“So, where does that leave us, dear?” Gran chimed in.
Hannah stared at her grandmother. As usual, Gran had inserted herself into an investigation. While the elder Starvling was a talented detective in her own right, at the moment she was being both nosy and pushy. Hannah knew that Gran still liked to dabble in ‘being nosy’ as Papa Jay called it. More so, this was her grandmother trying to force her into a situation she was yet to deal with. The idea of her getting pregnant. She decided that she would deal with this issue at the conclusion of the case, but for the moment, with the elder Starvling there before her, she would press on.
“Well, I have lots of information, but nothing conclusive. To date, all I do know is that there’s a link between some candy boxes and three of the victims. Two are dead, the other being Susan, who is at the moment out of it.”
Buster frowned. “Like the stuff you ordered for the wedding? Are you back to that?”
“Yes, we are back to that,” Hannah answered.
The sleuth’s terse tone caused Buster to move a slight bit back and Gran to frown. Hannah’s irritation showed in her expression as well. It was enough to cause the handsome man to drop his hold on Hym’s sister. Magdalen, herself, scowled in a slight manner but said nothing. In return, Hannah sighed.
“I’m sorry, guys. I’m just a bit flustered at the moment. Hym and I are supposed to be on our honeymoon, but there’s this with Susan. A lot of stuff points in all kinds of directions, but none of it completes the puzzle. I just want to go and forget about it, but I can’t…”
By this time, Hannah’s voice sounded stressed. In an unexpected move to the sleuth, Magdalen reached out and hugged her.
“It’s all right. You’re doing the best you can. You’re right, you know. You should just go on and forget about this for a while.”
“Oh, I don’t see that happening,” Gran interceded. “That’’s just not possible. I know that from experience.”
Buster pointed to Hannah’s forehead and grinned. “It’s all swirling around up there, like planes in a cloud. She has to land them before she can move on, but now that we’’re here, maybe we can help.”
“Come here, you,” Hannah said, releasing Magdalen and embracing Buster. After a moment, she released him. Then she hugged Gran. “Thank you. I appreciate that. I do. Sorry if I snapped at you.”
“Not like it’s not happened before.”
Hannah jabbed at Buster’s arm.
“Hey, not like that hasn’t happened either.”
His reaction caused Hannah to half laugh. Needed that. Always good for a laugh, she noted. “Hym’s in the ICU waiting room.” She pointed down the hallway, and then looked to Magdalen and Gran. “But I’m on my way to talk with Jackie Rhoades. Want to come?”
“What about me?” Buster asked.
“He’s a bit shy.” Hannah pointed between Magdalen and herself. “He met us through Whipson and I don’t think he’ll mind, Gran, but if you tag along, he might not talk.”
“Well, what am I supposed to do?”
Magdalen shoulder bumped Buster. “You can find something to do without me for a little bit. Let us girls go do some work.”
Buster sighed. “This is so not fair.”
Magdalen spun Buster around and shoved him toward the hallway leading to the waiting area. She then swatted his rear. “Catch up with you soon, pretty boy.”
The women watched as he moved down the hall, rubbing his backside.
Hannah called after, “Give Cate a call. Let her know you two got here.”
Buster waved without looking back.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you like him,” Hannah commented to Magdalen.
Eyeing the young man as he moved down the hall, Gran gave a toothy grin. “Pretty face, perfect body, nice butt. Doesn’t think too much. What’s not to like? He’’s perfect.”
The women laughed as they headed off in the other direction.
Chapter Nineteen
Once again, Hannah found herself heading back to the medical center’s cafeteria. Even though she felt the weight of the ongoing case on her, she also found that talking with her sister-in-law helped. Although Gran’s intrusion annoyed her, she soon found herself venting as they mounted the elevator.
“It’s not the way I wanted to start my life with Hym. I don’t want him to think this is how it’s going to be, with me being wrapped up in some investigation all the time. I’m a culinary consultant, for heaven’s sake, not a real detective, but this keeps happening. It’s like I can’t get away from trouble.” She sighed. “I just want to be with him and I want him to be with me.”
