Carmen watched Danny get back into his car and leave. He was going to the hospital, she was sure of it. She just had to make she was right behind him.
She called Jimmy and had him pull the car around to the front. She told him to head towards Cedars and to step on it.
Damn, what if what that little twit had said was right? What if Dietz were still alive? She had to find out. This could ruin everything especially if he ever talked. Dietz was not a stupid man, and she had sent Jimmy with a message for Deitz, one that he had delivered himself many times and would no doubt know the meaning of.
How did he survive? She was going to have a seriuos talk with Jimmy later about his bungling this job.
She would have to figure out what to do with that information along with the other shocker Danny had delivered. He had never gone to California? Where had he been? Right here in Springfield?
That was what didn't make sense, because Danny had been in California when she had made the call to Federico about grandmother. Sophia had told her Daniel was there. Something wasnt right. Why die Dietz have to double cross her, she really needed him right now.
She still hadnt had a chance to talk with Danny and that scared her. Until she could get him alone and find out what he knew, she could take nothing for granted. At least he had wised up and got rid of Michelle.
Carmen had to suppress a laugh when she recalled Michelle's expression when Danny had told her to leave him alone. She had been devestated. She didnt blame Michelle for falling for Danny, he was that kind of man, but she wasnt about to have him. Not while there was breath in Carmen Santos' body.
Her mind went back to Dietz. His being alive was going to have to be taken care of. He knew too much and if he betrayed her once, he would have no qualms about doing it again. He knew all the secrets of the Santos and they would die with him. They should have already died with him, she seethed.
They made it to the hospital and Carmen told Jimmy to wait for her. She entered the hospital through a side entrance. She would just lurk about until someone inadvertantly gave her the information she needed. Hospitals were notorious for loose lips and things got out a lot more easily than anyone imagined.
She made her way up to the intensive care ward where she had heard Michelle tell Danny he was. Now, if she could only figure out which room he was in and get in there without being seen, this particular problem would be over permanantly.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Danny hung up the phone in the lobby. He had just spoke with Frank about Dietz. He had agreed to meet with him at the hospital but wouldnt give any information on the phone. Frank had not been happy to find out that Danny knew that Dietz was still alive. That was supposed to be a closely guarded secret since they had reason to believe that Dietz live was still in danger.
How in the world did Danny find out? He himself didnt find out until today. It had to be Michelle since she was always hanging around the hospital. She could put herself in danger also. Whover did this to Dietz wouldnt stop at just him to keep their secret. Maybe once he talked to Danny, he would better understand the situation more. He had already ordered a guard at his door 24 hours a day.
They were hoping that once Deitz condition improved they could get him to cooperate if they agreed to give him immunity. Dietz would know all of the Santos secrets and they could finally put them out of the crime business for good.
He and Danny had already been working together and so far things had been moving along slowly. Danny had been able to access the accounts and audit them from his hotel room. He had reported finding some very interesting discrepancies but at the rate they were going, Carmen would find out about their plan and cover her tracks. They needed a break. A big break and they needed it soon.
Frank met Danny in the hall and told him to come to the cafeteria for coffee where they could talk.
Danny spoke first "What are we going to do about Dietz?" he asked.
"Well first of all, I stationed a guard outside his room. We wont be able to keep this a secret for long Danny. Whoever did this will not stop here. He is in danger. Do you have any idea who might have done this" he said
"I know exactly who did this Frank" he said. "My mother"
"Carmen, are you sure?" he said.
"Yes, Frank I am positive. I'm the one who made that anonymous call to the police about the shooting. I thought he was dead Frank, I swear, his heart stopped. He called me from the docks and told me he had been set up. It was a gut shot Frank, meant to be long and painful. It had Santos written all over it. He managed to tell me it was Carmen before he...well you know, before I thought he died" Danny explained leaving out all of the dirty Santos laundry he had made aware of.
Frank sipped his coffee and was silent for a minute. Danny was telling him the truth , he was sure of that. He felt sure that Carmen would make a move on Dietz as soon as she found out he was alive. "Danny, you know its only a matter of time before Carmen finds out about this. We are going to keep him guarded but I think we need to speed up the plan to bring Carmen down. Have you been able to find anything that you can use now against her? If we can get her on something, we have the chance to keep her away from Dietz until we can get him safe" he said.
"Frank, all I have so far is the information on the dummy corporations that I have found but I had to send off for the purchase orders and invoices and my source will get them to me as soon as they can but these things take a little time. I am hoping to have something by the end of the week. I dont think Carmen will try anything on Dietz right now even if she does find out with the funeral coming up and all. She will be much too busy playing the gracious host to all the family that will be coming in. I think we are safe for a little while" he said. "I am going to the house after we see Dietz, and I will look around and see if I can find soemthing"
"Okay Danny, but dont take too long. I've got a gut feeling that time is not going to be on our side on this okay?" he said.
