Mike pulled himself to his feet.
“What the hell happened?” Mitch looked around at the scattered paper. “It looks like a hurricane blew through here.”
Mike still didn’t talk.
“What’s wrong?”
Mike shook his head.
“I’m going to go out on a limb here and say this has something to do with that woman, Raleigh.”
“Am I that easy to read?”
“I’m just that good.” Mitch leaned down and began to pick up the mess of paper. “So what’s going on with you two now?”
“Nothing.”
“Ah huh. Nothing wouldn’t have you throwing paperwork around your office Mr. OCD.”
Mike sat back onto the desk and clipped his belt off. “Turn on the television, you’ll see.”
“Was she in an accident?”
“Of sorts.”
“Is she going to be okay?”
Mike shook his head. “I don’t know. It doesn’t sound like it.” Mike unbuttoned his uniform shirt, stripped off his vest, and dropped both to the ground.
“Sammy come on, let’s go for a walk.” Mike called to his faithful pup.
“Sammy!” Mitch whistled. “Here!” Sammy came to Mitch, tail wagging fervently. Mitch took her by the collar and put her in her kennel. The kennel Mike wouldn’t put her in stating it was cruel. It was a good living room decoration.
“You two can go for a walk after we have some girl talk.” Mitch passed her a tennis ball through the metal slats.
“Chance has made you go soft.”
“Oh no boss, there’s nothing about Chance that makes me soft.” Mitch winked. “But this isn’t about me, or Chance.”
“Everyone needs to stop putting their nose in my business.” Between Cass, Chance, and Mitch, he couldn’t make a move without someone pushing him.
“Well bud, we’d stop if you made better choices.”
“Time for you to leave Meyers.”
“Boss, if she’s hurt that bad, why are you here? And not wherever the hell she is?”
“France. She’s in France.”
“Damn.” Mitch bared his teeth. “That is a haul.”
“I can’t fly over there on a whim.”
“Yes you can. The perks of being a single man, footloose and fancy free.”
“Work.”
“Will be waiting for you when you get back. If you don’t go, you’ll make all of our lives a living hell. So, you’re going.” Mitch jogged up the stairs.
“What the hell are you doing?” Mike followed behind.
“Packing your bag.”
“I’m not going.”
“Don’t make me Taser your ass.”
“You’ll hit the floor before you get that Taser off your belt. Try me.”
Mitch opened Kerr’s closet. “Jesus, your wardrobe is sad.”
“Screw off.”
“Pants, shirts, shoes.” Mitch tossed clothing onto the bed. “Now I’d prefer you pack your own grimy underwear, but if you won’t, I will.”
“Get the hell out.” Mike grabbed Mitch by the shoulders and pointed him toward the door. “Out.”
“Sometimes we all need someone to show us we are wrong.” Mitch pointed his hand into Mike’s chest. “You are wrong to not go. I’ll take Sammy with me, that way if you decide to smarten up, we’ll already have her taken care of.” Mitch jogged back down the stairs and stole Sammy as he promised.
Great. Now I am alone. Mike settled onto the couch and listened to more coverage on the Speed Channel.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Mike looked at his watch. Six in the morning. It was going to be a very, very, very long day.
“I’m leaving in about twenty.” Mike looked out the line of windows directly in front of him. “I should be there by eleven tonight.”
“I’m glad you came to your senses.” Cass said.
“I don’t think I’d call it coming to my senses. Spending $2000 for a plane ticket on a whim is likely the definition of insanity.”
“Stop it.”
“Have you heard anything from Aiden?”
“His phone is still going to voicemail. I don’t know what is going on, he has me worried.”
“I’m sure there’s a reason.”
“Call me when you land.”
“I will.”
“Love you Dad.”
“Love you too, hun.”
*****
Aiden paced outside Raleigh’s door. When her parent’s arrived he was booted out of the room. On top of that his cell phone was dead. The battery miraculously decided to stop holding a charge. He hadn’t talked to Cass since the previous night and knew she’d be beside herself with worry. He would take the time to steal someone’s phone soon.
“Aiden, thank you for staying with her.” Raleigh’s mom reached over and hugged him. “You’re such a good friend to her.”
Raleigh’s mom didn’t need to be told Aiden was more than a personal aide.
“I wouldn’t think of leaving her, Miss Dawson.”
“You can now. You’ve been at her side for the past day. We’ll take the vigil over. Get some rest dear, you look tired.”
Aiden didn’t want to leave her side, but Mrs. Dawson was right. He was exhausted and needed to charge his cell phone. A few hours of sleep would do him good.
