Don't Fall For That Trick: A Booke Cases Mystery

Part 2 of 4

Darla had taken her cell into the stairwell to make a call, lost her footing in those high heels she rarely wears, and tumbled. What came next was a blur: Nurses swept Darla into X-ray, rolled her in for the CT scan, set her wrist and her leg. The whole time, Darla kept apologizing for the inconvenience.

She was embarrassed, and showed it by talking even more than usual. But all the chatter was okay, considering. Darla had gotten a decent-sized bump on her noggin. The CT scans were a precaution. (I'm certain hospital administration was doing everything it could to avoid a lawsuit.)

Until we knew for sure whether Darla had a concussion, she needed to stay awake. We had to keep her talking.

Thank God Becky Henderson was there for Darla to latch onto. Besides, it wasn't like Becky could help her brother Trick right then. He was still unconscious in ICU. The best anyone could do was hover and watch him.  

And with Trick's ex-wife, his manager, his business partner, and his mom all waiting in line to see him, Darla guilted Becky into staying with us a while.  

Soon we had Darla situated in her room. "Tom," she asked, "where's my phone?"  

"It's broken, Hon." I forced a wink. "It wasn't quite as sturdy as you." 

"Could you call George?"  

That was out of left field. George Chavez is our friend on the police force. "Why? Weren't you alone in the stairwell?"  

"Oh, sure. It was just a stupid accident." She waved it away.  

"Oh." Whew.  

"But George was going to stop by the store for the signing." She paused significantly.  

I shrugged. "So Maggie can tell him we're here."  

Darla, fussing with her blanket, checked the nightstand. "I just wish I had changed my shoes before we ran out." She sighed. "I had that pair of flats right under the counter! I wasn't thinking."  

"You couldn't know what would happen."  

"Those high heels are no good for walking around."  

Becky glanced from her newspaper at the aforementioned shoes on the sill, one now with broken heel and strap. "They were darling. Where'd you get them?"  

"Shooz. My last major splurge."  

"In Green Hills?" Becky pulled her chair closer to Darla's bed, and off they went on a verbal tour of Nashville shoe stores.

I returned to the waiting room but saw everyone was gone. As I passed the nurses station I mentioned that Trick's sister was with Darla if they needed her. Asking about the others, I found that Ms. Kroenig had left instructions to call her at the Henderson residence if there were any changes. Trick's mom was down the hall using the pay phone.  

Back in Darla's room, Becky was saying, "My mom always defended him to the neighbors. When he got famous it was somehow acceptable behavior."  

"I guess it was a thankless job," Darla said, "being the dutiful child."  

"Yes."  

Darla noticed me. "Hon, I need a change of clothes and shoes. Can you run home and get those for me?"  

"But you have that lovely hospital gown."  

"Ah, but at some point we need to go home. And my dress is ripped."  

"But you don't need them now do you?"  

"Now is perfect. Becky can stay with me meanwhile!" Darla smiled big at me, but there was something else in her eyes.