He wasn’t sure how he ended up in the maternity wing, but he found himself standing in the middle of it, nonetheless. The realization hit him hard and he felt a lump in his throat. Sadness overtook him. Seeing newborn babies, so innocent, so tiny, brought back stinging memories. He remembered when he was five years old and his mom had come home from the hospital with his new sister—Isabella. He had been so excited that he was going to be a big brother. He loved everything about being the older sibling—playing, feeding, and telling stories to his little sister. Less than a year later, Isabella became extremely ill and was in the hospital for a long time. She never came home. His parents told him that she was with God now and he would see her again someday. He had learned later that Isabella contracted a rare heart defect and that she was unable to survive the operation to try to correct it.
On patrol, whenever he was called to a family disturbance and there were infants involved, it would pull at his heart remembering his little sister. He would always make sure that they were safe first, before anything else. He often wondered what his sister would have become if she had grown up.
McGaven gathered his emotions and quickly moved on. There were different sections to the hospital and he wanted to stay within the main areas, where he would most likely find the nurses he’d identified on social media.
A tall brunette with her hair fixed in a ponytail hurried out of a patient’s room and then entered another one. She moved with ease as she kept a stethoscope looped around her neck. McGaven immediately recognized her as Abigail Sorensen. According to her personal page, she was recently engaged to her high school sweetheart, an avid runner, and had two small rescue dogs.
McGaven set himself in position, estimating that she was doing typical rounds, checking in on patients, and would soon jet out of another room in about three or four minutes.
He didn’t have to wait long as the nurse came out of the room and was headed for the next when McGaven stepped in front of her.
“Oh, excuse me,” he said and gave his best smile looking down at her.
She began to say something rude, when she gave him a double look. “I’m sorry. Are you lost?” she said.
“Hi, I was looking for Abigail Sorensen. Would you know where I could find her?”
“That’s me. What can I do for you?” She gave him a complete once-over this time and raised an eyebrow in interest.
“My name is Sean McGaven from the sheriff’s department,” he said carefully. “I’m part of the homicide investigation for Amanda Payton. Would you have a few minutes to answer some questions?”
“Homicide?” she said and looked confused.
“Yes, I’m sorry to say that Ms. Payton was found murdered a week ago. I’m here to just get some background information.” McGaven casually showed his badge.
Nurse Sorensen looked pale and she seemed honestly shocked at the news of Amanda’s death.
“Ms. Sorensen, you okay?” He watched her carefully.
“I… I… didn’t know.” She caught her breath. “When? How?”
“The case is currently under investigation. Do you have a moment?”
“Of course.”
“Can we go somewhere less public?” he said.
She nodded and made a gesture to follow her. They walked down the hallway, took a left and went into a lunchroom. There was only one other person inside drinking a soda and reading a paperback novel.
“Please call me Abigail,” she said and sat at a table.
“Of course. I’m sorry to give you the terrible news like that, but I figured everyone knew by now.”
“I don’t hang out with most nurses and I stay away from most media news.”
“Did you know Amanda?”
“Yes, of course. We both were hired at about the same time and trained together.”
“Did you know her well?”
“At work—yes. Plus a couple of casual evenings out mostly to blow off steam and complain about some of the doctors.” She looked down at her hands.
“Did you notice any changes with Amanda?”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Did she seem edgy? Angry? Withdrawn? Anything like that before she left?” McGaven watched the nurse closely as she averted her eyes.
“Well…”
“Ms. Sorensen, whatever you tell me is kept confidential—for now. This is just a casual interview. We really don’t want to bring everyone down to the police department for questioning,” he explained, trying to sound firm but still friendly.
“Something happened to her before: she just didn’t show up one day. According to the supervisor, she just quit. No notice. Nothing. And that wasn’t like her. If you knew her and how hard she worked, everything was done by the book. And if she noticed something that you missed—she let you know about it in a nice way.”
Two people dressed in green hospital scrubs and carrying food entered the room and sat in the corner.
“Do you know what happened?” he asked.
“She didn’t tell me in so many words, but I guessed that she was attacked, or worse.”
“Would you say that Amanda was well known and well liked around the hospital?”
The nurse thought about his question. “I’m not sure if she was well known, but she did have some secrets and wasn’t likely to tell anyone about who she might have dated.”
“Was she dating anyone?”
“I’m not totally sure, but there was someone from the morgue; I think his name is Marco. She seemed smitten.”
McGaven waited a few moments before he continued, “If there is anything that you think is important for us to know about Amanda, will you please not hesitate to tell us. It could mean the difference in finding her killer and having her case go cold.” McGaven hoped that he didn’t sound too dramatic.
The nurse sat silent.
“Thank you, Ms. Sorensen, for your time.” He dropped his card on the table and stood up.
“Wait,” she said.
McGaven sat back down—curious.
“The only time she acted different, even a bit weird, was when she talked about some guy that she was involved with from time to time.”
“Someone here?”
