Mitzi was quiet for several minutes realizing that with her answer she was effectively accusing someone of murder. She looked at the others who were waiting expectantly and slowly began to speak. “As much as I’d like to say it was Dr. Nguyen, I don’t think it could have been. He would have no way of knowing which room Sandy would be put in. Rochelle is the one who determines which patient goes in which room. As much as I hate to believe it was her, I don’t think it could have been anyone else. If she is having an affair with Matt Hendrick, as we’ve been led to believe by what Nick’s employee saw today, that could be the motive.”
“Wait a minute,” Detective Shafer said. “What’s this about an affair between Rochelle and Matt Hendrick? I know nothing about that.”
Kat filled him in on what Sol, the investigator who worked for Nick, had found out, as well as his employee who had observed Matt driving into Rochelle’s garage.
The burly detective was quiet for a moment as he absorbed the information, then he said, “Let’s get back to those needles for a minute, Dr. Green. The needle box was dusted for fingerprints, and we found yours, Dr. Nguyen’s, and Rochelle’s on them. Is that normal?”
“Yes, Dr. Nguyen and I rotate treatment days and Rochelle restocks the needle boxes for us.”
“Dr. Green, do you make notes on the patient’s chart as to how many needles you inserted and where?”
“Always. Each condition for which we provide treatment has a prescribed number of needles, kind of like a recipe. We’re also required to keep very detailed and accurate records, particularly for patients who are covered by insurance.”
The detective leaned forward in his seat. “If it’s Rochelle, she could easily find out how many needles you would be using on Mrs. Hendrick and could put just that number of them in a box. Is that correct?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Dr. Green, do you remember anything special about that particular box of needles?”
“Yes. I remember thinking I needed to tell Rochelle to get a new box, because I used the last of the needles on Sandy.” She sat back and said, “Everything fits, now the problem is, how do we get her to admit she was the one who murdered Sandy?”
“I don’t think she’ll admit it voluntarily, but while you were talking I thought of a way we could catch her,” Kat said. She spent the next ten minutes telling them about it.
When she was finished, Blaine stood up and said, “Kat, please don’t even consider it. That’s way too dangerous for you.”
“Actually, Mrs. Denham,” Detective Shafer said, “it’s an excellent plan. I promise you’ll have all the police protection you need.”
“I have the distinct feeling that what I think about this hare-brained scheme doesn’t matter, so Kat, will you do me one favor?” Blaine asked.
“What’s that?”
“I’d like Rudy to be with you.”
CHAPTER 25
The following morning promptly at 9:00 when the acupuncture clinic opened, Kat called and when the phone was answered, said, “Good morning, Rochelle. It’s Kat Denham. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but I’m so depressed I could barely get out of bed this morning. I remember Mitzi telling me once she’s had good success treating people with depression. Although she’s only treated me for my backaches before, I want to see if acupuncture can help with my depression. Could you schedule an appointment for me this afternoon?”
“I’m sure we can fit you in. Let me look at the computer and see what I have open.” She was quiet for a few minutes. “Mrs. Denham, she can see you at 4:00 this afternoon. Actually her last appointment for today left a message on our answerphone that he needed to cancel his appointment, so 4:00 is available. Will that work for you?”
“Yes. Oh, by the way, I understand you’ve been seeing Matt Hendrick. Certainly was convenient that his wife died, wasn’t it, but you don’t need to worry. Mum’s the word as far as I’m concerned. I won’t say anything to the detective who’s investigating the case. See you this afternoon.”
After Kat ended the call, Rochelle sat in stunned silence, simply staring at the phone, not believing what she’d just heard.
How could she possibly know I’m seeing Matt? I wonder what else she knows? What did she mean by saying it was convenient his wife died? I wonder if she knows about the needles? I wonder if she’s talked to anyone?
