Twisted (Burbank and Parker 1)

“He passed away a number of years ago. Again, the situation wasn’t as traumatic as yours—at least not from Burt’s perspective. He was a grown man when his father died. You were a child. Elsa, though, was another story. She was pretty dependent on her husband. She’s transferred a lot of that dependence to Burt.”

“That’s not an unusual scenario. And, for the record, you’re giving me way too much credit. My father’s death wasn’t that big a blow. Truthfully, he wasn’t around much.”

“Traveling?”

“No, cheating.”

Sloane winced. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to put my foot in my mouth.”

“No problem.” Luke gave an offhand shrug. “It was a long time ago. My point was that Burt might have been more affected by losing his father than I was. And that definitely applies to Elsa. My mother’s a survivor. Until now, with her cancer taking over, she’s always been strong and independent. But for a traditional woman like Elsa, she probably felt lost when her husband died. So she turned to her son. Is Burt her only child?”

“Yes.” Sloane nodded.

“Does he have a family of his own—a wife, kids?”

“Neither. He just went through an ugly divorce. That compounds the problem. He’s angry and brooding. Not to mention alone way too much. He definitely needs someone to talk to.”

Luke’s gaze was steady but intuitive. “And you’ve been elected for the job. Which worries you because he’s starting to get attached.”

A half smile. “Like I said, you’re the same Luke. You pick up on everything. Yes, I’m a little concerned that he’s misinterpreting our friendship. Plus, you have medical training and a more intrinsic understanding on your side. I’m hoping that if you speak to him, make a few suggestions about concrete steps he can take, he’ll feel more useful and less at loose ends.”

“Give me his phone number.” Luke took out a scrap of paper and a pen, and jotted down the information Sloane recited. “I’ll give him a call. It’ll do me some good to concentrate on someone else’s problems for a change. Besides, there’s a lot I can suggest, things he can do to make a positive difference. I know from my own ordeal that it makes you feel a hell of a lot better to do something productive, rather than to sit around waiting for the inevitable. Especially since, from what you’re describing about Elsa’s condition, the inevitable could be a long way off.”

“I hope so. Elsa is a wonderful woman. She’s always been so strong. It’s creepy how she went downhill so fast.”

“What type of illness does she have?”

“That’s another thing. I don’t know. Burt never actually told me what’s wrong with her. All I know is that she’s weak, she’s on medication, and she needs to have someone with her. He had a nurse’s aid there yesterday, and I pitched in when she left, but I think she’s going to require a regular healthcare worker. And Burt won’t take money from me, not even as a loan.”

“I could look into some insurance angles,” Luke replied. “Sometimes it’s not what you say, but how you say it that can make a difference between covered and not covered. Give me a few days. Let me see what I can do on that front. In the meantime, I’ll give Burt a call, see if he wants to meet me for a beer. For obvious reasons, I don’t have much free time. But a beer and a talk, including some suggestions about how he can get more extensive in-house nursing care should do it. By then, I’ll have some referrals to pass along to him. I think we can get Burt in a better place.”

“That’s very generous of you. Thanks so much, Luke.”

“You’re very welcome.” He glanced at his watch. “I’d better get going. The hospital’s short-staffed.” He rose, exchanging a quick hug with Sloane. “Take care of that hand. And I’ll keep you posted.”

After Luke dashed off, Sloane tossed her napkin into the trash, then started the three block walk to her car. She was lucky to have found a lot with some space. Parking in Manhattan was a pain.

She was half a block away when she got that feeling again.

Stopping in her tracks, she ignored the pissed-off pedestrians who strode around her, muttering four-letter words and glaring in her direction. She plucked her sunglasses off her nose and scrutinized the area, feeling the presence of her stalker as vividly as if she could see him.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t.

But she knew damned well he was there.

CHAPTER

SEVENTEEN

DATE: 5 April

TIME: 0530 hours

OBJECTIVE: Tyche

She’s rounding the southern corner of Lake Ceva. I can hear her familiar gait, coming closer with each rhythmic tread.

Soon she’ll come into view—right on schedule.