Forty-One
Thursday 0945 hours
The room was quiet—unnerving and frightening. Just waiting. Tess thought that she heard breathing coming from the corner to her right. Straining to hear, she was sure she could detect a soft inhale and exhale. Slow and long.
“I can’t keep you anymore,” he finally whispered in a low forced tone.
Tess startled. He usually leaned on the mattress before he spoke. Even if it was mere seconds, she knew his voice was coming. But this time, there was nothing. Just his disturbing whisper in her ear, as if coming from inside her own head.
Leaning in close, the man’s sour breath wet her face. “I’m not getting what I need, Tess. Tell me the truth…”
Forty-Two
Thursday 1245 hours
That afternoon Katie and McGaven arrived at the hospital fifteen minutes before Dr. Jamison was scheduled to leave his twelve-hour shift. They found a parking spot with a good view of the area where the employees exited to walk out to their cars. It had been easy for McGaven to find out schedules of doctors and nurses from his new contact in security, Randy, who had come through with the shift information they needed.
“Do we know what he looks like?” asked McGaven.
Katie showed a current photo from the doctor’s social media page on her cell phone. “This was taken last week.” He was a tall man, medium build, with dark hair, wearing a navy polo shirt and white shorts, standing on the deck of a sleek sailboat. He had an import beer in his right hand.
“Nice tan. When does he have the time to hang out outside?” he asked.
“Must be a tanning salon,” she said sarcastically. “He’s a cardiothoracic surgeon, and loves to travel and meet new people. That’s according to the bio he wrote.”
“Isn’t he married?”
“Separated—according to his public page. He made some postings about trying to work things out, but if you look at all of his ‘friends’ they are mostly women—gorgeous too.”
“Makes you wonder,” said McGaven, watching for the doctor.
“Denise said it was easy to get added as a friend, just as long as you have a pretty face.”
“And Denise certainly does. Did she use her own photo?” he said.
“No. I wanted her to use a free stock photo to keep her identity safe. But I agree, Denise is cute, but the more I get to know her she’s such a beautiful person. A bit corny, I know.”
McGaven lifted a pair of mini binoculars to his eyes and said, “She’s very cool. Most of the deputies like her too.”
“Where did you get those?” Katie referred to his binoculars.
“From my stash for possible stakeouts.”
Katie laughed, not meaning to be rude.
“What?” he lowered the binoculars and looked directly at her.
“What else do you have in your stash?”
“Stuff.”
“Like what?”
“SLR camera, flashlights of all sizes, change of clothes, thermos, plain clothes, baseball caps, windbreaker, the usual stuff.”
“Do you have a Swiss army knife?”
“You’re a riot, Detective.”
“Wait,” she said, straining to see. “I think that’s him. Over there.” She pointed.
“Yep, that’s him.” He studied the doctor through the binoculars. “His hair doesn’t look as combed as it did in the photo. There’s some gray speckled through his hairline as well. He’s getting into a black Mercedes sedan, four doors; it needs a wash. The plate begins with DM5… and then 4…”
“I see him,” she said and started the engine.
Katie eased their car closer to the doctor and watched him slowly pull out into traffic. She followed him with two cars in between. Maneuvering on the road, she managed to pass one car, leaving the other blocking in between, but she decided to stay in her current position.
“Where’s he going?” McGaven asked.
“I’m not sure but I believe his residence is the other direction and he’s heading downtown.”
They continued to follow the doctor; he drove conservatively and made it easy to keep the Mercedes in view.
“Aha, he’s going into the Parsons Hotel,” said McGaven.
“I’m not surprised. That’s a very pricey place; a grand a night for a suite.” Katie slowly passed the doctor’s car and headed to another parking area. Dr. Jamison went to the valet parking. “Put your cell phone on and go follow him casually. Make sure your badge and gun are concealed under your jacket. I’ll catch up,” she said and dropped McGaven near the entrance.
Forty-Three
Katie quickly found a parking place on the street so that they didn’t have to pay and leaving would be quick and easy. She knew that the doctor didn’t know what she or McGaven looked like—it would work in their favor. They wanted to see what the good doctor was up to and study his habits before contacting him officially again—this time it wouldn’t be a request.
Katie shed her jacket, revealing a nice sleeveless top, something that she would never wear to work but it would suffice for entering the hotel. She was glad that she chose wisely for a potential outing. She didn’t know for sure he wouldn’t immediately go home, but trusted her instincts and was ready. She put her regular firearm in the trunk and made sure her backup weapon was secured in her ankle holster. It was uncomfortable but she didn’t want to be without any protection.
She shut the trunk and secured the car as she dropped her keys and cell phone in her pocket. One last touch, she let her hair down and quickly combed her fingertips through it. She looked more casual and less uptight; nothing like a cop.
She walked through the parking lot and arrived at the hotel main entrance. Her cell phone buzzed and she answered it with a smile on her face as she passed a few people.
“Hi,” she said. “Where are you?”
