“Well, that explains a lot,” Gorski said, crossing his eyes. “And we don’t need to rush, because I don’t think he’ll be going anywhere any time soon.”
“You mean aside from the surgery?”
“Yeah. He gave the ER docs some sort of drivel about a dog attack while he was biking, but they didn’t believe him. And I confirmed it for ‘em. So they’re gonna hold him until we come and tell ‘em what to do with him. He’s goin’ nowhere.”
“No. But his victim won’t, either. Assuming she lives, or comes out of the coma. And even if she wakes up, she might not…” Ashton paused, sighed, then asked, “How bad was she, anyway?”
“I’m not sure, Nick. We can go talk to Dr. Aadi Botha – he’s the forensic physician over at the Empress Adannaya III Hospital – and ensure our prisoner is cuffed to his bed until he’s released into our custody, then go see about her, if you want to. Her boyfriend, I have it to understand, headed out shortly after we started processing their apartment, going back to the hospital. He just wanted to meet us and ensure we had what we needed, first.”
“That...sounds like a good idea, sir. It’s a good plan.”
“If you like, Nick, when no other team members are around, you can call me Stefan. You show some real promise, and I want to mentor you…which means I want you to be comfortable around me, and not feel constrained. I’m here for any questions you have, or if you’re unsure about something… and that means in your personal life, too, by the way.”
“Oh! Thank you si– uh, Stefan. I appreciate that,” Nick said with a smile.
“Are you sure you won’t be upset if the victim doesn’t make it?”
“No, sir, um, Stefan, I’m not. I think it’ll probably take my mood down a few tens of notches, at least.” He shook his head, his face falling despite himself. “I haven’t even met her yet, but I really hope she comes out okay. But I know she could have brain damage, even if she survives…” He sighed. “Damn.”
“Ah. Then you’re human, and not a psychopath, like some of those jerks over at IPD Headquarters. Good. You just passed my last test. We’ll do fine together, you and me.”
It didn’t take long to arrange for Dirk Leeds to be restrained, and a police presence placed over him, at the Empress Adannaya III Hospital. He wouldn’t be going anywhere except to jail and then to trial. And the hospital forensic physician had already sent over DNA samples to the ICPD Forensics Lab for comparison to the samples taken at the crime scene and from the victim. Before Gorski and Ashton could reach the Empress Kolbesdeka Hospital, where the victim was being treated, Forensics was calling them with a confirmed match on all three sample sources.
When they arrived, the victim, Sheila Mackay, was still unconscious, though Owen Jackson, her significant other, said the doctors had more hope of a good outcome than they had had when she was admitted; she was beginning to respond to stimulus, and it was hoped she might wake soon. The two investigators stood in the ICU room with Jackson, as the battered woman lay in the bed nearby.
“That’s good,” Ashton said in response to the improved prognosis.
“Yes, it is,” Gorski agreed. “And we have some good news for you, Mr. Jackson.”
“Oh? Don’t tell me you know who did it.”
“We do, and he is under custody at a different hospital. He had to have emergency surgery to try to repair what your lady, there, did to him.”
“What?! What did she do to him?”
“She kicked him right in the pocket rocket, hard enough to bust his balls!” Ashton said with a wide grin.
“And the rocket,” Gorski added with a smirk.
“Good enough for him! Who the hell was it?”
“Guy named Dirk Leeds,” Gorski said. “You know him?”
“You’re kidding.” Jackson gaped. “That’s her coworker. They were, like, best friends. When I first got to know Sheila – we’ve only been together a few months, but I think it’s gonna be permanent, ‘cause I’m crazy about her – well, I thought those two were an item until she explained.”
“Evidently he thought so, too, I guess,” Ashton noted. “Anyway, when the doctors finally release him after surgery–”
“Surgery?! You guys weren’t kidding that she busted his balls!”
“Nope,” Ashton averred.
“I had it to understand from the attending physician that he wouldn’t be trying anything like this again,” Gorski added. “I don’t know that the repair is going to be completely successful, based on what the surgeon of record told me…off the record. He took a really hard hit to the groin. They’re having to do some reconstruction, the damage was so bad. Penis and at least one testicle. And that wasn’t the only damage he took. Severely broken nose, scalp laceration, claw marks to face and chest…”
“Damn.” Jackson winced. “Sounds like Sheila gave as good as she got.”
“Yup, just about. Once he’s released from the hospital,” Ashton tag-teamed his new mentor, “which may take a while given all that, we can assure you both that he’ll be going straight into custody, and based on the evidence we secured, is likely to be going away for a while.”
“...Good,” Jackson said with a sigh. “That’s...a relief.”
“Iiiithnnsooootooo,” the woman in the bed breathed.
All three men glanced around, startled.
“Did she just try to talk?” Ashton wondered.
“Sure sounded like it to me,” Gorski said, eyebrows shooting up. “Nick, go grab the doctor! Mr. Jackson, try to talk to her!”
Ashton sprinted to the door, yelling, “We need a
