Sully leaned back in his chair and sipped his coffee. “I didn’t realize you were so interested.”
“I don’t know that I am. The faster you two go on an official date, though, the better. I can’t take much more of this giggling.”
Ofelia was embarrassed ... and maybe a little offended. “I don’t giggle.”
“Not usually,” Oscar agreed, smirking at her. “Even when you were a teenager, you didn’t spend a lot of time giggling. There were very few slumber parties ... or pictures of heartthrobs on your wall to drool over. You were a practical kid, who grew into a practical woman ... until now.” His gaze darkened as it landed on Sully.
For his part, the detective merely smiled. “No heartthrobs, huh? That’s a little sad. Every teenager should have a celebrity crush.”
“I don’t know that I’m comfortable hearing either one of you use the word heartthrob,” she noted, using her napkin to wipe the corners of her mouth. “It makes me uncomfortable.”
“You know what makes me uncomfortable?” Oscar challenged. “The fact that you guys have your feet pressed up against each other under the table and are pushing back and forth, like you’re fourteen and trying to touch without letting me know you’re touching.”
Ofelia’s cheeks glowed red, although for a different reason this time. “You don’t need to be testy,” she chided after a beat. “Sully went out of his way to bring us breakfast. You should be nicer. If it weren’t for him, you would be eating a three-day-old bagel and complaining about it.”
“Yes, well, breakfast was a nice touch,” Oscar noted. “Although ... .” His eyes were contemplative as they roamed Sully’s face. “How come you go by your last name? I know you have a first name, although I can’t remember it right now because everyone calls you by your last name. What’s up with that?”
Unbothered by the probing question, Sully shrugged. “I think it’s because I’m a cop. Going through the Academy, everybody was known by their last names. That’s simply the way it was. Then, when I joined the force in uniform, my partner called me by my last name and it kind of stuck.”
“What do you go by at home?” Ofelia was genuinely intrigued. “I mean ... what does your mother call you?”
“Zacharias.” He made a face. “I’ve always hated that name.”
“What do you wish she would call you?”
“I prefer Zach, although I don’t have a problem with anyone calling me Sully. It seems to fit my personality. I’m used to it now.”
“Yeah, but Ofelia can’t call you Sully,” Oscar argued. “That’s just weird. I mean ... what happens if you guys get married and her last name is Sully? Then she’ll be calling you by her last name and that’s just not done.”
Ofelia was mortified. “Dad!” Her voice was strangled as she barked out the exasperated word.
“What?” Oscar was the picture of innocence. “Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about that. It’s a reasonable thing to worry about.”
“I haven’t thought about that,” she snapped. “I mean ... geez. We haven’t even gone out on a date yet.”
“No, but it’s going to happen.” Oscar was blasé. “Then, after a few dates, I’m going to have to watch him come down from your apartment in the morning knowing that he spent the night. That’s going to make me want to tie his junk in a knot ... or maybe cut it off. I need to know what to call him when I’m issuing threats.”
Ofelia buried her face in her hands. “I want to die.”
Sully found her reaction almost as amusing as Oscar’s ridiculous words. “You can call me Zach, Mr. Archer. How does that sound?”
“I can live with Zach.”
“As for you ... .” Sully poked Ofelia’s side to get her to look up. When she finally did, he offered up a charming grin. “You can call me whatever you want.”
Oscar opened his mouth to make a suggestion, but Sully pinned him with a look.
“She can decide what she wants to call me on her own,” Sully warned, sighing when his phone beeped with an incoming text. “I’m sorry. I have to take this.”
Taking advantage of Sully’s momentary distraction, Ofelia glared at her father. “I can’t believe you just said that to him. It’s ... so rude ... and embarrassing ... and stupid.”
“I think it’s a fair question.” Oscar refused to back down. “Calling someone by their last name is something that buddies do ... like male buddies. I’m pretty sure that’s not the message you want to send.”
“Stop talking,” Ofelia hissed, shifting her eyes to Sully when she realized he’d gone rigid. “Is something wrong?”
