Текст книги "Death by Request"
Автор книги: Jaden Skye
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Текущая страница: 8 (всего у книги 12 страниц)
“Alana stole evidence in the case?” Mattheus looked disturbed. “She just took the diary for herself?”
Cindy was surprised by Mattheus’s reaction. It never struck her that way. “Alana just wanted to know more about Tara,” Cindy felt a need to defend her. “She’d been taking care of Tara for over two months, said she just wanted to be closer to her.”
“That’s crazy,” said Mattheus. “It’s not the nurse’s job to become closer to the patient. And, it’s not her right to steal her patient’s diary.”
“She didn’t exactly steal it,” Cindy objected. “She read it, and then handed it right over to me.”
“Did you ask for it?” asked Mattheus.
“I had no idea it even existed,” Cindy remarked.
Mattheus’s jaw clenched. “This sounds strange to me,” he muttered. “Tell me more about Alana. Wasn’t she the nurse who didn’t come right back to work after Tara died?”
Cindy felt the energy change between her and Mattheus abruptly. Without even realizing it they had pivoted back to the case. A romantic evening had turned into a work meeting.
“Alana was upset so she took a few days off,” Cindy said, going along with the new mood that had taken over. It was important to fill him in. She and Mattheus hadn’t had a chance to catch up yet. He didn’t even have any idea that Alana had been fired from another hospital for patient negligence. Cindy could see he wouldn’t take it well. She also knew that the information was urgent and that she had to tell him right away.
“I did finally get to see Alana,” Cindy continued, “and actually liked her very much. She still lives in the poor neighborhood she grew up in, and was open and forthright when I came to visit. “
A deep furrow dug into Mattheus’s brow as he listened intently.
“Alana did all she could to take care of Tara. The case went on so long it was a tremendous strain,” said Cindy.
“A tremendous strain on Alana, too?” asked Mattheus, surprised.
“Sure,” said Cindy, “after all, she’s a person too, isn’t she?”
“Alana’s a nurse and it’s her job to handle hard cases,” Mattheus replied. “That’s what she’s being paid to do.”
Cindy took a step away from Mattheus. Perhaps they shouldn’t be going over the case right now, she wondered. It had completely broken the lovely mood between them. Cindy wanted her good time with Mattheus to continue, but it was impossible not to talk about the facts she’d been collecting. That was why they were down here, after all.
“Is there any other reason to suspect Alana?” Mattheus had turned his full attention to what Cindy was saying.
“Is Alana having Tara’s diary a reason to suspect her?” Cindy was put off.
“It’s a reason to stop and look at her closely,” Mattheus softened his tone. Obviously, he, too, wanted to recapture the warmth between him and Cindy.
“Alana was fired from her job at another hospital for negligent patient care,” Cindy got it out fast, not wanting to hide a thing.
“Oh boy!” Mattheus bristled, “that doesn’t sound good.”
“I talked to Alana about it,” Cindy continued methodically, “she said her patient, an old woman, died of old age. The family turned on her and blamed her. I’m sure if we check the medical records we can find out exactly what happened.”
“The medical records never show exactly what happened,” Mattheus declared. “If there was patient negligence, a person could die and the death can be blamed on anything. We need to see in exactly what way they said Alana was negligent.”
“Yes, I guess we do,” said Cindy, sorry she’d brought the whole thing up right then.
“You guess?” Mattheus was edgy. “Alana’s behavior could have direct bearing on our case.”
Despite everything, Cindy felt strongly that Alana had nothing to do with Tara’s death. She jumped in immediately on Alana’s behalf. “Why would Alana kill Tara? Give me one good reason,” Cindy demanded.
“There’s a whole bunch of reasons,” Mattheus replied. “Maybe Alana thought she was doing it for Tara’s own good? Maybe Owen convinced her? Maybe he paid her to put the toxins into Tara’s IV?”
“Complete conjecture,” said Cindy.
“So far everything is conjecture,” said Mattheus, “except that someone intentionally ended Tara’s life. We need a confession. We need an eye witness to something.”
