Secret Prey

on, but there was a wall between them: he could feel it, pressing them away from each other. ‘‘I don’t know what happened . . . In fact, I think I’m gonna . . .’’
    He walked over to the reception desk. ‘‘Could somebody let me know when Elle Kruger goes into the OR, and get an idea of how long it’ll take?’’
    ‘‘I’ll check,’’ the nurse said.
    WEATHER STEPPED CLOSER TO SHERRILL AND ASKED, ‘‘How is he?’’
    She shrugged: ‘‘Freaked out. Really freaked.’’
    Weather smiled, a thin, tentative smile but a real one, Sherrill thought. ‘‘Take care of him,’’ Weather said.
    Sherrill blushed and nodded, then said, ‘‘If I can.’’
    Lucas wandered back, and Weather said, ‘‘The bomb through my window, and now Elle.’’
    Lucas shook his head: ‘‘I can’t figure it. It’d have to be somebody who knows me, to know about you two. But who? And why not come after me? And why with the bomb and now a beating, for Christ’s sake? There’s too much risk involved. If they really want to get at me . . .’’ He rubbed his chin, wandered away, deep in thought.
    A moment later, the nurse appeared in the hallway, busily stepping down toward the reception area; Lucas went to meet her.
    ‘‘She’s in the operating room now,’’ the nurse said. ‘‘They’re just putting in the anesthesia. Doctor says he can’t tell how long it’ll be, anywhere from two to six hours.’’
    ‘‘Okay, okay . . .’’
    ‘‘He said she’s strong,’’ the nurse said.
    Lucas turned back to Weather and Sherrill: ‘‘Did you hear that?’’
    They nodded and Weather said, ‘‘Have you been to the scene?’’
    ‘‘No, that’s where I’d like to go . . .’’
    ‘‘You guys go ahead,’’ Weather said. ‘‘I’ll wait here, and if anything comes up, I can handle it.’’
    ‘‘Thanks, Weather,’’ Lucas said. To Sherrill: ‘‘You wanta come?’’
    ‘‘Yeah, I do.’’ She glanced at Weather and quickly nodded.
    They’d just started toward a door when a middle-aged couple hurried in, and the woman, tightly controlled, went to the reception desk and said, ‘‘My daughter was just hurt in some kind of accident at St. Anne’s and we were told she was here, but I don’t see her, do you know . . .’’
    And Lucas shook his head at Sherrill and they hurried out: ‘‘I didn’t want to see that,’’ Lucas said. ‘‘I don’t need it.’’
    A ST. PAUL LIEUTENANT NAMED ALLPORT WAS RUNNING the crime scene at St. Anne’s when Lucas and Sherrill arrived. He spotted Lucas getting out of the car, and yelled at a patrolman, ‘‘Send that guy over here.’’
    The patrolman whistled at Lucas to get his attention, and pointed at Allport. Lucas waved, took Sherrill by the elbow, and they walked along the side of the Residence building to a cluster of cops duckwalking around the parking lot.
    ‘‘I heard,’’ Allport said. ‘‘The nun’s an old pal of yours. She gonna be all right?’’
    ‘‘She’s in the OR. So’s the girl; the girl’s in trouble.’’
    ‘‘Ah, jeez. She’s some kid from the neighborhood here. One of the neighbors said her parents sent her here because she could live close to home and it’s safe.’’
    ‘‘You figure out what happened?’’ Lucas asked.
    ‘‘Yeah. What there is. You ain’t gonna like it.’’
    ‘‘I already don’t like it . . .’’
    ‘‘No, no. I mean, you really ain’t gonna like it. There’s a girl sitting in by the switchboard, she’s talking to one of her friends—they’re doing homework together. So a call comes in for Sister Mary Joseph—family emergency.’’
    ‘‘She doesn’t have a family anymore,’’ Lucas said.
    ‘‘Yeah.’’ Allport looked up at the night sky. ‘‘But that’s what they said. So the girl runs down and gets the sister and the sister takes the call and she listens and she freaks out and she hangs up, and she says to this girl, ‘Lucas has been shot; they’re taking him to Midway. I’ve got to go.’ ’’
    ‘‘What?’’
    ‘‘So she ran to get her keys and her bag and she ran back out and the girl at the phones says to the other one, ‘I don’t think she should drive,’ and the other one says, ‘I’ll take her,’ and she runs out. Then the girl sits there by the phones, and ten minutes later . . . or sometimes later . . . another kid comes in and says there’re two people hurt on the sidewalk and to call an ambulance.’’
    ‘‘Jesus,’’