“You buzzed, Mr. St. James?”

“Right. I’ve got ten to three. They said they’d be here at three, didn’t they?”

“That’s right.” The nurse reached out to adjust his pillows. “Just relax, Mr. St. James. I’m sure they’ll be here on time.”

Jack frowned as he looked up at the crank and pulley that kept his leg stiffly elevated. “What are the odds of getting out of this thing, just while they’re here? Jayne’s going to say that I’m trussed up like a Christmas turkey.”

“The odds are better at rigged roulette. The doctor says your leg has to be in traction for another two months.”

“Come on, Miss Cooper. Can’t you do something? I heal fast.”

“Not that fast.” The nurse laughed. “And I’m sure Jayne Peters won’t say word one about a Christmas turkey.”

“Want to bet a fiver?”

“Sure.” The nurse nodded. “I’d better get some more chairs in here. Seven visitors, is that right?”

Jack shook his head. “Six. Jayne and Paul, Moira and Grace, and Ellen and Walker.”

“I thought they said seven. I’ll bring in an extra chair, just in case they’re bringing a friend.”

Jack sighed as he watched the nurse move in the extra chairs. Here he was, stuck in a hospital bed for at least two months, when he really wanted to be back up at Deer Creek Condos taking care of Betty.

“Here they come.” Miss Cooper glanced out the door and hurried to fuss with his pillows one more time. “Just remember that bet you made.”

“Jack, honey!” Jayne raced into the room and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Look at you, all trussed up like a Christmas goose!”

“A Christmas goose?” Jack groaned and handed Miss Cooper a five-dollar bill. “I thought for sure you’d say Christmas turkey!”

“No way. Turkeys are for Thanksgiving and geese are for Christmas. I even wrote a song about it. ‘Don’t be a Turkey at Christmas.’ You never heard it?”

“No, but Miss Cooper did.” Jack glared at the nurse, who laughed and made a hasty exit. Then he turned to Paul. “Hi, Paul. Sorry I can’t stand up to shake your hand. I tried, but they wouldn’t let me out of this rig.”

“It is no big contract.”

“No big deal.” Jayne corrected him automatically. “Come on, Jack. Shake his hand so he’ll sit down.”

Paul bowed slightly and extended his hand. “It is good to see you, Jack. Grace and Moira will be here shortly. They are arranging permission for the refreshments.”

There was a knock at the door and Grace came in, followed by Moira with a picnic basket. While Moira opened the basket and set out glasses on Jack’s bedside table, Grace came over to kiss Jack.

“The doctor said it’s all right, that you’re allowed to have the cake and ice cream we brought and a glass or two of champagne as long as we don’t get you so drunk that you break out of that traction thing you’re hooked up to and start swinging from the light fixtures or something equally destructive and, oh, I’m so glad to see you, Jack!”

“Say good night, Gracie.” Jack grinned at her. “Hey, Moira . . . don’t I get a kiss?”

“Dam . . . I mean, darn right you do!” Moira rushed over to the bed, her red and purple caftan flapping, and bussed Jack on the cheek. “Ellen and Walker are on their way up. They had to stop at the kitchen because Grace forgot to pack the silverware.”

There was another knock at the door and Walker and Ellen came in. He was carrying a bucket of ice and she had a handful of spoons.

“Sorry about this, Jack.” Ellen plunked the spoons down on the table and kissed him. “They couldn’t spare any knives and forks.”

“They don’t give us sharp implements. I guess they’re afraid we’ll stab one of the doctors and make a break for freedom. Hey, Walker. I hear you picked up a couple of biggies this afternoon.”

Walker came over to shake Jack’s hand. “Still got your sources, huh?”

“You bet.”

“What are you guys talking about?” Moira looked puzzled. “We know that Marc is in jail, but who else got busted?”

Jack smiled. “Three kingpins in the drug-smuggling business. That’s the reason Walker couldn’t blow the whistle any sooner. I tumbled onto the fact that Johnny was running drugs in Ellen’s mannequins months ago, but the agency wanted to hold off until they could nail his source.”

“Then you’re a narc?” Jayne turned to Walker with surprise. “You sure don’t look like a narc.”

Paul shook his head. “No, Jayne. Walker was kind enough to explain it to me. He is not a narc. He is actually a spook.”

Jayne looked horrified. “Really, Paul! They might say that in Norway, but we certainly don’t say it here!”

“But it’s true.” Walker chuckled. “I’m a member of the Spook Squad. We’re the agents who go undercover on the big cases.”

Ellen reached out to take Walker’s hand. “You mean you were a member of the Spook Squad.”

“You’re finally retiring?” Jack began to smile as Walker nodded. “About time you let the young guys take over and started to lead a normal life. And you’re settling down to make mannequins, right?”

“That’s right.”

Jack raised himself on his elbows until he was sitting up slightly. “You need my testimony to tie up any loose ends? All you guys have to do is subpoena me, and the doctors’ll have to let me out of this thing.”

Walker shook his head. “Nice try, Jack. But if you’re not out in time, they can always do a deposition from your hospital bed.”

“Okay, okay. If I can’t get out of traction, how about opening that champagne? At least it’ll take my mind off my troubles.”

Ellen stood up. “Good idea. We’ve got two bottles and a surprise waiting out in the hall. I’ll go tell her to come in.”

Jack felt his heartbeat quicken. Her? But it couldn’t be Betty. She wasn’t well enough to wait alone in the hall. He was happy his friends were here and he was glad to see them, but it made him miss Betty even more than ever.

“Hi, Jack.”

Jack’s mouth dropped open as Betty walked in, unassisted. She looked so healthy and so beautiful that he could hardly believe his eyes. He swallowed hard, but his voice still came out in a strangled croak. “Betty?”

“It’s me, Jack.”

Betty handed the champagne to Moira to open and came over to the bed to kiss him. She smelled wonderful from some kind of expensive perfume, her hair was done in a soft, flattering style, and her dress was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. Jack blinked and fought down the urge to pull her down for another kiss, the kind of a kiss that might just embarrass them both.

“I told them it might be too much of a shock to spring on you this way, but they just couldn’t resist. Should I sit on the edge of the bed? Or will that hurt your leg?”

“Oh, no. Please sit.” Jack’s voice was still hoarse. “What happened to you? You look . . . uh . . .”

“Normal?” Betty laughed. “I’m getting there, now that the drugs are almost out of my system.”

“Drugs?” Jack swallowed again, but it didn’t seem to help his voice.

“Her father had her drugged to keep her from talking,” Walker explained. “Betty’s responsible for the arrests we made this morning. And she made tapes of the murders on that close-circuit system you hooked up in her unit. She’s our star witness.”

Jack gazed at Betty in shock. “Then you don’t have Alzheimer’s?”

“No. The whole thing was Marc’s idea, and my father gave his approval. Walker says they’ve been trying to get the goods on our family for years.”

“But that means you’re in danger!”

“True, but it’s minimal.” Walker spoke up. “Marc told Betty’s father that she was dead and we haven’t said anything to the contrary. When the story breaks in the papers tomorrow, they’ll list Betty Matteo as one of the victims.”

“Come on, Walker.” Jack shook his head. “That might work for a while, but you know they’ll get wise sooner or later. Somebody’s got to protect Betty and I’m stuck in this damn hospital bed.”

Walker grinned at him. “Hospital beds can be moved. They can even be loaded onto a plane and taken to a nice safe tropical hideaway where you can recover with the aid of your private nurse.”