The sounds of music playing on the deck below grew louder. Dancing had probably begun and soon it would be time to sit down for dinner.
“We can go down and enjoy the evening,” said Cindy then, “or we can stay up here and thrash everything out.”
“Let’s do both,” said Mattheus, drawing closer to Cindy then and putting his arm back around her. “Let’s go over whatever else we found quickly, so it’s off our minds, then let’s go downstairs have dinner and dance.”
“That’s like walking a tightrope,” said Cindy.
“Yes, it is,” said Mattheus, “but we need to learn to do it. We’ve got to solve cases and also stay close. We can’t let anything tear us apart, ever. When one case is over, another one’s always waiting down the road.”
Mattheus said it with such fervor that tears filled Cindy’s eyes. She put her head on his shoulder, “You’re right, you’re right,” she whispered.
“I love you so much,” Mattheus said then, “I want us to live like this forever, together.”
“Will the cases ever end?” asked Cindy.
“They won’t ever end,” Mattheus whispered. “With each case we’ll grow stronger, we’ll help others and love each other more and more.”
It sounded good to Cindy and yet something was also missing. “We’ll never settle down?” she asked then, in a small voice.
“We’ll settle down wherever we are,” Mattheus put his face on Cindy’s head and rested it there.
“And children?” Cindy asked quietly.
“We’ll take them with us,” Mattheus laughed.
Cindy couldn’t help but laugh as well. This was hardly a life to bring children into, how could they bring them along?
“We’ll hire a nanny and she’ll travel with us,” Mattheus’s voice grew more fervent. “Anything is possible.”
The waves tossed up and the wind blew more strongly as the music downstairs enveloped the night. Mattheus was right, anything was possible if they just opened their minds. Once again they kissed for a long time in the moonlight, before they went downstairs to dance and dine.
Chapter 14
The cremation was scheduled for two o’clock the next day. Cindy and Mattheus had time before attending, to go over whatever they hadn’t had a chance to discuss the night before. The music, food and dancing on the cruise had been wonderful and they’d let themselves surrender to it and have a wonderful time.
Both of them woke up in the morning glowing, filled with contentment and warmth. Cindy had never felt so certain of anything as that Mattheus was the one for her. She was sure they could build a strong, meaningful life together, and she felt ready to take the next step.
Mattheus called for breakfast in their room so they could get back to work on the case while eating. Pleased about it, Cindy dressed for a busy day. As soon as the food had been delivered and they started eating, Cindy felt ready to begin.
“Firstly,” Cindy started, “I heard from Tara’s mother that the police have new evidence against Owen.”
“Yes, it’s true,” Mattheus commented, cradling the hot coffee cup in his hands.
“Why didn’t you didn’t tell me about it?” asked Cindy surprised.
“We haven’t had time to really catch up,” Mattheus reminded her. “There’s been a lot to share for both of us. I also heard from the police that Owen’s been acting up. He’s doubling his writing campaign and conducting interviews from jail. Basically he’s blaming the hospital for Tara’s death. It’s a great way to get the focus off himself.”
Cindy was upset. “He didn’t consult with us about any of this.”
“I guess he didn’t feel he had to,” said Mattheus. “Owen’s claiming that the medical staff at the hospital are shifty and have easy access to drugs. That isn’t sitting well with the private donors. There’s a lot of pressure developing to get this case closed.”
“I heard exactly the same thing from Todd,” Cindy jumped in. “Not only did he say that there’s lots of drugs available at the hospital, he said that many of the doctors and nurses are users.”
“Whew,” Mattheus exclaimed, “that’s a big claim. Tell him to prove it. Give us names and facts, then I’ll listen.”
“Good point,” Cindy agreed.
“Did Todd suggest that Alana was using?” Mattheus was riled up. “Was that why she was fired from her other job?”
“I don’t think Todd knows for sure, exactly who is or isn’t using,” replied Cindy.
