by Mary Abshire
“Spencer, what exactly did Susan say before she left?” Nandi asked as she came to stand next to him. She wore a long white coat over her clothes. The Indian had tanned skin and the color of her eyes matched her shoulder-length black hair.
Carol pushed away from the desk and came rolling toward him on her chair. “Kurt didn’t say much before he left. I heard from a couple other nurses that she freaked out.”
The gossip on the floor all morning long had been about Susan. Every time someone mentioned her name, he wanted pound his fist into something. Another baby was dead thanks to the demon, but nobody knew it except him and Emily. Kurt, a nurse named Tina, and Andrew had been in the NICU room when Susan got the call about Justine. The demon put on a good show as Andrew had suspected she would do. After she rushed out, Tina couldn’t keep her mouth shut about what had happened.
“Susan told us something happened to Justine and she had to leave. That’s all she said,” Andrew told Nandi.
“Did you hear her talking on the phone when she got the call?” Carol asked.
“She was a bit loud and kept asking what was wrong.”
Carol looked up at Nandi. “Tina said she was yelling on the phone and sounded panicky.”
Nandi shifted her gaze to Andrew.
“Like I said, she was loud. She said something happened, then rushed out the door,” Andrew said before he turned around to face his monitor.
“She’d told me she thought Justine was doing better,” Nandi said.
“I heard Justine was adopted,” Carol said.
“Yes, she told me that, but I believed she loved the baby all the same,” Nandi said.
Andrew tried to focus on entering his notes in the computer while the two chatted. If he had to answer any more questions about Susan, he would scream.
He checked the time at the bottom corner. Two minutes remained. He finished his note and then hit the save button. As soon as the hour showed seven, he clocked out from the time-management application. Since he hadn’t brought anything to work with him other than his phone and some money, he could walk out without stopping at the locker room. His thoughts turned to Emily and excitement coursed through him. He couldn’t wait another minute to see the woman he loved.
Andrew rose from his seat. “Ladies, have a good morning and afternoon.”
“You too,” Carol said.
“Take care,” Nandi said.
He waved at them as he walked away from the station.
Andrew took the elevator instead of the stairs. He looked forward to sharing his new plan with Emily. When he’d spoken to her earlier, it had been about her speaking with Mark. The last time he talked to her had been about Susan’s reaction to Mark’s call. He’d completely forgotten to inform her about his plot to destroy the demon. Work had picked up and he’d never had a chance to call her back again. Not a big deal. Now that his shift was over, he could tell her everything.
He strode from the elevator, smiling. The aroma of coffee lingered in the lobby. Several people were standing in line to get a cup of java. Most of them were dressed in scrubs. The sun shined bright into the hospital from the glass windows in the front. Andrew gave a nod to the two ladies sitting by the information desk before he walked out the door.
Emily had parked in the aisle facing him. He stopped at the curb as she steered the Jeep toward him. Heat from the sun warmed his face. As soon as she brought the vehicle to a halt, he hopped inside.
“Can I just say I am incredibly glad to see you?” he said after he shut the car door.
She leaned forward over the seat divider and he met her lips. “I know the feeling.”
“Any new developments?” he asked as he took in her appearance. She wore jeans and a dark-blue short-sleeved blouse with light blue flowers on it. The color made her eyes seem more luminous. The low neckline held his attention. He saw a hint of her cleavage.
She drove away from the hospital. “I saw them downstairs for a long time. I didn’t see Brian or Sara, so I guess they were sleeping in their rooms. Mark and Susan turned off all the lights around three. I checked before I left and it didn’t appear anyone had woken up yet.”
“Everyone at work is talking about her getting the call and leaving. I’m so sick of hearing about it. They have no idea she killed Justine or the baby last week.”
“I want that bitch dead.”
“Me too.”
“Soon,” she said with greater emphasis.
“I have a plan.”
She took her eyes off the road briefly. “After everything that happened today, you were able to come up with a plan?”
“I’m going to lure her into the medicine supply room in the maternity ward, inject her with the poison, and then destroy the demon. I have a key to the utility closet where I can hide her body until I can get a cart. Once I get the cart, I’ll put her body in it, cover her, and then wheel her to one of the rooms in the basement. They won’t find her and if they do, we’ll be long gone.”
He’d already checked out the rooms on his morning break. The utility closet was left unlocked, but the key was on a ring with others at one of the desks at the NICU workstation. Kurt had told him about the keys when he’d first started working, but Andrew hadn’t thought about using them. Nobody touched them since doors were left unlocked. The closet was the perfect place to hide a body temporarily.
“What about the cameras? They’ll record you two going in the room together,” Emily said. “Then they will only see you leaving.”
“I don’t care. Besides, by the time they review the footage, we will be gone.”
She tightened her grip on the steering wheel and her brows drew closer together.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“I’m wondering if you wait until the end of her shift, you could tell people you saw her leave early. That way they won’t look for her.”
