Chapter 3

Checking out of the hospital was a pain. Keith overrode the doctor’s recommendation of a few more days’ hospital bed rest. A nurse wrote detailed instructions for Maddie regarding Keith’s medication and dressings. The doctor admonished him to be back in a week for a checkup and Keith made the appointment, dutifully promising to be careful to avoid infections. On that score, I’m safer outside the hospital, he thought. Nonetheless, his body complained about simply getting out of bed to dress.

Maddie left to get her suitcase and car. Keith was so tired from arguing with his doctor that when she got back to the hospital he acquiesced to being wheeled out in a chair.

As they approached the library, he could see the wrecked atrium across the commons, surrounded now by a chain-link fence. Maddie circled to the parking garage beneath the building, showed her employee ID to the new security guard at the entrance, and parked near the elevator.

“Okay, Mr. Man of Mystery,” she said. “What book would you like me to check out for your vacation reading?” When he told her, she looked at him in disbelief. “You’ve got to be kidding! When you said ‘check out a book,’ I thought you were serious. I can’t check books out of the rare books collection.”

“Sign it out as a temporary transfer to the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz, Germany for analysis,” he responded. “I know you can do that. Fill out the paperwork for transfer to Dr. Rolf Schneider, Special Collections Curator.”

“But there’s no shipping available from here this week. I’ll have to arrange a pickup.”

“I want to show it to you before we ship it,” Keith said. “I’d even like to take you there to deliver it in person if we can arrange it.” She sat staring at him, and he was compelled to continue. “I don’t think it was a coincidence that the blast came right after I looked at that book. I think it was meant to send us a message. It sounds so stupidly cloak and dagger that I can’t believe I’m asking you to do this, but I promise that when we get to California I’ll be able to explain everything. We’ll keep the book safe and if you disagree when you see what I’m talking about, we’ll bring it straight back here.”

“California?”

Keith nodded.

“You live in California. You’re taking me home?”

He nodded again.

“We’ll need airplane tickets, and I’m not sure I’m packed right for California. Why don’t we go to my place for now and we’ll make reservations. You can explain what this is all about when we’re relaxed,” Maddie suggested.

“Darling, I need to go home. I bought tickets on-line in the hospital while I was waiting to get released. All we need to do is check-in.” He paused, almost exhausted. He knew that if she pressed to wait until tomorrow he wouldn’t resist, but he made one last plea. “Please. Come with me to California where we’ll be safe and have time to figure out what is really going on. I can’t explain how important it is. The flight is in just over two hours.”

Maddie sat in the car with her hands on the steering wheel looking straight ahead. He was afraid he’d gone too far and realized how new their relationship really was.

“I guess I can live with that,” she said. She opened her door and he reached for the handle on his own.

“Stay in the car, Keith,” Maddie said, laying a hand on his shoulder. “I won’t be long and you still need the rest.” He was asleep before she was out of sight.

She nudged him awake in the airport parking ramp.

“Do you need me to get you a chair?” she asked gently. Keith shook himself fully awake. He breathed deeply, dispelling his disorientation.

“I can walk now,” he said. “But a chair would get us through security more quickly.” They entered the concourse and Maddie flagged down a porter and explained their situation. In minutes, Keith was in a wheelchair. They checked in at a kiosk and went directly to security. As he had predicted they were guided to a special access line and were escorted by the porter to the gate.

“What’s in California besides Disneyland? And your home,” Maddie asked when they were settled. “I think I deserve to know what’s really up.”

“I mentioned seeing a printer, didn’t I? My grandfather lives with me—or I should say I live with him. He’s my number one mentor on book arts and he’s pretty worried about me just now. He’s only had one call from me since I was injured.”

“But...” Maddie’s cell phone rang, cutting off the question she was about to ask. She glanced at the caller ID and answered immediately. “Hi, Joey.” There was a moment’s pause then she began to explain. “I’m sorry, I completely forgot. I’m with Keith and we’re picking up our vacation. No. California at the moment. A few days. I’ll let you know. Don’t worry so much. We’ll be fine. I’ll call when we get back. Bye.” She closed the phone and looked at Keith who was watching with a bemused expression on his face, refusing to ask the question that was hanging over his head.

“Okay,” she said. “That was my brother. He’s a worry-wart. He flew in from Japan the day after the explosion to make sure I was all right. I was supposed to meet him for dinner tonight and I completely forgot to call him.”

“I didn’t know you have a brother,” Keith said. “All the mysterious men in your life.”

“He’s six years younger than I am,” she said. “It’s always been me worrying about and taking care of him. Apparently he thinks he needs to return the favor now. Since I’m off with you, he’ll probably hit the road again and I’ll hear from him from India or Africa or Australia.”

“What does he do?”

“He’s linguist and freelance interpreter. He speaks half a dozen languages, including three Middle Eastern dialects and Japanese. Sometimes he does work for the State Department,” Maddie said proudly. She raised the corner of her mouth in that one-sided smile Keith loved. “I think he’s a spy, but I don’t know for whom. He was certain foreign terrorists had targeted me because of him.”

“I hope I get to meet him sometime,” Keith answered.

“We’ll see how meeting your family goes, first,” she laughed.

“Mr. Drucker,” a gate agent said as she came up to him. “We can get you on board now.” Keith was rolled down the jetway with Maddie in tow and they settled into their first class seats, Keith’s big splurge for their getaway.

It was nearly midnight by the time they rented a car and Maddie drove into the California desert. They had talked more on the plane, but as Maddie sipped a glass of complimentary champagne, Keith’s painkillers dragged him down into sleep again. When they landed, however, he was alert and able to make further arrangements.

He used the GPS and police reports on his computer to warn them of speed traps. On this stretch of almost-deserted highway, 80 was just fast enough not to be passed by most eighteen-wheelers but slow enough to let real speeders take the heat if there were police. Once they were passed by a State trooper cruising in the left lane.

“Tell me about your grandfather so I know what to expect,” Maddie suggested as they cruised down the highway. Keith had to agree. It was only fair that he prepare her a little, and talking would keep them both awake for their midnight drive.

“I didn’t see him from the time I was 10 until I was 18,” Keith answered. “My mother blamed him for my father’s death—it was a printing accident—and just didn’t make him welcome. I think he blamed himself, too. We wrote to each other regularly, but I was really disappointed when he didn’t show up for my high school graduation.”

“You can get killed in a printing accident?” Maddie asked.

“He got caught in a web press at the newspaper. He’d taken over Grandfather’s job when he retired.”

“How awful.”

“Mom thought the whole printing industry was evil after that. I was insatiably attracted to it, though. When I graduated, Mom said she had something for me. She was a little embarrassed, but she gave me an envelope addressed to me in my grandfather’s handwriting. She said she’d held it until after graduation, but knew I’d be going now. My grandfather had sent me a plane ticket and a hundred dollars. I kissed my mom on the cheek and went to my room to pack.”

“How far south does California go?” Maddie asked. It appeared they were headed for the border. “Or are we just eloping to Mexico?”

“Hmmm ... Now that’s not a bad idea, but I’d like you to meet my family before you jump into things. You may not want to marry me when you see the rest of the gene-pool.”

“You said that awfully easily,” Maddie whispered quietly. He could see the color rising in her cheeks.

“We’ve not had much time lately to just be together,” Keith answered laying his bandaged left hand on her leg. “But I’ve thought about the possibility ever since we met.”

“Are you trying to scare me?”

“You’ve survived a bombing, three days by my hospital bed, and a mad dash across the country and into the desert,” he said. “Is there something I could do to scare you?”

“Okay, seriously,” she said abruptly. “Why your grandfather?”