by Kay Hadashi
“Nope.”
“Why not?”
“Too young. You can when you grow up.”
“How old is grow up?” Thérèse asked.
“Hmm, same age as Georgie, I think.”
“Georgie gots snake hair.”
“You like her snake hair?” Melanie asked.
“Not weally.”
“Let’s keep it a secret, but neither do I. Do you think I should get blonde hair again?”
Thérèse looked up at Melanie. “Yeah! Can you?”
“Sure can. Auntie Lailanie can do it.”
Thérèse waved Melanie down to her level to whisper in her ear. “Auntie Lailanie knows magic?”
Melanie chuckled. “Sure seems like it. Have you been in to see Grandmother?”
Thérèse faked a pout. “Nurse won’t let me.”
“Well, maybe I can fix that.” When Pop ended his call, Melanie turned her attention on him. “Any questions about Dottie?”
He asked about the diagnosis right away and what a lot of the terminology meant. Once Melanie was done explaining, he looked more relieved than Josh had.
Since visiting hours were almost over, Melanie took Thérèse in to see her grandmother for a moment, before sending the group home for the night. Just as she was settling into a booth in the cafeteria for a meal, her phone rang with a call from a familiar number.
“Detective Nakatani, I’d invite you to eat dinner with me but I’m afraid people might gossip.”
“You’re at the hospital, right? Isn’t this your weekend to be on emergency call?”
“How in the world did you know that? Are you stalking me, Detective?”
“I keep track of a lot of things in this little notebook. I’m already at the hospital. If you’re not busy, can we talk?”
“Oh, so you really are stalking me?”
“I brought a drunk in to the ER that had been in a fist fight.” Ten minutes later, he joined her with a food tray of his own. “I have the autopsy results from Doctor Benson about the Taylors.”
“Just what I want to discuss while eating dinner, autopsy findings on a pair of con artists.”
“Want to know or not?” he asked.
“I guess so. But I have a few interesting things for you, too. You go first.”
“It appears that whoever wanted them dead really wanted them dead in a big way. Or maybe I should say, a disturbing way.”
“Why?” she asked.
“They were electrocuted.”
“That’s what Benson said? Because I’m not so sure about that,” Melanie said. “They didn’t have any of the telltale signs of electrocution, the contorted body posture, any burn marks, nothing. Once you see a body that has been electrocuted by high voltage, you never forget the image.”
“Except that it wasn’t high voltage.”
“Maybe you and Benson need to read up on electrocution injuries. In young, healthy people, it takes a substantial shock to kill them.”
“Not if it was a lower voltage but for a prolonged time.”
“I guess that could do it. But even so, with low voltage shock, a person is able to let go of the object through which the current is running, or step away.”
“Benson believes there was something peculiar about this couple.” Nakatani referred to notes in his little notepad. “Just as I was beginning to think they died of natural causes, he’s convinced me to consider murder by electrocution.”
“Okay, tell me how in the world two people could be murdered by low voltage electrocution.”
“He thinks somehow they were put in a large receptacle like a bathtub or that little rowboat they were found in. The receptacle was then filled with salt water. Then wires attached to an outlet or generator were tossed into the salt water and a low voltage current was run through the water.”
“Why didn’t they fight back? Or jump out? Low voltage is stunning but not incapacitating. They would’ve been screaming their heads off.”
“They might’ve had guns aimed at them,” he said.
“That’s rude. Forcing them to decide between being electrocuted or shot.”
“Given the same choice, I’d let them shoot me, just to get it over with,” Nakatani said. “Benson thinks they might’ve been held down beneath the surface of the water with sticks to keep them from screaming.”
“That means they would’ve drowned while being shocked. Was water found in their lungs?”
“Not much. Benson said cause of death was definitely low voltage electrocution.”
