Murder at the Clinic: A Midwest Cozy Mystery

by Dianne Harman

  “I’d like to go shopping with you, Kat. Since I’m going to be moving in, I think I should have some say in what you get, plus I’d like to help with the cost.”

  “You’re really serious about this, aren’t you, Blaine?”

  “More than serious. I’d call it determined. So what color of appliances are we going to get? Actually, I think this is perfect timing. Right after they get married and at the reception, we can announce our upcoming marriage. What do you think?”

  “You’re assuming I’d say yes if you formally asked me, so what I think is the same thing I said a few minutes ago. I need a little more time to think about it.”

  “All right, I can live with that, although I want you to understand I’m saying that grudgingly. Sorry to have to end the call, but I need to prepare for a court case I have tomorrow. What’s on your agenda for tomorrow?” he asked.

  “Not much. I’m pretty serious about writing the book I mentioned earlier. I’d like to see if I can write successfully in another genre. I have a 10:00 appointment in the morning with Mitzi for my bi-weekly acupuncture treatment. After that I’ll probably come home and write the rest of the day.”

  “Seriously, Kat? You’re still going to her for that needle treatment stuff? Gives me the willies to even think about someone sticking needles in me. I really don’t understand why anyone would consent to having someone jab needles in them. Sounds kind of masochistic to me.”

  “Blaine, it’s a very ancient form of Eastern healing. The needles are inserted in several points called acupuncture points on a meridian for whatever ailment you have. My back is my problem. I’m sure I’ve developed arthritis, and I probably aggravate it by spending so much time sitting in front of my computer. I always feel better after a treatment, and I don’t even feel the needles. Matter of fact, I don’t even see them because I lie down on my front, and Mitzi inserts the needles in my back, above and below my waist. She applies a little electrical stimulus to four of the needles to activate the chi, that stands for energy in oriental medicine, and promote the healing. You may not think much of it, but acupuncture has really become a mainstream form of medical treatment in the last few years.”

  “I think you told me Mitzi teaches at the university, so it must have come into the mainstream if it’s taught at a small university here in Kansas.”

  “It has, plus Mitzi told me she’s being considered for the position of assistant dean of the department. That would be a pretty big deal.”

  “Does she have any competition, because that really does sound like a pretty big deal.”

  “From what she told me there’s another doctor who also teaches at the university who’s being considered. She not crazy about him.”

  “That’s not unusual,” Blaine said. “Whenever the stakes are high there’s usually some friction between the ones being considered. Any idea when she’ll find out if she got the job?”

  “No. I’ll ask her when I see her tomorrow. You better go prepare for your case. I don’t want to be the reason you’re not fully prepared,” she said laughing.

  “I will, but first I want to tell you that I love you. I know I’ve never said it before, but when you’re considering our future, I’d like you to know I’m truly and hopelessly in love with you.”

  Kat’s mouth seemed to outpace her brain, because she responded, “I love you, too.” As soon as she said it she looked at her phone in amazement, not believing what she’d just said.

  Blaine was quiet for a moment and then said, “You’ve just made me the happiest man in the world. You may not be ready to fully share your love, but I already know it’s going to happen sometime very soon. Sweet dreams.”

  After she ended the call Kat sat for several moments in silence. Finally, she stood up and walked over to the back door, calling the dogs to come in. She knew her heart had said what her brain hadn’t been able to and because of that, her world would never again be the same.

  CHAPTER 8

  Kat opened the door to the acupuncture clinic at the university and walked over to the reception desk. “Hi, Rochelle, I have a 10:00 appointment this morning with Dr. Green.”

  “Of course, Mrs. Denham. Please follow me, and I’ll show you which treatment room you’ll be in.” She opened the door and said, “This is my favorite room. It seems more cheerful and airy because of the window, even though we keep it closed. Dr. Green will be with you shortly.”

  Kat unsnapped and unzipped her jeans, knowing Mitzi would have to pull them down as well a push her blouse up in order to apply an acupuncture treatment to her low back area. She sat for a few minutes thinking about the book she was going to start when she got home.