“Or he knows and doesn’t want to be implicated,” Mattheus added. “Todd’s got a great job, assistant to the hospital administrator! It’s amazing he said that to you at all.”
“Todd doesn’t like Konrad,” Cindy quickly added. “There’s something off between them.”
“He implied that Konrad was on drugs, too?” Mattheus couldn’t drop it.
“He didn’t say who was using specifically,” Cindy repeated. “Drug use is a problem at lots of hospitals, isn’t it?”
“Yes, definitely,” Mattheus replied. “And the fact that the staff can get hold of drugs easily can point us to who put the substance into Tara’s IV. I’ve been doing research on this hospital, but still have to look into medical mistakes here. I had a good talk with Tara’s doctor, though. Dr. Padden’s a great guy, very smart, and wants this case solved, too. There’s too much publicity and pressure on everyone. But Owen’s keeping the fires flaming big time.”
“I can understand why, can’t you?” Cindy could feel Owen’s desperation and wished she could do more to help him.
“Sure, I can,” said Mattheus. “The guy’s well connected and he wants out.”
“What’s the new evidence the police have against him?” asked Cindy.
“They’re keeping it close to the vest,” said Mattheus. “I haven’t heard details yet. But I’m sure Owen knows they have something else on him. That’s probably why he’s cranking things up.”
“We need to go to the police station right now and find out what they’ve got,” said Cindy.
“We also need to talk to the lawyer who’s prosecuting the case,” said Mattheus. “Unless we come up with something new, it looks like Owen’s going on trial.”
Cindy felt frightened. “Have we got anything to stop this at all?” she asked.
“Our information about Alana is new,” Mattheus suggested. “I don’t know if the police have heard that she was fired from another job for patient negligence. But that could certainly make a dent.”
Cindy felt upset by the idea, she didn’t want to get Alana into any more difficulty than she was in right now.
“First let’s look into medical mistakes and drugs at the hospital,” Cindy suggested, “that’s a better way to go. And, let’s get over to the police station immediately and find out what they have on Owen.”
“You’re protecting Alana?” Mattheus gave Cindy a long, slow look.
“For now, I am,” said Cindy. “We don’t have anything definite on her yet, and it’s too easy to put the blame where it doesn’t belong. The hospital’s in a better position to defend themselves than Alana.”
Mattheus agreed and stood up. “Okay, we’ll wait and see about Alana. Let’s get to the station right away,” he said.
*
Eric Holder, Chief of Police was pleased to see Cindy and Mattheus when they walked into the station. It had been awhile since Cindy had been around, though Eric and Mattheus had obviously met a few times.
“I got your message, Mattheus,” Eric said as soon as he saw them. “I’ve arranged for Tom Dillard to join us. He‘s the chief lawyer on the case and can answer any questions you guys may have. I told him you’ve been cooperating with us, that we’re working side by side.”
Cindy was surprised not only by Eric’s comment but by his new founded warmth and cordiality. He and Mattheus had probably gotten on well together. Mattheus always had a way with the police.
In a few moments Tom Dillard walked in and joined them. An attractive ex pat, he looked suntanned and confident. After introductions they all sat around a table and after a few minutes Cindy decided to start the meeting off.
“What’s the new evidence you have against Owen?” she asked, getting things rolling.
Eric rubbed his face slowly. “Who told you about that?” he asked.
“The word is out,” said Cindy.
“Eric closed his eyes a second. “There’s nothing you can keep quiet here for more than a few seconds,” he murmured to Mattheus, “word leaks through a thousand cracks in the walls.”
“We need to know what the evidence is,” Mattheus responded calmly. “I’m sure you understand.”
“Of course,” Eric acquiesced, “the final medical examiner reports have come in. The exact time of Tara’s death has been established. We know how long it took for her to die and when the toxic substance was added to her IV.”
Cindy took a deep breath. It was amazing how specific forensic evidence could be.
“From our calculations,” Eric continued, “the substance was administered at ten p.m. At that time Tara’s night nurse was off duty. Owen was the only one present in her room.”
