Lexington Connection (18 page)

“Drink,” she ordered.

Jessie turned away again. Diana pivoted around to find Margaret. “I’ve got my suitcase in the car. Go get it. We need to get her out of these filthy clothes.”

Margaret went out the back door and Diana turned back to Jessie. “Drink.”

This time Jessie tried but she couldn’t get the suction up the straw. Diana took the drink back and started the drink up the straw.

“What are you doing here?” Jessie asked in a disbelieving whisper.

Diana shook her head and tilted the bottle back to Jessie. “Doesn’t matter. I’m just here, and I’m going to get you out of here.” When Jessie took what she could swallow, Diana put the bottle aside and began to examine her. She carefully felt down Jessie’s arms, her ribs, noting the flinches that Jessie couldn’t control. She hated to ask but she had to know. “They worked you over pretty good. When did they grab you? The paper was rather vague.”

“Three days ago.”

“They threaten you?” The legs felt all right too. The weakness she displayed had to be simply from being tied for so long, the limited circulation.

Jessie shuddered. “Elaborately.” She turned her face away.

“Let me guess, some future point but soon?”

Jessie nodded. She closed her eyes as she shuddered again and looked like she might be sick.

“Yeah, I heard rumors,” Diana went on. She rested her hands on Jessie’s thighs. “What the hell did you ever do to him?”

“Busted him. My first big one, totally by accident.” Jessie clenched her jaw. “He got a short sentence. Out early on good behavior.” She bent over.

“He’s not on good behavior now. Gonna give us a few problems.”

As if on cue, Margaret came in the door with the announcement, “We’ve got problems.” She closed the door and set the suitcase down by the bathroom door.

Diana pivoted and stood. “Margaret, if you don’t stop telling me that every time I turn around…” She trailed off at the sign of Margaret’s cocked eyebrow. “All right, what now? As if there isn’t enough?”

“There’s another woman here. I could hear her crying when I went around the house.”

“Another woman?” She turned back to Jessie, a question unspoken. Jessie shook her head, but there was scared apprehension on her face. “Go check it out.”

Margaret left the room and Diana put a steadying hand on Jessie’s shoulder. “We don’t know. The paper didn’t say anything. Don’t panic yet. Margaret will let us know.”

As they waited, Diana checked out the room. It looked like it had been added on to the house at some time, had its own bath, small kitchenette, a door to the outside, the hallway to the house proper. Maybe a maid’s room, a mother-in-law suite. Not a bad little efficiency. She strained with listening and was finally rewarded with steps down the hallway.

Margaret pushed the other woman in, hands tied behind her, gagged, face swollen and tear-stained, who blanched when she saw Jessie.

“Over there,” Diana directed, pointing to a settee in the corner across the room. As Margaret settled the woman, Diana turned back to Jessie. The answer was on Jessie’s face but she had to ask anyway. “Julie?”

Jessie unsteadily nodded.

“It’s okay,” Diana assured her even as some part of her railed that even here she couldn’t have Jessie to herself. She bent down to eye level with Jessie. “Look at me,” she demanded. Jessie dragged her gaze from Julie back to Diana.

“I didn’t know she was here,” Diana said evenly. “And now we know. She doesn’t look like she’s been terribly hurt. Now don’t be going and doing anything foolish.” She touched Jessie’s cheek. “I’ll take care of her.”

“Please.” There was bargaining in Jessie’s voice. “I don’t care what happens to me. Don’t let anything happen to her.”

“Jessie. It’s a package deal.”

She met Margaret in the middle of the room, between the two women. “Wasn’t difficult. She’s been hysterical, noisy, hence the gag.” She shook her head. “Waldo wasn’t happy. Guess she was his back up plan.”

Diana frowned at the thought.

“What are you going to do?”

“A little hell-raising, maybe throw another temper tantrum. I’m getting real good at them.”

“You’re going out on a limb.”

“I’m already so far out there that this isn’t going to do anything more.”

“He won’t like it.”

“Tough shit.”

“I wasn’t talking about Waldo out there.”

Comprehension dawned on Diana. “Oh.” She sighed. “Well, I’ll just have to cross that bridge when I get to it.” She looked from Jessie to Julie back to Margaret. “I guess it’s about time.”

“Perhaps so, sweet pea. You ready for it?”

