She nodded toward the operating room. 'Anyone I know in there with a bullet in him?'
'Can't say,' Adam answered. 'Sheriff said to keep this one under wraps. My job is to guard the suspect, not the victim.' He pointed with his head toward the door behind him. 'Got the rapist in there.'
'Come on, Deputy Adam, I know everyone in town. Don't you think the word will be out in a matter of hours. You might as well be the one to tell me.'
'I'm under orders. No one gets in. No one talks to the prisoner on my watch.' He twisted as if being tortured front inside. 'But I can tell you, it'll have ranchers and rough necks all upset. Might even have an effect on Howard Drilling.'
Crystal tried a few more times, but Adam would not say more. Normally, she wouldn't care what the locals were doing to one another, but he had said it might affect Howard Drilling. And if it affected Howard Drilling it would affect Shelby.
She strolled down the hall to the X-ray room and sat in the plastic chair. After a few restless minutes, she walked back past the deputy and went to the rest room. When she returned, Crystal slipped into the door between Deputy Adam and the X-ray room.
The room was empty. Crystal crossed to the connecting door that opened into the hospital's whirlpool bath. On the opposite side of the room was a side door that connected to the room Adam so diligently guarded.
Crystal told herself she would just open the door slightly and have a look at the bad guy. Because of her days in bars and running with the wild crowd, she figured she probably knew most of the men who even thought about committing a crime in this town. Or, if he worked for Howard Drilling, she might recognize him. Either way, she would be better prepared when bad news came down.
But when she opened the door, she couldn't see much. A tall, lean man lay atop the sheets. He had on worn jeans and no shirt or shoes. There was a long white patch across his Ieft ribs and another over one eye, but they could not begin to cover up all the bruises on him. The bandage wrapped around his head was stained with blood in several spots and looked like it would fall off if he moved.
Crystal stepped closer. She had a hard time believing this was the criminal. He looked like someone had tried to kill him. But he must be the bad guy. This was the room Adam was guarding.
She tried to figure out what the man would look like without the swellings, bandages and bruises. He did not appear familiar, but she definitely thought he would fit in the 'finelooking' category once he healed.
As she leaned closer to brush his brown hair off his face, he opened one eye.
Crystal jumped back, expecting a monster to break out of the bandages and lunge at her. Then, she noticed one of his wrists was handcuffed to the rail of the bed. He wasn't going anywhere.
He didn't move. 'Who are you?' Hatred and anger blended with the pain in his voice.
'Crystal Howard,' she answered like a fool. She shouldn't have told him her name. He might be a rapist and an attempted killer now, but he'd probably escape from Deputy Adam and come after her just because she told him her name.
'What do you want?'
'Nothing.' She backed away, unable to think of a lie as to why she was in his room. 'I'm sorry to have bothered you.'
'Wait.'
Crystal was already at the door. What was he going to do, ask her to help him escape? 'I have to get back to my husband. I cannot be talking to you.'
'You know Anna?'
Crystal paused. What a strange question for him to ask.
'Anna who?' She wasn't going to give him another name so he could go on a crime spree when he escaped.
'Anna Montano. She said you were her friend.'
'Yes.' Crystal took one step back into the room. Afraid of what he might say about Anna. Afraid not to listen. 'If you hurt her, I swear I'll…'
'Is she all right?' He snapped in frustration.
His words shattered her planned threat. He was in agony far deeper than any of the cuts and bruises could make. He was not thinking of himself. For some reason he was thinking of Anna.
'I don't know.' Crystal tried to think of the last time shr had talked to Anna. Two days? Three?
The man turned his face away from her. Crystal glanced at the chart beside his bed. The name at the top read, Larson, Zack. She moved to the exit and slipped away. She hurried back to her chair in the hallway.
Deputy Adam did not look as if he had even noticed she had been gone. He was busy trying to talk the nurse out of another cup of coffee.
Crystal stood and walked as far down the hall as she could from the deputy. Making sure one of the hospital staff wasn't watching, she pulled her cell phone from her pocket and dialed Anna.
No answer.
Next, she tried Meredith. Anna rarely left her ranch and if she did, she might be with Meredith or Helena.
No answer. Crystal began to panic. She tried to think of reasons they wouldn't answer. Maybe they were shopping?
'Mrs. Howard?'
Crystal jumped, dropping her cell phone.
'I'm sorry to have startled you.' The nurse knelt to help pick up the pieces. 'I just wanted you to know that the X rays are complete and we've given Mr. Howard a breathing treatment. He's much better and shouldn't have any more trouble for a few days.'
Crystal didn't say a word as she followed the nurse to Shelby. She knew cell phones were not allowed, but for some reason the nurse had not said a word.
'How are you, darling?' She tried to sound cheery, but the bandaged prisoner's question haunted her.
'Much better,' Shelby mumbled. 'Tired. Can we go back home now? I'd like to get some sleep.'
She took his hand. 'Would you mind if I stayed in town a few hours and did some Christmas shopping? Helena can pick me up. I'll have my phone with me should you need me.'
'Go ahead. I feel sure I'm out of any danger until the next time life decides to thump me. You'll probably be back long before I wake up.'
Surely Helena would be home, Crystal thought. 'I'll be back before it's time for your evening medication. And don't forget, I have my cell if you need me.'
'Be careful,' Shelby whispered, already half-asleep. 'The ambulance driver said it's icy outside.'
Crystal stared at him a long moment before she slipped from the room. He had actually acted like he was worried about her. Like he cared.
When a man on the rig yelled, 'Duck, or no dinner,' everyone needed to stay alert to live long enough to eat the next meal.
Helena combed slowly through her silver hair, then twisted it into a neat bun as smoothly as she had every day for the past twenty years.
'I'll be careful, dear, I promise,' but when Crystal called, she sounded like she needed me.'
J.D. did not comment. He had always hated her independent streak and loved it at the same time. But what frustrated him most, she guessed, was that she knew it.
Helena sighed, no longer pretending to have the energy she once had. 'I'll be back before dark, maybe sooner. Once I settle Crystal down, I'll probably have time to stop by the store for a while. Not that they need me much anymore. Yesterday, Paula even called it `our' store, like suddenly my store had become a group project.'
She stood and smoothed her dress. 'If you have the wine chilled, I'll tell you all about Crystal's problem when I get home.'
He barely looked up from his book as she waved goodbye, and for a moment, he seemed no more than a shadow in his chair by the window.
