Mission

by Camilla Chafer

  "Don't worry about me," I said as I took off running, dodging the group of doctors huddled around the doorway of another room and avoiding an orderly pushing a gurney. I barely slowed down when I reached the door marked 'Stairwell' and pushed it open cautiously. No one leapt out at me. I stepped inside and the door closed softly. I peered down over the railings, then up, but saw nothing and heard only silence. I looked down again, noticing something on the landing below mine. Keeping my side to the wall, away from the open stairwell and any chance of an ambush, I jogged down, stooping to look at what caught my eye. A wallet? I picked it up and flipped it open. Manny's face stared up at me from his driver's license. Bank cards and seventy dollars in cash were still inside. He must have dropped it as he ran after the perp or in a scuffle. I stuffed it into my back pocket and continued to descend, quickly but cautiously now that I knew I was going in the right direction. Yet as I cleared the landings, I didn't hear a single sound except my own footsteps.

  "Hey," a weak voice called out.

  I stopped, straining to hear it again. "Who's there?" I called back, expecting a trap. I edged to the railing, leaning over it, preparing to leap backward if someone dared to aim a shot at me. To my surprise, however, I saw Manny slumped against the wall near the exit door, one arm draped across his chest. "Manny?"

  "Who's there?" he asked, looking up as I hurried down to his side. "Lexi?"

  "What happened?" I asked, jumping the last few steps that remained between us. I knelt, assessing his rapidly blackening eye and the blood oozing from his split lip.

  "He got the jump on me," he said. "I think some of my ribs are broken. Here, help me up," he added, raising one arm to hook around my neck. I rose carefully, using my arm to support his back as he got unsteadily to his feet.

  "How do you feel?" I asked.

  "Like hell. This should not have happened."

  "What did happen? Austen said you ran after the guy."

  "I was getting coffee and when I returned, I heard the commotion in Sophie's room just as this guy ran out and shoved me out of his way. He surprised me so I didn’t react as fast as I normally would. Austen yelled out that he hurt Sophie so I took off after him. I was gaining on him when he turned around, grabbed the banister and swung himself around on it, knocking me down. He jumped up and down on my chest. I could hear my ribs breaking," wheezed Manny as he clutched his chest.

  I couldn't disguise the horrified look that crossed my face.

  "If I weren't going so fast, he couldn't have managed to get me to the ground."

  "Did you see who it was?"

  "I can't be sure but..."

  "But?"

  "He looked like Zach. Something about the way he moved, although I never saw his face."

  "Which way did he go?"

  "Through that door. I don't know which way after that. It's been a few minutes. He's gone. Damn it!" Then he let out a string of Spanish words that I vaguely recognized as common curses. "I can't believe I let him get away!"

  "He broke your ribs. You're not Superman," I told him. "We need to get you into the ER."

  "I have to report back to Austen first."

  "You can't climb those stairs. I'll tell him," I said, reaching into my pocket for his wallet. "You dropped this."

  "Thanks," he said, taking it with a sharp intake of breath as he slipped it awkwardly into his jacket pocket. Pain swept his face and he stumbled. It took all my strength and concentration to keep him upright. "Is Austen okay? And Sophie...?" he asked before his voice trailed off and he looked away, like he couldn't bear to hear the news.

  "They're both fine. The doctors are checking on Sophie’s vitals, and Austen seems okay except he might complain of a killer headache later."

  "If it really was Zach... why would he do such a terrible thing to his own sister?" asked Manny.

  I tugged the door open and we stepped into the corridor. "That's what I'm trying to find out," I said. "Let's get you some help first and then I can try to figure it out."

  After taking few steps into the corridor, I called for help. Two nurses rushed towards us, fussing over Manny and ordering him a wheelchair. As I followed them to the ER, I shot a text to Austen, telling him I found Manny and he was okay. I figured Austen needed one less thing to worry about. As soon as Manny was lying down on an ER bed, he waved me away, insisting I was of no further use to anyone by staying with him.

