Deadly Games - Cate Noble [92]
Riley had kept her stabilized long enough to get her to a doctor in Bangkok, where she’d received several units of blood. But Travis had insisted they get her out of Thailand, far away from Minh Tran’s reach. Their private plane had barely gotten under way when she’d started bleeding again.
They had immediately detoured to this hospital, the same facility where Dante, Max, and Dr. Rufin had all been treated. Dr. Cho, the chief surgeon here, was a friend of Travis’s. Cho had examined Maddy’s X-rays and scans, then quickly routed her to an operating room.
I shouldn’t have pushed to leave Thailand so soon. I should have let her rest.
Travis and Riley had been escorted to this room to wait, though right now Riley was running an errand for Travis. Something Travis should have done himself, but he wasn’t about to leave the hospital. Hell, he would have gone into surgery if Dr. Cho had let him.
Be strong, Maddy, for both of us.
He checked his phone for messages, but there were none. Before leaving Thailand he’d gotten word that Erin had been rescued unharmed. The news that Logan Treyhorn was in a burn unit, barely clinging to life after setting himself on fire, was disheartening. Erin and Max were at the hospital with Logan, and Travis was eager for an update.
He was also waiting for additional information on yet another shocking report he’d received on Harry Gambrel. The crime scene evidence processed from the Boston condominium where pharmaceutical financier Abe Caldwell had been murdered included two strands of hair that matched Harry’s DNA. Chemically bleached hair.
Travis’s first reaction had been “what the fuck?” To have found Harry’s fingerprints in Bangkok and his hair at a Boston crime scene seemed impossible. Then Travis started connecting the dots.
The Agency had linked Abe Caldwell to Viktor Zadovsky. And Mr. Peabody had been their middleman. If Peabody had indeed held Harry in Bangkok, could Peabody have dragged trace evidence with him halfway across the world? Unlikely.
So why were Harry’s fingerprints and hair turning up but not Peabody’s? And why had Harry’s hair been bleached? Especially since according to Dr. Rufin’s description, Peabody also had bleached blond hair.
The coincidences were too strong not to ask: Were Harry and Mr. Peabody the same person?
If Harry had wanted to change his appearance, logic would suggest going opposite. Harry had brown hair, brown eyes. The opposite would be blond hair and blue or green eyes. And Peabody was blond with blue eyes.
Plastic surgery could have easily altered other features.
Travis paced, not wanting to believe the worst of a man who’d once saved his life. Which was Travis’s blind spot, as Rocco had frequently pointed out whenever Travis defended Harry.
Granted, Harry had an abrasive side that usually showed worse when Rocco was around. Travis had chalked their differences up to the fact they had a romantic conflict. Harry had married Rocco’s ex-girlfriend. Rocco claimed she hadn’t been an ex. And then Gena had been hospitalized and a warrant issued for spouse abuse. That the charge had been dropped meant no disciplinary action for Harry.
But now another thought occurred to Travis. Had Gena dropped the charges out of fear of retaliation? Had Travis overlooked things because he felt a debt to Harry?
Possibly, but not intentionally.
One thing was certain, as soon as they were back in the states, Travis would appoint someone else to investigate the matter. Because if Harry had faked his own death, he was a traitor. A traitor with some valuable connections.
Connections that could leak inside information?
The door pushed open as Dr. Cho came in, still wearing his surgical scrubs.
Travis rushed to meet him. “How is she?”
“Better. I found a tear in her abdominal wall, probably caused by her falling off the fence. I want to keep her a while, to ensure the bleeding doesn’t start again, from surgery or the miscarriage.”
“Will she have any problems getting pregnant in the future?