Crescent City Chronicles (Books 1-3)

by Judith Lucci

  The CEO interrupted her rudely, "That's bullshit, Alex. Favre told me that all the nurses had been instructed to call for a security escort after hours. She did not. It's her fault if she was raped. It certainly is not the fault of the hospital."

  Alex wanted to jump over his desk and rip out his carotid arteries. "You're wrong, Don. Totally wrong. How appalling you are." Alex's voice was clipped. "Her fault? How could it possibly be her fault? That's ludicrous."

  Montgomery dismissed her, "Really, Alex, I am pretty busy. Can you make an appointment with Latetia?" He picked up his phone to make a call.

  Alex's fury mounted. "Really, Don. Are you this dumb? How do you think a jury would view this? We've got a nurse who stayed overtime for three hours and didn't get paid for it because the hospital no longer pays nurses, or anyone, overtime. She stayed late because of patient violence on the unit. Then she's raped and beaten on the way to her car ... really, Don. For God's sake, what is wrong with you? Think about it. It's not a pretty picture."

  Don was quiet for a moment, obviously thinking.

  Alex continued, "We've had numerous meetings about the safety of staff, patients, and visitors traveling between the Psych Pavilion and the main hospital. We've had tons of complaints from physicians, nurses, and visitors that are on record. We've got to make some changes. I'd like a meeting this afternoon with Dr. Desmonde and the administrator that manages behavioral health under the contract agreement. Elizabeth needs to be there as well, as does Dr. Ashley. We have to handle this appropriately with the media."

  Don interrupted her, "No way, Alex. Not going to happen today. I'm too busy. What is it that you don't understand? I am busy! I am running this hospital and I don't have time to stop for a stupid, 'called' meeting. Forget it."

  "No, I'm not. It's a huge image concern and we all know how you worry about ...," Alex said, her voice trailing off momentarily, “... the hospital's image.” With these words, Alex hit her boss where it hurt him the most. Don lived and breathed, breathed and lived, CCMC’s image. It was his lifeblood because, after all, it was his hospital and no one else had anything to do with the place.

  Don straightened up and looked alert. "Huh, an image thing. How's that?" Don was thinking. Nothing got his attention more quickly than an incident that could affect the world-class image of CCMC.

  Alex seized the opportunity. "Heavens yes, yes, definitely an image concern. And, mull this over, Don; there is a distinct possibility that the attacker could be either a patient or, even worse, a hospital employee.”

  "What, what kind of bullshit is that, Alex? All of our staff has criminal checks done on them. It couldn't be an employee," Don retorted angrily, a self-righteous smirk on his face. "Sometimes I cannot understand why we pay you the big bucks. You'll get your meeting at 3:00. Here in my office. Now get out of here," Don said disparagingly, pointing towards the door.

  Alex knew she had been dismissed, but continued to stare at the CEO, noting his impeccably coiffed hair and custom-tailored suit. She reminded herself again that the man didn't give a flip about anything except how much money the place made. He'd told her earlier that he considered patients and staff "widgets" and his job was to make the widgets work as cheaply as possible and, at all costs, make the widgets productive. Alex closed the door tightly as she left.

  Latetia shook her head as Alex reemerged from the Lion's Den. "That went well, right? From what I could hear, it was pretty loud in there."

  "Yep. I ruined his day," she proudly told Latetia.

  Latetia smiled, gave her a thumbs up and told her that Mona would be in after lunch.

  Alex thanked her and walked slowly to her office, deep in thought about the difficulties surrounding the hospital and medical center.

  Chapter 9

  Alex relaxed in the inner sanctum of her office. She laid her head on her desk for a few moments to fight off the headache she always seemed to notice after meeting with Montgomery. She had just called the O.R. to check on Angie and ordered lunch from dietary when Jack Françoise entered her office, accompanied by a trim, dark-haired woman. Alex judged the woman to be about 35 years old. She stood behind her desk, smiled, and extended her hand in greeting to the woman as she said, “Hi, I'm Alex. Please sit down."

  Françoise made the introductions. "Alex, this is Nadine Wells. She’s an investigator and the NOPD expert on rape and sexual crimes. She’s a forensic nurse analyst. Nadine, this is Alex. She is the legal counsel for CCMC. She's okay ... for a lawyer, I guess." Françoise grinned and winked at Alex.