  There was a knock on the door, and Mitzi walked in wearing a doctor’s white coat. “Kat, good to see you again. I thoroughly enjoyed lunch yesterday, but I have to say the rest of the day went downhill. Please lie down on the treatment table and get comfortable, and I’ll get started.”

  While Mitzi inserted a number of small fine needles in her low back Kat asked, “What happened after you left? By the way, Lacie and Blaine both have thoughts on how I can spruce up the house in preparation for the wedding. It’s going to make me get around to doing some things I’ve been putting off. Now tell me about yesterday.”

  Mitzi told her about her conversations with Rochelle, Dr. Warren, and finally Rex. When she’d concluded, she said, “I am so glad yesterday is over. I can’t imagine having a worse day.”

  “Any idea when Dr. Warren is going to make his decision?” Kat asked.

  “No, but last night I decided I don’t care what happens, and that my marriage to Rex is far more important. If Dr. Nguyen is named as assistant dean, maybe it’s for the best. I really want to make this marriage work, and I’m thoroughly committed to it. Kat, I just attached electrodes to four of the needles. I’ll touch you where you should feel it, and when you feel a slight electrical tingle, let me know.”

  A few minutes later they heard Rochelle say, “Good morning, Mrs. Hendrick. Please follow me. You can go in this treatment room. Dr. Green will be with you shortly.”

  “Everything okay, Kat?” Mitzi asked.

  “Yes, I’m fine, I can feel a little tingling where you attached the electrodes.”

  “Okay. I need to get Mrs. Hendrick set up. I’ll be back and check on you in a few minutes. Just relax.” She turned off the overhead light as she walked out and left the door slightly ajar.

  Several minutes went by and Kat continued to feel the slight electrical impulse from the electrodes attached to the needles. She spent the time planning her book, but was frustrated by what she felt was the lack of any exciting action in the story.

  Well, since the whole thing is a figment of my imagination anyway, I’ll just have to create some sort of exciting action. Once I start writing, it will probably come to me.

  There was a knock on the door to her room, and Kat heard Dr. Green say, “Everything okay?”

  “Yes, I’m fine,” Kat answered.

  “Good, you only have ten minutes more. I’ll be back when the machine chimes to let me know your treatment is finished.”

  After what must have been ten minutes, the chimes went off, and the gentle electric pulsation in her lower back stopped. A moment later Dr. Green came into the room. “That will do it for today, Kat. I’ll give you a call in a day or so, and we can start making plans for the wedding. I’m going to be talking to a caterer and a florist, but I’d like your input before I meet with either of them. Is that okay with you?”

  “Fine, Mitzi. See you then.” Kat fastened her jeans and walked out to the reception desk. “Okay, Rochelle, how much do I owe?”

  “It will be $65.00. How do you want to pay?”

  “Please put it on my Visa. Let me get it out of my purse.” As Kat was unzipping her purse she heard Mitzi shout in a loud voice, “Rochelle, quick, call 911. Tell them there’s a medical emergency and to get here immediately.”

  Kat hurried down the hall to where Mitzi’s
voice had come from and walked into one of the treatment rooms. Mitzi was standing next to a woman who was lying on her back on a treatment table. Her eyes were closed, and from what Kat observed, she wasn’t breathing.

  “Mitzi, what’s wrong?” Kat asked, putting her hand on Mitzi’s shoulder which was shaking. “What’s happened?”

  “I have no idea. I walked into the room when there was about ten more minutes left for her treatment and asked Sandy if she was all right. She didn’t answer, so I turned on the light. I looked at her and asked her again. She never answered because she’s dead. I can’t believe this. I knew she had high blood pressure, but every time she’s come here her blood pressure has been much lower after a treatment. I check it before and after.”

