Lenny had made his way to the woods by the house where he’d made his first call and been ambushed. His gun was still on the ground, his cell phone gone. Stupid asshole amateurs! They took my phone and left the gun!
Lenny had finally made it up the house after frequent stops to steady himself. The pain in his head was excruciating with each step. He was motivated by sheer hatred. He’d entered the front door and heard Julie talking on her cell phone and realized she was talking to the doc. Good, he thought. With the doc gone, I can have some fun with the nurses now and then wait for the doc to come back and eliminate him.
Kate was sitting on the side of the bed when she heard voices coming up the stairs. She thought Ben must have come back. She was ready to stand when Julie stumbled into the room, looking terrified. Behind her, Lenny came into the room and pushed Julie onto the chaise lounge.
Kate’s eyes opened wide with fear as she recognized Lenny and scanned the room for something to defend herself with.
Lenny read her mind. “Not this time, bitch! You are mine!” He lunged for her on the bed but stumbled and fell to the floor by the edge of the bed from dizziness. He was having a difficult time focusing, and seeing double. Damn, I see two Kates. The blood from his head wound was dripping into his eyes, and he was getting weaker.
Julie jumped up from the chaise. “Lenny, you’re bleeding. Let me help you. I’m on your side, not hers.” Julie had decided to save Kate at all costs, no matter what she had to do. She wanted to atone for her sins and do the right thing. “Let me stop the bleeding for you.”
Lenny could barely hold his head up, and the pain in his head was getting worse, causing him to become disoriented and short of breath from the blood loss. He made the fatal mistake of trusting Julie.
“Make it fast,” he said weakly. “I have a score to settle with her.” He pointed his gun toward Kate.
The look of malice and hate Lenny shot toward Kate made her quake in fear. Lenny managed a sinister smile. That was exactly what he wanted—fear.
Julie motioned for Kate to go toward the door, waving her hand behind her back as she stepped toward Lenny. She leaned in to block Lenny’s view of Kate and grabbed the sheet on the bed. “Here, let me apply this sheet to your wound to stop the bleeding. She pressed the sheet tightly on his head, then reached into her pocket and removed a syringe of potassium. She had contemplated using the syringe on herself but couldn’t bring herself to do it and leave her mother alone. She popped the cap on the syringe and plunged the needle into Lenny’s neck vein while applying intense pressure to his head wound.
Lenny screamed in pain, but Julie gripped the sheet tighter, and Lenny’s body went limp. But not before firing his gun.
Kate was at the doorway of the bedroom when she heard the shot. She looked back just in time to see Julie fall backward to the floor, eyes open wide and blood spurting from her chest. Lenny laid lifeless on the bed.
Kate ran to Julie, grabbed the throw from the chaise, and pressed it tightly to Julie’s chest. “Julie!” Kate shouted in panic. “Stay with me!” The throw began rapidly soaking up blood.
Julie stared at Kate and said weakly, “I’m so sorry, Kate.” Her voice was barely audible.
“Don’t talk!” Kate cried, holding her friend. “I need to call for help.”
“No, don’t leave me. Kate, please take care of my mother for me.” Julie shivered and turned an ashen-grey color. “There’s an envelope with your name on it in my locker at the hospital. Please don’t tell anyone about the contents. It’s for my mother.” She pleaded to Kate, “Please, Kate, promise me you’ll do this for me!”
“I promise, Julie.” Kate said, crying.
“Thank you, Kate! Tell my mom how much I love her.” Then Julie’s respirations ceased, and her heart stopped. She was dead.
Kate cradled Julie’s body in her arms and rocked her gently.
***
Sirens blared outside the house. The police entered the house with guns drawn and identified themselves.
Kate shouted out that she was upstairs. The police ran up to the second floor to see Kate holding Julie in her arms.
“Are you all right, Mrs. Ross?” Detective Pratt asked her.
“Yes,” Kate said as tears rolled down her face.
