Murder at St Mary's
Chapter 05
5.1
Chief Ironside wheeled into the room. He spotted Ed Brown and motioned for him to join him. Brown came immediately to his side. "Where is Sister Agatha?" he asked.
"She will be along in a minute," Ed answered. "She is getting the drugs ready to do the inventory."
"Is Eve with her?" Ironside inquired.
"Yes, she is keeping an eye out to make sure Sister Agatha is warned if anyone enters."
Ironside looked around the room. He smiled when he saw the size of the crowd. This was a much larger crowd than the previous year. "Ed, what about the security?"
"We have plenty of men to cover the entire event. Everyone is in place."
"Where's Carl?"
Ed looked around. "I don't know, Chief, I saw him earlier but I have not seen him lately."
Ironside saw Katherine DeNureve headed in his direction. He looked at Mark and Ed. "Well, don't just stand here... start mingling."
"Mingle..." Mark said, looking at Ed with a smile as he glanced at Katherine. The two of them left, knowing it was the boss' way of dismissing them to have a private moment with Katherine.
"Hello, Robert." She smiled as she approached him.
Ironside reached out and took her hand. He kissed the back of it and smiled. "Hello, Katherine. You look lovely as always."
"And you look handsome in a tux." She bent down and kissed his cheek. "I cannot believe the number of people that have shown up. I could not be more pleased."
"Yes, this is the largest crowd that I can remember," Ironside agreed.
"I hope you don't mind but I have you seated with me at the head table."
"I not only do not mind but I was expecting it. By the way," he said with a smile, "have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?"
She smiled back at him again. "In fact you did."
"Well it is worth repeating because you are beautiful," Ironside told her.
"Can I get you a drink, Robert?"
"Please, bourbon," he answered.
Katherine left Ironside and headed toward the bar. A man approached the detective from behind. "Chief Ironside, I doubt that you remember me but..."
Ironside turned his chair toward the voice. "Dr. Warren Carmody, chief of Medicine at San Francisco General Hospital." Ironside put out his hand.
"I am surprised that you remember me, Chief. We only met once." The doctor shook Ironside's hand.
"I am very good with faces. I am surprised to see you here. You are in competition with this hospital for business," Ironside pointed out.
"I prefer to think of it as we are partners in helping people with their medical care. Besides, the last time we held a charity event, Sister Agatha was there to work the event and made a sizable donation as well."
"Will you be staying for dinner?" Ironside asked.
"Of course. I would not miss your speech."
"Then I will see you later." Ironside wheeled away as he noticed Katherine heading toward him carrying drinks.
"Shall we sit down?" Ironside suggested.
Katherine followed him to the main table. Ironside wheeled up to the only spot at the table that did not contain a chair. He took the drinks from Katherine, placed them on the table and guided her into the chair beside him. It was then he noticed the name cards that had been placed there. He had indeed chosen the correct placement as his name card was in front of him. Katherine's had been placed to his left. The name card to his right read Barbara Jones.
"I have not seen Barbara," Katherine said.
"She will not be joining us tonight," Ironside replied with no further explanation.
"Oh I am sorry to hear that," she said.
Ironside lifted his glass and said, "Here is to a successful event." Katherine lifted her glass and they drank to his toast.
5.2
Commissioner Randall stepped into Jody Dent's hospital room. Dent opened his eyes. "Hello, Dennis. You must be here for the charity event."
"I did promise Bob that I would drop in on the event but I really came to see you. How are you feeling?"
"Not a very good question to ask a dying man. I just might tell you," Dent replied.
"I am really sorry, Jody."
"I guess you just never think of it happening to you. It always happens to some other poor sucker."
"For what it is worth you have made a hell of an impact on this city," Randall told him.
"Thanks, Dennis, but I have not done much. Bob Ironside has made a hell of an impact on this this city. Probably more than anyone else. If he were lying in this bed then that praise would be deserved but not for me."
"I wish there was something I could say that..."
"Don't try, Dennis. There isn't but I do appreciate you coming to see me."
"Do not worry about Jill. I will see that she is well taken care of."
"Now if you want to feel sorry for someone, Jill is the one. Her first husband died in a car wreck and then she married me."
"She loves you, Jody."