  Soon they both heard a siren and within minutes the room was filled with firemen and emergency medical technicians. They took Sandy Hendrick’s vital signs and tried to restart her heart. Their efforts were in vain. She was dead. After several minutes, one of the paramedics covered her body with a sheet and said, “I need to call the county coroner. The body can’t be moved until he officially pronounces her dead, and I’ve already notified the police. Even though it looks like she probably had a heart attack, it’s part of our standard operating procedure which we’re required to follow. Her next of kin also needs to be notified.”

  Mitzi stammered, “I’ll get her file and take care of notifying her husband. I know it’s a second marriage, and she doesn’t have any children. I don’t know what happened. She was fine when she came in.”

  With tears rolling down her cheeks, Mitzi walked out of the room accompanied by Kat. By the time they’d walked to the front desk, several policemen had arrived and were walking back to the treatment room where Sandy Hendrick’s body was.

  “Who’s in charge here?” a portly mustached policemen asked.

  “I’m Dr. Green,” Mitzi said. “What do you need from me?”

  The policeman said, “I’m Detective Shafer. I’ll be investigating the woman’s death. I need to take a statement from you and your receptionist. Was anyone else here when you discovered her?”

  “My receptionist, Rochelle was here. The only other person that was here in the clinic this morning is Mrs. Denham,” Mitzi said, nodding in Kat’s direction.

  “Mrs. Denham, you need to stay here until I’ve had an opportunity to talk to you. I don’t know yet if this is a murder case, but I’m not going to take any chances. Although it doesn’t look like it, there’s always a chance it was. Each of you is considered to be a suspect until we find out how the decedent died. Dr. Green, do you have an office I can use?”

  “Yes. I need to call the decedent’s husband first, if you don’t mind.”

  “Dr. Green, I’ll take care of that for you,” Rochelle said. “I’ll just tell her husband I’m calling on your behalf.”

  Mitzi motioned for the detective to follow her down the hall to her office. He turned to Kat and said, “I don’t know how long this will take, but if you have something else scheduled, you might want to cancel it. From what I hear there aren’t any signs of foul play, but sometimes that doesn’t mean much.”

  For some reason, Kat happened to be looking at Rochelle when the policemen spoke to her, and when she thought about it later, she would swear that just for a moment, a fleeting smile had crossed Rochelle’s face. It happened so quickly she wondered if she’d imagined it.

  CHAPTER 9

  An hour and a half later, after the coroner and his assistant had taken Sandy Hendrick’s body to the county morgue, and the police and firemen had left, Kat felt she could leave as well.

  “Mitzi, I’m going to leave now. Why don’t you do the same? Have Rochelle call your patients and cancel the rest of your appointments for today. I’m sure you could use some quiet time after the events of this morning.”

  “I wish I could, Kat, but as backed up as my appointments are now because of this, I really need to get busy. People come to me to be healed, and I can’t let them down.” She turned to Rochelle. “I haven’t had a chance to ask you, but were you able to get in touch with Sandy’s husband?”

  “Yes. I called him at the work number that was in her file. Naturally he was shocked. He thanked me for calling and said he was certain it had something to do with her high blood pressure.”

  “As tragic as this is,” Mitzi said, “I hope the same thing. Certainly there weren’t any signs of foul play, but having someone die when they’re in your care is not a pleasant experience. I’ll bet Dr. Nguyen will spread it all over as soon as he hears about it, if he hasn’t already.”

  “Did the coroner say when he’d have the autopsy report?” Kat asked.

  “He said he was going to conduct the autopsy this afternoon. Evidently it takes several hours. He also mentioned the report itself probably wouldn’t be available for at least a week, and if they found something unusual, maybe longer. That’s one full week my reputation is bound to suffer. I’m sure some people will think I had something to do with it,” Mitzi said.

  “You know, Blaine, the man I’ve been seeing a lot of lately, is the district attorney. I’ll bet he knows the coroner. Maybe he can get the process speeded up. I’ll call him when I get home. Is there anything else I can do for you before I leave?”

