by Jim Riley
On the first three observatory visits, nothing appeared out of the ordinary. The same nurse performed all three. Her shift ended, and she was replaced by a male nurse. He was new in the profession, only six months on the job. The female nurse debriefed him about all the patients under his beat, including Ashton Johnson.
Other patients required more acute attention, some of them in intense pain no matter the dosages of painkillers they received. Their constant moaning and cries of pain filled the hallways of the hospital floor.
The young man made one visit to Ashton Johnston's room. The patient was resting comfortably, exhibiting no outward signs of pain. He pulled the heavy covers up under his chin, knowing the procedures of the facility required the air conditioning maintain the temperature in the upper sixties, much cooler than most residences, particularly with a high cost of this luxury in the Deep South.
A nurse from the floor above arrived at the station and asked for assistance. A patient in excess of four hundred pounds needed his linens changed after defecating so much that the excrement was more than the adult diaper could retain. The head nurse at the station volunteered the young male nurse to assist, knowing the effort required to roll the heavy patient over to clean his body.
The head nurse informed the young man that she would take over his duties, physically checking each of his patients.
She assured him that with her many years of experience, they would be an excellent care, but to hurry back after assisting with the obese patient so she could go back to the nurses’ station.
The young male nurse and a nurse from the floor above walked to the stairs. Neither of them noticed the figure sitting in the coffee room with a blanket pulled up over its head. With the constant coolness, this site was not unfamiliar. Families of many of the patients frequently took breaks to alleviate the monotony of sitting bedside, and to get some needed caffeine from the hot brew.
The two nurses disappeared through the door to the stairs. The head nurse checked monitors at the nurses’ station one last time before beginning the round of visitation. She also neglected to notice the long figure in the coffee room, though the figure was watching her closely.
The nurse’s second stop was in Ashton Johnston's room. She checked his chart. No further medications were required for the night. The IV bags were adequately filled with enough pain medicine and sedatives to last until the doctor returned during his morning schedule.
She pulled the covers down and ensure that all the connections maintained their integrity. After replacing the covers up under his chin, she glanced at the monitor next to his bed. The equipment displayed a healthy heartbeat and a steady pulse. She smiled and exited the room to attend to patients much more in need of her immediate attention.
When the nurse turned in the hallway to go two doors down, she did not notice the figure silently leave the coffee room, and enter Ashton Johnston's room. There was no unnecessary sound or movement from the figure.
The patient in the room two doors down requested an extra blanket. One of the inefficient components of the design of the hospital placed the linen closet at the end of the hallway. This made the trip to retrieve the blanket take more than seven minutes. Reentering the room and neatly covering the patient required an additional four minutes. Exchanging pleasantries and well wishing took another three minutes.
Then the nurse went to the adjacent room. As she was making the transition, she did not observe the figure exiting Ashton Johnston's room, and walking the other direction to the elevators. Another eight minutes passed before the nurse returned to the hallway.
Three more stops consumed nineteen minutes. When she returned to the hallway after the third stop, she was pleased to see the young male nurse reappear to resume his regular duties. She debriefed him about her five inspections before walking back to the nurses’ station.
Her mood was upbeat until she saw the monitor. There was a lack of activity in Ashton Johnston's room. Though attentive, she was not alarmed. Many patients turned and twisted during the night, disconnecting the monitoring apparatus, rendering it ineffective.
She yelled at the young male nurse and motioned for him to check Johnson's room. He walked past the station and opened the door. The covers were still up to Johnson's chin. He inspected the monitor, expecting to find a simple problem. Finding none, he returned to the patient. After only a brief look, his mouth fell open. He punched the nurse’s button next to the bed.
"May I help you?" The head nurse asked from her station.
"—I need your help." He stared at Johnson while speaking.
Tuesday Morning
Central High School Cafeteria
The flashlight beam penetrated the darkness of the empty cafeteria. No sound was made by the intruder, having use of a key to make entry. The silence of the room was interrupted only briefly when the intruder bumped into a stainless table. More soft cursing. The light led the intruder to the cabinet in the corner of the large room. A long, thin screwdriver appeared in the glow of the light. The first attempt to pry open the cabinet failed, inducing louder and harsher curse words.
The second attempt broke open the door to the cabinet, revealing its contents. The flashlight beam shown from the top of the small closet to the bottom. Then back to the top again.
The overhead lights flashed on, exposing the whole room to their bright glow. The intruder, standing in the corner by the cabinet, was shocked by the sudden flood of luminescence and drops the flashlight.
"Hello, Lois," Niki said. Dalton stood to the rear of the strawberry blonde investigator, his hand still on the light switches. A huge grin spread across the senator's face.
Lois Turner struggled to speak, her eyes wide open at the unexpected situation unfolding during these predawn hours. She took one clumsy step toward the couple, and then inexplicably turned and shut the cabinet door.