He nodded, swallowing hard. “It’s dispatch. Bernie was rushed to the hospital last night.”
Ofelia was taken aback. She knew how much the man meant to Sully. She’d only seen them interact a handful of times, but it was obvious the detective had a soft spot for the homeless man. “What happened?”
“Who is Bernie?” Oscar asked, oblivious.
“He’s one of Sully’s sources,” Ofelia volunteered. “He lives on the street.”
“He was attacked last night about a block off Jackson Square.” Sully licked his lips and dragged a hand through his dark hair. “He almost died.”
“Do they know what happened?”
“No. He’s asking for me.”
Ofelia got to her feet without a second’s hesitation. “Then let’s go. We can stop and pick him up a few things to make his hospital stay more welcome on the way.”
The fact that she would think of that warmed Sully to his core. “I ... are you sure you want to go with me?”
She bobbed her head. “We’re in this together, right? We’ll take care of him. Depending on what his needs are, we’ll figure out a place for him to stay once he’s released.” On instinct, she reached over and placed her hand on Sully’s shoulder. “It’s going to be okay.”
Sully rested his hand on top of hers and gave it a little squeeze. “Thanks. I appreciate you going with me.”
“Oh, geez.” Oscar rolled his eyes to the ceiling. “And so it begins.”
OFELIA SHOPPED FAST, OPTING FOR magazines, newspapers, a few paperback books, and a handful of snacks she figured the hospital wouldn’t put up too much of a fuss about. She also purchased various toiletries so his stay would be as comfortable as possible.
Sully found he was touched by the effort she expended.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Ofelia queried when they were in the hospital elevator, shifting from one foot to the other and trying to avoid his steady gaze. “Do I have food on my face or something?”
“No.” He mustered a smile even though he was worried about his friend. “You’re just ... really great.”
“Because I bought toothpaste?”
“Because you look at him as a person.”
“He is a person.”
“Not everyone sees him that way. Others, those who don’t understand the lifestyle, look down on him. You see him as an equal.”
“So do you.”
“He was one of my first sources when I was still in a uniform,” Sully explained, smiling at the memory. “He came up to me one day when I was taping off a crime scene and offered me a tip in exchange for some beignets.
“I thought for sure he was messing with me,” he continued. “I figured he was just looking for a freebie ... because that’s what I’d been conditioned to believe. They spent a lot of time teaching us how to work with the homeless population when I was being trained, and those lessons basically consisted of learning to ignore them.
“I tried to push him off at first, but he was insistent. Finally, I figured there was no harm in getting him a meal. He wasn’t asking for money. He just wanted food, so I bought the beignets and sat down with him on a bench.
“He didn’t say anything at first, just inhaled the food.” He took on a wistful expression as he thought back to the day. “I wasn’t sorry I bought him the beignets, even when I figured he didn’t have any information of note
. Then, out of nowhere, he took me by surprise and told me exactly who killed our victim.”
“That’s surprising,” Ofelia noted after a beat. “Most of the street people don’t volunteer information like that. They have a code.”
“Bernie has his own code. He believes in right and wrong ... and killing someone is wrong.”
“Did you manage to find your killer?”
“I did. He confessed within twenty minutes. Honestly, he was excited to go to prison because he was sick of living on the street.”
“I can see that, although I’m sure there were ways to ensure that he had a roof over his head without killing a woman.”
“Yeah.” Sully’s hand automatically moved to her back when the door dinged and he left his hand there as they moved through the hallway. “After that, Bernie was a regular source. I try to check on him every few days. Someday, he’s not going to be there. I know that. Until then, I’m determined to keep him safe.”
“I think that’s a noble goal.” Ofelia meant it. “You’re a good guy ... Zach.”
He shifted his eyes to her and grinned. “Did that feel weird to say?”
“The ‘good guy’ stuff or your name?”
“Either.”