Magdalen half laughed. “You don’t have to worry about that. He’s not going anywhere. I know my brother. He adores you, more than anything, but that bit about you not being a real detective, well, that’s debatable. Truth be told, I think that’s the part of you he admires the most.”
“Are you sure?” Hannah responded with a hint of relief and appreciation. “It just worries me. I’m ready to settle down now and this case, its got me…” As the elevator came to a stop, Hannah glanced up at the level indicator. “Oops, wrong floor,” she said as she reached forward to push the button again, but she stopped as the doors opened. Once more, she found herself standing before Rhoades. Seeing her, the custodian swallowed. Nervous as usual, she inferred as she mounted her best, most charming smile. “We were just on our way to find you.””
Rhoades dropped his head as he pushed his bucket and mop into the lift before turning to pull his cart inside.
“You remember Magdalen from the other day, don’t you? She’s a friend of the Reverend, and this is my grandmother, Sindee. She would like to come along. That is, if you don’’t mind.”
The older man eyed Gran. She assumed a pleasant smile. After a moment, the custodian agreed with a gesture. “I got to put my things away first. Punch out.”
“Of course,” Hannah said. “Which floor?”
Rather than answer, Rhoades leaned forward and pushed the button marked B1. As the device chugged into motion downward, Gran and Magdalen watched as Hannah attempted to ease the man’s reluctance by engaging him in idle talk.
“Did you have a good day?”
“Came and it went.”
“You didn’t happen to clean the room where Dr. York passed out, did you?”
Rhoades twisted his lip and bit at the corner of his mouth. He did not make eye contact but stared forward before bobbing his head to affirm.
“Do you remember the candy box that was in there?”
“It was empty. Threw it away.”
“I know, but you clean up all around the hospital, right? On a lot of different floors.”
Once more, Rhoades acknowledged with a gesture. “Uh huh.”
“Have you seen that kind of box in other rooms where people died?”
The elevator sounded, indicating that the floor was reached. The doors opened and Rhoades pushed his equipment onto the floor with the assistance of Magdalen.
“Thank you,” he whispered.
Hannah noted how his voice sounded demur. Humble and cautious.
Rhoades turned his head to peer at the culinary detective for the first time as they moved along the hallway. She felt like he was searching for something, but just what, she could not say.
“Clean lots of rooms. Boxes turn up in them from time to time. Lots of people die here. People don’t want to take them home when someone passes, so I just throw them away.”
Magdalen stepped up beside Rhoades. “I think she’s asking about specific instances, like with people the Reverend was close too. You’re his best friend. He talks to you, right? Maybe he said something.”
The custodian turned his attention away from Hannah. She watched as his posture, before stiff and standoffish, now relaxed some. Best friend. Clever, she thought of Magdalen’s question. Set him at ease. Associate him to the Reverend.
“Johnny’s a friend to a lot of people, but he’s my best fri
end. We talk sometimes.”
“I’m sure you do,” Magdalen added. “Did anyone’’s death bother him in particular? Maybe more than one?”
Rhoades nodded, stopping before a door. “He’s a good man. People he ministers, he worries over, but there were a few that troubled him so.” He pulled his cart to a stop and stared at the two. “He’s not doing well, you know. Been talking about some things he wants to know about before he…” Rhoades’’ words trailed off as he swallowed hard. He pulled his lips into his mouth for a second, before continuing.
Seeing an opportunity, Hannah interceded. “Like people passing away before they should?”
Rhoades confirmed with a bob of the head. “Johnny said he wanted to speak with you about it, and your husband.”
“He did. That’s why I wanted to talk to you. I thought maybe you could help.”
The custodian shifted his eyes to the floor as if he were studying his shoes. He twisted one into a circle pattern on the floor. “He asked me to keep an eye out. Maybe see what I could find. Never found nothing.” He raised his head back up. ““Until after he went off to marry you.”