  Alex waved her hand to quiet Jack. "Hi, Nadine. I am a lawyer, but most of all, I'm a nurse. I don't know why Jack never says that when he introduces me," Alex said, giving Jack a reproving look.

  "Whoops, sorry, Alex." Jack apologized for the second time that day.

  "It's nice to meet you, Ms. Destephano. The Commander has spoken highly of you." Nadine Wells accepted Alex's hand.

  Alex was a bit confused and wondered who the "Commander" was. Oh, yes, Jack's new job. But Jack wasn't doing anything differently as the Commander than he had done as a Captain. "Please, Nadine, call me Alex. It took me a moment to remember who the Commander was." She gave Jack a teasing glance. "I'm not much on formality. Do you have any information on the possible rapist?" She looked hopefully at Nadine, admiring her petite looks, her fresh appearance, and the fact that she was a nurse and a forensic expert.

  Nadine hesitated for a moment, looking at the Commander.

  Françoise spoke up, "Alex, this meeting needs to be off the record. All we have is preliminary information. The guys downtown would freak if they knew we were talking to the hospital lawyer."

  "Wow, Commander, I thought you were the guy downtown," Alex said laughing. “Of course, it will be off the record. I'm here as Angie’s friend. Not to worry. This is completely between us. Let's sit at the conference table."

  Nadine looked relieved. "Sorry, Alex. We just had to ask. Protocol and all."

  "I know, Nadine. No worries. Please share."

  "Well, this case is more complex than some. It presents a little differently. We usually classify rapists into three categories. The first category is the anger rapist who uses physical brutality to express rage, contempt, and hatred for his victim. The attack is usually unplanned and the rapist is seldom sexually aroused when he initiates the attack. Anger rape is usually quick, this wasn't. The medical information suggests that Angie was raped more than once. Usually with an anger rapist, the assault is one of physical violence to the whole body."

  Alex was listening attentively and making notes on her legal pad. "Yeah. What about the other categories? Do they better fit with what's happened to Angie?"

  Nadine continued, "Well, a power rapist initiates the attack to overcome feelings of inadequacy and insecurity. For them, to accomplish sexual intercourse is evidence of personal conquest. These attacks are planned and premeditated. There is usually no injury beyond the attack itself, although it may occur over an extended duration of time. Power rapists outnumber anger rapists two to one. Victims of power rapists have relatively minor injuries." Nadine stopped for a moment as Alex held up her hand.

  "This doesn't work. Angie has extensive injuries. It seems like her attacker has attributes in both categories." Alex put her hands to her face. "You know, this stuff is sickening."

  Nadine Wells nodded in agreement.

  Jack Françoise suggested that Nadine describe the third category of rapists.

  Nadine sighed deeply as she continued. "In contrast to anger and power rapists, the third category is the sadistic rapist. These rapists eroticize physical force. The rape may be long and involve torture, mutilation, or murder. Often times, this is the only way the rapist can achieve sexual satisfaction. Fortunately, this is the most uncommon type of rapist."

  "Not for Angie Richlieu! Would you categorize her rape as one of a sadistic rapist?" Alex's blue eyes, crackling with intensity, penetrated Nadine's soft brown ones.

  Nadine shook her h
ead. "No, probably not. At least, he’s not a pure sadistic rapist. Angie's rapist, at this point at least, seems to embody some of the characteristics of both the anger and the sadistic rapist. Certainly, the perp is sadistic. He bit her, beat her, crushed her skull, and sliced up her face. But, he was angry. I think our rapist is a cross between an anger rapist and a sadistic rapist."

  Alex's heart was pounding in her chest. "Jack, what do you think? Do you agree with Nadine?"

  "Nadine is the expert. I do agree with her. I think the son of a bitch is angry. I think he was enraged, crazy, psychotic, even."

  Alex nodded, "Yeah, for sure. Nadine do you think he meant to murder her?"

  "No. At least, I don't think so. If he had planned to murder her, he would have. He had the opportunity. He simply wasn't motivated to kill her. He wanted to disfigure her, to scare her beyond belief!"