Lenny’s lifeless body lay covered with blood. An officer checked for a pulse then shook his head no to the detective.
***
Ben had stopped at the entrance of his residence as ordered by the police, but Jake convinced him to drive up to the house after waiting five minutes. He wanted to be there for Kate.
They entered the house before the police could stop them and went upstairs. As they entered the bedroom, which was covered in blood, Jake noticed Kate in the corner cradling Julie’s body. A police officer was trying to help Kate up, but she didn’t want to let go of Julie.
Jake’s heart leapt with joy to see that Kate was alive. “Kate, thank God you’re all right!”
Kate gazed up at him, gently released Julie’s body to the floor, stood up shaken, and wrapped her arms around Jake, sobbing.
***
The rest of the evening was a blur to Kate. The detectives secured the crime scene, and the coroner came to the house to pronounce Julie and Lenny deceased. They wrapped up the bodies and put them in the ambulance.
Jake convinced Detective Pratt to let him take Kate to the hospital. She was in shock and unable to answer any questions.
Ben went back to the station with the detective for further questioning.
Once Kate was back at the hospital, a nurse sedated her, and she fell asleep. Jake set himself in a chair by her bedside to keep vigilance for the rest of the night.
Chapter 42
The next day, Ben Lucien plodded into Premier Regional at 11:30 a.m., one-half hour before the signing of the merger with Eastern National Insurance Company. The CEO and key players from Premier Regional who had participated in the crimes were sitting around in the conference room boasting about what was about to transpire.
When Ben entered the boardroom, Edward Whitman III was surprised to see him. “I thought you’d come after the merger, doc. I know you didn’t want anyone to know you’re involved with us.” Edward was beaming from ear to ear thinking about the merger. He could taste the ice-cold margaritas going down his throat and the babes in bikinis begging for his attention. Ah, Bimini . . . soon!
“I wanted to give you an update,” Ben said. “Lenny Cicone is dead.”
Thank God, was the consensus around the boardroom. “He was one mean son of a bitch anyway,” Edward said. “We only hired him because of his dirty reputation and ties with the mob. He’s the type of guy that would blackmail us in the future. Good riddance. Now tell me those two nurses are dead too.”
“They are out of the picture,” Ben answered.
“Excellent! All loose ends are tied up! We’re home free. We did it. We’re rich!” The CEO raised his drink to the board members.
Ben shot a malicious smile at them. “Not quite, gentlemen.”
The conference room door opened, and in entered a dozen police officers. Detective Pratt’s eyes lit up as he couldn’t get the words out fast enough. “Gentlemen, your merger is cancelled. Stand up and put your hands behind your back.”
The officers surrounded the table and began handcuffing the men.
“You have to right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law . . .,” the detective advised them of their Miranda Rights.
Edward Whitman scowled and shouted at Ben, “You fucking bastard. You’ll never prove it. It’s our word against yours.”
“Not really, Edward,” Ben said, unbuttoning his shirt to expose the wire on his chest. “Your words were loud and clear, you pompous, arrogant bastard.”
***
The same time the police were hauling ass out of the
boardroom to the police station, Jake was assisting Kate into his house.
Megan screamed in delight to see her mother, ran to her, and hugged her tightly. “Mom, you’re home! I’m so happy to see you!”
Tears in her eyes, Kate embraced her daughter and felt so lucky to be alive. “I’m glad to be home too, honey.” She looked at Jake and smiled through her tears.
Jake was so thankful he had kept his promise to Megan and brought her mother—his love—home safe.
***
The first night at Jake’s house when Megan went to bed, Kate confided to Jake what had occurred at the house, from Julie injecting the IV Potassium into Lenny’s vein to the arrival of the police. Jake was stunned and shocked by the details. He found it hard to believe, as Kate did, that Ben Lucien and Julie Summers could have gotten mixed up in that insane madness. She also told him that when the police questioned her in the morning, she was going to tell them everything but Ben and Julie’s confession to her. As far as she was concerned, they had saved her life. If they were implicated, it would not be because of her.