Gran assumed a hopeful look. “You found something?”
The custodian shifted his position and glanced up and down the hall in both directions. “I think so. I wanted to give it to Johnny myself when he got back. Then Dr. York had a spell. Thought I’d hold onto it until she was in a better state. Otherwise, Johnny’’d fret over it.”
“Maybe we can be there when you give it to him?” Hannah said, half suggesting, half asking.
For a moment, Hannah was unsure of Rhoades’ response. He bit at the corner of his lip for a second before agreeing. “I suppose that’d be a good thing.”” He gestured toward the door with his head. “It’s in my locker. I got to check this in and punch out.” He pointed up to a sign above the door marked Employees Only.
All the women glanced up. Magdalen gave another generous smile. “Should we wait? Then we could walk down together.”
“Alright.”
Hannah noted the custodian’s lips curling up into a brief, weak smile before it disappeared. It was the first time she had seen him react in a positive manner toward anything. He then took out a key and opened the door, pushing his equipment inside. Once the door closed, Hannah and Gran turned to Magdalen.
“You handled him well. You’re a natural at this,” Gran stated.
“Nothing natural about it, just a nurse’s trick. People don’t trust you because your part of the job is to hurt them for their own good. A needle stick or finger prick. So you get them to relate to you or someone.” Magdalen motioned toward the door. “He’s no different. Just a man hurting. Best friend’’s dying and he wants to help.”
“Well, it’s working. That’s the first time I’ve ever seen him smile at anything.”
Magdalen leaned back against the wall as they waited. “What do you think he has?”
“Not sure, but I can’t wait to find out. Given his access to everything around here, it could be anything.”
Gran turned to stare at the door, as though she could peer through the wooden access and see Rhoades. “I just hope it’s useful and we can wrap this up for you. You’ve got somewhere to be.”
Hannah frowned. Gran’s ‘hints’ were beginning to fray her nerves. More so, she didn’t want to have that conversation. At least not yet, she thought.
Magdalen reshuffled her position. “Given his background, don’t you think he’d know something good when he saw it? No one knows crime like a criminal.””
“Ex-criminal, and good point.”
“What were you hoping to find out from him?” Gran interjected.
Hannah shrugged. “Not sure exactly. How much do you know?”
The elder Starvling shrugged. “A lot of it. Your grandfather, Buster, Magdalen and I discussed it on the way down.”
“Well, to begin with, I wanted to test the whole revenge theory. See if he harbored any resentment for his years in prison and blamed it on the Reverend. But given how he cozied up to your comment about him being his best friend, I’m not feeling it.””
Gran agreed. “What else? Maybe we can coax out a bit more.”
Hannah took off her hat and dusted it off before examining the edges. “Well, what we were just talking about before in a sense. If he found boxes in those other rooms. I’m not sure if he has that kind of memory, but given that it’’s tied up in a way with the Reverend and he seems to want to protect him…”
“It might jog his memory,” Magdalen interrupted.
“That’s it. It would save the time of seeking out every nurse and asking them if he does. Or we could if he spotted anything else.”
“No stone left unturned and all that, right?”
“Now you’re catching on,” Hannah said, plopping the hat back onto her head. She turned her attention to Gran. “So, Papa Jay’s with Hazelnut. How’d Gigantor take it?”
“Like a five pound Yorkie with a 150 pound attitude. A bit of posturing but he’s fine.”
“And Casper?”
“Like a ten pound cat overseeing two unruly children. She jumps to the upper bunk in the RV and rides it out while they bark their little noggins off.”
“They were all fine on the way down,” Magdalen assured. “Buster spoiled them all, but I think he likes Casper the best.””
“He is a bit of a cat person. Always has been.”
A sudden loud thud followed by a crash caused the women to jump back away from the entry. Hannah stepped up to the door and listened. After a second, she turned back to her sister-in-law and grandmother. “What was that?”
Magdalen listened. “Don’t know. Sounded like…” Her eyes widened with concern.
