Chapter 2 - The Nurse Who Disappeared
Vincent’s private dining room was empty now.
Grant locked the doors.
Arthur sat in a chair near the wall.
Molly stood beside the table while Vincent watched both of them.
“You know her?” Vincent asked.
Arthur hesitated.
“No.”
Molly laughed once.
“You’re terrible at lying.”
Vincent looked at Arthur.
“He asked you a question,” Grant said.
Arthur swallowed.
“I recognized her name.”
“From where?”
Arthur stared at Molly.
“St. Catherine Medical Center.”
Vincent turned toward her.
Molly said nothing.
Arthur continued.
“She was a critical-care nurse.”
“Was?”
Arthur’s voice dropped.
“She was investigated after a patient died.”
Molly’s jaw tightened.
Vincent noticed.
“Explain.”
“There’s nothing to explain.”
Arthur almost smiled.
“There absolutely is.”
Molly stepped toward him.
“Careful.”
Arthur’s confidence returned slightly.
“A patient died during her shift. Medication error.”
Vincent looked at Molly.
“True?”
“A man died.”
“Because of you?”
“That’s what the hospital said.”
Arthur leaned forward.
“She resigned.”
Molly looked directly at him.
“I was forced out.”
“Same difference.”
“No.”
Her voice became quieter.
“It isn’t.”
Vincent pulled out a chair.
“Sit.”
“I’m fine.”
“That wasn’t concern.”
Molly sat.
Vincent remained standing.
“Tell me what happened.”
She looked at her wrist.
“Three years ago, I was working nights. We had a cardiac patient named Daniel Cross.”
Arthur suddenly became very still.
Molly noticed.
So did Vincent.
“He was stable,” she continued. “Then he crashed.”
“Medication?”
“Yes.”
“What kind?”
“A drug he was never prescribed.”
Arthur interrupted.
“She administered it.”
Molly turned.
“No. I found it.”
Vincent raised one hand.
Arthur stopped talking.
Molly continued.
“The hospital said I entered the wrong medication.”
“Did you?”
“No.”
“Could you prove that?”
“I tried.”
“What happened?”
“Records disappeared.”
Vincent glanced toward Grant.
“Convenient.”
“For somebody.”
Molly looked at Arthur.
The chef stared back.
Vincent noticed.
“You think he was involved?”
“I think Arthur knows more than he should.”
Arthur laughed nervously.
“I cook steaks.”
“Then why did you recognize her?”
“I read newspapers.”
“My name never appeared publicly.”
Arthur’s smile disappeared.
Grant stepped closer.
Vincent asked quietly:
“How did you know?”
Arthur said nothing.
Vincent walked toward him.
“You have two problems tonight, Arthur. Someone tried to put something dangerous in my dinner, and you know details about a dead patient you shouldn’t know.”
“My son—”
“We’ll get to your son.”
Arthur looked terrified.
Molly suddenly asked:
“How old is he?”
Arthur blinked.
“What?”
“Your son.”
“Twenty-two.”
“Name?”
“Evan.”
“When did you last speak to him?”
Arthur’s face collapsed.
“Yesterday morning.”
“What happened?”
“A man came to my apartment.”
Vincent’s eyes hardened.
Arthur continued.
“He showed me a video. Evan tied to a chair.”
Grant cursed quietly.
“They told me what to put in the sauce.”
“What?”
Arthur shook his head.
“I don’t know.”
Molly stared at him.
“You handled it.”
“With gloves.”
“Packaging?”
“Small glass vial.”
“Label?”
“None.”
Vincent asked:
“What did they want?”
Arthur looked at him.
“You dead.”
Vincent barely reacted.
Grant did.
“Names.”
“I don’t have any.”
“Faces?”
“Covered.”
“Voices?”
“Distorted.”
Molly studied Arthur.
Something didn’t fit.
“If they wanted Vincent dead, why use you?”
Arthur stared at her.
“What?”
“Why risk blackmailing the executive chef? Why not contaminate the food before it reached the restaurant?”
Arthur’s breathing changed.
Molly leaned closer.
“Because they needed someone who could personally control Vincent’s plate.”
Vincent looked toward the kitchen.
Then at Grant.
“How many people knew I was eating here tonight?”
“Seven.”
“Get the list.”
Grant left.
Molly looked at Arthur again.
“And there’s another problem.”
Vincent waited.
“The substance on my wrist.”
“What about it?”
“I’ve felt this before.”
Arthur whispered:
“No.”
Molly stared at him.
“The night Daniel Cross died.”
Vincent’s face hardened.
“You’re saying the same substance was used three years ago?”
“I’m saying the reaction feels identical.”
Arthur stood abruptly.
“We need to leave.”
Grant reentered.
“Why?”
Arthur looked toward the windows.
“Because if Molly recognized it, they’ll know she recognized it.”
May you like
The lights went out.
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