Undercover Passion. Raye Morgan
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her bed and squinted his eyes, thinking. “That’s just it. It’s driving me nuts. I’ve got to get to the bottom of it. I’ve got women making goo-goo eyes at me all over the place.”
“Well, of course you do, darling.” She patted his arm. “I think you just never noticed it before. You’re quite a handsome man. I’m sure there are lots of women sizing you up as a very good catch. You just don’t pay enough attention.”
He gave his grandmother a patient look. “That’s not it, Gram. I pay a lot of attention. It’s part of my job to pay attention. And I’ve never been a ladies’ man before.” He sighed, mulling things over. “Anyway, it’s not just me. Half the people in this hospital seem to be wandering around in a lovesick daze. You heard your friend Ella. She’s noticed it, too. Something deeply suspicious is going on around here.”
Phoebe still looked dubious, but she was lost in memories for the moment. “The trouble is, you don’t take advantage of opportunities when they slap you right in the face. I remember that talkative Taffy Williams who used to come around to see you. She wasn’t a beauty, but she seemed to be such a nice girl. You never did ask her out, though, did you?”
Daniel looked at her, considered for a moment, then decided to tell her the truth. “Gram, Taffy had a sex-change operation three years ago. She’s now a he. You can stop trying to get me to ask her out. Uh, him out… Oh, hell!”
“My goodness. I’m sorry to hear that.” She put a finger to the side of her nose, thinking. “I must send her a get-well card.”
Daniel laughed out loud. “You don’t ‘get well’ from a sex change.” He sobered. “At least, I don’t think you do.”
“Never mind. Everyone likes to get a card showing concern. Even if we’re not too clear what that concern is all about.” She smiled at him, then looked eager. “Now tell me. What is your investigation turning up?”
He turned to look at the wall. “Nothing so far.”
“Danny! Don’t hold out on me now. Tell me what’s up.”
He looked back at her. “Gram, I don’t think you need to—”
“It has to do with that Healthy Living Clinic place, doesn’t it?”
He reacted with surprise, then resignation. “How did you figure that out?”
Her smile was smug. “Where do you think you got your inquisitive genes? I heard what you said to Ella. That snapped it into place right away. So give.”
“There’s nothing to ‘give,’ you rascal.” Leaning forward, he kissed her cheek with genuine affection. “I’ve been snooping around, but so far nothing looks even vaguely promising.”
She pouted. “At least tell me what I can do to help.”
He gazed at her, loving the way she wanted to get involved, but knowing it was something she just couldn’t do. He would lay down his life for this woman who had stepped in and taken over when his parents had been killed in a boating accident. She’d been way past her most energetic years at the time. By all rights, she should have been spending her days having tea and cookies with her lady friends, joining the gardening club, taking tours of Europe. Instead, she’d pitched in and taken over parenting duties that had helped keep him and his three younger brothers together.
It had been no bed of roses for her, either. He and his brothers hadn’t appreciated her at first, and they’d rebelled, each in his own way. As he looked back now, with the perspective of time, he could see that he had been emotionally devastated by the death of his parents, that he had taken it out on his grandmother, his community and, probably most of all, himself. There had been a time when it had been a toss-up as to which side of the law he would end up on. If it hadn’t been for his grandmother, always a steady rock of love and understanding, he wasn’t sure he would have made it back.
Oh, what the hell. If she wanted to help, there must be something he could think up to let her feel useful.
“Okay, here’s what you can do. You can ask around about the Healthy Living Clinic. Just casually work it into the conversation. When nurses and therapists drop by, ask if they know anything about it, or if anything strange is going on there.”
“What is going on there?” she asked in a stage whisper, her eyes huge.
He looked at her and hid his grin, answering her with the same sort of whisper. “That’s what I’m trying to find out.”
“Ah.”
“It’s not anything big or deep or dangerous. I don’t think. I’m just curious.”
“I see.” She nodded wisely and gave him a little wink.
“No, Gram, I mean it. Just ask around. No big deal.”
She stuck her nose in the air. “I know how to keep my cool, as we used to say in the jazz age.”
“The jazz age.” He laughed softly. “Okay, Gram, have your fun.”
He sobered, realizing he might be unleashing a whirlwind.
“But under no circumstances are you to take any products from that place. No vitamins or tonics or lozenges. Don’t do any of their exercises either.”
He thought for a moment and added, “In fact, don’t let any people from that place into your room. Okay?”
“You can trust me,” she said stoutly.
“Good. Now can I trust you to get some rest?”
“Of course. Just turn the TV to my favorite soap and I’ll be out like a light in no time.”
If only he could believe it was really that easy.
He headed down the hallway toward the elevator, punching the button and looking up as the doors opened to reveal the very attractive redheaded nurse already ensconced.
He hesitated. There was something about the look in her eye that reminded him of a cat with a captured mouse.
“Come on in,” she said, batting her eyelashes. “There’s plenty of room.”
He nodded to her warily and stepped into the opposite corner of the car. She immediately moved toward him, and as the doors closed again, she reached out and fingered the fabric of his suit coat.
“Nice,” she said softly.
He frowned at her, unable to believe this. “You like this suit?” he said incredulously. It was off the rack at a discount store.
She smiled up at him seductively. “I like what’s in it.”
He stared at her, aghast. Now that just wasn’t natural. Nice, but not natural. And when the doors opened again, he escaped as quickly as he could.
Abby was just passing through and she really didn’t have time for this. That was what she told herself as she stepped lightly down the hall in search of Room 707.
She’d stopped by the nurses’ station to pick up some reports and they had told her of a lady who wanted more information about the clinic. That wasn’t really her function, but she didn’t want to be rude. She supposed she could drop by and be friendly at least. If she could only find the room.
There it was.
She stuck her head in and found a little gray-haired woman dozing in her bed.
“Hi, there,” she said brightly.
The woman looked up and smiled a welcome. “Hello.”
“Are you Phoebe—” she glanced at the chart on the wall “—O’Callahan?” She turned and stared at the woman, suddenly remembering the O’Callahan she’d met the day before. Frowning, she decided there must be a lot of O’Callahans in the city. Funny coincidence, though.
“The nurse at the station told me you were asking