Kee Patterbee - Hannah Starvling 02 - The Gourmet Who Kept Diamonds in the Kitchen (18 page)

Bland
indicated no. “Upstairs. She said she went to check on something on another floor.”

Hannah stiffened.
“Something’s not right. I need to have a word with them?” She turned and peered at the detective.

Betts
returned a perturbed, but curious look. “Why?”

Hannah wondered if the detective would
let their past issues interfere with the investigation. They worked well together for a time during their previous encounter, but by the end of that case, things changed. Now, with a second attempt on Elias’ life, Hannah would have to deal with the detective person to person. 

The
detective regarded her before responding. “All right, I’ll play along, for now.” She made her way over to the station to talk with the nurses.

Chapter 13

While Betts talked with the nurses, Hannah entered Elias’ room. She glanced around the empty area. “Where is he?” she asked.

Before Bland could answer, Betts returned
and answered.

“
I had him moved. I’m not an idiot.”

“
Never said you were,” Hannah replied as she scanned the room. The heart monitor remained on, and signs of a hasty exit shown. A busted flower vase lay shattered on the floor with the stems scattered about.
Flowers appear stale. More than a day old
, she concluded.

Walking over to
where the arrangement lay, Hannah pushed aside the flowers. She looked around for a second before commenting, “No card.” She twisted her lip in contemplation.

“
No surprise. What exactly are you looking for?”

“
I’m not sure, but according to Johnny, his uniform was too tight and his accent was Russian-esque or Czech. That means I doubt his name was Enrico, which is more suited to Italy.”
Too tight. Gresham Flowers.

Hannah pulled out her cell. When the voice
asked, “What can I help you with today?” she responded, “Call Gresham Flowers.”  Affirming the call, the other line rang. Hannah placed the call on speaker. In a moment, the voice of a pleasant sounding young female answered, “Gresham Flowers. We can give your love a daisy a day. How can I help you?” 

“
I was wondering, could you tell me if you made a delivery to Islands Memorial for an Elias Babel?”

“
Sure, one moment.”

Hannah heard the sound of a keyboard typing. Then the woman answered.

“I have no record of such a delivery. Was there supposed to be one?”

“
Well, no, not that we know of, but your deliveryman, Enrico, dropped them off a short while ago.”

“
Enrico,” the woman said. There was a pause. “Are you sure?”

Hannah heard a shuffling sound and some mumbled words before another voice came on the line.

“This is Curtis Luda, manager. Who is this?”

“
The room of Elias Babel.”

“
And you said Enrico delivered to you?”

Hannah frowned. She was not sure what was
happening, but her instinct told her it was not good.  “A man in a green Gresham Flowers uniform delivered flowers to this room. The name on the uniform was Enrico.”

“
Enrico hasn’t been into work for two days,” the manager said.

In a brief conversation, Hannah learned that the
deliveryman disappeared two days prior. Also missing was a van full of deliveries. The owner has filed a missing persons report with the Gresham police, but nothing had turned up yet. The manager described him as being of medium build, sixty-seven, graying hair, and hard working. The job was a secondary retirement income.
Not the man Wexler fought
, Hannah deliberated.   

Hannah turned to Betts.
“Any bodies turn up in the last few days?”

Betts moved to
answer, but Bland interrupted. “This morning. No ID, so we haven’t identified him yet.”

Betts
frowned. “Is that what Letterman’s handling?” She studied Hannah for a second. “You’re thinking he’s this delivery guy. The one who showed up here took his place.”

“
I would think so.”

“
I got it,” Bland said, as he reached for his radio and stepped out into the hall.

“
What was this guy into?” Betts asked.

Hannah crossed her arms. A deep, contemplative expression came across her face.
“I’m not sure, but good call on moving him.” She looked once more around the room. “Someone’s got to be with him at all times until this is all figured out.”

“
I’ve put in a request for a continuous watch. You remember Captain Toody. He’s got to sign off on it.”

“
He will. He’s a good man.” She glanced back out at the nurses’ station. “Can I talk to them now?”

Betts gestured in approval.

After meeting the nurses at their station, Hannah requested a more private place to talk. The head nurse led her, along with
Hym, Betts and Bland, to a small break room with two small tables and several chairs. After sitting, Hannah wasted no time. “All right, ladies, I don’t have a lot of time to waste. I need answers.”

Both women looked anxious. The younger gulped, shaken
, but it was the head nurse, a large bodied woman named Angela, who spoke first. “We’ve already been over this.”

Hannah glared at the woman, peering into her eyes.
“Then go over it again… Angela.”

Angela
shifted in her chair. “I don’t know anything. I was upstairs checking on a patient.”

“
A patient. I see. Is it usual to leave your youngest, most inexperienced nurse on the floor alone?”

“
She’s trained,” Angela responded in an irritated tone, “and responsible.”

The younger nurse, named Lily, protested.
“I just told him where the room was.”

Angela
rolled her eyes. “Did you even check their credentials?”

“
Flower deliveries come here all the time. You never ask.”

“
That’s because I know them all.”

“
You never told me--”

“
I didn’t ask about her training,” Hannah interrupted. Focusing on Angela, she clarified, “I asked if it was usual for a head nurse to leave a rookie in charge of a unit, even for a few minutes?”

“
No, it’s not. I made a mistake. Okay?”

“
A mistake which happens to coincide with an attack on a patient.”

