“It’s okay!” Clarissa told him. “This is a service cat!”
“I most certainly am not!” Cat spat indignantly.
Clarissa quickly covered her feisty feline’s mouth. When it got all worked up, it got loud. The last thing she needed was for the janitor to overhear the cat ranting and raving. Good luck trying to explain that away...
“No,” the janitor replied. “I was just going to tell you that –”
“Oh!” Clarissa suddenly screeched as her legs went out from under her.
She slipped and slid for a moment, struggling to regain her balance. But she was fighting a losing battle. She fell over, landing hard on her backside. Cat landed on her lap and instinctually dug its claws into her thighs.
“The floors are wet,” the janitor said, finishing his thought. He winced and tossed his mop aside. “Did you hurt yourself?” he asked, hurrying over and extending his hand.
“Only my pride,” Clarissa joked as the janitor pulled her to her feet.
Cat hissed and ran off.
“Sorry about that – you caught me off guard. I wasn’t expecting to see anyone here this time of night. This is a quiet hospital. Usually at this hour it’s just me and the night nurse here,” the janitor explained.
Clarissa glanced at the nametag on the janitor’s coveralls. Then her eyes widened.
“Is everything okay?” the janitor asked.
“Yes, but…your name is Dave.” Clarissa smiled apologetically. “This is going to sound crazy and completely out of left field, but is your last name Carey by any chance?”
He looked taken aback. “Yes, it is. Are you a psychic or something?” he joked.
“No, that’s my aunt’s department,” Clarissa blurted out without thinking.
“Huh?”
“Nothing,” she said. “My name is Clarissa. I’m in town from Minnesota visiting my parents.” Then a somber look came over her face. “I’m sorry for your loss. I heard that you and Bobby Bates were close. That’s how your name came up, actually.”
Dave blinked. “If you’re not from here, then how did you know Bobby?”
“My parents knew him,” Clarissa said simply.
“Oh, right.” Dave frowned. “Sometimes I still can’t believe it. I mean, Bobby wasn’t the healthiest guy. He didn’t look after himself the way he should have. But it’s still such a shock to think that he’s gone.”
“How did you know Bobby, exactly?”
“Oh, he and I went way back,” Dave explained. “We were drinking buddies, mostly.”
Clarissa nodded. “I hate to bring this up, but word around town is that Bobby’s death may not have been an accident. It sounds like somebody switched his medication on him. What I’m trying to figure out is how Bobby’s killer had access to the pills that ultimately killed him.”
Dave looked stunned.
“I’m really sorry,” Clarissa said. “I don’t mean to upset you.”
“Well it’s obviously someone who was prescribed the medication, right?”
“That’s one possibility. The other is that someone stole the medication,” Clarissa explained. “That’s actually why I’m here. I’m…well, just between you and me, I’m looking into the possibility that one of the nurses here may have been involved with Bobby’s death.”
Dave’s eyes widened. He seemed flabbergasted, but he recovered quickly.
“Sue?” he asked.
It was Clarissa’s turn to look surprised. “How did you know?”
He shrugged. “She and Bobby knew each other. It makes sense.”
“I don’t suppose you know anything about security policies here?” Clarissa asked hopefully. “Medications are kept under lock and key, I presume. Aren’t they? That’s standard hospital procedure nowadays, isn’t it?”
Dave thought for a moment. Then he nodded. “During the day, the doctors have access to the keys. At night, the doctors go home. There’s always one on call for emergencies, but like I said before, it’s generally just the cleaning staff and the night nurses who are here in the evenings.”
“And where are they keys for the drugs then?” Clarissa demanded.
The janitor scratched his head. “I’m pretty sure they’re kept in the nurses’ station.”
Clarissa’s eyes lit up at that. “Does Sue work the night shift?”
“Sometimes,” Dave confirmed.
“Has she been working the night shift recently?”
“Almost every night,” he replied. “I think she’s been picking up some extra shifts lately.”
