HER 11:00 A.M. OPERATION was postponed, first by a gunshot wound, then by an acute appendix in an overtaxed E.R. Meliana didnt mind the extra work. It kept her from thinking about roses, underwear and warnings written on the windshield of an SUV.
What if this wasnt a harmless crush? The question whispered repeatedly in her head. It had already followed her into her dreams and haunted her through an early-morning breakfast.
Johnny had been adamant. He intended to spend the night in Chicago. Meliana had told him he could stay with her, but hed negated the idea before shed even gotten the words out.
It stung a little, but she understood his reasons well enough not to argue. Thered been a suppressed sort of violence about him when hed finished his assignment, one that neither Meliana nor Johnny had been able to deal with.
After their visit to Charlie, Johnny had left Shannon with her and gone next door to sleep at Andy McRaes house.
In his prime, Andy had managed a large garden shop in the city. Now a nimble eighty-two, he was paid by the people in Melianas complex to maintain the grounds. He loved his current job and did it very well. He was short and paunchy, had knobby knees and wore soda-bottle glasses. Meliana loved him. His fuzzy white hair and sweet grin reminded her of a handmade teddy bear shed had as a child.
Johnny had told her to scream if she saw or heard anything suspicious. That included Chris Blackburn, should he happen to show up unannounced.
Times changed, Meliana reflected as she took a final stitch to close the appendix patients incision. One day Johnny and Chris had been allies, the next enemies.
Thats it, Nick, she said to the nurse beside her. This guys lucky. Ten more minutes and that appendix would have ruptured.
Luckier than he knows, Nick Hohlman replied. Ten minutes sooner, and Welcher would have been the one to cut him open.
Welchers strictly day surgery, isnt he?
In a perfect world, yes, but weve got two residents off sick, and two other surgeons on vacation.
Meliana watched her patients breathing as the mask was removed. Who scheduled that?
Ones on emergency leave. Dead grandmother, I think. The E.R.s been backlogged for days. How about some coffee when were finished?
She checked the monitors. Looks good from here. She thanked her assist and the rest of the team. I love it when an operation goes well.
You love that Nick remembered to bring your Ella Fitzgerald disk down. One of the other nurses wheeled the instrument tray aside. She grinned under her mask. Not that Im complaining. I had two surgeries with Dr. Bergen yesterday. He likes opera. If we hadnt been so understaffed, Id have developed a stomach bug and gone home to my squabbling kids.
Nick retrieved the disk while Meliana made one last check of the patient. This guy wont be in recovery long, she predicted. He looks like a fitness freak to me.
If he gets a look at you, Nick predicted, hell rip his stitches out so you have to do it again.
You men are so superficial. She removed her gloves and followed the gurney through the swinging door. I never fell in love with any of the doctors I knew growing up, and two of them were incredibly hot. My moms chiropractor looked like a soap star.
Nick preened. Ive been told I could model.
I have some charts to update, Nick. Lets do the coffee thing later, okay?
No problem.
He pulled off his cap. White-blond hair spiked up as if by magic. He was what Julie would call a pretty boy. At twenty-eight, he had more peach fuzz on his face than whiskers. His eyes were lake-blue, his features verging on soft, his spiky hair, minus a serious amount of gel, baby fine.
Mel?
She turned at the sound of her name, spotted Johnny and felt her amusement kindle. He still had clothes at their town house. Hed dug out fresh jeans and a blue T-shirt that was faded almost to white. His sneakers actually matched today, though she had no idea how hed managed that.
I see you found a hairbrush, she said by way of a greeting. Johnny, have you met Nick? Hes one of our best surgical nurses.
Best nurse works with best doctor. Im here until seven tonight if you change your mind about that coffee. Nice to meet you, Mr. Maynard.
Neither Meliana nor Johnny corrected him, but Johnny did send the man a speculative look as he walked off. Does every guy you know have a thing for you, Mel?
I doubt if Nick has a thing for any female, Johnny. Rumor is hes gay.
Dont believe everything you hear, darling. Why is it so cold on this floor?
Because the AC systems been acting up, and until yesterday it was eighty-two degrees outside.
