Not Happily Married in Hollywood: Not in Hollywood Book 2 (7 page)

Adele’s hospital room seemed to be abuzz with activity.
Nurses were coming in and out of the room and Miranda Powell seemed to be
directing them with all the efficiency of a general directing troops.

“What’s happening?” I asked as I cautiously entered the room
dodging one nurse who looked particularly harried.

Miranda was the one who answered me while Adele sat serenely
on the side of the bed.

“Adele wants to go home and there is nothing physically
wrong with
her
, so we are organizing her discharge.”

Adele didn’t seem to be paying any attention to what was
going on around her so I was assuming the ‘we’ Miranda was referring to was
herself, as she took some paperwork from one of the nurses.

Sitting next to Adele I leaned over. “Are you sure you’re
ready to leave the hospital.”

I was a bit concerned as her eyes seemed to be a little
unfocused. Adele always seemed to be a little vague and the wider questions of
the world never seemed to
affect
her.
Even
so
she was looking a little more
spaced out than I had ever seen her before.

Miranda looked over. “She’s fine. She’s still got some of
the medications in her system but I’m going to take care of her for the next
couple of days, make sure there are no lasting effects.”

I felt better knowing that Miranda was involved. First aid
was the extent of my medical training. A requirement of Monique’s, considering
the number of her staff who had needed to utilize that skill for suspected drug
overdoses.

“Where will she be staying?” I asked.

“At her home” said Miranda.

I must have looked as horrified as I felt.

“Adele is fine with that” she said hurriedly.

Looking at the dilated pupils of Adele’s eyes, I was pretty
sure she would be fine with walking off the edge of the Grand Canyon. It didn’t
mean it was a particularly good idea though.

“Have you thought that maybe the police would be still
interested in the house as a crime scene” I said slowly. “Maybe it would be
better to put her in a suite at a hotel for a little while.”

“But I need my clothes, my computer, my things” Adele said
in an almost childish, sing song voice.

“I can get all of that for you” I said calmly, patting her
on the shoulder but looking at Miranda, knowing that she was the one that I was
going to need to convince.

Whatever medication Adele was on at the moment meant that
she was in no way capable of making decisions. I knew in those circumstances
Miranda and Elliot were going to be taking on the caring role. They were the
ones that I was going to need to negotiate with to help Adele.

Miranda took a moment. “If you really think that is for the
best, you are the only one of us who has seen the house since the incident.”

“I really think that Adele is not ready for the house based
on the last time I saw it” I said.

Miranda nodded. “Very well, if you can organize a suite for
her to stay at and then get some clothes and anything else you think she will
need, then I will take her to the hotel and we will meet you there.”

“Will there be anyone staying with her?” I asked.

“I have hired a nursing agency that I use sometimes for my
patients who prefer not to stay at hospital.” Miranda smiled. “She will have a
nurse with her twenty four hours a day.”

I nodded, encouraged that Adele was being well taken care
of. Stepping out of the room I organized a hotel suite for Adele and then
called the police station looking for permission to enter Adele’s house. I was
put through to Detective Ramos.

“We’re finished with it” she said. “Did you want me to put
you through to Griffin?”

Cooper’s words were still ringing in my ears so I declined
and hurriedly got off the phone.

“The hotel is sorted” I said as I entered Adele’s room.
“I’ve got the go ahead to access the house so I’ll get everything I need for
Adele. Is there anything in particular I should bring?”

“My laptop” said Adele, “and my notes. I think I know where
I’ve been going wrong. It’s all so much clearer now.”

“I’ll do that,” I smiled.