“I see. If they were completely submerged, there would be no burn marks where the current had been conducted into the body because the entire body surface area acted as the electrode. And since the voltage was kept low, there wouldn’t be much noticeable exteriorly, and no unusual rigor or body postures. It would’ve been enough to shock their hearts and convert their rhythms into abnormal rhythms, and the ongoing shock would not allow the hearts to return to normal, forcing them into asystole, and death. Only very slowly. Not much different than an old-fashioned electric chair execution, but in slow motion and underwater. Horrific.”
“That’s what Doctor Benson said. That’s possible?” Nakatani asked.
“Entirely. Since the electricity was being conducted into their bodies through their entire surface areas, the shock would’ve hit their spinal cords as much as their hearts. With any luck, their central nervous systems would’ve shut down quickly so they might not have suffered too much. They might not have felt anything at all after the first few seconds. It really was an execution.”
“But in this case, he’s almost certain the job was done in that rowboat. Even though the fronts of their clothing were dry when they were found, the backs were still damp with seawater. Not any old salt water, but actual seawater. Looking at it under his microscope, he found tiny microorganisms found in the water in the shore areas of Maui. Plus, the concentration of salt in the water from the clothing was the same as in seawater. As far as he was concerned, they were submerged in seawater from a Maui shoreline.”
“No reason why it couldn’t have been that boat,” Melanie said. “And there was no water in their lungs?”
“He said not enough to cause death. What does that mean?”
“Like I explained earlier, they didn’t drown. They weren’t breathing deeply enough to suck water into their lungs while the juice was zapping them. It boils down to not fighting for their survival.”
“Could they have been drugged?” Nakatani asked.
“Slipped a mickey? Murder is your interest, Detective, life is mine. It certainly would’ve made it easier for everyone involved. But even if they were given only small amounts of sedation, Benson would’ve found it on blood toxicology screens. From what you told me the other day, he found nothing, right?”
“Right. They didn’t even have alcohol in their systems. What did you have to tell me?” he asked.
“Drugs, namely ephedrine, have been diverted from the hospital pharmacy in large amounts on at least two occasions.” She shook her head.
“What’s wrong? Didn’t we suspect something like that?”
“Yes, but I’ve been on a big propaganda campaign with Josh lately about how great the hospital is. I might have to eat my words if it turns out if we have some crooked people working here.”
She explained what she learned from the pharmacy tech, about how drugs are ordered mostly though an outside vendor, and that large amounts of ephedrine had somehow disappeared from the hospital.
He continued to make copious notes. “Any guesses who might be behind the disappearance?”
“My guess is the vendor. I know the head pharmacist and I doubt she’d risk her career just to traffic drugs.”
“How well do you know her?” Nakatani asked. “I ask because when drugs are involved, very upright people do some pretty unbelievable things.”
“Leah Kawata? I knew her in high school. Not so well now. But look at this.” She picked through the photocopie
s and found the report about the abnormally large order of ephedrine. “That was right at the same time as when a huge amount of ephedrine was ordered.”
While he read that report, she explained that the two large batches of ephedrine, the drug at the heart of making meth, had been ordered but disappeared without being checked into hospital stock or listed as being returned to the manufacturer.
Nakatani’s brow furrowed. “I’ve lost track of some these drug details. Wasn’t the meth that was found in the teddy bear high quality?”
“That’s what you told me, that it was made from especially pure ephedrine, the same quality as what was diverted from the hospital pharmacy in those two huge orders.” She tapped her finger on the report he was still reading for emphasis. “These are leads, right? Please tell me these are leads, that I haven’t spent the last several hours pointlessly reading incident reports.”
“These are great. Unfortunately, there’s no record of the vendor’s name, or who specifically ordered all these drugs.”
“The pharmacist could probably tell you that. Just flash your badge and they’ll help, if for no other reason than to get you out of their hair. You said something a moment ago about upright people. Well, pharmacists aren’t just upright in how they deal with things, but they’re downright uptight.”
He gave her a look.