Its sixty-two now and dropping. Did I hear your nurse friend mention coffee?
Meliana removed her cap. Theres usually a pot in the doctors lounge. Fives warm, we can go up there. She started for the elevator. Did you talk to the people in Charlies apartment block?
Running the list, that would be a cat lady named Summer, a guy who makes his own vitamins, a bus driver, a stripper and two old women whove lived in the building since they were twenty.
Isnt there a man who studies reptiles?
Hes in New Mexico until Thanksgiving. No sublet. Only the cat lady had anything to tell me, and it wasnt about the writing on my windshield.
Please dont say one of her cats got run over.
Went missing. Johnny offered her a smile. Im under strict orders as an agent of the government to whom she pays her taxes to keep an eye out for a fur ball named Fluff.
Did you get a description?
I got the hell out of there. She has twenty-seven felines, Mel, in a one-bedroom apartment. Eight of them were abused by their previous owners. They dont like men, and five of them have claws like grizzly bears.
At least Summers hearts in the right place. Meliana glanced back along the corridor as the elevator door slid open. I think Nick took my disk.
Ella?
Her greatest hits.
Maybe hes planning to return it to you tonight, at home.
And maybe youre looking for ulterior motives where none exist. Nicks more likely to want you than me.
Thanks for that.
She pushed five, then patted his cheek. Take it as a compliment.
I took the card that was attached to Lokies collar to the police today, but Im not holding my breath theyll be able to make anything of it.
It looked computer generated. Obviously this guy wants to remain anonymous. Would you rather go to my office for coffee?
Why? Do I seem uncomfortable here?
She laughed. You act in hospitals the way I act around open heights.
White-knuckled.
She pressed seven. I want this to be nothing, Johnny. I couldve convinced myself it was if I hadnt seen the writing on your windshield last night. He followed us to Charlies place.
Johnny leaned against the wall while the large elevator worked its way upward. He was warning me last night, Mel, not you.
That doesnt make me feel better. And dont say youre trained to deal with stuff like this. No ones ever really equipped to handle an unstable person. Its like playing dodgeball with a bottle of nitro.
The doors opened. Warm air flooded in and with it the smell of lavender.
Better than disinfectant, Johnny remarked. How do you stand it? All the death and sickness and open wounds.
She turned left. You put it into perspective and remind yourself youre here to help people feel better, to make sure they live instead of die.
And when they die anyway?
Then you try and remember the ones who didnt.
Sounds like a tall order to me. His brows came together. Did you change offices?
I got a window when Dr. Morrison retired. He left his coffeemaker. It usually works. She regarded him in mild concern as he scanned the desk, the filing cabinet and her new lake view. I think you should go back to Blue Lake, Johnny. Today. This guy, whoever he is, probably wont do any more than hes already done. She hoped.
In other words, you think Ill flip out if I stay in Chicago much longer.
The unofficial recommendation was for you to avoid work-related stress for a while.
Its been six months, Mel.
You were undercover for two years. And the eight brief times shed seen him during that period had shown a marked deterioration, both in his attitude and his demeanor. Hed been less and less Johnny Grand and more and more John Garcia, cold, hard and abusive. Not to her, at least not physically, but in every other way.
I was Johnny began, but Meliana set a finger on his lips and glanced at her pager.
I have to go to the nurses station. Coffees in the cabinet under the machine. I might be a few minutes.
Ill wait.
He had that stubborn look on his face. Shed seen it too many times to bother arguing. There were other, more effective ways to get around Johnny when he dug in.
Oh, good, Dr. Maynard, youre here. The desk nurse came to the counter. Mrs. Lunds been rescheduled for three oclock. Theres a cyst on two that Dr. Hilton wants to go over with you, and this came up an hour ago from Main Reception.
She handed over a padded brown envelope.
No return address, Meliana noted.
At least you can figure youre not being sued. Law firms make sure their names are front and center. Anyway, I think this was hand delivered.
Meliana glanced toward her office. Then she thanked the nurse and took the envelope along the hall to the solarium.
