Fatal Tide Read Online Free Page B

life. And it was a business he hadn’t been willing to share with even his closest friends.
    Dear God, she was thinking of him as dead. She was meekly accepting what they’d told her. She couldn’t do that. “Go find Kelby for me, Gary. Tell him to get me out of here.”
    “What?”
    “You said he could pull strings. Tell him to do it. I don’t think you’ll have any problem. He came here because he wants something from me. Well, he can’t get anything from me while I’m in this hospital. He’ll want me out.”
    “Even if it’s not good for you?”
    She remembered the impression Kelby had given her of rock hardness. “He won’t care. Tell him to get me away from here.”
    “Okay.” Gary grimaced. “But I still don’t think you should do it. Phil wouldn’t have liked it.”
    “You know Phil always let me do exactly what I wanted to do. It was much less bother for him.” She had to steady her voice. “So please don’t argue with me, Gary. I’m having a few emotional problems today.”
    “You’re doing fine. You always do fine.” He hurriedly left the room.
    Poor Gary. He wasn’t used to her not being in control, and it was upsetting him. It was upsetting her too. She didn’t like feeling this helpless.
    No, not helpless. She instantly rejected the word. There was always something she could do, another path to take. She was just sad and angry and filled with despair. Never helpless. It was just that right now she couldn’t see clearly what path was open to her.
    She’d better decide soon. Kelby was hovering on the threshold and she’d been forced to let him draw closer. He would use that slightly open door to gain purchase and solidify his position.
    She leaned back in the chair and tried to relax. She ought to rest and garner all her strength while she had the chance. It would take all her resources to push Kelby out and slam that door again.
     
    Kelby smiled with amusement as he watched Melis Nemid walk toward the front entrance. A nun was trailing behind her with the wheelchair Melis should have been occupying, and she wasn’t at all pleased.
    He had a fleeting memory of his first impression of how fragile Melis appeared. That provocative aura of delicacy was still present, but it was balanced by the force and vitality of her carriage, the way she moved. He’d known from the moment she’d opened her eyes she’d be a force to reckon with. How had a dreamer like Lontana managed to get hold of her? Or maybe she’d gotten hold of him. That was considerably more likely.
    She stopped in front of him. “I suppose I should thank you for cutting through all that red tape and making them let me go.”
    “This isn’t a prison, Ms. Nemid,” the nurse said tartly. “We only needed to know you were going to be well taken care of. And you should have let me follow procedure and wheel you out.”
    “Thank you, Sister. I’ll watch out for her from here.” Kelby took Melis’s arm and gently pushed her toward the door. “You have an appointment to give your statement to the police later tonight. I’ve taken care of all the medical paperwork and picked up your prescription.”
    “What prescription?”
    “Just some sedatives in case you need them.”
    “I won’t need them.” She pulled her arm away from him. “And you can send me the bill.”
    “Fine. I always believe in keeping everything on an even playing field.” He opened the door of the car parked in front of the hospital. “I’ll have Wilson bill you on the first of the month.”
    “Who’s Wilson? He sounds like a butler.”
    “My assistant. He keeps me solvent.”
    “Not much of a job.”
    “You’d be surprised. Some of my explorations are a big drain on the corporations. Get in.”
    She shook her head. “I’m going to the coast guard station.”
    “It won’t do you any good. They’ve dropped the search.”
    It rocked her. “Already?”
    “A few questions have come up regarding Lontana’s state of mind.” He paused.