  Reluctantly, I left and headed back to the ICU. Alice waited outside Sophie's room and I could see the back of Austen's head inside as he nodded at something the doctor said. "What's happening?" I asked my sister-in-law.

  "They've been in there for a few minutes. I think everything's okay but I'm not really sure." She glanced at the police officers. "They called in a detective. I hope it's one of our guys," she added.

  "I hope so to. This could be attempted murder."

  "Where's Mr. Ortega?"

  "I found him at the bottom of the stairwell. He thinks some of his ribs are broken but he didn't get a good look at the guy who was fleeing. He thinks it might have been Zach but he couldn't be sure," I explained.

  "Hospital security will pick him up on one of the cameras, I bet," said Alice, glancing around as if Zach would pop out at any moment. "I just don't understand. If it were Zach... well, he was always so concerned about Sophie. Why would he do that to his sister?"

  "I think I might know," I said with a sigh.

  "You discovered something?"

  "Several things. Not quite enough to complete the puzzle but enough to know that Austen's suspicions weren't unfounded."

  "That poor man! He's been through hell this week. How could it get any worse?"

  "I think I'm about to make it worse." I dropped into a chair and rested the back of my head against the wall as I looked up at the plain ceiling. "I feel so bad for Austen."

  "Whatever it is, you have to tell him. That's what he asked you to do."

  "Yes. Still sucks though."

  "I don't think you ever get used to telling someone bad news about their loved ones. Sometimes we have to steel ourselves, really lock down our faces, and tell our patient's family the awful truth. Then we go out and cry in the break room."

  I reached for Alice's hand and squeezed it. For a moment, we sat in silence. "Why didn't we get jobs as teachers?" I asked.

  "Kids," said Alice, then she thought and added, "parents."

  "Coffee shop baristas?"

  "Customers."

  I glanced at her. "Lawyers?"

  She fixed me with a skeptical look. "Assholes," she said. "Although maybe that’s the clients."

  I laughed. "Guess we'll have to suck it up and do our jobs."

  "Guess so."

  "Bet you're sorry you got dragged into this," I said.

  Alice smiled. "Not one bit."

  "What happened here?" asked Garrett, walking towards us. Alice and I stood but instead of coming straight over, he turned to the two officers and spoke to them. When he finished, he raised his eyebrows at us. "I thought you were looking into that bank robbery," he said, coming to a stop in front of us.

  "I was, but I got this one and Solomon has everyone else working on the bank case. And I think I worked out what was stolen," I said with a small smile of smug satisfaction.

  "Can't wait to hear the theory right after I take Mr. Takahashi's statement."

  "He's with the doctors," said Alice. "But you can interview me. And Mr. Ortega is downstairs in the ER."

  "He tackled the assailant," I explained.

  "Where were you when this all went down?" asked Garrett, looking at me with unmasked suspicion.

  "At the agency. I came when Alice called. What are we looking at here?"

  Garrett scratched his head. "From what the responding officers told me, I can't tell if it's an attempted murder directed at Mrs. Takahashi, Mr. Takahashi, or potentially, Mr. Ortega."

  "Why not go for the triple whammy?" I suggested. "Austen called the police when he thought his wife's accident was
n't one at all and he just got brushed off. My investigation so far merits another probe into what happened to her at his house."

  "I'll look into it," said Garrett.

  "I need to talk to Austen too."

  "You'll have to wait in line. Stay here. Both of you." Garrett waved us back into the chairs and stepped inside the hospital room, holding his badge high.

  "Great," said Alice, checking her watch. "I know I shouldn't complain. I was just looking forward to going home and taking a shower before I picked the kids up from school and took them to their art class. I better call one of the other parents." She patted her pockets and came up with her cellphone. "Excuse me for a minute."

  Since I was stuck waiting for my brother, my head still spinning with the information I had to tell Austen, and for that matter, whether or not to tell him anything at all right now, I pulled out my cellphone. Maddox sent me another "Call me!" text and I planned to do that just as soon as I got out of the hospital.

