daughter’s distress and in shock at her strange behavior.
“Dn sh…plebby hel…” Rory said more clearly, “Dn…go. Don’t!”
Tom looked away, rubbing his forehead. It’s like she’s possessed. The notion zoomed from that place where unguarded observations reside, arriving clear and pure in his mind.
“No.” Rory reached and yanked the IV needle from her arm.
“Oh dear.” Joy bandaged the bleeding wound. “I’m going to have to see about restraints.”
She began to insert the IV in a different spot. “You’re going to feel a little pinch, Rory.” She had to hold hard on to Rory to complete the procedure.
Rory cried out, the effort guttural.
“Restraints?” Evelyn said.
“They’re for her own good,” Joy said. “She’s very active. That’s positive. It means she’s trying to wake up.”
Tom asked, “What’s your experience with a case like Rory’s?”
Joy walked to the door and said quietly, “Each patient and each brain injury is different. But Rory’s trying hard to come back. Dr. Ballard will be in to speak with you soon.” She pulled off her latex gloves, dropped them into a wastebasket, and left.
17
“Detective Auburn. How the hell are you, old sport?” Richard set down a brandy snifter and rose from his desk chair.
“Mr. Tate.” Auburn shook his hand.
“Leland, you remember Detective Hank Auburn?”
Leland stood to shake Auburn’s hand. “Of course. Hello, Detective.”
“Nice to see you. And it’s Henry.”
“Ah yes.” Richard smiled. “Detective ‘Don’t Call Me Hank.’ And you know my son, Richie.”
Auburn shook his hand. “This is Detective Gabe Rodriguez.”
Rodriguez tipped his head.
Richard opened a wooden box of cigars on his desk. “Cigar?”
The detectives declined.
Richard set his lit cigar on a brass holder. “Detective Auburn, don’t tell me you’re hooked up with our bunch of boneheads again.”
“Detective Rodriguez and I have the case.”
Richie shook his head as he swirled brandy in a snifter. “What case? Hundreds of people saw what happened.”
Rodriguez looked around the room, lingering on the gun cabinet.
Richard said, “The police have to do a proper investigation. By the book, right, fellas?”
Leland crossed his long legs. “Detectives, we’ve already given statements to a supervisor. He secured the firearm and saw no need for Richard to go to the police station.”
“We just want to ask some follow-up questions,” Auburn said. “Mr. Tate, we’d like your assurance that you won’t leave town, at least for the time being.”
“You’ve got it,” Richard said.
Leland said, “I think everyone can agree that Richard did a courageous thing tonight. He saved Rory’s life and probably the lives of others. Several of your colleagues even congratulated Richard. He’s a hero.”
Rodriguez and Auburn watched Declues, their expressions deadpan.
Auburn said, “Mr. Tate, tell me where you were and what you did when you saw Danny go onto the stage.”
Richard leaned back in his chair and propped his feet on his desk. He puffed his cigar and cradled the snifter. “It took me a minute to recognize that it was Junior Lara’s brother. Even before he grabbed Rory, I knew he was up to no good. I told Richie to get the women out while I slipped around the back and headed for my office to get my gun.”
“Had Danny shown his weapon yet?” Auburn smoothed his thick brown moustache with his fingers.
“No, but I didn’t think he was up there to let us know that he’d submitted a strongly worded editorial to the Pasadena Star-News. ”
He, Richie, and Leland chuckled.
Auburn said, “Mr. Tate, what did you do after you got your gun?”
“I positioned myself behind those hydrangeas in back of the stage.” Richard pointed through the panes of the French doors. “By that time, Danny had Rory in a headlock. What would you do if some guy were holding a gun to your daughter’s head?”
“You saw him holding
“Dn sh…plebby hel…” Rory said more clearly, “Dn…go. Don’t!”
Tom looked away, rubbing his forehead. It’s like she’s possessed. The notion zoomed from that place where unguarded observations reside, arriving clear and pure in his mind.
“No.” Rory reached and yanked the IV needle from her arm.
“Oh dear.” Joy bandaged the bleeding wound. “I’m going to have to see about restraints.”
She began to insert the IV in a different spot. “You’re going to feel a little pinch, Rory.” She had to hold hard on to Rory to complete the procedure.
Rory cried out, the effort guttural.
“Restraints?” Evelyn said.
“They’re for her own good,” Joy said. “She’s very active. That’s positive. It means she’s trying to wake up.”
Tom asked, “What’s your experience with a case like Rory’s?”
Joy walked to the door and said quietly, “Each patient and each brain injury is different. But Rory’s trying hard to come back. Dr. Ballard will be in to speak with you soon.” She pulled off her latex gloves, dropped them into a wastebasket, and left.
17
“Detective Auburn. How the hell are you, old sport?” Richard set down a brandy snifter and rose from his desk chair.
“Mr. Tate.” Auburn shook his hand.
“Leland, you remember Detective Hank Auburn?”
Leland stood to shake Auburn’s hand. “Of course. Hello, Detective.”
“Nice to see you. And it’s Henry.”
“Ah yes.” Richard smiled. “Detective ‘Don’t Call Me Hank.’ And you know my son, Richie.”
Auburn shook his hand. “This is Detective Gabe Rodriguez.”
Rodriguez tipped his head.
Richard opened a wooden box of cigars on his desk. “Cigar?”
The detectives declined.
Richard set his lit cigar on a brass holder. “Detective Auburn, don’t tell me you’re hooked up with our bunch of boneheads again.”
“Detective Rodriguez and I have the case.”
Richie shook his head as he swirled brandy in a snifter. “What case? Hundreds of people saw what happened.”
Rodriguez looked around the room, lingering on the gun cabinet.
Richard said, “The police have to do a proper investigation. By the book, right, fellas?”
Leland crossed his long legs. “Detectives, we’ve already given statements to a supervisor. He secured the firearm and saw no need for Richard to go to the police station.”
“We just want to ask some follow-up questions,” Auburn said. “Mr. Tate, we’d like your assurance that you won’t leave town, at least for the time being.”
“You’ve got it,” Richard said.
Leland said, “I think everyone can agree that Richard did a courageous thing tonight. He saved Rory’s life and probably the lives of others. Several of your colleagues even congratulated Richard. He’s a hero.”
Rodriguez and Auburn watched Declues, their expressions deadpan.
Auburn said, “Mr. Tate, tell me where you were and what you did when you saw Danny go onto the stage.”
Richard leaned back in his chair and propped his feet on his desk. He puffed his cigar and cradled the snifter. “It took me a minute to recognize that it was Junior Lara’s brother. Even before he grabbed Rory, I knew he was up to no good. I told Richie to get the women out while I slipped around the back and headed for my office to get my gun.”
“Had Danny shown his weapon yet?” Auburn smoothed his thick brown moustache with his fingers.
“No, but I didn’t think he was up there to let us know that he’d submitted a strongly worded editorial to the Pasadena Star-News. ”
He, Richie, and Leland chuckled.
Auburn said, “Mr. Tate, what did you do after you got your gun?”
“I positioned myself behind those hydrangeas in back of the stage.” Richard pointed through the panes of the French doors. “By that time, Danny had Rory in a headlock. What would you do if some guy were holding a gun to your daughter’s head?”
“You saw him holding
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