Even though she was churning inside, on the outside Rochelle acted as if nothing had happened. She greeted the patients, took them to their treatment rooms, restocked supplies as necessary and did what she normally did in the acupuncture clinic. She spent the rest of the morning finalizing a plan in her head and at noon, she walked down the hall to Mitzi’s office. She said, “I have this sick feeling I left the burner on when I cooked my oatmeal this morning. I’m going home for lunch and double check.”
“That’s fine. My last patient for this morning just left, and I don’t have another one until 2:00 this afternoon. Take your time.”
I’ll take my time, all right. I’m just glad when I originally treated some of the needles with Digoxin I made extra ones. You never know when some poisonous needles will come in handy. From what I read the Digoxin should still be effective. Glad I thought to put them in the back of my linen closet rather than throw them out. I think I need to call Matt and tell him what I’ve done. After I take care of Mrs. Denham, I’ll pick him up at work, and we can leave town. He always said how much he’d like to live with me. Well, now’s his chance.
*****
At 2:00 Kat’s phone rang and she saw Detective Shafer’s name on her screen. “Good afternoon, Detective. Are you calling to wish me good luck?”
“No, but I think you may need it. I believe your proposed sting operation is going to work. I just had a call from Matt Hendrick. When I spoke with him the day of the murder, I questioned him extensively about his wife’s prescriptions and everything else. I told him that although I didn’t consider him a suspect, I didn’t want him to leave town until the case was solved.”
“That’s pretty much what you told me, too,” Kat said.
“That’s true, but when he called he told me he just had a troubling call from a woman he’d been seeing. He admitted he’d been having an affair with Rochelle Salazar. She called to tell him she had something she needed to do this afternoon, and now that his wife was dead they were free to live together just like he’d told her he wanted to. Then she went on to tell him she knew how unhappy he’d been in his marriage, and she’d taken care of it for him.”
“Wow! That’s kind of like admitting she did it.”
“That’s not all. She said she wanted to pick him up when he got off work today and drive across the country to someplace where they could start a new life together. He said he never got a chance to answer because she said she had to go, and she’d see him later.”
“Sounds to me like our plan is going to work,” Kat said.
“I certainly hope so. Two other police officers and I will be outside the front door from the time you enter the clinic. You promised Blaine you’d have Rudy with you. How are you going to handle that?”
“I think it would set off Rochelle’s radar if I took him into the treatment room with me. I’ll leave him in the reception area and tell her I had to take him to the vet before I came, and I didn’t want to leave him in the car during my treatment, because it was too hot for him to stay in the car.”
“That sounds good. You have the wire I gave you, and you’ll be wearing it, right?”
“Yes, and you’ll be able to hear everything she says to me.”
“I called Dr. Green a little while ago and reminded her not to touch the needle box. She said Rochelle told her she was going home for lunch, because she was afraid she’d left the stove on. Let’s talk about Rudy for a minute. Mr. Evans said he was highly trained and will obey both hand signals and verbal commands. If we need his help, is there something I should say?”
“No, what I plan on doing is looking out the
door of the treatment room so I can see what Rochelle’s doing as soon as Dr. Green enters the room. Depending on what happens, I’ll either give Rudy a hand signal or yell a command if it’s needed. By the way, there’s a back door behind the reception counter that leads to the parking lot reserved for doctors. Several buildings share it. You might want to have one of your policemen outside that door.”
“That I didn’t know. Thanks, and I definitely will. Think that’s about it. Good luck, and I’ll see you this afternoon.”
*****
At 4:00 that afternoon Kat opened the clinic door and she and Rudy walked in. “Good afternoon, Rochelle. I brought my dog, Rudy, with me because he had a check-up at the vet this afternoon and they were running late, so I didn’t have time to take him home before my appointment. It’s so hot out I can’t leave him in the car. He won’t be any trouble. He’s very well-behaved, and he’ll just lie down here and wait for me.”
“That’s fine. If you’re ready, I’ll show you to your treatment room. You’re in room number three. Please follow me.”
