Bedmates Soulmates

Don't For Fall It

'Don't play dumb with me.'

Jesse smirked. 'If you want to know, why don't you go and have a look for yourself? Her ward's just one floor above." Austyn just stared at him.

The doctor shrugged. 'It's just a bruise. She's going to be fine. In fact, she could leave the hospital right now if she wants. I don't see the point of her staying here anyway. It's a bruise on a shoulder, not an amputation." Austyn put on his suit jacket.

Jesse opened his desk drawer, removed a pack of cigarettes and extracted one. 'You want?"

'Since when do doctors hand out cigarettes to patients?'

Saying so, Austyn took the cigarette anyway.

'By the way, when are you going to recall those bodyguards of yours? They're scaring both the patients and the nurses. If they want to get from one end of the hallway to the other, they take a detour through my floor. 'Walking more is good for their health,' Austyn said simply. 'Aids in their recovery."

'But your wife's bandage needs tending to. Who's going to do that when no nurse can come within five metres of her roorn?'

"The bodyguards will let the nurse in,' Austyn said, "if they have legitimate business being there.

'What if something happens and a nurse can't get to her in time because your bodyguards are blocking the door?' Jesse said deliberately.

"What can happen? You said it's a bruise.'

'Who knows. Adverse reaction to medication, maybe. Or she could slip and fall in the bathroom.

Austyn knitted his brows.

He was about to suggest putting a nurse in Kira's room full-time, but he checked himself.

He was still angry at her.

He shouldn't care this much about her.

'Is this about Liam Cane?' Jesse asked.

"How'd you know?"

'I heard some of it from Kal. What did he do this time?!

When Austyn didn't reply, Jesse continued. "The man must have a death wish. I don't understand why he keeps provoking you."

"This is him doing it again,' he said. 'He approached Kira on purpose."

He watched Austyn's inscrutable face.

No reaction.

'Your wife probably doesn't know the history between you and Liam. Maybe she just sees the man as an acquaintance. This really isn't her fault, you know." Austyn stood in front of the open window, dragging on his cigarette.

He was well aware of what Jesse said, but he just couldn't put the kiss out of his mind.

His wife and his enemy, kissing in public.

While he was in the car across the street.

He started seeing red just thinking about it.

"It's Liam's game,' Jesse said. "He did it to drive a wedge between you and Kira. Don't fall for it. If you do, he wins.

Austyn ground out the cigarette butt in an ashtray.

He just nodded at the doctor and left Jesse's office without a word.

'Did the man even listen to me?' Jesse watched Austyn's back, muttering to himself.

Then he shook his head. "Why do I even bother?"

Despite his bloodshot eyes, Austyn still cut a striking figure in his black Dolce & Gabbana suit and Edward Green Piccadilly leather penny loafers.

The only thing that seemed a little out of place was the retro-looking watch on his left wrist.

Female nurses fixed their hair and smoothed out their uniforms as he walked past, while male nurses grudgingly admired the man's expensive outfit and muscular physique.

Austyn strode past the nurses' station without a backward glance.

He had left Jesse's office and gone to the lift,

But after he got in, instead of pressing B2 for the basement carpark, he pressed the button for one floor above. Before he figured out what he was thinking, his legs had carried him to this floor. The two bodyguards snapped to attention when they noticed Austyn approaching.

"Boss."

He gave a slight nod and stopped in front of the door.

One of the bodyguards, anxious to please, reached for the doorknob.

'No.' Austyn gestured for him to stand back

The upper half of the door was a glass pane.

Austyn looked through it.

The bed was empty.

He took a quick step forward.

More of the ward came into view.

Kira was sitting on a chair, facing the window.

Her back was to him.

The afternoon sun streamed through the glass, outlining her slim figure in the voluminous hospital gown.

Her long hair was tied back in a ponytail."

Her right shoulder was wrapped in layers of white gauze.

She had her knees drawn up under her chin.

Her back was bent, her head lowered.

Austyn watched her for a full minute.

She did not move once.

Don't For

He wondered what she was looking at.

The view out the window was just a drab concrete building across the street.

He ran his eyes over her.

Was it a trick of the light, or had she lost weight?

Austyn almost hit his nose on the glass pane before he realised he was moving forward.

A cold sensation came from his hand.

He looked down and saw that he had one hand on the doorknob, ready to turn it.

Austyn removed his hand and backed away from the door.

"Did anyone go into the ward?'

One of the bodyguards answered, 'Other than doctors and nurses and Mr Scott, no one else."

'Keep your eyes open,' Austyn said before leaving. 'Don't let anything happen to her." 'Yes, Boss."

Austyn was behind the wheel when his phone rang.

'Yes.'

He listened to the caller.

'T'll be there in ten minutes."

The Hummer made an about-turn.

Kira's Missing

Austyn arrived at Adis Road in nine minutes.

Gideon waved at him.

A white Audi A5 Sportsback was parked on the side of the road, its bonnet raised.

'Your car broke down?' Austyn glanced at the Audi.

