"Yes. We'll keep the monitor on while you're here." Sophia made a note in the chart, then said, "You cut your wrist."
"I . . . I . . . don't know what to do. I'm so alone. I have no money. How am I going to take care of my baby?"
"We can have social service hook you up with some help." Sophia waited a moment. "Was it your plan to solve your problem by taking your own life?"
"Uh-huh, but I got scared. I don't want to die, not really. I just want a normal life. Then I got to thinkin' that if I died, the baby would die slow inside me. And I felt bad for the baby. I mean, the poor thing never did anything to deserve dyin' before it could be born. I couldn't stand that. So, I called 9-1-1."
Based on the shallow nature of the wound and Kelly Ann's comments, Sophia didn't believe the suicide attempt was serious. She asked more questions and learned that it was the patient's first attempt.
"You look like you've been beaten. Did your husband do that to you?"
Kelly Ann's body shook as tears rolled down her battered face. "I could have killed my baby. Oh my God. What a horrible person I've turned into."
Sophia moved to sit on the side of the stretcher and put a comforting hand on her patient's shoulder.
Between sobs, Kelly Ann said, "LeRoy wouldn't hurt me. He loves me. But he's hidin', you see."
"No, I don't. Please tell me."
"Oh, I shouldn't. I have to talk to someone."
Sophia waited. She knew Ray was looking for a man named Vast, or maybe a couple of men named Vast. She wondered if Kelly Ann's LeRoy was one of them.
"He's hurt. Hurt bad, but he can't go to the hospital because people are lookin' for him."
"The police?"
"Them, too, but no. People who want to kill him."
"Kelly Ann, you're not making sense. Start at the beginning, please."
Kelly Ann sniffed, then blew her nose. "LeRoy ran a meth lab for the man. Then it blew up. He got hurt bad, but he ran away. He knew they were tryin' to kill him."
"Who is they?"
"I can't tell you. He might hurt you, too." She rubbed her face and winced. "See how he hurt me. He wanted me to tell where LeRoy is. I said I didn't know. I thought he was dead. Then Krantz said 'No, Richie is the one who's dead.' I don't know how he knows. The cops came to my house and said they didn't know whose body it was."
Sophia sorted through the garble, confirmed for herself it was Ray's case, and that LeRoy was one of the men Ray was looking for. "Krantz? The deputy?"
"He's who beat me up."
"Kelly Ann, I'd like to call the police so they can come in and talk to you. You'll need some protection when you get out of the hospital."
"No. I'm afraid."
Sophia thought about how to approach the problem, then decided head-on was the best way. "I can't talk to him if you won't allow it, but my fiancé is Ray Stone. I think you met him already. I can call Ray and tell him what you told me. He's a good man, and I promise you he isn't working for the meth business here."
"I know there is someone in town at the police station who is, though. I know because LeRoy always got a call if there was going to be a raid. Then they'd strip the lab and hide everything."
"That isn't Ray. He's the new detective at the department in Plateauville. We moved here a couple months ago."
Kelly Ann grimaced, then rubbed her belly.
"What did you feel?"
"A squeezin' sensation. Do you think the baby is coming?"
"Could be. I'm going to call upstairs and hurry up the OB nurse, then I'll get the ED doc to fix your wrist."
Sophia made a note of the time of the contraction, then stepped out of the room to place her calls. As she did, the OB clinical specialist walked down the hall and entered the room. A few minutes later, the specialist stepped out and reported the patient was in early labor.
When Sophia returned to the room, Kelly Ann said, "Call Detective Stone. You have my permission."
"Is there someone, family perhaps, I can call to be with you while you have your baby?"
"Maybe my mom will come. She hates that I married LeRoy and the life I lead. Doesn't even know I'm having a baby." The tears returned. "You can call her."
As Kelly Ann recited her mother's name and number, Sophia keyed it in. "Mrs. Hogarth. Your daughter Kelly Ann is okay." Sophia always started a conversation with family by saying the patient was okay—if they were. She found it prevented needless worry. "She's in the emergency department at Crestville Medical Center."
