They continued toward the rear of the white stucco building where Kendra leaned over the railing to look at the hillside just ten feet below.
Piltot was frowning. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes.” Kendra looked up at the windows above. “I trust that patients get the ocean views and not the staff?”
“Absolutely. There are a few administrative offices facing this way, but those are mostly group areas and recreation rooms up there.”
“Very nice. It’s beautiful.”
They continued on their way, and true to Piltot’s word, they walked past a row of Dumpsters. “It smells,” Kendra said. “When is trash pickup?”
Piltot hesitated, probably wondering how in the hell this could affect the dispensation of a state grant. “Uh, Mondays and Thursdays, I think.”
Beth had disappeared from the facility on a Wednesday, which almost ruled out one method of escape. Neither night would have been for Beth’s escape, Eve thought, which was obviously Kendra’s motive for asking the question in the first place. And as they stepped closer to the Dumpsters, she noticed that each lid was secured by a large padlock.
Kendra obviously noticed it, too, and she shot Eve a look. No refuge for Beth there.
Piltot pointed to the employee entrance. “We can go inside here.”
“Actually, I’d like to continue around and go back through the front,” Kendra said.
“Well … sure.” He was obviously mystified by her insistence.
They completed the circle and reentered the complex through the main entrance.
“I’ll need to examine all the wards and private accommodations,” Kendra said brusquely. “Where do you suggest we begin?”
“The wards?” Piltot made a face. “That will be a bit chaotic. You may prefer to focus on the private patients. I’m sure they’ll be much more receptive to cultural stimulus.”
“People are people, and music bridges all gaps.”
“Just a moment, and I’ll see what the schedule is for group-therapy sessions. There are probably some going on now.”
“Take your time.”
Kendra lowered her voice as she spoke to Eve. “The private rooms are on the second and third floors. Beth Avery was on the third floor in Room 305. As soon as Piltot takes us up to the third floor, we’re going to need a distraction to get rid of him.”
“I’ll take care of it.” Eve was already taking out her phone. Actually, she was glad to have something positive to do. It was beginning to annoy her having to stay in the background and letting Kendra handle everything. She would just have to bite the bullet and look and listen and see if she could find a way to contribute. “I’ll tell Joe to call Piltot when I buzz him and start questioning him again. That should give us time.” She looked at Kendra. “But how much time will you need?”
“How do I know? It depends on how well the room has been cleaned. What kind of trace evidence has been left.” She grimaced. “For all we know, the room might have a new occupant.”
“True.” Eve hadn’t thought of that. “We’ll play it by ear.” She smiled slyly. “Or at least you will. You’re more qualified in that area.” She ignored Kendra’s disgusted groan as Joe came on the line. “Joe, we may need some help.”
* * *
AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, Piltot took them to the second floor first, and they spent over three hours meeting patients and checking over their medicines and prognosis. It was early afternoon when Piltot took them up to the third floor.
Eve’s gaze flew down the corridor as they got off the elevator. Clearly the hospital luxury quarters, she thought. Wide halls, modern paintings on the walls, and a nursing station at the far end of the corridor. The nurse at the cherry desk was on the phone, and she was smiling and chatting. Good, a distraction. They could only hope that she stayed absorbed in her conversation.
“At present there’s only one occupied suite on this floor. Room 302,” Piltot said. “The patient is a young actress who suffered a nervous breakdown two months ago. Patient confidentiality prohibits me from telling you who she is, but—”
“Lara Tagnon,” Kendra said absently.
Piltot blinked. “How—I can’t really confirm that—”
“On the nurse’s desk downstairs on the second floor, there were two DVD cases of Laura Tagnon’s most popular movies, along with a thin, silver inked Sharpie pen that one uses for an autograph on the case’s dark background.”
“Very perceptive, Dr. Michaels,” Piltot said.
Maybe too perceptive, Eve thought. But Kendra’s display didn’t seem to arouse any special concern on his part.
