05 Hell's Corner by David Baldacci

Author:David Baldacci [Baldacci, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 53

STONE MADE A STOP FIRST at the hospital to check on Reuben. He heard his friend’s voice long before he got to his room. Apparently from the little Stone could make out, Reuben wanted to leave but the doctors were unwilling to release him for several more days.

Annabelle met him at the doorway to Reuben’s room. “Maybe you can talk some sense into him,” she barked.

“I doubt it,” said Stone. “But I’ll try.”

“I’m fine,” bellowed Reuben as Stone came into his line of sight. “It’s not like this was the first time I’ve been shot. But I’ll take a damn bullet over Nurse Ratchet here poking me with needles in places I don’t want to be poked.”

The nurse taking his vitals merely rolled her eyes at Reuben’s comment. As she turned to leave she whispered to Stone, “Good luck.”

Stone looked down at Reuben. “I take it you want to leave?”

“What I want to do is get the assholes who did this to me.”

Stone pulled up a chair and sat down at about the time Caleb wandered in with a vase of flowers.

“What the hell are those?” snapped Reuben.

Caleb frowned at the man’s ungrateful attitude. “They’re peonies. Very hard to get this time of year.”

Reuben looked mortified. “Are you saying you brought me flowers?”

“Yes. To brighten up this very depressing room. Look, it’s all gray and blah. You’ll never get well because you’ll be too depressed.”

“I think they’re beautiful,” said Annabelle as she took the flowers from Caleb and smelled them.

“You would think that. You’re a girl,” said Reuben. “But guys don’t bring guys flowers.” He suddenly leveled a ferocious gaze at Caleb. “Did anyone see you bring those in?”

“What? I… Well, I suppose. A few. The people at the nurses’ station were admiring them.”

Reuben, who had been sitting up in bed, collapsed back. “Oh great. They probably think we’re dating.”

Caleb exclaimed, “I’m not gay.”

“Yeah, but you look like you are,” shot back Reuben.

Caleb scowled. “I look like I am? How exactly do gay people look, Mr. stereotyping Neanderthal?”

Reuben moaned and put a pillow over his face. From under it they heard him grumble, “Next time bring me a beer, for Chrissakes. Or better yet, a Playboy.”

While Annabelle went in search of a vase for the flowers, Stone turned to Caleb. “I received your list of events coming up at Lafayette Park. I wanted to see you about it.”

Reuben took the pillow off his face and said, “Where are you going with that?”

Stone quickly explained things to him and added, “But there are a lot of events.”

“There are,” agreed Caleb. “But I’ve been doing some digging and I’ve been able to narrow it down.” He pulled some slips of paper from his pocket and laid them out on the end of the bed as Stone leaned over to see them.

Caleb explained, “I started with the assumption that this must be really big. Otherwise why go to all the trouble at Lafayette Park.”

“Agreed,” said Stone.

Annabelle came back into the room with the flowers in a vase, set it down on a counter and joined them.

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