“Is there any way to tell who’s accessed the medications?” Clarissa knew it was a long shot, but it certainly didn’t hurt to ask. Maybe there was a security log that could provide priceless information…
“Dunno,” Dave replied. “I’m just the janitor. Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. You’ve been really helpful!” Clarissa told him. “Actually, do you mind if I asked you a few more questions about Bobby? I’m a reporter back home, and I’m trying to get to the bottom of what happened,” she explained.
Bobby glanced out the window. “The sun is almost coming up,” he replied. “I’d love to help you but after I finish up here I need to go open up the hardware store. I run it,” he explained.
“Wow. When do you find time to sleep?”
“I don’t,” he chuckled. “If you want to stop by later I’d be happy to speak with you. The store is on Main Street, right across from the ice cream shop – you can’t miss it. Just look for the dancing ice cream cone.”
“Dancing ice cream cone?” Clarissa asked, perplexed.
“It’s the ice cream shop’s mascot,” Dave explained. “The guy marches up and down Main Street handing out flyers and trying to drum up business. It’s not a bad plan, actually. Maybe I need a mascot for the hardware store! A dancing deadbolt? A juggling monkey wrench? Anyway, I’ve got to get back to work. Maybe I’ll see you later.”
“Oh, you can count on it,” Clarissa assured him.
As Dave walked away, Cat came charging around the corner.
“Where have you been?” Clarissa whispered.
“Not important. We have to go and we have to go now!” Cat exclaimed frantically.
“Why?” Clarissa asked, thinking something was very wrong. “What’s the matter?”
“There’s a vacuum cleaner around that corner!” the feline whimpered, visibly trembling.
“Oh Cat,” Clarissa laughed. “I keep telling you vacuum cleaners aren’t going to hurt you.”
“Get me out of here!” Cat insisted, practically leaping into Clarissa’s arms.
Shaking her head in amusement, Clarissa carried her fearful companion out of the building. She would never understand cat logic, if there was such a thing. In some ways, Cat was unbelievably brave and wonderfully intelligent. In other ways, the strange little creature could be downright cowardly – not to mention naïve.
It was, Clarissa supposed, part of Cat’s charm.
“Did I hear something about ice cream?” Cat asked as they moved across the parking lot.
“Yes.”
“I’m coming along,” Cat declared. “I want vanilla ice cream with strawberry sauce.”
“We’ll see.”
“I also want a waffle cone.”
“Now you’re pushing it.”
“What? I’m worth it.”
“Oh?” Clarissa teased, feigning surprise.
“I am,” Cat insisted. “I took a little stroll around the hospital. I followed the night nurse around, actually. She went into the medication room to get some pills for a patient. I saw where she put the key when she was finished – that is what I heard you asking about, isn’t it?”
“Yes! What did you see?” Clarissa demanded excitedly.
“What the janitor told you is accurate. The key is stored in a locked safe behind the nurses’ desk. The nurse had to enter a combination to open the safe.”
“You said you wanted a waffle cone?”
“Yes. With two scoops of vanilla ice cream – actually, make it three.”
“Done,” Clarissa replied, grateful that the cat had done some sleuthing for her. “But don’t blame me when you wind up with a bellyache.”
Chapter 12
“I think your cat is going into a sugar coma,” Parker laughed.
It was true. It was mid-afternoon and Clarissa, Parker and Cat had just visited the ice cream shop on Main Street. Upon returning to the car, Cat had flopped over on the sidewalk. The gluttonous critter had a blissful, glazed look in its eyes as it stared off into space.
Clarissa laughed and shook her head. “I hope the cat won’t be hyper later. The last thing I need is for it to tear apart Mom and Dad’s house the way it tears my place apart!”
The little devil was notorious for digging up potted plants, climbing curtains and scratching doors when the mood struck. No amount of scolding seemed to deter it from its bratty behavior. Sometimes it was the bane of Clarissa’s existence.
Parker reached down and scooped up Cat, who began to purr loudly. “How about I hang out in the car with this little guy?” he suggested, giving the top of the cat’s head a gentle scratch.
