Murder in the Maternity Ward

by Michelle Francik

  She turned back towards them and shrugged. “The day Edgar died, we’d met up in an empty room in the maternity ward.” She licked her lips, then grinned at Reed. “You see, we liked a little variety, so we’d choose a new spot for each of our encounters. The week before it was the housekeeping office, on top of Rose’s desk.” She chuckled and shook her head. “I sure will miss him. He liked to get creative.”

  “Okay, we get the picture.” Maggie was getting frustrated and more than a little grossed out. “What we need to know is if he gave you the bracelet that day. And if he did, how did that play out? Just the facts, please, we don’t need all the sordid details.”

  Dorothy laughed, her shrill cackle sending chills up and down Maggie’s back. “How did you know? Yes, he gave me the bracelet. I’d seen his wife wearing one a few days before and I’d mentioned to Edgar that I might be a little more appreciative if he bought me something like that. When I saw it, I was pretty sure it was the one I’d seen his wife wearing, so I got upset. He pulled out the receipt and showed me he’d just bought it. So, I showed him how grateful I was.”

  Maggie felt her skin crawl, but she was also excited. Now they were getting somewhere. Before she could ask, Reed spoke up.

  “Y’all wouldn’t happen to know what he did with the receipt?”

  “I have no idea. We had our fun and I left. Edgar was still putting his clothes on last time I saw him.”

  “Okay, thank you. We appreciate the information.” Maggie’s mind was racing, and she couldn’t wait to get away from that woman, but she had one more question. “What time did you meet Dr. Slade?”

  “Oh, we met at noon, on my lunch break.”

  Reed thanked Dorothy and he and Maggie left the room, stopping in an empty waiting room to talk.

  “Wow, partner, you nailed it.”

  “Thanks, Reed, but now what? We know he had the receipt, they were in that room, she left, then what happened? If they met at noon and the blood dripped on me at 3 pm, what happened in those three hours?”

  “Technically, we know what was going on for at least 30 minutes. An hour, if you go by her afternoon performance,” Reed grinned.

  “Yuck. Don’t remind me.” He laughed at the sour face Maggie made. “But you’re right. We need to figure out what happened during those 2 to 2 1⁄2 hours.”

  As they walked out of the waiting room, Reed whistled softly under his breath. “You see who I see?” He gestured towards the nurse’s station where Roland was standing, writing notes in a chart. “How ‘bout we go ask him about his discrimination suit.”

  “Sounds like a great idea,” Maggie agreed

  Chapter Sixteen

  Maggie and Reed approached the nurse’s station and waited until Roland looked up. “Hey, do you have a minute?” His mouth twisted into a grimace when he saw it was Maggie, with Reed lurking behind her.

  “I’m pretty busy, actually. What do you want?” He moved around the side of the counter and started to walk down the hallway, leaving the two marshals lagging behind.

  “We want to ask you about the discrimination suit you filed against Dr. Slade.” Reed’s terse voice got his attention and he stopped abruptly, turning on his heel to glare at them.

  “Why are you bothering me with this? The man’s dead. Nobody cared about it when he was alive, they sure aren’t going to do anything now he’s gone.”

  “We care about it, Roland. We may not be able to do anything about Dr. Slade, but we can take steps to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else. But first, we have to know what happened.”

  Roland looked Maggie in the eyes and the two stared at each other. Apparently, he believed her because he sighed heavily, then looked at his watch. “I have a 10-minute break coming up. Meet me in the cafeteria in 15 minutes and I’ll talk to you.”

  He swung around and strode off, jamming his hands into his pockets as he walked away.

  Reed turned to Maggie. “I reckon you’re hankering for a snack, anyway, so we might as well head to the cafeteria.”

  “I don’t know, Reed. Wasn’t Marcus the other nurse who filed a discrimination suit? We should see if he’s working today.”

  They walked back to the nurse’s station and spotted Nurse Jackson. They asked her about Marcus.

