Long After Midnight

by Iris Johansen

  Why didn’t he fall?

  He was looking at her almost sorrowfully. “Not right.” A thin stream of blood trickled from his mouth. “This . . . is . . . not coup.”

  She shot him again.

  He fell to the ground. She rose to her knees and looked down at him.

  His eyes were open, staring up at her.

  “Not coup . . .” He stiffened, his gaze focusing on something beyond her right shoulder. “No, I don’t want—Don’t take—”

  He whimpered, terror contorting his features.

  “Emily.”

  Kate felt the hair stand up on her nape. She sat staring straight ahead. She wouldn’t turn around and look at what Ishmaru had seen. It couldn’t have been Emily. It was his imagination fostered by her own words.

  Kate’s words or Emily’s words?

  Ishmaru’s eyes were closed now and his muscles lax.

  She had to be sure.

  She touched the pulse in his throat and then sat back on her heels.

  Dead.

  Death had always been the enemy for her, but she felt no remorse as she stared at him. She would do it again. If he opened his eyes, she would shoot him as if he were a poisonous snake.

  Everything had happened so quickly that it was hard to believe. Ishmaru was dead. The nightmare was over.

  No, not really.

  Where was her father?

  “Kate.”

  There was a crashing in the underbrush and Seth burst into the clearing. He skidded to a stop and then walked slowly over to where she knelt beside Ishmaru.

  “Dead?”

  “Yes.”

  He jerked her to her feet and pulled her into his arms. “Damn you.” His voice was unsteady. “Damn you for lying to me. I nearly went crazy when I heard those shots.”

  She leaned against him. He felt so good. It was okay to lean now, to take from him. “He was waiting for me. I knew it wouldn’t be a question of having to hunt him out.” She closed her eyes and whispered, “But Daddy wasn’t with him. I think he killed him.”

  Seth shook his head. “I found him wandering around in the forest in circles. I caught the scent right away, but he led me away from here.”

  Relief surged through her. “Thank God. Where is he?”

  “I left him back on the trail when I heard the shots.”

  “We have to go get him.”

  “In a minute.” His arms tightened around her. “I need this.” An instant later he pushed her away and moved back into the shrubbery.

  She followed him but he was moving so swiftly that she fell behind.

  He was standing in the trail with her father in his arms when she came upon him.

  Alarm tore through her. “Is he hurt?”

  “It’s okay. He’s barefoot and his feet are pretty cut up. It’s better if he doesn’t walk.”

  “Can you manage?”

  “Sure, he doesn’t weigh anything.”

  No, he looked thin and fragile as a child in Seth’s arms.

  She took a step nearer and laid her hand on his cheek. His eyes were open but he didn’t seem to see her. “Daddy?”

  He didn’t reply.

  Familiar pain rushed through her. He hadn’t spoken in months. “It’s going to be all right, Daddy. You’re safe now.”

  Did he hear her? Did he know what she was saying?

  “We’d better get him back to the hospital, Kate,” Seth said gently.

  She blinked back stinging tears. “Yes, you’re right. It’s chilly out here.”

  She turned and walked ahead of him down the path.

  They were out of the trees and crossing the meadow toward the hospital when she heard her father’s voice.

  She glanced eagerly over her shoulder, but he wasn’t speaking. He was making a soft, whimpering sound.

  “Shh.” Seth crooned to him and half rocked him as he walked. “I’m here. It’s okay.”

  Her father seemed to understand. He became still in Seth’s arms.

  Peace flowed through her. Seth was here. Everything was okay.

  “There you are, Robert.” Charlene pulled the cover over his newly bandaged feet. “You’ll be right as rain in a few days. Better than you deserve for going off with strangers.” She turned to Kate. “I called the police like you told me. There’s a Detective Eblund waiting at the nurses’ station.”

  “Thanks, Charlene.”

  “No problem.” She left the room.

  Seth moved over to the bed beside Kate, his gaze on her father’s face. “Will RU2 help him?”

