“If he’d just listen,” I said. “Just listen. My brother was here. And they say he tried to kill himself, but I don’t think it’s true. And I need to see—”
“Ma’am,” the guard said. “Lots of folks got troubles.”
“But my brother—our brother—Ronnie, he’s in the other hospital because they say he tried to kill himself, but I think someone tried to kill him.”
The pressure on the door eased. Something softened in the guard’s face. The hard lines and edges of his mouth and jaw relaxed.
“Ronnie?” he asked.
“Yes, Ronald Hampton.”
“Your brother is Ronnie Hampton?”
“Yes,” I said. “Yes. Do you know him?”
“They told me Ronnie tried to kill himself with pills,” the guard said. There was a long pause. I kept my mouth shut and just waited. “Ronnie’s my buddy. We watched the baseball play-offs on TV together.”
“Right,” I said. “He loves baseball.”
The guard looked me over again. His eyes stopped on my pants, the bloodstain. Then he said, “There’s no way Ronnie would do himself in.” He stepped back. “Come on. What do you need help with?”
Chapter Fifty-four
The security guard told us his name was Edgar. He said he didn’t realize Ronnie had two sisters, that Ronnie had only ever mentioned one.
Beth nodded toward me. “Ronnie always liked her best.”
As we approached the nurse’s station, the nurse who had shooed us away—and had apparently summoned the guard—seemed nervous. She had large brown eyes like polished stones. I didn’t say anything to her right away. I looked up and down the counter, trying to find what I needed.
“Can I help you with something?” the nurse said.
“The book where everyone signs in?” I asked. “Where did it go?”
“It’s back here,” the nurse said.
“Can I see it?” I asked.
“Who are you?” the nurse asked. “Edgar, do you know these people?”
“They’re Ronnie Hampton’s people,” Edgar said.
“Look,” I said. “The book isn’t a secret. It’s usually sitting right here. Every time I’ve been here, I’ve been able to see whoever signed in ahead of me. Can I just look at it? We’re trying to help someone.”
“My father,” Beth said. “We need to know if he was here.”
The nurse still didn’t move. “I just started last week…”
I leaned over the counter. “It’s right there,” I said, pointing. “I could reach over and take it myself.”
The nurse eyed the book but stayed firmly in place.
“Would you prefer that?” I asked. “Would you prefer if I just took it? Maybe you stepped down the hall to get a drink of water or a snack, and I came in here and took it.”
I didn’t wait for her response. I leaned over and grabbed the book. I flipped back a couple of pages and moved closer to Beth. “It must have been sometime this morning.”
With Beth by my side, I scanned through the list of signed names and the times. I didn’t see Gordon’s name, which was no surprise.
“He probably used a fake name,” Beth said.
“Do you recognize his handwriting?” I asked.
She took the book and studied the signatures. Her lip curled in frustration as she did. “It’s been so long,” she said.
“I know.”
“Since I was a kid.” She pointed at one. “Maybe that. I don’t know.”
It read, Stan Smith.
“Sounds made up,” I said. “Do either of you know who Stan Smith is? Is there a patient named Smith?”
The nurse looked confused. “I just started.”
Edgar said, “Oh, yeah. Esther Smith. Down the hall. Her husband comes to see her all the time.”
“Did you work this morning?” I asked.
“Yes, ma’am. I’m on a double shift.”
“Did Ronnie have any visitors in the evening?” I asked.
“Hmm. I’m not sure. There was a lot going on.”
“I’ll be specific. A fat little white guy with a thick neck. Sort of looks like a giant bullfrog.”
Edgar snapped his fingers. “I know.”
“What?” Beth asked.
“I got called up to the second floor for about an hour this morning,” Edgar said. “There was a disturbance. Somebody stuffed a load of paper in the sink and the toilet and left the water running. Big flood. I had to help get it all cleaned up.”
“Oh, yeah,” the nurse said. “I heard about that.”
“That’s rotten,” I said.
“Or really convenient,” Beth said. “If you’re going with this where I think you’re going.”
I turned back to the nurse. “Okay, I need you to do us another favor.”
“Another one?”
“I need you to tell us what medicines my brother was taking.”
“No, I can’t do that,” she said. “That’s private information. I can’t give that out. I could lose my job.”
“We won’t tell,” I said.
“I just started. I have student loans to pay off.” She looked up and down the hallway, then turned back to me. “I can tell you the police already came tonight and took all of your brother’s medical records.”
“Okay. So give them to me too.”
“They’re the police.”
“Do you know I’m not a cop?” I asked.
The nurse gave me a knowing look. “Edgar just said you’re related to Ronnie. You’re probably his sister.”
“And I’m a cop,” I said. “I forgot my uniform.”
“Wait a minute,” Edgar said. He held up his hand in an authoritarian manner. “What is it you’re trying to find out?”
“I need to know if my brother was taking a certain drug.”
“The one he OD’d on?” Edgar asked.
“Yes.”
“Okay,” Edgar said. He leaned over the counter toward the nurse. “Tanya, why don’t you just let them ask you if their brother was taking a certain medication. You can just answer yes or no. Then you’re not handing over all the records. And then they know what they want to know.”
Tanya studied Edgar a long time. “I don’t know,” she said. “I could still get in trouble.”
“Come on, girl,” Edgar said. “It will be fine.”
Tanya looked back at me. “Okay. What are you looking for?”
“I need to know if Ronnie was on a heart medication. Something called digitoxin or dioxin or something like that.”
“Digoxin?” Tanya asked.
“Sure,” I said. “I guess.”
She turned and started typing on the computer.
Beth looked at Edgar. “Nice job. You’re pretty smart.”
“I try. I’m taking the exam next week to get into the police academy.”
“Too bad,” Beth said. “I hate cops.”
“Me too,” Edgar said. “If I get in, they’re going to make me shave my goatee.”
Tanya leaned in close to the computer screen and clicked the mouse a few times.
“Well?” I asked.
She shook her head but didn’t say anything.
“You’re not going to tell me?” I asked.
Tanya shook her head again.
“I think that’s your answer about the drug,” Beth said.
“Okay,” I said. “Is there anything that would deal with the same problems digoxin deals with? Maybe it’s under a generic name.”
“Digoxin is primarily used for irregular heartbeats and atrial fib,” Tanya said. “Did your brother have a heart problem like that?”
“Not that I know of.”
Tanya clicked the mouse a few times again, and the screen went blank. “That’s all I can help you with, okay?”
Edgar said, “Are you telling me someone tried to kill Ronnie with some pills? After someone already killed your mother?”
“It looks that way,” I said. “And the good news is the police might have finally figured it out as well.”