***
For the next two weeks, Kate stayed at Jake’s house resting and recuperating, fending off the press. Jake and Megan were constantly at her side. Kate had talked to Rachael, and the two of them agreed that Rachael would keep Julie’s mother with her until Kate recovered. Rachael was glad to do so; she loved having Alice with her.
Kate only left the house for Julie’s funeral. The service was packed with hospital staff from Northwest General. No one believed what the newspapers were saying about Julie, calling her “THE ANGEL OF DEATH.” The press was having a field day with headlines reading “DEADLY INJECTIONS! INSURANCE CORRUPTION! PREMIER REGIONAL DEATH INSURANCE!”
Kate and Jake, along with the hospital staff and Premier Regional employees, also attended the memorial services for Larissa Markov and Sonya Raditz. Their bodies were shipped to Russia to be buried by their families.
***
The third week, Kate and Megan moved back to their house, much to Jake’s regret. He was getting used to having them at his house.
Kate cleaned out a spare bedroom and decorated it for Julie’s mom, Alice, with all of Alice’s own furniture so it would look like home to her. Rachael brought Julie’s mom over and said she would have Alice over her house anytime. They had grown close in the weeks she had stayed with Rachael. Alice thought that Rachael was Julie on most days, and Rachael just let her think that.
Alice hugged Kate and called her Julie as well. Kate knew Julie would be at peace to know that her mother was happy and totally unaware of the reality of the situation.
Megan loved having Alice live with them. She called her “Grandma,” which Alice loved. It was touching for Kate to see her daughter interact with Alice so well.
***
Eventually, Kate decided it was time to go back to the hospital and check Julie’s locker as she had promised. She found the envelope with her name on a manila envelope. Inside the envelope was a letter, a key, and a Last Will and Testament. The letter read:
Dear Kate,
If you are reading this letter, it means I am dead. Please forgive me! I only wanted to take care of my mother. Please take care of her, Kate. I know it’s a lot to ask, but you are the only one I trust to treat her with love, affection, and dignity. The key in this envelope is to a safety deposit box at First Federal Bank. The contents in the box are for my mom. I beg you not to put her in a nursing home. The money will ensure this, and you will be able to hire private-duty nurses for her. Please do this for me! Do not let anyone know of the contents. The account is under the name of A. J. Morgan, for my mom, Alice Jane Morgan. I can’t thank you enough for this, Kate. I will be watching over you. God bless you! This is the first time I am glad my mother’s memory is gone so she doesn’t know what evil I have done. Tell my mom every day that I love her! I truly thank you with all my heart, my friend!
Love you!
Julie
P.S. My Last Will and Testament will also ensure that you will be able to care of my mother. The house and all my assets are in your name now.
Kate read the letter again and cried for her friend.
***
Kate drove to the bank, removed the contents of the safety deposit box into a large, black canvas bag that was in the box, and went home. She walked into her house, went into her bedroom, and dumped the contents onto her bed. Out tumbled a large amount of money.
Chapter 43
Three months later
Despite their high-priced New York lawyers, Edward Whitman III and many executives of Premier Regional Insurance Company were all indicted and convicted on conspiracy murder charges with the maximum prison sentences and no parole. Their lawyers had already begun appealing the sentences.
***
Garth Mitchell, an ICU nurse at St. Joseph’s Hospital, was indicted on five counts of first-degree murder, with no possibility of parole.
***
Ben Lucien went to trial and agreed to work with the police for a more lenient sentence. He received a five-year sentence—two and half years of a suspended sentence and two and a half years of confinement. Due to his critical testimony that led to the conviction of Premier Regional CEO and board members, he was sent to minimum security prison and was assigned to the prison hospital.
***
Cynthia Lucien took her boys and moved back in with her parents in Connecticut. Ben was served divorce papers.