“Someone hit the floor and hit something on the way down,” Gran suggested.
For a second, they stood staring at each other. Hannah then turned and pounded on the door.
“Mr. Rhoades?” Hannah called out in a loud, excited voice. “Mr. Rhoades.” She tried the door, but found it locked. Again, she called to the man but no one came.
Within seconds, the noise of her efforts brought forth several of the hospital’s staff. An older man in a physician coat approached.
“Miss?”
Hannah made an instant assessment of man. Early 70’s. Average height and weight. Balding with grey sides. Grey eyes. Glasses. Physician. She then attempted to explain.
“We were meeting an employee, Jackie Rhoades, but we heard a crash and now he won’t come to the door.”
The physician studied the women for a second before turning to the door, and trying himself as he called to Rhoades. Hannah watched, frowning at the man’s efforts. After what seemed an eternity to Hannah, the physician turned to a woman who stood to the side.
“Call the facilities manager. Tell him we have an emergency.”
Hannah assessed the woman. Late 30s, of average height, weight and looks with dark hair. Mousy. The woman turned and exited back up the hallway toward two large glass doors. The sign above read ‘Records.” Watching, the sleuth saw her go to a desk and pick up a phone. Again, the physician tried pounding on the door to no avail. Hannah grew anxious at the situation. She wondered if once the door was open she would find Rhoades injured. Or worse, she considered.
While waiting for the facilities manager, Hannah tried to divert her attention. She wondered what the Reverend’s friend could have found and where he could have found it. The man did not strike Hannah as one prone just to take anything as a clue. She recalled Magdalen’s observation moments before. Given that he was an ex-con, he would know a solid piece of evidence when he saw it. This drew her to one conclusion. It’s something specific, she determined. Something the Reverend told him to look out for or mentioned. Thinking further, she decided that it could be something related to what the Reverend worried about. Maybe Calvin or Susan?
The touch of Magdalen’s hand on her shoulder drew her back to the present. Her sister-in-law said nothing
but pointed up the hall to a man half running toward them. Mid 40s. Short. Maybe 5’3” or 5’4”. Heavyset. Brown hair greying. Gold rimmed glasses. Awkward trot. Slight limp on left. He wore a light green jumpsuit like the one Rhoades wore. As he came closer, Hannah could see that he already held his keys. He moved past everyone, and saying nothing, proceeded to open the door. Doing so, he pushed it wide and the physician, Hannah, the woman, Gran, and then Magdalen followed.
Hannah made a quick study of the room as she pushed her way in. It was larger than she expected. Rows of metal shelving with supplies lined the forward area. It divided down the middle to create a corridor leading back. The room was bright, lit by several overhead lights. It smelled of paint and cleaners to her. She could just see a row of lockers beyond that also lined either way in an inset corridor. A small bench stood separating the two and a time clock hung on rear wall. More importantly, she eyed two of the last shelving rows that appeared tipped over. Open paint cans dabbled the floor as the liquid oozed out all over from the fallen, now twisted, metal shelves. As the facilities manager reached the area, he stopped and grabbed the first shelf. Lifting as best he can, he called out.
“He’s under here.”
The physician made his way between the last remaining shelf standing on the row and the first fallen one and he pulled upwards. They repeated the procedure on the second one until the collapsed form of Rhoades was visible to all present. The woman moved in to help as the physician stepped up and the facilities manager moved back. Taking his pulse, the doctor looked to the group.
“I’ve got a pulse. Get some help.”
The facilities manager took the doctor’s cue and exited. Magdalen crouched down beside Rhoades. When the physician glanced over to her she said, “I’m a nurse.”” He acknowledge with a quick nod.
Hannah watched as the three checked over Rhoades for a few moments. Doing so, Magdalen examined Rhoades’ head, where he bled from the scalp. She motioned to the doctor, pointing around his eyes, which appeared to be darkening. “Leakage here.”” She turned her head to look at his ear. “And here.”
The Priest Who Ate a Poison Petit Four Page 17