“The bar,” McGaven answered with a strange inflection to his voice.
“Be right there.” She hung up.
Katie walked through the grand entrance, which was adorned with two-story-high plants, luxurious couches, and a water feature too big for a normal house or mansion. The carpet even felt expensive under her feet, and she was relieved that her boots wouldn’t make a sound.
Following the signs, she found her way to the bar area. There was piped-in jazz music, which was at the perfect volume—not too loud or soft. The large room was only partially occupied with two groups of people at tables and five people sitting at the bar. Dr. Jamison sat alone at the far end with his back to her. And then there was McGaven casually leaning against the bar as he ordered a drink—it was a seltzer drink with a lime in it. He looked over to see Katie entering the room—a few others noticed her too.
Katie forced a smile as she moved toward McGaven. She became slightly self-conscious with so many eyes staring at her, but glided through her discomfort. It was doubtful that anyone would suspect that she was a cop.
“Hi, honey,” she said to McGaven, raising her eyebrows—meaning play along.
“You look amazing,” he said and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek to keep up the charade. Most onlookers had already gone back to their conversations and cocktails.
“Let’s go to a table,” Katie said.
“Sure.”
They went to a small cocktail table so that Katie had a perfect view of Dr. Jamison. After they were seated, a waitress came to their table.
“May I take your order?” she asked.
“I’ll have what he’s having,” said Katie.
“Another for me, thank you.”
The waitress left.
Leaning forward, she said, “That is non-alcoholic right?”
“Of course,” he said, shaking the ice. “What’s he doing?”
Katie leaned on the table as if she was telling him something personal. “He just downed another drink. I believe it was a whisky something…”
“Did you tell your uncle, uh the sheriff, what you were going to do?” he asked.
/> “We’re not doing anything but watching a subject, simple as that.”
“But did you include it in your report?”
“Not yet.” She smiled. “Looks like he has company.”
McGaven started to turn.
“Don’t,” she said and reached out and grabbed his arm. “A woman,” she whispered.
“What does she look like?”
“Simmer down. She’s tall, running clothes, her back is to us, but she’s wearing a hoodie so I can’t see her hair color and I only saw her profile quickly, and she’s wearing sunglasses…” Still keeping her voice low. “She seems familiar, but I can’t get an ID on her.”
“Interesting,” McGaven stated. It was quite clear that he was excited to be a part of their pretext.
“It’s obviously someone he knows very well by the way he’s moving his hand around her body. She’s standing up now.”
The waitress dropped off their drinks.
“It looks like they are going to leave,” she said. “I’ll follow and you pay for the drinks and then follow me. Got it?” she said as she readied herself and stood. “I’ll send a text so you know where I am.” She leaned over, kissing his cheek, and whispered in his ear, “Just keeping up the pretense. See you shortly.”
Forty-Four
Walking quickly trying to catch up to Dr. Jamison, Katie didn’t want to run or look suspicious, so she pretended to be looking for something in her small purse as she slowed and casually continued. The closer she neared the couple it was obvious they were getting friendly with one another and could barely wait to be alone.
They waited for one of the elevator doors to open. One arrived emitting a bell tone and when the doors opened, the couple moved inside. Before the silver doors had slid shut, they had their hands underneath each other’s clothes.
Katie stood and watched the floor numbers tick by, climbing upwards until the fifteenth floor, which was really the fourteenth as, like most hotels, the Parsons Hotel had superstitiously skipped the number thirteen. Another elevator opened and Katie stepped in—luckily, she was alone. Quickly retrieving her cell phone, she spoke into it to send a text to McGaven.
“Going to the fifteenth floor,” she said and returned her phone to her pocket.
McGaven arrived beside her suddenly, breathless from the sprint from the bar.
“Honey, you made it,” said Katie.
The elevator doors finally closed.
“Thought I’d join you,” he said, still winded. “What floor?”
“Fifteen.”
“Ah, a penthouse suite.”
“What is it they say?”
“The more the merrier?” he replied.
“Why haven’t we moved?” she said, looking up.
Katie pressed the button to open the doors but still nothing happened. She pressed the fifteenth floor again, hoping to initiate her exit—but it remained stalled. “Crap,” she muttered.
“What’s the deal?” McGaven eyed the listing of floors.
“I don’t know. The door won’t open and it won’t go up either.”
She was just about to press the emergency button when the door slowly began to open a few inches and paused. “What the hell…” she said. Now she pressed everything she could to release the doors.
The elevator climbed several floors. Then it stopped abruptly, knocking Katie and McGaven off balance.
“Nice elevator,” McGaven managed to say.
After pushing every button possible, Katie leaned back and sighed. “It’s official, we’re stuck.” She tried her cell phone, but the signal was sketchy. “No cell signal.”
“Great.”
Katie pressed the emergency button. After a moment of static she heard a voice, “What’s your emergency?”
“We’re stuck in an elevator at the Parsons Hotel on Eighth Street.”
“How many occupants?”
“Two.”
“Any health issues?”
