Hide My Light: A Romantic Suspense Thriller Novel (Hide Me Series Book 3) (11 page)

The next evening, after a day of tests and naps and much more food, Katerina’s doctor reported that her heart was healing well and she would not have any diet or activity restrictions. He said there was a good chance, as long as she continued to eat healthy and have a healthy lifestyle, that she would never have any long-term issues from what had been a very minor heart attack. West had been disappointed to learn that the tiny portion of her heart muscle that had been affected had not magically healed itself, though.

Katerina continued to out-eat everyone, rushing through 6000 calorie meals several times a day. West could see her health coming back by the hour.

The doctor said she could be released in the morning and West called Craig quickly, saying Katerina had agreed to his plan. Craig sounded excited and said he would call West back, he needed to make arrangements. When Craig called back and said he had everything ready for 10:00 the next morning, West started to make his own plans. The reporters had found them, but hospital security had stationed a guard right outside her door and another at the public entrance to the floor and no one had gotten past them yet. So far, West was able to get around with relative anonymity and he wanted to keep it that way. He called Jordan and asked her to come up and stay with Katerina, saying he needed to run home and get them both clothes for the next day. He paid the director of the hospital a special visit and pleaded his case, then paid a cab driver the exorbitant sum of seventy-five dollars to take him out to his truck. He had considered asking Craig, or any of his friends, but he didn’t want to share his plans just yet, and he wanted to be alone to think about their execution. Plus he had phone calls to make.

Finally, at just after 10:00 in the evening he arrived back at the hospital, bags and other things in tow.

He burst into the hospital room, interrupting the girl talk that was obviously going on. Jordan got up immediately. “West, you took forever. I have to get back to Blaise immediately. The doctor came to see him and I missed it. I want to go see when he’ll be released.”

West kissed her on the cheek and thanked her for staying with Katerina while he was gone. Then he walked to the bedside and lifted up the box in his right hand. It was actually a kennel, and Nina stared out at Katerina from the inside, then meowed once, loudly.

“West! You brought Nina! Can she be in here?”

“I got special permission from the hospital director. She missed you. She couldn’t wait one more day.”

Katerina opened the kennel and pulled the cat into her arms, cooing to her like a baby. West smiled and let them have their moment while he busied himself setting Nina up a food station and a litter box. Nina was an easy traveler, and had been to several hotels before, so he wasn’t worried about her. When Katerina was finally done covering the cat with love, she let Nina go, thinking she would jump down and explore, but instead the cat curled herself up on the bed, between Katerina’s knees. Katerina lightly stroked the cat as she watched West go through the bags he had brought.

“How is this outfit?” he asked, holding up a light but elegant sundress.

“Depends, what shoes did you bring for it?”

He pulled out three pairs of shoes and let Katerina pick the ones that worked. He’d also brought all of the contents of her medicine cabinet and make-up bag, in case she wanted to get made-up in the morning.

“West, whatever happened to Frankie?” she asked as West put the clothes she didn’t pick back in the bag.

West turned her. “Good news. He’s awake and talking and has been sent to the rehabilitation center down south. His injury was bad enough that he’ll have to learn how to do certain things again, but they say he should recover without any serious disabilities.”

“I wish I could’ve touched him,” Katerina said softly.

“I wish you could have too,” West said, “but we already knew you couldn’t save them all.”

Katerina looked out the window suddenly, her eyes misting. West wished she could understand once and for all, that none of this had been her fault.

He tried to distract her. “Are you ready for tomorrow?”

"Ready as I’ll ever be,” she said, giving him a weak smile.

***

Katerina woke up the next morning on her side, with Nina nestled in the crook behind her bent knees. Today was the day. The first day of the rest of her life without her horrible abilities. Disabilities. But first she had one last job to do to wrap things up. And then what? She had no idea. How long would she have to dodge the reporters? How long until they forgot about her? Maybe she should give an interview. Could she say that she had completely lost the ability that they were so interested in? She didn’t know what to do, but she wasn’t going to worry about it now.
Now
she would participate in Craig's plan to force a confession out of the national security director, and then she would worry about everything else. She petted Nina and watched her yawn and arch her back, then hop down, looking for her food dish. West was still asleep in one of the uncomfortable hospital chairs. At least it folded out and let him sleep with his legs up and his head back.

She got out of bed quietly and grabbed her clothes, then headed into the bathroom for her first shower in several days. She felt good, strong, almost back to normal. But hungry. She was always hungry these days. When she came out, refreshed, clean, and fully clothed, West was awake and waiting for her.

He took a quick shower too and they sat, waiting for the doctor to come and release her. When he finally arrived and performed his final exam, then signed the release paperwork, Katerina looked around at the small hospital room and hoped she would never stay in this hospital again. She’d had enough of it for a lifetime.

They packed all of their bags and put Nina back inside the kennel where she curled up contentedly. West called Jordan to come up and get her. Blaise was also being released today and Jordan had said she would take care of the cat until they were done at the FBI office. Jordan kissed Katerina lightly on the cheek. “Knock 'em dead, Kat.”

“It’s not show business, Jordan,” Katerina said with a smile.

“Well then, kick their asses,” Jordan said and waggled her fingers from the doorway, then slipped outside and disappeared.

“West, are the reporters still outside waiting for me?”

“They were last night.”

“How are we going to get out of here without dealing with them?”

“Don’t worry, I have a plan.”