However, evidently Kendra was aware that she’d slipped up because she added quickly to distract him, “Not the most professional request for a nurse on duty to make, but I suppose there’s really no harm.”
Piltot smiled. “As long as you didn’t hear it from me.”
“I had no idea she was a patient here,” Kendra said. “The paparazzi have been scouring the country for her.”
“Privacy is important when you’re dealing with celebrities. I’m not sure that I can get permission from either her or her manager to have you evaluate her. Surely you don’t want to see her.”
“Surely I do,” Kendra said with a determined smile. “She’d be a valuable addition to the hospital profile. Why don’t you go and ask her? We’ll wait here.”
Piltot hesitated, then turned away impatiently. “Oh, very well. If you insist. But it’s a waste of time.” He strode down the hall and into a room near the end of the corridor.
Eve was instantly on the phone and beeping Joe. She jammed the phone in her pocket. “Joe is good, but I don’t believe we can count on more than ten minutes stalling, tops.” She glanced at the nurse’s station. The nurse was leaning back in her chair, still absorbed in her phone call. “Let’s go. Room 305 is two doors down.”
They had taken no more than two steps toward the room when Eve heard a male voice behind them.
“Excuse me, but I don’t believe you’re supposed to be here.”
Dammit, caught.
Eve stiffened and turned around.
A tall orderly had appeared in the hallway near the bank of elevators.
“You two look lost,” he said. “May I help you?”
“No, we’re just waiting for Mr. Piltot,” Kendra said. “He had to take a phone call.”
The orderly hesitated, casting a quick glance at their visitor badges to confirm that they weren’t wayward patients. Eve could see the suspicion gradually vanishing. He was a tall, young man with broad shoulders and close-cropped brown hair. He wore the same tight white jeans and T-shirt that the rest of the male orderlies wore.
Kendra extended her left hand. “Dr. Kendra Michaels. Nice to meet you.”
“Oh, you’re a doctor? Sorry for the questions. Nobody told me we were having visitors on this floor. We’re supposed to keep an eye out for reporters.” He awkwardly took Kendra’s hand and shook it. “Jessie Newell. The pleasure’s all mine. Are you sure there’s nothing I can do for you?”
“Absolutely not. We won’t hold you up.”
“Yes, ma’am. Thank you.”
They watched as the orderly continued on his way and disappeared into the elevator.
“Close. We’re lucky he didn’t see us going into the room.” Kendra was moving quickly toward Room 305. “Come on.”
Eve was right behind her, and, a minute later, the heavy room door was swinging closed behind them.
“Shit.” Eve murmured as she glanced around. “We’re out of luck. This place looks spotless.”
“Maybe,” Kendra said absently. “But there are still a few faint lingering medical odors. Smell that sulfur? If they only went over the room once, we still have a chance.”
“What can I do?” Eve asked.
“Be quiet so I can concentrate. And keep an eye on the corridor.”
Eve turned to be able to glance out of the rectangular glass inset in the door to the hal
l. “Right.”
Kendra dropped to her knees in the small room, looking underneath the bed and chair. Both pieces of furniture were bolted to the floor, and to Eve there seemed to be nothing distinctive about either of them. Kendra yanked up the fitted sheet and scanned the side panels of the exposed mattress. She had begun to stretch the sheet back into place when she stiffened and gave a low whistle. She quickly ran her hand between the mattress and the wall.
“What is it?” Eve asked.
Kendra pulled the mattress end toward them, curling it up from the wall. “Look.”
Eve leaned over to see a tiny slit, not more than a quarter inch long on the mattress panel. “It’s a tear.”
“It’s more than that. Look closer.”
As Kendra moved the mattress to the light, Eve could then see the faint oval, and rectangular impressions next to the slit. “Pills!”
Kendra ran her finger over the impressions. “They’re not here now, but they were. The patient in this room wasn’t taking her meds. She may have hidden them in her mouth, then stashed them here until she could safely dispose of them. When they were here, the weight of the patient would pull this mattress taut against the pills, creating the impression.”