“Okay,” Clarissa agreed. “I’ll be back soon.”
With the taste of ice cream lingering on her lips, she made a beeline for the hardware store.
It looked like…well it looked like a typical hardware store. When Clarissa walked in, she was underwhelmed. Aisle upon aisle of tools greeted her, as one would expect. But that was about it. A quick walk through the small shop quickly confirmed her suspicions: there wasn’t a single customer inside.
Just then, Dave emerged from the back.
He was no longer wearing his janitor’s uniform. Instead, he had on jeans, sneakers and a t-shirt. When he saw Clarissa, he waved.
“Hi!” she called out. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything?”
“No, there’s nothing to interrupt,” Dave said with a bitter laugh. “Business took a real big hit when that big box store opened up the next town over. Now folks just drive there to shop. That’s why I do janitorial work on the side. I’m barely making ends meet.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“At least I get a few shifts a week at the hospital,” Dave shrugged. “And when there isn’t work for me there, I pick up odd jobs at other places. I’ve cleaned the hair salon, the pet shop, the ice cream shop and the post office this week alone! It doesn’t pay much, but it helps.”
Clarissa nodded, unsure of how to respond.
“Anyway, you’re not here to listen to me complain. I have something for you,” Dave said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a thumb drive. “Here,” he said, holding it out.
“What is this?”
“After you left the hospital, I asked around. It turns out there’s a security camera above the medication room,” Dave said. “I was able to get a copy of the tapes. I haven’t had a chance to go through them – figured I’d leave that up to you. But do let me know what you find.”
“I will!” Clarissa exclaimed excitedly. “Thank you so much!”
She tucked the thumb drive into her pocket and tried to focus. She had arrived at the hardware store with a whole list of questions in mind. But now she was so eager to leave and watch the security footage that she could barely think straight!
“After you left the hospital, I remembered something,” Dave said. “Bobby mentioned in passing that Sue owed him money. He wasn’t happy about it, either. I think he asked for it back. Do you think that could have been the reason she killed him? If she killed him, that is.”
“It could be,” Clarissa nodded. “Do you know how much money Bobby had loaned her?”
“No,” Dave replied. “But that wasn’t unusual behavior for Bobby. H was a generous guy.”
“You must really miss him.”
Dave was quiet for a moment. “He was an odd one, that Bobby. He didn’t have many friends. In fact, I think I may have been his only friend in the world. He tended to rub people the wrong way, you know?”
“But you two got along?”
“We were drinking buddies,” Dave replied. “I’d bring a six pack over to his house, we’d light a bonfire and we’d chat late into the night. Well, either that or we’d get into it with that nosy neighbor of his,” he chuckled.
“Are you talking about Jack Walter?”
Ah, so you’ve had the displeasure of meeting him, I take it.”
Clarissa grinned. “I’ve met him, yes. I think he and my mother are friends – they both like to garden. But he sure didn’t have anything kind to say about Bobby. I understand their feud was pretty heated.”
“Aye, it was. Never a moment of peace,” Dave grumbled. “That old goat was always out there glaring at us through the slats in the fence. He called the cops on us a few times, too. Once he even threw rocks at us. I guess he didn’t have anything better to do.”
“Wow,” Clarissa laughed, unable to hide her amusement. That was certainly a different version of event than what Jack had presented! Perception, she supposed, was everything.
“He’s a piece of work, that one,” Dave chuckled. “But then so was Bobby, at times. I mostly tried to stay out of it. I was at his place to relax after a long, hard day’s work – not to get into it with my buddy’s neighbor.”
The bell above the door jingled then as a young couple walked into the hardware store.
Dave’s eyes lit up. “Sorry to cut this short, but I have customers!” he said with delight.
As Dave hurried off to try to make a sale, Clarissa raced back to the car. She couldn’t wait to watch the security footage from the hospital. What she saw just might be the break in the case she needed.
