Mercy

remember signing for anything, but it doesn't matter if I remember or not. If I signed for it, then I put a yellow sticky on your locker telling you I had

a package for you. I would have put it inside your locker, but you still haven't given me your combination.'

'Sorry about that,' she said. 'I keep forgetting. Do you have any idea where the package is now?'

'I'll look around. It's either in my desk or on top of your locker. What do you want me to do when I locate it?'

'Give it to the man from Speedy Messenger Service. He'll be there soon.'

'Yes, all right. I'll be here until six tonight, but not a minute later. Tonight's bridge night at the church, and I have to be there

by six-thirty to help set up. It's my turn to be hostess.'

'I'm sure he'll get there before then. Thanks, Elena.'

As she pushed the 'end' button and handed the phone back to Frank, she noticed Theo was walking across the field toward

them. Frank seemed to be watching Theo too. He kept his eye on him when he asked Michelle, 'What did she tell you? Does

she have the package?'

'Relax. Eddie's going to keep his job. Elena will be at the hospital until six, and she'll be happy to make the exchange.'

He didn't say thank you. In fact, his exit was quite abrupt. Pulling the brim of his ball cap down low on his brow, he ran down

the steps. His head was turned away from the field. As he was disappearing into the tunnel, she shouted, 'You're welcome.'

He didn't hear her. Desperate to get away before anyone else got a good look at his face, he ran as fast as he could through the locker rooms and outside, across the parking lot. He was panting from the effort. He fell against the car door, doubled over, and tried to catch his breath while he grabbed at the door handle. He heard a sound behind him and whirled around in a half crouch.

His eyes widened. 'What the hell are you doing, sneaking up on me like that? Are you following me?'

'What do you think you're doing?'

'I'm doing what needs to be done,' he argued. 'No one else was getting anywhere. The doctor won't ever see me again.

Besides, the risk was worth it. I know where the package is. I'm on my way to pick it up right now.'

'You were told not to interact with the subject. That point was made perfectly clear to you. Now the doctor knows what you

look like. You've made a stupid mistake, and the others aren't going to like it.'

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Theo was quiet on the ride back to Michelle's house. They were both hot and sticky and wanted to shower before he took

her to dinner at The Swan. He had offered to take her somewhere else a little more fancy, but she had promised her father

that she would help tend bar if he needed her. Wednesday was a busy night for her father's bar, and because the fishing competition was coming up on Saturday, it would surely be crowded. 'Couldn't your brother help your dad?' he asked.

'John Paul hasn't surfaced in the last week.' 'Does your brother disappear a lot?' 'When my father needs him, he's there.'

'But how does he know your father needs him? Does he call him?'

She smiled. 'John Paul doesn't have a phone, and he wouldn't answer it if he did. He usually shows up on Friday morning to

see what Daddy needs him to do. John Paul's never worked the bar during the week-nights.'

'What if your dad got into trouble? What if he got sick or something?'

'John Paul would know something was wrong.'

'ESP?'

'He just would know.'

'Your brother sounds strange.'

'He isn't strange,' she said defensively. 'He's just different.'

'What about your other brother?'

'Remy? What about him?'

'Is he different?'

'By your standards, no, he isn't different.'

Neither one of them said another word for several minutes. Michelle broke the silence when she noticed he was frowning.

'What are you thinking about?'

'The kid who kept tripping out on the field today.'

'What about him?'

'He was wearing his brother's shoes.'

'And you're trying to figure out what you can do about it.'

'The team needs new equipment,' he remarked. 'Conrad's going to talk to the coach over in St. Claire about letting our team

use their weight room. None of them should go out on that field until they're conditioned for it. You know what I mean?'

'They need to build up their muscles and their stamina.'

'Exactly. Otherwise they could get hurt.'

'You called them 'our team.' '

'No, I didn't.'

'Yes, you did. I heard it as clear as a bell.'

He changed the subject. 'What did that messenger want? I saw you talking to him on my way to the water- cooler.'

'There was a mix-up at the hospital. I sent him to the ER staff secretary. She'll straighten it all out.'

He nodded, then changed the subject once again. 'How much money do you think the cash prize will amount to for the

fishing tournament?'

'I don't know how many will enter this year, but if I were to guess, I'd say two men in a boat, fifty dollars each… and last

year they had over seventy entries…'

'So, if we say eighty people sign up this year, that's four thousand.'

'That's a lot of money around here.'

'Four thousand dollars could buy a lot of shoes.'

'Sounds like you've got a plan.'

'Yeah, well, the key to the plan is to win.'

She laughed. 'No kidding. What about my dad?'

'What about him?' he asked as he pulled into her drive and parked the car.

'Two thousand dollars will belong to him.'

'He'll donate it. Your dad's a softy.' He followed her to the front door. 'But like I said, the key to the grand