Diana nodded. “I think so.” She glanced over at Julie. “Let’s see if I can get her calmed down. Got enough problems without hysteria. Think I’ll have enough time?”

“It’ll take a while for him to get his nerve up. You should be able to do it.”

Diana nodded. “Likely make the detective nervous. Better stand ready.”

As Margaret went over by Jessie, whose gaze shifted from one woman to the other, Diana went over and sat down beside Julie. Julie immediately pushed back from her, her eyes dilating, as Diana made herself comfortable. She sat on one leg, laid her arm across the back of the settee, reaching for but not touching Julie. She just watched her, her face neutral. Auburn hair, fair complexion, probably had freckles as a kid, nice build from what Diana could see. Nice eyes, even as scared as she was. She’d trip over into panic easily and then she’d be a handful. Yet, Diana didn’t get the feeling she was flighty, just strongly emotional.

“Scary, isn’t it?” she said finally in a quiet voice.

Julie swallowed hard, glancing at Jessie.

“Look at me,” Diana ordered quietly. “Jessie can’t help you right now.”

Julie’s gaze shifted back and her eyes filled with tears.

“Don’t cry, it makes breathing hard when you’re gagged.” She kept her voice soft, gentle, reassuring. “And I’d like to remove the gag, but I need to know you’ve got your self-control back.” She slowly bent her arm, leaned on her elbow, a studied casual pose. “You’re Julie, aren’t you?”

Julie responded with a short jerky nod.

“And you’re a doctor, aren’t you?” There was another nod. The tears were controlled, that was a good sign. “Did they hurt you?”

Julie started shaking again, her glance going back to Jessie, but she shook her head. She looked back at Diana.

“Yes, they hurt Jessie. In the scheme of things, it could have been worse.”

Julie’s eyes widened in horror.

“I know. It doesn’t seem like it could be worse, does it?” Diana spoke quietly, even as she was saying frightening things, conjuring up terrifying images for Julie. “That’s why I’m so glad I got here in time.” She saw the question, the sudden hope. She shook her head. “No, I’m sorry to say, I’m not the calvary coming to rescue. Let’s just say right now, I’m the lesser of two evils.” She saw the letdown. “Now, did they hurt you?”

Julie uncertainly shook her head.

“Scared you?”

That produced an emphatic nod. Diana nodded. “Okay,” she said. “That’s good. Being scared is a lot better than being hurt. Jessie’s got enough to deal with without being afraid for you.” There was the question, the wariness in Julie’s gaze. “Yes, I know you’re Jessie’s lover. They know it too. That’s why they grabbed you.”

Julie almost lost it then. Diana leaned forward, laying her hand on Julie’s thigh.

“I’m not using you as a weapon against Jessie,” she said quickly. She added pressure until Julie looked at her, saw her again. “Relax, I’m not going to hurt you. Got a grip now?”

Uncertainly, Julie nodded. Diana took her hand away.

Diana took a deep breath, unsure how she was going to reach this woman. If she didn’t reach her, her panic would be as much a problem as Waldo. Then she got an idea. “Did you ever work the Emergency Room?” She had the faint idea it was a necessary part of physician training so it seemed likely.

Julie nodded, frowning.

Good
.
Make her focus. Make it her setting
. “So you know what it’s like when you’ve got lots going on, it seems truly like a madhouse, everyone going every which way, organized chaos.”

Apprehensively, Julie nodded.

“But at the same time, everyone knows what their job is, what they have to do to accomplish it and they just have to ignore the chaos and at the same time work with everyone else. Right?” Julie nodded, still puzzled looking but with greater confidence. “Of course, the patient—now he’s just lying there, maybe conscious or unconscious, probably scared out of his mind, trying to answer questions, not understanding a damn thing that’s going on around him, hoping they’re going to help him with the pain or the sickness or whatever has happened to him, and trust they’re going to do their job and he’s going to survive and get better. Right?”

Julie nodded again.

“He’s in a scary, uncertain position, isn’t he?’

Julie nodded, calmer now.

“Well, this is going to be somewhat like the ER, only in this case, you’re the patient. I get to be the doctor, and Margaret there, she’s my able assistant. And you have to trust us, that our goal is to get you safely out of here. Can you do that?”

Julie’s glance went to Jessie and back to Diana, clearly a question.

