With a silent thank-you to the man who had taught her so much, Muriel finished her drink and reached for her beer, watching the stage. Every so often after she spotted them, though, she glanced at the two men sitting close to the bar. They had glasses of pale beer in front of them and were trying their hardest to fit in with a crowd that was just a bit out of their league as far as fashion was concerned.
“So what’s tonight really about?” Muriel asked Shelby, trying to sound casual.
“What do you mean? This is just drinks, Counselor,” Shelby answered with a smile, thinking that Muriel was flirting with her.
“So, not working tonight? You know, trying to find ways to dig up dirt.”
Still not understanding, Shelby put her hand on Muriel’s forearm. “I just thought after today you might need a friendly ear or shoulder, whichever you want. I told you that today and I meant it.” She squeezed the solid arm under her hand and smiled. “This is just about one friend helping another.”
Muriel looked at the hand touching her and felt like a block of ice had formed in her chest. This wasn’t about two friends finding comfort in each other’s company; it was someone trying to play her at what she thought was a vulnerable time. “That sounds really good, but could you excuse me for a minute?”
“Sure, I’ll be waiting. Would you like another drink?”
Muriel shook her head, stood up, and grabbed her coat. Shelby was about to ask why when the attorney started walking to the bar without another word. Shelby pivoted in her seat to see where she was going. The bartender leaned over the counter and offered Muriel her hand in a greeting that spoke of an old friendship, then nodded as Muriel whispered in her ear. Shelby followed Muriel’s finger as it pointed first to the table they had been sharing and then to another table not far from where she was standing at the bar. From her pocket, a roll of bills emerged, and Muriel put quite a few in the woman’s hand. After that she saluted first Shelby, then Lionel and Joe, before walking out.
Wood-paneled elevator doors slid closed before Shelby could catch up with Muriel and explain she didn’t know her fellow workers were going to be there. Any hope of building trust between them was plummeting as quickly as the elevator heading for the first floor, and she was furious. She loved her job, but there had to be more to life than the part that belonged to the government.
“What in the hell are you guys doing here?” She stood next to them with her hands on her hips, a clear sign she wasn’t happy. “I don’t appreciate being spied on.”
“Come on, Shelby. It’s what you do for a living,” Joe said, trying to sound funny so she’d come off the ledge. “We just wanted to make sure you were all right with all that’s happening. I’d be sick if you got caught in the cross fire, and I wasn’t here to do anything about it.”
“Did it occur to you two idiots that this had nothing to do with work? She lost two young associates today because some psycho who’s out to get her cousin decided to blow up her office. I just wanted to help her get over that.”
“We’re sorry, but there’s another reason for our being here,” Lionel said. Before he could say anything else, the bartender Muriel had talked to before leaving came up and set a tray on the table.
“How are y’all doing tonight?” The woman had a pleasant smile, and Shelby found herself returning it. “Muriel asked me to set you up with the next round before she took off. She picked them out, so if you want something else, let me know.”
Shelby picked up the glass. “What is it?”
“We usually call it a buttery nipple.”
“Usually?” Joe asked.
“Tonight, with the size of her tip, she renamed it. Enjoy your ‘it’s as close as you’re ever going to get.’ Or should I make that plural?”
“Oh, yeah, they’re related,” Shelby whispered when she thought of Cain. And as had happened with Cain, Shelby was afraid there would never be anything between her and Muriel either, no matter how much attraction they shared.
The gulf between them was too wide.
Chapter Eleven
The next morning the doctor looked at Cain’s injuries longer than usual. Uncovered, the gunshot wounds looked rather gruesome, but Dr. Elton said Cain would be almost back to normal in another month, barring any major setbacks. Cain and Emma smiled as he carefully enunciated that she would be in the hospital at least two more weeks so he could keep a careful eye on her.
“Good morning,” Todd, their orderly, said as he walked in with an arm loaded down with towels right after the doctor left.
Todd was working the day shift beginning that morning, and he was starting his rounds in Cain’s room. For the last twenty-four hours his new boss had been confined to listening to only the conversations that had taken place in the main room, but the two new hundred dollar bills in Todd’s pocket were about to fix that.
“Just do it the same way as before, only this time pick someplace that isn’t going to get wet.” Those were his orders, and as he scrutinized the room, he chose the toilet paper dispenser. The talks with the FBI agent he was working for were emboldening him, and Todd had offered to take some pictures if the man could get him a small enough camera. However, the guy seemed content to stick to the bugs for now.
A little bit of what looked to Todd like silly putty was all he needed to put the device in place. He put the towels away, leaned to the dispenser, and whispered, “Testing one, two, three,” before heading back into the room. The guard who sat with Cain sometimes was in the corner, but so was Cain’s blond companion, and Todd ogled her for a moment longer than he intended.
“Is there a problem?” Cain asked. She’d had enough of this guy, and it was time to put a little fear into him.
The man listening from across the street leaned forward in his chair to get closer to the speaker and felt the beads of sweat break out across his forehead.
“No, ma’am, I was just getting your bathroom supplies put away. Can I get you anything else?” Alert, Cain did look a little more imposing, and he didn’t want to hang around any more than he had to. If all the stories about her were true, he could only imagine what she’d do to him if she figured out what he was up to.
“Not a thing, but thanks for asking. I want to compliment you on the great job you and the others are doing in taking care of me.” Cain felt a slight pinch to her side from Emma as she let her know she was laying it on a little thick.
God, what a sucker this idiot is. Todd smiled as he thought of her ignorance. “It’s my pleasure.”
With a flick of her hand, Cain sent Merrick after the short wannabe detective as he went about his other duties. “I think our little friend has a crush on you, love,” she told Emma.
The man listening to them let out a relieved stream of air from his lungs when he heard Cain’s comment. “Ah, my boy’s eyes lingered too long on that bit of fluff you keep around, did they, Casey?” He’d known her long enough to realize she didn’t ask questions of anyone without reason. When the idiot he’d hired had whispered into the bug, for a second he’d thought they’d blown it.
“I don’t seriously think you have a thing to worry about.” Emma leaned over and kissed Cain long enough for her breathing to deepen. Free to express how she felt, Emma was having a hard time keeping her hands to herself. “At the moment you have other concerns.”
“Do tell,” Cain said, before she gently took Emma’s bottom lip between her teeth.
Emma pulled back just a little. “I’ll be happy when I get you in a room with a lock on the door. For now you’ll have to be content with me just sitting here and making eyes at you.” Emma pecked the enticing lips once more before helping Cain to her feet. They’d started for the door when the phone at the bedside rang.