“No, I got the feeling it was someone she had met somewhere else or even in a bar. But she said to me on one especially rough shift: ‘Any more days like today, I’m going to have him take me away from it all,’ and then she clammed up and wouldn’t say anymore.”
“Did she say a name? Or a reference of any kind?”
“No, I asked her, but she refused to say anymore.”
McGaven waited for her to drop more information, and he made sure he remembered what she quoted from Amanda exactly.
Again, the deputy rose from his chair, glancing at the three other people in the break room who appeared to not pay any attention to the conversation. “Thank you, Ms. Sorensen, please give me a call if you remember anything else.”
She forced a smile and gave a weak nod.
McGaven managed to find his way to the security area, which wasn’t easy without a map and a personal direction from a managing nurse. The deputy saw a lot of things walking through the wards he wished he could un-see; all types of procedures, gravely ill patients, and verbal confrontations, in the various rooms and emergency areas to make him never want to visit the hospital again. He wasn’t so sure how clean everything was either—it made him shiver thinking about all the diseases and germs whirling about.
He finally reached the area where the patrolling guards would change, receive their equipment, and monitor the security cameras. The hospital security guard was the equivalent, at least in duties, to a police officer roaming the halls. They kept a watchful eye on everything that went on and helped to protect patients as well as the staff.
As McGaven approached, he heard loud voices, not heated, but an entertaining conversation underway. Two security guards were laughing about something that happened the evening before about a patient that wan
dered out of their room and was found hiding in the nurses’ break room.
He saw a medium height, slightly overweight man with receding, close-cropped hair. He looked to be in his mid to late thirties. He stood like a cop, wider stance, hands every so often on his belt, and his eyes seemed to shift back and forth while being watchful. McGaven knew it was the guy he spied on social media that bragged about fishing and hot girls he met with his new boat.
The security guard immediately spotted McGaven as he approached.
“Randy Drake?” asked McGaven.
The guard nodded to his friend who quickly left. “Yeah, I’m Randy.” He eyed the tall deputy and spotted the badge and gun.
“I’m Sean McGaven from the sheriff’s department. I’m working the Amanda Payton homicide. Would you have a moment for a few questions?” he asked, keeping his authority to a minimum, not wanting to put Randy on the defensive. He had known the type and wouldn’t be surprised if Randy had tried to become a police officer and didn’t make the cut.
“Oh yeah, I heard about that. That’s terrible. Amanda was a really nice girl.”
“Is this a good time?” McGaven persisted.
“Sure, c’mon in.”
McGaven followed the security guard into a small office. Randy closed the door and began to straighten up the messy desk, then gave up.
He plopped down in an adjustable office chair. “What would you like to know?” he said, now eyeing McGaven’s police issued firearm. It was quite common for people to keep glancing at his gun.
“How well did you know Amanda Payton?”
He thought about it, shaking his head in a strange manner as if trying to recall his relationship. “Not well, she and several other nurses from her floor were just the kind of people you said hello to in passing. We just knew each other at work.”
“Did you want it to be anything more?”
“With Amanda? Nah, she really wasn’t my type.”
“Your type?” McGaven asked.
Randy leaned forward and said in a quieter tone, “I like ’em kind of dirty, if you know what I mean? Amanda was a nice-looking girl, don’t get me wrong, but she was too clean and conservative for me.” He smiled and leaned back in the chair smiling broadly. He then broke out in a creepy laugh as if imagining what it would be like being with her.
“As far as you knew, did she date anyone here?”
“I’m not sure. I actually wouldn’t know… Oh, wait…” The security guard spun around in his chair and opened a laptop computer. He turned it on. Opening a desk drawer, there were several CDs and he pulled one out. “Okay, this might blow your mind.” He inserted the CD and waited to play the image. “Wait, I’m not going to get in trouble, am I?”
“I don’t think so,” McGaven replied.
The CD spun in the computer as they both waited.
McGaven didn’t say anything, but he hoped it wasn’t some personal home movie.
“I actually almost forgot all about this. There are, how shall I say, interesting things that go on in the hospital. Us guards have seen quite an eyeful, if you know what I mean. This might help you.”
McGaven waited, but he wasn’t entirely convinced until he saw the footage.
There was a black-and-white security image of a long hallway. McGaven didn’t recognize the area even though he’d walked through much of the large, rambling hospital. The area looked narrower than he had been through, with swinging doors all the way along. There was a woman walking down the hallway, back to the camera, and she seemed to be waiting for someone.
As she paced, the camera caught a shot of her face and it clearly identified Amanda Payton. She nervously chewed her thumbnail as if contemplating whether or not she should leave. Within a minute, a dark-haired man appeared and they proceeded to have a conversation. Their body movements were restrained at first, but then they let go of their inhibitions and embraced in a passionate kiss.
“Yeah, you see. Amanda could be a tiger, I guess,” said Randy holding back a laugh as he viewed the screen.
McGaven watched and had to agree with the security guard as the couple burst through one of the doors, their bodies locked together, their hands exploring hungrily.