  “That’s what I hoped when I was working with Noah. But I don’t know. I don’t think so. Maybe if we’d started treatment earlier, but there’s been so much damage done already.” She shrugged helplessly. “He’s very fragile now and we don’t know exactly how RU2 is going to act on certain diseases. We need more tests.”

  His hand closed comfortingly on her shoulder. “You’ll get them in Amsterdam.”

  “God, I hope so.” Her hand covered her father’s. “We’re going to try, Daddy,” she whispered. “Do you remember you told me I couldn’t nail those leaves back on the trees? Well, we’re doing it now and they’re going to grow back strong as can be. You’ll see. You just have to hang on and get stronger.”

  “We should go.”

  She reluctantly released her father’s hand and stepped back. “I know.” She turned and moved toward the door. “Good-bye, Daddy.”

  “Does he hear you?” Seth asked as they moved down the corridor toward the nurses’ station.

  “Sometimes I think he does. Sometimes I think he’s just gone away.” She swallowed to ease the tightness in her throat. “I hope he has. I hate the idea of him being held prisoner inside himself. I kind of like the idea of him floating around, being the man he used to be.”

  “Then that’s the way you should think of him.”

  “I talk to him, you know. Is that crazy? If he’s not back there, then he must be with me. He loved me. I think he still does.”

  “Then he has good taste.”

  She drew a long, shaky breath. “I’m sorry. I’ll stop this. Sometimes it gets too much.” They were approaching the nurses’ station. “There’s Alan.”

  “Are you okay? Do you want me to handle this?”

  “Of course not.”

  He smiled slowly. “I should have known. Do you mind if I stay while you handle it?”

  “No.” She reached out and took his hand. “I want you to stay with me. I want that very much.”

  Alan Eblund turned away from the desk as they approached. “You sure know how to cause a ruckus, Kate.”

  “Hello, Alan.” She kissed his cheek. “Thanks for everything. I heard you went to bat for me.”

  “It was a frame-up. It would never have gotten to court.” He shrugged. “I just punched a few holes in it. But you must have made some pretty powerful people mad.”

  “RU2.”

  “Yeah, I’ve been following you on TV.” He glanced at Seth. “Drakin?”

  Seth extended his hand.

  Alan shook it and turned back to Kate. “Are you sure it was Ishmaru?”

  She nodded. “No doubt. How much trouble am I in?”

  “If it’s Ishmaru, I don’t think you’ll be held. Self-defense. We’ve learned a lot about him from a bulletin issued by L.A.P.D. in the past weeks, and his record speaks for itself. But you’ll have to come down to the station and make a statement.” He shook his head. “But this business with your father . . . insurance fraud and falsifying government records.”

  “I never touched the insurance money. I don’t expect to have a problem there.”

  “I’ll talk to the district attorney about the forged records. It may be okay.”

  “I couldn’t do anything else, Alan.”

  “You broke the law.” He suddenly smiled. “But the D.A. is up for reelection and it’s a crime of compassion. I don’t think he’ll be a hard-ass.”

  “Will it take long? I have to get b
ack to Joshua. I don’t want him to hear about this from the media.”

  “I wouldn’t worry about him minding you blowing Ishmaru away,” Seth said. “He’ll probably give you a medal.”

  “He won’t give me a medal for lying to him about his grandfather. Everything’s going to come out now. I have to tell him first.” Lord, it was going to be difficult.

  “I’ll get you out of there as soon as I can,” Alan said. “But no promises, Kate. You stirred up a storm here. There is a covey of reporters in the lobby right now.”

  “I’ll call Phyliss and tell her to hide the morning papers and keep the TV turned off,” Seth said. “Go on, Kate. I’ll join you as soon as I get through talking to her. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything.” He added dryly, “If you’ll permit me to handle this little item. I wouldn’t want to interfere.”

  Kate wasn’t allowed to leave the station until after dawn. Alan whisked her and Seth out the back of the station and dropped them off at the airport.

  “Kate.” He stuck his head out the window as she and Seth were stepping onto the curb. “This RU2 . . .”

