lung, a concussion, and a number of hematomas.” Marcus closed his eyes as the large black nurse rattled off more medical conditions. “You are a very lucky man, Dr. Marcus. Try to get some rest.”
Lucky? Marcus thought to himself. By the sound of what he had been told, he thought he would probably never walk again. Maybe not even talk. The upside was maybe he wouldn’t see Norma again. Now, that would be lucky. Through the slits in his eyes, he could barely make out the figure of the constable sitting outside his door. He didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing as he drifted off into the other place in which he had been spending the past few days. La-la land.
* * *
Franny O’Rourke was pacing his office. He was perturbed that he had been unable to finish off Marcus. Damn delivery boy. Good thing he had spotted the lad before he was seen smashing Marcus’s face. One final blow would have done it, but now Marcus was in the hospital, being guarded by the police. Franny pounded his fist on the table. He was going to get even with Marcus one way or another.
He picked up the phone and called a buddy of his in the police force. Bribery knew no boundaries. It was as prevalent in England as anywhere else.
A chipper young voice answered. “And what can I do for you today? Need someone to look the other way?” Franny O’Rourke’s inside man had a burner phone that Franny would replace every couple of days by leaving one in a locker at the bus station.
Franny replied, “Nope. Need to find out where they’re holding Julian Marcus. Which hospital?”
The voice at the other end of the phone remained silent.
“Didn’t you hear me?” Franny was losing his patience.
“Er . . . that’s under a lid. Only the top brass know.” The cheerful voice had become somber. He knew the reaction he was about to get.
“You bloody well better find out!” Franny shouted and threw his phone across the room. He was going to finish off Marcus if it was the last thing he ever did. No one screws with me. No one.
About an hour later, his mangled phone rang. He walked over to it and gingerly picked it up. He was glad it still worked. These flip phones are a lot sturdier than the expensive smartphones. What’s so smart about them, anyway? You need an encyclopedia to figure them out. “Ye better ’ave some news for me,” Franny snapped.
“The Royal London Hospital.” Then the phone went dead.
Franny grabbed his cap and a slicker and headed out the door.
It had taken Eileen several days to get Franny’s location. She had followed the slimy kid around until he was able to lead her to Franny O’Rourke. Now Franny was on the move. She sent a signal to Avery, who forwarded it to Charles. There had been a BOLO, “be on the lookout,” on Franny O’Rourke for over a year. He was wanted for a number of crimes, but he was slick and always seemed to slip through the cracks. Whispers and rumors had been bandied about that he had someone on the inside of the police department, but there had been no chatter as to who it could be. Eileen tried to keep up without being spotted. Franny entered the Underground and boarded a train. Eileen was not far behind. Several stops later, Franny exited the Underground and walked toward the Royal London Hospital. Eileen signaled Avery again.
Through Charles’s and Fergus’s connections, they had been able to determine Marcus’s whereabouts long before Franny had. The relay of information had gone through the ranks. Eileen to Avery. Avery to Charles. Charles to whomever. No one was ever quite sure.
As he turned the corner by the entrance of the hospital, Franny pulled his cap down to the bridge of his nose, put on the pair of glasses he kept in his jacket pocket, and unfolded the collapsible cane he had tucked in his belt. He couldn’t risk being recognized. He also couldn’t risk letting Marcus breathe another day.
Eileen was moving quickly. If no one else showed up, she would have to tackle Franny before he could get to Marcus. She whipped out her fake security badge and swept past the gate, but she couldn’t get to the lift in time. She was frantically checking for the stairs when the door to another lift opened. She pushed her way