"She loved her first husband too but he is still dead."
Commissioner Randall did not know what to say to his friend. He could not imagine what he was feeling. He lowered his head.
"I am sorry, Dennis. I guess I am just feeling sorry for myself." He smiled. "Go on, you better go over to the charity event."
"Get some rest," Randall told him.
"I will. Give my regards to Sister Agatha."
"I will." Randall smiled and left the room.
5.3
Officer Eve Whitfield entered the room where the drugs were locked in. "Sister, Chief Ironside wants you to return to the charity event. He says people are asking for you."
"I am finished in here for now anyway," she said. She locked the cabinets and followed Eve out of the room.
Sister Agatha returned to the event and went straight over to Robert Ironside. She bent down and whispered in his ear, "It is ready to be inventoried." Ironside said nothing. He only nodded in acknowledgement.
Sister Agatha headed to the stage and stood in front of the microphone. "Can I have everyone's attention please?" The room that had been full of chatter of people became quickly silent. "I welcome all of you to this year's Charity event. The staff of St Mary's Hospital would like you all to know that we appreciate your support. I would like to point out the table on the far back of the room. Please visit this table. The success of this event depends entirely on every one of you in this room. All donations will be used for a variety of reasons. Some of those being to help handicapped individuals, cancer patients, terminal patients and those who need help paying medical bills because of no insurance. Your generosity will be greatly appreciated by all.
"We will be having several speakers from the hospital tonight to showcase some of the advancements past charity events have made possible. The guest speaker tonight will be the celebrated former Chief of Detectives Chief Robert T. Ironside and now a consultant to the San Francisco Police Department." Applause sounded around the room. "As most of you know, Chief Ironside was a patient in this hospital after he was shot by a sniper. Since that time he has been confined to a wheelchair. That, however, did not stop Chief Ironside. He has become the most successful detective in the country." There was another round of applause throughout the room. "Chief Ironside has graciously accepted our invitation to share his experience with you. But first as an expression of our appreciation dinner will be served."
Sister Agatha left the stage and returned to her seat beside Ironside. Mark, Ed and Eve joined them at the table as the caterers made their way around the room.
Ironside noticed Commissioner Randall walk into the room. He turned to Eve and said, "Have the Commissioner join us." Eve left the table, went over to Commissioner Randall and led him back to the others.
"Hello, Bob," Randall said. He looked at Katherine and said, "Mrs. DeNureve, so nice to see you again. Sister, as usual you have done an outstanding job."
"Thank you, Commissioner," Agatha replied. "However I cannot take credit. It belongs to Katherine. She was in charge of the event this year."
"Commissioner," Katherine returned his greeting.
"Have a seat, Commissioner," Ironside said. Randall sat down beside Sister Agatha.
Dinner was served and the conversation flowed freely. Eve kept an eye on Katherine and Ironside. The two seemed almost oblivious to the others at the table. They spoke mostly to each other. Eve could see that Sister Agatha was amused by the attention the two paid to each other.
When dinner drew to a close, Sister Agatha leaned over and said to Katherine. "It is time to introduce our guest speaker."
Katherine got up and walked to the front of the room with Sister Agatha. Agatha spoke into the microphone. "I hope everyone has enjoyed their dinner. As almost all of you are now finished, I would like to start tonight's program. At this time I would like to turn the program over to this year's chairman. She had worked tirelessly for our event and I must say she has been able to do something I have not. She was able to charm a grumpy, cantankerous police detective to share his experience with all of us tonight. Ladies and gentlemen, Katherine DeNureve."
As the applause sounded around the room, Ironside assisted Katherine out of her seat. She joined Sister Agatha on stage. "Good evening to all you. I can't tell you how much your donations are appreciated by the hospital staff. First of all I would like to thank Sister Agatha for all the help and direction she has given me throughout the last year. I never could have done it without her. We also owe a debt of gratitude to Chief Ironside and the San Francisco police department for providing security for this event. What we would like to do is show you how your money was spent last year. With the help of Sister Agatha and some members of her staff as well as some former patients we will demonstrate some of the equipment that we have been able to provide for people in need. The first thing we will show you is..."
