Blackfoot Affair Read Online Free PDF Page A

said, looking past her at the room they’d just left.
    “Same thing you are,” Marisa responded, yanking her arm from his grasp. “I want to make sure Bluewolf is all right.”
    “If you go back out there the press will eat you alive. It’s common knowledge already that the kid was aiming at you.”
    “And did you aid in disseminating that knowledge?” Marisa inquired coldly.
    “Hey, don’t blame me for your screwup. If you had asked for the continuance this might not have happened.”
    “You had the same opportunity to do so that I did! Bluewolf told me he wanted you to talk to Lasky and you refused.”
    “When did he tell you that?” Brady asked, his eyes narrowing.
    “Never mind, it’s not important now. Can you get me upstairs to see him or not?”
    “Why should I do that?” Brady countered.
    “Because he was hurt trying to protect me. A decent person would let me satisfy my conscience that he’s all right,” Marisa said evenly.
    Brady studied her in silence.
    “Or am I making an incorrect assumption that you’re a decent person?”
    Brady shrugged. “I can take you up to his room, but my guess is that’s as far as you’ll get.”
    “I’ll take that chance.”
    Brady turned around and guided her through the crowd, shoving off aggressive reporters and ignoring the shrill cries which surrounded them. They were almost running when they reached the elevator. Brady punched the button with the flat of his hand and they fell against the inside walls of the cage as the doors closed and it ascended.
    “Nice group, eh? ” he said sarcastically.
    When they got to the third floor the atmosphere was much calmer, brisk and efficient. Brady introduced Marisa to the attending doctor at the nurse’s station.
    “How is Mr. Bluewolf?” Marisa said anxiously.
    “You’re not a relative, right?”
    “No, I’m...”  
    “The target of the gunman,” Brady finished for her when she hesitated.
    “Ah, I see,” the doctor said, nodding. “Well, he’s lost a lot of blood, but we’re transfusing him and he’s young and healthy. We’ll be operating soon to remove the bullet. Unless he throws a clot or something else extraordinary happens, he should recover from the wound all right.”
    Marisa closed her eyes. “Thank you.”
    “Why did that guy take the bullet for you?” the doctor asked her curiously.
    “He didn’t mean to, it was an accident. He was trying to shove me out of the way,” Marisa said.
    “Haven’t you heard, Doctor?” Brady said lightly. “Chivalry is not dead.”
    Marisa silenced him with a look.
    “May I see him?” she asked the doctor.
    The doctor shook his head. “Not until after the surgery. His sister and mother are on their way from Oklahoma. Once they get here they can determine the visiting list.”
    “May I wait around until the operation’s over?”
    He gestured toward a small waiting room at the end of the corridor. “You can sit in there if you want. It will be a while.” He hurried off to waylay a passing nurse.
    “Are you going to hang around here?” Brady asked Marisa.
    “Yes.”
    “Why don’t you go back to your hotel? I’ll call you.”
    Marisa shook her head. “I’ll wait.”
    “Feeling responsible?” he said baitingly.
    “Goodbye,” Marisa said, turning her back. She walked to the waiting room and sat down in one of the plastic chairs.
    It was a very long day. She talked to Tracy on the phone a couple of times, watched a soap opera on the lounge television and then fell asleep. When she woke up it was dark and a nurse was shaking her.
    “Aren’t you waiting on the Bluewolf case?” she asked.
    “Yes,” Marisa replied worriedly, sitting up quickly.
    “He’s out of recovery and back in his room. He’ll be fine.”
    Marisa nodded wordlessly and pressed the nurse’s hand.
    “Why don’t you go home?” the nurse suggested kindly.
    Marisa stood stiffly and headed for the hall.
    It was stretching a point to call a hotel “home.”  
    * *