The story continues...

Chapter Five

Wednesday 6:45 a.m.

Bob Thayer, Jackson Spring’s Medical Center’s security guard, pointed at Jessica again.  “She had something to do with the theft.  I just know it.”

“Okay, okay,” said the detective, Rick Howard.  He walked his thin, tall form away from Bob and conferred with his partner, George Benson.  “Can you believe this guy?”  Rick indicated Bob with a flip of his thumb.

“Not exactly.”  George brushed his steel gray hair out of his way and checked his notepad.  George was just as tall as Rick but was older and thicker through the middle. “The nurse, um, Jessica Markham, doesn’t look like she’d use aspirin without thinking twice.  She just doesn’t strike me as a drug user or dealer.  The other staff told the same story as she did minus the creep’s entrance because they came up after he was already in.”

Bob joined the officers.  “Look, the perp rubbed himself all over her.  She said so herself.  Now if that isn’t collusion I don’t know what is.”

“Maybe you’re mistaken?” said George.

Swirling around them, ER day shift was trying to cope with their nurse’ station being cordoned off with crime scene tape.  Chaos and tension ran rampant as nurses tried to get around each other in order to get the patients seen and taken care of.  The ER waiting room was already filling up with people wanting their needs taken care of now.  Jill, Ryan, Jessica, and Mrs. Thornton stood together off to the side trying to stay out of the way.  Even so, they and the crime scene tape were cramping the day shift nurse’ room to work.  All the staff seemed stressed as they charged about the remaining accessible area speaking sharply to one another.

Bob continued.  “Look, if something isn’t done I’m going to call my cousin, Robert Answerth.”

The two detectives walking away from Bob stopped in their tracks.  Robert Answerth was the city’s prosecuting attorney.  Rick shrugged the comment off, preceded to the nurse’ station, and tore down the crime scene tape.  “Here you go.  You can have the desk back.”  The release of the nurses’ desk brought cheers. 

George whispered to Rick.  “We’re going to have to take her in now just to cover our butts.”

“Yeah.  And waste a lot of time and effort trying to stick a crime on an innocent victim.”  His brown eyes sought out his prey, Jessica.

“Yup.  We’ll have to check with the DA’s office.”  George flipped his notepad shut and pocketed it.

“My thinking exactly,” said Rick.

They approached Jessica.  Rick said, “Ms. Markham, we are going to take you to the station for questioning.  Are there any conflicts with this for you?”

“What am I being taken in for?” asked Jessica.

“There are some questions we need to clear up before we let you go,” said Rick.

“What questions do you have?  I’ve told you everything that happened. I can answer any other questions you have here and now.” 

Mrs. Thornton wedged herself between Jessica and Detective Howard and interrupted, “Is this because of what Bob said about being related to the prosecuting attorney?”

Both men turned red.  The veins in George’s neck and head popped out.  “Look, we have to take you in.  Are you resisting?”  The detective bore down on Jessica. Mrs. Thornton glared at George. Detective Benson stepped away, taken back by the supervisor’s audacity.

“Am I being arrested?”  Jessica was trembling from head to foot.

Rick looked down at Mrs. Thornton and then back to Jessica.  “Not at this time, but we have questions that would be answered better at the station than here.”

“I have to call my babysitter to let her know I will be late.” 

“Why don’t you make that call and then we’ll go,” said George still upset brought his handcuffs out.

Mrs. Thornton remained in place. “You will not handcuff Ms. Markham. As you said she’s not under arrest and it would only be to impress Bob.” George’s handcuffs disappeared as he nodded to her.  

Jessica fighting back tears stumbled to the phone with Jill right behind her trying to be supportive.  Jill threw over her shoulders to the detectives.  “This is ridiculous.”

The detectives were becoming uncomfortable. Their badges attached to their belts felt useless.

Jessica dialed her number and her babysitter answered.  “Mrs. Turnbull, I’m sorry but I’m going to be late getting home this morning.”

“Why, whatever for?  This hasn’t happened before.  I don’t know if I like this.  What will you be doing?”

“I have to stop by the police station on the way home.  Hopefully, it won’t take too long.”

Bob Thayer stepped toward Mrs. Thornton ready to argue. Mrs. Thornton lowered her head, blinking her eyes, and when they reopened, she looked at Bob over her reading glasses at Bob. He diverted his steps and headed down the hall back to the main hospital. Bob’s disappearance was not lost on the two detectives.

“Police station?  Heavens.  What for?”

“Mrs. Turnbull, there’s been a robbery at work.  Please see Ashley off to school for me.”

“Well, I guess so.”  Mrs. Turnbull grumped into the phone.

“Thank you, Mrs. Turnbull.”  Jessica hung up the phone and turned back to the detectives.  “All right, I’m ready.”

The two detectives led Jessica away. They looked back at Mrs. Thornton. Both ducked their heads when they caught a glimpse of Mrs. Thornton standing rigidly with her hands on her hips. They looked at each other.

“I wonder if we should have just told that security guard to call his cousin, and now be on our way to breakfast?” asked Rick.

“It would have been more fun,” George whispered back.