"What's wrong? Is she hurt?"
"There are a number of things going on. She asked that I call you because she is in early labor. She's all alone here."
"Can I talk to my daughter?"
Sophia handed the phone to Kelly Ann.
"Mommy, I need you. I'm so sorry. Please come."
Sophia listened for few minutes, assured herself the mother would come, then stepped out of the room. She had time to get the suturing completed.
Chapter 18
Sophia
Sophia's efforts to contact Ray after transferring Kelly Ann Vast to Labor and Delivery were in vain. She attempted twice, then got busy, deciding it would wait. Ray, after all, could not interview Kelly Ann in her current situation.
Sophia clocked out following her shift and rode the elevator to Labor and Delivery to check on her patient, who had progressed to active labor. The future grandmother, Ella Hogarth, a short, round, tidy-looking lady with greying brown hair, hovered at the patient's bedside and doted on Kelly Ann's every wish.
"Thank you for helping me today," Kelly Ann said. "They did an ultrasound. The doctor said my baby is small. She thinks my daughter is six weeks early and will need to spend time in neonatal ICU."
"Where will she live while the baby is in the hospital?" Sophia looked at Mrs. Hogarth.
"I'll stay in the area with Kelly Ann. My best friend lives just west of here and has room for both of us. When the doctor discharges the baby, we'll all go home. We live outside Lebanon."
"And the daddy?"
"LeRoy is either going to die or is going to jail. I don't much care which." Anger flashed across the older woman's lined face.
"Mama, don't say that. He's my husband."
"For all the good it did you." Mrs. Hogarth's look softened, and she patted her daughter's hand. "Listen baby, you need your step-daddy and me now, and we're here for you."
Kelly Ann's tears ran, streaming over her battered cheeks. "Did you tell the detective about my LeRoy?"
"Not yet. I couldn't get in touch with him. I'll talk to him tonight. You won't be up to an interview for a while anyway." Sophia directed her attention to the mother. "Can I have your friend's contact information? Just in case."
Sophia noted the information, said goodbye, and headed home. She pulled in behind the Ram in the shared parking space just as Ray returned from a walk with Mischief. "Hey, there," she called as she slid out of the MINI.
She scooped Mischief up in her arms and submitted to the requisite face wash. After wiping her sleeve across her face to dry it, she put the dog down and slid into Ray's embrace. "Good to be home. Got lots to tell you."
Ray raised a brow. "Oh?"
"Yup. Had Kelly Ann Vast as my patient for most of the day."
Both Ray and Sophia followed Mischief into the house, conversation on hold until the dog's dish brimmed with kibble. Then, as they started dinner, Ray making a salad and Sophia reheating left-over chicken parmigiana and pasta, she recited the events of the day. "I didn't realize who she was at first. I think she agreed that I could tell you because she is out of options. I mean, it seems like Krantz went out of his way to rough her up. She told me she didn't give up LeRoy."
"That's interesting on several levels. First, it implies that Krantz knows LeRoy's alive. Second, it speaks to his complicity in the whole mess." He took a moment to update her on Krantz's relationship with Silken and on the parking lot squabble. "Third, Krantz has been lying to me, Shim, and everyone else." He went on to
tell her about the raid that was in the planning stages. "Mullins, Johnson, and I met today to plan it while no one was around except dispatch. We're hoping it'll bring out the moles. My thinking is that Krantz is dirty, but someone else is, too. I checked the records on previous raids, and I don't think Krantz was close enough to the action to have a lot of detail on all of them."
"It's a mess."
"When do you think I'll be able to interview Kelly Ann?"
"She was in active labor when I left the hospital. She knows you'll be around, but you probably should wait until Monday. I mean really." Sophia dug in her pocket. "Here is her mom's friend's address and phone number and the mom's info as well. The mother thought they'd be safe at the friend's place. LeRoy never met the woman, so it's anonymous."
Ray folded the paper and slipped it into his notebook. "I'll keep this out of my murder book and out of the electronic reports."
