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Authors: C.R. Fladmark
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barely breathe.
“What … do you what?”
“To see you.”
“Who are you?”
His lips parted and a long flat forked tongue flicked out at me.
I bolted past him, through the door, and into the hallway.
I collapsed against the opposite wall and stared at the door, shaking so hard I couldn’t get a full breath. Sweat poured out of me and vomit rose in my throat again, but no way was I going back in there. I closed my eyes.
Then Antonio was beside me, his hand on my arm.
“James, are you sick?” He lifted me and steered me toward the bathroom. “Come inside and have a seat.” I heard him snap his fingers. “Get some ice water!”
“I’m fine,” I whispered, but he’d already pushed me through the door and lowered me onto something soft.
I opened my eyes. This room was clean and luxurious, with granite floors and shining fixtures. I looked up at Antonio.
“This is way better than the other bathroom.”
He frowned as he handed me the water. “There is no other bathroom.”
I waited for Lin outside the restaurant, breathing in the cool evening air while I tried to understand what had happened. Antonio had found me in the hall. Maybe I’d passed out for a second. The old man, the cold bathroom—it was probably just a weird dream. It had to be.
Lin came outside a few minutes later and looked at me with concern.
“Are you OK, Junya? You’re as white as snow.”
I gave her a half-smile. “I’m fine.”
She glanced back at the restaurant. “I thought I saw Walter Roacks. I only saw his back, so I can’t be sure, but—”
“Did you recognize who was he with?”
She hesitated. “He looked familiar … very well-dressed.” She snapped her fingers. “Yes, he’s Mr. Müller, from Gen—”
“That’s Bartholomew’s assistant! We gotta tell Grandpa!”
Lin sat on the edge of a concrete planter while the valet stood beside her car, waiting with the car door open.
“Yes,” she said, “but—”
“But what? Isn’t having Mr. Müller in town enough? And I know it was Walter. I saw him, too.”
She touched my arm. “I don’t want Edward upset right now.”
“He needs to know about this!”
Lin let out a deep sigh and turned toward the valet. “Can you call a cab? I drank too much and I think I’m seeing things.”
Chapter 9
CHAPTER
9
We got back to the hospital just after seven and rode up the elevator in silence. When we entered Grandpa’s room, we stopped dead. Walter Roacks stood over Grandpa’s bed, a stack of papers in one hand, a pen in the other. When he saw us, something changed in his eyes.
Lin and I exchanged glances.
“Hey, you two,” Grandpa said in his normal booming voice. “I hoped you’d come back.” He looked and sounded much better. His intravenous lines were out and the monitors were unplugged and silent.
“Yes, finally.” Walter scowled as he moved away from the bed. “Why weren’t you at the office today?” he asked Lin in a low voice. “I need you there.”
“The Chairman wanted me here.” She said it loud enough that Grandpa heard her.
“Yes, I want her here, Walter,” Grandpa said. “Are you complaining that I’m a control freak again?”
“Our situation’s getting worse,” Walter said. “Without one of you in the office, it’s becoming overwhelming.”
Grandpa eyed Walter with disappointment. “Look, you know how to fix this. Do what you have to.”
“I’m trying.”
Walter turned to go, but Lin blocked his path. “Where did you eat dinner tonight?”
“Downstairs in the cafeteria,” he said. “Why?”
Lin’s eyes dropped to the floor. “I just wondered…”
Walter stared at the top of her head for a long moment and smiled. “The food is terrible. You may need to get used to that again.” Then he turned and walked out, leaving a cold silence in his wake. A moment later, Lin followed him.
I walked to the bed after the door closed. “When did he get here?”
Grandpa frowned at me. “Yes, James, I’m
“What … do you what?”
“To see you.”
“Who are you?”
His lips parted and a long flat forked tongue flicked out at me.
I bolted past him, through the door, and into the hallway.
I collapsed against the opposite wall and stared at the door, shaking so hard I couldn’t get a full breath. Sweat poured out of me and vomit rose in my throat again, but no way was I going back in there. I closed my eyes.
Then Antonio was beside me, his hand on my arm.
“James, are you sick?” He lifted me and steered me toward the bathroom. “Come inside and have a seat.” I heard him snap his fingers. “Get some ice water!”
“I’m fine,” I whispered, but he’d already pushed me through the door and lowered me onto something soft.
I opened my eyes. This room was clean and luxurious, with granite floors and shining fixtures. I looked up at Antonio.
“This is way better than the other bathroom.”
He frowned as he handed me the water. “There is no other bathroom.”
I waited for Lin outside the restaurant, breathing in the cool evening air while I tried to understand what had happened. Antonio had found me in the hall. Maybe I’d passed out for a second. The old man, the cold bathroom—it was probably just a weird dream. It had to be.
Lin came outside a few minutes later and looked at me with concern.
“Are you OK, Junya? You’re as white as snow.”
I gave her a half-smile. “I’m fine.”
She glanced back at the restaurant. “I thought I saw Walter Roacks. I only saw his back, so I can’t be sure, but—”
“Did you recognize who was he with?”
She hesitated. “He looked familiar … very well-dressed.” She snapped her fingers. “Yes, he’s Mr. Müller, from Gen—”
“That’s Bartholomew’s assistant! We gotta tell Grandpa!”
Lin sat on the edge of a concrete planter while the valet stood beside her car, waiting with the car door open.
“Yes,” she said, “but—”
“But what? Isn’t having Mr. Müller in town enough? And I know it was Walter. I saw him, too.”
She touched my arm. “I don’t want Edward upset right now.”
“He needs to know about this!”
Lin let out a deep sigh and turned toward the valet. “Can you call a cab? I drank too much and I think I’m seeing things.”
Chapter 9
CHAPTER
9
We got back to the hospital just after seven and rode up the elevator in silence. When we entered Grandpa’s room, we stopped dead. Walter Roacks stood over Grandpa’s bed, a stack of papers in one hand, a pen in the other. When he saw us, something changed in his eyes.
Lin and I exchanged glances.
“Hey, you two,” Grandpa said in his normal booming voice. “I hoped you’d come back.” He looked and sounded much better. His intravenous lines were out and the monitors were unplugged and silent.
“Yes, finally.” Walter scowled as he moved away from the bed. “Why weren’t you at the office today?” he asked Lin in a low voice. “I need you there.”
“The Chairman wanted me here.” She said it loud enough that Grandpa heard her.
“Yes, I want her here, Walter,” Grandpa said. “Are you complaining that I’m a control freak again?”
“Our situation’s getting worse,” Walter said. “Without one of you in the office, it’s becoming overwhelming.”
Grandpa eyed Walter with disappointment. “Look, you know how to fix this. Do what you have to.”
“I’m trying.”
Walter turned to go, but Lin blocked his path. “Where did you eat dinner tonight?”
“Downstairs in the cafeteria,” he said. “Why?”
Lin’s eyes dropped to the floor. “I just wondered…”
Walter stared at the top of her head for a long moment and smiled. “The food is terrible. You may need to get used to that again.” Then he turned and walked out, leaving a cold silence in his wake. A moment later, Lin followed him.
I walked to the bed after the door closed. “When did he get here?”
Grandpa frowned at me. “Yes, James, I’m
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