THE SHAFT
Part 2 — Chapter 5
Caitlin McGeachy was fed up with this job. It sucked. It sucked big time, actually. So what—she had done a few muggings in shops and on people and joyride in a car only to end up crashing into the lamppost. Every time she looked in the mirror, she could see the stitches above her eyebrow where the glass from a broken windshield. What did she care? She didn't mind if she had a criminal record even though her mother was disgraced. Oh well, she never got along with her mother anyway. But she never expected this. Prison was better than Community Service if she had a choice. But the police agreed that at fifteen, she couldn't spend time in prison so she was let off and confined to Community General Hospital to work.
It was hell. Caitlin knew she'd rather kiss her brother. She had been spending the last three weeks collecting linen, changing bed sheets and escorting terminally ill old patients or annoying children from one place to another. She wondered how doctors could do this day after day. It was so annoying. She hadn't even been allowed to sit and watch a surgery take place. At least that would have been some fun. But the doctor in charge of her refused. He also refused to fire her because he knew that's what she wanted.
So when Dr Jesse Travis came to her, asking her for help, she listened keenly. It sounded like a different sort of help. He said this was Caitlin's opportunity to get fired because if she did this, she knew people would be mad at her. Caitlin had seen Jesse Travis around the hospital. To her, he didn't look old enough to be a doctor but who was she to judge. And despite her Goth-like appearance, she couldn't help thinking that he was somewhat attractive. But when he proposed that idea, she jumped at the chance. All she needed to do was give a distraction to lure a guard away. She had done it in malls all the time to help her friends when shoplifting.
"What do I get out of it?" she asked Dr Travis.
Jesse's mouth dropped. "What do you mean, what do you get out of it? You're going to be fired! What more could you ask for." Caitlin held her hand out and Jesse sighed. "I can give you twenty dollars." He handed the money over. "That's my lunch break over."
"I'll buy you a sandwich sometime."
Jesse smiled sarcastically. "Thanks. Just do it please?" Caitlin nodded. "Good, it was never me, all right?" Caitlin and pocketed the money. So here she was, that evening, waiting for the chance. The guard was out there looking extremely bored. Caitlin wondered how a man could just stand guard at a door all day just watching people go buy. It seemed that he was the only one there all day. Caitlin sighed and then took another deep breath. She wasn't used to acting like this and the part she had decided to play was nothing like her usual stuff. She had taken off her make-up and all her black nail polish and tried to look like a normal kid—it was hard.
"Hey!" she said, running over the guard and the tall man looked at her, his eyebrows raised. "You have to come quick. There's some kids on the next floor up; I think they're taking drugs or something cos they got a cigarette. They were offering it to another one of the kids walking by."
The guard looked round frantically. "Couldn't you call security or something?"
Caitlin opened her eyes wider. "You were the first person I found. Quick, you got to do something. They don't do this stuff in a hospital. They'll kill someone if they're not careful. Hurry!" The guard looked round helplessly and then back to the room that he was guarding. It looked as though the man inside was fast asleep. He could spend a few minutes just to leave him quickly to see what was going on. He needed some excitement out of the day. He ran off. Caitlin sighed and rolled her eyes. "Sucker," she muttered and then opened the door, wondering whether she should say anything to the sleeping man. "Oi, whoever you are. I think you better go now."
To her surprise, the man's eyes opened. Caitlin just closed the door and walked off again. She had done her twenty bucks worth. Now she was just waiting to be shown the door. But inside the room, Duke was already sitting up. His stomach still felt slightly light but he was prepared to chance it and run out. Duke had done so many killings in his life so why was this bothering. Was he having the jitters? Maybe it was the thought of getting caught. Jesse had been as good as his word though. He had put on the doctor's uniform without the hat and now standing up with the hat on, he was barely recognizable. "Doesn't suit me, though," he muttered to himself.