  She turned back. “What about it?”

  “Is it really what you claim?”

  She smiled. “You’re damned right.”

  “Then don’t give up. Give ’em hell.”

  “I will.”

  “Nice guy,” Seth murmured as they entered the airport. “For a cop.”

  “He’s nice, period. No qualifications.”

  “Whatever you say.” He stopped her as she started for the ticket counter. “No, not that way. We have to go to the opposite end of the terminal that serves private jets.”

  “You rented a private jet?”

  “How do you think I got here ahead of you?”

  “I guess I didn’t think at all. I just wanted you to go away.”

  “You made that clear. I felt most unwant—”

  “My God.” Kate clutched his arm. “That’s Ogden.” Her gaze was fastened on the TV screen in the passenger lounge. Ogden was stepping out of a police car onto the curb. “What’s happening?” She broke away from Seth and walked closer to the screen so she could hear the voice-over.

  “No charges have yet been filed against Ogden. His lawyers insist that the pharmaceutical tycoon is totally innocent and was only brought in for questioning in the murder of William Blount. Mr. Ogden himself has no comment.” The screen switched to a commercial.

  “Blount is dead.” She turned to stare accusingly at Seth. “Reconnoitering?”

  “Well, sometimes one thing leads to another.” He took her arm and led her away from the screen. “It might have ended with reconnoitering.”

  “But it didn’t.”

  He didn’t answer.

  “And Ogden is being held for his murder.”

  “I don’t think they’ll hold him. There’s not enough evidence. Only enough to make it interesting.”

  “Interesting?”

  He smiled. “Like I said, sometimes one thing leads to another.”

  “You look like hell,” Phyliss said when they entered the hotel suite. “Go into my bedroom and brush your hair and put on a little blush. You don’t want to scare Joshua. He’s going to be upset enough.”

  “Where is he?”

  “In his room reading.”

  “He hasn’t found out anything?”

  “No, but he’s not dumb. When I wouldn’t let him watch TV, I had to swear on a stack of Bibles that you and Seth weren’t dead or in a hospital.”

  “Thanks, Phyliss.” She glanced at Seth. “I want to talk to him alone.”

  He nodded and turned to Phyliss. “What do I have to do to get you to go down to the lobby with me for a spot of lunch?”

  “Take a shower and use a little deodorant.”

  He flinched. “Stabbed to the heart again. Why do I put up with you?”

  Kate scarcely heard them as she moved toward Joshua’s room. She was almost as nervous as that moment when she’d walked across the meadow toward Ishmaru.

  Understand, Joshua.

  I didn’t want to do it.

  Just try to understand.

  “You lied to me.” Joshua stared stonily at the wall over her shoulder. “You told me you never lied to me. You told me it was wrong.”

  Kate flinched. “It is wrong. What I did was wrong. There’s no excuse for it. I didn’t see any other way.”

  “And Grandpa lied to me by making you lie.”

  “He didn’t want you hurt, Joshua. It’s a terrible disease.”

  “He shouldn’t have done it,” he said fiercely. “I wouldn’t have stopped loving him. You didn’t.”

  Why wouldn’t he look at her? “No, I didn’t. But it’s been hard for me.”

  “Then you should have let me help. It’s better when there’s two. I could have helped.”

  “I promised him, Joshua.”

  “You should have told me. You should have let me help.”

  “All right, I was wrong. He was wrong. Will you forgive us?”

  He was silent.

  “Joshua?”

  At last his gaze shifted to her face. “I want to see him.”

  “No, Joshua. He’s not the same. I told you how he is now.”

  “I want to see him. Will you take me?”

  She stared at him in frustration. She wasn’t sure if it would be better to let him face what his grandfather had become or allow his imagination to create an even more horrifying scenario. Either would be traumatic for a boy of his sensitivity.

  She abruptly stood up and moved toward the door. “Get ready. I’ll tell Seth.”

  They arrived in Dandridge the next day and were at the hospital by midafternoon.