  Since emails were quiet, I opened my inbox. In my hurry to get here, I forgot about the email that arrived from Annie Woodley. She wrote: I hope these are okay. I don't have many snaps of Zach and his sister. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you need anything more although I'm not sure how else I can help. Attached were four photos, slowly loading. The first was a photo of Zach, both Sophies on either side of him. Both wore pale cream dresses and held a small bouquet of flowers. The Sophie I knew had shorter hair in it and wore a pair of gold, drop earrings and a slim, gold necklace. His wife's dress was shorter, clingy around the chest and a cream cardigan that slid off her shoulders. She had big, gold hoops and dark circles under her eyes. Peeking out from her clutch bag was a cigarette carton. If I didn't know better, I would have said she looked more like the addict, not the Sophie I was investigating.

  The second photo was one of the siblings together. Zach straddled a fancy-looking motorbike and Sophie stood next to him, wearing a leather jacket and holding a helmet. She was smiling, excitement visible on her face. The third photo was the same photo I saw in Zach's apartment, the trio together. A fourth was a few people at a barbecue, all of them dressed in shorts and tee shirts, surrounded by various things in red, white and blue, indicating a Fourth of July party. I shot my reply back, thanking Annie for the photos and asking if she had anymore of just his sister. I noted that she looked healthy, particularly in the motorbike photo and asked if she’d been in rehab perhaps? If Annie replied in the affirmative, I hoped it would give me somewhere else to look. Medical records would be an indisputable fact of Sophie's history if I could get hold of them.

  Finally, Garrett stepped out of the room and looked around. "Where's Alice?" he asked.

  "She's trying to reach someone to help her with the kids," I said. "How's Austen doing?"

  "He's okay. A little shell-shocked, I think. He wants to talk to you. You can go ahead."

  "Thanks." I got up and stepped towards the room. "Can you tell me what the doctors said?"

  "They think someone tried to tamper with Sophie's medical equipment but they said nothing was disconnected so it's possible the assailant tried to inject something into her IV line."

  "Like poison?"

  "Possibly. Or an air bubble. They noticed a syringe on the floor but Austen seems to think the assailant wore gloves. I bagged it anyway but I'm not sure we'll get anything. I'm hoping to catch something on the security cameras. I'm on my way down there just as soon as I get Alice's statement."

  "Manny Ortega definitely pointed the finger at Zach Gallo. Perhaps he'll be more sure now he's had some time to reflect on it?"

  "I'll find out. Don't let me hold you up. I'd appreciate it if you could give me a heads-up on what you're doing for Mr. Takahashi, especially if you think it has any bearing on the case."

  "I'm looking into his wife's first attack and her true identity," I said. "Austen had some suspicions."

  Garrett raised his eyebrows. "I did not expect that."

  "Even worse, I think he might be right. I should really talk to him first. Can I fill you in afterwards?"

  "I'd rather listen in if Mr. Takahashi has no objections. This could change my investigation."

  "Now?" I hadn't even prepared what I planned to say and what with the race to find Manny and then all the activity in the corridor outside Sophie's room, I hardly got a chance to find the words to put the subterfuge more delicately. I had a horrible feeling I might make things worse, but I had to say something. Regardless of what Sophie engineered, she didn't deserve to be murdered for it.

  "We're all here," pointed out Garrett.

  I waited for the doctors to emerge from the hospital room before walking over. Just as I stepped inside, followed by Garrett, my phone rang. Maddox. I declined the call and stuck the phone back in my pocket. Whatever it was, it could wait while I delivered the bad news. If it concerned the bank and Joe Bagshot, Maddox could always call Solomon. "How are you?" I asked, raking a look over Austen. He didn't need to tell me he was exhausted and his head probably throbbed with pain. That much was obvious.

  "Could be better," he said, slumping into a seat. "Can this day get any worse? At least Sophie is all right. I insist that you find whoever did this."

  "We will," said Garrett.

  "Austen, Lieutenant Graves is my brother."

  Austen glanced up. "I should have caught that from your name. You'll have to forgive my lack of sharpness today," he said, looking at Garrett more closely. "Do you need more from me? Sophie's okay and I can't think of anything else to tell you. Wait... did you watch the security footage?"

