Russ ran a shaking hand over his face and tried to keep things from getting too nasty. "Look, you’re probably a lovely person, but to tell you the truth, you’re too young for me. I'm not interested in an affair, I'm sorry."
"You liar, I've seen the way you look at her." Diane brushed her top down, glaring at him with a sneer on her face. "She won't give it to you. Stanley is a frigid bitch."
There was a knock on his door and he called out. "Come in."
Lizzie stood there, her face pale and pinched.
Hell, she heard that.
Diane brushed past her and stormed from the office.
"Lizzie, we need to talk." Russ walked toward her, saddened by the sheen of tears in her eyes.
"No, we don't. I heard more than I needed to. You’re required in emergency, Doctor." She turned on her heel and rushed away.
Russ watched her hurry down the corridor before he followed. Today is turning out all wrong. He hurried to emergency and dealt with the growing number of patients lining up for treatment. Diane was in a foul mood and avoided him as much as possible while glaring pointedly at Lizzie. The stress was beginning to take its toll by lunchtime and Russ was relieved to get a break.
He returned to his office, shutting the door behind him. Russ sat in his chair and leaned back, his head starting to pound with a tension headache. He lifted his hands and massaged his temples, breathing deep to clear his head.
Before he could feel any relief, his pager beeped and he was heading back to emergency.
Chapter 34
"Thanks for staying with me. I appreciate it." Rooney smiled up at Stevie, her eyes dreamy, her face relaxed. They sat outside under one of the huge trees in the front yard.
"It's what I'm here for."
"How did Tam like you taking her to school?"
He smiled at the vision of his daughter beside him in the police car when he drove her into the school drop of zone. "She seemed pretty proud to arrive in the squad car, even if it is undercover. You've done a great job with her, Rooney. She is an amazing kid."
"Yeah, she is. I've been lucky I guess. She’s been the easiest kid to raise, which is just as well with all the study and work I've had to do." She looked down at her fingers tearing at the strand of grass in her hand. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course you can. Whatever you need is yours, you know that." He waited with a knot in his chest to see what she needed and hoped it wasn't space from him after yesterday.
"Can you stay with me again tonight? I don't think I can stand to sleep alone for a while and I don't want to take a tablet every night. They knock me around. I still feel dopey."
"Of course I will. I might need to go home and grab a bag of clean clothes but I won't leave until you say you'll be okay on your own."
Rooney lifter her hand and cupped his jaw, bringing his lips down to hers. "I'm fine here with Essie. You go and do what you have to do. I'm sure they need you at work."
"I do have things to take care of but I've promised Tam I would collect her after school. If you can manage until then, I can go into town and get everything done." He stroked his finger down her cheek and traced her lips with the tip of his finger. "I said I'll do anything to prove how much you mean to me, and I mean it."
"You’ve already proved more than you need to. I love you, Stevie Taylor. I always have."
Stevie said goodbye and left Rooney in the care of Essie before heading back to town. He was almost at the Police Station when his mobile rang.
"Taylor."
"Stevie, it's Russ. I wonder if you have time to call in and see me today?"
"Sure, what's up." He listened while Russ filled him in on what he needed help with. "Fine. I'll meet you in your office in half an hour."
As he passed a service station, he pulled over and brought the morning’s paper. On the front page was a photo of Rooney and Stubbs, and a smaller one further down of Lizzie when she’d been brought in for questioning five years prior.
"Hell, this is the last thing she needs." He threw the paper on the front seat of his car and headed into the office to sort out his roster and make plans for the rest of the week.
Then he drove to the hospital. Tucking the newspaper under his arm, Stevie walked inside and asked directions to Russ's office. He walked in and sat in the corner to wait.
He heard footsteps approaching and a muffled giggle of a young lady. The door opened and Russ appeared.
"I knew you would come to your senses when you read the real story of Lizzie Stanley in the paper today." Diane walked in clutching onto Russ's arm. When she saw Stevie sitting in the corner, she stopped.
"Come in, Diane. Have a seat." Russ walked behind his desk. "You know Senior Sergeant Taylor?"
"Diane." Stevie stood and walked behind her to stand at the door.
"What's this all about?" She twisted her fingers together and looked up at Russ with frightened eyes.
"I've asked Sergeant Taylor in today because of something on the front page of the newspaper. Did you have anything to do with that?"
"What? I didn't kill that man. That was your sister’s fault from all accounts."
"What Doctor Williams is asking, Diane, is did you have anything to do with the comments regarding Nurse Stanley and what happened to her years ago?"
"I don't know what you mean?" She sat with her hands gripping the arms of the chair, her