Carl Reese and Ed Brown leaned over each of Ironside's shoulders. "We just got the results of the autopsy on Carlton Holcomb."
"And?" Ironside asked.
"Nothing, Chief," Carl said.
"Then the cause of death will remain listed as a heart attack."
"Except for one thing..." Ed said. "It was not a heart attack in the conventional sense. According to the medical examiner's office, they could find nothing wrong with the heart. It just stopped."
"But it will still be listed as natural causes," remarked Ironside.
"Yes, sir," answered Carl.
"Alright. We'll meet on this later." Ironside motioned for the two detectives to sit down.
Sister Agatha and Katherine had completed their demonstration of the new equipment the hospital had obtained. Katherine then went back to the microphone and said, "And now I would like to introduce the evening's guest speaker. Although Chief Robert Ironside needs no introduction, he's going to get one." Laughter rippled throughout the room. "Chief Ironside became the youngest Chief of Detectives in the history of the San Francisco Police Department. Several years ago he was shot by a sniper's bullet. He spent three months in St Mary's Hospital recovering from that wound. As Sister Agatha will tell you, one of the hardest things to tell someone with a spinal cord injury is that they will never walk again. Yet that is exactly what the doctors here at St Mary's had to do with Chief Ironside.
"With courage and determination, being a paraplegic could not deter him. He graciously accepted a request from Commissioner Dennis Randall to return to the San Francisco police department as a consultant."
Dennis Randall, who was taking a sip of coffee, choked on the coffee and coughed. Ed, Eve and Mark looked at one another and smiled.
"Since then Chief Ironside has become a legend in criminal detection. We have been able to convince him to come here tonight to share his experiences with you. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to introduce to you tonight, Chief Robert T. Ironside."
Ironside backed up his wheelchair and wheeled to the front of the room. A hospital employee pushed Ironside's chair up the ramp and onto the stage that had been created so that he could be seen by the crowd.
As he waited for the applause to die down, he glanced at Katherine and smiled. "For those of you who know me, you are aware I am NOT good at describing or showing my emotions. Of course if you spoke to my staff they would probably tell you I'm very good at showing frustration and impatience. Don't believe a flaming word of it. It has nothing to do with frustration and impatience. I simply expect everything to be done yesterday." Once again laughter prevailed throughout the room.
No one in the audience had noticed that Sister Agatha had disappeared from the stage. Ed Brown and Eve Whitfield had taken advantage of the standing ovation that Ironside received upon being introduced and also had left the room. Nobody noticed, that is ... except Robert Ironside.
5.4
"How long will this take?" Sergeant Brown asked Sister Agatha.
"It will take even longer if I stand around here answering questions," Agatha responded, which caused Eve to smile at Ed.
"Alright, Eve, you stay here and make sure no one enters. I will be right back." Brown disappeared through the door.
5.5
"I cannot believe that you showed up here tonight of all nights. Ironside is out there giving his speech right
now. Are you out of your mind?"
"Relax," Morgan Haynes said. "Ironside will never know that I was here. I came to deliver a message."
"Message? What message?"
"The boss wants another elimination."
"Have the two of you completely gone insane? You want me to commit murder with Ironside sitting out there?"
"What's the big deal?" Haynes asked. "Ironside sits wherever he is." Haynes grinned.
"That's not funny. I am NOT taking care of anyone tonight."
"You'll do as you are told. Or would you prefer to have your little secret revealed?"
"I didn't say I wouldn't do it. I just won't do it tonight. Ironside is out there. He will be called in here immediately."
"There would be no reason for the hospital staff to call Ironside back here. You're just being paranoid. You will do it the same way you did the other two. No one will suspect a thing and he will be dead," Morgan Haynes told his accomplice.
"He? Who am I supposed to take out this time?"
"Jody Dent."
"Jody Dent! The city councilman? You are both mad! You want to kill the city councilman right under Ironside's nose?"
"Why don't you shout just a little bit louder? Maybe you can get Ironside to come back here and watch you do it," Haynes said sarcastically.
"I don't care what either one of you want. I am not killing Jody Dent with Ironside sitting in the next room. That would be committing suicide. I'm not stupid and I have no intentions of getting caught."
