Breaking the Rules (18 page)

M bit her lip, nodded. ‘How can you do that?’

‘I filled a prescription at Duane Reade for Ipecac Syrup. It’s an emetic. It works by irritating the lining of the stomach and stimulating the vomiting centre of the brain. Because he’s conscious, I’ll be able to get it into him, then his reflexes will kick in and he’ll automatically swallow the syrup. He needs only a tablespoonful. Plus one or two glasses of water afterwards. How big is his bathroom?’

‘Not very big.’

‘I will need him to be sitting down because I don’t think he’ll be able to stand. How about the kitchen? What size is that?’

‘Bigger than his bathroom, and there’s a table in there, along with a banquette at one side, and a chair.’

‘Okay, that sounds good. Let’s do the following. James, will you come here and help me with Larry? We’ve got to get him into the kitchen, though obviously he can’t walk properly. We’ll just have to manoeuvre him along as best we can.’ Glancing at M, he added, ‘Would you please go ahead and find a large bowl or bucket, and put it on the table. And Geo, please take the Ipecac Syrup into the kitchen. It’s in that plastic bag on the desk.’

Both women did as he asked, and James strode over to the sofa. Together he and Matt managed to lift Larry to his feet. Putting their hands underneath his arms, they held him upright and virtually carried him out of the library.

A
lthough she had been frightened and extremely worried when she had found Larry just over an hour ago, once James and Matt Branden had arrived, M instantly grew calmer. And now that she was actually doing something to help, she was totally in control of herself, as she usually was in emergencies.

As she brought the straight-backed wooden chair over to the kitchen table, she said to Geo, ‘Could you put the Ipecac Syrup down here, and then fill two separate glasses with water, please? You can use tap water, or there’s a bottle of Evian in the fridge. Thanks, Geo.’

Geo did as she was asked, used the Evian, and then found a tablespoon in a cutlery drawer, saying, as she did, ‘Don’t you think I ought to get a big bath towel to wrap around Larry to protect his clothes?’

‘Good idea. The linen closet is in the corridor next to Larry’s bedroom,’ M responded.

Geo hurried out; seconds later James and the doctor came slowly into the kitchen, supporting Larry between them. ‘Let’s get him over to the table,’ Dr Branden instructed, and then his
eyes swept around the kitchen, noting everything. Once they had placed Larry on the chair, and lifted it closer to the table, the doctor went to the sink and washed his hands.

M brought a large square plastic bowl and put it down on the table in front of Larry, who was still woozy, and out of it, his eyes closed, his chin resting on his chest. ‘Should I get a bucket as well?’ M asked, looking across at the doctor.

‘I think it would be wise,’ he answered as he dried his hands on a piece of paper towel. ‘And James, please get the syringe out of the plastic bag.’

Geo returned with a large bath towel, and handed it to James who was standing next to Larry, his hand on his shoulder. ‘Wrap this around him to protect his clothing,’ Geo said. James nodded and did so, making certain the silk dressing gown was covered.

‘I think we’re ready,’ the doctor announced, walking over to his patient. After pouring the Ipecac Syrup onto the spoon, he looked at James, and instructed, ‘Please lift his head up off his chest.’

James did this, and Dr Branden opened Larry’s mouth, poured the syrup into it, clamped his mouth shut and tilted his head back slightly. Just as he had predicted, Larry’s reflexes kicked in and he swallowed the syrup automatically.

‘Let’s give him a second or two, and then I must get a glass of water down him. That will be tougher, and I’ll start by using the syringe to squirt the water into his mouth,’ the doctor explained. Once again, James helped Matt, who managed to get the first glass of water down Larry’s throat using the syringe; in less than a minute Larry was vomiting into the bowl. When he finally stopped, the doctor gave him a few minutes to relax before getting the second glass of water down him. Almost immediately Larry vomited it back.

Geo, who was somewhat squeamish, hurried out of the kitchen, but M was determined to stay, wanting to help Larry. She brought a bucket to the table, removed the bowl and emptied it, while James and the doctor attended to Larry.

At one moment, as the process of emptying Larry’s stomach of its contents continued, Dr Branden gave James a knowing look. ‘The next stage is a bit difficult. We’ve got to keep him upright, active and moving, once he’s stopped vomiting and his stomach is totally empty.’

James nodded. ‘I understand. We can walk him up and down one of the long corridors, or up and down the living room.’

‘Better make it a corridor,’ Matt said. ‘Just in case he starts to vomit again.’

By five o’clock that afternoon Larry’s eyes were open, the wooziness had dissipated, and he knew what was going on around him. He was as white as bleached linen, weak and debilitated, but all of the Vicodin was out of him, and Dr Branden was satisfied he would now be all right.

‘But call me if you need me,’ the doctor told M. She promised she would.