Tom Dillard tapped his hands on the table and gave Cindy a long, slow glance. “Sounds pretty conclusive to me,” he stated.
“Not at all conclusive,” Cindy objected. “There’s absolutely no way of knowing if someone or other didn’t come into the room and administer the substance.”
“If they did, Owen would still have been present,” Tim stated. “He was a consenting presence.”
“But what if Owen fell asleep and was dozing at the moment?” Cindy asked.
“You can dream up any excuse you care to,” Tim’s voice grew harsher, “but the facts are the facts.”
“It’s not an excuse, it’s a possibility I’m suggesting,” said Cindy.
“Possible, but not probable,” Tim replied. “What we are looking at is an active euthanasia case. That is charged as first degree murder.”
“Seems extreme to me,” said Cindy, staring to breathe fast.
“There are other forms of euthanasia as well,” Tim went on matter of factly. Passive euthanasia is different. It’s when a patient dies because medical professionals don’t do something necessary to keep the person alive, or when they stop doing something that has been keeping the patient alive. That isn’t charged the same way. Active euthanasia occurs when someone does something deliberately to cause a person to die.”
“Death is death,” Cindy retorted, “Why isn’t passive euthanasia charged as murder?”
“People make a moral distinction between active and passive euthanasia,” Tim continued. “It’s more acceptable to withhold treatment and allow a patient to die naturally. Medical people agree. It allows them to provide a patient with the death they want, without having to deal with deliberately killing the person.”
“Stopping treatment is also a deliberate act,” Cindy objected again. “Switching off a respirator is a deliberate act, isn’t it?”
“We are treading a fine line here,” said Tim. “I do not make the laws, only enforce them.”
“It’s just not fair to charge Owen so harshly, especially as it was his wife who died and all evidence shows that he loved her,” Cindy insisted.
“Whether he loved her or not is beside the point, if he actively decided to take her life,” Tim rebutted.
“It is not beside the point,” Cindy objected. “It goes directly to motive. Not only friends and family say he loved her, I have Tara’s diary which states how happy they were together.” Cindy was dead set on defending Owen, no matter what it took.
“You have Tara’s diary?” Eric asked perplexed. Obviously he hadn’t heard about it.
“Cindy got the diary from Tara’s nurse Alana,” Mattheus chimed in. “Alana took it from the patient’s belongings. When Cindy went to talk to Alana, she gave the diary to her.”
“Why did Alana take it?” Eric was distressed, it didn’t sit well with him. “Is there anything else I should know about Alana?” he asked then, looking hard at Cindy.
Cindy wondered if Eric knew that Alana had been fired from her past job due to negligent patient care. She held back saying anything, though.
“Alana was fired from a previous job due to patient negligence,” Mattheus quickly filled the information in.
Both Eric and Tim looked startled. “That’s trouble right there,” Tim muttered, “why didn’t Konrad let us know?”
“Good question,” Eric agreed. “I’ll speak to Konrad about it immediately.”
Eric turned to Cindy swiftly then. “Is there anything else you’ve found that we should know?”
“Just one more small point,” said Cindy. “I spoke with an aid on the case, Gloria. She told me she actually saw Tara wake up at one point and ask to die.”
Both Eric and Tim looked stricken. Tim turned to Eric swiftly, “What’s this about? Who’s this witness?” he demanded.
“Don’t worry about it,” Eric tried to calm him. “The locals down here are religious and superstitious. If someone’s in a coma for too long, they get nervous. They think they see ghosts and hear spirits speak. It’s actually a part of some of their religions. I wouldn’t take it too seriously.”
Tim calmed down a bit. “It wouldn’t change things much anyway,” he finally reflected. “Even if this report were horribly true, even if Tara did ask to die, the law is the law. You can’t honor a request like that, you can’t inject a lethal substance into her IV.”
Mattheus stood up then, irritated. “Naturally, this report is simply rumor and hearsay,” he agreed, “part of the local scenery. There are more important facts to be considered, like medical mistakes at the hospital.”