Morgan Haynes slammed his accomplice against the wall. "I have just about had it with you. You will stop your sniveling and do as you are told. If Dent doesn't die tonight, that nosey nun will find out that you have been altering the shipment of Vicodin that has been coming in here. She will find out about your little addiction. How long do you think you will last working here if Sister Agatha finds out you have been stealing the Vicodin as it comes in and reporting a different amount than what has actually been shipped in?"
"Look, I said I would do it. Just not tonight. Not with Ironside sitting out there."
"You will do it tonight. If he's not dead by morning, then I blow the whistle on you," Haynes threatened.
"Alright, alright! You win. I'll do it!"
"That is more like it. See how easy it can be when you cooperate." Haynes let go of his accomplice. "Remember, he must be dead by morning." Haynes turned and left the room.
5.6
Eve noticed the puzzled look on Agatha's face. "Is there something wrong, Sister?"
"It doesn't add up."
"What doesn't add up?" Eve asked the nun.
"There is a shortage in one of the drugs," she responded.
"Could it be the drugs used on the victims?"
"No. If someone overdosed on Vicodin, it would definitely show up in an autopsy."
"Is there anything else missing?" Eve asked.
"No. Everything tallies other than Vicodin," Sister Agatha answered.
"We will wait for Ed and then go tell the chief."
5.7
"I appreciate you coming by," said Jodi Dent. "The commissioner was here earlier."
"I think you can expect a visit from Chief Ironside when he is finished with his speech."
"Yes, I would like that. I really would like to tell the chief how much I admire him."
"Is there any chance I can talk you out of that, Jody?" Ed smiled.
Dent laughed. "Sorry, Ed. You'll just have to live with him."
The door to Jody Dent's room opened. Billy Carson came in quietly. He was startled when he saw Ed Brown. "Oh, I am sorry. I did not know you had company. I just stopped in to see if you needed anything."
Councilman Dent smiled. "Thanks. But no, I don't need anything."
Carson glanced at Ed Brown and then left the room.
Ed could see that the councilman was tired. "I better go and let you get some sleep."
"I am sorry, Ed. But they gave me something to make me sleep. I can barely keep my eyes open."
Brown smiled. "No apology necessary. I'll see you later, Jody."
"Goodbye, Ed."
5.8
Ed walked in just as Sister Agatha and Eve were finishing up. They told him of the shortage in the Vicodin.
"Sister, correct me if I'm wrong but isn't Vicodin a narcotic?" Ed inquired. "It would show up in the bloodstream."
"That is correct," she responded.
"Well, let's go tell the chief," Ed said.
5.9
He opened the door to the councilman's room and peeked in. The room was dark and no one was visible. Councilman Dent was sound asleep.
The accomplice walked over to his bedside. He pulled the needle from his pocket. Drawing back the syringe, he filled it with air. The accomplice inserted the needle into the IV and plunged the air in. Moments later Jody Dent was dead.
5.10
"Before we rejoin the others," Agatha said. "I would like to check in on Councilman Dent."
"I just came from there," Ed said. "He was sound asleep."
"I would still like to check on him anyway."
"It will only take a minute, Ed," Eve told him. "Why don't we go back and join the chief? Sister Agatha can join us when she's finished."
As they stood down the hall from the councilman's room, the door opened and what appeared to be an aide walked out of the room. Sister Agatha did not recognize the individual. "You, stop right there!"
The accomplice looked and then turned and ran in the opposite direction. Sergeant Brown and Officer Whitfield took off after him.
When the accomplice reached the corridor, he turned to his right and continued running. Just around the corner a nurse was carrying a tray. The accomplice ran into the nurse, knocking the tray out of her hands as she fell to the floor. Sergeant Brown leaped over her and continued the chase. Eve stopped long enough to help the nurse to her feet.
As Ed followed him around another corner, he stopped when the hall was empty. The accomplice seemed to have disappeared into thin air.
With his service revolver in hand, Sergeant Brown moved cautiously forward. Ed opened what appeared to be a utility room. The room was dark. When he looked around for Officer Whitfield, he could see that she also was checking rooms further along the hall. Brown pushed the door open with the nose of his revolver. He reached to see if he could find the light switch. There wasn't one that he could feel. Ed moved further into the room. That was when his world went black.