  Jack grunted. "That doesn't mean he won't come back and try to murder her, especially if it’s someone she could identify or recognize. Bastard!"

  Alex was anxious, "Oh my goodness, Jack, you don't think he will try to hurt her while she is in CCMC recovering, do you?"

  Jack shrugged his shoulders. "Don't know for sure. Possibly. Nadine, do you have an opinion?"

  Nadine's voice was uncertain. "I don't know, I just don't know. This case is a bit different. He could. Perhaps he thought she was dead or, at least, would be by the time she was found. It's hard to say. There are so many unknowns in Angie's case. We need to be prepared in case he does, Commander."

  Jack nodded, "I'll take care of it."

  "My Lord, what kind of profile do these rapists have? Is there a profile for this type of crime?" Alex's face paled as she considered the perp coming back and attacking Angie while she was at CCMC.

  Nadine and Jack looked at each other sadly. Jack nodded while Nadine answered Alex's questions.

  "Yes, these profiles usually reveal that the rapist is mentally ill. Violently, mentally ill. They are often psychotic."

  "Great Day! It’s looking more and more like it could be a patient from the Pavilion. Do we have any inpatients that have such a profile?" Alex's headache was getting worse.

  "Don't know yet. There are several patients in the Pavilion now that are violent and have diagnoses that could suggest such a profile. However, rape is not noted in their medical histories. Dr. Desmonde and the psych team are analyzing the records that we pulled. We should know something by this afternoon. I'm sure she will talk to us then," Nadine assured them.

  The conversation was interrupted by a dietary aide delivering the lunch trays. Alex, Nadine, and Jack stared at the food as the aide departed. The food looked good, but no one was particularly hungry.

  Finally, Jack spoke. "Alex, there's one more thing. You ain't going to like it. Do you want to hear it?"

  "Yes, of course, Commander." Alex's formal tone was indicative of her distress.

  "This kind of rapist likes to revisit his victim. He likes to come back to terrorize them over and over. It could be here at CCMC or after she’s recuperated and gone home. It could be in five years, who the hell knows. But, they do often return and stalk their victims."

  "Oh, no. We can't let this happen! No! What do we do?" Alex's voice was approaching a hysterical level and her head was beating outside of her skull.

  "When he comes back, he'll try to kill Angie. I am sure of it." Jack was feeling again for his gun. "Don't worry, Alex. In the meantime, we’ll place police protection outside her room. When he comes back, we'll get him. Count on it. It's a given." Jack's face was red with anger.

  Alex stared at her plate of uneaten food. She felt nauseated and was startled when Jack's cell phone rang.

  He looked at the number. "I've got to go." He turned to Nadine and said, "We caught the double homicide this morning in the Quarter. A young couple. I got to get down to the Coroner's office."

  "Commander, you're handling that? I hear that's a bad case." Nadine's face was grim.

  "Yeah, Nadine, it is. It's looking real bad. But then, this case is bad as well. Today has been nothing but bad." He looked at the lunch he had been so eagerly anticipating and said, "Sorry, ladies. I just lost my appetite."

  After Jack left, Alex and Nadine talked quietly and picked at their food.

  Nadine told Alex that she would be sure police protection for Angie had been arranged, ‘just in case’. She also reminded Alex that she and Jack were operating only on a theory and that they had no hard evidence. Nadine promised to keep in touch and the two women parted, leaving Alex tearfully depressed in her office.

  Shortly after she left, Alex remembered that she’d forgotten to ask Nadine about the puncture wounds on Angela's neck. She'd call and ask her later. But, right now, Alex needed a little time alone.

  Chapter 10

  Jack's brain was bursting as he started his drive back down to Rampart to see Maddy Jeanfreau. He was doubly concerned about Angie's safety and felt there was a risk the perp would try to finish her off, if she made it through surgery. Why did bad things happen to his friends? He'd made a ton of friends over at CCMC in the spring and the group had gotten together several times over the previous months to keep their connection alive. Several of the CCMC folks had been piqued that he hadn't invited them to his Commander celebration. As it was, Jack had barely tolerated the evening. He'd only invited the few folks necessary to be politically correct. Alex, Robert, and Monique Desmond had all attended, the latter two having been his friends since childhood. He figured that if he had to suffer, his closest friends should suffer with him.