Kat told Rudy to stay, and she walked down the hall to room number three, sure that Rochelle could hear her wildly beating heart. She steeled herself not to look at the needle box while Rochelle spread the roll of sanitary paper on the treatment table that she changed for each new patient. “There you go. For this treatment you’ll be on your back. Just get comfortable, and Dr. Green will be with you shortly. You might even be able to take a little nap during your treatment.” Kat sat down on the table and Rochelle walked out of the room, leaving the door ajar.
As soon as she left Kat stood up and looked in the needle box. There were only eight needles, and that’s the number of needles the article on the flash drive had indicated were needed for the treatment of depression. Kat shivered involuntarily.
There was a knock on the door and Kat said, “Come in.”
Dr. Green entered the room and winked at Kat. She closed the door and then softly reopened it just a crack. Kat walked over to the door and peeked around the corner. She heard Rochelle slam a drawer shut in her desk and swear. She saw Rochelle open the drawer again and begin frantically pulling things out of it. The drawer Rochelle was pulling things out of was the drawer where Mitzi had found the flash drive.
Kat motioned for Mitzi to come closer so she could whisper in her ear and at the same time whisper into the wire, “I’m sure she’s looking for the flash drive Mitzi took out of the drawer. Now she’s got her purse, and she took her keys out of it. She looks like she’s come unhinged. She’s turning towards the back door. She’s opening it. It’s jammed.” Kat raised her head from where she’d been speaking into the wire and yelled, “Rudy, attack!”
At that moment, the front door flew open, and Detective Shafer and one of his men as well as Blaine rushed into the room. At the same time, Rudy jumped over the counter and pinned Rochelle to the back wall of the reception room. The back door opened and another policeman came in. All of them had their guns drawn. Dr. Green and Kat rushed down the hall and joined them.
“Get this stupid dog off me. He’s going to bite me. Get him off!” Rochelle yelled.
“Rudy, stand down. Come.”
The big Rottweiler looked at Rochelle, let out a low deep growl, and then walked over to where Kat was standing. She gave him a hand signal indicating he was to sit. One policeman subdued Rochelle while the other one handcuffed her.
“Which one is room three?” Detective Shafer asked. “I want to close the door so nothing gets disturbed. I’m treating it as a crime scene, and it’s off limits to everyone. No exceptions. I told my fingerprint expert to be on standby. I’ll give him a call. He turned to Rochelle. “Mrs. Salazar, I’m not charging you with anything at the moment, but if your fingerprints are found on the acupuncture needles, and if there’s poison on the tips of those needles, I will be charging you with the murder of Sandy Hendrick and the attempted murder of Mrs. Denham. I think we have enough evidence along with what Matt Hendrick told me to make sure you spend a long, long time in prison.”
“Matt told you I called? How could he? I killed Sandy, so he and I could be together, just like he wanted.”
“Mrs. Denham, I assume you still have that wire on, and if you do, we now have a full confession on tape. If not, there are enough of us here who heard what she said, so I feel certain it will stand up in court. Yes, Mrs. Salazar, you definitely are going to prison for a long time. You’re under arrest for murdering Sandy Hendrick. By law I need to read you your Miranda rights. Depending on what we find, extra charges will probably be added. Nick, Don, take her in.”
Blaine walked over to Kat and said, “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine, but I have to admit I was a little nervous thinking Rochelle might decide to take one of those needles and plunge it into me. My heart’s beating a mile a minute, and my blood pressure is probably sky high. Maybe I need a treatment for that,” she said laughing. “Now I’ve got a question for you. What are you doing here? That wasn’t part of the plan.”
“Maybe it wasn’t for you, but I knew from the moment you came up with this sting plan of yours, I was going to be here. My day has been a waste. I couldn’t do anything but think about what could go wrong with your plan. Believe me, I’m just as glad as I’m sure you are that this is over.”
The office phone rang and Dr. Green said, “I’ll get it,” as she walked into her office.