She took a moment to consider the question. He was serious when he asked and she wanted to match his tone when she answered. “No. You are a good guy. As for your name, I’m still debating what I’m going to call you.”
“I’m open to nicknames,” he offered as they closed in on Bernie’s room. “May I suggest Detective Studmuffin?”
That was enough to make Ofelia laugh, and she was mortified when she realized it did indeed sound like a giggle. “I’ll give it some thought.”
BERNIE’S FACE WAS SLACK WHEN they entered his room. Sully had to flash his badge to gain entrance, and when he caught sight of the man who had managed to gain his affection, a rush of anger coursed through him and he battled back a string of vicious words.
“Oh, my ... .” Ofelia dropped the bag she was carrying on the floor and rushed to the man’s side. Her hand immediately went to his forehead, and when she touched his dark skin she was dismayed to find a sweaty brow. “He has a fever.”
“He does,” the doctor agreed. He’d followed them into the room. “I’m Dr. Martin Lancaster. You’re with the police, correct?” His gaze was on Sully.
“I am.” Sully extended his hand. “It’s nice to meet you. What can you tell me?”
“Well, I’m not exactly sure what happened,” Lancaster replied, his eyes drifting to Ofelia as she fussed over his patient. “I’m sorry but ... who are you?”
“She’s with me,” Sully automatically answered. “I ... she’s a consultant. She’s helping me on a case. She was with me when the call came in and since she knows Bernie, she wanted to see him. I hope that’s okay.”
“I don’t see why it wouldn’t be.” Lancaster’s forehead wrinkled as he watched Ofelia move toward the bathroom. She returned a minute later with a damp cloth, which she proceeded to press to Bernie’s forehead. “We believe he’s fighting off an infection from his wounds, although he’s not responding to the antibiotics that we’re feeding him.”
Fear seized Sully’s heart. “He’s going to be okay, right?”
“I ... don’t know.” Lancaster opted for honesty. “He’s lucky to be alive. The wound on his side was deep. Another millimeter and he would’ve essentially been disemboweled. That didn’t happen, so he has a chance for a full recovery ... although unless we can get this infection under control, that probably won’t happen.”
Sully felt sick to his stomach. “What kind of wound are we talking about?”
“Come this way.” Lancaster motioned for the detective to follow, giving Ofelia a wide berth as he slid around to the other side of the bed and lifted the blanket covering Bernie. “The wound has been closed now.” He carefully removed the bandage covering Bernie’s side and Ofelia’s stomach lurched when she saw the ugly gashes. “I’m not sure what sort of weapon did this but ... the wounds were deep.”
Sully frowned as he studied the five slices. They were essentially equal distances apart, although some of the gashes were longer than others. He lifted up his hand and held it over the wounds as a gauge. “Maybe someone had razors on their fingers or something.”
“That’s a possibility,” Lancaster confirmed. “Maybe someone was trying to emulate that guy in the movie.”
“Freddy Krueger,” Ofelia murmured as she stared at the wound. She seemed lost in thought, to the point where Sully had a sneaking suspicion that she might know more than she was letting on. Of course, she was smart not to volunteer it in front of the doctor. He couldn’t very well ask if she recognized the wound at this juncture.
“That’s the one.” Lancaster offered her a tepid smile. “I honestly don’t know what to make of it. It almost looks like animal attack ... but I don’t know of any animal that could leave those marks.”
Bernie stirred. “It wasn’t an animal,” he said in a gravelly voice.
Sully moved closer to the bed, lowering himself so he was at an even level when Bernie opened his eyes. “Hey, bud.”
“Hey.” Bernie’s voice was thin, to the point of being frail. “I wasn’t sure I would ever see you again.”
“Oh, don’t say things like that.” Sully swallowed the lump in his throat. “You can’t be rid of me that easy. You’re a tough dude. You’re going to continue being a tough dude.”
“If you say so.” Bernie shifted, groaning as he favored his side. “How long do I have to stay here?”
“Until I say you can go,” Lancaster replied, mustering a smile. “It’s going to be a bit. You might as well get used to me.”
