20th Victim (Women's Murder Club #20) - James Patterson Page 0,95
“Vodka, rocks.”
I said, “Anchor Steam. And we need chips.”
I assessed how Claire looked and sounded, and determined that she was tired and sad and sobered by her medical experience.
She said, “I know what you’re thinking. But it’s not as bad as I look.”
“Tell me,” I said.
We had to wait for Fireman to set down the drinks and the bowl of chips, and after he’d said, “Can I get you anything else?” we shook our heads no in unison.
“Are you in pain?” I asked her.
“Not like you’d expect,” she said. “And I’m half a lung lighter, can you tell?”
I forced a grin. It was hard to do.
Claire sipped her drink, commented that they’d given her no alcohol at the hospital. She crunched on some chips as I tried to find a way to ask her, What’s the prognosis, girlfriend? What’s the deal?
“Have you met my replacement?” she asked. “Mary Dugan?”
“Temporary replacement. She’s nice.”
“Qualified, too,” Claire said.
“I’m going to kill you now,” I said. “If you don’t talk, this fork is the last thing you’ll ever see.”
She laughed, and God, it was a great sound. She looked happy for a couple of seconds and my heart expanded. Was she going to take her job back from the blonde in the ME’s office? Was she going to go to Napa with Edmund and have another life-changing meal at the French Laundry? Or was Claire stalling? Was she looking for a way to tell me very bad news?
“You know how much I like Mitchell Terk?”
“Dr. Terk. Yeah. I know.”
I swear I couldn’t help it. I was gripping the fork so hard my knuckles were white.
“He says the margins are clean.”
“This is true? You’re telling me the truth.”
She gave me a look like, This is me. I don’t lie to you.
“There’s a little more,” she said.
“Don’t stop now.”
“Put down the fork, Sergeant. Keep your hands where I can see them.”
I laughed, hard.
Then I said, “Will you please frickin’ tell me, Butterfly? Speak and don’t stop until I say so.”
She took a pause to sigh, then said, “Cancer’s a bastard, Linds. I’m good right now. But I have to go in for a checkup every three months for a while. Then every six months. And I have to take doctor’s orders. No problem. Terk said I’ll dance at my daughter’s wedding. He’ll be dancing, too.”
I stood up, reached across the table, and put my arms around Claire’s neck. It was not the most graceful hug in the world, but I couldn’t let go. Claire got an arm around me and patted my back and said, “I love you, Lindsay.”
I told her that I loved her, too, bent to kiss her cheek, and rocked the table, knocked over the drinks, soaked the chips, listened to the beer bottle hitting the floor.
“Oh, man.”
Fireman called from the bar, “Set you up again, ladies?”
“Please and thank you,” I said. “This time double chips and I’m having what she’s having. With a bow on top.”
CHAPTER 122
FIREMAN SAID, “YOUR table is ready.”
That was great news. Claire and I made our way through the bar, which was filling up rapidly, passed the pickup window, and crossed into the back room. We slipped into the red leatherette booth we considered our own and sat opposite each other.
Lorraine checked in with us and brought sparkling water, and within a couple of minutes Yuki arrived, looking like she’d had a full-body massage and a mani-pedi.
“So damned great to see you,” she said to Claire, sliding in beside her. “What’s it been? Couple of decades?”
“Couple of weeks, Yuki, dear. All’s well. I was just telling Lindsay it’s checkups for a while, but Dr. Terk blew the all-clear whistle and said I’m free to go.”
Yuki hugged Claire and said, “We missed you. When are you coming back to work?”
“Soon. Going to try something new. Sleep late. Play with my little girl. Listen to music. I told the powers that be not to expect to see my shadow until Groundhog Day.”
Ha. Groundhog Day had passed, but never mind the details.
Yuki asked where Cindy was, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure she was coming. And if she came, were we buddies again?
I said, “Why don’t I go first. Cindy knows all about the firefight in Silver Terrace.”
“You go, girl,” said Claire.
I filled my friends in on the whole fandango, condensing a bit so that Susie’s didn’t close up for the night while I was still talking. Yuki was following so closely, it was like she was taking notes.