Undercover Passion

He bit his tongue. There was no way she was going on a cruise. It was impossible. The summer had begun with her being hospitalized with circulatory problems, and then there had been the fall she’d taken, an accident that had left her lying helpless in the street. He couldn’t bear to think of her risking another accident like that. And even if she were in physical shape to do it, the money wasn’t there.

He’d just sunk every penny in a wonderful retirement community for her. Now all he had to do was convince her that she wanted to move in. But there would be plenty of time for that once she was back on her feet again.

“You just get over here and adjust these pillows for me,” she was saying. “Then you can turn on my television and go out and find a nice girl to date.”

He obliged about the pillows right away. “That’s just my complaint, you know,” he said with a sad smile, meant to get her sympathy. “There are no nice girls left.”

Phoebe looked up at him, her eyes narrowing speculatively. “That cute little redheaded nurse was asking about you again.”

He threw out his hands in a mock gesture of irritation. “Now see, that’s what I mean. That’s just plain weird.”

“Why?”

He shrugged, ready to pass her question by. But the way she was looking at him, he could tell she wasn’t going to be satisfied with that, so he tried to explain. “Women just don’t do things like that around me. I’m not that type of guy. Never have been.”

“Oh, Danny, don’t be so dense,” his grandmother said crossly. “Women would love you if you just give them half a chance. And the redhead is the proof.”

“No, Gram.” He shook his head. This was one thing in his life that he didn’t doubt. “There’s something wrong here. Women have never fallen all over me like this before. And in such strange ways. I don’t trust it.”

“Oh, Danny.”

“It’s the truth. Women just don’t act like that around me.”

“Well, how do women usually act?”

He grimaced. “Most of the women I deal with these days reach for their license first, and then for their cell phone.”

She looked bewildered. “Their cell phone?”

“To call their lawyer.”

“Oh.” She laughed. “Of course. They’re afraid you’re going to arrest them.” She shook her head. “Well, very few here know you’re a cop so that isn’t the problem.”

He slumped down into the chair beside her bed and squinted his eyes, thinking. “That’s just it. It’s driving me nuts. I’ve got to get to the bottom of it. I’ve got women making goo-goo eyes at me all over the place.”

“Well, of course you do, darling.” She patted his arm. “I think you just never noticed it before. You’re quite a handsome man. I’m sure there are lots of women sizing you up as a very good catch. You just don’t pay enough attention.”

He gave his grandmother a patient look. “That’s not it, Gram. I pay a lot of attention. It’s part of my job to pay attention. And I’ve never been a ladies’ man before.” He sighed, mulling things over. “Anyway, it’s not just me. Half the people in this hospital seem to be wandering around in a lovesick daze. You heard your friend Ella. She’s noticed it, too. Something deeply suspicious is going on around here.”

Phoebe still looked dubious, but she was lost in memories for the moment. “The trouble is, you don’t take advantage of opportunities when they slap you right in the face. I remember that talkative Taffy Williams who used to come around to see you. She wasn’t a beauty, but she seemed to be such a nice girl. You never did ask her out, though, did you?”

Daniel looked at her, considered for a moment, then decided to tell her the truth. “Gram, Taffy had a sex-change operation three years ago. She’s now a he. You can stop trying to get me to ask her out. Uh, him out… Oh, hell!”

“My goodness. I’m sorry to hear that.” She put a finger to the side of her nose, thinking. “I must send her a get-well card.”

Daniel laughed out loud. “You don’t ‘get well’ from a sex change.” He sobered. “At least, I don’t think you do.”

“Never mind. Everyone likes to get a card showing concern. Even if we’re not too clear what that concern is all about.” She smiled at him, then looked eager. “Now tell me. What is your investigation turning up?”

He turned to look at the wall. “Nothing so far.”

“Danny! Don’t hold out on me now. Tell me what’s up.”

He looked back at her. “Gram, I don’t think you need to—”

“It has to do with that Healthy Living Clinic place, doesn’t it?”

He reacted with surprise, then resignation. “How did you figure that out?”

Her smile was smug. “Where do you think you got your inquisitive genes? I heard what you said to Ella. That snapped it into place right away. So give.”

“There’s nothing to ‘give,’ you rascal.” Leaning forward, he kissed her cheek with genuine affection. “I’ve been snooping around, but so far nothing looks even vaguely promising.”

She pouted. “At least tell me what I can do to help.”

He gazed at her, loving the way she wanted to get involved, but knowing it was something she just couldn’t do. He would lay down his life for this woman who had stepped in and taken over when his parents had been killed in a boating accident. She’d been way past her most energetic years at the time. By all rights, she should have been spending her days having tea and cookies with her lady friends, joining the gardening club, taking tours of Europe. Instead, she’d pitched in and taken over parenting duties that had helped keep him and his three younger brothers together.

It had been no bed of roses for her, either. He and his brothers hadn’t appreciated her at first, and they’d rebelled, each in his own way. As he looked back now, with the perspective of time, he could see that he had been emotionally devastated by the death of his parents, that he had taken it out on his grandmother, his community and, probably most of all, himself. There had been a time when it had been a toss-up as to which side of the law he would end up on. If it hadn’t been for his grandmother, always a steady rock of love and understanding, he wasn’t sure he would have made it back.

Oh, what the hell. If she wanted to help, there must be something he could think up to let her feel useful.

“Okay, here’s what you can do. You can ask around about the Healthy Living Clinic. Just casually work it into the conversation. When nurses and therapists drop by, ask if they know anything about it, or if anything strange is going on there.”

“What is going on there?” she asked in a stage whisper, her eyes huge.

He looked at her and hid his grin, answering her with the same sort of whisper. “That’s what I’m trying to find out.”

“Ah.”

“It’s not anything big or deep or dangerous. I don’t think. I’m just curious.”

“I see.” She nodded wisely and gave him a little wink.

“No, Gram, I mean it. Just ask around. No big deal.”

She stuck her nose in the air. “I know how to keep my cool, as we used to say in the jazz age.”

“The jazz age.” He laughed softly. “Okay, Gram, have your fun.”

He sobered, realizing he might be unleashing a whirlwind.

“But under no circumstances are you to take any products from that place. No vitamins or tonics or lozenges. Don’t do any of their exercises either.”

He thought for a moment and added, “In fact, don’t let any people from that place into your room. Okay?”

“You can trust me,” she said stoutly.

“Good. Now can I trust you to get some rest?”