Diana gave a small smile. “Jessie’s quite used to being the doctor, but in this case she’s the patient. And you know how doctors are as patients.”

Julie gave a small identifying chuckle and Diana breathed a sigh of relief.

“Now, you think that you can control your panic enough that I can remove the gag?” Slowly, uncertainly, Julie nodded. “Good girl.”

Diana got to her feet and when she reached out to touch Julie, the woman didn’t draw away. She moved and flexed her jaw after Diana removed the gag, took some deep breaths. “One question,” she said in a strained voice.

“What’s that?”

“Are you going to let us go?”

Diana tipped Julie’s face up, brushed back her hair. She was an attractive woman, on that she couldn’t fault Jessie’s taste. “That’s the goal of every doctor, isn’t it? To restore the patient to how they were before? Sometimes things happen that the doctor can’t control, but I don’t think you’ll have any grounds to sue me for malpractice.”

Julie accepted this with some evidence of doubt but then she nodded.

“Will you feel better if you’re over by Jessie?” When Julie nodded, Diana brought her to her feet. She saw Jessie’s relief as she escorted Julie to a spot on the bed beside Jessie. “Margaret, get her something to drink. She’s had that gag on too long.”

***

They heard the strides down the hallway before the door even opened.

“I’m taking them back!” Waldo announced.

“I don’t think so,” Diana said mildly. She eyed the men behind Waldo, decided that while they might go against her, they would never go against Papa.

“No little prima donna is going to deprive me.” He made a signal and his men did take a step forward only to stop when Margaret stepped in front of Jessie. Even cuffed, Jessie moved to place her body in front of Julie.

Diana gave a grimace of disgust. “Don’t even bother, Waldo.” She even half turned away from him.

That only invited him to reach for her and as soon as he grabbed her arm, she exploded. It was easy enough to grab his arm and twist. His forward movement only propelled him into the angle that would easily snap a bone or at least dislocate it. She brought him down low enough that she could look into his face. “Don’t touch me,” she said in a cold voice. “Prima donnas don’t like to be touched by scum.”

Margaret kept the others at bay and Waldo’s past history made it unlikely he would be difficult by himself. “Now, I said I’m taking the cop. And since the other is a witness, I’m taking her too. Maybe the next time, if our paths ever cross, you’ll remember my rules.” She twisted again and he yelled.

“Diana,” Margaret said in a quiet rebuking voice.

“But he’s such a slimebag,” Diana protested.

“This is a favor to your papa.”

Diana breathed a heavy sigh of acceptance. “I suppose so.” She released him and stepped clear. “Get out, before I forget why I’m here,” she snarled at him.

Waldo held his arm, swearing, but retreating. Margaret and Diana exchanged small smiles.

“You know he’ll call your papa.”

“Oh, I’m banking on it,” Diana replied. She turned to Jessie and Julie. “You two okay?”

Both uncertainly nodded, Julie looked even more scared, and Jessie looked at her with some disbelief. Diana looked at them both and realized they were looking at her a little differently now. That was all right too.

“Now,” she said, “we’ll be leaving in a little while. And Jessie, I don’t mean to be offensive, but you need to shower.” Jessie’s chin came up. “I know, it’s not your fault. Let’s get it done. I’ve got a change of clothes that’ll fit you.” She took Jessie by the arm and pulled her to her feet, catching her when she swayed.

“I’ll help her,” Julie immediately said.

“I don’t think so. I’m not ready to leave the two of you alone together. Maybe later, but not now.” She glanced around the room, found the overnight bag by the bathroom door. “I’ll take care of the shower bit. Margaret, you stick with Julie. If Papa calls, tell him I’m in the shower.”

She turned back to Julie. “You behave. Margaret’s not as patient as I am, and I will be unhappy if I come back out and find she had to hogtie you.”

As if she thought it would happen, Julie pulled back, giving Margaret a fearful glance. Simply to reinforce it, Diana looked at Margaret. “Be nice,” she warned and Margaret appropriately glowered.

Diana let out a sigh of relief when she got Jessie in the bathroom and the door closed. “Now you, are you going to be nice or be difficult? If you get by me, you’ve got Margaret. And if you get by her, you’ve got Waldo and his men. I don’t think he likes you. Is that enough for a truce?”

Jessie was unsteady enough that she leaned against the wall. It took a minute for her to reassess the situation but she reluctantly nodded.