“Do you know who owns that ugly RV?” Becky asked, pointing at my motorhome.
“I do.”
“Oh, sorry. I’m sure it’s very nice inside,” she offered.
I chuckled and shook my head. I had bought the Winnebago used, and it looked it, too, with gray tape holding the window in place and several dents along the fender. A couple of those dents were my fault, I had never driven a motorhome before. “No, it’s just as ugly inside, but it suits my needs. Why do you ask?”
“The proximity of the body next to the RV that blocks the hospital view begs the question, why?” she explained. “Was she deliberately placed there, or was it a convenient hiding place?”
“Good questions. And if it was deliberate, what was the reason? I don’t know anyone in this city, and the RV has only been parked there since I drove it in this morning.”
“Want to grab some dinner and go over our notes?” Becky asked suddenly, out of the blue.
I’m not sure why I found that question unusual. Perhaps it was because this was the second time today that a woman had asked me to eat with her. That never happened in Houston.
“That sounds like a good idea,” I agreed. “Let me call my office and tell them I’ll be off campus for a little while.” I pulled out my two-way radio and clicked the call button. “Dennis to base.”
Another click and then Michele’s voice squawked through the radio. “Go ahead, Chief.”
“Detective Littleton and I are going to grab a bite to eat. I’ll be off campus for an hour.”
“Roger that. Be advised that the two recruits have arrived and Officer Hamilton has taken charge of them.”
I exhaled gratefully. Although I didn’t think anything more would happen tonight, Josh still needed backup. The influx of fresh recruits would reduce the stress that I felt when I first walked in this morning. Stress that had tripled since the discovery of the body.
“Understood. You are relieved, Ms. Michaels. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Roger that. Have a good night, Chief.”
I looked over at Detective Littleton and felt a pang of excitement. “I intend to, Ms. Michaels. Dennis out.”
Chapter Seven
Michele Michaels
The chief sounded tired over the radio. I don’t envy her having to deal with the brass and the media, not to mention the police, all on the same day. I can’t imagine what would have happened if the last director was still here. I know for a fact, none of us would feel as secure as we do if it weren’t for tall, dark and handsome Chief Dennis.
“Michele, let me know as soon as you’re done with the two temps, and I’ll take them on patrol with me,” Josh said.
“Will do. I just need to get names and numbers and they’re all yours,” I replied.
“Good. I’ll go grab a quick bite to eat while you do that. I didn’t get to finish my lunch and didn’t eat breakfast, so I’m starving.”
I waved my hand at him. “Go, eat. And bring me back a hamburger, no onions, when you’re done, please.” It wasn’t on my diet, but I needed some comfort food right now. “Oh, and lots of ketchup!”
“Roger that. Be back in a minute.”
“Hold up, Josh,” Dorey said. “I’m hungry, too.”
Dorey and Josh left together and I turned my attention to the two recruits sitting in front of me. One was a handsome man in his forties with a chiseled jaw and inviting smile named Noel Collins. The other, Lula Ferguson, was a handsome young woman with a shapely jaw, luscious lips, twinkling dark eyes and raven-black hair that hung straight to her shoulders. And muscles that I would love to wrap my fingers around and squeeze. Oh, wait, she’s saying something. “I’m sorry, what were you saying?”
“We rushed over here as soon as we got the call, and I didn’t have a chance to eat beforehand. Would it be alright to—”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” I replied, standing up and grabbing my two-way radio and notepad. “Of course, follow me. I can get what I need as we eat.”
“Have you worked here long, Ms. Michaels?” the pretty young woman asked as we walked out of the room.
“Not long, five years or so, and please, call me Michele.”
Lula nodded. “I heard you were hiring, Michele. Is this temp job a way in?”
“It could be, but of course that would be up to our chief,” I replied.
“Of course. I’ll just need to impress him,” she said.
I did a double-take. Didn’t she just hear her on the radio? Granted, people sound gravely on that thing. “Her. The chief is female and tough as nails. If you want to impress her, don’t try to impress her.”
