Shoot Not to Kill

by Daniel L Stephenson

  “Least I could do. I owe you,” Marvin said as he slapped the side of the orange chair.

  Michelle caught up with Geech and Colin.

  “Hey guys, Marvin the miner’s been chipping away at the rocks we left when we went investigational. He’s come up with a pattern that does displays in time and incidence. Looks pretty cool,” Michelle said.

  “He’s not telling you all,” Geech said. “That’s my program. I ran it for study of the incidences of breakdowns in equipment and gave it to him to run on the lab’s stuff. What’s he doing with it?”

  “Getting a patent, I think. Said he sold it to a software company as an aftermarket add-on for their product. Hope you have a copy and it’s in the computer where you worked,” Michelle said as she started walking with them.

  “I’m sure I have an older copy, but I owe Marvin a lot, and I’m sure he’s improved on that system a good bit, so to hell with it, he can keep it. What did he do with it, anyway?” Geech asked as they filed into a room.

  “He ran the attempted homicides through it and came up with some pattern that involved gunshot wounds and folks that survived getting hit. This program showed where a hospital that originally saw only a few attempted homicides became one of the big players. The dude that had the Acozil bottle in his coat was hit near that new hospital. They are having a tremendous increase in the number of gunshot wounds, and I’d like to explain it better. What has this neighborhood done to change? Who owns the turf, why is there a war there? Are there rival gangs that are shooting middle-aged businessmen? Has the number of deaths increased, too?”

  “Whoa, girl. We’re looking at the next six months in training. We’ll never catch up if we take time out to do this stuff now,” Colin said.

  Chapter 23

  Five Months after Graduation

  Michelle entered the small office behind Dr. Cormack. The office contained four desks, pushed against the walls. Journals flowed from the top of two of the desks, another desk appeared empty, and the final desk had a professional appearance of a common workstation.

  Dr. Cormack sat and turned his chair to face Michelle, leaned back, and placed his folded hands behind his head. His surgical hat started slipping off, but he ignored it. “OK, Ms. Lumen. I am the department head of the anesthesiology department here; been for eighteen years. What can I do for you?” he said as he surveyed Michelle with what seemed to be a certain degree of hostility.

  “My investigation has nothing to do with you or your hospital specifically. I am in the homicide department at the LAPD. We have a case on a homicide that had atropine and Acozil in his system when he died, and there was a vial of Acozil with atropine in the vial. I do not understand medicine and need help in reconstructing what might be the reasons someone would be carrying such a vial, and what it might be doing in the bloodstream of the victim,” Michelle said as she sat at the desk.

  “I could not begin to speculate,” Dr. Cormack replied, not volunteering any more information.

  Michelle tried to be unassuming and diminutive. She had come in clothes that were just above casual, having anticipated a difficult interview after the initial phone conversation with Dr. Cormack, who was the head anesthesiologist at one of the big four that Marvin identified in the Diamond Miner. This was not the hospital that had the new spike in trauma in the last four years.

  Dr. Cormack played with a package that appeared to contain the working end of a small harpoon, cased in plastic and obviously sterile and a tool for his trade. He turned to a drawer and played with additional items, not looking at Michelle.

  “I don’t know what you are after. We secure the Acozil in the anesthesia cart, and it is only accessible for the case while we are signed into the computer. When the case is done, the inventory is confirmed, and we have to lock the cart and machine up. Why are you here?” Cormack said as he pointedly turned to Michelle.

  “As I said, Dr. Cormack, I have been assigned to investigate this case, and I do not know where to start.”

  “Well, I’d suggest you do some research on the normal use of medications, and come back when you have a little more to go on!”

  Michelle turned and surveyed the room as her face felt warm. She noticed scuff marks on the surface of the desk that appeared nearly empty, as if someone often stood on the desk. She glanced back to Dr. Cormack and said, “I am sorry to have wasted your time.”

  Dr. Cormack gathered his desk toys and placed them back into the drawer as he rolled his chair back.