“This could have been made years ago,” Eve said.
Kendra shook her head. “Look at the frayed edges of the slit. See how much brighter they are than the rest of the mattress? If they had been exposed for any great length of time, they would be much closer in tone to the rest. This is recent.”
Kendra let go of the mattress and stood facing the wall.
“Anything else?” Eve asked.
Kendra hesitated, then slowly nodded. “Something pretty nasty. Poison.”
“What?”
“You heard me. I think they tried to poison your Beth Avery.” She frowned, working it out. “And it had to be within the past few days. They tried, but they didn’t succeed.”
Eve shook her head in disbelief. Kendra was speaking as matter-of-factly as if she were commenting on the color of the sky. “Dammit, how do you know?”
Kendra pointed high on the wall she was facing. “See that thin line?”
Eve squinted, then shook her head. “No.”
“It’s perfectly clear, but it reflects the light. Move your head back and forth until you—”
“I see it!” Eve took a step closer. It was an extremely thin line, almost invisible, that arced high on the wall behind the bed. Evidently the spray of liquid had dried on the wall and was nearly undetectable. “But what is it?”
“Conium, I’m pretty sure. It’s quite deadly, and has a distinctive odor. It hit me as soon as we stepped close to the bed.” Kendra stood on the bed and moved her face within inches of the clear line.
“And I suppose you have a mental catalog of what every poison smells like?”
“Don’t be sarcastic. No, but I am good with plants. When you spend the first twenty years of your life without sight, scents are very important. Conium is an extract of hemlock, which grows almost everywhere. It retains both the plant’s poisonous properties and its rather unpleasant smell.” Kendra pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and rubbed it along the line. “We’ll see if we can test a sample off this, but I’m sure that’s what it is.”
“Hemlock poisoning,” Eve said. “That’s how Socrates was killed…”
“And it would have killed Beth Avery, but for some reason it ended up sprayed against this wall.”
Eve felt sick as she stared around the room. Pills in the mattress hidden by a desperate woman fighting for her freedom. Poison … “Someone actually tried to kill her.” She looked back up at the lethal streak on the wall. “And even if this didn’t work, there’s no certainty that they didn’t manage to kill her in another way.”
“No certainty. But I believe your sister is still alive.” She met her gaze. “And I think you do, too. Isn’t this what all this is about?”
Eve nodded. “But I have nothing concrete on which to base it. Do you?”
“I don’t deal in concrete, but I have an idea or two.” She turned away. “I want to take one last look around in the bathroom. Keep watch. You haven’t done a good job so far.”
Because what Kendra did had a tendency to blow Eve away. She couldn’t argue with her that she hadn’t been doing her part. “Can’t you hurry?” Eve cast another quick glance through the small window in the door. “It’s already been ten minutes. Joe can’t keep him on the line for much longer.”
“I’m done.” Kendra glided across the room from the bathroom. “Where’s that nurse?”
“She got up and went down the hall toward the waiting room a few minutes ago. Since there don’t appear to be any visitors on this floor, I’d bet on her hitting the coffee machine.” She swung the door open, glanced at Room 302 before gesturing for Kendra to leave. “Out.”
Kendra strode out of the room and down the hall with Eve following. “I’m out. Stop being so nervous. We made it.”
Eve drew a deep breath, slowed down, and stopped. Kendra was right. The immediate danger was over. She just didn’t like to cut things so close. “Then let’s find a place to sit down and be impatient when Piltot shows up. After all, he’s been very rude to keep us waiting.” She dropped down on a bench across from the nurse’s station. “Did you find anything else in the bathroom, Kendra?”
Kendra shook her head. “Nothing that’s made an impression. But someone had to have helped her if she got out of here. Maybe we’ll know more when we check the file records on Beth Avery tonight and see who has been in attendance or at least in close proximity.”
“Tonight?”
“Well, we can hardly march into personnel and tap their records during regular business hours. It will have to be tonight.”