As she walked him to the front door, she asked, ‘What should I do about feeding him? He must be awfully hungry; there’s nothing left inside.’

‘Black tea, no milk, a slice or two of toast. Plain, dry, no butter or jelly. A little chicken broth later. Keep it light, no solid food until tomorrow. Okay?’

‘I’ll do exactly as you say. Dr Branden, I’m so grateful you were able to come. James and I would have been lost. Thank you very much.’

‘Call me tomorrow to let me know how he is, and if you need me I’ll be right over. I only live a few blocks away.’

‘Thanks again,’ M murmured, shutting the door behind him. She hurried back to Larry’s bedroom. His eyes were closed and he was fast asleep, breathing evenly. She crept out of the room,
not wanting to disturb him, and went to the kitchen where she found Geo and James.

‘I don’t know what I would have done without you both,’ she said. ‘Thank you so much, James, Geo. I’m so sorry you had to go through this ordeal.’

‘I’m just glad I could do something,’ Geo murmured, and looked at the kettle as it began to whistle. ‘I don’t know about you, but I need a cup of tea.’ She went to turn the kettle off and make the tea.

‘I’d love a cup, please,’ M said, and stared at James, then reaching out she took hold of his arm. ‘Thank you…thank you for getting here so quickly, and for bringing Matt Branden. It was the right thing to do, getting a doctor.’

‘After I’d hung up on you, all I could think of was that he might die of an overdose, and then where would we be?’ James smiled faintly.

‘It’s just so lucky you managed to get hold of your own doctor,’ M answered, and sat down.

Geo brought the mugs of tea over to them, returned with milk and sweetener and joined them at the table. ‘While you two were helping the doctor with Larry, I called the pharmacy in Toronto, and managed to establish that the doctor named on the label is in fact a dentist.’ She squeezed M’s hand. ‘So you were correct: Larry had said “tooth” to you earlier.’

‘I wonder why he took so many pills?’ M murmured, baffled, looking from Geo to James. ‘Maybe there were other things at work.’

‘Perhaps so,’ James agreed, and hesitated a moment before continuing. ‘He’ll explain everything I’m sure, as soon as he’s a bit better. He must be exhausted, poor sod, after all that vomiting. He’s fast asleep, isn’t he?’

‘Yes, and that’s the best thing for him right now. I’m not going to press him for an explanation until he’s more like himself,’ M remarked, and took a sip of tea.

Geo said, ‘He should sleep as much as he can. Don’t wake him up, M, let him get as much rest as possible. Did Dr Branden say he could eat something? I bet it’s just toast and black tea.’

‘Nothing else, Geo; certainly no solid food today. Anyway, he won’t be able to keep much down, I’m sure of that.’

‘There’s nothing, no food in the refrigerator,’ Geo suddenly pointed out. ‘Do you want me to go and do some marketing for you?’

‘That would be a great help.’ M stood up, went to the library and returned with her handbag. ‘I’ll make a list, and here’s a hundred-dollar bill,’ she said, taking the money out of her wallet. ‘I think I’ll make chicken-in-the-pot. It’s soothing, healing. Perfect for tomorrow.’ She went over to the counter top, tore a page from the message pad and began to make a shopping list.

‘Do you want me to go with you?’ James asked, turning to Geo.

‘No, but thanks for offering. I’ll be quicker on my own,’ she replied, standing up and taking the list from M.

Once they were alone, M said, ‘Let me know how much I owe you, James, and I’ll bring you the money on Monday.’

‘Oh, look, let’s not go through that again! I promise you I won’t breathe a word to anyone about this…incident. Believe me, you don’t have to pay me, and I wish you wouldn’t even try, actually.’

‘No, no. That was the deal we made, and a deal’s a deal as far as I’m concerned. I insist on paying you, and that’s that.’

James sighed, shaking his head, and then he said quietly, his voice serious, ‘You must talk to Larry in a very straightforward way, M. Look, I’m sure you know that without me telling you, but he must confide in you, explain what he was going through when he started taking quantities of the Vicodin.’

‘I plan to do that, I promise you,’ she said in a low but firm voice. ‘Something like this can’t happen again.’

‘You’re damn right,’ he replied, giving her a cautionary look. For a split second he thought of telling her about Larry’s drug history—so called—and then changed his mind. He wanted to give Larry a chance to confide in M of his own volition, wanted to be fair to the man. He had never liked playing God, not even when he was with MI6.

They met on Monday morning at his office on Park Avenue, at M’s request.

‘So he hasn’t really explained anything, has he?’ James Cardigan said, sitting back in his chair, regarding M intently.

‘Not really, no,’ she answered swiftly. ‘But he will.’

‘I hope so.’ James continued to stare at her, thinking that, despite her worries of the last couple of days, she looked absolutely bloody marvellous. She was wearing a white open-neck shirt, with a black sweater and trousers, appeared very young and schoolgirlish in the outfit, her hair in a ponytail, her makeup light and youthful.