“Don’t try to impress her, got it.”
Without realizing it at first, I patted her arm and left my hand there. Her skin was silky soft and so warm to the touch. “She’s got a lot on her plate right now, and what she needs is your willingness to protect this hospital. I’ve only just met her, but I believe that it is her main concern. If you could have seen her on the pediatrics unit, you would feel the same way.”
“I think I understand. I have a ten-month old step-niece that I would die for,” Lula stated, patting my hand that still held her arm.
I saw the sincerity in her eyes and believed her. Reluctantly I removed my hand as we entered the cafeteria. I found Josh at the grill, ordering my hamburger, and let him know that we would be joining him for dinner. But just as the cook asked me if I wanted onions on my burger, my radio squawked to life.
“Longfellow to base.”
I shook my head at the cook and clicked the button on my radio. “Base, go ahead, Robby.”
“Barney and I are in the office, where is everyone?”
“We’re in the cafeteria,” I replied. “Come join us.”
“Roger that. Save some for us.”
Robby had the day off, and Barney wasn’t due in for another two hours. I told them that they didn’t need to come in, but they did anyway. My boys.
We pulled two tables together in the mostly empty eating area and all sat down together. Josh asked us to introduce ourselves so we went around the table. When we came to the two temps, I pulled out my notepad and asked them to spell their names. The agency had faxed over their profiles, but I prefer to get some of the information down in my own handwriting. It helped me to remember things.
“Hi, everyone. My name is Lula Ferguson and I’m originally from Wyoming. Got a scholarship to the Boulder University and decided to stay. Well, that and my mother and step-father moved here. Anyway, I graduated with a bachelors’ in economics and then I changed my mind.”
Raising my eyebrow, I asked, “Why did you change your mind?”
“It was boring and I had to wear a suit,” she answered. “So, I’ve been thinking of becoming a cop, but I thought I’d try being a security officer first. You know, to see if I had the discipline for rules and regulations.”
“A smart move,” I complimented her. “And at least you’re not getting shot at here.”
“Not yet, anyway,” Noel, the other temp, said. “I saw on the news that there was a murder here this afternoon. Is that true?”
Noel was forty-five, and came across as meekish, even with his chiseled jawline. The ring on his finger said he was married, but his demeanor told me that he didn’t wear the pants in that marriage and I seriously doubted that he was gay. And sadly, Lula was twenty-six. I got a strong vibe from her that she was into women, but I was so close to being a virgin again myself, that I wasn’t ready to rob the cradle. Still, she was very pleasant to look at with her inquisitive hazel eyes and short raven hair. My eye color was a lighter hazel, which I’ve always loathed, but hers were darker with a touch more green in them. Very pleasant to look at.
“Yes, it’s true,” Dorey responded.
Robby and Barney walked up carrying their food and we scooted two more chairs to the table.
“Allow me to introduce Barney Johnson and Robby Longfellow,” Josh said, and then pointed at Lula. “Our temps are
Lula Ferguson and he was just about to introduce himself.”
“Noel Collins, nice to meet all of you.”
“Likewise,” Robby said as he bit down on his hamburger. The burger was half gone with one bite.
“So, where’s our fearless new leader?” Barney asked, looking around the cafeteria. “I heard she’s got a hard on for Byron.”
Josh was about to take a bite of his hamburger when he stopped midway and looked at Barney. “Who’d you hear that from, Barney?”
“Byron told me.”
“Of course he did,” Dorey said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
“The chief is still with Detective Littleton. I imagine she’ll be busy for a while,” I stated for the good of the group. I didn’t want to say that she was having dinner with the woman because that just didn’t sound fair to me. Yes, she was, but it was a working dinner. Just like lunch had been. Curiously, I wondered who she’d be having a midnight snack with.
“What’s so funny, Michele?” Dorey asked.
“What? Oh, uh, nothing,” I stuttered.