  “No, Kat, thanks for offering. I’m sorry you were involved, but I have to say I’m glad you were here. You kept me from falling apart. I’ll call you tonight. I need to let all of this sink in. Thanks again.”

  Kat walked to her car, feeling very unsettled. It was bad enough to have someone die in the treatment room next to hers, but there was a thought that hadn’t been voiced by either Kat or Mitzi. What if Sandy Hendrick’s death wasn’t caused by her high blood pressure? If that was the case, she wondered if Mitzi would be a suspect, or even if she herself would be. The detective had hinted as much. She definitely needed to talk to Blaine.

  As soon as she got home she opened the back door to let Jazz and Rudy out. The makeshift doggie screen door could work for the rest of the afternoon. She walked down the hall, went into her office, and took her phone out of her purse. A moment later she heard Blaine’s voicemail. She asked him to call her when he had a minute, remembering he’d told her last night he’d be in court today.

  She sat down at her computer, checked her messages, and then brought up the Word document she’d started and saved yesterday afternoon. She saw the working title for the book she’d been thinking about, “Murder and Acupuncture.” She looked down at the screen and couldn’t believe what she’d typed yesterday. It was as if her fingers must have had a life of their own when they typed it. She didn’t consciously remember her brain linking to her fingers and typing the words she saw displayed on the screen before her.

  While she was staring at the screen, her phone rang and she saw Blaine’s name appear on the screen. “I am so glad you called,” she began. He quickly interrupted her.

  “Kat, are you all right?” he asked worriedly.

  “Yes, why do you ask?”

  “I just got a call from the county coroner. He notifies me whenever there’s been a death, so I’ll be in the loop in case it turns out criminal activity was involved. When he notified me a death had occurred at the acupuncture clinic at the university, all I could think of was you told me you had an appointment there this morning. I panicked. Poor guy. I remember practically yelling into the phone, ‘What’s the name of the decedent?’ When he told me, and I realized it wasn’t you, it took me a couple of minutes to regain enough composure to explain to him why I wanted to know.”

  “Oh, Blaine, that’s sweet.”

  “No, it’s not sweet. It made me realize more than ever that I want you to be my wife. That just sealed it. Kat, will you marry me?”

  She was quiet for several moments and then she said, “Although this has to be about the strangest circumstance surrounding a marriage proposal anyone’s probably ever had, the answer is yes, Blaine, yes.”

  “Tell you what,” he said
. “Let’s get married this fall at the country club. I’ll do the old-fashioned thing and not move in until after we’re married. As soon as I finish with this case, I’ll get a proper engagement ring for you. Any preferences?”

  “No. This whole conversation is surreal. I just said yes to marrying a man on the phone. He’s in court, and I spent all morning with a dead woman. This sounds like something out of a novel. Actually, I may put it in a novel.”

  “I’ll come by tonight after I get out of court, and we can work out some of the details for our wedding. You know I’ve never been married before. Do you think I should wear white?” he asked laughing.

  “Since nothing else about this whole conversation has been traditional, why not have the groom wear white? Blaine, I need you to be serious for a few minutes.”

  “You’re right. I was probably out of line with that last comment, but trust me, I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life when it comes to making you my wife.”

  “No, you weren’t out of line at all. The coroner said he was going to conduct the autopsy on the dead woman, Sandy Hendrick, this afternoon. I know that tests often need to be done to positively confirm something, and it may take weeks, but isn’t there some way to get a preliminary report earlier than that? The reason I’m asking is even though there’s no reason for it, there’s bound to be a dark cloud hanging over Mitzi’s reputation until the death is determined to have been caused by natural causes. I can’t believe this will be good for her acupuncture practice, particularly given the fact she’s being considered for the job of assistant dean.”

  “I’ve known Greg Santos for a long time. That’s the coroner’s name. As a matter of fact, we usually play golf on Saturdays at the club during the summer. I’ll give him a call and see if he can give me an expedited report, or even release one to the press saying the death was due to natural causes. However, there is something you need to think about, Kat.”