Read Online Getting Old Is Très Dangereux: A Mystery by Rita Lakin - Free Book Online
Authors: Rita Lakin
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followed in his footsteps.
“They don’t know yet. She has a serious concussion, cracked ribs, and a fractured leg.”
“Is it possible this was an accident? Could she have pulled the shelves down on herself?”
“I went with hotel personnel to inspect the bookcase. It seems like a bolt had come out of the wall. Though they can’t understand how that could happen. They swear everything was up to code. They probably fear a lawsuit out of this.”
“Maybe she grabbed at the shelves trying to steady herself on the ladder and accidentally loosened them even further.”
“No way of knowing until she regains consciousness and tells us. If she comes out. She might remain in a coma.” Morrie glances over to Michelle. “So, this is the woman you fell in love with in Paris?”
“You remember me talking about her?”
“How could I forget? You came back a confused and agitated man. You drove us crazy. Should I have married her? Did I do the right thing leaving her? It took you forever to stop agonizing over whether you had made the right decision. She is a beauty, Dad. You weren’t exaggerating.” Morrie sees Michelle glancing out the door at him. He speaks softer. “So, you were with Gladdy when you ran into her at the book fair?”
“Unfortunately—yes.”
“Good luck with this, Dad. I see complications ahead.”
Jack sighs. “It’s already complicated.”
Michelle comes out to join the two men. Jack is pained to see how upset she is. She is beside herself. “It’s my fault. I never should have let her go alone.”
Jack tries to be comforting. “Don’t say that, Michelle. How could you possibly have known?”
Michelle clutches at his arms. “If I had been with her.”
Jack shakes his head. “Then possibly both of you would be in hospital beds now.”
“I saw how rickety that ladder was. How couldI have been so careless? I should have kept her away from it. Will she be all right?”
Morrie says, “We don’t know for sure yet. But the doctor did sound confident.”
Michelle looks at Morrie and then at Jack. “You are related?”
“Michelle, this is my son, Morgan.”
“Oh, yes, I remember. The policeman. You talked so much about him. It is terrible to meet you like this.” Michelle still holds on to Jack as Morrie takes notice and exchanges a meaningful look with his father. “Your father is the only person I know in this country. I feel so alone.”
Morrie adds his sympathetic comment. “Well, now you know two people. We’ll do all we can to help you.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m on my way back to the hotel to meet with Security.” To Jack, he says, “We’ll talk later.” With that he nods at Michelle and heads back down the hall. The hospital employee dusting the woodwork scurries out of his way.
Michelle clutches Jack even tighter. “I am so frightened.”
“I’m here for you, and my son is very good at what he does.”
“I have already called our family back home. They are distraught. They want her home. Butthere is no way I can move her. She was my responsibility and I failed her.”
The tears start to fall again and Jack puts his arm around her.
“Please stay with me for a while? Please?” she begs.
“As long as you need me.”
The Snake slithers away, pulling off the white lab coat he stole from a closet, and tossing it and the dust rag into a nearby trashcan. Damn his allergy to flowers. Not that it really mattered. He has always had the ability to seem invisible, to slither in and out of people’s lives, allowing them to recognize him only when it was too late and their fate was sealed. No one has ever been able to identify him
.
But now he is furious with himself. The woman Michelle is still alive. How could he have been so stupid as to try to kill the wrong person? And he even failed at that! The niece is still alive. The red hair fooled him. No, no
, alors!
Admit it. He was told he needed glasses, but how can so famous a man as The Snake wear glasses?
“They don’t know yet. She has a serious concussion, cracked ribs, and a fractured leg.”
“Is it possible this was an accident? Could she have pulled the shelves down on herself?”
“I went with hotel personnel to inspect the bookcase. It seems like a bolt had come out of the wall. Though they can’t understand how that could happen. They swear everything was up to code. They probably fear a lawsuit out of this.”
“Maybe she grabbed at the shelves trying to steady herself on the ladder and accidentally loosened them even further.”
“No way of knowing until she regains consciousness and tells us. If she comes out. She might remain in a coma.” Morrie glances over to Michelle. “So, this is the woman you fell in love with in Paris?”
“You remember me talking about her?”
“How could I forget? You came back a confused and agitated man. You drove us crazy. Should I have married her? Did I do the right thing leaving her? It took you forever to stop agonizing over whether you had made the right decision. She is a beauty, Dad. You weren’t exaggerating.” Morrie sees Michelle glancing out the door at him. He speaks softer. “So, you were with Gladdy when you ran into her at the book fair?”
“Unfortunately—yes.”
“Good luck with this, Dad. I see complications ahead.”
Jack sighs. “It’s already complicated.”
Michelle comes out to join the two men. Jack is pained to see how upset she is. She is beside herself. “It’s my fault. I never should have let her go alone.”
Jack tries to be comforting. “Don’t say that, Michelle. How could you possibly have known?”
Michelle clutches at his arms. “If I had been with her.”
Jack shakes his head. “Then possibly both of you would be in hospital beds now.”
“I saw how rickety that ladder was. How couldI have been so careless? I should have kept her away from it. Will she be all right?”
Morrie says, “We don’t know for sure yet. But the doctor did sound confident.”
Michelle looks at Morrie and then at Jack. “You are related?”
“Michelle, this is my son, Morgan.”
“Oh, yes, I remember. The policeman. You talked so much about him. It is terrible to meet you like this.” Michelle still holds on to Jack as Morrie takes notice and exchanges a meaningful look with his father. “Your father is the only person I know in this country. I feel so alone.”
Morrie adds his sympathetic comment. “Well, now you know two people. We’ll do all we can to help you.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m on my way back to the hotel to meet with Security.” To Jack, he says, “We’ll talk later.” With that he nods at Michelle and heads back down the hall. The hospital employee dusting the woodwork scurries out of his way.
Michelle clutches Jack even tighter. “I am so frightened.”
“I’m here for you, and my son is very good at what he does.”
“I have already called our family back home. They are distraught. They want her home. Butthere is no way I can move her. She was my responsibility and I failed her.”
The tears start to fall again and Jack puts his arm around her.
“Please stay with me for a while? Please?” she begs.
“As long as you need me.”
The Snake slithers away, pulling off the white lab coat he stole from a closet, and tossing it and the dust rag into a nearby trashcan. Damn his allergy to flowers. Not that it really mattered. He has always had the ability to seem invisible, to slither in and out of people’s lives, allowing them to recognize him only when it was too late and their fate was sealed. No one has ever been able to identify him
.
But now he is furious with himself. The woman Michelle is still alive. How could he have been so stupid as to try to kill the wrong person? And he even failed at that! The niece is still alive. The red hair fooled him. No, no
, alors!
Admit it. He was told he needed glasses, but how can so famous a man as The Snake wear glasses?
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