Nodding to Miranda I left the room. Adele’s house looked
very much as it always did. Though it was not as opulent as some homes in LA, it
had a peaceful coziness about it. Adele had once told me she could not part
with the house when she became successful because she and her first husband had
bought it together. She had always been happiest in this house. I wondered how
Eric’s death was going to affect that feeling of peace. The house showed
definite signs of being searched by the police. Things were out of place, some
items had been broken. I knew that I would need to try to recapture that
serenity that Adele cherished before I could even think of allowing her back
into the house. Just one more of the jobs I was going to need to do. In Adele’s
room I grabbed some clothes and underwear. In the state she was in at the
moment I didn’t expect her to be overly fussy about the clothes I chose. I
found Adele’s laptop and notebooks that she used in the safe in her bedroom
closet. Adele was a bit flaky about a lot of things but she was very much aware
that her writing was important. She always took great care with her research
and her laptop. I had been given the combination to the floor safe in the
closet when I first started, with the knowledge that the second I left her
employ the combination would be changed. As far as I knew Eric had never known
the combination to the safe.

Heading to the hotel I had booked, I found Adele with the
nurse. Miranda was talking on her cell out on the balcony so I sat next to
Adele.

“How are you feeling?” I asked gently.

“Good” she said frowning as if to concentrate. “Did you get
my things?”

“Yes I did” I said. “I’ve spoken to the investigator about
Eric’s family and I’ll try to talk to them tomorrow. I’ve also started to
organize the funeral service.”

“That’s good” she said gripping my hand. “I’m glad you’re
here to help me.”

“Are you going to need me for anything else tomorrow” I
asked.

“No, I just need you to take care of the funeral. At this
point nothing else matters. I don’t want to have to think about it” she looked
at me pleadingly.

“I’ll take care of everything” I said. “You just concentrate
on getting better.”

She nodded and walked towards her bedroom. I watched her
walk away, my concern evident on my face.

“She’s very fragile” said Miranda as she walked in from the
balcony. “Always has been, Andrew used to be able to deal with her. I thought
we were going to lose her when he died.”

“Her first husband” I said.

“Yes, Andrew adored her and he let her be fragile and
delicate. Adele never had to stand on her own two feet because Andrew took care
of everything. When he died she fell apart. Elliot and I tried to fill the void
but we could never be to her what Andrew was. When Eric came into her life he
was passionate and exciting. We all knew he was a mistake but he gave her the
first spark of life that we had seen since Andrew’s death. I don’t think any of
us actually believed that she would marry him or else we would have tried to
step in sooner” Miranda said regretfully.

“Do you think she’ll be okay after this?” I asked.

“We’ll get her through” Miranda said confidently. “It will
just take some time and a lot of patience. I don’t think it has got through to
her that not only is Eric dead but the way he died. They’re going to look at
her for the murder and I don’t know how she is going to deal with that. I don’t
think she is strong enough.”

I couldn’t refute what Miranda was saying. Adele was the
wife in an unhappy marriage and she was the only one in the house when Eric was
killed.

“I’ll be working on the funeral tomorrow but I’ll come by if
I can to check on her” I said to Miranda.

“That would be good” Miranda smiled. “I know she likes you.
Staffing has been a bit of a problem with Eric being, well Eric. You’re the
first one that she thought was going to last the distance.”

I shrugged because really what could I say. It was kind of
sad that the thing that I had going most for me was that I hadn’t slept with
her husband.

By the time I pulled up into my parking spot at my apartment
I could feel myself starting to drift. It had been a long couple of days and I
was looking forward to getting some sleep. Spotting Sean taking out his trash I
called over and asked whether he wanted some dinner. I didn’t really feel like
cooking but
I
knew that a
teenage boy was always hungry. It seemed to take both my and Miss Betsy’s
pantries to keep Sean fed.

“That’s okay” he waved back. “I’ve already eaten. Goodnight
Trudie.”

Very well then, quiet night in it was. I had to admit I was
kind of looking forward to it. Coming up to the door of my apartment I realized
that my quiet night was not going to happen. Detective Jake Griffin was leaning
against the wall next to my door with a bag of what smelled like Thai food in
his hands.

He held it up. “I figured I owed you for cutting out so
quickly last night.”

“You mean during my kidnapping?” I asked.

“It was dinner, not a kidnapping.”

“Choices were taken away, that constitutes kidnapping.”

“You are so stubborn” he said.

“My mother calls it strong willed” I said automatically.