A few minutes later Detective Shafer and his fingerprint expert walked out of room three carrying bags of what Kat presumed was evidence. “Mrs. Denham, the department is very indebted to you for what you did today. Somehow, I feel we’re going to be reading about this in a book. Would I be right?” he asked laughing.
“Yes, when I get my beating heart and blood pressure under control, I’ll probably start writing it. Thanks for believing in me. I know you had your doubts in the beginning.”
“My job is to doubt everyone and everything. Think it’s kind of ironic that the district attorney will probably be charging Mrs. Salazar with murder, and he was here when she confessed. Mrs. Denham, you have to admit that is stranger than fiction.” As he walked out the door he turned and gave her a mock salute. “A bit of advice, Mrs. Denham. Maybe it would be better to go back to writing your steamy novels instead of murder mysteries if you’re going to be personally involved in them. Think Mr. Evans would agree.”
“You’ve got that right,” Blaine said.
Blaine turned to Kat, “Well, now that we don’t have to worry about solving a murder mystery, it’s time to start planning a couple of weddings…”
He was interrupted by a scream of glee coming from Dr. Green’s office. They looked at each other in surprise, as she opened her door and screamed again. “Woo Hoo! You are looking at the new Assistant Dean of the Department of Acupuncture.”
“Congratulations! I assume that’s what the call was about,” Kat said.
“Yes. Another case of strange coincidences. Dr. Nguyen went to Dr. Warren’s office this afternoon unannounced. He told him he needed to talk to him. I won’t bore you with all the details, but the bottom line is he’s leaving tonight for Vietnam to visit his ailing father, and he’s accepted a position as an acupuncturist in Hong Kong. His wife is staying here and making the arrangements for their move.” Mitzi said.
She continued, “I probably should ask Detective Shafer to have his computer expert search both Rochelle’s computer and Dr. Nguyen’s to see if the information that was on the flash drive is on either one of their computers. He said he’d give me a call after they did a preliminary search for fingerprints and poison. I’ll tell him then. I imagine that would be part of his case against Rochelle.”
Kat turned to Blaine, “Let’s go plan weddings. I cook when I’m nervous, so you’re going to get a very good dinner tonight.”
“I’ve learned to stay away from cooking when I get nervous,” Mitzi said laughing, “I eat out, and tonight I think I’ll treat Rex to the best dinner in town.
It’s a night for a real celebration. Talk to you later, I need to call him and tell him what’s happened. I have three messages from him as it is. He’s probably a nervous wreck,” she said as she walked back into her office.
As Kat and Blaine walked to their cars, Rudy right next to Kat, he said, “Okay, what are we having for this fine dinner?”
“How does beef wellington sound accompanied by fingerling potatoes and a fresh green salad? For dessert I made mini-cheesecakes, and I’ll serve them with that Italian liqueur, limoncello, and they’ll be topped with vanilla ice cream.”
“How does that sound? Are you crazy? What’s not to like about that? We should have a murder mystery solved every day if it means we get to eat like that.”
“I don’t think so, but now that it’s behind us, I have something to ask you.”
“I’m all ears.”
“I was thinking maybe you should spend the night. In addition to Mitzi and Rex’s wedding, I’d like to get started on ours.”
“Lady, your wish is my command, and I doubt that I have to tell you how long I’ve been looking forward to this.”
“Yeah, me too,” Kat said smiling.
*****
They’d just finished the cheesecakes and limoncello when Kat’s phone rang. “I’d almost rather you didn’t answer it,” Blaine said, “but let me assure you I’m staying, no matter what’s on the other end of that call.”
“Agreed. Oh, it’s Detective Shafer. Maybe he has some news.” She picked up her phone and answered it. “Good evening, Detective. Did you find out anything?” she asked.
He started to talk and she interrupted him, saying, “Let me put you on speakerphone. I know Blaine’s as anxious as I am to hear what you’ve found out.”
Murder at the Clinic: A Midwest Cozy Mystery Page 12
