why not hang out with Pierce a little? “All right,” I surprised myself by saying. “Why not?”
I left Bud at the door and walked through the hospital entrance toward the elevator bank, which took me swiftly to the small east wing of the third floor. I’d never visited the crisis wing, oddly enough. Pastel colors made up the floor, walls, and reception area. I smiled at the blonde behind the counter. “Hi, Cathy.”
“Hey.” Cathy Bacca graduated the year before I had and was on her third marriage. She had wild blonde hair, heavily made up brown eyes, and a smile that brightened all of the pastels around us. She had the shoulders of a Montana girl and could rope a steer in seconds if I remembered right. “What’s up?”
“Well, I was hoping I could visit Charles Monroe, even though it’s Sunday.” Figured I’d just go the direct path.
Cathy typed into her computer. “What happened to your face? I have a bat if you need to borrow it.”
I grinned. “No, I’m good. It has been a serious of incidents one after the other. I did fall out of a tree.”
“Nice.” She leaned forward. “Did I hear that Nick Basanelli was back in town?”
“Yes,” I murmured. Was she looking for husband number four? “And yes, he looks even better than in high school.”
Her grin reminded me of a cat my cousin Lacey had saved years ago. Then Cathy read her screen. “It looks like Monroe can have visitors. Go through the light green door to the left, which leads to the rec area. I’ll have him brought in.”
“Thanks.” I paused near the door. “Basanelli likes to eat lunch at McQuirk’s most days.”
Cathy’s eyes gleamed. “Thanks. Appreciate it.”
“Any time.” If anybody needed some fun, it was Basanelli. Plus, if he was seeing somebody else, he was off the table for me, and I was wimp enough to admit it. The guy was tempting, and I had too much temptation going on around me at the moment. I pushed through the door and stopped short. It was just like on television. Patients watched movies in an area sporting a sofa and chairs, while others played checkers or board games at tables scattered throughout. One elderly lady in a housecoat stood at a window and just looked outside.
I scouted the room for a good place to chat just as Charles entered from the far peach-colored doors. He zeroed in on me and danced my way, shimmying his butt in the thick robe as he arrived. They’d let him keep on his slippers, and I swear, they winked at me.
“Hiya cutie,” he said, stopping right in front of me and reaching for the belt at his robe. “Come for a second look?”
“No.” I waved the air. “I just wanted to visit you and talk. You undo that robe, and I’m out of here.”
His bottom lip pouted out, and since he had to be late seventies, he looked kind of adorable. “You’re no fun.” He dropped his hand and pointed to a vacant table to the right. “Wanna sit?”
“Yes.” Relief coursed through me as I walked over and pulled out a chair, sitting as he did.
He looked my face over. “Is that from me? I’m sorry.” His long fingers played with the tie of his robe.
“Just one is from you. The rest are from ducking from bullets and then falling out of a tree.”
His face crinkled. “You have an interesting life.”
I nodded. “Yeah, so, I was wondering if you’d talk to me a bit. Maybe tell me where you got the blue pills and the other ones. The white ones?”
“Beast?” he asked, cocking his head. He’d slicked his thin hair back, and his eyes were clearer today than they had been.
“Yes,” I said, lowering my voice. “If you don’t mind. Where in the world did you get that pill?”
He grinned, showing a gap in his lower teeth. “At Bingo night. We do it right, baby.” He leaned forward. “Maybe you could come with me after I get sprung from here. Like a date.”
Man, I was popular today. “Maybe. Where do you play Bingo?” I was on to something. I could just feel it.
“At the rec center in the middle of the houses.” He looked around. “It has brighter colors than this place. I like it.”
“What houses?” I fought to keep the excitement out of my voice. Maybe I should go into investigative work.
He frowned. “Where I live. The Sunnyside Retirement Community.”