M was seated on the other side of his desk, and she had just handed him an envelope containing a thousand dollars in cash. He had protested that it was far too much, but she wouldn’t listen, and had adamantly refused to take any of it back. She had insisted it was a fair fee for his help on Saturday, his continuing attentiveness on Sunday and his evident concern for her and Larry.

‘You’re looking very thoughtful,’ M said, cutting into his thoughts. Her dark brows drew together in a deep frown. ‘What is it?’

‘I was thinking about Larry and you, your relationship. Listen, are you sure he’ll come clean?’ James still held her with his eyes.

M was silent for a moment, and then she replied in an even, steady tone, ‘That’s a funny phrase to use, James…“come clean”. He’s not trying to hide anything; he’ll tell me everything this afternoon, he promised he would. He was still terribly exhausted on Sunday, as you know. All that vomiting did him in. But he did say this morning that he’d had a raging toothache the weekend Edward arrived in Toronto, and that he’d had to deal with it immediately on that Monday morning, which is why we never connected. Then he apparently became embroiled with his father and Edward, over
something.
He didn’t say what, merely added that he’d been wedged between the devil and the deep blue sea. He must’ve been referring to his father and brother, don’t you think?’

‘You’re probably right. But he
must
confide in you, tell you the truth, M.’ James leaned over the desk, his expression sombre. ‘Matt thinks Larry might well have an addictive personality, which means that if he takes certain pills for pain, such as codeine, he will become addicted to them at once. Matt explained that Larry should check this out, and seek treatment if necessary.’

M was startled. ‘Does Dr Branden think it’s that serious?’

‘He’s not positive, no, but he has thrown out a number of cautionary words to me, and I trust him. He’s a damned good doctor. I rely on him to give me the right advice, and I trust him implicitly.’

‘I understand.’ M sighed, still taken aback, and after a moment’s reflection, she said, ‘Once I know everything, I
will
suggest he gets help, if that’s actually necessary. And I’ll tell you what he tells me, so don’t worry, James.’

‘I think that would be wise. I’ll help in any way I can. Incidentally, is there someone with him right now?’

‘Oh, yes, Mary is there, the housekeeper. She comes in three times a week to look after the apartment; has done so for over twenty years, apparently. She worked for his parents, a lovely
Irish woman. I told her he’d had a bit of a relapse, another bout of the flu, and she’s staying with him until I get back this afternoon. She’s going to give him some of my soup and toast for lunch. I told her to keep it light, no solid food yet.’

‘I’m relieved someone’s there, M. He needs a bit of cosseting…Changing the subject for a moment: Geo told me you’ll be moving to Paris in December, giving up your room.’

‘Yes, Jean-Louis Tremont has hired me to model his clothes for the spring/summer collection, which he’ll be showing in January. It’s a wonderful break for me.’

‘It certainly is, and congratulations, but Geo will miss you, and so will I.’

She smiled at him, and asked in a slightly teasing tone, ‘Are you two serious about each other? I’d love to know.’

He grinned, his mood growing lighter, his handsome narrow face suddenly becoming animated. ‘I believe we are. I want to marry her, M. Do you think she’ll take on an old reprobate like me?’

‘You’re not old, and you’re not a reprobate. You’re a very lovely man, and yes, of course she’ll have you. And if she won’t I’ll kill her. So there!’

He laughed with her, then asked, ‘And what about you and Larry? How serious is it?’

‘
Very.
’

‘I see.’ He rubbed his chin with his hand, and said thoughtfully, his eyes riveted on hers, ‘You’ve got to make it
right
then—you do understand that, don’t you?’

‘Of course I do, James! I wouldn’t want to have it any other way! But I do trust him, you know. There’s a lot of integrity in him and he’s the kind of man I’ve grown up with in a certain sense. He’s like the men in my family, that’s what I mean.’ She suddenly sounded indignant.

‘Don’t misunderstand, I like him too, he’s a lovely chap,’ James said reassuringly. ‘I just want you to be aware of the things Matt Branden mentioned…pointed out to me.’

‘I’m grateful.’ M stood up. ‘But now I’m afraid I’ve got to go, James. I’m taking Caresse to lunch. You know, the young woman who runs Frankie Farantino’s studio?’

‘Talk to me later,’ James said, walking with her to the door.

Caresse sat listening patiently as the man outlined the deal to her, and after fifteen minutes she finally interrupted him. ‘Listen, Howard, I’m not interested in your offer, honestly I’m not. It’s—’

‘It’s not
my
offer, Caresse,’ Howard Dart cut in. ‘It’s my client’s offer, and I don’t think you should turn down two hundred and fifty thousand dollars quite so fast. That’s a quarter of a million dollars!’