From The Grave

Chapter 24

Wayne stood at the end of the bed and watched as Carl gave April another shot. For three days he had supervised her activities at the home, consisting mainly of satisfying Carl.

"How has she been?" He asked indifferently.

"Pretty much as you see her. She responds sometimes but not with much enthusiasm."

"You can lay off if you like; no point wasting your energy."

"No, it's fine. It's like having a life sized sex toy. But with permission I could introduce a couple of the other nurses."

"Fine with me. Just keep it discrete and nothing over the top." Wayne's phone rang and he excused himself and left the room.

Carl grinned at the drugged April and leaned down to whisper in her ear. When he sat back he chuckled at the tear tracking down the side of her face.

"Bishop, if you are calling to make some new deal because you botched the last one, forget it. I'm not interested."

"Not even if the amount has bumped up to the million level?"

"And who, pray tell, is offering that kind of money?"

"I have an interested contact."

"But no product."

"I have a line on that as well."

"So why are you calling me?"

"Call it old fashioned honour. I made a deal with April."

Jenner barked a laugh. "Old fashioned bullshit is more like it. And I told you, April won't be making any more deals nor is she interested in this one."

Bishop felt a cold draft on his spine at the tone of Wayne's voice. He felt he had the information he wanted anyway so he closed with another bit of bravado, leaving Wayne more than a little curious.

The call to Niue hospital revealed that Luane Treeline checked herself out and hired a boat to leave the island. Presumably to New Zealand. She had been gone two days. Wayne contacted his source in New Zealand and three hours later discovered that she had purchased a ticket to San Francisco and from there to O'Hare in Chicago and ended up in Toronto yesterday evening. He immediately called his people at Pearson International and had her arrival time and limousine arrangements to the prince Hotel in North York.

Twenty minutes later he had her room number and telephone number, and was sitting impatiently waiting for it to be answered.

"Hello?"

"Luane Treeline?"

"Who is this?"

"Wayne Jenner, Luane. We've done business together in the past."

"How did you find me?"

"It's what I do but that's irrelevant, I want to talk about another bit of business."

"It's not irrelevant to me; I do not want my location advertised."

"I swear, nobody you need to worry about knows... unless you worry about me." He chuckled. "I'd like to come and talk to you about the Niue stamp."

The silence dragged on until he had to ask again and she cautiously agreed.

"Great, say two this afternoon? I'd be happy to provide a late lunch or early dinner."

"Perhaps room service. Until two." She hung up and Wayne pulled a face.

Luane opened the door wearing a floor length, midnight blue robe with random-sized, pale yellow flowers scattered all over one half, descending diagonally from shoulder to heel. Her hair was swept to one side and large dark glasses hid most of her face.

The white of the bandage just peeked below the bottom rim. The pale gloss on her lips matched the colour of her long nails and a cluster of silver rings slid down her wrist as she released the door handle.

"Sit by the bar cart." She commanded, leading the way and Wayne followed obediently, his eyes glued to the shift of the material over her hips and the hint of a limp.

"I heard of your accident," he offered as a starter. "Are things healing well?"

She mixed a pair of martinis at the cart, handed him one and then sat across from him, crossing her injured leg over the other.

"They say maybe in a year from now the necessary surgery, if I have it immediately, will have healed enough to have a facial finishing done. My leg will require a little more work."

"I am so sorry, it must be quite a traumatic blow to a woman as beautiful as you, Luane."

She stuck a long pink tongue in her drink and stared at him until he wet his lips and glanced away.

"So, to business I guess. The Niue stamp."

"What of it?"

"Well, I know you were sent to retrieve it originally... after disposing of Gretta Lawrence, Miss Weston provided that morsel."

"Ah yes, Miss Weston. What happened to her, she informed me that she and a Bishop Gravestone were partners in pursuit of the stamp."

"She has retired from the picture." Luane heard the sneer beneath the cold reply and she took another measure of Wayne Jenner. "What happened with Lawrence? As I recall you were most reliable in those situations."

"The schedule was spurred up and I took the first opportunity I had. Unfortunately fate took a hand and I was forced to retreat before I was discovered." While I was waiting for another chance, I decided to recon the home of the stamp's owner." She shifted in the chair and swallowed her martini in one gulp. "Another?"

Her liquid move out of the chair to the bar cart gave Wayne a glimpse of her good leg through the long slit and he imagined the controlled anger she must have over the marring of such perfection. He held out his glass.

"What I didn't expect was the security the man had. The cursed dog probably alerted them in the house and then this man appeared out of nowhere and when I failed bluffing my way out of trouble, I had to kill him." Her nonchalant narration gave him a little pause as he had a flash of the attitude, Rita, his own daughter, had toward killing.

Wayne was spending as much time listening to her as he was watching her; a long suppressed stirring pushing determinedly to the surface. He stood and stretched, waving his glass and raising his eyebrows.

"Help yourself." She stayed seated but her eyes followed him to the cart.

"Where did the dog come in?" He splashed some liquor the glass and opted to take it neat.

"I was on foot the entire way so I must have left a trail right from his house to where I was staying."

He moved to the side of her chair and looked down at her, his stomach trembling and his face flushing hot.

"I need you- I need you to continue only for me... exclusively."

"What about Gravestone, he was a partner in this with April?"

"I said me... exclusively." He placed a hand on her shoulder and felt the heat right up to his neck.

"We are talking about getting this stamp."

He put his drink down and took her hand, lifting her to her feet and pulling her to him.

"I'm talking about needing you... and as a partner..."

Luane let a grin light up her face and she dropped her head back and laughed, stepping away with a saucy swirl of her gown. She stood legs apart and hands on hips, and with the big dark glasses she had the appearance of a super hero from some comic book series.

"Do physical deformities turn you on, Wayne?" She teased.

"I don't see anything that could remotely be considered a deformity."

"Let's explore that a little further." She turned coyly and started out of the room toward the back of the hotel suite. Wayne slipped out of his jacket and followed, yanking of his tie.