Michelle had to think fast. “Oh no. I just, well I’m not sure if you can come home straight away. You might need to stay here for observation.”
“I feel fine though. A little groggy, but nothing too drastic.”
Michelle was saved from answering as a ward nurse came into the room. “Hey Lisa,” Alex called.
“Well hey! Long-time no see. When was it, T for Tiff’s birthday?”
“I think so yeah. But apparently, my memory isn’t that good lately.”
Michelle was asked to step aside so Lisa could give Alex the necessary check-up. Michelle could still hear Alex trying to ask permission to leave. When the curtain to her bed opened, Lisa addressed both of them, “Well, I see no reason why you can’t go as long as you have someone to drive you and stay with tonight.”
“She’s got me,” Michelle said.
“You’ll stay with her?”
“For as long as she needs.”
Michelle caught Alex’s tight smile out of the corner of her eye.
“I think tonight and maybe tomorrow should do. If everything goes ok after that, we should be all good. I’ll get your discharge papers. Though with all the craziness, it might still be a while.”
“Yeah, what was with all that?” Michelle asked with a flurry of her hand. “I must’ve bumped my head with the earthquake.”
“Strangest thing. One of the patients ran off. And I mean literally ran. Looks like he jumped out the window.” Lisa turned to Alex. “You remember the guy I told you about? Beau?”
“Um… the really gorgeous one?”
“Yeah, the dream boat. Him. Just disappeared.” She clicked her fingers. “How the hell he survived that fall I’ll never know. Weird night. Anyway. Sit tight guys, I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
*
“Hello? Hello?” Solomon cried into his phone. “Dammit. Can anyone get a call out?”
The people that bothered to answer him shook their heads. It was useless trying. For the last hour he had been trying on and off to get a call or text out and all attempts had failed. Some had tried to break free downstairs by using chairs and computer monitors on the glass front doors. It was futile though, as they were shatterproof. “Great,” he sighed, looking down and then lowering himself at the nurse that had seen the John Doe rush past her and out the window. “Look, I’m really sorry. I’m trying to call the station, a tow service, anything to get that car moved so we can get the people out as quickly as possible. The hospital is still in lockdown and I can’t reach emergency services. We will get you home I promise. But until then this is probably the best place for you. If I can get a sketch artist to come and see you, or if we can bring you in to ask you a bit more information about the identity of this guy, would you be open for that?”
She nodded, staring ahead, gripping her coffee with two hands.
“Officer!” a patient called from the smashed window the unknown patient had crashed through. “Might want to come see this.”
Solomon walked over to the wall and peered down. It wasn’t a big drop, but jeez there was very little chance you wouldn’t break a bone jumping from there to the concrete. But that wasn’t what Solomon had been called and asked to see. A line of vans had positioned themselves along the street and out from them, poured a heap of black clad soldier types. The soldiers began directing civilians away from the hospital doors with knife edge precision, like a military drill. The people dispersed within seconds.
“They’re good,” the patient remarked.
Solomon was spared from replying by a call out from behind him. “Who’s in charge here?”
Solomon turned to see a slender man in a well fitted charcoal suit with an open collar, flanked by two more of the soldier types he had seen downstairs. Solomon took a step forward and held up his badge. “Crane, Mascot precinct.”
“Fantastic for you. Who’s in charge?”
Solomon didn’t appreciate the reply, but that wasn’t important. “Until I can contact a superior, it’s me.”
“You’re meeting your superior. I meant who’s in charge of this ward. Tonight’s rounds. Understand?” he spat, looking past Solomon to the dead bodies covered with sheets behind him, clicking his fingers. “Get them out of here.”
Solomon blinked and crossed his arms as more soldiers walked past him, carrying the bodies away. “Sorry, you guys from the EPA or something? Got any ID? What’s going on? How did you get in?”
“We reset the hospital’s network. The fact we did and got in should give you an indication of who we are.”
“Actually, it doesn’t. I can tell you I’ve had it up to here with secrets, half-truths and bull. I’ve already got a mystery, I don’t need a second or third.”
“Crane, wasn’t it? Solomon Crane?” the slender man asked.
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Ah. My association has heard of you. The meddlesome one. Always getting in the way, never letting go of a case. Do yourself a favour and let this one go. All I want is to ask a simple question to the right person. The ward nurse.”
Solomon didn’t look at her. Whoever this was must have went on instinct. The woman still right next to Solomon. The stranger bent low on his haunches. Solomon took a step forward and was immediately presented with two rifles inches away from his face, not daring him to move any closer.
“Now my dear, if you could do me a favour.” The stranger paused and reached into the breast pocket of his jacket and produced a small, rectangular piece of thick paper. No, a photograph. “And tell me if this is who you saw before he jumped through the window.”
Solomon saw instant recognition