“What?” she asked.
“Nothing. You’re right about as soon as cops show up to investigate drug crimes, everybody gets nervous, and the more nervous they are, the less guilty they are. Generally.”
“I discovered something else that might be interesting.” Melanie opened her pocketbook and found the printout from the toy store. She unfolded it. “I took the kids to the toy store at the mall the other night and found they sell the same type of teddy bear as the one that’s causing so much trouble. They don’t come with bowties, but the same store sells the identical bowties.”
“How did you get the printout for all the receipts of similarly sold items? I need a warrant from a judge to get something like this.”
“I asked the assistant manager. She’s an old friend from high school.”
“Mayor, is everyone on this island an old friend of yours?”
“I can think of two that aren’t,” she said.
“Let me guess. Andrew Carson and Ozzy Simpson?”
“You know it. Those two mangy curs…” Melanie rifled through the photocopies again. “What was the name of that vendor again?”
“I don’t think I ever heard it. Why?”
“The pharmacy tech I spoke to said something about the vendor needed to log in and wear a nametag while on the premises. Maybe it was Katie Simmons, but the name was scrawled and she couldn’t quite read it.”
“Who’s Katie Simmons? Another old friend?”
“I seriously doubt it. But doesn’t Simmons sound a lot like Simpson?”
“You think it’s somebody working with Ozzy?” he asked.
“Why not? And if I remember correctly, he had a sister of some sort.” She slapped down the photocopied reports. “Dang. Nothing.”
“We could go look at the pharmacy logbook, if that will settle your mind? Honestly, I’m pretty curious, too. That seems a little too coincidental, if it really is the same last name as Ozzy’s.”
Just as Melanie decided to go off in search of some piece of truth that might exist, her phone rang with a call from the ER. “Sorry, Detective Nakatani. You’ll have to go detecting on your own. I have someone to go see.” After giving him the photocopies, she waited a moment. “What was that look you gave me a few minutes ago about pharmacists being as uptight as they were upright?”
“I was just thinking of that old saying about birds of a feather being uptight together.”
Chapter Eleven
It was almost noon on Sunday when Melanie finally got a break from performing surgeries. Going with the transport team that took her patient to the ICU, she wrote orders and closed the computer chart. Folding her arms on the desk, she put her face down, overcome with the need for sleep.
“Doctor Kato?”
Melanie turned her face to see who was interrupting her first peace and quiet since the evening before.
“We saw you go by a moment ago. I’m Dottie’s nurse. We’re planning to extubate her soon.”
She let her eyes close again. “Is the rest of the family here?”
“Dottie’s husband, along with your husband.”
“Where are the kids?”
“At home, I guess. I think I heard something about them being with a nanny.”
Melanie’s eyes popped open. “Thanks.”
She got out her phone as she sat up. Dialing Georgie’s number, it was answered on the third ring.
“Georgie, this is supposed to be your day off. Why are you at home with the kids?”
“Nothing else better to do. Surf’s flat and I don’t know anybody else on Maui except Uncle Nate. Don’t really feel like hanging with a cop.”
“I can’t blame you. He’s busy today, anyway. Where are you? What’s that sound?”
“In the kitchen. I’m chopping a few vegetables for dinner. Hey, is it okay if Thérèse has a peanut butter sandwich for lunch?”
“Just a half and she doesn’t like jelly. And make her drink a full glass of milk with it. One of those plastic tumblers, not a real glass. She’s a little clumsy.”
“I’ve noticed. Is there something you wanted to ask other than about lunch?”
“Everything’s okay?”
“Sure. Why wouldn’t it be?”
“I don’t know. You shouldn’t let Josh and Pop take advantage of you, though. I’m just paying you for Monday through Friday. You need to be going out and making a few friends here on Maui.” The same nurse came back to tell Melanie they were ready to take out Dottie’s breathing tube, if she wanted to be there. “I’ll call you back later, Georgie. I have something to do.”