“I think I will take you up on your offer. You have my room number, please call me if you need anything.”
“Get some rest dear, we’ll be fine.”
And so Aiden left at 4pm. Four hours sleep and a shower would do it he figured. Mike’s flight was to arrive at 10:30pm and Aiden needed to make sure he was on time. The impression Mike had of Aiden wasn’t a positive one. At his glare, Aiden felt an inch tall. If he didn’t like Cass so much, he would have given into that death stare. But, since he liked her, it would take more than a dirty look to make him flee.
Aiden returned to the hotel and followed his plan. Shower, set alarm, sleep. Due to exhaustion, he left out one part of his plan. Call Cass.
*****
Mike looked around the congested airport. No sign of Aiden. Or anyone holding a sign with his name on it, as Aiden said there would be.
“This is starting off great,” Mike talked to himself, then called Aiden. It went to voicemail. Repeat that process a half a dozen times and Mike’s frustration level increased tenfold.
Thankfully Mike had the name of the hospital she’d been taken to, Hôpital Européen Georges-Pompidou. Not so thankfully, he didn’t speak French. Not a lick. After finding his way out of the endlessly expansive airport, he located a taxi stand and was on his way.
“Hospital, ah, I’m sorry I don’t know how to pronounce this.” Mike held his cell phone in the air
“Hôpital Européen Georges-Pompidou.” The cabbie pronounced properly for him. “Oui monsieur.”
“Ah, okay.”
Mike’s mind raced with worry and anticipation. It had been a day since they’d last heard from Aiden. There were no updates in the news. The media was all over the story when it first broke, but the follow up seriously lacked.
“Paree, it is a beautiful city. You here all by yourself American?” The cabbie made friendly conversation.
“I came alone, but I’m here to visit with someone.”
“A louver.”
The French really were open.
“A friend.”
“Oui. A female friend, huh?”
Mike laughed. “You have me, a female friend.”
“It is the city of love. Much can happen in these city a lights.”
“I hope so.”
*****
“Ah, bloody hell, shit, son of a bitch, I’m bloody fucking dead!” Aiden fell out of his bed. It was midnight. “What the hell, I set my alarm?!” He’d set it for 9am, not 9pm.
Aiden tried to dial Mike’s number, but was unsuccessful. The phone was a goner. And he had yet to call Cass. He wasn’t earning brownie points from anyone.
�
�God no! No, no, no! He’s in Paris with no bloody clue where to go. I’m dead. He’s going to massacre me. That’s it. Goodbye world.” Aiden dressed in a hurry and pounded on the door next to his.
“Tom! Get your arse up!”
“God damn it, it’s midnight,” Tom answered disgusted with his wake up call.
“I’m aware. I need you phone.”
“For what?”
“Tom, for Christ’s sake, just give me your damn phone.”
“I don’t know who you are anymore Aiden.” Tom passed him his cell phone. He dialed, but it went unanswered.
“I need to keep this for a bit.” Aiden jogged down the hallway.
*****
“I cannot release that information to you,” a staffer told Mike and walked away.
“Damn it.” Mike tried another worker. “Listen, I’ve flown thousands of miles and sixteen hours to get here, I’m looking to simply find my friend. She was hurt yesterday, Raleigh Dawson.”
“Oui Sir, sure she is your friend. Because you say she is we are to bring you back and tell you everything.” The man laughed. “Americans.”
Mike wanted to punch that one.
“Please, I need information. I’ve come from America to see my friend and no one will tell me anything.”
The new woman Mike addressed looked by far the most pleasant.
“An American. Kindred spirit.”
Mike smiled. Maybe she would help him.
“Who and what do you need information for?”
“Raleigh Dawson.”
“Ah.”
“I know it sounds like bull shit, but I do know her.”
“If you want to wait here a moment, I will see what I can find out for you. My name is Shannon, and you are?”
“Michael Kerr.”
“Wait here a moment.”
“Thank you.”
Mike tapped his fingers on the counter. He was so exhausted he could collapse. And Aiden, that little fucktard, he’d was black balled now.
“Mister Kerr.”
“Yes.” Mike whipped around to Shannon’s voice.
“She’s been discharged.”
“Discharged?” Mike repeated. “As in she’s okay?”
“We don’t discharge people who aren’t okay.” Shannon smiled.
“Did she leave an address?”
“Now that I can’t give you. I’m sorry. If she is your friend, I’m sure you’ll find her.”
Mike sighed. “Thank you.” He’d find her if damn Aiden would answer his phone. Or call him back.
Mike exited the hospital
“Damn Aiden.”
