Enemies and Playmates (37 page)
Read Enemies and Playmates Online
Authors: Darcia Helle
Another doctor stepped into the cubicle and Jesse was forced to back away. He watched from the corner of the small space. Every once in awhile Lauren’s eyes would flicker open. She’d search for him, panic in those green eyes. Once she’d found him, she’d close her eyes again, seeming to find temporary peace.
Jesse wrestled with the emotions haunting him. He’d let Lauren down. He hadn’t seen this coming, hadn’t expected Covington to carry out his threats after the arrest. He certainly hadn’t expected Lauren to be in danger.
A nurse parted the curtain. She glanced at Jesse, then said to the doctor, “The police are waiting.”
“She’s in no condition to speak to them yet,” the doctor said.
The doctor spoke in a gruff insistent tone that left no room for debate. The nurse nodded and let the curtain fall closed.
Lauren’s breathing slowed. The heart machine attached to her beeped rhythmically. Her eyes had remained closed for some time now. Sleep was the best thing for her.
Jesse had learned that Lauren had received close to one hundred stitches in her hands and arms. Defense wounds, the doctor had assumed. She also had a puncture wound on her left side that required six stitches, as well as several gashes that required a stitch or two. No internal organs had been damaged. One of her fingers was severed badly and may have limited motion when healed. The doctor claimed it was too soon to know for sure.
The nurse stepped over and quietly told Jesse that Lauren had been sedated. She’d sleep for several hours now. They were preparing a room and she’d soon be admitted.
Jesse took in the information like it was coming through a deep haze. He said, “What about her mother? Kara Covington.”
“We can’t give you that information,” the nurse said.
Jesse swallowed back his temper. He said, “Because I might sell the information to the Chinese?”
The nurse frowned. “It’s confidential. You’re not family. I’m sorry.”
“Fine. Can you at least tell me where she is?”
The doctor stepped out of the cubicle. The nurse watched him, then said to Jesse, “Technically, no. Though I suppose you might find someone to help you on the second floor surgical wing.”
***
Jesse kissed Lauren’s cheek and promised her he’d be back before she woke. He walked out of the cubicle to find two police detectives standing by the nurse’s station, staring in his direction. The older one was balding with a sagging middle and penetrating eyes. His name was Ron Bennett. Jesse had run into him a few times during his brief stint as a cop. The younger one had a stiff stance, pumped up muscles, and a look that said he had a hard-on for power.
Jesse approached, directing his words at Bennett. “You’re here about Lauren and Kara Covington?”
Bennett nodded. “Ryder, right?”
“Yeah.”
“What’s your interest in this?”
“Lauren’s my girlfriend.”
The younger cop suddenly stood even straighter, which Jesse hadn’t thought was possible. His eyes narrowed as he sized Jesse up. Jesse ignored him. The first suspects were always husbands and boyfriends. So of course they’d scrutinize him. He didn’t care, as long as they did the same to Covington.
“Any idea what happened this morning?” Bennett said.
Jesse gave Bennett a condensed version, keeping it short and sticking to the highlights. He said, “Call Eldridge. He’ll back up what I’m saying. You’ve got to look closely at Alex Covington for this.”
The younger detective, his name already lost to Jesse, asked a few pointless questions. The “Where were you at nine a.m.?” nonsense. Jesse answered because it was easier and smarter than breaking the guy’s nose.
“The perp is dead,” Bennett said. “Kara Covington shot him. Saved both her and her daughter’s lives.”
“Yeah, I heard,” Jesse said.
“So maybe it’s a robbery gone bad.”
Jesse gave Bennett a look. The guy was already searching for a way to write this off. Easier on the paperwork. Sure as hell easier than stepping into the fray and trying to take down Alex Covington.
Jesse said, “You know better, Bennett.” Then he handed the man his business card before going in search of Kara.
