Chapter 9: Cracking the Case
The children were all up and ready for the day by the time Michaela woke in the morning. She realized that it was eight thirty, and glanced around the room, seeing no sign of Sully. She hurried out of bed and pulled on the clothes she had laid out for the day. She looked in the cradles to see her little boys dressed for the day but sleeping.
As soon as Michaela had buttoned up her dress, she sat down in front of the mirror and began to brush out her long, golden brown locks. She frowned, wondering where her husband was, and she was about to get up to check on the children when the door opened. Colleen and Brian rushed in with Sully right behind them. They were all cleaned up and dressed.
"Good morning," Michaela greeted them.
"Mornin', ma," Brian replied. "Pa took us downstairs to get some breakfast in the hotel restaurant. It sure wasn't as good as Grace's cookin', but it was still pretty good." Sully stepped out into the hallway and wheeled in a cart.
"Brought ya some room service." Michaela smiled gratefully at him.
"Thank you, Sully," she whispered. "Why did you let me sleep in so late?"
"Just figured you'd had a long night," he replied, winking at her.
"But ya went to bed early. Sure seemed like ya got enough sleep," Brian pointed out. Michaela gave Sully a knowing look, and he cleared his throat.
"Why don't you two go downstairs and find out the best way we can get to the hospital?"
"Okay," Brian replied.
"Hold your brother's hand, Colleen," Michaela called after them as they headed out the door.
"Ma! I'm nine!" Brian exclaimed as Colleen grabbed his hand and tugged him down the hall. Michaela laughed and Sully brought the tray over to set before Michaela. She began to eat breakfast, while her eyes continued to glance at the clock.
"Michaela, don't fret," he said with a chuckle. "Ya got plenty of time before you gotta be at the hospital."
"I know, but if I'm late, the doctors will not be pleased. They're already going through enough trouble to exhume the body and bring it in."
"Well, they'll wait on ya." Michaela sighed and continued to eat. Daniel began to cry, and Sully walked over to pick him up. The boy stopped fussing as soon as he was in his father's arms.
"There's my boy," he whispered, kissing the baby's cheek.
"Sully, once we get to the hospital, you can take the children around town if you'd like. I don't want you to have to sit around and wait for me. I'll feed the boys right before we leave so they should be fine for a few hours." Sully cleared his throat and put the baby back down into the cradle.
"Alright," he agreed. "That sounds like a plan." Michaela set the tray aside and stood up. She took a drink of water before she turned toward the mirror to look at herself again. She wanted to look presentable. Sully walked over to stand behind her. He put his arms around her waist and she leaned against him. "You look so beautiful." Michaela smiled, and Sully's hand moved up to touch the locket she wore day and night. The chain gave way and the locket fell into Sully's hand.
"Oh! Sully? Could you re-fasten it?"
"Sure," he replied. Michaela gathered her hair up and held it in place so Sully could see the tiny clasp against her bare neck. As soon as he had fixed her necklace, he leaned forward to press a warm kiss to her neck. Michaela felt shivers up and down her spine, and she closed her eyes, relishing his touch. His lips met her beautiful skin again, and Michaela's arms fell limp at her sides. Sully pulled her hair away from her neck and draped it over his wife's shoulder. He began to kiss the side of her neck and she leaned into him again. His tongue darted out to taste her, and she felt as if she was going to melt into a puddle.
"Sully," she breathed. "We can't do this now."
"Hmm?" he asked. His mouth continued to work its magic as his hand moved to caress the side of her breast. Michaela completely forgot about everything except for his mesmerizing kisses and caresses.
"Never mind," she whispered. She turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around him. They seemed to melt into one another, and before too long, Sully's hands were working at the front buttons of Michaela's dress as her hands moved up his shirt to caress his bare chest underneath.
Sully's hands began to run through Michaela's long hair, and she moaned as she felt Sully pressing into her thigh. The sounds of running footsteps made them break apart, and the children came into the room. Michaela turned in Sully's arms, her hair a bit of a mess. Both of them had faces flushed with a bit of red, and Sully hoped Michaela would stand in front of him for a few minutes so he could, well, relax.
"Um, sorry," Colleen said, blushing at the fact that she and caught her parents kissing like that. Michaela blushed, but smiled through it.
"It's quite alright."
"We found that ya can get a ride to the hospital in ten minutes."
"Alright. Will you go wait for us downstairs?" Michaela asked. "I need to finish my hair, and you children are going to spend the day with your father."
"Really?"
"Yep," Sully replied with a nod, his hand finding Michaela's. They gave each other a firm squeeze.
"While I'm at the hospital, I want you two to be on your best behavior. I want you both to help out with the boys."
"We can do that," Colleen promised. "Right Brian?"
"Right," the boy replied. Colleen and Brian left again, and Michaela turned to Sully. They grinned at each other and kissed one another sweetly. Michaela pulled away and walked over to grab her brush.
"I'd better hurry," she pointed out. Sully nodded and left Michaela alone so she could put her hair up. He took the boys downstairs to wait with their brother and sister.
