« Good morning Detective, » I looked around and nodded a greeting to the intern and kept moving toward the nurse's station. I received many such greetings before I reached my destination. Some from people I knew well, others I recognized from previous trips to the emergency room. What I didn't see was anybody working whom I didn't recognize. "I spend to much time here." I thought.

I must have said it out loud because the nurse at the station looked up, smiled and replied. "Maybe you just like flirting with the nurses."

I looked at Marcy's older beautiful face and teased, "Ah Marcy, you know I don't have eyes for anyone but you."

"Ah Hun" she muttered in that I don't believe a word you say tone. "You're just flirting with me because I am already taken. If you're here to flirt, why don't you give a few of these younger single nurses a chance? You're young, reasonable handsome. I'm sure you bring home a decent paycheck. I'm sure if you put forth the effort, you could find someone even your mother would approve of."

"But Marcy, that wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable as flirting with you."

She gave me that no nonsense look. "So which one of my patients are you here to bother, oops, talk to today."

I decided to ignore that statement. I knew that she said it just to get a reaction. "A Mrs. Skye Chandler Quartermaine Jacks was brought in earlier. I would like to speak with her doctor." The officer that I had sent over earlier had already told me that she wasn't conscience yet so I had decided to find out what her doctor knew.

"Ah yes, Mrs Jacks. Our new resident Doctor Forman is treating her in emergency. I don't believe that you have met him yet. He is still here. I will have him paged immediately.

I stepped back to wait.

-Doctor Forman to the Nurse's Station- -Doctor Forman to the Nurse's Station-

He reminded me more of a computer geek than a doctor. I looked like he was in his mid-twenties. He had large glasses. His short hair stood straight up at the sides as if he ran his fingers up it often. There was a pen behind his ear. He had a short, slim stature. If he hadn't been wearing a doctor's coat with a name badge and if nurse Marcy hadn't introduced him to me, I never would have pegged him for a doctor.

After the introductions, Doctor Forman asked, "So detective, what can I help you with?"

"I was wondering when I would be able to question Mrs. Skye Chandler Quartermaine Jacks. She was brought in earlier and I was told that she was under your care." "You won't be able to question her for a while. She was given a strong dose of Flunitrazepam. It is a common date rape drug. We have her on IV to try to help her body flush it from her system, but I don't expect her to wake up until this afternoon."

"When will I be able to talk to her? She is part of a murder investigation."

His eyebrow lifted, slightly surprised. "You should be able to question her this afternoon but she probably won't have many answers for you. This drug is from the benzodiacepine family. It tends to erase a victim's memory for the duration that it was in her system. She may have woken up for brief periods and may recall glimpses of what happened around her but she won't be able to give you an accurate chronology of events. People who are given this drug tend to be somewhat hung over and disoriented for several days." "You were surprised when I mentioned that this is a murder investigation."

"I thought this interview was over a case of rape."

"She was found at the scene."

"The dead body by the Port Charles hotel? I heard it on the radio. With this in her system, she wouldn't have been conscience during the murder. From the toxicology reports, I would estimate that she ingested the drug some time between 11 and 11:30 tonight."

" I want a copy of the toxicology report.

"I believe that would be possible."

"What can you tell me about this drug?"

"Flunitrazepam causes skeletal mussel relaxation, sedation, reductions of anxiety, prevention of seizures, loss of memory and it has a sedative/hypnotic effect. It is rapidly and almost entirely absorbed following oral administration. It is tasteless, colourless, odourless, and dissolves very quickly. It enters the central nervous system quite rapidly. Initial effects appear within 10 to 20 minutes. The victim would be dizzy and disoriented. This is later followed by difficulty speaking and moving the extremities. When the full effect of the drug kicks in the victim becomes unconscious. Full effects of the drug won't settle in until about an hour after ingestion. Residue effects of the drug can be experienced up to 24 hours after the last dose."

"In your professional opinion, would someone with this in there system be able to push someone over a balcony?"

"Detective, with this in her system, she wouldn't have been able to pick herself up off the floor, much less harm someone else."

"That is what I thought. I was just seeking confirmation. What else can you tell me about Mrs Jacks?"

"We have been treating her as a rape victim. She has bruises on her arms and legs consistent with being restrained. Given that he had to restrain her, he didn't wait until she was unconscious."

"So she can describe her assailant."

"That is very possible. She also has a bruise on the right side of her face. So he was probably left handed."

"Why left handed?"

"People generally reach out to hit with the hand they use the most. The shape of the bruise implies that he was facing her so since she was hit on her right side it would have been with his left hand. He also didn't use a condom so we were able to obtain a sample for DNA comparison if you have a suspect."

"I believe we have him in the morgue. I will have a DNA sample sent up for comparison.

"Could you direct me to Mrs Jacks' room please? I was told that she was brought in this morning."

I practically jumped. The voice had come from directly behind me, yet I never heard anyone walk up. I turned around. There stood a man with a bouquet of flowers talking to Marcy. Handsome, well dressed in his Armani suit, manicured nails, here has a man used to the best in everything.

"May I have your name and your relation to Mrs Jacks?" I found myself asking. I showed him my badge. "Mrs Jacks is part of a police investigation."

He reached inside his blazer pocket and withdrew a business card and extended it to me. "My name is Sam Gemins. I am an old friend of Mrs Jacks. I am staying with her at her lake house while I am in town."

"How did you know she was here? That information has been kept out of the news."

"I have been calling around looking for her. She didn't come home and we were supposed to meet for a late dinner but when I arrived she wasn't there. Her cell phone isn't working. The bartender said that she had been there but had left with someone."

My interest was peeked. "What would be the name of this restaurant?"

