Read Online Deja Who by MaryJanice Davidson - Free Book Online

shook his head. “I can’t believe I’m saying this. I can’t believe I’m even thinking it. But . . .”
    And that’s how she found herself spending the night curled into a surprisingly comfortable chair beside Archer’s hospital bed, the beeps and boops of the monitors around her lulling her into a sleep almost deeper than Archer’s drugged one.

EIGHT
    T hree days later, they were ready to knock on It’s door. Three days of Leah making several trips to the hospital to check on a private investigator who had the perfect name for a private investigator (or perhaps an action star): Archer Drake.
    â€œReally?” she couldn’t help asking. “You didn’t make it up? Or legally change it?”
    A shadow had crossed his face when she wondered aloud if he’d changed it and why, but it was gone so quickly she wondered if his wounds were bothering him and she had misinterpreted his expression.
    â€œGo away, it’s my real name, stop coming around and challenging the reality of my name, you awful—Laffy Taffy! Mmm, bring banana-flavored next time.”
    â€œI will not. There is no worse taste in the world than artificial banana. Well. Lava, perhaps.”
    Two days of frustrating sessions with clients while all thetime wondering what nonsense patient Archer Drake, condition satisfactory, was getting up to. Two days of anticipating and dreading the confrontation with her mother. Ha! Confrontation . . . her mother would never stoop to acknowledging any of Leah’s righteous fury. What was the word to describe a confrontation of one?
    And as if all that wasn’t nerve-racking enough, two days of repeatedly staring hard at Archer Drake and verifying that, yes, she could not see him.
    Unprecedented.
    All that to say, for three days she almost forgot to be resigned to her untimely murder.
    Upon discharge, Archer had insisted on taking a taxi to his apartment, and they’d agreed to meet at her office later that day. “Are you sure?” she asked for the third time, walking him through the hospital lobby. He was wearing scrubs, a reluctant gift from the admitting physician (his clothes were, of course, ruined), and walking carefully but energetically. “Perhaps you should take the day to rest.”
    â€œCluck-cluck, Leah. No. I want to get this over with. Also, I have a
thousand
questions for your mom. Your mom! I still can’t get over that.”
    â€œUgh.”
    â€œYeah, well, it’s happening, honey.”
    â€œDo not,” she warned, “call me honey.”
    â€œWhatever you say, sugar bear.”
    â€œGood God.”
    â€œHey. Thanks for taking care of me.” His odd eyes were sparkling at her—she was unaware that people’s eyes could actually sparkle in real life. He was like a live-action anime cartoon.“Which you should have anyway since you put me in
the hospital
with
multiple stab wounds
but I’m beginning to see you had your reasons. Maybe. I dunno. You’re a weird chick, Nazir.”
    â€œCall me a chick again, you will be right back in here.”
    â€œI believe you, duckling. See you in a few hours.” He dropped a fast kiss to her right cheek and she was so surprised she played statue and watched him hurry out the door and back into the world.
    Odd man. A very odd man.

NINE
    H er nine o’clock was disgruntled. He had been waiting in the parking lot until the office opened, and Deb, used to dealing with aggrieved clients, let him in. Not for nothing did they have a metal detector at the entrance, as well as security guards, and once he’d been cleared, she called Leah to warn that her 3:00 p.m. was six hours early.
    Leah knew from experience that making them wait not only didn’t work, it often backfired. They sat out front and struggled with whatever hidden nastiness Leah had been able to help them unearth. Follow-up care was not yet mandated by