***
Jesse found the nurse’s station on the second floor surgical wing. He asked the tall nurse behind the desk, who seemed ready to buckle under the weight of her paperwork, about Kara Covington. She gave him the patented look all nurses seemed to have. They must have practiced in front of mirrors in nursing school. She said, “Are you family?”
Technically the answer to that would be no. Then again, what truly constituted family? He didn’t think the nurse would want to get into a long philosophical debate on the matter, so he gave the simple answer. “Yes.”
The nurse appeared unconvinced. She also had the look of the overworked and over-stressed. That probably worked in Jesse’s favor. She said, “Mrs. Covington is still in surgery. I would expect it to be another hour or so before we can provide any information.”
“You must know something,” Jesse said. “Even off the record. How bad is she?”
“Bad,” the nurse said softly. “But I believe she got here in time.” She motioned to a small waiting room down the hall. “You can wait there with her husband if you like.”
Husband? Jesse was thrown by that remark. Covington was out of jail already? And here?
He muttered a thank you to the nurse as he strode down the hall. He turned into the room, ready to slam Alex Covington’s head into the wall. But only one man sat inside and it was not Alex Covington. Adrenaline raced through him. He eased his clenched fists open. Then the light bulb in his brain switched on and he got it.
“Marc?” Jesse said.
The man nodded. His face was ashen, his eyes puffy. He sat on the edge of a chair, ready to pounce up or crumble to the floor.
Jesse sat on the chair beside Marc. He introduced himself, which seemed to put Marc slightly at ease. Then he said, “The nurse said Kara’s husband was in here.”
Marc offered a hint of a smile. “Lauren had asked someone to call me. I guess the nurse assumed I was Kara’s husband. I didn’t correct her because I figured she wouldn’t let me see Kara otherwise. Stupid damn hospital rules.”
“I hear you,” Jesse said. “I fibbed a bit as well.”
“How’s Lauren?”
“Lots of stitches but no internal damage. She’ll be okay.”
“Thank God.”
“Kara’s bad?”
Marc nodded. “Lots of internal damage. That’s all I know.”
“You know what happened?”
“Just that someone broke into my condo and attacked them.” Marc swiped a hand through his hair. “I should have had better locks. An alarm system. Something.”
“It’s not your fault,” Jesse said. “I’m pretty sure Alex Covington did this.”
“But Kara killed the guy. With my gun. Something good, anyway. So it couldn’t have been Covington.”
“Someone he hired. Covington doesn’t get his own hands dirty.”
Marc studied Jesse a minute. He said, “How sure are you?”
“No proof but I’m damn sure,” Jesse said. Then he told Marc the condensed version he’d been getting so good at reciting.
“That bastard,” Marc muttered.
“Yeah.”
“I knew he was capable. The way he’d beat Kara. The bruises. But I let myself believe that since she’d gotten away from him…” Marc’s voice trailed off. He shook his head. His eyes threatened tears and he looked away. “I let myself believe she’d be safe. That was stupid.”
“I did the same,” Jesse said. “I talked to the cops. They’ll get him.”
“Kara was right,” Marc said. “Covington always finds a way to get what he wants. But this time…” Marc’s voice choked off into a sob. He took a slow breath before continuing. “This time he won’t get away with it. The bastard is going to suffer. He won’t ever hurt her again.”
“You don’t want to be doing anything crazy.”
“Crazy? Christ, you know what he’s done. Crazy would be allowing it to happen again.”
Jesse nodded. He understood. But, still, he didn’t want Marc to wind up in prison. Or dead. The guy was much more suited to museums and walks in the park than fighting twisted psychos.
“I know how you feel,” Jesse said. An image of Lauren lying on that hospital bed flashed through his mind. He cleared his throat. “Trust me. I know the anger. The guilt. But you can’t go after the guy. You’d kill him, if you were lucky. You’d also end up in jail. That wouldn’t help Kara.”
Marc met Jesse’s eyes. “I’ve got to do something,” he said.