Sully, Michaela, and the children were outside of the hospital now. Brian was harping about a candy store he'd seen on the ride over, and Michaela was trying to tear herself away from her family. She had left them alone before, but they were in a big city now. She was worried, because the last time they had gone to Denver, something terrible had happened. She was trying to tell herself that it wouldn't happen again.
"We'll be fine, Michaela," Sully promised. "Don't you worry." He gave her a reassuring kiss on the cheek. Michaela kissed him softly and bent down to kiss little Connor in his arms. She gave Brian a kiss on the cheek, then Colleen, and then little Daniel who was in his big sister's arms. "We'll see ya at one, alright?" Sully asked. Michaela nodded. He noticed that Michaela still looked unsure. He smiled and removed the necklace that Michaela had made for him while they were engaged. He grinned, remembering how proud she looked when she gave it to him. He leaned in to whisper into her ear as he placed the necklace into her gloved hand. "Keep this with ya. You'll be safe." Michaela touched the locket on her other necklace.
"This keeps me safe."
"Ya don't look like you're feelin' too safe. Just keep this with ya." Michaela smiled thankfully and kissed him on the cheek.
"Be careful."
"Always," he promised. Michaela sighed and turned to walk toward the hospital. Sully looked at the children, and Brian began to fidget.
"Pa?"
"Hmm?"
"Can we go to the candy store?"
"What will your ma think about that?"
"I promise I won't eat too much."
"I don't know, Brian. I don't want ya spoilin' your appetite."
"Come on, pa," Colleen urged. "We won't eat too much." Colleen normally wasn't one to eat sweets, but she figured that since she was in Denver, it was a vacation, and she could indulge a little. Sully sighed and nodded.
"Alright, let's go," he replied. The Sully family, minus Michaela, started off in search of the candy store they had passed on the surrey ride over.
Meanwhile, Michaela walked into Dr. Garner's office. He and another older gentleman, whom Michaela presumed to be Dr. Edwards, were discussing something when they turned to see the doctor.
"Good morning, gentlemen," she began. The doctors saw the medical bag in her hand.
"Ah, good morning, Dr. Quinn, I presume?"
"Yes. And you are Dr. Garner?" she asked nervously, having only met him once in Boston several years ago. He nodded. "Yes, and this is my partner, Dr. Edwards."
"Good morning, Dr. Quinn," Dr. Edwards replied. "Shall we go into the laboratory for a bit of privacy? This isn't the kind of subject to be discussed in the middle of a doctor's office."
"Of course," Michaela replied. The three doctors traveled down a corridor of the hospital, and Michaela thanked God that these two didn't seem to have anything against women doctors.
"The body was exhumed this morning," Dr. Garner pointed out. "There isn't much left except for the remaining bones. Perhaps you will be able to prove us wrong today with your theory that she was murdered instead of killed in the fire like we had originally assumed."
"Perhaps," Michaela replied with a simple nod. Once they were settled around the table, Dr. Garner unveiled the remains of the dead Millicent Luther. The sight of her remains irked Michaela. Normally something like this wouldn't phase Michaela Quinn-Sully, but seeing the woman whose picture she had seen in the newspaper, a woman who had looked just like her, sent haunting chills through every part of her being.
"Dr. Quinn? Would you like to do the honors of examining our patient first?" Michaela swallowed hard, nodded, and began her examination of the remains of Millicent Luther.
Just as Sully had expected, he was regretting letting the children have candy at the candy store. Now he was carrying the twins down Main Street while Brian and Colleen were running around in every which direction. They had had too much sugar, and Sully knew Michaela would not be happy once she found out they had each consumed a whole pound of candy apiece.
"Whoa! Kids! Kids!" Sully called out as they ran ahead. Colleen and Brian turned around, and Sully could see that they weren't going to come down from their sugar-high anytime soon.
"If you'd not tell your ma about this, I'd appreciate it."
"It ain't your fault we ate all that candy," Brian replied.
"Yeah it is," Sully replied. "I shouldn't have taken ya into that candy store. Now your ma is gonna have my hide when she finds out I let you eat all that."
"We won't tell," Colleen promised.
"You want us to lie to ma?" Brian asked.
"No," Sully replied. He was seriously contemplating telling the children that not saying anything wasn't lying, but that wouldn't be a good example to set for them. He had to teach them that it's best to take the consequences of your actions. "Don't worry about it. I'll talk to your ma about this later." At that point, Brian groaned. "What?"
"I ain't feelin' so good."
"Me either," Colleen admitted.
"Okay," Sully replied. "Let's just go back to the hotel."
"I don't wanna go back yet," Brian groaned.
"Well, you both gotta lay down. That's what your ma would make ya do." Sully and the children started off toward the hotel, and Sully hoped Michaela wouldn't be too upset with him for this.
"And as I conclude, gentlemen, you can now see that the fracture on the back of our patient's skull was not caused by a fall to the floor. The contact had been much faster and much harder. If she had fallen, the pressure of the impact would not have caused such a fracture." She looked up to Dr. Garner and Dr. Edwards.