“Okay, listen up,” Josh instructed, waiting until every eye was on him. “The chief asked Dorey and me to team up with the temps, two tonight and three more tomorrow and get everyone up to speed. I’ll be on tonight with you two,” he nodded toward Noel and Lula, “manning the ER and acquainting you with our rules and codes system. Dorey will take the three tomorrow—”
“I’m on shift tomorrow, I can help you with them, Dorey,” Robby inserted.
Dorey nodded at him. “Thanks. That would be great.”
“Good deal,” Josh said. “Now it’s my understanding that the temps are only here for few weeks, just until the…” He leaned forward and whispered so low that everyone else had to lean closer to hear him. “Just until the murderer has been identified and hopefully captured.”
Noel had his hot dog to his lips when he asked, “Any leads on who did it, yet?”
Josh shook his head. “No, it’s way too early in the investigation for any kind of definitive lead. They’ll have to identify the victim first and go from there.” I had forgotten that Josh was taking classes to become a private detective. He would make a good one.
“So, with all that’s happened, do you think we’re still on ninety-day probation?” Barney asked hopefully. “I mean, she’s not even here to observe us.”
“Yes, I’m sure we’re still on probation,” Dorey offered.
“Probation? Who’s on probation?” Robby asked.
“You are,” I quipped. “We all are, in fact. We have ninety days to prove to the chief that we are worthy of the job. But I’m with Barney. With the murder in our own backyard, the chief has been terribly distracted. Of course, it’s only the first day, but I don’t see things getting less distracting for her for a while.”
“It’s simple, really,” Dorey interjected. “She’s a stickler for reports, right?”
“She seems to be, yes,” I replied, remembering that I forgot to print out the reports she had asked for this morning.
“So, at the end of our shift, we each type up a quick summary of what transpired during that time. I know we do something similar in our shift change meetings, but this will be more detailed. It would also be a good learning experience for the temps and we can judge how they’re doing by their reports.”
“I like the idea,” Josh said. “Barney, Robby, are you in?”
“Yeah, it’s a good idea and will show her that we’re professionals who take our jobs seriously,” Robby expounded.
“I’m in, too. I need this job,” Barney added.
“All right then. Dorey, do you mind telling Byron about it tomorrow? Since it’s unanimous with the four of us, he should probably come on board, too.”
“I’ll tell him,” she agreed. “But don’t hold your breath on him playing ball, Josh. I don’t think he likes her too much.”
“I got the feeling that it’s mutual,” Josh said. “He told me that she snuck in on Saturday night and set him up.”
“He said that?” Dorey asked.
“Yeah, said he had to pull his Taser when she wouldn’t leave, but if he had known it was the new boss, he never would have done that.”
“What an asshole,” Robby chuckled. “He’s not even supposed to have that damn thing in the first place.
Josh continued, “She confiscated it and put him on dayshift. If it had been me, I would have fired his ass right then and there.”
I glanced at the quizzical look on Lula’s face as she listened to the exchange and wondered what she was thinking about it all. Noel, on the other hand, had an eager grin on his face.
“Will the temps be issued a Taser gun?” he asked.
“No, sorry, Noel,” Josh replied. “Tasers aren’t allowed on campus; we just didn’t have anyone to enforce that rule until now. You will get some zip ties and a two-way radio. I’ll teach you the codes we use, including emergency codes.” Josh looked between Lula and Noel. “And you will be paired with an employee, so don’t expect to be left on your own for a while. It will be good training though, for when you do get a job in this field.”
“I’ve been a night watchman for years. I already know half of this stuff,” Noel said confidently.
“Good, then it won’t take you as long to learn the ropes,” Josh responded.
“This is an excellent opportunity for us who want to work in the field,” Lula said. “And I intend to make the most of it.”
I smiled at her, my eyes drinking her in. “And I know you will,” I gushed, losing myself in her sincerity. That is until someone kicked my shin under the table. I jumped and looked around. Dorey was giving me a curious look and nodding her head at Lula. “What?” I asked her.
