The Billionaire Chef

by Kee Patterbee

  “I was just helping you remember up until you fought.”

  Wexler again ran his hand over his head, rubbing the top. He looked around and shook his head. “This is my fault.”

  Hannah studied the guilt he expressed. His body was tense, his voice agitated, and his face reddened. She again laid her hand over his arm. “Relax. You need to calm down.”

  “No, it is. I almost let them get to him. And before…”

  “Do you know who they are?”

  Wexler swallowed and shook his head. “I need some air. Can I have just a few minutes, please?” He looked first to Hannah and Hymn, then to Betts.

  In turn, Betts hesitated, and then agreed. “We can do this down at the station I suppose. Get your air.” Wexler agreed and headed down toward the elevators. Betts turned and called out, “Brandon.”

  Brandon made his way over and Betts told him to stick with Wexler. “After he gets some air, take him down to the station to answer some more questions.” After Brandon left to find Wexler, she turned to Hannah. “I suppose you’ll be coming along.”

  Hannah shook her head. “I’m staying with Elias. Someone’s got to watch after him.” She glanced over to Elias’ room. “At all times it appears.”

  The detective followed Hannah’s gaze. A custodian headed in. “You, don’t. I need to take a look first.” The man stopped dead in his tracks and gave Betts a cold stare. He glanced into the room. Turning back to Betts and Hannah, he twisted his jaw before pushing his mop and bucket back away from the room. As he moved away, he gave one more look back.

  Hannah eyed the custodian. It occurred to her that Wexler mentioned a second person, but they had yet to get a description. As such, she sized up the man. 70s. Thinning white hair. White beard. Large ears. Close set eyes. Long, slender nose. Thin frame. Slight haunch. She considered him for a moment. He seemed too old for involvement in a ‘hit’ on anyone. Yet, from what Wexler exposed, the attempt on Elias was something else. The man’s last words echoed in her mind. Tell me. Stop him. The first was the deliveryman’s reason for being there. The second was what Johnny did, she inferred. Betts interrupted her thoughts.

  “You’re doing that thing. Sizing him up. Everyone’s a list to you.”

  Hannah did not respond. Instead, she pushed Hymn toward the nurses’ station. Betts followed. Hannah found the woman who was helping Wexler and said, “Were you on the floor all day?”

  “I took my break is all. I got back just after all this.” She indicated with a pointed finger.

  “Elias Babel. What’s his condition?”

  The nurse glanced toward the room. “Stable. He woke up before all this.”

  “Was he aware or just conscious? Did he say anything?”

  “He recognized the gentleman.” The nurse indicated in the direction where Wexler left. “Smiled, but he couldn’t speak, at least not enough to understand what he said.”

  “What did he say exactly?”

  “It was gibberish, but I wrote it down for the doctors.” She looked around the station desk, picked up a clipboard, and handed it to Hannah.

  Hannah read off the words. “Rocks in golly on dolly.”

  The nurse leaned over and tapped the clipboard. “That’s all he said. He went back to sleep. I showed it to the doctor. He said it didn’t mean anything, just jumbles from the drugs. Not to worry about brain damage. This was a good sign.”

  “I’m sure it is,” Hannah asserted as Elias’s words echoed in her head. Rocks in golly on dolly. She rolled the words around out loud, repeating them several times.

  “Gibberish,” Betts said.

  “I don’t think so,” Hannah answered. “He was trying to say something.”

  “Well, good luck with that,” Betts said as she looked toward Elias’ room. “I’m going to check out the room.” She started in the direction where Officer Bland now stood outside the door, peering in. Hannah followed. When they reached the room, Betts bobbed her head once in greeting. “Got anything?”

  Bland glanced over his notes. “According to one of the nurses, the man posing as a delivery man showed up with one other. The second hung near the nurse’s station. The nurse,” Bland pointed to the station where a doctor and two nurses spoke with each other, “is new. She’s the younger one. She gave a description of the one with the flowers that matches that of Mr. Wexler.”

  “And the other?” Hannah asked.

  “Young. Handsome. Accent. Like the first, but not as well built. Tattooed arms.”

