"Jack Wong is here for that filling, Dr. Parker. Would you like me to set him up for you?
Dr. Parker looked up, "Sure, sure, that would be fine." He looked over in Roberta's direction.
He's probably worried about offending her. Jaswinder called Mr. Wong in and set up the first operatory, getting things ready for the filling. She put the x-rays up on the screen and placed the syringe with the anesthetic and the other instruments that would be needed on the tray. The paper was bib clipped around the patient's neck. "It'll just be a minute, Mr. Wong. Has your tooth been bothering you this past week?"
"Just a little, but enough that I want to get this taken care of."
"Of course." She smiled at him.
"Well it's not too bad. I think it's just a small filling. Dr. Parker noticed it at my check-up a couple of weeks ago."
By this time, Dr. Parker was standing at the operatory entrance, ready to start. "Roberta is going to give the fluoride treatment to Susie." He looked up at her and Jaswinder realized he didn't want to ask her to assist but would appreciate it if she did.
"Okay, what type of filling material did you want, Dr. Parker? I'll get it ready for you."
"I'm going to use composite. Thanks, Jaswinder."
She was able to get the filling material ready, take payment from Susie's mother and see them out the door and be back, ready to suction the patient while cavity was drilled. She kept an eye on the front door but Mr. Wong had been the last booked patient. She was expecting an order from SDL Laboratories, though. The chairside assisting went smoothly; of course, small fillings were one of the easier procedures. And no blood; that was the one thing that kept Jaswinder from wanting to assist more often. Marnie had told her that you get used to it. Ugg!
Jaswinder walked back with Mr. Wong to take his payment. His insurance paid most of it, anyway. He was the last patient of the day but helping Dr. Parker had put her behind on her paperwork. Should she stay and finish it or hope that she would find time tomorrow? Roberta wasn't going to be any faster in one day; she might end up assisting again. That would put her even further behind. Better stay. Maybe I'll ask Dr. Parker for a day off, or part of a day when things settle down. I could keep track of the extra hours.
Having decided, she logged onto the billing section of her computer and began processing insurance claims. About half the patients had some insurance coverage so the work could mount up quickly if she didn't stay on top of it. The delivery person from SDL labs came and said he knew the way to Carl's lab as he walked by with a couple of boxes. Good, one less thing for her to do.
Jaswinder found she got into a certain groove when she was doing insurance claims. It was actually best to do it when there were no patients because if she was interrupted in the middle of filing a claim she usually had to go back to review what she had already input. She only looked up for a second to say good night to Dr. Parker; something about a study group. Oh, that's right; he met with other dentists to discuss dentistry. Lucky she wasn't expected to do that. Marnie had told her that CDA's had to do a certain amount of professional development to keep their certification. That was a reason not to take that training; Jaswinder appreciated having free time to do other things.
She reached over and turned on the radio, tuning it to her favourite station. Maybe a half hour more of work, that was all. Cheryl must have left already; her last patient was an hour ago. Jaswinder didn't remember her saying goodbye, but that was Cheryl. Everyday civilities were optional. Roberta left, looking exhausted. Jaswinder tried to give her an encouraging smile. It was getting dark outside. Now in April the days were lengthening a little but by five-thirty it was full dusk. I wonder if Manisha got anywhere with looking through the old newspapers. I'll just keep going and see how far I can get. I don't want to be late for dinner.
After another twenty minutes, Jas found her stomach was starting to rumble. Okay, just one toffee. She decided to stop processing claims. Once her concentration started to wane, she had discovered the hard way that she would make mistakes that would be a hassle to fix. The insurance companies were so fussy; they had to know the name and number of the tooth that was worked on and even the buckle or edge in the case of a molar. Then they only covered a certain amount of work on each tooth. How nitpicky could you get?
Jaswinder went through her usual end of the day routine in a rush. Turn off her computer, go down and check the coffee machine was turned off, dump out the dregs and rinse the pot. She decided to get it ready for the next day and took the extra ten seconds to put in a new filter and pour the right amount of ground coffee in; the new good stuff, organic and dark. Not that getting it for Cheryl had made any difference to her attitude at work.
Cheryl walked around the corner just as Jaswinder was having these negative thoughts about her. Her ears must have been burning, Jaswinder thought for a moment.
“Oh, you’re still here.” Lucky I wasn’t talking to myself, complaining about her.
“Yeah, I’m just finishing up, Jaswinder. What are you doing?”
“Oh, I just thought I’d get the coffee ready for tomorrow.” Why was Cheryl standing there, looking at her. This was about the longest time they’d spent alone together, together since Jaswinder started. She started to feel prickles on the back of her neck and fumbled with the coffee filter. Usually she would go and check that the back door was locked but maybe she could ask Cheryl to do that. Just to stop Cheryl from just standing there, staring at her.
“Oh, do you know if the back door is locked, Cheryl?” Sound nonchalant, Jaswinder, she told herself.
Cheryl shrugged and didn’t move. “You’re quite the little detective, aren’t you, Jaswinder?”
Best to pretend I didn’t hear that, she thought. “Would you mind checking the back door for me; I’m really running late.”
