Chapter 76

"Good to see you back with us," Blevins said as he entered the room. "So do you remember what happened now?"

"Oh yes, I remember them saying that it was a message from Davenport. The skinny one, who is no longer with us, said that if I didn't leave Davenport alone, he would have me and my whole family killed. He was very specific."

"My God Max, we are going to hang his ass from the courthouse flagpole, when you tell that in court."

"Good, now tell me something. Where the hell is Jerry, you said he was watching my back. Surely he should have been in to say hello."

"Actually he is working midnight shift. You haven't been awake long enough for him to speak to you. He told me that himself this morning."

"Ah that explains it. I wonder why Mosby hasn't been in to see me."

"Max, I am not getting into the middle of that one." Blevins said.

"Has she left town?" I asked. It occurred to me that I might not be out of the hospital, before my contract with Marty for the TV show ended. If that were the case, he might have fired Mosby, or Beth Ann.

"Max, I have nothing to say on that subject. You have your cell phone, so call someone who knows." Blevins suggested.

"So it was you who brought my phone. I wondered how it go here." I said.

"Yeah, it wasn't going to be any good as evidence."

"You decided that after you did the drop on the calls."

"Yeah, I did." He looked out the window at my parking lot view. Then added, "You know that you are the most interesting person in this town. No wonder they are making that TV show about you."

"That is probably what put me in here, so it might not have been my best decision to go along with the TV thing."

"Max, you would have done what you did even without the TV producers being here."

"Yeah, I guess I would have at that. And the kid's film did save my ass from answering a lot of questions."

"Yeah, gonna make a hell of an episode," he laughed. "Did you know that it is raining like hell out there."

"No but with the temperature falling every day, I'm glad that I'm not in it. Of course I would rather be in bed somewhere with a bottle of Jack Daniels."

"Wouldn't we all?" he asked not expecting an answer.

"Hey, did you get your burglars?" I asked.

"Fucking kids," he said. "It's just a matter of time until someone sees them." He paused looked out the window again then said, "The only good shit happens when you are involved."

"Oh bullshit," I replied.

"I just stopped by to see, if you remembered the conversation. Since you do, I guess I should get back to searching for the kids who are steeling cash, jewelry, and high end bikes. The bikes are the give away." He looked away from the window and at me. "You were wearing a microphone. You ought to see that clip, just to refresh your memory."

"Okay, I'll do that. Bye the way Blevins, did you ask Reverend Archer, if anyone tried to sell him bikes recently?"

"No, should I?"

"Yeah you should. Lucas got a motor bike from him and he put it on a used bike that was a beauty. He got that bike somewhere."

"Give me the address of that bike shop," he demanded.

"Hell, I don't know the name of the street but it's out in the West End area. It's just off English road in an 0ld service station. You will find it. Just keep my name out of it."

"Oh hell it's open to the public and I am looking for stolen bikes. Cops do it all the time, I don't need an informant for that No need for him to know you thought of it instead of me. Hell, it looks better that it was my idea anyway." With that Blevins left me alone.

I used the cell phone to call Helen. "Hello Helen this is Maxine," I said into her message machine. "Give me a call please. I'm trying to find out about Mosby."

I broke down and called Mosby's phone, but all I got was the out of service message. I honestly hadn't expected that. I hadn't called her because of Jerry. I really hadn't a clue that she might have left town.

I was tempted to call Jerry, but if he was working midnight shift, he might be sleeping. I didn't want to take a chance on waking him. Okay, I also didn't want to have Mosby answer the phone. I had no idea what I would do, if she rubbed my nose in it.

"Maxine, you look better. How do you feel?" the doctor asked. I had a different hospital specialists during each of my three days as a patient.

"I'm impressed, I haven't had the same doctor twice yet. I can't believe it. This stay has to be costing my insurance company a fortune." I paused to see, if she would smile. She didn't "The answer to your question is that I am just fine considering I was gutted like a fish."

"Well it wasn't that bad was it, but you do seem to have gotten sliced and diced pretty good. Not to mention your heart seems to have stopped beating for a bit. We still aren't quite sure how that worked."

"I can't help you with that. I was a little busy walking to the light," I said.

"Really/" she asked.

"No, there was no light or any other thoughts. I just went to sleep, then I just woke up."

"Oh alright, you had my hopes up." she laughed at herself. "So. lets take a look at you. Drop the top of that gown."

"Shouldn't we pull the drapes first?" I asked.

"Oh so you are going to be modest now?" she asked smiling at me.

I had a bad, bad feeling suddenly. "I'd like to see your hospital ID?' I demanded. I also had my hand on the derringer. "Sure," she said, but instead of the ID, she came out with a syringe.

"Sorry sweetie, but I can trump that." She had been braced for a struggle. The big bore of the shotgun derringer in her face was a shock to her. It stopped her dead in her tracks. I pressed the button on my nurse call thingie and waited.

"What the?" the nurse asked excitedly.

"Is there a cop at the door outside."

"What's going on?" he asked as he rushed into the room. He pulled his automatic handgun just about two minutes too late.