8 Bodies is Enough(43)
“What on earth was he thinking?”
“He’s nineteen. Thinking isn’t his strong suit.”
She sighed. “The thing is, I really need him right now.”
“I heard about your father. You must be worried sick.”
She nodded.
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
She started to shake her head, then she smiled. “Actually…do you have plans today?”
“Nothing I can’t change.”
“Are you up for a top secret field trip?”
“Sounds intriguing.”
“I have an old friend who needs a checkup.”
He squinted. “A medical checkup?”
“You are a doctor, aren’t you?”
Coop laughed. “Yes. But I’m more accustomed to working on people who aren’t breathing.”
“My friend just needs to know if she’s well enough to travel.”
“Surely there’s someone more appropriate for the job.”
“No one she and I can trust.”
“Okay. This is getting curiouser and curiouser.”
“You can say no.”
He gave her a lopsided grin. “And miss out on an adventure? Why would I do that?”
She grinned. “Do you have a rental car?”
“Yeah.”
“Meet you at the hotel taxi drop-off in an hour?”
“With bells on.”
Chapter 17
CARLOTTA PULLED THE RENTAL CAR into the driveway in front of the ranch house in the cookie cutter neighborhood, put the vehicle in park, then cut the engine. “You can look now.”
Coop lifted the brim of his fedora to scan his surroundings. “After the ride you just took me on, I wasn’t expecting to land in mid-seventies suburbia.”
“I took a circuitous route.” After hearing Coop’s theory that Agent Johns might have been strangled, she wasn’t taking any chances of being followed. “Ready?”
He held up a plastic sack. “It’s not exactly a physician’s black bag, but the pharmacy had instruments to perform a routine exam.” He quirked a smile. “I think. It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these.”
“Okay, let’s go.”
When she walked up to the front door, her heart was pounding almost as much as it had been yesterday. She knocked and gave Coop a reassuring glance. He looked alert, but not concerned. She loved how he seemed to take life in stride and with good humor.
Birch opened the door and ushered them inside, glancing out before closing the door. “Hi, Carlotta.”
“Hi, Birch. This is Cooper, the doctor friend I told you about on the phone.”
The men shook hands and exchanged greetings.
“Melanie is awake,” Birch said. “Right this way.”
When Carlotta walked into the TV room and saw her mother looking beautiful and serene, she let out a breath she’d been holding. After Hannah had chided her about not taking a picture for proof, Carlotta was half afraid she’d come back and the house would be empty, or someone else would be living there and she’d fantasized the entire thing.
“Melanie, we have company,” Birch said.
Her mother lifted her head from the book she was reading and smiled. “Hello.”
To Carlotta, her voice sounded like angels singing. “How are you today?”
“I’m just fine,” her mother said, then bit into her lip. “Do I know you?”
Carlotta’s heart sank in disappointment, but she went to clasp her hand. “We met yesterday. My hair was different. My name is Carlotta.”
“Carlotta? What a nice name.”
“Thank you. I see you’re reading today.”
“Yes. It’s a very good book.” She held up one of the novels Carlotta had bought and shipped to the post office box—but she was reading it upside down.
Carlotta glanced to Coop—he’d noticed.
Her mother looked past her. “And who is this handsome fellow?”
Carlotta smiled and waved him forward. “This is Cooper.”
“Well, hello,” her mother said, giving him a coy smile.
“Hi, Melanie,” Coop said, sandwiching her smaller hand between his two larger ones. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Melanie,” Birch said, “Cooper is a doctor. He’s going to give you a checkup, to make sure you’re okay.”
She seemed happy about it. “Should I take off my clothes?”
Carlotta gasped.
“That won’t be necessary,” Coop said, not missing a beat. “Is it alright if I move this chair closer to you?”
“Of course. We won’t tell my husband.”
Carlotta exchanged wide-eyed glances with Birch.
“I won’t tell if you won’t,” Coop said with a smile. He put a stethoscope around his neck. “I’m going to listen to your heart first.”