Two Guys Detective Agency Read Free Page B

he?”
    “Someone up there will be able to give you more details,” the woman said gently, then pointed. “The
    elevator bays are down that hall. The waiting room on the second floor is more quiet than this one.”
    Once again, Oakley took the lead. Klo and Stone hesitated, but she motioned for them to come along.
    She made introductions and everyone shuffled awkwardly. No one wanted to be here. The elevators
    seemed to take forever to arrive, and the ride up was equally interminable. The hospital was surprisingly
    busy for so early in the day…so much sickness, so many tragedies, every day. It was the kind of thing
    people were oblivious to until it touched them.
    When they reached the second floor, it took a few minutes to find the waiting room and longer to find
    someone to answer questions. A desk nurse scurried away to find a doctor and Oakley stayed with Linda.
    She squeezed the Kleenex box, trying to stay calm. But her mind kept jumping around to other possible
    problems — had the payment for their health insurance made it by the cutoff date? Had the check cleared?
    Did Sullivan have disability insurance through the agency? And worse…why didn’t she know? She hated
    she was even thinking about such things when she didn’t yet know the extent of Sullivan’s condition, but
    the financial implications had to be faced at some point. Panic licked at her stomach.
    “Take a deep breath,” Oakley said quietly. “Everything is going to be okay.”
    She nodded, breathing in and out…in and out. At that moment she was so grateful to have him there.
    A tall woman wearing scrubs strode up. “Smith family?”
    “Yes,” Linda said. “How is my husband?”
    “Stable,” the physician, who introduced herself as Dr. Kozac, said. “But we still haven’t been able to
    figure out what’s wrong.”
    Linda frowned. “I thought it was his heart.”
    “It is, but some of his other organs have been compromised, too. Is he taking any prescription drugs?”
    “No.”
    The doctor flicked her gaze to Oakley, then back. “Mrs. Smith, can I have a word with you in private?”
    “You can speak freely. Oakley is my husband’s best friend.”
    “Okay,” the doctor said. “Does your husband take illegal drugs?”
    Linda blinked. “No! No, of course not. He’s a former police officer, he’d never do such a thing.”
    The doctor looked at Oakley for confirmation.
    “To my knowledge, he’s never taken illegal drugs,” Oakley said.
    Linda was irked with the doctor. “Why would you ask such a thing?”
    “Just trying to eliminate some possibilities. Your husband hasn’t been able to communicate with us.
    We’re still running tests to find out why he collapsed.”
    “He’s had a cold the past few days,” Linda supplied. “But it didn’t seem serious.”
    Dr. Kozac nodded to the box of Kleenex Linda held. “Is anyone else in the home sick?”
    “No.”
    “Does he have any allergies?”
    “None that I know of.”
    “Any history of family illness?”
    “His father died of emphysema.”
    “Okay,” the doctor said, although she obviously wasn’t satisfied. “We’ll keep you posted on his status.”
    “Can I see him?”
    Dr. Kozac hesitated, then glanced at her watch. “A nurse will come to get you, but only you can go in,
    and only for a few minutes, at least until we know what we’re dealing with.” The doctor strode away, on to
    another emergency.
    Linda looked at Oakley, fighting tears of frustration. “I still don’t know anything.”
    “Let’s go to the waiting room,” he soothed. “We’ll get a cup of coffee, and wait for word. He’s in good
    hands.”
    She nodded, gripping the Kleenex box like a lifeline. Klo and Stone were in the waiting room. They
    stood, eager for an update. Linda shared what little she knew (leaving out the bit where the doctor had
    asked if her husband was a druggie), then settled into a stiff, worn chair. Oakley disappeared, presumably
    on the hunt for coffee.
    She