"Club Quiete"

"You wouldn't happen to remember the name of the bartender?"

"His name was Jeff."

While I wrote down this information, Doctor Forman said, "I can have a nurse take the flowers to Mrs Jacks, but I'm afraid that I can't allow you in to see her yet. We are only allowing family members in until she wakes up."

"Is there a number where I can contact you?" I said. There is something about this guy that doesn't feel right. "Sure, my cell phone number is on my card. Feel free to call me anytime."

He turned to the doctor. "Is there someplace where I can wait?"

"I will show you to the waiting room and have the nurse inform the family as they arrive."

As the Doctor and Mr Gemins walked away I realized what was bothering me. The guy made absolutely no noise. His clothes didn't rustle. There wasn't any jiggling of either change or keys. His walk was completely soundless. But that isn't what disturbed me the most. If the doctor and I hadn't been talking about it before he walked up, I probably wouldn't have noticed. Sam Gemins gave me his business card with his left hand. Odd, but it was probably just a coincidence. After all, a lot of people are left-handed.

I had never been here before. In fact, until today, I didn't know that Club Quiete existed. It was only a five-minute walk from the Port Charles Hotel. From the outside, the restaurant didn't look like much. There wasn't a sign pronouncing its presence. No advertisements. No sign claiming it was a restaurant. I had passed by this building several times and there was absolutely nothing to indicate that there was a business in it at all. The building just had a plain wood front with a wood door and a couple of curtained windows.

The inside however, was a complete contrast. The front door opened up into a laviously decorated room. No expense had been spared. Plush carpets, antique furniture, fireplace surrounded by leather-covered sofas, a bar to one side straight out of the 1920's. Then I looked up and my mouth just about dropped. It was a gorgeous elaborately carved pictures into a wood ceiling. As I studied the pictures, I realized that it was a story that ran the length of the room. The detailed workmanship must have taken forever.

"It took the artist two years to finish just this room." The voice startled me. "Between the wood and the artist's fees, this ceiling cost us about $750,000. It was worth every penny."

"I didn't know this place existed."

"Detective Taggert, You weren't supposed to know."

At my questioning look he said, "This is a members only club. One of our members, whom you spoke to in the hospital called us to let us know you were coming and asked us to cooperate in any way we could."

"That was generous of him." I said, doing my best to keep the sarcasm out of my voice. "So tell me, what does it take to become a member of this club?"

"$100,000 a year."

I whistled. That is quite a hunk of change. "And Mrs Jacks was here to have dinner as a guest of one of your members." I concluded out loud. The lady had made the news with her business dealings. I could see here trying to make headway with businessmen who dropped that kind of cash for membership into a club.

"Absolutely not."

All my thoughts came to a complete stop. It was like someone had thrown a cold bucket of water on me.

"There are no guests allowed at this club. If a member wants to have dinner here with someone who isn't a member of this club, then either that member or the 'guest' as you called it would have to buy a membership. Only members are allowed in here."

"So Mrs Jacks is a member here."

"Yes."

"How long has Mrs Jacks been a member here?"

"I understand that she bought a membership here not long after she arrived in town."

"So, she bought a membership here after being acknowledged as a Quartermaine." I was thinking out loud. It is possible that the Quartermaine family could have boughten a membership for her.

"She bought a membership before the news hit the papers that she might be a Quartermaine. I remember because she is a very beautiful woman. That always generates curiosity here. She dined here a few times before her picture made the paper."

"Who paid for her membership?"

"I'm sorry. That information is not available. We never ask a member were the money comes from, nor do we keep records of who pays for the membership. We only keep track to make sure the membership is paid."

"Could I have a list of the members who were here last night?"

"Not without a warrant. For that amount of money, our members expect their privacy. I believe that you wanted to talk to our bartender Jeff."

I nodded.

"He is waiting at the bar. He is helping to clean up."

I walked to the bar.

The young man looked at me. "Is there anything I can get for you Detective Taggert?"

I don't know why I was surprised. Everyone here seemed to know who I was today. My surprise must have registered on my face.

"My name is Jeff Zingers. It is my job to know the clients, what they like to drink and how they like it. You aren't a client. You don't work here. You are dressed wrong to be considering membership. Therefore you must be the cop that was coming to ask questions. I was asked to cooperate with your questioning as long as the subject remains on Mrs Jacks."

"So if I asked who else was in the room?"

"I would have to decline to answer."

"I was told that Mrs Jacks was here last night."

"She was."

"What time did she arrive?"

"Approximately 11:00 pm."

"What did she have to drink?"

"Tea, earl grey to be specific."

"Did she enter alone?"

"She was alone when she entered. She was later joined by another member, Jules Alcazar."

"And then what happened?"

"He ordered her another cup. She drank it and then they left."

"At what time was this?"

He ordered the drink at about 11:10. They left about 15 minutes later."

"Did you notice anything out of the ordinary?"

"Well, Mrs Jacks did act sort of tired when she left. She was leaning on Alcazar a little as she walked out."

I thanked him and asked him to stop by the station to sign a formal statement about what he saw last night. Everything he said added up. The doctor estimated that she was given the drug between 11 and 11:30. This coincided with Alcazar buying her a drink. 15 minutes after having drunk it she would have been dizzy and disoriented, therefore leaning on Alcazar as she walked out.

"Oh and one more thing. Another member Sam Gemins was supposed to meet her for dinner here."

"Yes, he arrived about ten minutes after they left. He seemed upset that Mrs Jacks had already left. He had a cup of coffee and left at about 12:05."

"Thank you again for your cooperation. If you can think of anything else, please give me a call and stop by the station to give your statement as soon as you can."