  Michelle started to stand and dropped her key ring. She then kicked it across the floor, appearing that it happened as if by accident. She stooped to follow the keys and went to the empty desk. When she was close to the desk, it was even more obvious that there had been someone standing on the desk frequently. She stooped to pick up her keys and then stood, swaying her hair back from her face as she closely inspected the ceiling above the desk. There was a suggestion of soiling of a corner of one ceiling tile, as though it was handled frequently. Michelle suspected there was something hidden in that tile space.

  She turned and bowed slightly, “I will take your advice.”

  Dr. Cormack did not answer, but did suggest the door was open.

  Michelle paced in a small office at the headquarters building for the Los Angeles Police. “I need a warrant. I know there is something in that ceiling. I can tell someone has been up there frequently, and Dr. Cormack almost threw me out of the office. He didn’t want to help in any way, and was rude from the minute I called him. I am very interested in seeing what is in that ceiling tile, and if it is a case of Acozil mixed with atropine, well, we’ll have to figure out why when we see it.”

  Detective Ashley scratched his head. “Michelle, a warrant has to be signed by a judge when there is sufficient evidence to suggest data found with the warrant would be germane to the case. I cannot see that connection at this point. I can tell you are curious as hell, but from what you tell me, this is not the hospital you are interested in anyway. I can push the buttons for the warrant, but I’m not sure what you will get.”

  Michelle nodded and folded up her notebook. “You’re right. It was just a hunch.”

  “Well, I understand. Without a warrant, you can get into real hot water, too, if you were to decide to try to look there yourself. The biggest problem is that if you discover anything, it is likely inadmissible, and if they find you were looking before the warrant, it is evidence tampering, and you’re in even more trouble.”

  “Hadn’t thought of going in without a warrant, but now I know why it had not crossed my mind. Thanks, Mark,” Colin said as he turned to leave with Michelle.

  Michelle explained the problem to Colin that night. “This guy was a jerk, and if that is what a doctor is like in the hospital, I sure don’t want to be under his care. He was really something. I left there nearly in tears until I saw that ceiling tile, then the plot got a lot thicker.”

  “Let me think on this,” Colin said as he called Geech. “Hey buddy, you into some mischief?”

  “Is it legal stuff?” Geech asked.

  “It has to do with Michelle’s pet project. Need to look into some ceiling tiles at a local hospital. Will mean catching a door open and getting a quick look.”

  “Sounds like we could get busted for that kind of stuff. Warrant worth getting?” Geech asked.

  “Tried that. Ashley says it is a no go, not enough to substantiate a warrant. Michelle can see where someone is standing on a desk, and a ceiling tile was disturbed above the desk. She figures there’s something in that ceiling.”

  Geech thought for a moment and then said, “Just how interested are you, Colin? I think I could get you in, but you have to know it could go pretty poorly for us if we’re caught.”

  “Well, I suppose you are right. What were you thinking?”

  “I have always wondered why they come through and replace the fluorescent lights in the offices I’ve worked in. That’s happened to me several times, and now I’m thinking we could
be working our way down that hall and when the door is open, go in and change the lights. That would get us into the ceiling.”

  “That’s a good idea. We only need to start with a few bulbs, too, and change the same ones back into other fixtures as we work down the hall. If anyone asked us, we could tell them we’re rotating the bulbs so that they didn’t all burn out at the same time.”

  Geech laughed.

  It was a week later. Colin was dressed in a shirt and pants that he had purchased at the Salvation Army store. Geech was wearing something similar, though oddly enough, it reflected a different electronic contractor. The dissimilarity somehow seemed appropriate. They had a cart that had been sitting in the maintenance bay, and from the cart stood six fluorescent bulbs and a ladder.

  The plan was foolproof, and when they arrived on the floor on which the office in question was located, it became apparent they were in business. They started on the lights just in front of the office and worked their way down three lights, and then moved three lights the other direction and started moving toward the office again. It took all morning, but finally a lady came around the corner and seemed to be heading for the office in question.

