One Shining Moment
Page 28
“Amos Stuart. And that ain’t all. If that don’t stop his sister from making the picture, Holtzman will hit her, too!” Tony stared at Mario for a tense moment, then said, “You’d better hurry. I think Holtzman’s going to do the job outside the studio. He knows Amos Stuart comes almost every day about noon.” He clamped his lips together, then said, “Tell Stuart to get outta town—and that sister of his better shut down that picture! So long, Mario—and if you breathe a word of this, I’m dead!”
“Thanks, Tony. I won’t forget it—but you know I won’t talk!”
As soon as Tony left, Mario picked up the phone and tried to reach Amos. His secretary said brightly, “Mr. Stuart’s gone to meet his sister.”
Mario slammed the phone down, dashed out of the office, and leaped into his car. As he roared across town, he kept glancing at his watch. “Eleven forty-eight!” he muttered, and tromped down harder on the gas pedal.
He reached the studio just as Amos’s car was pulling up to the curb, breathed “Thank God!” as he braked his car, and leaped out. He ran forward, but even as he did, he was aware that a man had gotten out of a car across the street. He’d never seen Hymie Holtzman but he saw the man pull a gun from his overcoat pocket.
“Amos!” Mario saw Amos turn to him, a startled look on his face.
“Mario—” Amos called out in alarm. He didn’t see Holtzman, but glancing to his right saw that Pete had stepped outside the gate. Then he heard Mario cry out, “Amos—get down!”
Amos was in full view of Holtzman, Mario saw. Mario ran full speed, crying out a warning, but the gun in the killer’s hand was rising, and Mario knew Amos was helpless. With a desperate burst of speed he threw himself forward, his body coming between Amos and Holtzman. He crashed into Amos, and at that instant he heard the explosion of a gun and a sliver of pure pain ran through his back. As he fell to the pavement, he heard gunfire, but as he tried to cry out, he was swallowed in a sea of blackness. He heard Amos cry out, “Mario—” and then he knew no more.
The blackness grew lighter, and Mario felt hands touching him. He struggled to open his eyes, and the pain in his back struck him like a blow. He moaned and heard a familiar voice cry out his name.
With an effort he opened his eyes—and the blurred faces that bent over him grew clear.
“Christie?” he whispered, and then he felt something hot touch his face. “What’s . . . wrong?” he gasped. He lifted his hand, which seemed to weigh tons, and touched her damp cheeks. She seized his hand and bent and kissed him.
“Mario—are you all right?”
“Back hurts . . .” he said, then it all came back with a rush. He looked over to his right and saw Amos standing there. He blinked and managed to say, “Amos . . .” but then he couldn’t say more. Amos took his other hand and said, “You’re going to be all right, Mario.” Amos seemed to have trouble speaking, but he finally said, “You took the bullet meant for me, Mario. Saved my life . . .”
Mario’s head was clearing, and he saw that the room was full: Amos, Lylah and Jesse, Lenora, Owen, Jerry holding tightly to Bonnie, and Christie. He managed a smile, saying, “Looks like a family reunion.”
“It is, I guess,” Amos nodded. He squeezed Mario’s hand, saying with a smile, “Welcome to the family.”
Mario looked up at Christie who said, “You’ve got to marry me now. Amos insists on it after you saved his life.” Then she said, “We’re all so proud of you, Mario!”
“What happened after I went down?”
“Pete put Holtzman down with one shot,” Jerry put in. “That one won’t be doing any more killing!”
“And Capone is in the fire,” Lylah added. “Amos called in the federal agency, and they’ve got Capone on suspicion. He’s going to be too busy to think about Monarch—”
The door burst open, and a large gray-haired nurse took one look around and said “All of you—out! You’re breaking the rules!”
All except Christie allowed themselves to be herded out. She came over and put her cheek on Mario’s, saying, “Get well, Dearest! I need you!”
“I’ve got a lot to learn,” Mario Castellano said quietly. “But we’ll be together, whatever it takes!”
Outside Lylah watched as Bonnie took Jerry’s arm and led him firmly down the hall. “I think your sister’s got her eye on my nephew,” she murmured.
Jesse eyed the pair, then said, “Never mind about those babies. What about us?” He ignored the interns, nurses, and other visitors. Taking Lylah into his arms, he kissed her soundly, then said, “Come on. Let’s go get an engagement ring.”
“All right, Jesse—I don’t want you to get away!”
They left the hospital at once. When they were outside, Jesse hurried to where Pete was playing ball with Adam on the grass. Picking Adam up, he turned to Lylah, saying, “This fellow is getting big!” He grinned at the boy, asking, “How would you like to have a dad to take you to ball games, Adam?”
“And buy me ice cream?”
“Yes! How about some right now?”
“Yes!”
As Lylah Stuart looked at the tall man holding her son, she was filled with a sense of peace and joy. Her life had been a hard journey, but she was aware that she had come into a safe harbor.
“I’ll have an ice cream, too, Jesse,” she said, and he turned and smiled at her.
“We’ll have love and ice cream,” he said, “every day of our lives!”
BOOKS BY GILBERT MORRIS
THE HOUSE OF WINSLOW SERIES
1. The Honorable Imposter
2. The Captive Bride
3. The Indentured Heart
4. The Gentle Rebel
5. The Saintly Buccaneer
6. The Holy Warrior
7. The Reluctant Bridegroom
8. The Last Confederate
9. The Dixie Widow
10. The Wounded Yankee
11. The Union Belle
12. The Final Adversary
13. The Crossed Sabres
14. The Valiant Gunman
15. The Gallant Outlaw
16. The Jeweled Spur
17. The Yukon Queen
18. The Rough Rider
19. The Iron Lady
20. The Silver Star
21. The Shadow Portrait
22. The White Hunter
23. The Flying Cavalier
24. The Glorious Prodigal
25. The Amazon Quest
26. The Golden Angel
27. The Heavenly Fugitive
28. The Fiery Ring
29. The Pilgrim Song
30. The Beloved Enemy
31. The Shining Badge
32. The Royal Handmaid
33. The Silent Harp
34. The Virtuous Woman
35. The Gypsy Moon
36. The Unlikely Allies
CHENEY DUVALL, M.D.1
1. The Stars for a Light
2. Shadow of the Mountains
3. A City Not Forsaken
4. Toward the Sunrising
5. Secret Place of Thunder
6. In the Twilight, in the Evening
7. Island of the Innocent
8. Driven With the Wind
CHENEY AND SHILOH:THE INHERITANCE1
1. Where Two Seas Met
2. The Moon by Night
3. There Is a Season
THE SPIRIT OF APPALACHIA2
1. Over the Misty Mountains
2. Beyond the Quiet Hills Wings
3. Among the King’s Soldiers
4. Beneath the Mockingbird’s Wings
5. Around the River’s Bend
LIONS OF JUDAH
1. Heart of a Lion
2. No Woman So Fair
3. The Gate of Heaven
4. Till Shiloh Comes
5. By Way of the Wilderness
1 with Lynn Morris 2 with Aaron McCarver
OTHER BOOKS BY GILBERT MORRIS
One Shining Moment
The Quality of Mercy
A Season of Dreams
Revenge at the Rodeo
Race with Death
Guilt by Association
The Final Curtain
Deadly Deception
Winds of Change