Taking a deep breath, Duke decided to do it now. He opened the door and walked out of the room, praying that no one like Mark or Steve Sloan where in sight or that guard. He hoped Amanda Bentley wasn't either because every time she passed the room, she gave him a weird look. No one was there and he sighed with relief. He walked down the corridor, hoping he was going the wrong way and hoping that no other doctor would stop, thinking he was someone else. It would be just like a movie. But no, Duke thought luck was on his side today. He made it, after several turns and puzzlement's and the door was in sight. It was less than ten meters away.
He carried on walking. He spotted Jesse Travis at the reception, looking over a clipboard. He was smiling at a nurse but paused when he saw Duke. Duke was about to flash a grin but Jesse immediately turned round and carried on, pretending he didn't notice. Duke tried not to take it too personally. Jesse didn't want anyone to know who was involved. Duke sighed and carried on walking. He was getting closer and closer to the exit. Would someone stop him? Would someone recognize him? It just made Duke faster. He made it outside the doors…then he started running.
* * * * *
It was found out, fifteen minutes later when the guard returned, that Duke Lotella was not in his bed. He immediately called Norman who then called Mark and Steve, who happened to be at the hospital at the time. From on things went from panic to distress.
Norman leaned outside the room, wiping his brow with a handkerchief. "Oh, this is terrible," he said to Mark, who was pacing up and down the corridor. "There is a madman—a hitman—running lose in my hospital. He could be capable of killing anyone, taking a hostage. We'll have terminally ill people at gunpoint. It could lead to disaster. It could lead to Swat and the FBI. Apart from the publicity could you imagine the embarrassment this could cause me and Community General?"
Mark shook his head. "That's besides the point, Norman. He is a killer, not a madman, though. If he was desperate enough, he probably would take a hostage and that's something we have to worry about. We may demand things like transport, a secure exit…"
"Money!" cried Norman. "Oh God please don't make him ask for money."
Mark sighed with exasperation. "Norman! He couldn't have gone very far. Someone must have seen him. He would have been walking around with some sort of cramp and in pain. He just came out of a serious fever. See if the staff or patients noticed anyone—check the cameras, have security on alert. Do those sorts of things. He's definitely not in this room."
Steve came out. "Well, he certainly didn't jump out of the window and there's no way out other than that door. The guard said a girl distracted him. We can assume she was in on this. Dark long hair, traces of make-up, tall, slim, almost skinny…"
Mark rolled his eyes. "Caitlin McGeachy. She's a Community Service girl we've got. She was trouble. But why would she do something like this."
"If someone paid her."
At that moment, Mark noticed Jesse walking down the hallway. He was engrossed in a flipchart, which he was frowning at and flipping the pages over. "Jesse!" he cried to him and the young doctor looked up in question. He smiled at Mark but when he saw the extra security guards and grim faces of Steve, he couldn't help his stomach lurching. This is it, he thought.
"Hey, Mark…what's going on? What's Duke done?"
"Escaped."
Jesse's eyes widened. "What!" he cried out. He thrust the flipchart into Steve's hands and went into the room. He was met with an empty rumpled bed and several other security guards but there was no Duke inside. That was good, he hadn't been caught and had definitely left. Jesse had seen him go out but for the sake of the others, he had to put on a show. He hated doing it. His shoulders sagged. "Oh hell."
He felt Steve come up behind him and he tried not to tense up. This was the hardest thing he had ever remembered doing for a long time. He couldn't remember lying to all three of his friends for someone else's benefit. He wondered whether they could be able to see right through him. Steve had worked on hundreds of cases. What if he knew a liar? And Mark…Mark could deduct practically anything. Would he able to tell through Jesse's reactions what had happened. Jesse could feel the room getting hot around him as Steve said, "Jess, you didn't know anything about this, did you?" Was it an accusation or just a question?
Jesse just shook his head. "No, I didn't." He gave an indignant cry as though he was frustrated. "I told him not to do anything like this. It would only land him into even more trouble and possibly even me. I thought he'd at least listen to that much. Now he actually goes and runs off." He could almost feel the frustration. But the words he did didn't match. He was frustrated about why he had done this. He had done it for Duke but what was he getting out of it? Practically nothing.
Steve could see the look on his friend's face and mistook it for something else. He put a hand on Jesse's shoulder. "Don't worry, Jess. We'll find him."