  “Not exactly the custodian,” Betts said with a mocking grin which Hannah ignored.

  “Did they say who they were from?” Betts intruded.

  “No, ma’am.”

  “But we already know. Wexler told us.”

  Hannah glanced over to the station and crossed her arms. She studied the two nurses and estimated the younger to be in her early twenties. The older nurse was in her late forties. She’s edgy, Hannah considered to herself. Sweating. Dry mouthed. Nervous. She furrowed her brow before lifting one. Her nose wiggled as she contemplated for a second. “Was the head nurse here during all this?”

  Bland indicated no. “Upstairs. She said she went to check on something on another floor.”

  Hannah stiffened. “Something’s not right. I need to have a word with them?” She turned and peered at the detective.

  Betts returned a perturbed, but curious look. “Why?”

  Hannah wondered if the detective would let their past issues interfere with the investigation. They worked well together for a time during their previous encounter, but by the end of that case, things changed. Now, with a second attempt on Elias’ life, Hannah would have to deal with the detective person to person.

  The detective regarded her before responding. “All right, I’ll play along, for now.” She made her way over to the station to talk with the nurses.

  Chapter Thirteen

  While Betts talked with the nurses, Hannah entered Elias’ room. She glanced around the empty area. “Where is he?” she asked.

  Before Bland could reply, Betts returned and answered.

  “I had him moved. I’m not an idiot.”

  “Never said you were,” Hannah replied as she scanned the room. The heart monitor remained on, and signs of a hasty exit shown. A busted flower vase lay shattered on the floor with the stems scattered about. Flowers appear stale. More than a day old, she concluded.

  Walking over to where the arrangement lay, Hannah pushed aside the flowers. She looked around for a second before commenting, “No card.” She twisted her lip in contemplation.

  “No surprise. What exactly are you looking for?”

  “I’m not sure, but according to Johnny, his uniform was too tight and his accent was Ruszsian-Esque or Czech. That means I doubt his name was Enrico, which is more suited to Italy.” Too tight. Gresham Flowers.

  Hannah pulled out her cell. When the voice asked, “What can I help you with today?” she responded, “Call Gresham Flowers.” Affirming the call, the other line rang. Hannah placed the call on speaker. In a moment, the voice of a pleasant sounding young female answered, “Gresham Flowers. We can give your love a daisy a day. How can I help you?”

  “I was wondering, could you tell me if you made a delivery to Islands Memorial for an Elias Babel?”

  “Sure, one moment.”

  Hannah heard the sound of a keyboard typing. Then the woman answered.

  “I have no record of such a delivery. Was there supposed to be one?”

  “Well, no, not that we know of, but your deliveryman, Enrico, dropped them off a short while ago.”

  “Enrico,” the woman said. There was a pause. “Are you sure?”

  Hannah heard a shuffling sound, and some mumbled words before another voice came on the line.

  “This is Curtis Luda, manager. Who is this?”

  “The room of Elias Babel.”

  “And you said Enrico delivered to you?”

  Hannah frowned. She was not sure what was hap
pening, but her instinct told her it was not good. “A man in a green Gresham Flowers uniform delivered flowers to this room. The name on the uniform was Enrico.”

  “Enrico hasn’t been into work for two days,” the manager said.

  In a brief conversation, Hannah learned that the deliveryman disappeared two days prior. Also missing was a van full of deliveries. The owner has filed a missing person’s report with the Gresham police, but nothing had turned up yet. The manager described him as being of medium build, sixty-seven, graying hair, and hard working. The job was a secondary retirement income. Not the man Wexler fought, Hannah deliberated.

  Hannah turned to Betts. “Any bodies turn up in the last few days?”

  Betts moved to answer, but Bland interrupted. “This morning. No ID, so we haven’t identified him yet.”

  Betts frowned. “Is that what Letterman’s handling?” She studied Hannah for a second. “You’re thinking he’s this delivery guy. The one who showed up here took his place.”

  “I would think so.”

  “I got it,” Bland said, as he reached for his radio and stepped out into the hall.

