Grave Matters

Warrick caught it.

'Oh, I'm sorry!' she said, a hand shooting to her mouth. 'Didn't see you there.' The hand came away and revealed an attractive smile. 'Nice catch.'

Catherine read the woman's nametag: Kenisha Jones. Since Warrick was closer to the nurse, Catherine waited for him to say something. He didn't-he was looking at the woman with the glazed, dazed expression of a hypnotist's volunteer on stage in a casino lounge.

The power of a beautiful woman over a man had always amused Catherine, and for a number of years, she'd made a good living taking advantage of that male trait. And this was a handsome woman so Warrick could hardly be blamed.

The woman's long neck-a stethoscope her necklace-rose gracefully to a heart-shaped face dominated by full lovely lips, a straight nose, and wide brown eyes with dark, narrow brows. Tight banana curls erupted out of the nurse's upswept black hair-she was a lovely Medusa who had turned Warrick Brown to stone.

Finally, Warrick managed, 'Hey, no problem,' and handed back the chart, as if presenting her with an award.

Cutting this mating dance short, Vega stepped forward and flashed his badge. 'Kenisha Jones?'

Her head reared back. She gestured to the nametag, saying, 'Uh…yes.' The 'duh' implied….

'I'm Detective Vega and this is Catherine Willows from the crime lab. You've already met Warrick Brown-he's also from the crime lab.'

The nurse nodded sagely. 'Ah-you must be here about Vivian.'

'That's right,' Warrick said.

They smiled at each other, and Vega-who appeared to have no romance in his soul, at least right now-said, 'Somewhere we could talk?'

'Look,' she said, her eyes finding Vega's past Warrick, 'I'm fine with answering questions about Vivian; but this is not a good time. I'm the only dayshift nurse for this wing.'

'If you get called away,' Warrick said, 'we'll wait for you.'

'Well…' She smiled, shrugged. At Warrick. 'All right…'

She led them into a small breakroom with just room enough for three round tables, a counter (with a microwave and a coffeepot), a refrigerator, and the four of them.

'Help yourselves to coffee,' the nurse said. 'Water and soda in the fridge.'

No one took her up on it, but Kenisha got herself a bottle of water. 'Gotta stay hydrated,' she said.

'I hear that,' Warrick said, rather nonsensically, since he hadn't bothered to get anything to drink.

They sat around a table.

The nurse asked, 'What can I tell you about Vivian?'

The detective said, 'First, you need to know-Vivian Elliot's death was a murder.'

Kenisha Jones shrugged. 'And?'

Warrick and Catherine traded raised eyebrows; Vega just stared at the woman in his cold unblinking way.

'You don't seem terribly surprised,' Catherine said.

'Figured as much.'

The woman had known from jump that they were here to talk about Vivian; since the CSIs and Vega had been here yesterday looking into the death that assumption made sense. But knowing that it was murder…?

Vega said, 'You…figured as much?'

'Do I sound cold?'

Warrick said, 'A little.'

'Don't mean to be. But this wing is not home to a lot of happy endings, right?…People come here to take their time dying, to not suffer while they're doin' it…but nobody's making big plans, post-Extended Care wing.'

'Granted,' Warrick said. 'But you don't get murders every day.'

'Not every day…. Hey, she was a healthy woman-plus, she was gettin' better. Suddenly, she has a heart attack and dies? There was not a damn thing wrong with Mrs. Elliot-hell, she was in better shape than me. Up and died? I didn't buy it. I don't buy it. And if you're here saying she was murdered, you don't, either.'

Catherine watched Warrick as the young woman got a smile out of him with her sassy, smart attitude. With the barest nod of her head, Catherine signaled Warrick.

Without missing a beat, Warrick said, 'Ms. Jones, you're right. We are here looking into it. Which is why we need your help. You were on duty, when she coded?'

'Yes,' Kenisha said, adding emphasis with several nods. 'I looked in on her, then went down the hall to check on Mrs. Jackson. Vivian was fine when I left her, and less than ten minutes later…damn. She coded, all right. All the way.'

Catherine and Vega were hanging back now, letting Warrick talk to the young woman, who seemed to feel as comfortable with him as he did with her.

Warrick asked, 'And what'd you do then, Ms. Jones?'

' 'Kenisha.' Your name's what again?'

'Warrick.'

'Warrick, the whole damn crash team came in. First team, off the bench and in the game-Doctor Whiting, myself, and the two staffers from the other wing, Nurse Sandy Cayman and Doctor Miller.'

Vega checked his notebook and put in: 'Doctor John Miller?'

'Yes.'

Warrick resumed the lead. 'So, Kenisha-what happened next?'

'Well, I was the closest,' Kenisha said. 'Got there first. Only…she was already gone, poor thing. Only 'poor thing,' that's not right, really…. Warrick, that woman was healthy as a horse. No way she shoulda died. Vitals were strong just, what…ten minutes before. She was one of the handful, ya know.'

'Handful?'

'The handful who had a future. The handful who walk outta here into some more life. No walker, no wheelchair-under her own damn speed. We savor those. This…this…should not have gone down like that.'

'Place like this,' Catherine put in. 'Don't these things happen?'

Kenisha's eyebrows rose. 'Little too many of these things are just 'happening' round here, you ask me.'

Catherine said, 'We are asking you, Kenisha. And I'm Catherine.'

'All right, Catherine. I'm just saying, I had my suspicions, way before this.'

Warrick picked it up again. 'Then why didn't you call us in, Kenisha? Or say something to that assistant coroner who comes around?'

'And say what?' Kenisha asked, her voice rising now. She did a mocking voice: ' 'Too many old folks dyin' out here at Sunny Day, come runnin' '?'

Looking sheepish, Warrick said, 'Well, yeah-I see your point.'

'In a world of malpractice, you learn not to make waves, unless you are very damn sure of something.' She shook her head. 'You point the finger, then they'd be all…where's your proof? And what do I have to offer, except a feeling in my gut.'

Gently, Warrick said, 'And what is your gut telling you, Kenisha?'

'Telling me, something's wrong here, only…nobody seems to know what it is, or how to stop it.'

Warrick's expression was somber. 'Kenisha, if something wrong is going down here, I promise you: We'll find it.'

Her eyes were moist. 'You know it's so easy to hide a murder in a place like this-another old fogey dies, and who the hell cares? Well, I care.'

Catherine said, 'Kenisha…trust me. So do we.'

Kenisha's face showed that she wanted to believe her.

Before they left, Kenisha gave Warrick her cell phone number, 'In case you need to contact me…about the case.'

Warrick gave the nurse his cell, too.