“Oh, don’t worry, it’s locked; I made sure of that. I was wondering how I would keep you from running off to Detective Osborne tonight but you’ve very conveniently stayed late.”
“What was she saying? Carl was still here, wasn’t he? She snuck a peek past Cheryl to look for the light on under Carl’s door. It was dark. How had she missed that? When had Carl gone home?
Cheryl must have seen her glance. “Oh, didn’t you know? Carl had to leave early. I sent him on a little errand to the SDL Lab. I held the back door open for him when he left.”
Jaswinder felt the sweat starting on her back. How would she get out of here? It was Cheryl! Why hadn’t she figured that out before? If only Manisha had gotten back to her with something. Oh, darn it all, maybe she had, while Jaswinder had been busy in the Op. She took a step back.
"Going somewhere, Jaswinder?”
“I’m ready to go home. Was there something you wanted, Cheryl? I’m late already.” That’s it, be tough Jas. She turned to leave. Never mind your coat, just walk to the door.
Taking two steps, Cheryl grabbed Jaswinder’s arm, held it fast and stuck a syringe in the crook of her elbow.
"Ow, ow, what are you doing? Are you crazy?" Jaswinder's last words were lost in a mumble as her mouth seemed to stop working.
Cheryl stepped back and stood holding the syringe aloft, watching as Jaswinder stumbled back towards the wall, leaned on it and slowly slid down to the floor.
Oh my God, what's happening? What did she do to me? Must have been some kind of drug to paralyze me. Or to kill me. What could that be? Her brain felt numb as she tried to think what could have been in the syringe. Don't fall down, Jas, don't lie down, stay awake. If you do, this crazy woman might put a scalpel in your eye.
Cheryl gave a sneering smile. "Oh, don't worry, Jaswinder, you'll survive unless you have an allergy to large doses of Diazepam. I just want to encourage you to sleep for a bit, while I get far away from here." She took her jacket from the closet, slipped her arms into the sleeves, putting the syringe into her pocket.
Jaswinder couldn't seem to get her mouth to work to say anything in response.
"It wasn't very smart of
you to put the trash from your wastebasket, including my gloves, into Bev's drawer. I went back to get the gloves Monday morning and found them gone. It didn't take too much searching to find where you’d hidden the plastic bag with the trash. You were dumb enough to forget about it for days.”
“When that young police guy came in while you were at lunch with Marnie and asked Bev, in a loud voice, of course, if he could look in her bottom filing drawer, he found it empty. I knew the police were getting close. And then I saw you had written Keith’s name on the appointment book this morning. How did you find that out? Never mind, it doesn’t matter now."
“I’ve had time to figure out my getaway, not just from the cops but from Plinsky’s gang as well. But maybe they’re glad he’s gone; somebody new has probably taken over as boss already.”
“At least I don't have to worry about you blabbing -- for at least six or seven hours. I even called your parents and pretended that you were going out with me this evening and staying over at my place. They won't be looking for you, either."
"I don't expect you to understand, Jaswinder. That creep, that Russian creep!" Cheryl's mouth wobbled. "Do you know, can you begin to understand, what that low-life did to get money?" She didn't wait for an answer. "He brings over young girls . . . children, as young as ten years old, to work as prostitutes. Their parents think they are coming to Canada to get an education. It’s a terrible life for the kids who have to prostitute themselves for that gang. That’s one thing that won’t change, no matter who’s in charge.”
“Do you know what Keith did to deserve getting blown away? He agreed to keep a manila envelope for Plinsky. He knew him from high school and they ran into each other at a hockey game. Poor Keith, he was so dumb and trusting. He knew nothing about what Plinsky was up to. When he let it slip between the periods that he was short of money, Plinsky offered to help. Some help! He asked Keith to hold onto an envelope for him for a few months. Nothing to do with drugs, just some paperwork to do with his divorce, he said."
"Okay, maybe Keith should have been suspicious at the time but Plinsky offered him, $20,000, can you believe it? Plus season’s tickets to the Canucks. Of course, Keith didn't say anything to me. Didn't want me to know he'd started gambling again. But I wouldn't have wanted him to do that to get the money."
Cheryl was pacing back and forth now, almost talking to herself. "After a couple of months, Keith had almost forgotten about the envelope until he came across it in a bottom drawer. He decided to steam it open. Curious, more than anything. What do you think was in there?" Cheryl didn't wait for an answer. "Passports from those girls and boys, so they couldn't get away, so they couldn't be identified if they were arrested. Keith was such a softie, you wouldn't know it, but he is, he was, especially when it came to kids."
"Finally, he told me about it and what he was going to do. I begged him to go to the police but he wouldn't. Said he had nothing to prove that Plinsky had given them to him and he'd probably be the one charged. So, he confronted Plinsky, told Plinsky he didn't want to keep the passports anymore. Said some insulting things to Plinsky, no doubt. He offered to give back half the money because he'd used the rest to pay off the gambling debt. He'd already held onto the passports for more than two months for him. But no, Plinsky wouldn't go for it and then he must have decided that Keith couldn't be trusted not to talk. Some hit man did it and no one was ever held responsible. No one." Tears were streaming down her face now.