  “What was this guy into?” Betts asked.

  Hannah crossed her arms. A deep, contemplative expression came across her face. “I’m not sure, but good call on moving him.” She looked once more around the room. “Someone’s got to be with him at all times until this is all figured out.”

  “I’ve put in a request for a continuous watch. You remember Captain Toody. He’s got to sign off on it.”

  “He will. He’s a good man.” She glanced back out at the nurses’ station. “Can I talk to them now?”

  Betts gestured in approval.

  After meeting the nurses at their station, Hannah requested a more private place to talk. The head nurse led her, along with Hymn, Betts and Bland, to a small break room with two small tables and several chairs. After sitting, Hannah wasted no time. “All right, ladies, I don’t have a lot of time to waste. I need answers.”

  Both women looked anxious. The younger gulped, shaken, but it was the head nurse, a large bodied woman named Angela, who spoke first. “We’ve already been over this.”

  Hannah glared at the woman, peering into her eyes. “Then go over it again… Angela.”

  Angela shifted in her chair. “I don’t know anything. I was upstairs checking on a patient.”

  “A patient. I see. Is it usual to leave your youngest, most inexperienced nurse on the floor alone?”

  “She’s trained,” Angela responded in an irritated tone, “and responsible.”

  The younger nurse, named Lily, protested. “I just told him where the room was.”

  Angela rolled her eyes. “Did you even check their credentials?”

  “Flower deliveries come here all the time. You never ask.”

  “That’s because I know them all.”

  “You never told me--”

  “I didn’t ask about her training,” Hannah interrupted. Focusing on Angela, she clarified, “I asked if it was usual for a head nurse to leave a rookie in charge of a unit, even for a few minutes?”

  “No, it’s not. I made a mistake. Okay?”

  “A mistake which happens to coincide with an attack on a patient.”

  Hannah detected a change in the woman’s demeanor. Where before it was defiant and indignant, it now held a hint of panic. Noting this weakness, she moved to exploit it.

  “I don’t like liars. This man’s a friend.”

  Angela adjusted herself. Hannah could tell she set the woman on an uneasy path. “If someone had anything to do with this, whoever helped faces charges of accessory before the fact, not after. Longer sentence. More actual jail time. Little leniency.”

  By this point, Angela’s body gave away her panic. Sweat began to bead on her brow, her breathing increased, and her eyes widened. Never taking her view from her, Hannah continued to pound. “I used to work for the FBI.”

  Angela glanced up at Betts and over to Hymn. Both nodded to affirm. Her eyes shifted back to Hannah.

  “I was an interrogator. It was sort of… my thing, you might call it. Let me tell you, I was good at it. Learned a lot about people. How they react on an imperceptible level.” Hannah leaned in. “Right now, you are screaming with the imperceptible.”

  The younger nurse, named Lily, turned to the older, staring. “You set me up,” she said. “You were going to blame this on me.”

  “Why not? Not like you’re good at your job,” Angela said, noted with sarcasm.

  Hannah turned to Lily. “Has she ever left you alone before?”

  “Never,” the young woman said as she continued to glare at her boss. “It’s against the rules. Something she’s always harping on.”

  Angela said nothing, but turned her eyes toward the ceiling. She shook her head and blew out a breath. When she looked back at Hannah, their eyes locked. With a smirk, Hannah said, “Something you need to say? Tell you what? Tell Detective Betts here everything and she’ll tell the DA you cooperated.”

  “You’re not official,” Angela replied.

  Betts pointed to Bland and herself. “We are.”

  “Me too,” Hymn chimed in. Betts and Bland’s eyes shot over to him. “I am,” he added, “back home, but yeah, Sheriff’s Department.”

  Betts stepped forward toward the nurses. “Official enough to check into your background, including debts, financial records…”

  Hearing his last remark, Angela stiffened and her mouth fell open. True panic rolled over her face.

