“I just spoke to Ann, the patient who shared a room with Tara in the ICU,” Cindy announced, waiting to see how Beatrice would respond.
By then Beatrice’s face became immobile and expressionless. “Yes?”
“I’ve learned quite a bit about Tara’s nurse, Alana,” Cindy continued, “and everything is starting to add up.”
“Calm down,” Beatrice said flatly, trying to take the air out of Cindy’s wings.
Beatrice had no effect on Cindy, however. “I learned that Alana was also the nurse for the other woman who died unexpectedly in the hospital a short while ago,” Cindy barreled right along.
“Pure coincidence,” Beatrice spoke emphatically. “The cases have absolutely nothing in common and the police have dismissed the possibility of any connection between them.”
“Ann also said that Alana was the nurse on call in Tara’s room the night she died,” Cindy went on. “Ann said Alana was agitated, that she heard her yelling at Tara. Ann also heard Tara say she wanted to die.”
“Fantasy and nonsense,” Beatrice uttered.
“Well, we can check out and see if in fact, Alana was the nurse assigned to Tara that night,” Cindy pushed it.
“The night nurse was off that night,” Beatrice replied flatly. “The night rotation was up for grabs.”
“Was Alana the night nurse?” Cindy asked pointedly.
“This is pathetic and ridiculous,” Beatrice replied emphatically.
Cindy would not be stopped. “Ann said that Konrad then came into Tara’s room to speak with Alana and calm her down. Obviously, there’s a personal relationship between them.”
Beatrice Flann stood up, disgusted. “There’s no length you won’t go to, to dig up dirt, is there?” she said. “Excuse me, I have more important things to do than listen to the deranged fantasy of a woman who has just emerged, half sane, from a coma. Ann is not a reliable witness either medically or legally. So, what she tells you amounts to nothing at all!”
Cindy wouldn’t back down. “Is there any way of checking the whereabouts of Konrad that night?”
“None at all,” Beatrice snapped, “the very idea of it is preposterous. “You’ve become desperate, grabbing at anything at all to free your client. Why implicate Konrad in this? He’s a wonderful administrator and a wonderful man.”
“I’m not implicating anyone,” Cindy responded, “just reporting what I’ve heard.”
“But who have you heard it from?” Beatrice walked to her office door, flung it open and pointed, indicating that it was time for Cindy to walk through the door and leave her alone.
Chapter 17
Cindy returned to the hotel agitated both by her encounter with Ann and Beatrice. Ann seemed clear and fully able to recall what she’d heard. Was it true that her words had no standing because she’d recently emerged from a coma? Was there some way they could check her report out anyway? Cindy couldn’t wait to talk to Mattheus about it. He was scheduled to go to the jazz festival tonight and spend time with Konrad and the board of directors. Cindy felt it was crucial that he hear what Ann told her before he went.
Cindy dialed Mattheus’s phone immediately. “I have incredible information,” she started as soon as he picked up.
“Me too,” he mumbled on the other end. “It just gets crazier and crazier.”
“What do you have?” Cindy was intrigued.
“The Ranges Hospital has way more than its share of medical mistakes,” Mattheus started, “along with poor overall accountability.”
“What are the mistakes due to?” Cindy asked breathless, “drug use by the staff?”
“No proof of that exactly,” Mattheus replied.
“I thought the Ranges had such a fine reputation,” Cindy remarked.
“So does everyone else,” Mattheus replied. “These facts are something the hospital does their best to cover up.”
Cindy breathed more deeply. She’d felt from the beginning that Owen was innocent and her perceptions were now being shored up.
“I checked Konrad too,” Mattheus continued, “boy, has this guy got a checkered past. He’s worked lots of strange jobs before this, never stayed in one place for long. There’s nothing in his resume that really qualifies him for this job, either. Someone obviously got the job for him. Who knows who or why?”
“What a horrible mess,” said Cindy.
“It is,” Mattheus agreed. “Looking at the whole picture, there’s more than enough reasonable doubt here to get Owen out of jail.”
Cindy felt validated.
I’ll be seeing Konrad in a little while,” Mattheus continued. “Tell me, what do you have for me that I need to know before I see him at the festival?”
“Are you sitting down?” Cindy started.
“Of course I am,” Mattheus answered, surprised. “Why?”
“I spoke to the patient who shared Tara’s room, and found out a bunch of things” Cindy continued. “First of all she told me that Alana was also the nurse of the other patient at this hospital who died unexpectedly a few weeks ago.”
“Oh brother,” breathed Mattheus. “Why haven’t we heard this?”
“Ann also said that she heard Alana yelling at Tara the night she was killed. And, she heard Tara asking to die!”
“Wait a minute, that’s too much. Is this woman crazy or something?” Mattheus couldn’t swallow it. “These are far out claims she’s making.”
“Far out or not, it’s what she said. And I believe her,” Cindy added. “At the very least some of her claims can be corroborated.”
“For instance?” asked Mattheus.
“Ann said she heard Owen saying to Tara that she’d never be beautiful again. That has already been reported, the very same words.”
Mattheus became quieter. “Go on,” he said.
“Ann also said that she heard Konrad come into the room the night Tara died. He came in to calm Alana down. Ann heard Konrad tell Alana he loved her. How could she possible know Konrad’s name, how could she loved he was in a relationship with Alana?”
Mattheus fell completely silent.
“We have to check out where Konrad was that night,” Cindy continued. “And, the head of nursing, Beatrice Flann, already corroborated that Alana was the nurse assigned to the patient who died unexpectedly in the hospital a few weeks ago. She said it was a coincidence and the police dismissed the connection.”
“Facts and fiction mixed together,” Mattheus murmured.
“Maybe there’s no fiction here, just facts,” said Cindy.
“And even if Konrad did come to see Alana in Tara’s room the night she died, what’s the connection with Tara’s dying?” Mattheus paused, considering what he was hearing.
“Who knows?” asked Cindy. “Maybe Alana was doing a favor for him, or vice versa? It’s worth checking further.”
“It’s more than worth it, we have to do it,” said Mattheus, “I’ll confront him with everything at the festival tonight.”
*
The Jazz festival in Jamaica, famous all over the Caribbean, was in full swing when Mattheus arrived. Suntanned and dressed in a white linen summer suit and slacks, he was glad to go alone. Right now he needed the freedom of being able to roam around unencumbered, a magnet for unexpected clues. Of course Cindy was never the kind of hang onto him, but he could be tougher without her at his side.
Mattheus looked at the people streaming in from everywhere to enjoy the fantastic sounds of top jazz bands playing their hearts out under the stars on the rolling hills. With drinks plentifully available at the booths on the side, the mood was festive and rambunctious. Thanks to the police, the Board of Directors of the hospital had reserved a seat for Mattheus among them up front. Mattheus approached, wondering if he’d have to sit through the entire concert before getting a chance to talk.
The moment Mattheus stopped at his ticket’s row, a tall, nervous man stood up and greeted him.
“How do you do,” the man said, “I’m Phil Adams, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Ranges Hospital. I suppose you’re Mattheus?”