Friday, August 14, 2009

Koala Killer Fourteenth Installment


The next morning, Lt. Wilson knocked on her gate and Cass let him in. Mari heard him introduce himself as her friend who'd come to help her from out of town. She was propped up in her swivel-rocker.
The lieutenant took out his notepad as he sat in the fold-out chair by the card table, where Cass pointed.
"Let's start with your visit to Stan at the hospital, shall we?"
"When I came into his room he was slumped over. When I touched him, he fell further. I called for help. When the nurses came running, I watched for a minute. They asked me to leave. I knew somehow that he was dead. I left. I hadn't seen anything or anyone. I've already told you this."
"No one came out of the room as you were approaching it?"
"I didn't notice anyone."
"You knew the room number?"
"Yes, I got it when I called from home the day you interviewed me in Jorge's office."
"It was on the second floor past the nurse's desk. Did you walk past the nurse's station?"
"Yes, but I didn't stop there. I knew by the number signs that his room was just a few doors down from there."
"So you looked up the hall. What did you see?"
"Someone in a white coat coming toward me."
"Describe the person."
Mari closed her eyes and suddenly she pictured the moment, she said aloud,"A man. Heavy set. His eyes cast down. He had one hand in the pocket of the white coat. He looked up just before we passed. He looked startled. I just nodded an acknowledgement. I wasn't interested in his problem, just wanted to see how Stan was doing."
"That may have been the killer. He recognized you. He thought you might have recognized him, perhaps from the zoo. That's where you were run down. My investigation indicates that Stan was shot with the tranq gun right where you found him; inside the zoo. It's most likely an employee. I want you to keep an eye out at the zoo for the man you saw coming down the hospital hall."
"But I'm on leave."
"You could go back and look through the personnel files, couldn't you, Ms. Nuclett?" I fear that this person will leave the area altogether, as soon as he feels the 'heat is off' so to speak. Right now we're checking on employees who don't show up to work."
"If Cass will come with me..." she answered weakly.
"Of course I will, Mari, we'll get you in a wheelchair for easier mobility and you can give me a behind the scenes tour of the zoo."
"Sure."
Suddenly she wanted to cry. "Buck up Mari," her inner voice told her.
"That'll work," Lt. Wilson continued, "Now, the person you saw making a hasty retreat after watching you at the shed at the zoo, could it have been the same person you saw in the hall at the hospital?"