More Than a Mission - Caridad Pineiro [74]
“Make it possible,” she insisted as she went to his side.
With a nod, he said, “We can talk to Walker about it.”
“Walker? I get the sense the two of you don’t get along,” she remarked, recalling the men’s earlier confrontations.
Aidan shrugged away her concern. “That’s what happens when you put two alpha males to work on the same assignment. He’s actually not such a bad guy.”
“Let’s hope so.”
She walked out of the bedroom, Aidan following behind her, his hand riding at the small of her back. In the suite outside, Lucia and Walker sat at the monitors once more, but at her approach, they rose.
“Ms. Moore. I’m sorry for your loss,” Walker offered and Lucia echoed his sentiments.
Elizabeth picked her head up a notch. “I want to see Dani. I want to say goodbye to my sister.”
Walker’s gaze skittered from her back to Aidan. “Didn’t you tell her?”
“I did, but I can’t agree with the decision. Elizabeth should be able to see her sister,” Aidan replied.
“It’s not possible,” Lucia jumped in and came to stand before Lizzy. “I know this must be hard—”
“What do you know about how hard this is for me?” Elizabeth snapped. “You tell me my sister’s dead, but you won’t let me see her body. Won’t let me say goodbye.”
Walker also took a step toward her. “Ms. Moore—”
“Save it, Dr. Shaw. If you can’t make it happen, get someone on the phone who can.”
Walker looked back toward Aidan, as if to ask him to intercede. But as she risked a glance over her shoulder, Aidan just shrugged at the other man. “She’s right on this. We all know it. It’s what we’d all want if…”
An uneasy silence followed his words. A silence shattered by the ringing of the phone. Walker was the one who hurried over to pick it up. A one-sided conversation ensued, occasionally punctuated by Walker’s yes sirs and no sirs. Finally there appeared to be a break and Walker said, “Mr. Lazlo. Ms. Moore has a request for you.”
There was the static of a reply and then Walker moved to the table holding a speakerphone and hit a button. “Mr. Lazlo?” he said.
A crackle rent the air before a man’s resonant voice said, “Ms. Moore. My sympathies are with you at your loss.”
She walked closer to the speaker, leaned toward it so she would be clearly heard. “If you truly meant those words, Mr. Lazlo, you would let me see my sister.”
“Unfortunately, the body—”
“My sister, Mr. Lazlo. Not just a body,” she emphasized, her hands clenched on the surface of the table.
“Of course, Ms. Moore. Your sister. Unfortunately—”
“You’re sounding like a broken record, Mr. Lazlo. And so far, I haven’t heard a single reason why I can’t see Dani one last time.”
Aidan came up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Leaning past her, he spoke into the speakerphone. “Corbett, it’s not an unreasonable request.”
“Mr. Spaulding. There are some things over which even I have no control,” Lazlo responded, his tone bordering on sympathetic.
“Please, Mr. Lazlo. I’m sure a man with your connections can make the arrangements,” Elizabeth added.
Lazlo stammered for a moment. “Yes, well. Of course, Ms. Moore. I shall endeavor to see about a last visit.”
A last visit. The words made her knees go weak again, but luckily Aidan was behind her. He eased an arm around her waist and steadied her. “Thank you, Mr. Lazlo.”
The sound of the dial tone filled the room for a second before Walker reached over and cut the connection. As she glanced over at him, he saluted. “Ms. Moore, you’ve just played one of the world’s greatest players. My hat’s off to you.”
She was about to respond when a machine on another of the tables began to beep and spit out paper.
Lucia reacted immediately, heading over to pick up the sheet the machine spewed out. Her hands trembled for a moment as she read the document. When she finished she faced them and offered the fax to Walker, who also perused it quickly.
“What is it?” Elizabeth asked, seeing the look on the psychiatrist’s face go hard once again.
“It’s an advance copy of the Quiz, courtesy of Lord Southgate.” He picked up the piece of paper and held it up