Tricky Groung: Under Carico's Moons, Book 3 by Nan C. Ballard

Author:Nan C. Ballard [Ballard, Nan C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Not a Pipe Publishing
Published: 2023-04-17T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 33

Lee

Lee shifted restlessly. An hour since Doc had left her to the scans. Boredom. Was that part of the diagnostics? Lie on the bed and wait. Guaranteed to make a person fidget. He might have provided something to read at least.

Lee found Vinz was less intrusive about his observations than Adel had been. But Adel wanted to upset her. Vinz just pulled a chair into the hall across from her door and focused his attention on a tablet. The results of his natural history studies at Tobin, maybe. But even his quiet presence made her uneasy.

The door from the lobby slid open. Good. Doc was back to rescue her.

But it wasn’t Doc. It was Joe Reilly. Vinz got to his feet.

“Morning, Joe.”

“Ro. Doc said you were here. What happened at Tobin?” Joe asked.

“Lee showed up.”

“Is she okay?”

“Not really. But I finally got her pinned down for a full evaluation.” Vinz nodded in Lee’s direction.

Lee gave Joe a thumbs up to reassure him. He looked from her back to Vinz.

“Getting her cleared to go back to the Rangers?”

Vinz shook his head. “We’ll see what Doc says. She showed up at Tobin looking for me, wanting me to set up a meeting with PAO Emmerling. But she wouldn’t say why. And apparently she and my assistant had a run-in.”

“That doesn’t sound like Lee.”

“No. But you’ve met Adel. I wouldn’t say it’s her style either.”

“Can I talk with Lee?” Joe asked.

“She’s in the middle of some scans.”

Lee shook her head. Not Adel’s style? Vinz didn’t know her very well then. But she’d always managed to convince people she was the victim, not the aggressor. Lee wished Doc had darkened the windows and muffled the sound. Being unable to speak up for herself wasn’t helping her maintain her composure. Then Adel walked in from the back door. The last thing Lee needed.

“Marshal, I didn’t expect you here,” Adel said. “It’s always good to see you.”

“Adel.”

“Is your son back? Was he with Lee?” She turned to face Lee through the window. “It’s hard for me to see her like this, so different from the girl I knew at the academy.”

“In what way?” Vinz asked.

“She’s being so secretive, so distrusting even of Doc. Her wild story of needing to see the PAO without any explanation. Her paranoia about me. I guess that hurts the most. How can she think I would hurt her?”

Maybe because you cornered me at Tobin, Lee thought. She felt like she was watching a broadcast rather than seeing something played out on the other side of the windows.

“Then it’s good she’s here,” Joe said.

“Once Doc finishes his evaluation, maybe we can get the full story from her,” Vinz said.

“I hope so,” Adel said. “But can we believe her?” She laid her hand on the window and shook her head.

Lee rolled her eyes. What a show.

“Don’t worry about her,” Joe said. “She’s in the best of hands.”

“I hated to commit her,” Vinz said, “but it seemed the only way.”

“You’ll be staying in Under Rim?” Joe asked.

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