"Okay now lets go see Dietz" Danny said.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The guard was right where Frank had ordered him to be. Good, they had gotten right on it. There was a nurse assigned to him named Elizabeth who let them in to see Dietz. He was still unconscious and she warned them that he would be for a long time. His injury was severe and he wouldnt be making any miracle recovery anytime soon. They could go in and see him but she couldnt guarantee that he would even know his name when he woke up.
Danny walked in with Frank. Dietz was hooked to every kind of machine imaginable. There were constant beeps and the sound of pumps as air was being pumped into his lungs via the resperator.
Frank was discouraged. It looked like Dietz was not going to be any help anytime soon. He may never recover. They couldnt count on Dietz to be on their team right now.
Frank allowed Danny some time with Dietz. He stepped outside to talk to Elizabeth about recording all visitor attempts and any calls concerning this John Doe. He wanted any suspicous looking persons walking around recorded too and he wanted a daily update. Dietz may not be a help right now, but he still hoped that he could still be instrumental in the Santos downfall.
Elizabeth mentioned the call that they had gotten earler from SJ. She explained how this persons phone number was found in Deitz possession and they had called and left a message. She was supposed to come to the hospital sometime tonight and if they stuck around they may run into her and could question her.
Frank thanked her for her information and then went to give some last minute instructions to the guard.
Danny grabbed Dietz hand. It was warm. He really was alive. He didnt know how. "I am sorry Dietz, I thought you were dead. I never would have left you if I had known" he said. "I am going to get her, I promise. I know the truth now and I know how hard it was for you to keep those secrets all those years but I need you to get better. I still have some questions you need to help me answer. I need you to give me some information about my mother" he said.
Dietz's hands twitched. It didnt really move, it just sorta jumped like an involuntary reflex. Danny took that as a sign that Dietz could hear Danny even if he couldnt answer him. "I'll be back" he promised. "I am gonna find some way to nail her and then I will leave the carcass to you".
Danny was talking with Frank and getting ready to go back to the house when a tall, stunning redhead wearing spandex pants and high heels walked up. "You the people who called me about Dietz?" she said.
Elizabeth took it from there. "Yes we are, Are you SJ?" she asked.
"Yeah, sugar I am. Whats this about Dietzy being in the hospital? What happened to him? His back go out again?" she said while popping some sort of cherry smelling gum.
Frank introduced himself to SJ and then began to ask her questions. SJ looked stunned. "Arent you Dietz's girlfriend" he asked.
She guffawed and hit him on the back and said. "Good heavens no.....I'm his mauseuse" she said and Danny decided to take that as a signal to leave.
"She's all yours" he whispered to Frank and headed for the elevators. If Danny had taken the stairs he might have run smack into Carmen who had been on her way to see the mystery man in room 412.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Danny arrived home to a completely empty house. He called for Carmen but got no answer. She must still be out. Now was an excellent time to do a little investigating.
He was going upstairs to Dietz room. He would start there. Dietz had to be the key to bringing Carmen down. His way was going to take at least a week and Carmen had endangered Michelles life once and he didnt think she would hesitate to do it again.
The hurt look in Michelle's face came back to him again. He grimaced with remembered pain. He would have given anything not to have to hurt her like that. Anything.
He walked past his grandmothers room. The door was open. This was the first time he had been back at the house since his supposed trip to California. He walked in her room and sat down on the bed. He saw his picture on the nightstand.
New tears formed and he let them fall. He missed her so much. He remembered the first time he admitted he loved Michelle. It was his grandmother whom he had confided that to. She had already known. She could always read Danny like a book. What was he going to do without her?
He picked up the photo and looked at it. It was one when he was a kid. He smiled to himself when he remembered that day. She had taken that picture after she had given him a piece of chocolate and he had it all over his face.
His grandmother had loved chocolate. Carmen wouldnt let her have it and Danny had had to sneak it in to her. She would always smile to him and then they would share it together. He had given her some chocolate just before he left.
He opened her night stand drawer and just as he suspected the box was still in there. He opened it to look inside. He bet she had eaten all of the caramels and left all of the coconut ones for him. She always left the coconut for him.
Yep, just as he suspected she had eaten all of the.......what was this? A key. What was a key doing in with her chocolates? What was the key for? Was it grandmothers?
Danny took out the key and examined it more closely. It was a small key and looked it it fit a safety deposit box or a safe. A safe. Grandmother had a wall safe behind her Monet. He took the key and went to see if it fit. He didnt feel intrusive. He had a feeling that he was meant to find that key.
It fit the safe perfectly. There was something in this safe that grandmother wanted him to find. He opened the door and removed the contents. Photos, stocks, bonds, ......a will. His grandmothers will? He began to read. It wasnt her will at all. He began to read it all not leaving one single word out.
Hot damn, he had her. He finally had Carmen. Thank you grandmother, thank you. That is what you have been trying to tell me. He knelt down at her bed and said a prayer of thanks. Thank God he could finally have the life that he was meant to have. Thank God it was finally over.