LITMIR.BIZ

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nodded. “Go right onto the highway, back to town. I’ll tell you where to turn when we get there.”

      While they sped into Ojibway, he heard her murmuring to Aino as she supported his head on her shoulder. When they reached the hospital, Mikel jumped out and hurried into the emergency entrance. Moments later he followed a gurney out to the car and helped the male paramedic extract Aino from the back seat and onto the gurney. Once inside the hospital again, he was relegated to the tiny waiting room while Aino was wheeled off and the young woman steered to a desk to answer questions and sign forms. After a time she joined Mikel in the waiting room.

      “They won’t let me be with him,” she said, her voice breaking.

      “Tests to run,” he told her, feeling inadequate. His impulse was to put his arms around her for comfort, but now that he had time to notice, she was not only young, but a striking brunette who very likely would misinterpret such a gesture from a stranger.

      Blinking back tears, she focused on him. “Thank God you were there to help,” she said. “I’m Rachel Hill, Aino’s cousin. Oh, I do hope he’s going to be all right.”

      “I hope so, too.” Mikel meant every word. The old man might be his only chance to pick up Renee’s trail. “My name’s Mikel Starzov, by the way.”

      “You were coming to see Aino?”

      He nodded, then added, “Actually I wanted to talk to him about his son Leo.” He knew it was always good to toss out a bit of info on the chance of picking up something useful. If she was a relative of Aino’s, she must have been acquainted with Leo.

      “Leo’s been dead for seven years,” she said.

      “I realize that. Did you know him?”

      “Yes.” She clenched her hands together. “Do you think if I asked they’d tell me how Aino’s doing? I’m so worried about him.”

      “I’ll go with you.”

      Mikel managed to catch the attention of a nurse hurrying past.

      “Aino Saari?” she said in response to Mikel’s inquiry. “Doctor thinks he’s suffered a cerebral vascular accident. We’ll know more when the tests are done.”

      “How is he?” Rachel’s voice was ragged.

      The nurse touched her arm. “He’s holding his own. We’ll let you see him as soon as possible. I know it’s hard to wait.” With that she left them.

      Watching Rachel’s face start to crumple, Mikel decided that now that she knew his name he no longer qualified as a complete stranger and she really did need comfort. He put his arm around her shoulders and led her back to the waiting room. There she leaned against him, crying, and he held her gently, aware she wasn’t really aware of him as anything but a fellow human who wanted to help.

      Which he was, at least for the moment. He truly wanted to offer what comfort he could to Rachel Hill, the questions could wait. He had to admit, though, he couldn’t help being very much aware that she was an attractive young woman who fit perfectly into his arms.

      After a few moments, she pulled away. “Eva,” she said in a choked voice, fumbling for a tissue.

      Mikel came to attention. “Eva?” he repeated, knowing that was the name of Leo’s daughter.

      Rachel wiped her eyes. “Aino’s granddaughter. She’s in Finland visiting relatives. I should call her, but…”

      “You think it might be better to wait until you know more.” It wasn’t a question.

      “Don’t you?”

      He could hardly say he’d prefer to have Eva return as soon as possible so he could talk to her about her father and the missing Renee. “Surely they’ll let you see Aino soon,” he temporized.

      She tried to smile at him and her brave effort made his chest tight. This gal was having more of an effect on him than he liked. Cardinal rule—never get involved with anyone, especially a woman, who was connected with a case. He might not be working for the agency in this instance, but that didn’t mean the rule didn’t apply. The one time he’d violated it had not only nearly cost him his job, but his life as well.

      If only Rachel’s hair wasn’t so black and glossy, her brown eyes so soft and warm. She was more than pretty—gorgeous from head to toe was closer. Strange some guy hadn’t snapped her up by now. Come to think of it, maybe one had. “Is there anyone you’d like me to call?” he asked.

      Rachel shook her head. “No, with Eva away, there’s just Aino and me.”

      Mikel took that to mean no husband, but he didn’t like to admit knowing the fact made him feel better. He was not going to get involved.

      “Cerebral accident means a stroke, doesn’t it?” she said.

      “Yes.”

      Rachel sighed. “He’s a good man, he doesn’t deserve this.”

      “No one deserves to be sick.”

      “You’re right. But Aino’s special to me. He took me in when I was orphaned. Except for Eva, he’s my only relative.”

      Thinking his questions might distract her from her worry over Aino, Mikel commented, “You said you’d known his son, Leo. Did he live in Ojibway?”

      “No, not really. He was a teacher who taught in various Upper Peninsula towns.”

      “Since he had a daughter I assume he was married.”

      “His wife died right after he came back to the Upper Peninsula.”

      “Oh? Then he lived elsewhere before that?”

      “He must have. I didn’t really know him before he returned here.”

      Her answers, though brief, came naturally. Mikel was good at detecting lies from truth. He was pretty sure Rachel wasn’t lying.

      “How about you?” she asked.

      “Me?”

      “I’ve told you who my relatives are. It’s your turn.”

      “Grandmother.” He hadn’t stopped to see Grandma Sonia on his way through New York and felt guilty because he didn’t visit as often as he should. She was hale and hearty and perfectly able to care for herself, but he knew she was lonesome since his grandfather died.

      “Just one grandmother?”

      “That’s it.”

      The nurse they’d talked to appeared in the doorway. “Rachel,” she said, “Aino’s been transferred to ICU. You can visit him there now, but please keep the visit brief.”

      “I’ll wait here,” Mikel said.

      Rachel left him there, surprised at her wish that he could come with her. After following the directions she’d been given, she found Aino in the three-bed intensive care unit hooked up to various bags and monitors. He opened his eyes when she stood by his bed.

      “Guess this old goat’s gonna make it,” he told her.

      Rachel bent and kissed his cheek. “You scared me.”

      “That young man who helped get me here—who was he?”

      “His name is Mikel Starzov, that’s all I know.” Aino didn’t need to have her tell him that Mikel was kind and comforting and that she liked him, even though his questions about Leo had made her uneasy.

      “The doc says if I hadn’t gotten here so quick I might’ve been in a lot worse shape. He thinks I might come out of this pretty good and we got this Mikel Starzov to thank for that.”

      She nodded.

      “So I want you to invite Mikel to stay at the farm for as long as he has business in the area,” Aino continued. “That’s the least we can do

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