Gideon nodded. 'I thought it was trouble with the alternator. Tinkered with it for a while, but no dice. You came fast."

"I was on my way to the office just now. It's not far from here. Is this a rental?"

'Call the rental company. Get them to tow the car away.'

I did. They're on their way."

"Then you can leave it here. I'll give you a ride."

'Appreciate it.

Gideon got in the front passenger seat.

Austyn started the car.

Three minutes of silence later, Gideon asked, "What's wrong? You're quieter than usual. Am I keeping you from something?"

'No.' Austyn kept his eyes on the road. 'It's not you,'

'Someone else then. Seeing how you're a married man-trouble on the home front?'

Austyn neither confirmed nor denied it. 'How about you? How's it going with your treasure hunt?"

Gideon sighed. 'Not much progress, I'm afraid. I've tracked down her mother, though. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before I finally see her again." 'Good luck with that. Call me when that happens. Dinner's on me.'

'It's a deal.'

Gideon looked out the window, smiling at the prospect of seeing Kira soon.

Austyn's phone rang again.

He answered it through the Bluetooth headset. 'If it's work, you can deal with it yourself. If it's something you can't handle, set it aside till-

'Boss,' Kai interrupted Austyn, 'Young Madam is missing!'

"What?"

'She's missing from the hospital.' Kal sounded out of breath as if he'd been running. "The ward's empty. I've turned the entire floor upside down, but I can't find her." Austyn gripped the steering wheel and bellowed into the headset. 'Kal Scott, you better find her before I reach the hospital! Or else.'

The assistant was sweating profusely.

Boss seldom raised his voice.

When he did, heads usually rolled.

Kai hoped it wouldn't be his this time.

He shuddered to think what came after 'Or else.'

Austyn stabbed the side button to end the call.

The Hummer's tyres screeched loudly as he made a sharp left turn.

'Sorry, something has come up. I'll have to drop you off here.'

Gideon shook his head. 'I'll tag along if you don't mind. See if there's anything I can do to help. I'm not in a hurry anyway.

"Okay."

Austyn stepped on the gas.

Kai paced in the hallway outside the ward.

When he saw the last bodyguard coming back empty-handed, he knew he was doomed.

'Still no sign of her?"

The bodyguard shook his head. 'We've looked everywhere. The lobby, the cafeteria, the sky garden...she's not there."

Kai was ashen-faced..

He'd messed up big time.

It was such a simple job-keep Kira in the ward.

Yet, with two guards outside at all times and Kai checking in now and then, Kira still managed to give them the slip.

Boss was going to be furious,

Footsteps approached, loud and fast.

Kai saw his boss barrelling down the hallway towards him, followed by a man which looked vaguely familiar.

'Boss..." Kai went up to Austyn, shame-faced.

Austyn pushed past him into the ward.

It was empty.

The bed was

unmade.

The quilt was tossed to one side and the sheets were rumpled.

The door to the ensuite bathroom was open.

The odour of disinfectant hung heavy in the air.

Austyn closed his eyes.

He thought he could smell a faint trace of jasmine, Kira's scent.

When he left the hospital less than an hour ago, Kira was sitting in front of the window, quiet and unmoving.

Now she'd disappeared.

Austyn whipped around. 'Kal.'

The assistant inched forward, head bowed. 'Boss."

'Tell me what you know."

"I wasn't here when it happened. Young Madam wanted to have ice cream. It's not sold in the hospital café, so one of

the bodyguards went to the minimart across the street. When he came back, the ward was empty."

'She just vanished into thin air?"

Kai kept his eyes on the floor. 'I...I really don't know."

Austyn scanned the ward.

The single-sash window was open, with a gap big enough for Kira's petite frame to squeeze through.

But the room was on the seventh floor.

Austyn dismissed the possibility of Kira doing a Spiderman-style escape.

There were only two points of egress in the ward.

The window was impossible.

The door was guarded round the clock.

Where would she be if the bodyguards didn't see her leave the room?

Austyn's eyes flicked to the bed.

Gideon spoke to him. 'What did your men do after they realised their charge was missing?"

Austyn stared at the two bodyguards on duty.

One of them thought it over and said, 'After we opened the door and didn't see her, we checked the bathroom first. She wasn't in there. Then we checked the hallway, the nurses' station and the other rooms on this floor."

'So the door was just left open the entire time? Gideon asked.

The bodyguard nodded.

'And you didn't check under the bed?"

Kai worked it out first.

He hit his forehead with his palm.

He'd been so stupid!

When the bodyguards called him, he'd rushed over immediately and done the same things they did-search the rest of

the floor.

Gideon chuckled. 'Your wife's pretty cunning.'

Austyn gritted his teeth.

Eager to redeem himself, Kai said, "I'll talk to the hospital director and get the surveillance footage.'

He dashed off.

Austyn closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

Two nights of fitful, dream-filled sleep.

And now this.

He was running on fumes.

"I'm sorry you had to see this,' he said to Gideon..