Desperation rattled in Marc’s voice. Jesse wondered if his own voice held that same edge. He said, “I know. Just not that. I want this guy as badly as you. I’m working with the cops to take him down. Let me handle it. Don’t let him destroy your life. Don’t let him take away the only good thing Kara has.”
Marc gave a slight nod. Jesse wasn’t convinced. Of course, he wasn’t exactly convincing himself. Killing Covington seemed a much more efficient option at the moment. Not to mention the pure pleasure of watching the bastard die.
Jesse exchanged numbers with Marc and promised to be in touch. Then he headed back to the emergency room to be with Lauren.
***
Jesse was directed to a private room on the fourth floor. Lauren lay tucked beneath a crisp white sheet. She was restless, occasionally mumbling indecipherable words, but she didn’t wake.
Time ticked on. Jesse stood by the window watching heavy fat snowflakes melt against the glass. He thought of everything he’d done up to this point. He’d wanted Covington so bad. Should he have let it go? Walked away?
The attack had been focused on Kara. Clearly she’d been the intended target. She’d left Covington. He’d retaliated. Jesse had nothing to do with that. He couldn’t have prevented it.
That knowledge did nothing to ease his guilt. Maybe all the digging he’d done had pushed Covington over the edge. Maybe none of this would have happened had he not gone to the D.A.
Logically Jesse knew he’d had few alternatives. Once he’d refused the job, Covington wasn’t about to let go. He didn’t know how to play nice. He didn’t take no for an answer.
“Jesse…”
Jesse turned, forcing a smile. “Hey babe.” He moved to Lauren’s side. “How do you feel?”
“Where’s my mom?”
“Another room. She’s doing well.”
“You’re sure?”
Jesse pushed a strand of hair from Lauren’s face. He let his fingers trail gently along her cheek. “I’m positive. I talked to Marc a few minutes ago. Your mom’s out of surgery and her condition is stable.” Jesse left out the fact that her condition was also critical.
“She saved my life,” Lauren said.
“Can you tell me what happened?”
Lauren closed her eyes. She was silent for so long that Jesse thought she’d fallen back to sleep. Then she looked at him, her eyes clouded with pain and fear, and told him exactly what had happened, down to the smallest detail.
“I think she killed him,” Lauren said.
Jesse nodded. “She did.”
“Good.”
They both fell silent. Jesse couldn’t seem to find the right words to tell her how he felt. He was pretty sure the words didn’t exist.
Lauren lifted her arm, frowned at the bandages. “He did it, didn’t he?” she said. “My father hired the guy who attacked us.”
Jesse didn’t answer. He couldn’t. No words would come.
Lauren held his eyes with her own. “Jesse?”
“I don’t know.”
“Yes you do.”
Jesse touched Lauren’s hair. He wanted to do something to make things better. Anything. “Don’t worry about that now,” he said.
“Are you all right?”
“I’m okay,” Jesse said. “I’m not the one… I’m fine.”
“You can’t do it, you know.”
“Do what?”
“Kill my father.”
Silence hung between them. How did she manage to read his thoughts so perfectly? And she was right. But he had to. He couldn’t let Covington live. Not even in a jail cell for the rest of his life.
“You’ll end up in prison,” Lauren said. “Please don’t do that to me.”
“Don’t worry about it, okay?”
“I wouldn’t visit you in jail.”
“Yes you would.”
“Okay. But I wouldn’t like it.”
Jesse managed a smile. “You’d like the conjugal visits.”
Lauren rolled her eyes. “Please don’t. He’s not worth it.”
“Lauren?”
“Yeah?”
He couldn’t find the words. What could he say? He was sorry he wasn’t there to protect her? Sorry he’d pushed her father too far? Nothing he could say would change what had happened. “I love you,” he finally said.
“I love you, too.”
Jesse’s mind raced. He couldn’t stand it any longer. He had to do something. He had to at least find out what the cops knew, if anything. Find some proof. “I’ve got an errand to run,” he said. “You want me to bring you back anything?”
