The Espionage Effect(37)

The driver gave me a puzzled look. “?Nueve minutos?”

That sounded like nine, not ninety. I scowled, wishing I’d learned more than rudimentary Spanish in the last few years. Even with my eidetic memory, the two-hour crash course from Rosetta Stone on the last third of the flight over while Anna had slept wasn’t getting me far. A mind could only remember what it was exposed to.

“?Dos…horas?” I attempted.

He nodded rapidly. “Sí, se?orita. I come back. Two hours.”

I let out a relieved sigh. “Sí. Gracias.”

“De nada.”

When he drove off, I reentered the hospital lobby to the muted whoosh of the automatic glass doors opening and braced myself against an onslaught of unwelcome factoids that rushed into my head: In a 2011 study, over 722,000 hospital-acquired illnesses occurred in the United States that year, with approximately 75,000 deaths. In Mexico, Hepatitis A was endemic. Typhoid and rabies risks increased in rural communities. Their tuberculosis incidence is five times greater than in the United States. Noroviruses, influenza, Klebsiella…MRSA…my head spun with some of the most dangerous and common hospital pathogens.

Somehow that barrage of frightening information escaped me last time. I’d likely been too off-balance in Alec’s presence and awestruck by the luxurious hospital to get lost in the minutia of a developing phobia.

Counting the floor tiles in an effort to inundate my brain with something other than mysophobic statistics, I made it to the elevator, pressed the 3 button with the back of my knuckle, got out the moment the doors opened, then beelined straight for the clear bottle of antibacterial on the nurse’s station counter. I pumped a liberal squirt and fastidiously rubbed the entire surface of my hands. Twice.

Then I scanned the entire floor like Alec had done, taking note of every person, staff or not.

That’s right, Spy Guy. I am a quick study, even in your absence.

I crossed the hall to Anna’s room. Her bed was empty, but I heard the sounds of running water behind the closed bathroom door. Suspiciously eyeing the leather couch and chair for sanitary soundness, I opted for her bed. It was available, and I only needed to touch the sheets that Anna had slept on.

As I settled myself atop the bed, a man rounded the corner, entering the room. “How’s my gorgeous patient today?” The smooth baritone voice belonged to a dark head that stared down at a clipboard.

I crossed my legs at the ankles with a grin, recognizing the striking Latin doctor Alec had been talking to yesterday. “I’m fabulous, Doc. Thanks for asking.”

He froze, blinked, took four steps back and double-checked the room placard. Then he tucked the clipboard under his arm, glanced at the closed bathroom door, then back at me. He cleared his throat. “We’re a full service hospital: Flattery dispensed freely.”

Humor. Okay. I liked him already.

The bathroom door opened and Anna came out. The doctor’s face brightened several degrees as she stepped toward him with a wide smile. Then she turned and caught sight of me. “Dev!”

Hovering in the doorway, the doctor’s eyes nearly popped out of his head when she bared her naked backside in the classic tie-in-the-back hospital gown she wore. She winked at me as she kept her “assets” in full view for a moment longer before climbing onto the bed next to me.

“No better bait than the accidental flash,” she murmured.

“Cunning,” I whispered.

She grinned, proud of her deviousness as she wrapped an arm behind my shoulder. “You’re not the only one looking for a Latin fling.” She kissed my cheek.

When said potential Latin fling cleared his throat again, Anna flashed him a winning smile. “So how am I looking, Doctor Escobar?”

Escobar.

My heart launched into my throat. His embroidered name had been partially obscured by a folded yellow paper in his lab coat pocket. Escobar had to be a common name, right?

Nice observation skills, Devin. I needed to step it up and be more diligent if I hoped to gain the attention of any covert organization. But Alec had been talking to the man while we’d been here. The connection couldn’t be mere coincidence.

“You are beautiful, as always. I was about to ask if you’d accompany me to a party tomorrow night.”

Party? An Escobar party? And Alec had mentioned a mission tomorrow night. A statistically improbable coincidence.

Thinking fast, I let out a soft whine. “But I haven’t seen my best friend for two days.”

He glanced at me. “I would be honored if you both attended.”

Jackpot.

Anna gave me her patented fierce dare-to-contradict-her look, then shot him a beaming smile. “We’d love to go.” Her brows drew together. “What’s the attire? We didn’t bring cocktail dresses.”

“Let me take care of everything. You’re staying at the Belmond, yes?” When Anna nodded, he pulled out a mobile phone and dialed. “Elena. Sí. ?Cómo estás? Muy bien. ?Tienes dos vestidos para el baile? Ma?ana en el hotel, the Belmond, por favor. A las cuatro de la tarde. Perfecto. Gracias. Un momento...”

He pulled the phone from his ear, covering the bottom portion with his other hand. “Ladies, what sizes do you wear?”

“Two.” Anna replied. “Sometimes a four.” Which covered both of us, even if we’d put on a few vacation pounds.”