  "Not yet," said Garrett, "but we will."

  "And Manny?" Austen looked at me, his eyes filled with new worry.

  "He's okay," I said. "I'll check in on him when we're finished here."

  "Okay."

  "I need to tell you about some of the things I discovered during the course of my investigation and I think Lieutenant Graves should hear it too. It might have some bearing on what happened today."

  "Go on."

  "It's not possible to find many people who knew Sophie from her life before Montgomery. When I did speak to one friend, she only knew Sophie because of her friendship with Zach's late wife. She believed Zach was abusive to her friend and she didn't have any good things to say about Sophie either. She said Sophie had drug problems, stole regularly and led a wild life."

  Austen glanced at Sophie, lying peacefully on the bed. "Sophie was a drug addict?"

  "According to my contact, yes. When Zach's wife died in a car accident, he and Sophie took off and ended up here in Montgomery. She appears clean now but I'm told by the neighbor at Zach's apartment that things seemed pretty volatile."

  "That doesn't surprise me. Zach is a hot head. I just can't imagine my wife as a drug addict. She's so vehemently anti-drugs." Austen glanced at Sophie. The woman on the bed looked completely peaceful despite all the commotion.

  "Perhaps her former life has something to do with that," said Garrett.

  "She seems to have changed a lot since living here. Her colleagues at the museum really liked her and I saw her artwork in your office. It's beautiful. She's very talented."

  "She is. I asked Manny to build her an art studio at home. It was supposed to be a surprise. She loves to paint. We talked about having an exhibition of her art one day but she was so reticent. She's always been very shy. How can someone wild turn into someone shy?"

  "Perhaps there was another motive," I said. "I've learned that you two didn't meet by accident. Sophie arranged it."

  "How so?" Austen frowned. "We met at the theater."

  "Where you happened to be seated next to each other."

  "I don't follow?"

  "Sophie bought the tickets and arranged to send one to you. She wanted to be right next to you. It wasn't fate or destiny."

  "Why?"

  I raised my eyebrows, hoping I wouldn't have to point out why a poor, avaricious, pretty woman might want to sit beside a wealthy, single man.
r />   "But she didn't even give me her number!" he protested.

  "But she did suddenly appear where you were, allowing you to meet again. I suspect that was no accident either," I said, watching his face for the signs that the depressing puzzle pieces were beginning to fit snugly.

  "We have so much in common," said Austen, gazing at her. "We like almost all the same things. We're building a happy life together."

  "It's more likely they studied all about you."

  "They?"

  "Zach and Sophie," I clarified and paused, allowing all the nice things that I heard about Sophie to filter through. The loving art in his office, the purported way she looked at Austen. The steps she took to move away from Zach. "Initially, they were probably in it together but I think Sophie might have changed her mind and was trying to stop it."

  "She's pregnant," said Austen softly, putting his head into his hands and starting to cry.

  Chapter Twenty

  "That must be the reason Zach attacked her." Garrett and I were standing in the corridor with our heads together. Well, as much as they could be, given Garrett was much taller than I. We withdrew to give Austen more privacy and I could see him now, his head still in his hands. I could only imagine his turmoil. "If he were the one."

  "Oh, please!" I scoffed. "Zach sets up the scam for Sophie to seduce Austen into marriage and then take all his money. Sophie goes along with it but later changes her mind. She likes Austen. Maybe she even loves him. She starts creating more space and separation between her and her brother. Then Sophie either tells Zach, or he finds out, that she is pregnant and he goes ballistic. His big payday is gone if Sophie stays with Austen so he tries to kill her, fails and tries again... Oh!" Frustration hit me hard and fast.

  "What?" asked Garrett.

  "It still doesn't make sense. If Sophie and Austen divorced, she wouldn't get a penny. They have a pre-nup. If she dies, she would have nothing to leave Zach."

  "Could Zach possibly know that?"

  "Maybe. Austen said he found Zach in his study. He could have been snooping. If it were a big scam, he wouldn't have insisted that Sophie sign a pre-nup, yet she did."