“And how are we supposed to get into personnel? It’s an administrative office. The chances are that it will be locked up tight as a drum.”
“What’s locked can be unlocked.”
“You’re saying we’re going to burgle the place?”
“Of course we are. You said you needed information. You must have known there wouldn’t be any other way when you brought me here.”
Eve nodded. “I suspected that would be the only way. I’m not objecting, just clarifying.” Her lips tightened. “Will I do it? You’re damn right I will. Conium. I wasn’t sure until you identified that drug that there actually was a threat to Beth.”
“And are you sure now?” Kendra asked quietly. “You have only my word based on a very freaky talent. A lot of people wouldn’t be willing to trust me.”
Eve was silent. It was a freaky talent, and she had known Kendra Michaels for less than twenty-four hours. Why was she so certain that the clues Kendra had found and identified in that room were real? Instinct? She just didn’t know. But the certainty was there. “I’m sure.” She smiled with an effort. “I’ve been known to believe in a few freaky things in my life. What’s one more?” She added, “So I suppose we should start planning a way to get into that locked office. As a matter of fact, I believe I may have the keys to that particular kingdom.”
“You do?” Kendra asked, startled. “What the hell are you talking about? Keys? I was going to call a man who—” She broke off as she saw Piltot coming out of Room 302. “Later.” She frowned, turned on him, and said sharply, “May we see your prize movie star or not? What kept you?”
Piltot flushed. “I had a phone call. I apologize. I couldn’t get rid of him.”
“Did you try hanging up?” Kendra asked coldly. “What’s the verdict? Do I get a personal interview with your patient or just examine her records?”
“Neither. I’m afraid that her manager has said that she’s not to be disturbed.”
“Great.” Kendra turned away. “Then shall we continue? You kept us waiting so long that we’re behind schedule, and we’ll have to get a move on to finish our appraisal by the end of the day.”
“Certainly.” Piltot was ushering them toward the elevators. ?
??But there are only the two wards left. I’m sure that I can facilitate your work with the patients and make sure you can turn in your report on time.”
CHAPTER
7
IT WAS CLOSE TO SEVEN in the evening when Eve and Kendra left the hospital. In spite of Piltot’s marked annoyance, Kendra had gone over all the records of the eighty-seven patients in the two wards. She had interviewed twelve of that number, and Eve had been surprised at the thoroughness and intensity of those interviews. She had questioned, taken notes, and even played bits of music on the small iPod she had with her. If she had wanted to appear authentic, there was no doubt in Eve’s mind that she’d accomplished her goal.
“So what do you think, Kendra?” Eve asked. “Are those patients getting good treatment? Everyone seemed very caring and efficient to me.”
“As far as I can tell without in-depth investigation. I’m no psychoanalyst. I wouldn’t expect anything else. Pierce wants to be a shining star of the community, and he wouldn’t do anything to damage his image. He had one ugly skeleton in his closet, and he couldn’t afford any more.”
“You were very good,” Eve said, as they walked toward the rental car. “Even I was convinced that you intended to accept those patients as students.”
“You should have been convinced,” Kendra said. “I’ll probably accept eight out of the twelve. I don’t believe the other four are ready yet. I can’t help them.” She smiled crookedly as she saw Eve’s expression. “I don’t cheat, Eve. Life has already cheated those poor souls. I’m not about to compound it. I can fly up here every other week and help them. Usually, I prefer dealing with patients before they reach the point where they have to be confined, but I won’t raise hopes, then walk away.”
Eve’s gaze narrowed on her face. “That’s why you didn’t want to take this job. You knew that it would mean a long-term commitment for you.”
Kendra laughed and shook her head. “I’m not that noble. I told you the truth. I would have turned the job down anyway. Yes, I knew I might get caught, but I wasn’t thinking about anyone but Justin.” She got into the passenger seat. “And he’s still my main focus. We need to get this business over with tonight, so I can keep my appointment with him tomorrow.” She turned to face Eve. “Now talk. What do you mean ‘keys to the kingdom’?”