  The lady had a stethoscope draped across her neck. She wore an outlandish scrub festooned with jazz trumpets and saxophones. The hat advertised a jazz club in New Orleans. Her clipboard seemed full of papers that seemed recently stuffed under the clip.

  Geech moved first, “Ma’am, we are supposed to replace the lighting in that office with the new bulbs designed to decrease fatigue. Can you let us in?”

  The lady eyed Geech for a second and then said, “It’s going to take a hell of a lot more than new lights to get any rest in this place. Come on in. I have six new consults,” she said waving the clipboard, “and have to get my butt going to get ready for tomorrow’s schedule. Close the door when you are done.”

  Colin and Geech entered the room with the ladder and several tubes of lights. The room was not decorated in the same fashion as the hall, and seemed older than the adjacent rooms, though they had to be the same age. Geech figured it out first.

  “This is an old surgery suite. Look at those lights. Glad that doctor didn’t notice they’re behind the wall, shine in here on those reflective panels. No way we can change them, but we can sure look like we’re busy. Here, get set up.”

  Colin looked about and saw the desk in question. Just as Michelle had observed, there were numerous scuffmarks on the desk and pieces of ceiling tile on the top of the desk.

  “Geech, you watch the door. I’m going up real quick.”

  Colin grabbed the ladder and stood near the desk and pushed the tile up.

  “Geech, you have a flashlight out there?” Colin asked.

  “Yeah, here it comes,” Geech called as he leaned into the room and tossed the light.

  Colin took down the tile and turned the flashlight onto the area above the ceiling.

  The ceiling was stuffed with supplies and equipment. These were packaged and appeared fresh. There was no hint of dust on these items. They seemed to be items that all had needles and tubes. Colin took a few pictures and then closed the tile.

  “Geech, we’re a wrap.”

  “OK, get the ladder,” Geech said as he started to pull the cart toward the door. “What did you find?”

  “It’s full of equipment. Nothing that looked suspicious, took a picture. Wonder why they stuff it up there?” Colin said as he gathered his flashlight.

  The door was blocked by the figure of a tall male dressed in scrubs. He, too, had a stethoscope around his neck and a surgical mask was at his chest, partially attached around his neck.

  “What the hell are you two doing in here?” he asked.

  Geech looked at the person and said, “I could ask you the same thing. We work here, do you?”

  The person tried to stand taller and said, “I’m Dr. Cormack, and this happens to be my office. If you please, get out.”

  “We are supposed to change the lights to these more natural spectrum plant fluorescent lights, and just started this office. It will only take a minute or two. Trying to figure out how to get to the lights, though.”

  “I’m no plant. I don’t need new lights, and get out of here before I call your boss.”

  “We be gone,” Geech said. “Come on, Buster, we’re through on this floor now, and we’re out of here.”

  Geech and Colin walked down the hall, pushing the cart in front of them. They reached the elevator and waited.

  “That was the jerk that Michelle saw, I remember the name. Same name as my sixth grade Spanish teacher,” Colin said. “Seems like he would be a real pleasant sort to put you to sleep.”

  “I’d like to see someone put him to sleep. Bet he’s one of those doctors that would make a real tough patient. Let’s dump this in the maintenance corridor where we found it and get the heck out of here. I’d like to see your pictures when we get back to the office.”

  Michelle laughed when she heard their story. “He was a pill, I could tell you that. So these are the secret supplies? I looked them up on the Internet. The stuff is all pretty expensive. That set is used for something to do with the artery in the neck, and they are $810 each. I called my brother-in-law, and he said the stuff is real hard to come by. He hides his in a spare locker he took over from some doctor that left. I suppose they must horde their stuff, but nothing illegal there. Do you want to tell security at the hospital?”

  “That’s your call. I say let it be. We may have to work with them again, and if they are real pissed at us, it could be tougher,” Colin said.