“Good thinking.” He loved his smart and sexy woman.
Her grip hadn’t eased up and neither had the tension in her face. “They will check the hospitals cameras at some point and they’ll put the pieces of the puzzle together.”
“But they will need a body and we will be gone.”
“You’re exposing yourself.”
“I don’t care. I can’t wait anymore. I can’t let another child die,” he said strongly. He understood her concern, but he refused to budge from his stance. No amount of great sex could sway him.
“I understand. I really do,” she said as she glanced at him.
“So you’re not going to try to talk me out of this?”
“It’s not my favorite plan, but it’s the only one right now. How can I talk you out of it when there aren’t any other options? Waiting is definitely not one.”
Relief drifted through him. He’d figured she would worry about him. It warmed his heart to know she supported him. “I’m glad you agree. I’m going to start carrying a bottle of poison with me.”
“She might not return to work tomorrow.”
“We don’t know that for sure. She may return and say work is a distraction from grief. As if the demon felt sadness.” He scoffed. “What a joke.”
“Well, if she does, great. But if not, I guess we have to wait until she does.”
“I’m killing that bitch the minute I can get a chance. I can’t stand to be in the same room with her.”
A smile emerged on her face. He wondered what she was thinking while he marveled at her beauty. He loved to see her happy. In a flash, he realized that he hadn’t asked how she was doing. How inconsiderate of him.
“How are you feeling?”
She briefly gave him her attention. “Tired from staying up, but otherwise fine.”
His gaze lowered to her breasts. He imagined groping them before sucking on her nipples. The vision woke up his cock. He wondered if she’d have the energy to fool around, but he didn’t dare ask. He didn’t want to pressure her into anything and he most certainly wanted to avoid any impression he was only inte
rested in sex. That was not the case.
After she steered down another street leading them toward their home, she glanced at him. “I have to admit, I’m impressed you came up with a plan after everything that happened this morning. I mean, I knew you were smart. But with the death, dealing with her at work, dealing with me… It’s a lot. And you got through it. I think you deserve a reward.”
Her words boosted his confidence and raised other things. “What kind of reward?”
She curled her luscious lips. He wanted to claim them. Thankfully, they were almost home so he could have them.
“I have an idea for one,” she said. “And I think you’ll be pleased.”
His erection stiffened more. Although the morning had been busy and the demon had killed another baby, he’d managed to plot the demon’s demise. Anger had fueled him for so many hours, but once he’d gazed at Emily, his love for her had taken over. He didn’t want to harp on the deaths and the frustrations anymore since it would only drive him madder. He’d get revenge and bring an end to the demon’s evil ways. So, if Emily wanted to praise him for his new plan, he’d gladly accept her reward.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Emily leaned against a pillow and stretched her legs out along the length of the sofa. The cushions cooled her flesh. She tugged down Andrew’s scrub shirt between her thighs and then crossed her ankles. She’d taken his top from the bedroom floor where he’d left after she’d stripped him in the early morning. She’d needed something to wear after she left him sleeping in bed. Since she didn’t want to wake him, she scooped up the closest piece of clothing. The baggy shirt looked horrible on her and came down too low on her chest, but at least it covered her.
Sunlight spilled into the house from the patio and other windows. She lay on the sofa facing the wall. She managed to get a few hours of sleep after she’d rewarded him, but that was it. Her concern about his plan had remained constant. Although his scheme would work, the police would eventually find Andrew a suspect and would search for him. Yes, they would be gone, but like Emily, he would become wanted by the law. It could make his task of finding the remaining demons more difficult.
She’d lied in bed with the sleeping angel for a while, wracking her brain to figure out another way for him to kill Susan with minimal exposure. She thought she had one idea that might work. If Emily was right, Mark and Susan would have a funeral for Justine. And if they did, they would probably invite people to a gathering afterward. The parents would be distraught, grieving over their baby. If Andrew could get her alone in a room, he could inject her and destroy the demon. Sometime later, someone would notice her missing and would find her. Shock would spread and police would arrive to question everyone, but all would think the mourning mother had a heart attack. An autopsy would reveal the same unless they found the drug in her system. And even then the source of the poison would be too difficult to trace since it originated from an octopus. Police wouldn’t suspect anyone from the hospital. By all accounts, Susan’s death would appear to have been caused by deep heartache. The only problem she could find in her plan was getting Susan away with Andrew for fifteen minutes without anyone noticing.
The soft patter of feet on the hardwood floor drew her attention to the hallway. Andrew walked toward her wearing only his boxers.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, I couldn’t sleep anymore.” She ran a hand over her head, brushing her bangs and long locks back from her face.
Andrew circled around the sofa until he reached her. She bent her knees so he could sit. Once he did, he pulled her feet so her legs stretched over his lap.
“That shirt looks awful on you,” he said.
She lifted a shoulder. Her hair probably looked messy too, but she didn’t care.