“What about that?” Eric looked startled.
“I don’t know enough yet,” Mattheus went on. “I have to check further into them, but, in my opinion the case against Owen is not a slam dunk, not by any means.”
Tim shook his head slowly. “We got all we need here,” he drawled slowly.
“Not really,” Mattheus objected, standing up. “Give me a little more time to get back to you.” Mattheus was obviously eager to move on.
“Check what you like, but time’s running out,” Tim smiled strangely.
“Cindy and I have to attend Tara’s cremation in a little while,” Mattheus responded. “We’ll be able to spend more time with the family there and see what else we find.”
Eric got up and stood close to Mattheus. “Go if you want to,” he said softly, “but don’t knock yourself out. From the looks of it now, the case is pretty much sewed up.”
*
On the way to the cremation, Cindy and Mattheus sat beside one another quietly in the cab. The news they’d received from the police was disturbing and Cindy couldn’t help but feel that a rush to judgment was taking place.
“This is a set up,” Cindy said finally, “it’s easy to go after Owen, but whatever they have is just circumstantial.”
“People go to jail for life with circumstantial evidence,” Mattheus retorted, as the taxi grew closer to where the cremation was taking place. “Seems like you’ve made up your mind that Owen’s innocent. Could go either way, I’m not sure.”
“There’s too much pressure on everyone here,” Cindy responded, “too much is conveniently getting brushed under the rug, like medical mistakes at the hospital and drug use by staff. There are plenty of reasons why it could have been necessary for the hospital to end Tara’s stay here.”
“Right after the cremation I’ll check more into it,” Mattheus promised.
“And, I don’t know if I mentioned,” Cindy suddenly remembered, “but I heard that Alana and Konrad are also involved in a romantic relationship.”
“You heard what?” Mattheus was taken off guard. “That’s important! You never mentioned it to me.”
“I forgot about it,” Cindy said sadly. “There’s so much going on all at once.”
“Yes, of course there is,” Mattheus relented. “You’re doing great Cindy, you’re amazing and wonderful. I’m just shocked by the news. It adds a whole new dimension.”
“I guess it does,” said Cindy. “But it happens, people fall in love. It’s a good thing, Mattheus,” and she smiled. “After all, look at us.”
“Yes, it is a good thing for us,” Mattheus couldn’t help smiling as he scooped Cindy into his arms and held her close.
“Maybe being in love is a good thing for Alana and Konrad, too?” Cindy finally whispered.
“Good or bad, I don’t know,” Mattheus responded, “but it makes things more complicated. Alana could be covering for Konrad in the case or he could be covering for her.”
“We’ll find out soon,” said Cindy softly, relieved for the moment to be held close in Mattheus’s arms again.
Chapter 15
Tara’s cremation was to take place in a long, low building with steel edges and small, framed windows. It was the last place Cindy wanted to be today, but not only did they have to offer respect to Tara, but to her family as well.
“This is going to be rough,” said Mattheus, as they walked to the entrance of the grim building.
“Awful,” Cindy agreed, her stomach clenching as they walked in and were greeted by a local attendant, dressed in dark gray.
“The family is waiting is the room down the hall,” the attendant immediately said. “I’m sure they’ll be pleased to have your company during their ordeal. Come with me and I’ll take you there.”
Several waiting rooms with leather furniture and plants on the tables were lined up off the corridor. The room Tara’s family was in was located at the end.
Cindy and Mattheus entered and once again saw Tara’s family all lined up silently, sitting together on a couch. This time, one thing was different, however. Tara’s daughter, Loretta, was there.
Cindy immediately glanced at the young, bony woman with her hair pulled tightly off her face. She sat by herself in a chair away from the others looking both overwrought and tired at the same time. Loretta was dressed in jeans, a long tunic and had an amber pendant hanging around her neck. Cindy wanted to go right over and introduce herself, but had to be sensitive to the solemn protocol and mood of the day.