***
Rachael Reynolds stayed by Ben’s side throughout the trial. They became a couple again. Rachael surprised Ben with their three-year-old daughter, who he’d known nothing about. Three years ago, Rachael was planning to tell him she was pregnant, but it was too late. Ben had married Cynthia when he’d found out that Cynthia was pregnant. He had felt obligated to the child even though he was in love with Rachael and knew it was the right thing to do. Rachael did not have the heart to tell him that she was pregnant too and make him choose between his children.
Rachael had taken a leave of absence from the hospital three years earlier and gone to her parents’ home in Brooklyn, where she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Her parents took care of the child, and Rachael went to Brooklyn every chance she could to see her sweet baby girl. Rachael had been waiting till the right moment to tell Ben about his daughter, Becka.
***
Ben was thrilled with his daughter, and she adored her daddy. Becka moved in with Rachael in Morristown and they visited Ben in the facility every weekend.
Rachael was happy to have the family she’d always longed for and was counting the days when they could all be together. She had another surprise for Ben. In about seven months, they would be adding another member to their family!
***
Lydia Brooks and Patrick Hanahan were a couple now. After a few dates with Patrick, Lydia had confided to him what had happened to her in high school. Patrick saw a beautiful, desirable woman who was screaming inside to come out of her shell and be loved. He showed her that not all men were bad and that some treated women as they were supposed to—with love and respect. Lydia finally began to trust Patrick. The thick glasses came off. The loose clothing turned into more form-fitting clothes to show off her figure, and it made her feel good and confident. Everyone was amazed at her transformation. Lydia knew that Julie would have been proud of her.
***
Maria Sanchez continued to tempt every man she could, but only, of course, if they had money. She strutted her body to tantalize every male possible. She was determined in her quest to snag Mr. Wealthy.
***
Richard Timmers continued to pant over Maria, even though she’d been the one to “terminate” their relationship. When Maria had learned of Richard’s huge gambling debts from his frequent trips to Atlantic City, she’d told him it was time for her to move on to greener pastures. She did
, however, throw him a toss now and then if it worked to her advantage.
Richard Timmers already had his eye on a new nurse from the fourth floor of the hospital.
***
Alice Jane Morgan was happy in her new home. Every night, Kate would hug and kiss her goodnight and tell her she loved her.
Alice would always smile and say, “Goodnight, Julie. I love you more.”
“Love you most, Mom!”
***
Rita Jenkins was living in her beautiful, four-bedroom ranch house. Her sister, Jenny, helped decorate her own room with bright pink and orange—her favorite colors. Jenny was as happy and bright as the colors she’d chosen and had a full-time tutor helping her with her schoolwork. Rita and Jenny laughed and talked about everything.
Rita moved her mom from the nursing home into her house. She hired a part-time nurse for when she worked, and her mother went to outpatient rehab twice a week. Rita decorated her mother’s room with white furniture and her mom’s favorite shades of blue. Janet loved her room and was so happy to be with her girls.
Jenny was ecstatic to have her mother back, as was Rita. Janet stopped staying in her room all day; instead, she got up in her wheelchair and participated in family meals and activities. She had her girls back, and she was determined to make up for lost time.
Rita was thrilled to have her family back together. She also had a surprise for her mother and sister. The private investigator she had hired had finally come through. He’d found Alena in Tennessee. Rita had talked to her sister over the phone, and they had both cried. Alena was finally coming home to visit, due to arrive the following weekend. She was married to an accountant now and had two daughters named Rita and Jenny. Rita was touched by her sister’s tenderness and her turnaround in lifestyle.
Rita not only had her family back, she also had the love of her life—Josh—who had expressed his love to her. Life was good again!
***
Kate Ross and Jake Fenelli no longer stated that they were “just friends.” In fact, their relationship was obvious to all by the dazzling two-carat diamond ring on her left ring finger.
Code Blue With Intent Page 17