  “He was scheduled to work today, but he called in. He said his son is sick and he can’t reach Anastasia, so he’s staying home to take care of him.” She noticed Maggie’s raised eyebrows and leaned forward, confidentially. “Last night he told me she’d agreed to let him see the kids, so maybe things will work out, after all.” She stood back and took a long look at her. “And how are you feeling these days?”

  “Like a whale, mostly. Or an elephant. My ankles are so swollen I feel like I’m stuck in quicksand every time I try to move.”

  “Has your little one dropped yet?”

  “I don’t think so. Baby Donahue has shifted, for sure, but not dropped.”

  “Well, it won’t be long now.”

  Reed nudged her with his elbow. “We have an appointment we need to get to.”

  “Thanks, Nurse Jackson. I’ll see you soon.”

  As they walked to the elevators, Maggie saw the young man she’d seen in the lobby. His black eye was now more green and yellow than black, and she wondered how he got it. He dropped his eyes, turned and pushed his housekeeping cart into a room, closing the door firmly behind him.

  The elevator dinged and they got on, the injured housekeeper forgotten as thoughts of a snack filled her mind and made her stomach growl.

  “Dr. Slade was a pig.” Disdain dripped from every word as Roland told them about the discrimination suit. “Everyone knew he was cheating on his wife. It was disgusting.”

  Maggie agreed, but they weren’t there to judge the man, they were trying to find out who killed him. “What do you mean, everyone knew?”

  “I mean, he didn’t even try to hide it. And he expected everyone to clean up after him, literally.”

  Reed’s brows drew together as he frowned. “I don’t understand. What do you mean, ‘literally’?”

  “I mean, they would use an empty room and someone, usually housekeeping, would be forced to clean up afterwards. He’d tell the closest housekeeper to wipe down the room and get rid of all traces he’d been there. Like they didn’t have anything better to do, you know.”

  Maggie and Reed glanced at each other. Roland’s anger was building, and they weren’t sure how to diffuse it and still get to the bottom of his complaint.

  “So, what does that have to do with your discrimination suit?” Maggie tried to sound calm and relaxed, but the nurse’s anxiety was contagious. She knew they were close to finding the answer and adrenaline coursed through her veins.

  “A few weeks before he died, he was looking for someone to clean up a room and he couldn’t find a housekeeper. He told me to do it. When I told him I’m a nurse, not his servant, he made it personal. He said my mom is a great housekeeper and I probably inherited some of her cleaning genes.”

  He took a breath and clenched his fists. Reed leaned forward with his elbows on the table, waiting for the nurse to finish his story.

  “One of the other nurses walked by, someone newer than me. I told Dr. Slade to ask her, but he smirked at me. He said that she comes from a good family, not a family of janitors, like me. Then he told me my mom must be so proud, having a son who’s a nurse and not a doctor.”

  Maggie blew out her breath and looked at Reed, noticing that his jaw was working as he tried to keep his anger under control. “So, then you filed the suit against him. Did anything come of it?” she asked.

  Roland scoffed. “Of course not. HR said that Dr. Slade’s version was that he asked me to prepare a room for a patient and I refused. Since it was a conversation between the head of a department and a lowly male nurse, they took his side.”

  Reed couldn’t stay silent any longer. “I’m sorry that you were treated that way. I think it’s admirable of you to become a nurse.” Hi
s jaw worked again, then he added, “and I’m grateful to your ma for doing all that hard work to keep things clean and safe for the patients in this here hospital. From where I stand, you come from one of the finest families around.”

  For the first time, Maggie saw Roland relax a fraction. She was shocked when his eyes filled with tears and he nodded at Reed. Her partner nodded back, they both cleared their throats, and the conversation continued as if the tender moment had never occurred. Men! she thought.

  “Do you know about the other suit filed against the doctor?” Reed asked.

  “Sure, Marcus was put in the same position. Only Dr. Slade told him his wife was a loser for marrying him and that he didn’t deserve to have a wife or a family. Marcus and Anastasia were having a hard time and it really knocked him for a loop hearing that from someone he admired.”

  “What a jerk!” Maggie clapped a hand over her mouth a little too late, but she couldn’t take it back. What drove a man to be so hateful to other human beings? She’d never understand it.