Jesse nodded and turned away. He needed to get out of there or else he would suffocate. He walked out and decided to carry on with his rounds. Thoughts were circling his mind that he couldn't even concentrate anymore. He was frustrated and restless. He wanted to know where Duke was but he knew the man wouldn't call. He'd probably never see him again. So, that was it? The man disappears without a trace and Jesse is left with this horrible feeling. Jesse just didn't know how heavy it would be. It was terrible, enough to make him feel ill. He had lied to his friends and in order to keep their friendship still, he had to keep it. A true friendship isn't based on lies. Maybe that's why Jesse and Duke went together well. They were honest with each other. Jesse knew he was friends with Mark and the others because he didn't keep secrets from them…until now. And none so terrible as this.
He went into the doctor's lounge to get some coffee and shook his head in amazement. He poured it out and found it too cold. "I know what you did," someone said and Jesse jumped, almost dropping his coffee. He turned.
"Amanda?" he said. "What are you talking about."
Amanda walked into the room. "I heard about Duke Lotella and I just knew you had to be the one to do it. Why did you do it?"
Jesse frowned, panic rising. "Do what?" he asked.
Amanda looked at him, almost in sympathy. He was still hiding it. "You know what, Jess. You helped Duke Lotella out of the building. I don't know how you did it but it was a very clever way and now he's escaped. The police are never going to find him now. He needed to go to prison. Why did you do it?"
Jesse lowered his head, putting the coffee cup down on the worktop and leaning against it. "Didn't you ever do anything for a friend?"
"Duke Lotella was hardly a friend."
"And what would you know, huh!" Jesse shouted, the sound of his voice making even him jump. "I know that every time you passed his room you would give Duke a dirty look. Or when Steve and Mark passed by and felt sorry for me because they thought I was mixing with the wrong kind. Or Norman! Who probably thought the idea of a doctor mingling with a killer was a disgrace. But I knew him even if you didn't."
Amanda shook her head, not believing she was hearing this. But then when she looked up at Jesse, her eyes were filled with amazement. "Mark was right. You have just gotten too close."
"Oh yes, and Mark knows everything," Jesse said sarcastically.
"He knew you were friends with Duke. He couldn't understand why. He just looked the future and saw the consequences."
Amanda looked at Jesse. He still seemed angry but he knew that as a friend he would listen. But there was a sign that he was backing down. He refused to look at Amanda but stared at a spot on the wall. He gritted his teeth because he knew he was busted now. "Jesse…I don't understand," Amanda said pleadingly. "You are totally different to Duke. He…he spent a lot of time on the rode, hired to be killed, did the job and got paid for it. You're here, a qualified educated doctor, dedicated to saving lives. What made you two click? What was it, Jesse, were we not good enough as friends."
"No…no it's not that. Is it wrong to find a friend?"
"Well find the right kind," Amanda snapped. "Jesse, we have spent a while, trying to find out who Carl Graves' killer was. We were close to nowhere. We know Machu Lie didn't do it and Duke Lotella could have proven that even without proof that he was hired. Now an innocent upstanding man is going to go to jail whilst he's able to wander free and kill. He knew who that real killer was and who hired him. He could have tied it all together. Now we'll probably never know for sure."
Jesse didn't say anything but continued staring at the floor. He couldn't find anything to say. There seemed more reasons not to free Duke Lotella than to actually do so. Was everything based on facts and evidence and writing? Did nothing depend on mortal feelings and what you know is right.
Amanda walked up to him. "Jesse, you need to get your priorities sorted. What was it going to be? Your real friends—the ones who you have spent the best part of five years with? Who you worked with, solved cases with, and owned a restaurant with? Or is it going to be the other type of friend, who you met by chance got to know for a week and who has now deserted you?"
Jesse looked up on the wall. He let out a breath. "My shift started two minutes ago," he said, pulling away from Amanda and heading towards the door. He stopped and looked back at her. "Are you going to tell Steve and Mark?"