"It's a little late for that, Lois. Don't you think?" Niki asked in an even tone, concealing the excitement running throughout her entire body.
Lois remained silent, her unsteady stare first focus on Niki and then on Dalton. Her mouth moved, but no words came forth.
"Do you want to explain what you were doing here four hours before school opens?" Niki asked. "I don't think it will do any good, but you're welcome to try."
"I—I lost my earring. I thought I might have dropped it in here when we were fixing sandwiches for the boys last Friday night. I've looked everywhere else and can't find it."
Niki chuckled.
"You thought you dropped it in a locked cabinet? I would think it would've been more plausible to look under the tables or in one of the drawers. I wouldn't have thought to look in the cabinet."
"I—I—I opened the cabinet last Friday to look for some extra baggies. I wasn't sure that we had enough."
"Did you use the screwdriver to open it then?"
"No," Lois shook her head. "I misplaced the key somewhere, but I had one last Friday night. I promise you."
"Why would you have a key to that closet? That's an electrical cabinet," Niki said.
"They gave me a key to everything because I volunteer so much." Lois looked toward the door, hoping for a path of escape.
"Why didn't you turn on the big lights? Why were you using a flashlight?"
"It—I thought I might know where I dropped it and didn't want to draw attention."
"And I guess that's why you couldn't wait until school opened? Do you realize how ridiculous your answers sound? Like one of the kids that forgot to do his homework."
Lois thought for over thirty seconds before responding. Finally, she looked at Niki.
"How did you know?"
"Your mother."
"My mother? What?"
“She told us she used a week–in–advance flight reservations to save money. Yet, she arrived on the Thursday before the game.”
"So?"
"Tommy didn't die until Friday. No one but his killer knew your son would be the starting quarterback the following w
eek. You're the one that called your mother and told her he would be playing."
Lois hung her head. "I always told her she talked too much. What happens now?"
Niki shrugged.
"I don't know. I don't think there is much doubt about your guilt after you showed up here."
"There is no new security system, is there?" She asked.
Niki shook her head. "No. We needed you to do something that was as good as a confession. That's why Dalton told the story about the video."
Lois held her head high.
"Harvey deserved to start one game. My son is a good quarterback. He only needed a chance to prove it. I would do it again."
Niki nodded. “The scary part of what you said is that I believe you.”
Tuesday Morning
Frank's Restaurant
“How were your four hours of sleep?” Dalton asked.
"Seemed more like four minutes," Niki replied. "By the way, you did a good job last night."
"I only did what you asked me to do. You're the one who figured out it was Lois."
"Lois only did what she thought was right," Niki said. "In her wacky world, getting her son a chance to show his skills was worth more than Tommy's life."
Dalton’s cell buzzed.
When he hung up after the brief conversation, his mood was even more somber.
"Ashton Johnston was murdered at the hospital last night. Choke to death with a belt."
Niki closed her eyes. "I didn't think about that. I never dreamed Ashton would be killed."
"That's not the only bad news."
"I hate to ask," Niki said.
"What time did you get back to your townhome?" Dalton peered at her sky-blue eyes.
"About 4:30. Why?"
"Was Donna there when you got there?"
"Yes. Why?"
"Could she have slipped out of the bracelet?"
Niki nodded. "She does it all the time. She says it’s uncomfortable."
"So she has no alibi for last night?"
"No—Don't tell me. The belt used to kill Ashton belongs to Donna."
Dalton nodded. "Yep. No doubt about it."
Niki closed her eyes for a long time. "I made a mistake. In fact, I've made several. I should have made a more aggressive plan. Now Ashton is dead."
Dalton stretched his arm across the table.
"You couldn't have known that Donna was lying to you all this time. You couldn't have anticipated that she would sneak out of your townhome and kill Ashton."
Niki stood.
"She didn't, but I know who did."
Friday Afternoon
Central
"Not bad for a late lunch," Donna said, looking at the spread on the table.
The tray from Mike Anderson Seafood included boudin balls, popcorn shrimp, crab fingers, fried crawfish tails, blackened alligator, and a mixture of onion and jalapenos strings.
"I didn't eat much of my breakfast," Niki replied.
"Still. There is still no way you and I can eat all of this. It's way too much." Donna popped a shrimp into her mouth.
"Dalton plans to drop by. He wants to talk to you."
"What about?"
"These murders."
“Holy moly. He doesn't think I did them, does say?” Donna quit eating.
Niki smiled quietly. "You have to admit. The evidence is stacked high against you."
A soft knock sounded at the door.
"That must be Dalton," she said to Donna.
"Come on in. It’s open," she yelled.
Niki and Donna were surprised not to see Dalton, but the large figure of Blake Hebert entering the room.
"Blake, what are you doing here?" Donna yelled.
Before he could answer, she turned to Niki. "I didn't tell him where I was. I promise. I only told him I was out of jail."