  “What happened with that suit, if you don’t mind me askin’?”

  “I’m not sure, but it seems like he got knocked down the same as me. It was Dr. Slade’s word against his.”

  Maggie had been mulling over something while he’d talked and now it came clear for her. “You said this happened regularly, and usually he got someone from housekeeping to clean up. Did your mom ever have to do it?”

  “Oh yeah. That’s why he gave her that plaque. He said he went in one time and checked for fingerprints and stuff, and mom cleaned so well he couldn’t find a trace of evidence.” He looked at his watch and grimaced. “I’ve got to go. If you find the murderer, you should probably give him a medal.”

  As Roland marched off, she reached over and placed a hand on Reed’s arm. “You okay, partner? You got a bit riled up there.”

  He sighed and nodded. “Yeah, I know. It’s just, I can’t understand how he could cheat on his wife, treat people like dirt and still think he was better than everyone else. From everything we’ve heard, this guy was a real jerk, but he still ended up being head of a department. How does that happen?”

  “I don’t know, Reed. But you can’t let that stop you from being the loving, caring person you are. Sometimes it seems like being evil pays, but that’s why you and I became U.S. Marshals—so we can fight back and make sure the good guys win.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Wow, y’all got a lot of information today.” Ashanti’s voice was plaintive, and Maggie looked at her friend, noticing her fatigue.

  “You okay there, little mama?”

  “You know Miss Maggie, I really don’t like it when you call me that. Ain’t nothin’ little about me.”

  Maggie laughed. “Sorry, friend. I wasn’t tryin’ to offend you. But seriously, are you okay?”

  “I’m just tired. It’s amazin’ how doing nothing but holding a baby, changing her, bathing her, feeding her, and cuddling her wears a person out.” She sighed and hung her head. “Maybe I ain’t cut out to be nobody’s mama.”

  “Hush your mouth! You’re a fine mama to Jayla; you’re just worn out, that’s all. All those hormones are still running around in your bloodstream, wreaking havoc, which isn’t helping anything. I’ve seen the way she looks at you and it’s obvious she adores you. Your little girl needs you to be strong and hang in there.”

  “I hear you, Miss Maggie, but it’s hard.”

  “Nobody said it would be easy, Ashanti. But you’ve got me and Garrett and Reed and Susan and Adam all here for you. You just let us know when you need a break and we’ll be right there to help you out.”

  “Thank you. I have to say, Adam’s really surprised me. I thought he was a fancy man, with all that white and his ‘spensive car and all. But he held my hand through that whole baby deliverin’ mess, and he’s helped so much with Jayla. I just don’t know what to think ‘bout him.”

  “I don’t know either. I thought I’d have to send you to opposite corners, to keep you from scuffling, to tell the truth.”

  “He definitely rubbed me the wrong way at first. But he was there for me when I was scared and alone, so now, he’s kinda growin’ on me.”

  “You know I would’ve been there for you, if they’d let me.” Maggie’s tone was a little defensive. She felt like she’d let her friend down, even though she hadn’t had a choice.

  “I’m sure of that, but I’m glad you weren’t there, for your sake. And I’m tellin’ you straight up, I ain’t gonna be nowhere near when you go into labor. I can’t go through that again!”

  The sound of voices outside the office ended the conversation, but Maggie made a mental note to ask Adam how he felt about Ashanti, since it was clear she was starting to have feelings for him.

  “Here are the facts, as we know them: 1. Dr. Slade was cheating on his wife; 2. At noon, he was with Dorothy; 3. He gave Dorothy the bracelet and showed her the receipt; 4. Dorothy left and Dr. Slade was still alive in the room; 5. Around 3 pm, I heard a thunk and drops of blood fell on my head; 6. Shortly afterwards, Dr. Slade was found stabbed to death; 7. Around 3:45 pm forensics found the receipt in the trash.” Maggie paused and Reed jumped in.

  “As far as suspects go, we know Dorothy was with another lover at the time of the murder. Marcus was involved with a delivery and Anastasia and Gwen don’t fit the profile of either jilted lover or angry employee.” Reed paused and took a breath, pursing his lips while he thought. “I don’t see Roland for this, either, or his mom.”