“What?” Lula asked, thinking I was talking to her.
“What?” I repeated, looking back at Lula. “Oh, uh, nothing. We, um, should probably get back to work now.” I glared at Dorey, who was laughing.
Chapter Eight
Casey Dennis
I tilted the beer bottle up and took a drink as I glanced at Detective Littleton. She was wiping her lips with a napkin and when she looked up, I looked away. My excitement in going to dinner with the detective was purely to discuss the case. I hated to admit it, but I missed being out in the field.
Celine had taken me to a serene, yet pretentious, restaurant, where stuffy waiters waited impatiently to take my order for overpriced food. Becky’s choice of a low-brow, low-cost sports bar that stocked my favorite Lone Star beer was much more to my liking. And talking cop-shop would always be preferred over psychobabble. Becky wasn’t as beautiful as Celine, or as refined, but she was pretty and her blue eyes seemed to radiate against her tan skin. Born and raised in Texas, I thought people who lived in a much higher elevation would be pale in comparison, but Becky looked like she’d been laying on the beach in Corpus Christi.
I guess comparing beautiful women, whom I had no intention of becoming involved with, was kind of therapeutic for me. After rehab, picking up women at a bar was the most satisfying way to distract myself. But now, although I still needed distraction from my nightmares, I didn’t need to bed every woman I met. My shrink would probably say that was progress. If that’s true, then progress is empty and cold.
Becky’s phone vibrated on the table and she snatched it up and looked at the text. “Okay, Casey. My captain just texted me and said that I can give you the background on the case as long as you don’t pursue it on your own. Medal notwithstanding, this is not Texas and you are no longer a police detective,” she stated and looked at the cellphone again.
“Understood, but I can’t promise anything,” I said, shaking my head. She looked perplexed. “But I will keep my queries confined to what pertains to the hospital.”
“Okay, I get that, you being a decorated vet and all.”
“Can we get past the medal, please, and tell me what you’ve got?”
“Right. Okay, here’s the thing. This is his fourth kill, only this is
the first time that he’s made a mistake.”
“She got away from him, didn’t she?”
Becky nodded. “The first three bodies were hidden behind dumpsters and decomposing. They weren’t meant to be found right away. This one was still warm and out in the open. We think she escaped and tried to get to the hospital.”
“That means she was being held close by.”
“We think so,” Becky said. “So we’re out combing the neighborhoods in a mile radius. We think that with her wounds, she couldn’t have walked much further than that.”
“So, you think she was attacked elsewhere and walked here?”
“That’s the current theory, yes,” she replied.
“Well, your theory is wrong,” I quipped, leaning back in my chair and studying her reaction. She’d made a rookie mistake, and I was challenging her on it, just as I would do a new trainee.
Tilting her head slightly, she frowned. “Excuse me?”
“Did you find a blood trail?” I knew there wasn’t one because I had searched the parking lot thoroughly and didn’t find anything.
My favorite part when training a probie is seeing the confusion in their eyes swirl around to understanding and excitement. That’s what I saw in Becky’s eyes.
“There wasn’t one, which means that she was attacked where she fell. But she couldn’t have been tortured there, because her gums had already begun to heal.”
Impressive.
“So, she probably escaped from nearby and the perp caught up to her in the parking lot. The other three vics were left behind a dumpster that ran on a monthly pickup schedule. They were always left the day after the dumpster had been emptied. Our forensic shrink thinks that is symbolic to him, so we’re running checks on the garbage truck drivers and their companies.”
“Does that include the hospital pickup?”
She smiled. “It does now.”
***
After dinner with Becky, and the energizing shop talk, I went back into patrol mode and walked the hospital, both inside and out. I checked the crime scene again, theorizing that sometimes you can see things in the dark that you missed in the light, but I didn’t find anything new. Then I went inside through the front doors and nodded at Barney, who thankfully was awake and alert. It was just after ten and he stood up and pulled his keys off his belt.
Better the Devil You Don't Know Page 6