Hannah detected a change in the woman
’s demeanor. Where before it was defiant and indignant, it now held a hint of panic. Noting this weakness, she moved to exploit it.

“
I don’t like liars. This man’s a friend.”

Angela
adjusted herself. Hannah could tell she set the woman on an uneasy path. “If someone had anything to do with this, whoever helped faces charges of accessory before the fact, not after. Longer sentence. More actual jail time. Little leniency.”

By this point,
Angela’s body gave away her panic. Sweat began to bead on her brow, her breathing increased, and her eyes widened. Never taking her view from her, Hannah continued to pound. “I used to work for the FBI.”

Angela
glanced up at Betts and over to Hym. Both nodded to affirm. Her eyes shifted back to Hannah.

“
I was an interrogator. It was sort of… my thing, you might call it. Let me tell you, I was good at it. Learned a lot about people. How they react on an imperceptible level.” Hannah leaned in. “Right now, you are screaming with the imperceptible.”

The younger nurse, named Lily, turned to the older, staring.
“You set me up,” she said. “You were going to blame this on me.” 

“
Why not? Not like you’re good at your job,” Angela said, noted with sarcasm.

Hannah turned to Lily.
“Has she ever left you alone before?”

“
Never,” the young woman said as she continued to glare at her boss. “It’s against the rules. Something she’s always harping on.”

Angela
said nothing, but turned her eyes toward the ceiling. She shook her head and blew out a breath. When she looked back at Hannah, their eyes locked. With a smirk, Hannah said, “Something you need to say? Tell you what? Tell Detective Betts here everything and she’ll tell the DA you cooperated.”

“
You’re not official,” Angela replied.

Betts pointed to Bland and herself.
“We are.”

“
Me too,” Hym chimed in. Betts and Bland’s eyes shot over to him. “I am,” he added, “back home, but yeah, Sheriff’s Department.”

Betts stepped forward
toward the nurses. “Official enough to check into your background, including debts, financial records…”

Hearing his last remark,
Angela stiffened and her mouth fell open. True panic rolled over her face.

“
Tick, tock. Tick, tock,” teased Hannah. “Fess up and you could be out in time for people to still call you Angela, instead of old woman, granny …”

“
All right!” Angela blurted out. “He told me to make sure the floor was clear of distractions, and then signal him. He said they would be nearby in a two hour time frame. When both the patient’s guests left, I sent a text and then went upstairs.” Anticipating the next question, she added, “Come now. That's all I sent.”

“
And what about me?” Lily yelled. “They could have killed me.”

“
They weren’t there for you, idiot. They said they just needed him to answer a question. He said he had something to make him talk.” Angela huffed. “I left you to cover the bases in case something did happen.” She crossed her arms and made a sour face. “I didn’t count on his father-in-law watching over him like a hawk.”

Hannah did not expect what came next. Lily lunged at
Angela and began throttling her. She subdued the surprised head nurse and forced her to the ground before Bland interceded. Even after he pulled her away, Lily clawed at her would be traitor. “You bitch!”

Clutching her throat and gasping for air,
Angela pushed herself back until she rested against the wall. “What the hell!” she cried out.

Hannah, who rose during the struggle, looked at her.
“Everything, on the table, now. Or we leave you alone in the room with her.”

Bland, still wrestling with Lily turned back to view the situation. 
“Settle down,” he said, “everyone.”

Betts thumbed at Hannah.
“What she said.”

Within a few minutes, after Lily calmed down,
Angela confessed. “A man approached me just as I came on shift. He handed me a letter explaining everything. It has the time frame. Tells me to make sure the floor is clear of anyone who would cause a problem, then text. I opened up the envelope and there’s $5000 inside. Then he tells me there is another coming after it’s done.” She dropped her head. “That was around 9:00 today. I put the money in the bank while they came.” She looked up and around. “It’s a lot of money. I needed it. He said they wouldn’t hurt the guy. It would just make him loosen up. Talk. So I took a chance.”

“
Describe this man,” Bland said.

Angela gave a description fitting the
deliveryman.

“
Anyone else with him?” Hannah asked.

“
There was an older man who hung around in the background.
Maybe 70. White hair and beard. Weasel faced. Dumbo ears.  I never even saw him before either.”

“
Sounds like the custodian,” Hym noted.

Hannah glanced up at Betts, who frowned.
“He’s gone by now, I’d imagine, but I’ll have someone check.” She motioned over to Bland. “Get someone on it.” He stepped out into the hall to call.

“
Did he do anything?” Betts interceded. “Ask anything?”

“
He didn’t talk.” The nurse pulled her brow down. “I remember him looking over at the room several times.”

Hannah turned her attention to Lily.

“The ones that came today, not the deliveryman, the other one, what was he like?”

Lily gave a matching description to the one Bland had taken.

Betts took it in. “Did they both wear uniforms?”

“
Only the one guy. I thought he was his brother or something. They had the same accent and similar tattoos.”

“
Anything else?”

Lily indicated no.
When Bland stepped back in, Betts ordered him to take Angela into custody. The officer handcuffed her and started out.

Betts
’ phone rang and seeing the name, she answered. Hannah watched as her face twisted down tight. “Is he all right? I’ll be right there.” She clicked off and peered at Hannah. “Your buddy just jaw jacked Brandon and took off. Bland!” she called down the hall. The officer and his prisoner stopped.