West led Katerina to the service elevator and took her down to the basement where the laundry loading bay was. Katerina was pleasantly surprised to see that there were no reporters in this area. They must all be clustered around the front door.
Pretty stupid of them actually,
she thought. West led her to his truck, which was parked only a few feet away. He hurried her into the passenger seat and rushed around, climbing in and driving away quickly before anyone could see them. It was already 9:30 and West drove them directly to the FBI headquarters building downtown.

West helped her out of the vehicle and Katerina looked up at the tall, modern building, looming intimidatingly above. The first flutter of nerves started in her belly. She hoped this would work. Whoever had been responsible for killing that man needed to be discovered, found out. Justice needed to be served. Katerina winced as the musing went through her mind.
She
had killed someone. She pulled her thoughts away from it, chiding herself instantly that it had been self-defense and was completely different.

She and West walked inside, hand in hand, then took the elevator to the fourteenth floor where the doors opened on an official-looking desk with an official-looking secretary behind it. Craig stood there waiting for them.

He ushered them down a long hallway quickly, saying everybody else was there already.

“Everybody else?” Katerina asked. “How many of them are there?”

Craig dropped his voice and stepped close to them as they walked. “Four. The national security director, Douglas Armstrong. Dora Hawker, the woman whose house everything happened at. William McLaughlin, an aide from the California Congress who insists that the national security director is responsible for everything. He says Ronan was blackmailing Armstrong, but he really seems to hate Armstrong so I'm not sure how much is made up and how much is real. And there's an FBI agent who we asked to step in just to round out the numbers. Everybody is in on it except for Director Armstrong. Well, they don’t know exactly what’s going to happen, but they know they are here to help us with our investigation and they should just say yes to anything we ask.”

Katerina nodded as they drew towards the door at the very end of the hallway. The door and the walls were glass and she could see four people sitting at a long table inside.

Craig drew them in the room and sat Katerina at the very end of the table, several seats away from everybody else. West sat in the chair closest to her on the far side of the table. Craig paced up and down the table, speaking to everyone but looking at no one.

“I believe you all know why you are here. Look around the table. One of you is guilty of conspiring to murder Vincent Ronan. I have my own belief as to who that person is and I think we will discover if I am right today beyond the shadow of any doubt. What we uncover today may not be able to be used directly in a court of law, but I assure you, that when the truth is out, and it
will
come out, I will stop at nothing to get a conviction based on what we discover. There are some cases where the law in the real world works exactly like you see it on TV, and one thing they get right is that we do afford lighter sentences for people who cooperate." He stopped pacing and looked Director Armstrong in the eye for effect. Katerina shivered at the authority in his voice.

"Lie until your conviction and I promise you that I will put you in the deepest, darkest hole I can find, for the very rest of your life. But if you, the guilty one, decide to come forward today and cooperate fully with us, I’m sure you can expect twenty years, maybe as little as fifteen with the state of the prisons in our country today.” He stopped and looked at each person in turn. "Cooperate, and I promise you a white collar prison.”

Katerina shuddered from the head of the table. She was glad Craig wasn’t trying to prosecute her. She felt eyes upon her and looked at the four ‘suspects.’ Two of them were watching her. Director Armstrong, and the woman who owned the house on millionaire row. Katerina looked down quickly, not wanting to meet their eyes.

Craig went on. “I’m sure you have all heard of the psychic paramedic.” He looked at each of the people in turn again, and his eyes stayed particularly long on the national security director. “In fact, one of you gave permission for her to be killed. Which was stupid, because she didn’t know anything. From the very beginning, she has been confused as to why this mess has been following her around. Director Ronan never woke up. And he did not seem to know who was behind the order to kill him. If he knew something that could have led to that discovery, she didn’t pick it up. She’s been in the dark since the beginning. But now, because of her harrowing experience a few days ago, she’s willing to help us. You know what her abilities are, yes? She can touch you, and know in an instant your deepest, darkest secret. Anything that you don’t want to share, or anything you are scared will get out, she can touch you and know what it is. She has agreed today to touch each of you in turn, and report to me who was responsible for Ronan's death. Yes, I know I can’t use this in a court of law, but that won’t matter. She’ll be able to tell me what the evidence is that
can
be used in a court of law. And then I’ll take over. And you will go to jail.”

Katerina felt the table shake slightly and she looked up. Somebody was trembling but she couldn’t tell who. The woman, Dora Hawker, was starting to look around, as if she had somewhere else to be.

Craig addressed the man closest to him, and Katerina assumed he was the FBI agent. He looked the part. “Do you agree that the psychic paramedic can touch you?” The man nodded quickly and glanced at Katerina.

Craig went on to the next man, who Katerina assumed was the aide. He also agreed. Katerina started to get nervous. Logically, Craig should stop at the national security adviser next, but would he skip him and ask Dora Hawker first?

He didn’t. “Director Armstrong, are you willing to have the psychic paramedic touch you?” Katerina winced at how many times he had said “psychic paramedic,” but she shook it off. With any luck, she’d never have to hear that phrase again after today.

Director Armstrong lifted his chin defiantly and stared Craig in the eyes. He didn’t look remotely guilty. Now she knew why Craig had been having problems with him. “This is ridiculous, but if this will get you off my back, then yes, I am willing to go along with whatever silly scheme you have cooked up here.”

Craig didn’t even miss a beat. Katerina sucked in a breath, hoping he wasn’t going to try to get her to actually touch these people and pretend to get something off of them. His eyes moved to Dora Hawker, but before he could say a word, she was up and moving. She walked away from him, towards West, appearing to want to circle the table and reach the door. Her eyes were on Katerina and they were terrified. She hugged the wall and spoke into her clasped hands. “I simply forgot, I have a pressing appointment, I –”