between us—or not conclusively. I was angry, so angry, with him, but I knew at some point we would have to talk. Once everything was out in the open, could I forgive him? Did he want to be forgiven? He was my first and only love. Walking away from him was never going to be easy.

  Jack hadn’t broken my heart, but I barely knew him. Nothing was certain, and I wasn’t sure if or how I should express that to Jack. I looked up at him.

  Jack seemed to have his own inner conflicts going on behind his glasses and narrowed eyes which made him all the more endearing. What I was doing wasn’t fair to him. But what about my life had been fair recently? At the moment I didn’t care where I’d be in a month. I wanted to kiss Jack and forget about Briggs. I slowly removed his glasses before pressing my lips against his in a languid, sultry kiss that reminded me Briggs wasn’t the only guy in the world. Jack broke away from me, but he rested his forehead against mine for a few moments before he led me down to the ninth floor landing. He backed me against the wall and nipped softly at my bottom lip before slipping his tongue against mine in a sensuous caress. I wrapped my arms around his neck, wanting him closer. He wound his fingers through my hair cradled my head. I ran my hands down his chest and gripped his waist, wanting him closer yet, as our tongues teased and explored each other. Jack groaned against my mouth as I ground my hips into his. The texture of our kisses changed. Jack gripped my butt, lifting me. My legs wrapped around his narrow hips as he pressed me harder against the wall. Our kisses became faster and more urgent with each passing second.

  A loud click made us stop, chests heaving. Jack let me slide back down to my feet, my heart thudding in my chest. He glanced upstairs and down but didn’t say anything. I stayed leaned against the wall, still getting my wits about me. He shrugged and headed back my way. Smiling down at me, he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “I like you like this.”

  “Like what?”

  “Messy hair, flushed, swollen lips.” He framed my face in his soft, steady hands and kissed me gently.

  “Why do we always come here?” The question slipped from my mouth.

  Jack’s eyes twinkled. “Because everyone is afraid to even walk past this floor since Leigh’s fall, so no one uses the stairs anymore.”

  Remembering I had her name badge at my house put a damper on things, but I didn’t want to tell Jack about any of my extra baggage at the moment. I forced a light tone. “Ah, gruesome, but very wise, Dr. Sadler. So does that mean we have a reasonable expectation of privacy?” I ignored the voice in my mind, questioning if my sudden attraction to Jack was more about Briggs than it was about him. I trailed soft kisses along his jaw, not ready to end our interlude just yet.

  “I want nothing more than to stay here and do this with you all day, but I have patients.” He kissed me once more, but the combating thoughts in my mind had already killed the mood.

  Another loud thump sounded right next to me and the wall shook. . Jack’s head snapped up, though he didn’t move. We stared around the empty stairwell, the sound still echoing in my ears. Then I saw it.

  “Jack,” I whispered and pointed down. An open padlock lay at our feet.

  Chapter 14

  Jack picked up the lock.

  “Do you think that was the first click? It opening?”

  He shook his head. “Not possible. It must’ve been open, which explains the light on the floor last night. Someone’s been going in.”

  I looked at the door. “But there are still two other locks.”

  “They must have keys and forgot to latch this one.”

  I frowned. “How did it fall off the door?”

  Jack gave me a half amused look. “I think it’s safe to assume that was our fault.”

  What he said made sense, but I wasn’t buying it this time. Something was fishy about this whole hospital, and I was letting him distract me from my investigation. I made a silent oath to figure out what was going on or to move Bee, regardless of Jack’s opinion.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  Tearing my eyes from the ninth floor’s door, I gazed up at him. “I think this was sign.” I patted him on the chest. “The universe wants us to go slow.”

  A grin spread across his face. “You jumped me, remember?”

  I rebuttoned the top of my shirt. “True. That doesn’t mean it was right though.”

  Jack caught my wrist and pulled me close. “We’re both consenting, unattached adults. It isn’t wrong to let things happen.”

  “I just don’t want to be hurt again, and I don’t want to hurt you either. We haven’t known each other very long.” He started to object, but I kept going. “I know I kissed you and started all of this—but I need to know I want you for the right reasons. Wanting you because Briggs is here and punching holes in my self-esteem isn’t the right reason. He was the only boyfriend I ever had. I need to take this slow and be sure.”

  “Are you going to talk to him?”