*****
“I can’t believe it!” Clarissa exclaimed in frustration a short time later. “The security footage from the hospital only goes back to the night Bobby died! There’s nothing prior to that. Nothing! This is completely useless to me.”
Parker frowned. He walked over to the kitchen table and sat down beside Clarissa. “That’s too bad, but it isn’t completely unheard of. Most security cameras record on a loop, don’t they? They write over previous footage with the new stuff.”
“I know, but I thought there would be something of value on here,” Clarissa complained. “And doesn’t it seem a little too coincidental that there’s absolutely nothing on here prior to Bobby’s death? It’s almost like the incriminating footage was erased or something.”
“Or it’s an unfortunate coincidence,” Parker said gently.
“Grrr!” Clarissa growled in frustration.
“That’s exactly how I feel,” her father chimed in as he walked into the kitchen.
“Why’s that?” Clarissa asked.
“Your mother’s friend Betty is coming over again,” Ed groaned. “Don’t get me wrong: I’m glad your mom is making new friends. But Betty grinds my gears. The other day when we were sitting on the front porch waiting for you and your mother to get home, I thought I would die!”
“Why?” Clarissa asked as she and Parker looked at her father with amusement.
“That woman doesn’t know when to stop talking,” Ed grumbled. “I had to hear about her ten thousand health problems and all the prescription medications she orders online. She wouldn’t stop talking! I kept trying to cut the conversation short but she had me trapped.”
“She buys prescription medications online? That doesn’t sound safe,” Parker remarked.
“Don’t tell Betty that! She thinks she’s really smart because she knows how to surf the Internet. She does the e-Bay, the e-mail, the whole shebang. Most folks here don’t. But guess what? Betty isn’t smart. That annoying woman is dumber than a bag of rocks!”
“Dad!” Clarissa exclaimed, trying not to laugh. “That’s a horrible thing to say!”
“Well it’s true,” her father said defensively. “If she had half a brain, she never would have flirted up a storm with a guy like
Bobby Bates. And she certainly wouldn’t still be ranting and raving about how much she hates him! I mean, the man is dead, for Pete’s sake!”
“Are you saying mean things about Betty again?” Clarissa’s mother asked as she joined them in the kitchen. She shot Ed a disapproving look. “Betty can be a little quirky sometimes, but you know she means well. I think you’re just jealous.”
“Jealous? What could I possibly be jealous about?” Ed snorted.
Constance gave him A Look. “She knows how to use a computer. You don’t.”
“I do so,” Ed insisted.
Constance rolled her eyes. “Knowing where the power button is doesn’t count.”
“Yes it does,” Ed grumbled.
With a sigh, Constance explained, “I bought your father a laptop as a gift when he retired. I thought it would be a nice hobby for him, learning how to use the Internet. When we moved here, I even signed him up for a computer class. It’s an introductory class for seniors that the library puts on and –”
“I’m not a senior!” Ed interrupted.
Constance smirked. “Of course not, dear. But you sure sing a different tune when we go to restaurants that offer discounts to seniors. Then you’re more than happy to announce to anyone who will listen that you’re a man of a certain age.”
“That’s different,” Ed said grumpily.
“I can take a look at your laptop with you, if you like,” Parker offered. “I’m no expert, but I know a thing or two about computers. I can help you get set up with an email address, at least. Then you’ll have a new way to keep in touch with Clarissa.”
“Don’t!” Clarissa whispered, kicking Parker under the table.
“Okay,” Ed agreed. “If it means I don’t have to listen to Betty flap her gums, I’m in.”
“You’re a saint!” Constance exclaimed happily. “I mean it, Parker. You’re a saint!”
“You’re going to regret doing this,” Clarissa cautioned under her breath.
As Parker and Ed disappeared into the study, Constance gave Clarissa a weird smile.
“Is something wrong with your face? Are you having a stroke?” Clarissa demanded.
The Name of the Game is Murder (A Clarissa Spencer Cozy Mystery Book 6) Page 7