“No.”
“The hotel’s security and maintenance department have been contacted. Please remain calm while they assess the situation.”
Katie interrupted, “Is there a reset button that we could push?”
“I’m sorry but that doesn’t follow proper protocol and safety precautions. Please remain calm and I will update you shortly.” There was a loud click.
“Hello? Hello?” Katie repeated.
No response.
“How rude,” said McGaven.
“Great, now what?” she said.
“I’m sure it’s not a big deal. It probably won’t take more than a half hour, don’t you think?”
Katie took her shoes off.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m not going to wait around while a couple of lazy security guards decide when to get us out.”
She tested the metal handrail around the car to make sure it was sturdy. Estimating the height of the ceiling, she figured that she could reach it—with McGaven’s help. She made sure that her ankle holster was secure.
“Okay, hoist me up,” she said, gesturing to the ceiling, where there was a small access.
“What?”
“C’mon, hoist me,” she said.
“I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I’ve jumped out of helicopters before. I think I can handle this…”
McGaven gave her a surprised look. “Yes, ma’am.”
Katie used the wall and the handrail as a guide to balance herself, while McGaven lifted her up. She pushed the access opening with ease, popping the covering off. It made a metal sound as it hit the roof of the car.
“Got it?” McGaven grimaced.
“Almost… don’t let go yet.”
Katie grasped the opening and pulled her body upward. It occurred to her that the elevator might start ascending with her on top of the compartment. She hurried.
“Be careful,” said McGaven as if the thought of the elevator moving had occurred to him too.
Katie balanced on top of the elevator car. She peered down. It appeared higher than it really was. She swallowed hard and refocused her eyes.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” She looked around and saw that there was an access ladder that led to a maintenance door. “I see an escape.”
“Then what?”
“I’ll make my way to Dr. Jamison’s penthouse.”
McGaven gave her a look of concern. “What’s the hurry?”
“Instinct.”
“Oh, that.”
“It may be nothing, so I’ll make sure they get you out.”
“It’s getting warm in here.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be back,” she said with a half-smile.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be here.”
Katie began to climb across the top of the car and then made her way to the ladder. She felt the circulating air from outside whirl around her. There was a distinct hint of car exhaust mixed with heavy machinery grease that seemed to pollute the air. She tried not to breathe too deep.
Her bare feet hit the ladder rungs and chilled her body. Feeling every indentation and smoothness of the ladder, she quickly made her way to the maintenance door. The number ten was stenciled in paint, identifying the floor.
A loud engine shift echoed throughout the elevator shaft. First Katie froze, then she looked to see if McGaven was jetting up to the fifteenth floor, but the cab remained frozen. It was the other elevators moving, causing the area to feel like a small earthquake had erupted. The noise rose in decibels, making her cringe and her head to ache from the sound.
As Katie hurried upward toward the maintenance door her foot slipped from the ladder rung twice. She stopped—daring to look down into the shaft abyss. Heights didn’t scare her; it was the fear of the unknown that terrified her the most.
Her hand reached the lever as a rush of wind pushed up her backside. The entrance opened and she jumped inside and slammed the door behind her. Finding herself in a darkened close
t with maintenance supplies as well as a power grid with fuses, she hurried through the obscurity blindly with her arms outstretched to find another door leading into the hallway.
Forty-Five
Katie quickly climbed the stairwell to the fifteenth floor feeling the cold tiles beneath her shoeless feet, and then she had the choice of left or right. She moved right toward the larger suites along the carpeted area, which seemed like the most logical choice for a heart doctor to have a luxury accommodation.
She heard voices talking—no, they were arguing—and it sounded like it was becoming increasingly heated. The voice inflections were more pronounced and rapid. She moved tentatively, not sure if it were someone else or the doctor and his friend. If it were someone else, she waited to make sure there wasn’t anyone in jeopardy.
Moving down the hallway, she passed a few outside windows in between the suites and realized how high she was. For a moment, it made her stop and a tingling anxious energy tried to make tracks up her arms and down her legs.
Go ahead and try it…
Her cell phone buzzed with a message from McGaven:
Elevator opened, making my way up by stairs.
The arguing had stopped, leaving the hallway strangely silent. She could hear her own breathing—which had become shallow and rapid—slowing with each breath.
Katie shifted her focus back to her job and kept moving down the hallway. She noticed dirty dishes on a tray outside one of the doors for the maid service to pick up. All of the doors had a gold emblem with different initials indicating the type of room, like STE for suite, QN for queen, PH for Penthouse.
She kept moving, not quite sure what she was going to do when she got to the correct room. There were no easy hiding places and she hadn’t come up with a plan as to why she was wandering around at the top of the hotel.
Katie moved her hands and arms slightly to shake off any lingering anxiety. She eyed the set of double doors that were open about ten inches. It was one of the penthouse suites and she thought it was odd the doors were open and no one was around.
Her Last Whisper: An absolutely unputdownable crime thriller (Detective Katie Scott Book 2) Page 18