"Thanks for that." She carried the plates to the table, poured wine, and sat.
"Give me a minute. I need to update Shim." Ray took out his cell phone and placed the call before joining her at the table.
During dinner, their conversation centered on domestic concerns. They cleaned up, walked hand-in-hand around the lake with Mischief leading the way, and watched the geese.
Ray embraced her. "Do you suppose we can share a shower and not hurt ourselves in the process?"
"We can try." She grinned and cozied further into Ray's arms. "That's a small tub."
"All the better to get close to you, my dear." Ray wiggled an eyebrow.
***
Sunday morning brought the day of their scheduled visit to Ray's family in Knoxville. The cool morning drive down the mountain offered light traffic and beautiful scenery.
"Probably because I was alone in the car, but this seemed a much longer drive when I stayed with your folks and drove it every day," Sophia said.
"I'll bet. It's a good thing that phase only lasted two weeks." They'd had to wait for the little house to be empty and cleaned. Sophia stayed in Knoxville while Ray attended the crime investigation program in Nashville.
"Agreed."
Ray's parents, John and Martha Stone, moved to Knoxville from Parkview, Virginia because of the scandal surrounding Ray's ex-wife's death. The elderly couple wanted the kids to visit and not have to deal with rumors and innuendos. Then Branden, a college freshman, decided to attend the University of Tennessee and moved in with them. Kerri attended nursing school in Virginia and visited her grandparents often. With everyone so close, Sophia hoped to strengthen her relationship with Ray's family.
"Industry." Sophia pointed to a grouping of smoke stacks. "I enjoyed my time with your parents and Branden. He's a good kid. I think he's moving past all the trauma and getting on with his life."
"He is. He's still talking about going into the military as preparation for following in my footsteps. God forbid."
"Not bad footsteps overall."
Ray didn't respond, and Sophia guessed his thoughts had drifted back to the job. "What's on your mind?"
"Thinkin' about all the things that don't add up in this investigation."
"For example."
"Krantz was a medic in the army."
"I didn't know that," Sophia said.
"If he was going to murder Flocker, you'd think he'd get the dose right. Unless the purpose was to scare him."
"Hey, it scared me. What a shock. I was talking to the guy, then he was gone."
"Good response on your part." He paused. "Why would he wipe the bottle, pump, and tubing clean of all prints but his own? Doesn't make sense. That, alone, gives some credence to his claim that Flocker asked him to move the IV contraption."
"It does. Maybe someone was in earlier—or maybe someone tampered with the IV in the medication room or in the pharmacy."
"Why was everything wiped clean?"
"When a pump is in use, it's the nurse's responsibility to keep it clean. That doesn't happen very often, but once in a while, a nurse is very conscientious about it. Someone could have doped the main IV—the big bag—while it was hanging. When I was there, the small one was running at first, then the pump switched to the main. I remember noticing it looked full, so it's possible the nurse hung both at the same time, then set the pump to run the little one first. The chart will have the information."
"That all sounds logical. I suppose Shim can track the handling of the IV from its origin. Tell me how the system works."
"The medications Flocker received were mixed in the pharmacy. Therefore, a tech would break the seals on the bags there. A tech or a courier brings the IVs to the nursing units in batches. There it lays on the counter until it is given—usually. Any number of people could have touched that IV."
"For example."
"The medication room also contains the supply shelves. The room is frequented by nurses, pharmacists, techs, nursing assistants, housekeeping, and central supply staff."
"Isn't it locked?"
"Sure. But the code is standard for the entire hospital—ED aside. The point is to keep out non-hospital folks, not hospital workers."
"Someone who works there and is also aligned with whoever wanted Flocker out of the picture could have fixed the IV."
"That's a cast of hundreds."
"No doubt."
They exited the highway and drove into a residential neighborhood on the west side of Knoxville. The elder Stones had a tidy three-bedroom ranch that reminded Sophia of the house where Ray grew up in Parkview. Ray pulled into the driveway behind Branden's aging Ford.