There were two patients in wheelchairs enjoying the plants and filtered sunshine. Meliana kept her hand steady as she opened the flap. There was no street name on the mailing label, no stamp or express post tag. Had it come from inside the hospital or out?
Mood music played softly in the background. Several more jarring sounds thrummed in her head.
Her stomach clenched as she removed a pair of silver-white stockings, tied with a white ribbon and topped with a white bow. Attached to the bow was a small white card.
Im going to change my favorite color, she murmured, and drew a curious stare from one of the patients.
She turned toward the window, breathed in and read the message.
Accept this token of my love, Meliana
Accept my love.
Accept me.
We are meant to be.
Chapter Three
Johnny returned to Blue Lake late that afternoon. Hed felt something black and ugly pressing in on him, a stream of memories and reactions he was neither prepared to handle nor capable of offsetting.
He needed to breathe, to recenter himself and find his focus. It wasnt so much that hed lost ithis world since hed met her had been Melianabut having been immersed in a seductively evil role for so long, he tended to stray into rather unpleasant areas from time to time.
He phoned Julie as he drove north.
Shes holding something back, he said. Shes a good actress, but I could see it in her body language, in the way she was moving and walking.
Ill talk to her, Julie promised. Youre only an hour away, Johnny.
Ill be back tomorrow. I just need a little time to chill and think.
He ended the call and ordered himself to be steady. He could chill out over the past while he thought about the present.
What did this rose guy want from Meliana? How far would he go to get it? Was Meliana in danger?
Johnny frowned, glanced in his rearview mirror. He should have stayed in Chicago, should have taken his wife out for dinner. He could have worked on her until shed agreed to come to Blue Lake with him.
Easily said in retrospect, not so easily done with Meliana. When she was on call or the hospital was short staffed, a bulldozer couldnt budge her from the city.
The lakeside house was dark when he arrived. He unlocked the door, went in and switched on the first lamp that came to hand. He was heading for the fridge and a cold beer when a pair of headlights slashed across the front window.
Johnny recognized the shape of the cruiser, made it two cans and dropped onto the sofa.
Doors open, Zack, he said through the screen.
I took a chance and swung past on my way back from Woodstock. Deputy Zack Crawford caught the beer Johnny tossed him. He looked around the tidier-than-usual main room. Either Melianas back, or my mothers been here. Im guessing my mother.
Johnny rested his head on the cushions. Im in trouble. Shes started making dinners and freezing them for me.
She needs someone to fuss over, and Ive been out of town a lot lately.
Business?
Zack sat on the ottoman and popped his beer. You could say that. Im taking a courseparamedic training. I signed up in late spring and still have a fair distance to go, but when Im done, Ill be able to get out of here and down to the city.
Why not train to be a cop?
Being a deputys what I fell into, Johnny, not what I wanted. Its all about saving peoples lives, right? Im tired of slapping kids wrists in the summer and making sure old Harry Riley gets home from the bar in the winter. Just do me a favor, and dont tell my mother.
She doesnt know? Johnny took a long drink. Howd you manage that?
I lied.
Good a way as any, I guess.
Standing, Zack crossed the floor to the large side window. He had a build similar to Johnnys, lean and rangy, with long legs and blond-brown hair. Thats where the resemblance ended. Zacks eyes were green and his nose was slightly skewed from a bad break in high school. He brushed his hair back from a cleanly sculpted face, had a quick grin, a bad knee and a small scar on the left side of his jaw.
What are you looking at? Johnny asked when Zack peered around the blind.
Just wondering if you can see Tim Carricks place from here. Mrs. Wilmot at the post office swears she saw him walking naked in the woods last week.
Tims the hairy guy with the beer gut, right?
Have you seen him around?
Not naked, but yeah, I see him all the time on weekends. He was loading his pickup with old crates last Sunday.
Strange guy. Zack sipped his beer. You see him up here, you think hes a hillbilly, right? But hes a salesman during the week. Pharmaceuticals. He walks naked in the woods, glares at everyone he meets, then takes off to the city and pushes his companys pills on anyone wholl listen. Its no wonder his wife left him.