"Please excuse us for a moment," Dr. Garner replied. He and Dr. Edwards turned their back and began discussing the case. Michaela sighed heavily. She hated it when her colleagues did that. All throughout the morning, the two doctors had treated Michaela has an equal, but when it came to her own conclusion, they had to team against her to discuss what they were going to say next. She wasn't going to stand for that.
"Excuse me," she said, clearing her throat. When they didn't turn around, she decided to speak up. "Excuse me!" The two men turned abruptly.
"Dr. Quinn?"
"I would appreciate it if you would not turn your back on me. I am a doctor in every sense of the word, and if you think I am not competent enough to handle this case, you should come to Colorado Springs, and I assure you there are people there who are willing to speak up for me. While I am in your company, I expect to be treated not as a woman, but as a doctor." The two doctors glanced at each other and cleared their throats.
"My apologies, Dr. Quinn," Dr. Garner replied. "Dr. Edwards and I were just coming to the decision that your diagnosis is correct."
"Oh?" Michaela asked, surprised to hear those words.
"I admit that we didn't pay as much attention to the case as we should have once we heard she died in a fire. But you've shown us that we were wrong. I do believe Millicent Luther was murdered."
"So you both believe the fire was a cover up?"
"Yes," Dr. Edwards replied. "David Luther was a business man, and he had many enemies. But as for finding the murderer, I'm afraid it would be like finding a needle in a haystack, Dr. Quinn." Michaela nodded.
"I suppose you're right," she replied. "But I don't want to give up. I want to find out who did this. This woman didn't deserve to die in the way that she did."
"You're right, Dr. Quinn," Dr. Garner replied. "I'm not going to assure you that we'll ever find any evidence to point to a suspect, but we can find out who David Luther's enemies were."
"Thank you," Michaela replied. The two men left the room, and Michaela felt an eerie silence fill the room. She covered up Millicent Luther's remains. "I'm sorry, Millicent. Nobody deserves to go through what you did." She swallowed hard and left the room, feeling satisfied that her suspicions had been correct. But she didn't feel better. She felt worse now that she knew a killer was still on the loose. She had no doubt in her mind that David hadn't killed his wife. Sure he had killed before, but he killed because he thought he was saving his wife from kidnappers. He had unknowingly kidnapped her. She was sure this man hadn't killed his wife, but then again, there wasn't any proof to point to who did, either.
Sully and the children met Michaela at the hospital right on time. The children had had a bit of rest, and they were both feeling a little better. Brian's face was a bit greener than usual, and Sully knew Michaela would notice right away.
As soon as Michaela saw her family, she hurried over. She hugged Sully and pulled Daniel into her arms so he wouldn't have to carry them both.
"So?" Sully asked.
"My suspicions were correct, but there are no suspects." Sully sighed heavily.
"What are ya gonna do now?"
"I have to tell David." Sully swallowed hard, thinking about his wife coming face-to-face with her kidnapper again.
"Are ya sure ya wanna be doin' that?" Sully asked. Michaela nodded.
"Yes," she replied. "I need to tell him. I need him to know that he wasn't crazy. I need him to know that his wife was killed, just like he suspected." Sully nodded in understanding. He knew David couldn't do his wife any harm now that he was behind bars. "He's in prison here, so I'd like to go visit him."
"No, ma! He'll take you again!" Brian exclaimed, running to cling to his mother.
"Sweetheart, he can't hurt me," Michaela whispered. Brian looked up at her. "Brian? You don't look like you're feeling well." She looked at Colleen. "Colleen?"
"Um," she started, looking at Sully.
"We paid a visit to the candy store," Sully admitted. "It's a long story." Michaela sighed.
"How much did they eat?"
"Enough to spoil dinner," Sully replied. Michaela sighed and shook her head.
"Well, I should have known better than to let you take them around town." Sully thought she was about to yell at him. However, she simply grinned. "You're a softie. Those children have you wrapped around their fingers. You never can resist them. Let me guess, they gave you those sad eyes and you just couldn't resist." Brian and Colleen looked at each other and giggled. Sully cleared his throat and shrugged. Michaela shook her head.
"You're not mad?"
"Not at you. But the children should know better than to eat all of that candy."
"But we're on vacation," Brian complained.
"We're not on vacation. I'm here on business."
"So what are we here for?" Colleen asked.
"We're here to support your ma," Sully replied. He gave Michaela a kiss on the cheek.
"I'd like to get some rest before I go to visit David. Tomorrow morning, I'd like to pay him a visit."
"Alright," Sully replied, swallowing hard. "Let's get back to the hotel."
"And I expect the two of you to go right to bed once we get there."
"But," Brian began to protest.
"No buts, young man." The Sully family started off toward the hotel, and Michaela couldn't help but feel lucky. She had a loving husband and five wonderful children. Poor Millicent Luther never got the chance to have everything that Michaela had. Michaela now hoped that Millicent's spirit could finally rest in peace, and that she could bring some peace of mind to David.