  I licked my lips, and though I didn’t want to, I knew I would. I clenched my jaw and gave a sharp nod.

  “Are we working on your apartment tonight?”

  “No, I don’t think so. I think I need tonight off.”

  “Would you like to have dinner?” Jack placed his glasses back on his face, slightly crooked.

  I reached up to straighten them before answering. “Actually, I was thinking about getting Blair to have dinner with me. He’s going back to school soon, and I haven’t gotten to spend much time with him … since he was twelve.” I made a face “I sort of ruined the dinner he planned, so I owe him for that too. Maybe if I reacquaint myself with my family one person at a time, when I do the big dinner, it will be easier.”

  Jack pecked a kiss against my cheek. “That sounds like a very reasonable plan.”

  “We’ll see. The Sterlings aren’t known for being reasonable.” I smoothed my hair, using my reflection in Jack’s glasses. I twirled slightly for him. “Do I look presentable?”

  “Lovely.”

  “Oh, I forgot to ask if you got in touch with the nurse?”

  “That’s who I was paged to speak with.”

  “What did she say?”

  “Everything was normal last night.”

  “Hmph. So weird.” Another piece of an increasingly impossible puzzle. “Are you headed my way?”

  He looked up the stairs then back at me. “It’s probably safer if I head the other way. We’ll talk later.”

  We kissed one last time, hands lingering together as I moved away. I climbed the stairs, smiling. However, when I walked into the waiting room and saw Briggs was still there, looking surly, my good mood evaporated.

  “Why are you here, Briggs?” I asked, sitting down across from him and crossing my legs.

  “I want to talk to you.”

  “You had opportunity after opportunity to talk to me at home. Why now?”

  “Because I made a mistake. I know that now.”

  “And when did you have this epiphany? Was it when Jack answered my phone and you knew I wasn’t just going to pine away, waiting for you to come back to me?”

  “Do we have to talk about this here? Have dinner with me tonight. We can talk about everything. I mean it. Absolutely everything. I want to explain—like I should’ve done to begin with.”

  Briggs’s offer was tempting, but I meant what I’d told Jack. I wanted to have dinner with Blair, and I wanted to look through the scrapbook without Bee since it seemed to upset her. I didn’t want to deal with guy troubles tonight. “I can’t tonight.”

  “Then I’ll stay in town until you can.” Th
e determination written across his face was one of the things that made me fall in love with Briggs. When he set his mind to something, there wasn’t anything he couldn’t do. My fingers itched to trace the little crease he got between his eyebrows when he was like this, but I looked away instead.

  “Haven’t you hurt me enough? What do you want from me? Blood? I’m trying to move on. Let me go, Briggs.”

  “I don’t want to hurt you, Ryan. I love you more than anyone or anything in the world.”

  “Then why?”

  “Have dinner with me.”

  “Not tonight.”

  “Fine. Another night then.”

  I sighed. “Where are you staying?”

  “With your parents.”

  I shook my head, but Blair and Dad returned before I could comment. Dad put his hand on my shoulder. “Bee’s sleeping now. Why don’t you come have lunch with us?”

  “I have too much to do. I need to run by her house and water. Then I have to check on the store and walk the dogs. By the time I get back, she’ll probably be awake.”

  Dad looked hurt, but he didn’t push me.

  “You want company?” Blair asked.

  “Sure.” I looked at Dad and took a deep breath. “We’ll have lunch soon. Catch up.”

  He raised an eyebrow and nodded.

  “Just give me a moment, Blair. I need to pop in and get my purse.”

  I walked quietly into Bee’s room and could hear her soft snores. I packed the scrapbooks and was bending over to feel for my purse under the chair when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I snapped around, but nothing was there. I put my hand over the spot, heart paused in my chest, and my shirt felt like ice. I wanted to run, but I couldn’t leave Bee alone with a ghost, could I? My legs were planted, and I was caught between a scream and a sick sort of fascination. Just as quickly the sensation was gone.

  I shook myself and tried for my purse again, but it was gone too.

  *

  “So, little brother, want to have dinner with me tonight?” I asked Blair once we were safely in his car driving toward Bee’s house after I called and cancelled my credit cards. I couldn’t believe I’d lost my purse. At least I had my phone in my pocket and was able to call Vivian to have her make another key to the apartment for me.