He fished out his cell phone and looked at the screen. He hadn’t heard it ring but there were four missed calls and one voicemail.
“Mister Kerr, I’m so sorry, I’ve overslept. It’d been a long day and I must have set my alarm for morning instead of evening, please don’t massacre me.” Aiden’s voice was laced with fear. Mike laughed at the message. “I have a mate’s phone, the number will be on your ID. Call please. I’m so sorry.”
Mike dialed the number.
“Mister Kerr, I’m so sorry!”
“Aiden, how—”
“I messed up setting the alarm clock, I didn’t mean to leave you at the airport.”
“How is—”
“Where are you? I’ll send a cab.”
“Aiden, shut up.”
“Yes, sir.” Aiden took a deep breath.
“How is Raleigh?”
“Ah, right.” Aiden expected a tongue lashing when Mike told him to shut up. “She’s resting at the hotel we’ve been put up at, the Park Hyatt Paris - Vendome.”
“She’s okay?” Mike breathed a sigh of relief.
“She’s pretty sore, but yes sir, she’s going to be okay. I’m sorry I didn’t call you sooner. Things were hectic and it slipped my mind.”
“It’s alright, I’m glad she’s okay.”
“Where are you?”
“Outside the hospital she was staying at.”
“I’ll send a taxi. I’m so sorry, sir. Please don’t massacre me.”
“I’m glad you think I’m such a violent person, Aiden.”
“Bollucks.” Aiden panicked. He constantly said the wrong thing.
“I flew all the way here from Maine and I’m glad she’s okay, but will it be any different? I’m going to have the same welcome I did in North Carolina.”
“I think things may be different, sir. And you didn’t really fly all the way across the Atlantic to bloody back out now, did you? Shit, I keep doing it, Aiden, shut up.”
Mike laughed. He must really like Cass with how nervous he was.
“You can stay with me if you like. Finding a room in Paris at 1am might prove difficult.”
“I’ll take you up on that. Text me the name of the hotel and I’ll show the cabbie. God knows I won’t be able to pronounce it.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Aiden, my name is Mike. Not Mr. Kerr, not sir, Mike.”
“Yes, ah, Mike.”
“Thanks. I’m on my way. And no, I’m not going to massacre you.”
“Thank you for that.”
Mike hung up. He’d really flown all the way across the Atlantic on a whim...she probably would have him arrested. That would make for an even more interesting story.”
*****
Aiden, you are such a tool. If he didn’t like you before, he surely won’t now. Aiden was terrified. Horrified. Shaking like a little ninny. He’d forgotten to call Cass, forgotten to call Mike, FORGOTTEN TO PICK UP MIKE, and then all of the stupid comments he’d made, ah hell, he was done for. Done.
*****
The cab dropped Mike off in front of the exquisite lobby.
“Shit.” Mike looked up. This was very out of his price range. This was a celebrity status hotel, not lowly game warden wages hotel.
“Sir, I ah, I mean Mike!” Aiden waved at him. “This way.”
Mike followed Aiden to the bank of elevators.
“I’m so sorry.”
“Stop apologizing. It’s more annoying than what you’ve already done.”
“Sorry, sir.” Aiden caught his mistake. “Shit, I bloody did it again. I apologized and called you sir. I’m sorry....Bloody aye! I give up!”
“Calm down.” Mike laughed. “You need some medication there little man.”
Aiden faked a laugh. “I could have used some the past few days.”
Mike rose a brow.
“Not that I do drugs, because I don’t. Never have. Not that kind of bloke, I just, I, sir, oh dear God.” Aiden gave up on talking.
“Obviously I’m not the only one who is tired.”
“I’m going to sleep on the ledge. You can take the bed.”
“Aiden.” Mike held his shoulders. “It’s okay. You’re starting to grow on me.”
Truth be told all he wanted to do was laugh at the nervous as hell Brit.
“Thanks?” Aiden said surprised at that turn of events.
“I’ll take the loveseat. Thank you for putting me up.”
“Gladly.” Aiden kicked his shoes off. “You know, it’s late and all, but you would be able to catch her alone if you sneak in now. Her parents are down the hall, as is the rest of the team. If you wait for daybreak, you won’t see her alone.”
“If she’s resting I don’t want to wake her.”
“I will then.”
Aiden grabbed a card and walked to the door.
“What are you doing?” Mike asked.
“Follow me.”
“Tomorrow.”
“Now.” Aiden used a keycard and gained access to her room. He walked through the large suite to her bedside.
“Raleigh,” Aiden said gently, sitting on the side of her bed. “Wake up sleeping beauty.”
A Courtesy Call (Green Division Series Book #2) Page 17