  As Jack slowed his Caddy to stop for a red light, he allowed himself to think of what reason Dr. Jeanfreau could have to call him downtown for the second time in one day. He prayed it wasn't about what he feared it was. He had been ignoring the possibility since he had left earlier this morning, but the phone call from Maddy had almost confirmed his fears. If what he thought was true was correct, he wanted to bleep himself into oblivion for a few months or at least visit an obscure planet he’d never heard of.

  As he wheeled his Caddy into a legal parking space, his spirits lifted. Two legal spots in one day. That must be a record for him. Things couldn't be too bad, right, he convinced himself. After all, I am parking legally for the first time in months. That has to be a good omen. But there again, it was probably his old Catholic upbringing coming back to trick him.

  Chapter 11

  Maddy was washing up in the autopsy room. She looked like she had aged five years since this morning. It must be a very bad day in the morgue. She saw him, brightened a bit, smiled, and pointed with a soapy hand back towards her office.

  "I'll be back there in a few minutes. Got to finish getting cleaned up. Enjoy the Hershey Kisses in my candy bowl ... as if you needed an invitation," she admonished.

  Jack gave her a half smile and said, “I might just do that," remembering that he had turned down lunch and a second jelly donut. Besides, he deserved it. It was a shitty day.

  He made himself at home and sat at the little round table in Maddy's office near the candy bowl. He looked around. Maddy had pictures of her husband, who was a noted urologist in town, and her twin daughters, who looked just like 10-year-old Maddy miniatures. He picked up a picture of them taken at their weekend home in Pass Christian over on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. The four looked just great, tanned, fishing poles sticking out of the grounds, sitting under an umbrella on the beach, with the Mississippi Sound in the background. Maddy looked fantastic and carefree. Something she certainly didn’t look like today. Jack was reading her numerous diplomas, degrees, and commendations when the petite M.E. joined him in her office. She saw Jack holding her family picture.

  She shook her head. "I'd love to be over in the Pass now. Anywhere but here in this depressing morgue cutting open dead people all day."

  Jack nodded, "Yeah, I bet. Me, too. I still want to take you up on that fishing trip offer when it cools off."

  "You bet. Right after the lunch you offered this morn
ing." Maddy grinned at him and asked, "What's up at CCME?"

  Jack shook his head. "Not good. An attack last night on one of the nurses who works in the Pavilion. She was raped and beaten up pretty bad. Laid in the bushes for hours until someone noticed her early this morning."

  Maddy shook her head. "Oh my, I'm not surprised. The Pavilion is a festering, snake-pit, time-bomb. I've autopsied two patients who have gotten killed over there in the last couple of years. We're lucky it hasn't been worse. Monique Desmonde deserves multiple gold medals for staying in that hell hole."

  "Oh, do you know Monique? I didn't know that. "

  "Of course, I know Monique. I love her. We female docs have to stick together, particularly in this God-forsaken, old boy network town. I don't see her as much as I'd like, but we do get together fairly often."

  "Good to know. I'm afraid the perp could be one of her patients."

  "Boy, Commander, I feel real sorry for you. Monique will protect her patients like they are her children. She’s a marvelous physician and psychiatrist. If you ever need an advocate, she is there for you."

  Jack shrugged his shoulders and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know. There could be a struggle. I've already figured that out. Now, why did you call me down here again on this hot as hell day when I could be eating chocolates in my air conditioned office?" Jack smiled, but his dark eyes were serious.

  The two locked eyes for several moments and then Jack knew without Maddy telling him. He shook his head and said, "Oh no!"

  Maddy just stared at him and said simply, "He's back. St. Germaine is back."

  Jack looked miserable. "Yeah, I thought so. I was afraid of that. What the hell, here we go again.” He could feel his gut tighten up and cramp. He was instantly depressed and despondent.

  Maddy nodded and said, "Yeah, you're right. Here we go again. And we got zip from the bodies. We still need to identify them."

  "So, I guess you’re telling me that their throats were torn out just like the lady in 2009?"