“When was this taken?” asked McGaven. There were no identifying dates on the video itself.
Randy opened the CD holder where there were pencil markings. “It was nine months ago.”
“Who is that with Ms. Payton?”
“That’s Marco Ellis, he’s a morgue technician,” said Randy.
According to Katie’s interview with Marco Ellis, he had said that they hadn’t been together but went out casually a few times. The video clearly showed that there was more going on between them.
“Can you burn me a copy?”
“Yeah, of course,” he said and proceeded to duplicate the footage.
“If you see any other recording that might help the case, call me.”
“You got it.”
McGaven left the hospital with a little bit more knowledge about Amanda Payton, but no closer to a suspect from what they already had. However, the investigation was beginning to show more about Amanda, things that she had conveniently kept to herself.
He walked across the parking lot to his car and got inside. Before starting the engine, he sent a text message to Katie:
Amanda was involved with someone secretly. Her relationship with Marco was more than she had said. Video footage to prove it.
Thirty-Four
Wednesday 1105 hours
Katie flashed her badge at the gate to the amusement park featuring the world famous ScareFest. The security guard waved her through and directed her to the employee area. The parking lots were huge and she had a difficult time believing that so many people wanted to be scared to death for pure entertainment.
Three large warehouses formed part of the creative and special effects department for the festival of horrors. She had been directed to building A and parked accordingly.
Katie’s cell phone buzzed and she saw that McGaven had sent a brief text about the video footage of Amanda and Marco. She couldn’t wait to meet with him for an update. As she stepped out of her vehicle, the hot sun beat down on her, making her directly aware that she was still wearing a suit jacket. She quickly took it off, tossed it into the car, unbuttoned her blouse cuffs, and rolled up her sleeves. It made her badge and gun visible, but she had no choice. The heat was insufferable.
Katie followed the painted outline showing the way to go for artists, technicians, or models for makeup and fittings.
Interesting.
She followed the obvious path for the special effects personnel and searched for the overseeing director of special effects, Tim Durango. He had barely spoken to her on the phone and seemed to speak in hashtags with social media lingo. At least she got the opportunity to visit the area where James Haines had worked. There had to be something that she could use to find him—or at least learn more about him.
Standing at the entrance where the gigantic metal sliding door was opened wide enough for a person to squeeze through, Katie straightened her blouse and entered.
Inside, the cool breeze of large air conditioners working overtime was a welcome change, but she was more mesmerized by all of the high-tech gadgetry and robotics around her; the hum and clicking of technicians testing out their creations that would soon become every evil or fantastical character you could imagine.
Metal arms moved around her while large beast heads surged and snapped their teeth with a scary tenacity as she walked past a couple of computer operators. She stopped and asked, “Excuse me. Where can I find Tim Durango?”
“Down that way.” The man gestured across the warehouse. “Keep going until you see makeup effects. You can’t miss his office,” he said and smiled.
“Thanks.”
Katie followed his instructions, and the noise lessened as she came through another area where there were numerous artists working on masks, makeup, and creating other add-o
n items like bumpy horns, pointed ears, and odd tails.
She kept moving and felt like she was walking into another world, unsure if she would ever find her way back to reality. Finally she reached a door that read: “Director of F/X.”
Pushing the door open, she peered inside. There was no one there, but she decided to say, “Hello? I’m looking for Tim Durango.”
The small office was crowded with everything to make a monster: fabric, plastics, fabricated body parts, two human heads, metal gadgets, paints, drawings, boxes, heavy makeup cases, and a desk covered with more unusual items. It was difficult to see the size of the desk or if there was even a chair.
“Hello?” Katie said again. This time, her voice pushed her words with a harsher tone. She surveyed the room, very slowly taking in each item carefully before moving on. Something wasn’t right.
She took another step inside.
Several chatting people hurried by outside, but no one seemed interested that a cop was standing in the director’s office.
Then Katie saw it.
Movement.
“Oh damn,” said a voice with a distinct British accent. “You’re good, Detective.” One of the mannequin-looking heads stood up; beneath was a regular body. “You’re the first newcomer that didn’t fall for it.” He came out from the cramped area.
Katie still didn’t quite know what to think about the entire situation. She definitely felt like she had stepped into another dimension. “Tim Durango?” she finally said.
“Well of course, who else would I be?”
Katie couldn’t help but laugh. “They told you I was coming in, right?”
“Of course. We have to try out our newest innovations on someone unsuspecting. It’s marvelous usually.”
“It’s amazing. I wouldn’t have thought it was real, but I felt something wasn’t right.”
“Most people dismiss so much of what goes on around them. You are one of those rare people that don’t rely just on what you’re seeing, but you allow your gut to tell you otherwise.” He sat on the edge of the desk, dressed in jeans and a tie-dye T-shirt showing off his impressive tattoos of various superheroes. He carefully peeled away the silicone mask pieces that had dramatically altered his cheeks, forehead and chin.
Her Last Whisper: An absolutely unputdownable crime thriller (Detective Katie Scott Book 2) Page 15