Read Online As Good as Dead by Patricia H. Rushford - Free Book Online

back to the hospital. Nick had claimed he didn’t know where Luke lived, but maybe he knew where Luke had been staying while in Sunset Cove. The manager of the place had probably gotten Luke’s license plate number and ID. There had to be some way to find him, though at the moment her prospects seemed hopeless.

NINE
    T he watcher spotted his image in the window and had to smile. He had the perfect disguise. So what if the hair hadn’t turned out exactly as he’d planned. This was even better. He’d read once that one of the best ways to hide was to be obvious and flamboyant.
    He looked beyond his image to the hospital bed where Nick Caldwell lay. He’d failed with his first attempt to kill the cop, but he wouldn’t miss again. He’d had both men in his sights the day of the funeral, but he’d had to go buy that stupid camera, and when he’d gotten back to the motel both their cars were gone. He’d driven all over town trying to find them.
    He rubbed his hands together. His boss was getting impatient. It had taken him a couple of days to find Caldwell and figure out what to do. His plan had been perfect. No way should that cop have lived. He could’ve sworn Caldwell had died out there on that deserted road. Fortunately, the papers had kept him informed. And he had taken his time to devise another plan. Caldwell wouldn’t survive this time.
    Once the cop was dead, he had to figure out how to find Luke Delaney. The guy was probably long gone. He’d have to track him down somehow. Maybe when Delaney found out his buddy had been shot, he’d come back.
    The watcher dismissed Delaney for now and focused insteadon killing the cop. Sooner or later Caldwell’s pals would leave. Night would come and the visits would stop, and then he’d make his move. He patted the hypodermic needle in the pocket of the white lab coat. A lethal dose of digitalis should do the trick. The medical examiner would blame his death on medication error. No one would link him to the “mistake.”

TEN
    W alking down the corridor, Angel stepped around a thin man in green scrubs and a lab coat who was pushing an empty wheelchair. His hair was an odd shade of orangey blond. Everyone was into coloring their hair these days, and some of the effects were just plain weird.
    The guard outside Nick’s room gave her a nod as she approached. He’d been there earlier this morning when she’d had to show her ID. He’d checked the list of acceptable visitors and let her in. Looked like Joe Brady wasn’t taking any chances. Not that getting past security was all that difficult. One could pretend to be a doctor or nurse or an aide and easily gain entry.
    The thought brought her up short. She stepped back into the hall. The guy with the wheelchair was gone; so much for her suspicious meanderings.
    Nick was alone this time around. “Hey.” He seemed more alert and in less pain.
    “Hey, yourself. Where’s Rosie?”
    “I sent her home. Figured I could do without round-the-clock visitors.” He used the handheld control unit to raise the head of his bed.
    “Hmm. You must be feeling better.”
    “A little. Just figuring out how to move so it isn’t quite so painful. And they put me on pain pills instead of the hard stuff.”
    Angel nodded. “You up to talking some more about Luke?”
    “Ah, give me a break, Ange. Riley was just here asking all kinds of questions. Why don’t you talk to him?”
    “Did you tell Callen anything you didn’t tell me?”
    “How would I know? I’ve been too far out of it to remember much.”
    “Nick, this is important.” She told him about the twins and their sudden trip to Florida. “Did you talk to them about Luke?”
    “No.” He ran a hand through his already disheveled hair. “They’ve talked about Luke from time to time. After your dad died, they were all saying how sad it was that your dad hadn’t been able to see Luke before he died. Maybe that triggered something for them. All I know is that right after