  “Tick, tock. Tick, tock,” teased Hannah. “Fess up and you could be out in time for people to still call you Angela, instead of old woman, granny…”

  “All right!” Angela blurted out. “He told me to make sure the floor was clear of distractions and then signal him. He said they would be nearby in a two-hour time frame. When both the patient’s guests left, I sent a text and then went upstairs.” Anticipating the next question, she added, “Come now. That’s all I sent.”

  “And what about me?” Lily yelled. “They could have killed me.”

  “They weren’t there for you, idiot. They said they just needed him to answer a question. He said he had something to make him talk.” Angela huffed. “I left you to cover the bases in case something did happen.” She crossed her arms and made a sour face. “I didn’t count on his father-in-law watching over him like a hawk.”

  Hannah did not expect what came next. Lily lunged at Angela and began throttling her. She subdued the surprised head nurse and forced her to the ground before Bland interceded. Even after he pulled her away, Lily clawed at her would be traitor. “You bitch!”

  Clutching her throat and gasping for air, Angela pushed herself back until she rested against the wall. “What the hell!” she cried out.

  Hannah, who rose during the struggle, looked at her. “Everything, on the table, now. Or we leave you alone in the room with her.”

  Bland, still wrestling with Lily turned back to view the situation. “Settle down,” he said, “everyone.”

  Betts thumbed at Hannah. “What she said.”

  Within a few minutes, after Lily calmed down, Angela confessed. “A man approached me just as I came on shift. He handed me a letter explaining everything. It has the time frame. Tells me to make sure the floor is clear of anyone who would cause a problem, then text. I opened the envelope and there’s $5000 inside. Then he tells me there is another coming after it’s done.” She dropped her head. “That was around 9:00 today. I put the money in the bank while they came.” She looked up and around. “It’s a lot of money. I needed it. He said they wouldn’t hurt the guy. It would just make him loosen up. Talk. So I took a chance.”

  “Describe this man,” Bland said.

  Angela gave a description fitting the deliveryman.

  “Anyone else with him?” Hannah asked.

  “There was an older man who hung around in the background. Maybe 70. White hair and beard. Weasel faced. Dumbo ears. I never even saw
him before either.”

  “Sounds like the custodian,” Hymn noted.

  Hannah glanced up at Betts, who frowned. “He’s gone by now, I’d imagine, but I’ll have someone check.” She motioned over to Bland. “Get someone on it.” He stepped out into the hall to call.

  “Did he do anything?” Betts interceded. “Ask anything?”

  “He didn’t talk.” The nurse pulled her brow down. “I remember him looking over at the room several times.”

  Hannah turned her attention to Lily.

  “The ones that came today, not the deliveryman, the other one, what was he like?”

  Lily gave a matching description to the one Bland had taken.

  Betts took it in. “Did they both wear uniforms?”

  “Only the one guy. I thought he was his brother or something. They had the same accent and similar tattoos.”

  “Anything else?”

  Lily indicated no. When Bland stepped back in, Betts ordered him to take Angela into custody. The officer handcuffed her and started out.

  Betts’ phone rang and seeing the name, she answered. Hannah watched as her face twisted down tight. “Is he all right? I’ll be right there.” She clicked off and peered at Hannah. “Your buddy just jaw jacked Brandon and took off. Bland!” she called down the hall. The officer and his prisoner stopped.

  Betts, followed by Hannah made their way to him. Hymn followed in his wheelchair. Before explaining what happened, she took charge of Angela. Then she told the officer, “Issue an alert and get the description out for Wexler. Then check on Brandon. If he’s okay, search the hospital grounds first with everyone else.” She thumbed toward Hannah. “I’m going to check on her friend first and get someone to pick her up. Go!”

  Bland darted down the hall as Betts started for the elevators. “What the hell, Starvling.”

  “Clueless,” she responded.

  “That’s a first. Can’t be good,” Betts said as they stepped onto the elevator.

  After checking to make sure Elias was safe, Hannah, Hymn, and Betts waited until another police officer showed up. Hannah assessed him. Late twenties. Thin. Average looks. Brown hair. Green eyes. Medium height. Glancing over to his name badge, it read ‘Brandon.’ Brothers, she noted. The young officer led Angela away. Betts addressed Hannah and Hymn.