  “So, where does that leave us?” Maggie felt the baby kick and absentmindedly rubbed her belly. For some reason her back was aching, and her ankles were even more swollen than usual. She wanted a nap, but she needed to solve this case. Unsurprisingly, solving the case beat out taking a nap.

  Her phone rang and she picked it up off the desk. It was Gwen Abara, from the hospital. “Hi, Gwen, this is Maggie. What’s up?”

  “I was thinking about that bracelet and I remembered something. I saw Dorothy Huerta on the elevator a couple of hours before Dr. Slade’s murder. She was wearing the bracelet.”

  “Thanks, Gwen, but we already confirmed that she was the one wearing it.”

  “That’s not all I remembered, though. I thought of something that might be helpful.” Maggie put her phone on speaker and placed it between herself and Reed, so they could both hear.

  “Go ahead, Gwen. What else did you remember?”

  “I thought it was odd at the time, but then I forgot about it. One of the housekeepers was waiting for the elevator when Dorothy got off. As she walked past him, I heard her order him to clean room 425.”

  “That’s the room where Dr. Slade was murdered,” Maggie muttered.

  “But that’s not the interesting part. She said he needed to give it his ‘extra-thorough divorce prevention’ cleaning job. Then she laughed. It seemed to upset him, and he didn’t say a word to me once we were alone in the elevator. He got off on the fourth floor, so I assume he was going to clean room 425.”

  Maggie felt she was going to burst. This was the break they’d been waiting for. Eyes sparkling, she met Reed’s gaze as she asked, “Gwen, I have one more question for you. What’s the name of the housekeeper?”

  “Barkley Brewer.”

  “Barkley Brewer, you say.” Santiago’s slow as molasses response sent prickles of irritation through Maggie.

  Reed, always observant, told the marshal to hurry it up. “Maggie’s getting impatient and you’re dragging this out way too long. Just send over the file and make sure you include a picture of Barkley.”

  “Hold your horses, you two. You’re not even officially on this case.”

  “We know, Santiago, but when we solve it, you’ll still get the credit.” Maggie saw Reed’s eyes open wide and he shook his head at her, but it was too late.

  “If you’ve got this thing wrapped up, then why are you bothering me?” The phone disconnected and Reed sighed.

  “Really Maggie? You co
uldn’t just wait another minute?”

  His disapproval chafed, but she felt on edge today, and she couldn’t seem to sit still. “No, I couldn’t. That man’s slower than a herd of turtles.” She looked at Reed and shrugged. “It doesn’t matter, anyhow. We can go to the hospital and find him ourselves.” As she turned to leave, the computer pinged. It was an email from Santiago, with the file for Barkley attached.

  She sat down at the desk and opened the file. As soon as she saw the picture, she gasped. Reed leaned in closer and whistled. “Well, I’ll be.”

  “What y’all doin? Did I miss somethin’ exciting?” Ashanti walked in; her baby asleep in her arms. She walked around the desk and peered at the computer screen. “Oh, that’s the nice young man who cleaned my room.” She sat down in the chair opposite the desk and laid Jayla carefully on her lap.

  “What do you mean? When did he clean your room?” Maggie’s voice came out in a squeak, but Ashanti didn’t seem to notice.

  “Remember that day Marcus was my nurse and you and Susan had Nurse Jackson check up on me?”

  “She was checking up on Marcus, not you, but I remember,” Maggie replied.

  “Marcus accidentally knocked over my pitcher of water and went to get a mop. When he came back, Barkley was with him. After he’d cleaned up, Marcus told him he ‘preciated his extra thorough cleaning job and they both laughed.”

  “Are you sure he said extra thorough? That’s kind of an odd thing to say.” Reed’s eyebrow was raised, and he leaned forward with excitement.

  “Of course, I’m sure. It’s not the kind of thing I’d make up, you know.”

  “And the plot thickens.” Maggie and Reed looked at each other, minds whirling at this new development.