"I knew where you would go. If you weren't at your apartment, you had to be here." Blake pointed at Niki. "It's all her fault."
Niki stepped closer to the mountain of a man. "Do you really think so, Blake?"
"Yeah, bitch. I really think so."
“Blake, don't you dare talk to Niki that way.” Donna screamed. “She's my friend.”
"No, she's not," Blake shouted. "She only wants to get in the way of us, you and me."
"That's the problem, isn't it Blake?" Niki took a step forward. "Too many people tried to interfere with you and Donna. You couldn’t allow that to happen, could you?"
Blake drew back a huge fist to hit Niki. Donna rushed in between the pair. He looked at her with disdain, picked her up and flung her against the wall. Her body collapsed from the impact.
"Stay out of this," he bellowed. "This is between me and the bitch."
"Before, it was between you and Scott Wilson. Then it was Howard Jenkins. Then, Sam Gonzalez. Then, Dale Blocker. Finally, Ashton Johnston. They all got in the way, didn't they?"
"They said things to her they should have never said. They didn't respect Donna like she was supposed to be respected. Now it's your turn."
Donna rose and rushed to her boyfriend, but he flicked her away like she was the feather.
Niki whirled in a full circle and landed her foot square on the large man's jaw. He only grinned.
"That all you got, bitch?"
The investigator landed a leg kick hard against his abdomen with no visible effect. Blake grinned once more. He stepped toward Niki.
She tried to kick him in the throat, but the athlete caught her foot and twisted. He flipped her backwards over a lamp and end table.
She winced from the sharp pain in her knee, but he gave her an idea how to attack the Goliath of a man. Donna was quiet in the corner, her eyes closed.
Niki stood and flexed her knee.
"Hurts, don’t it, bitch?"
"Yes, it does. Tell me something. Why did you try to frame Donna for the killings?"
"I didn't."
Niki circled him, limping slightly.
"You used things from her desk. You used her belt to kill Ashton."
"Because I wanted them to know I was doing it for her. They needed to know not to disrespect her."
Niki suddenly kicked out, striking the powerful young man in his knee. It buckled a bit, but Blake remained standing.
"Why me, Blake? I haven't disrespected Donna."
"Because you keep telling her to stay away from me, like I ain’t good enough for her. I can't let you do that."
"So you have to kill me too? Is that it?"
Niki kicked him again in the same knee. A more noticeable reaction. Then he swung a tremendous fist at her head. She felt the force as it passed within three inches of the intended target.
“You're faster than you look, Blake,” Niki said.
"I'm an athlete. I ain't no girl."
Niki smashed a crushing blow to his knee. When she heard the joint pop, she knew her strategy would work.
"Your coach won't be able to help you here, Blake. You're on your own."
The big man groaned, holding his knee. "You could ruin my career, bitch. Have you thought about that?"
Niki chuckled.
"Let's see. Your career. My life. I'm sorry. What was I thinking?"
Blake charged at the investigator on one good leg. She sidestepped him and drove an elbow into the back of his knee. The football player screamed out in pain and fell face first.
He struggled to get erect, but could no longer support any way on the injured joint. Niki spun and kicked the other one. Before he could react, she kicked it with her other foot again.
Blake crumpled to the floor, tears in his eyes.
"I can still whip you," he moaned.
Niki stepped close. The huge man struck out at her. She deflected the blow, and drove an elbow against his large mouth, followed by one that was even harder.
Blake fell backward, teeth and blood spewing from the opening. She stepped forward for the finishing blow.
"Please don't hurt him anymore, Miss Niki."
Ni
ki turned to see Donna sobbing, mascara and makeup running down her face.
Suddenly, a powerful paw clenched her harm, pulling her away from Donna. She fought to free herself, but the iron grip showed no sign of weakening. Blake pulled her so close, she could smell the blood coming out of his mouth.
"You're done," he blubbered.
His other enormous hand tightened around her throat. Air ceased to flow. She slapped him on his ears, but he just gave her a bloodied grin, holding her away from his body. She tried to poke him in the eye, but her arms were much shorter than his.
Niki flailed like a rug in the wind on the clothesline. Lots of movement, but going nowhere. No air available to her lungs.
A murky blackness settled over the young investigator. Her world was slowly coming to an end.
Then the grip slackened and Niki gulped life-saving air. Her eyes cleared. She saw Blake staring, not at her, but at Donna behind him. A steak knife extruded from his back, the blade buried deep into his massive body.
"Why?" He eked out. Donna was ashen.
"I couldn't let you hurt my friend. She was only trying to help me."
The massive body fell forward at Niki’s feet, no longer a threat. The door flew open, and Dalton rushed inside, his weapon ready. He stared at the girls, and then at the fallen athlete. He holstered the revolver and walked over to Niki. The senator put his arm around her.
"You told me he would come. Your plan worked."
She smiled.
"Almost too well."
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