“Are you going to let me in?” Griffin asked holding the Thai
food just out of my reach as an enticement.

“You’re lucky I can’t be bothered cooking tonight” I mumbled,
opening the door and motioning for him to follow me.

I pulled out some plates and
cutlery
,
placed
them
on the coffee table and sat on the couch with a groan.

“Busy day?” asked Griffin as he pulled out the containers of
food and opened them up. The aroma was heavenly and I started to serve myself a
healthy helping.

“You could say that. I’ve been asked to organize Eric’s
funeral.”

Griffin grimaced. “That doesn’t sound very pleasant.”

“Not particularly, but considering that Adele isn’t really
in much of a state to do anything, the rest of us are having to take up the
slack.”

My cell started ringing and I fished it out of my bag. It
was Miranda. “I’m sorry to disturb you at home” she started, “but Adele is
saying there were some photos in her notes that are missing. She’s quite
adamant.”

“I got everything out of the safe that I could find that was
relevant.” I said. “There were some bags in the bottom of the safe but I
assumed they were jewelry. I didn’t want to go poking around in there. I can go
back tomorrow if you want me to and give it a better look.”

“That would be good” said Miranda. “She’s quite distressed
and I’m going to give her something so she can get to sleep.”

I hung up the phone. Frankly I thought that the last thing
Adele needed was further medication, but what did I know. Miranda was a respected
doctor and I was the personal assistant who still looked up the internet
whenever I got sick and managed to convince myself I was going to die from the
common cold. Looking up I found Griffin staring at the business card that had
fallen out of my bag when I pulled my cell phone out.

“Why are you dealing with Travis Cooper?” he asked.

I grabbed the card out of his hand. “He helped me out with
an issue at work.”

“Cooper deals with cheating husbands and wives” Griffin
said. “Considering his history I’m assuming we’re talking about Eric Wesson.”

“Are we talking here or are you asking questions expecting
me to answer?” I asked as I took a mouthful of food.

Griffin looked at me carefully. I could see him mentally
stepping back. “We’re just talking” he said.

I put my plate down. “I’m organizing the funeral. Adele
doesn’t know of any family that Eric might have but I think it is important for
them to be given the chance to be there. Cooper had done some work for Adele
previously
, so I went to him for help.”

“I just think you would be better off working with someone
other than Cooper” Griffin said.

“Is this because of his reputation or based on what you know
about him personally?” I asked.

Griffin looked surprised. “He told you about me?” he asked.

“Not really” I said, “just that you used to work together.”

I knew I was keeping some of the conversation to myself but
I didn’t feel that he needed to know everything that Travis had told me.

“Cooper is someone you should be very wary about dealing
with” Griffin said in a measured tone.

Good to know that they both had the same level of distrust
for each other.

“Your father seems nice” I said, thinking a change of topic
was in order.

Griffin grunted while he was eating. Obviously not one of
the topics to approach him with. The sound of his phone ringing interrupted us.

“Sorry” Griffin said as he got up.

I returned to my food, because seriously, it was that good.
Griffin came back, an apologetic look on his face.

“I’ve got to get going” he said. “Just caught another case.”

“If I spend much more time with
you
,
I’ll get to the point where I’ll be too afraid to walk out my front door” I
said.

“I like that you’re thinking of spending more time with me”
Griffin said softly, his eyes warming as he moved towards me.

As his lips touched mine I could feel myself melting against
him. His arms came around me and I wound my arms around his shoulders,
attempting to keep myself from falling to the floor as my knees gave out.
Griffin pulled away and smiled into what I was sure were my flushed features.

“I’ll see you soon” he said as he opened my door, gave me
another quick kiss on the lips and disappeared.

I closed my door and leaned heavily against it. I was in so
much trouble. I had a feeling that I was in no way capable of handling Jake
Griffin, and that kiss was stamped with a great deal of possessiveness to it. I
was serious when I said that I wasn’t willing to settle for anything other than
awesome. I had a very bad feeling that Jake Griffin was capable of breaking my
heart, and the worst part was, he wouldn’t even mean to do it.