Sophia said, "It's sad they had to leave their home after all those years."
"True, but I think it's okay with them. When Kathleen moved to Knoxville, they started talking about it. The gossip in Parkview was the push."
"I remember your mom saying she wanted to live close to your sister again."
Sophia and Ray went inside the house and were engulfed in family and activity. The tantalizing scent of fried chicken drifted out of the kitchen. Ray's mother, Martha, and father, John, administered hugs, as did Branden, which surprised Sophia.
"I've missed you. I can't say I miss the daily drive, but the coming back in the evening was good." Sophia returned the hugs with enthusiasm. "This feels like home."
Sophia's cell phone rang. "It's the hospital." She stepped outside.
Ray followed.
"Hello," she said.
"This is Katina."
"Hey, girl. What's going on?"
"You said you wanted to know about your patient from yesterday."
"I did." Sophia tapped the speaker button on her phone so Ray could hear the conversation. "I put you on speaker so my fiancé can hear. I have the patient's permission to talk with him about her case."
"That's fine."
"Now, tell me."
"First, she had a four-pound girl, who is in NICU and holding her own."
"Kelly Ann?"
"She did wonderful with the birth—natural, no drugs. But now she's missing."
"Good God. What is being done about it?"
"Because of the fact she was beaten up before her admission, the hospital and her physicians are officially concerned. I get the idea they think she's just another druggie who dropped a baby here and took off."
"But, did they call anyone? Are they doing anything about it?"
"Yes, and no. A deputy came out. My friend in Mother-Baby said he seemed unconcerned and held the druggie opinion himself. Said he'd file a report."
"Do you know who the deputy was?"
"He came through the ED on his way upstairs. He's been in here a time or two before. Krantz is his name."
Chapter 19
Ray
Ray started his Monday morning across the desk from Chief Mullins. He reviewed Sunday's events as related to Kelly Ann Vast and Deputy Krantz.
"The thing is, Stone, we can't prove Krantz is dirty, though I understand and agree with your suspicions. The word of a known meth user won't hold up
against a sworn officer. Likewise, her beating could have been administered by her husband, if, in fact, he's alive."
"Based on what Sophia said, it would be a lot of damage to administer with one hand. My thinking is Vast, one of them—Richie or LeRoy, probably LeRoy—lost a hand in the explosion. I believe he's alive, and based on the evidence at the hidey-hole, is not in good condition."
"Makes sense. I don't know why Krantz was sent to the hospital. The sheriff knows about our issues with him."
Ray nodded. "Shim said Krantz wasn't authorized for that visit."
"Well, damn." Mullins paused, looking thoughtful. "The other thing, Stone, you need to be careful when talking about Krantz. You're the new guy on the force, and it's common knowledge Krantz is out to discredit you. It's not a big jump in logic for people to assume you're administering a payback."
"That's a consideration." Ray scratched his goatee, thinking Mullins was right. "I'm headed to Crestville Medical Center to talk to Bubba Flocker this morning."
"Take Jim Johnson. When you're dealing with this case, it's good to have another cop with you."
"Okay." Ray felt it was early in his career at Plateauville to hear such distrust from his chief, but he did see the point. "I'm thinking I'll stop and talk to Shim and see what else I can find out, unofficially, about Krantz's appearance at the hospital on Sunday after Kelly Ann Vast went AWOL. He seems to show up unannounced at all the right—or wrong—times."
"You're sure Shim is clean."
"Very. I did some checking. His reputation in Florida was stellar. And, he was only peripherally connected with the meth problem. He worked straight homicide, never worked Narc."
"Okay, tread carefully."
The men went on to discuss their planned raid, keeping their voices low to avoid being heard by passersby. Then Ray met up with Johnson in the parking lot and headed to Crestville.
Ray updated Johnson as he drove, then grew silent. On one hand, Ray trusted his young associate. On the other hand, Johnson was a long-time resident of Plateauville and had known many of the meth lab operators his whole life. There was no evidence he was connected to Silken in any way, but Johnson could have kept the fact hidden.
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