Murders at Hollings General

'I'm not sure, except when I worked in Pathology they bounced off each other like bumper cars.'

'And Bernie Bugles? I didn't get a chance to speak to him at the reception yesterday. Why's he listed?'

David sat and took his time to answer. He wrote BERNIE on his pad and underlined it three times. Then he circled it. He said slowly, 'I don't know. But, then again, there aren't any explanations for intuition.'

'Okay, so we watch over Foster,' Kathy said. 'No problem. I'll dig up a hard man.'

'A hard man?'

'A bodyguard.'

'Oh. But I think it should be discreet.'

'I'll have him keep his distance. Should we let Foster in on it?'

'No. He'd probably scream bloody murder. He'd say if anyone found out, it might reflect badly on the hospital and the staff and all the fine people of the community and blah, blah, blah. Translation? The bottom line.'

'Got it.'

'Let's be clear on this, Kath. I've decided to do the guarding, myself.'

'You?'

'Yeah, I think it’ll be less obvious.'

'You're calling the shots.' She said, with a peremptory gesture.

'Now, another thing. I'm calling Sparky tomorrow. He goes in Sundays, I assume'

Kathy emptied her coffee cup and played with his handle for a moment. 'Darling,' she said 'do me a favor. You look tied. Take tomorrow off. Start Monday refreshed. Call him then. I'm sure he'll call you sooner if he finds anything startling.'

'But Coughlin's autopsy. I should call Ted. Funny, contacting a suspect who maybe doing the post.'

'Maybe an assistant will do it. But that can wait, too. What are they going to find? It's pretty obvious. There was no exit wound so the man has a bullet in his head. So Tanarkle has a bullet plus the casing you found up on that mound and, hopefully, he can pinpoint the weapon. It's got to be a rifle shot from eighty feet away-we did the measurement after you left. I'm telling you, it can wait till Monday.'

David gave her a bewildered glance and said, 'Tell you what. I'll do just what you say if you forget what I once asked you to do. Or did I? Wait a minute.' He rubbed is decision scar. 'I'd decided to beg off asking old friends the tough questions, like 'where were you when the murder took place'?'

Kathy returned the bewildered glance. 'You lost me.'

'I intended to ask you o do that-more as an authority, not as close as friends-you know. Did I ever discuss it with you?'

'Not that I can remember.'

'Well, forget it anyway. This thing has ballooned and I'm in it for the duration, come hell or high water. And, if that's the case and it is, I'm asking any questions that need asking-of anyone-repeat-anyone who needs to be questioned.'

Kathy stood and approached him from behind. She rocked on her embrace and said, 'So there.' Hand in hand, they walked into the bedroom.

It was the only room which reflected a flair and an attention to coordination which Kathy insisted on: terra cotta bedspread, mint green chaise lounge in jacquard fabric, celadon drapes with matching lampshades, and a blanket chest at the foot of the bed.

She pulled a quilt up tight around her while David slid off his Beretta Minx rig and placed it on the dresser next to Friday. He rolled in next to her and turned off the light. She flopped her arm over his body and, nearing sleep, whispered, 'I'm so proud of you:'

Suddenly, he leaped out of bed. Kathy sprung up. 'What's wrong?'

'I forgot something in the basement. Be right back.'

Three minutes later, he made room on the dresser for a left ankle rig containing a Smith and Wesson snubby.

Long after Kathy had fallen asleep, David lay awake, his mind a pinball machine. He was glad, however, that he hadn't 'tied one on' as Kathy had foreseen, because he might not now appreciate that, psychologically at least, he had gotten his second wind and that he was prepared for Monday morning.

Chapter 10

It was a long and arduous night and at breakfast, David's eyes had not lost their heaviness. Sunlight muscled its way through the kitchen's grainy curtains. 'You look like the wrath of God,' Kathy said. 'Thanks. And, speaking of that, you going to church this morning?'

'Yes, I'm picking mom up at ten. Then, after I bring her back, I'll go home from there.'

'Do you think He'11 mind if I don't attend today?' 'Yes, She will.'

'Oh, brother.'

Their meal was simple: orange juice, toast and two coffees for each.

'You're relaxing today, correct?' Kathy said. She wore one of his red plaid shirts.

'Except for one thing.'

'David, you promised.' She put her hands on her hips and regarded him sternly.

'This doesn't count. I make a request. Hopefully, someone else does the work.' He got up, paced a moment, then changed his mind. He sat to massage his bad knee. 'Bernie Bugles-remember him?'

'Of course. Charlie's son. You put him in your computer.'

'He said, or rather his kid brother said, he had to catch a flight to Japan directly from the reception at Foster's. I'd like to check on whether or not he went, and also on where he lives. He's not in the phone book.'

'Consider it done. We have cousins who have broad responsibilities. I'll call from here before I leave.'

'Your relatives?'

She chuckled. 'No, not my relatives. `Cousins' in police jargon means `stoolies'-`belchers'-you know, `informants.' Some of our elite do more than inform though, and they take pride in it.'

'Like what?'

'Information like what you need plus general background checks.'

'Perfect. You'll set it up then?'

'Sure, I'll do it now.'

Kathy leafed through a small leather book she pulled from her purse. She picked out a number, placed the call and spoke with a man named Archie, explaining the lowdown they wanted.

'Within twenty-four hours, Arch? Good. Buzz me.' She turned to David. 'That's that. Now, you'll take the rest of the day off?'

'Yeah, yeah. I sure hope the murderer does.'

He mostly napped the daylight hours away.

At nine o'clock Monday morning, David made his way to the hospital's Hole, cutting corners sharply, conscious of the drag of Friday at his wrist and the press of a snubby against his ankle. He was puzzled by the flood of pages over the public address system.

After discussing Coughlin's shooting death with Belle, he phoned the page operator and learned that several emergency meetings were being organized for that afternoon, all focusing on 'the hospital murder crisis.'

'Who's meeting?' David asked.

'Who isn't? The Medical Staff Executive Committee, the hospital's Board of Trustees, the Hollings Nurses' Union representatives. They're concerned, Dr. Brooks, real concerned.'

Next David called the Medical Staff Office to check on the sign-in sheet for the lecture Everett Coughlin never had a chance to give. He asked whether Ted Tanarkle was there.

'No,' the secretary said. 'At least, he didn't sign the sheet.'

'How about Victor Spritz? He ever go to those things? He never did when I was around.'

'Victor at EMS?'