Amanda didn't want to hear that question. She had no idea what do. "I have to," she said. "It's a choice between what's right and what's wrong and Jesse, I know this is wrong." She paused. "Do you know what you did is wrong?"
Jesse looked round and shrugged. "You know what, I don't know any more. There are two sides when you look at it from my point of view. Both of them would have been done but only one was. I don't regret what I've done, though."
Amanda shook her head. "Mark and Steve will never forgive you for this," she hissed at him.
* * * * *
Tired and washed out, Jesse returned to his apartment. He was so tired. It was nine o'clock at night and he wasn't usually worn out then. It just must have been all the turmoil of today. He knew Amanda had told the others by the looks that had been given. Jesse spent most of his time then avoiding them. He didn't want to talk about the case and was too worried about what they'd say in front of him. Jesse would rather just not know. He groaned as he reached the top step in front of his apartment door, that he was working with Steve tomorrow in Barbecue Bob's.
He fished out his keys and then opened the door. He heard the TV going on in the background as he opened it and then turned round to close it. "Hey, kid, a game's on." Jesse warily nodded as he pushed the door shut. Then he realized that Haley wasn't home. She was still at work and the voice that had spoken was a male. Jesse closed his eyes, not knowing whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.
He leaned against the door and folded his arms. "What are you doing here?" he asked quietly.
Duke looked at him and smiled. "Well, I thought I'd come back and see you. I have the police stumped and I didn't get a time to talk to you at the hospital to thank you and stuff."
"How did you get into my house?"
Duke looked at him, frowning and put the remote on the couch. The sounds of a football game just a drone in a background. "Pretty basic for a hitman to get into any room. Don't worry, there weren't any damages." Jesse groaned. "Hey, what's wrong, aren't you glad to see me."
Jesse sat down. "No…yes…well I don't know anymore!" He ran a hand through his hair. "It's all going wrong. They knew."
"They know!" Duke blasted, turning to face him. "How!"
Jesse sighed and shrugged. "I don't know. Well, it should have been obvious. I was your only friend, only I could have got you out of there. Only I would be stupid enough to try and get you out. No one else had a reason." He hit the side of the couch with his fist and let out a low hiss. "Dam, I can't believe this is happening. How could I have been so stupid, thinking I could get away from it? Someone was bound to notice you were gone and that it was my fault. Why didn't I see it in the first place? I just got to cocky of myself."
Duke was about to put a hand on Jesse's shoulder but the younger man jumped up, his face furious. "Don't even touch me. I don't even want to hear from you anymore. Ever since I met you, my life has just turned upside down. I'm in trouble, I could lose my job, I lost the trust of my friends—hey, I may even lost my friends. Don't make it any worse. Nothing you can say or do now can put it right." He turned round on the spot and ran a hand through his hair again. "Listen, we said that once I got you out, we forget this ever happened. Now take whatever you brought with you and get the hell out of LA before I turn you out again."
"Hey, Doc, come—"
"No," Jesse said, shaking his head. "I can't afford anything any more. Haley will be coming back any minute. She can't find you here because she'll freak out. I've probably lost my job, most likely lost my friends. Now can you give me something that can make what I've done any better."
"Well…"
"Can you tell me who hired you?" Jesse demanded. Duke looked down, almost biting his lip not saying anything. Jesse rolled his eyes. "I thought not," he said with regret. He walked up to the door and opened it. "Out." Duke looked at the game and then he stood up, tossing the remote down and walked up to the door. "You never gave me anything but trouble," Jesse said, looking at him right in the eyes.
Duke looked back at Jesse. "You know, there was a time a while back that I would have hit someone if they had done what you just did. But I can't anymore. I don't know if it's just because it's you or what. I can't hit you. All I can is that I'm sorry. I didn't want you to get into trouble and I certainly didn't want you to lose your friends." He walked out of the door, closing it behind him, leaving Jesse in his apartment. Jesse leaned against the wall. Then, in sudden frustration, he kicked the banister, sending a few sprays of wood everywhere but that's about as much adrenaline as Jesse had left. He leaned and fell down against the wall, head in his arms.