  Kate stopped outside the door of her father’s room. “Do you mind if I go in with you, Joshua?”

  He shook his head. “I told you, it’s always better if there’s two.” He hesitated, his gaze on Seth.

  “Right.” Seth smiled down at him. “I’ll wait out here in the hall.”

  Joshua nodded jerkily. “It’s just that you don’t know my grandpa.”

  “No offense taken.”

  Kate gave Joshua a worried glance as she opened the door. He was pale and he’d been silent most of the journey. God, she hoped she was doing the right thing.

  Her father was lying on his side facing the window. Did he see anything? If he did, did he know what he was seeing?

  She gently nudged Joshua toward the bed. “I’ve brought Joshua, Daddy. He wanted very much to see you.”

  No response.

  Joshua walked slowly across the room until he stood next to the bed. He set his Braves duffel on the floor.

  “Joshua’s my son, Daddy. Remember?”

  No response.

  “He doesn’t have to talk,” Joshua said. “Sometimes I don’t feel like talking either, Grandpa.” He stood looking down at him. “You shouldn’t have done it. It doesn’t make any difference. I could have come with Mom and we could have gone for walks and stuff. I could have told you all kinds of things. And you wouldn’t have had to talk. I could have told you about my baseball team and school and the movies I saw.” He paused. “And Dad. He died, you know. You wouldn’t have had to do anything.”

  No response.

  “Maybe I can still do some of that. Mom says that RU2 could help.” He stopped and blinked rapidly. “But even if it doesn’t, I want you to know I’ll be thinking about you and maybe that way I can be with you.”

  Help him. Please say something, Daddy.

  No response.

  Joshua reached down and unzipped his duffel. “I brought you something. I thought maybe you might look at it and think of me sometimes too.” He brought out his baseball glove, the glove that always hung on his bedpost at night. He laid it on the bed beside his grandfather. “It’s a real good glove. I used it when we won the Little League championship. I played good that day. I wish you could have seen me.”

  No response.

  Kat
e felt as if she couldn’t take much more.

  “That’s all.” Joshua picked up his duffel. “G’bye, Grandpa. I’ll be seeing you.” He frowned as he looked at Kate. “Stop crying, Mom. It’s okay.”

  “Yeah, I know.” She tried to smile. “Want to go now?”

  He nodded. “I guess so.”

  She ushered him toward the door. “Good-bye, Daddy. I hope you—”

  “Mom.” A brilliant smile was lighting Joshua’s face.

  She followed his gaze.

  Thank you, God.

  Her father’s hand was resting on Joshua’s old baseball glove.

  “They let him go.” Kate tossed the newspaper down in front of Seth the next morning. “Ogden’s free.”

  “I told you so.”

  “And you’re not worried?”

  He shook his head.

  “Well, I’m worried.”

  “Look, the police think he did it, but they don’t have enough evidence.”

  “But the case is still open.”

  “Probably not for long.” He changed the subject. “I picked up the airline tickets. We leave tomorrow at noon for Amsterdam.” He paused. “If you’re sure that you still want to go. The major threat is over now.”

  “I want to go. I want to get Joshua away from this madhouse, and I want to start tests on RU2. We’ve done our best to do things Noah’s way. Even if we manage to stop the bill from going through, it may be years before they’d let us do any in-depth tests.” She shook her head in frustration. “All that wasted time. It drives me crazy. I want to do something.”

  “What were you talking about to Tony on the phone this morning?”

  “I asked him to get me some information.” She picked up her handbag. “I’m going out for a few hours.”

  He glanced up from the paper. “Where?”

  She smiled sweetly and opened the door. “Reconnoitering.”

  “Kate!”

  “You do manage to attract publicity, young lady.” Senator Longworth beamed at her. “But unfortunately it’s the wrong kind. Shooting a man is hardly a way to prove to the public that you’re a stable authority on anything. Not that you had a chance before.”

  “May I sit down?”

  “Of course. Forgive my bad manners. I was just surprised to see you. You’ve come to tell me you’re giving up the fight?”