"Oh, what's the use, you'd never understand."
Did she, would she? If Cheryl had talked about it before what would Jaswinder have said? Maybe if she hadn't kept it bottled up inside her. Jaswinder realized she could move a bit now. The diazepam dose couldn't have been that high. I'd better pretend to be dozing or she might give me more, maybe even a dangerous amount. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, opened them a little and then closed them again.
"No point going on about this to you even though you weren't too bad, Jaswinder. I appreciated the special coffee, anyway. Hopefully, you won't be too uncomfortable tonight." She walked to the front door. "I won't lock up." She turned off the light and was gone.
The door closed behind her.
Jaswinder leaned back, relieved despite everything. She would get over the diazepam. The dose, though excessive, wasn't going to kill her. Cheryl probably realized that her secret would come out whether I'm dead or alive, she decided. Where would she go? Was there some place for her to hide out? Surely, she could still be tracked. Anyway, that wasn't going to be her problem.
Jaswinder tried to move again. Definitely getting better. It might only take a little while before I can get up and speak coherently enough to use the telephone. This really is a strange feeling; is this what it's like to be paralyzed? Just relax, Jaswinder, it's almost over.
She leaned back and closed her eyes, determined to relax. Cars came and went in the parking lot; nobody would imagine that she was sitting on the floor, helpless. Would the security guard come by and check the door and find it unlocked? Maybe. Jaswinder heard the sound of a key scraping in the back door. Had Cheryl changed her mind and decided to come back and finished her off? Feeling frantic, Jaswinder made a supreme effort to get up and succeeded in turning her body over so she lay face down on the floor. That was worse. She tried to slide her body along the floor. Too hard. The clinic light came on.
"Jaswinder! What happened? Are you hurt?" It was Carl. Carl, who was definitely not the murderer, had come back to the clinic.
He was kneeling beside her, she could see his knees out of the corner of her eye. He started to turn her over, then stopped. She felt like the dead weight she was. But not dead, definitely, not dead.
"Mumph, wzzz Chrrr." she mumbled at him.
"Don't try to talk. Are you bleeding anywhere?" He ran his eyes around her body front and back, searching.
Jaswinder tried to shake her head; she managed to turn it in one direction. She heard the sound of a siren, coming closer; maybe it was for her.
"I'm going to call for an ambulance, Jaswinder, okay? I'll be right back."
Jaswinder couldn't find the energy to nod agreement. The siren was coming closer, maybe it really was for her. Carl was speaking on the telephone, she could hear. That part of me still works.
"Yes, we need an ambulance right away. Summerland Dental Clinic. We're at the corner of Rovan and l28th Avenue. That's right. It's a young girl, young woman. It looks like a stroke but it might be something else."
Stroke? Stroke? How could he think that? He doesn't know about Cheryl. Carl was over at her side again.
"Hold on, Jaswinder, an ambulance is coming. Don't try to move or talk. Just relax." He was stroking her hair in an awkward way.
The siren pulled up right outside and turned off the sound. Jaswinder could see flashing lights through the clinic window. The door opened and a cold gust of wind came in.
"Jaswinder." It was Detective Osborne. "Have you called an ambulance?" He must be talking to Carl.
I need to explain to him about Cheryl; I need to tell him. Another siren could be heard now, coming closer. The door opened again, more cold air. Jaswinder tried to see from her face down position. Why didn't somebody at least turn her over?
"Jazzy, Jazzy, what's happened. Oh, my God, Jaswinder. What's wrong?"
Her mother. Her father. What were they doing here? How did they know? Her head was starting to ache and it was all too much to try to figure anything out. Everything was a huge effort and she felt exhausted. Another cold gust of wind. How many people were coming in? Then rattling and wheels; something came to a stop beside her. Jaswinder opened her eyes. A stretcher. Someone else was kneeling beside her now. Something was being placed around her upper arm. A squeezing. No, no, leave me alone.
"Just stand back a little, please. Her name's Jaswinder, right? Jaswinder, Jaswinder, can you hear me?"
Okay, they're not going away. Try again. "Chrl. Chrl." Did they get it? Jaswinder felt herself trembling with the effort.
>
"Good, good, Jaswinder. Anyone understand what she means?"
Detective Osborne's voice. "I think she's saying Cheryl."
Good, finally.
"What has happened to our daughter? She's a healthy girl. What could have happened? Oh, Parminder, what do you think it is?"
A man's voice. Must be the one squeezing her arm. "Her lips and fingernails are bluish. I think it may be some kind of overdose. Does your daughter use drugs, that you're aware of?"
"Jaswinder? Never!"
Her father had always made his anti-drug stance clear. Would they think she had taken drugs? She couldn't let them think that! Jaswinder felt she had to make them understand. She felt herself being moved upward and then placed on a smooth surface. The stretcher. She made another effort to speak. "Dazy, Daz . . . "
"The female paramedic spoke. "Do you think she's saying diazepam, Chris? Could be an overdose."
"Does anyone here work in the clinic?"
Operatory of Death: A Jaswinder Mystery Page 13