Tara’s mother, Isabelle got up the moment Cindy and Mattheus entered, came over and graciously extended her hand.
“It’s very kind of you to join us,” she said, her eyes swollen and red. “This is our last good bye to Tara. Owen is beside himself that he can’t be here. And Konrad will joining us in a little while.”
“I’m so sorry about all of this,” Cindy repeated.
“Thank you,” said Isabelle, “come in and sit down. The officials will come out and let us know when it’s over. Eventually they’ll bring Tara’s ashes to us.”
It sounded awful to Cindy.
“I see that your granddaughter is joining us,” Mattheus interrupted the heavy tone, looking over at the thin, desolate girl on the bench.
“Would you like to meet Loretta?” asked Isabelle.
“Yes, of course,” said Mattheus.
“Fine,” Isabelle agreed, “it will be good for her to talk to someone. She never talks to us, that’s for sure. I believe that years ago Loretta got the idea that we were all her enemies, against her in every way. Loretta’s father filled her with that garbage. It was his way of getting revenge on Tara for leaving him.”
“Why did Tara leave him?” Cindy couldn’t miss the opportunity to find out.
Isabelle’s back arched as she thought about it. “He and Tara were ill suited right from the start,” she declared. “Tara was never happy with him, though you couldn’t get her to say so, no matter what he did to her. Tara was not so strong in her earlier years, or so discerning. Finally, she found Loretta’s father cheating on her.”
“Painful,” breathed Cindy.
“Painful in one way, good in another,” Isabelle enjoyed talking about it. “Somehow the awful discovery gave Tara the strength to leave. I was thrilled about it and so was her father. We encouraged her to get away from him and start again.”
“Did Loretta’s father get the daughter in a custody suit?” asked Cindy, still wondering why Loretta had stayed with him.
“No, actually, he did not,” Isabelle exclaimed. “The court awarded them joint custody, but the girl was incredibly attached to her father, wouldn’t let herself be pried away. She carried on so terribly when she was in Tara’s care, begged to be with her father so deeply, that Tara finally had no choice but to let her go.”
“That must have been very painful for Tara,” said Cindy.
“Terrible,” Isabelle agreed. “Thankfully, she met Owen soon after the divorce and had a happy marriage all these years. But somehow they could never have children together. It was a wound Tara had to live with. I believe her work in the orphanage made up for that.”
Cindy’s heart went out to Tara and she wanted even more to speak to her daughter Loretta now.”
“How often did Tara see her daughter over the years?” Mattheus also seemed gripped by the story.
“Very rarely,” said Isabelle, “and in the recent years almost not at all. I have no idea why the girl has turned up now. Must be her father, egging her on. There’s quite a sizable inheritance, you know. Owen took out a large life insurance policy on Tara and maybe her daughter thinks she’s due some of it? I have no idea what she thinks as she barely talks to us at all.”
Cindy looked over at Loretta intensely, eager to go over to her and speak. But just at that moment, the door to the waiting room opened and Konrad walked in. Although he was impeccably dressed and perfectly groomed, he looked unsettled.
“Oh, here’s the hospital administrator,” said Isabelle. “He’s finally getting in touch. I think he expects us to leave after the cremation, this visit must be his good bye.”
Konrad walked over swiftly and stood between Isabelle and Cindy and Mattheus. Obviously something was bothering him.
“How are you, Konrad?” Mattheus tried to break the ice.
“How can I be on a terrible day?” he replied officially, smiling at Isabelle. “I just hope that the family realizes that we at the hospital did all we possibly could.”
Isabelle went along graciously. “Of course we realize that, and we thank you for it.”
Konrad threw a quick glance at Cindy and Mattheus to see how they took Isabelle’s remark. Both of them made no response.
“If you’ll excuse me,” Konrad said then, moving away, “I want to say good bye to Tara’s father as well.”
Konrad went straight over to Ralph, who sat on the couch, his hands clenched into fists.
“It’s just a duty call, that’s all it is,” Isabelle muttered. “Konrad hasn’t come with any news about Owen for us.”