  “Works for me. Well, Michelle, your question is answered, and we got out without being tagged. There was video in the maintenance area, but I doubt there’s anything we did that will raise an eyebrow, and we didn’t have to show ID, so we’re clean.”

  Chapter 24

  Drugs Locked Up

  Michelle approached the anesthesiologist carefully. This was the target hospital, and her reception had been difficult at each hospital.

  Dr. Pengill was an attractive, middle-aged physician. She appeared casually dressed in blue jeans and a sweatshirt, which surprised Michelle. The office was clean, though small and dark.

  “Dr. Pengill, I appreciate your time. I will try to be brief. I have interviewed several other hospitals and am working through all the hospitals in the basin until I either run out of time, which is likely to be soon, or make some progress on the case I am assigned. I have worked several different divisions of LAPD, and in one assignment, I had to inventory the contents of the homicide victims’ personal belongings. On one victim, I found a vial of Acozil, and when I did analytics on it, I was able to determine it had been mixed with atropine. I’ve learned that this is not a common practice to premix the drug, but one that does happen. I am looking for assistance in why this might have been done.”

  Dr. Pengill nodded and said, “OK.”

  “Well, another thing has developed, and it has to do with this hospital. There has been an increase in the numbers of attempted homicides, and it has an unusual pattern of involving middle-aged men that are insured and straight. These shootings have been in bars and have been within five miles of this hospital. There has also been a spike in the number of admissions here for thoracic trauma, so all this has brought me to you.”

  Dr. Pengill looked at Michelle for a moment, and then stood. Michelle was sure she had another ornery and fatigued physician that was going to ball her out and send her on her way. Dr. Pengill paced for a moment, then said, “I am on my day off, I have a few minutes. Ms. Lumen, will you follow me please?” Dr. Pengill asked as she left the office.

  Michelle had a sense of dread, that she was being escorted off the hospital grounds.

  “I’ve been here for several years,” Dr. Pengill started. “Are you from Los Angeles?”

  “Yes, doctor. I have always been here,” Michelle answered, trying to sound casual.

  “Good. Do you like your work?” Dr.
Pengill asked.

  Michelle felt there were interest and friendliness in the questions, and it occurred to her that Dr. Pengill was escorting her from the hospital for reasons other than dismissal. “Yes, it is good work. I’m moving to a new area of the force, with this work, and that is always a challenge. How about you? Do you like your work?”

  “That’s hard to say. I can tell you that I was a lot happier when I made a third as much as I do now, but it seems there is no end to it. I’d like to buy you a cup of coffee, if I may. There’s a nice corner coffee shop just across the street,” Dr. Pengill said as they neared the front door.

  “I think I should be buying you the coffee, and yes, I’d like that. How long have you been here at this hospital?” Michelle asked as they left the building.

  “I came here six years ago. My husband flies for a company based here in LA, and we were seeing less and less of each other. We really like it here, though.”

  They crossed the street and ordered coffee.

  Dr. Pengill started talking. “Ms. Lumen, your call to me was somewhat alarming, and until we had this discussion of why you are interested in the vial you found, I was pretty sure you were investigating the department. You may still be, I don’t know, but I will discuss some things with you. We are a department of twelve providers. Seven of us are physicians, the rest are certified registered nurse anesthetists. They are called CRNAs. The staff has been stable, but recently we’ve had a problem with several controlled drugs disappearing from the surgery carts. Internal work within the department has so far just found nothing, but it is the Acozil that has been dropping out. We do not see a pattern and cannot pinpoint what is happening, but we’ve double locked and tracked every controlled drug for six weeks now. No missing drugs have come up since we double locked the meds, but there had been a few substantial thefts of Acozil. We did not look at atropine. That is not a medication that is usually abused by professionals in our line of work. It was the Acozil that had us alarmed, and we were missing not just a few vials. That is why I’m here with you. I do not want knowledge of our investigation getting out to the staff.”