“I don’t have the money for this place.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Sully reassured him quickly. “It’s going to be okay. I’ll take care of the hospital bill. You just worry about getting better.”
Ofelia shot him a quick look, surprised. As a police officer, he was hardly destitute. That didn’t mean he had excess money to throw around on hospital bills. Still, she knew better than pressing him on the issue in front of an audience. “Hey, Bernie.” She drew the man’s attention to her. “Do you remember me?”
Bernie nodded without hesitation. “You’re Sully’s pretty girlfriend. You’ve been with him a lot lately. I like it. With you around, I have hope that he won’t remain shackled to his job.”
“I’m working on it.” Her smile never wavered. “Do you know what happened to you?”
He licked his cracked lips and concentrated. “There was a ... monster ... in the alley.”
“He’s fevered,” Lancaster volunteered. “He probably doesn’t understand what he’s saying. Of course, from his perspective, whoever did this actually is a monster. He’s probably speaking metaphorically.”
Ofelia knew better than that. “Bernie, can you describe the monster to me?”
“It was dark.” His voice was barely a whisper and he was close to slipping under again. “I could only see the shadow. Remember when I told you about the shadow monster, Sully? I was right. It was a shadow. Only ... it had yellow eyes.”
Ofelia cocked her head. “Yellow eyes? Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. It wanted to kill me. I managed to outsmart it, though. I wedged myself between the dumpster and the wall. It couldn’t get to me.”
“You’re very smart,” Ofelia agreed, flipping the cold cloth so he could get a bit of relief. “His fever absolutely has to come down,” she insisted when Bernie lost consciousness. “You need to figure out a way to fight this infection.”
Lancaster rolled his eyes. “We’re working on it.”
“Work harder.” Ofelia was no-nonsense. “He needs an herbal blend of dandelion, nasturtium, lapacho, and red clover. Put it in a tea and give it to him every three hours.”
Lancaster was taken aback. “Excuse me? That’s not medicine.”
“It is.” Ofelia was insistent. “That’s th
e best way to knock this infection out of his system.”
“If you’re a witch.”
Ofelia refused to back down. “Give it to him.”
Sensing she was about to explode, Sully moved forward. “Can any of those things hurt him?” he asked the doctor.
Lancaster slowly dragged his eyes from a defiant Ofelia. “No, but—”
Sully cut him off with a shake of his head. “Then give it to him. I’m being serious. If Ofelia says that’s what he needs, then you’re going to listen.”
“I hardly think she’s in the position to demand specific medical care.”
“Well, I do.” Sully reached into his pocket for his phone. “I’m going to have a uniformed officer stationed outside this room. He’s going to monitor and make sure you give Bernie that tea thing she was talking about. If you don’t, we’re going to have issues.”
Lancaster straightened. “I’m a doctor, not your lackey.”
“You’re going to do it.” Sully was determined. “That man means a lot to me. If something happens to him, I’m going to be very unhappy. You’re to do everything you can to save him. Do you understand?”
Lancaster nodded stiffly. “Fine. It’s not going to work, though. That’s just hocus pocus.”
“Then you’ll be able to lord it over us when you find a different way to fight the infection. As for now, you’re going to do exactly as she says ... and you’re going to like it.”
Twelve
In the end, Ofelia wasn’t comfortable trusting Lancaster to follow her treatment plan. Ultimately she used her magic to “persuade” the doctor to do exactly as she wanted. She was still fuming when she found Sully working on his phone in the lobby an hour later.
“That guy is a complete and total tool.”
Amused despite the serious situation, Sully arched an eyebrow. “Tell me how you really feel.”
“I feel like he’s an idiot who is putting Bernie’s life on the line. You can be as jovial as you want, but I know that you would be crushed if something happened to him.”
Slowly, Sully tracked his eyes to her flushed features. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I appreciate what you’re doing for Bernie. I ... owe you.”
Witch Confidential Page 11