“What’s wrong?” He smoothed his hand over one of her legs. His touch warmed her, the heat spread up to her apex.
“Can’t sleep.”
“Besides that, what’s wrong?”
She inhaled a deep breath as she considered the best way to convince him to use her plan. He had a good one, but she feared it would cause too much trouble down the road. She didn’t want him to think his scheme was bad or hurt his feelings. So how could she sway him?
He inched one hand up her thigh. “If you don’t tell me what’s bothering you, I have ways to find out.”
Smiling, she brought her hand down on his, halting his movement. She had a good idea what tactics he’d use to get her to talk. While she would enjoy them, now wasn’t the time for such fun and pleasure.
“I’m worried about your plan,” she said.
He tilted his head back as if he were giving a single nod. “You might be worrying too much.”
“Might?” She found it comical how he was trying to be nice instead of blunt. Of course, she fretted about him and his tasks. She wanted him to succeed. She loved him.
“The exposure bothers you, am I right?”
“Once you become a person of interest, then you have to take more precautions. The police will be looking for you and if they find you…”
“This is the only option I have for destroying the demon. Will it make life more difficult? Sure, but we can still move forward.”
“It might not be the only option.”
He narrowed his gaze at her. “What other one is there? And don’t say it involves Troy.”
“No, no. It has nothing to do with him.”
The tension in his brows lessened. “Then tell me.”
“I’m willing to bet they’ll have a funeral and a reception afterward. All you would have to do at the gathering is get her away in a room, give her the poison, do your job, then leave her. I could watch out and make sure nobody would notice the two of you gone.”
“But someone will notice eventually.”
“Yes, and when she is found, everyone will think the grief was too much and she had a heart attack. With all the people at a funeral, it might be easy to get away. Everyone will be busy talking and eating.”
“I have just as much chance of being seen with her at a funeral reception as I would at the hospital. In fact, I have more immediate exposure.”
That fear had surfaced in her mind, but there wasn’t a guarantee that someone would see him. In the hospital, the cameras would record him going into a room with her and leaving with a large laundry bin later. At that point, who wouldn’t think he’d killed her?
“It’s possible nobody will see you with her because people will be too busy doing other things,” she argued. “I never said my idea was perfect. It’s another option to consider.”
“Both of them have risks. The sooner I can kill her, the greater chance the babies in the NICU have for living. Sara and Brian will be free from harm from her.”
“I agree with you. She has to be destroyed as soon as you can get to her.”
“Then how about this… I take the poison and go back to work as normal tonight. If she shows, I follow through with my plan. If she doesn’t return to work, then I wait until the funeral reception.”
Her anxiety calmed a bit more as she contemplated his position. They had no way of knowing if she’d return to work or wait until after the funeral. In either option, Andrew would get his opportunity to kill Susan.
“I can agree to that,” Emily said. “Keep a bottle with you at work and be ready.”
A wide smile formed on his face. “Now that we’ve settled that matter, how about we go back to bed for a while?”
The thought held some appeal, but she had another one.
“Or, we could take a long hot shower together and then I can fix something to eat,” she said.
He put his hand on her foot. Slowly, he brought his delicate touch up her leg. “I think we have time to shower, eat, and then go back to bed for a little bit since I don’t have to be at work until five tomorrow morning.”
The angel was smart. No one idea was better than the other. Both worked, so how could she refuse? They made great partners together.
She lifted her knees and swung them off his lap. “I’ll get the water ready.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Andrew strode down the hall toward the NICU workstation. The floor had quieted from earlier. Doors were shut and the ones open were either empty or had sleeping patients. The silence was a welcome relief to his ears and head. Since he’d arrived at work over six hours ago, he’d been in the maternity ward assisting doctors. Three mothers had finally given birth and he’d been in the rooms during each. He couldn’t be sure which scream had caused the ache in his head, but he was leaning toward the mothers’.
He rubbed his temple as he passed the windows overlooking the babies in the NICU. Debbie and another new nurse were inside taking care of the infants. There was no sign of Susan. He’d briefly checked in with Kurt when he’d first clocked in to work. Kurt had said Susan had called and said she wouldn’t be there. Andrew never got a chance to ask any questions before a doctor had showed up needing help. He wondered if Susan planned to take off time to mourn the loss of Justine.
Andrew waved to the nurses as he walked by and headed for the workstation. Frustration irritated his headache. He’d hoped to destroy the demon and had brought a tube of the poison. Now it seemed he’d have to wait.
Kurt sat at the desk in the back, staring at the computer monitor. Debbie was on the phone and lifted her hand at Andrew as he strode into the work area. He stopped next to Kurt and withdrew his phone from his pocket. The time showed almost noon.
“Did they finally let you leave?” Kurt asked before he rolled his chair back to face Andrew.
Andrew rubbed his forehead. “Three mothers gave birth and each one screamed at the top of their lungs.”