The respiratory therapist, the hospitalist, and the nurse that were watching over Dottie’s care were just pulling the tube out when Melanie got there. Dottie sputtered and coughed a couple of times but not very hard. That was the end of her effort in breathing, her jaw simply going slack instead of working to catch a breath.
The hospitalist, Dr. Kayser, tapped Dottie’s cheek. “Dottie, take a breath.”
With most of her head still wrapped in gauze, Dottie remained passive while the blood oxygenation monitor beeped with an ominous message.
“I don’t understand why she’s not breathing. She was bucking the tube and squeezing my hand just a few minutes ago,” the nurse said.
“Give her Narcan, IV,” Dr. Kayser ordered. He tapped her cheek again. “Dottie, wake up and take a breath.”
Melanie watched the monitors as much as she watched Dottie’s response to the drug reversal medication she’d been given. Another vital sign alarm began to chime.
“Get a new tube out,” Kayser told the respiratory therapist. “We may need to tube her again.”
“Screw that,” Melanie said, pushing between the others to get next to Dottie. She slapped her mother-in-law’s face more than tapped it. “Dottie, wake up and breathe, dang it!”
With the monitors blaring and Dottie still unreactive, Melanie pulled down the sheet that covered her chest. Finding a soft spot, she pinched and twisted skin. “Dottie, this is Melanie. You’re pissing me off. Wake the heck up!”
Dottie opened her eyes with the sudden pain and coughed again. Once she took a deep breath, the others relaxed.
“I’ll go get her husband,” Melanie said, leaving the cubicle. She found Josh and Pop waiting just outside the doorway to the ICU. They looked tense.
“What’s going on?” Josh asked. “We heard you yelling at Mom.”
“She’s fine. When they took out her tube, she didn’t breathe right away.”
“She’s okay?” Pop asked.
“Dottie’s fine. Give her a few more minutes to get oriented and the nurse time to straighten up
her cubicle and you can go see her. Josh, why don’t you have a seat with me.”
“What’s wrong with Mom?” Josh asked as soon as they sat.
“Nothing. She’s just a little slow in waking up from the sedation. That’s fairly common, but the fact they took out her tube a day early is great. Doctor Warner still thinks she’s doing very well and should recover completely.”
“Then why the big dramatic meeting like this?” he asked.
“It’s not about Dottie and it’s not dramatic. I just want to know why you left the kids with the nanny on a weekend? We pay her enough already. I don’t want to start paying her overtime.”
“Pop gave her some money to babysit the kids. Anyway, I don’t like bringing them here.”
“Why not?” she asked.
“This place is full of sick people.”
“Josh, it’s a hospital. What do you expect?”
“Who was that patient you just took to the other ICU? He looked like a train hit him.”
“First of all, all these other patients are none of your business. Second, it was a car that hit a woman on the highway, a pregnant lady who lost her baby, even after a team of specialists worked on her for several hours. So, I strongly suggest you be very careful asking about patients and their stories, because there’s a lot of sad news in hospitals.”
“I didn’t know this place got those kinds of patients,” he said.
“Where do you think I work, at the children’s petting zoo?”
“Mom’s doing okay?” he finally asked.
“Better than most of the patients in the ICU.” She nodded her head in the direction of the door to the unit. “Go see her, then go home and give Georgie the rest of the day off from the kids.”
Melanie went to the cafeteria, hoping some coffee would refresh her mind and a meal would boost her energy. Taking her tray to a table in a back corner for some privacy, she got out her phone.
“Georgie, this is Melanie. Josh should be home pretty soon to take over with the kids. But I have a question for you.”
“Uh oh. Am I in trouble already?”
“Not that I know of. I might be meddling here, but I’ve been curious if you’ve thought about going back to school? You have the time on weekends and evenings, and it would be a good way of meeting new people your age. It would also be a reason not to have to take on extra babysitting duties.”