“Introduce us to Loretta now,” Mattheus said softly.
Isabelle nodded and they all walked together in Loretta’s direction.
When Loretta saw them coming towards her, she jumped up and away from her chair, alarmed.
“Loretta, this is Cindy and Mattheus, two private detectives who have come down to investigate your mother’s death,” Isabelle spoke firmly, taking charge.
Oddly enough that Loretta calmed down. “Oh, good,” she breathed, looking over at Cindy, “how do you do.”
Cindy was startled by Loretta’s reaction. “I’m so glad to meet you,” said Cindy, her eyes catching the glittering pendant hanging around Loretta’s neck.
“This is long overdue,” said Loretta. “No one told me that private detectives were trying to figure out how my mother died.” Then she cast a sour glance around the room.
“Excuse me,” said Isabelle then, backing away. “I’m going to go back and sit with the family,” and she returned to the couch.
“Go where you want,” Loretta hissed under her breath, as Isabelle walked away.
“You can’t stand your grandmother?” Cindy asked.
“Who said she’s my grandmother,” Loretta threw Cindy a pointed look. “She couldn’t care less about me, none of them do.”
“How can you be so sure about that?” asked Mattheus.
Loretta edged closer to both Cindy and Mattheus, like a frightened bird.
“I am sure,” she hissed again under her breath. “They whole family always said bad things about me to my mother. They hated my father and also took my mother away from me.”
This was an entirely different story than the one Isabelle had just told. Cindy wondered if Loretta were in touch with reality. “That’s not what your grandmother told me,” said Cindy.
“We heard you were very attached to your father,” Mattheus broke in, “that you didn’t want to be away from him.”
“Nothing they say is true,” muttered Loretta.
“What is the truth?” asked Cindy.
“I couldn’t care less about my father,” Loretta continued quickly. “He’s re-married now, and his wife keeps asking when I’m going to find someone and move away. The answer is, never, I told her.” Loretta had a strange smile on her face.
“They don’t want you, either?” asked Cindy.
“Nobody wants me, and I couldn’t care less,” Loretta uttered.
“How did you find out about your mother’s accident?” Mattheus asked, clearly fascinated by her.
“I read about it in the papers like everyone else,” Loretta replied. “Not one person in my mother’s family called me and told me about it in person. But what they didn’t know was that I kept track of my mother all these years.”
“You kept track of your mother, but you didn’t contact her?” Mattheus couldn’t stop.
“I contacted her once in a while,” Loretta pouted, “but she never answered me.”
“That’s hard to believe,” said Cindy.
“But it’s true,” Loretta blurted out. “My mother was so wrapped up with Owen, and all her little orphans. Once I wrote her an email that said, how about saving me, your very own daughter? But she never answered.”
“Maybe she didn’t get it?” asked Cindy appalled.
“Oh she got it alright,” Loretta sneered. “Don’t get taken in by this family. They’re not good people, not any of them.”
Cindy stepped back a moment, wondering what this could all possibly mean. “Do you think someone in the family put the toxic substance into your mother’s IV?” Cindy asked Loretta directly.
“Of course someone did,” Loretta’s eyes opened. “There’s no question about it. Anyone of them could have, if you asked me. Except my mom’s sister, Jenna. She’s always tried to be nice to me.”
Cindy was relieved to hear that there was someone among them who wouldn’t turn Loretta away.
“If you need more information,” Loretta stepped closer to them then, “why not talk to the other patient in my mother’s room.”
“Another patient in your mother’s room?” Cindy was startled. No one had said a thing about this.
“Yeah, they always keep a couple of patients in the same room when they’re in comas here. They put a divider between them. That other patient didn’t die though. She woke up, she’s still in the hospital and I’m sure she heard lots of things.”
Cindy had no idea if she could believe this story. “Are you sure, Loretta?”
“Of course, I’m sure,” Loretta exclaimed. “I spent time in that room with my mother. I saw the woman there, even talked to her.”
