episode one
episode two
episode three
Episode Four
John and George in full protection mode met the flight carrying Ruby Carter of New Mexico, Abby’s 86 year old aunt, who Nathan had contacted. He told her in a dignified manner over the phone, the details of what happened to Abby and then he let Miss Carter know he’d be taking care of all the expenses incurred as a result of her death.
On her arrival at the Hyatt, the very tiny white-haired lady who had green eyes just like Abby’s and a smile that could brighten a cave, brought news of Abby’s brother Mark, an intelligence officer currently on assignment. Unfortunately, he would not be there for the funeral of his only sibling, because he could not be notified in time. Nathan and Ruby talked alone for a while and Nathan’s arms embraced Ruby, during most of their conversation.
“I felt something was coming, nothing good mind you, when Abby came to stay with me for a few days and brought me a copy of an insurance policy, “just in case” she told me. I knew something was wrong and I told her that since I practically raised her and her brother, I knew when she was holding something back from me.
“She came home to me just over three years ago, pregnant and sick to her stomach for the first few months. But even in those circumstances, she beamed telling me how good a man Mickey Stone was and how much she loved him and thought I’d love him too. Trying to get over him was impossible for her. I was the one that told her she could only get rid of the shadows around her by meeting with him and telling him everything including her heartache over Trinity. I don’t believe she had the time to tell him or did she?” asked Ruby of Nathan.
“No Ruby instead she told me in confidence. I can tell you that Mickey loved her the way he never loved any other woman. Abby took off immediately following the conclusion of a case she and he were working on for me, and I’ve never seen a man agonize more over a failed relationship. I thought I’d have to pick him up off the floor when we identified her body at the morgue,” said Nathan.
“Can I talk to him Nathan? I know he’s recuperating but I think I can speed that process up for him, and I want to so much,” said Ruby.
Ronnie stepped out of the bedroom as soon as Ruby was comfortably seated in a chair at the side of the bed Mickey now occupied.
“How are you feeling young man?” asked Ruby.
“I’m not sure Miss Carter, a lot’s going on inside me,” said Mickey feeling a connection to the lovely lady now holding his hand.
“Mr. Stone, my Abby loved you and that love turned everything around in her life. This past year and a half she and I could talk for hours on the phone and I could hear in her voice that she was in a good place emotionally after a very dark period of her life had passed,” said Ruby.
“I’m afraid I was still so angry, so raw from her walking away from me, from a chance for the two of us, that I didn’t even try to find her. In fact the truth is that I wasn’t able to hold a civil conversation with her until right before she died,” said Mickey as tears welled up in his eyes.
“It’s good to cry Mickey, when you are hurting. But you need to know that from where she is, she’s hoping you are going to remember her with love and not with anguish or pain. I know that she’s in the company of a child who she loved as much as she loved its father,” said Ruby handing him an envelope.
“I don’t understand,” said Mickey.
“Look inside the envelope Mickey, and then you will,” said Ruby.
The envelope held a photograph of a smiling Abby with Trinity in her arms, and a birth certificate listing Michael Foster Stone, as the child’s father.
“Before she took this assignment Mickey, she did her homework as she called it. She sat at the computer for hours checking out all the characters involved in the case. When she had finished she said that she was going to do the best job she could, because the truth needed to be told.
“The proof of the truth you hold in your hands should set you free Mickey from any doubts you have about the two of you. Had Trinity lived she’d have told you about her, but she died instead. By coming back to work with you again, all she wanted to make her little girl proud of her,” said Ruby as Mickey wept openly for a very long time.
Ruby remained in the suite with Mickey, Ronnie Perry, and John Barry while the others attended the second day of Captain John McArdle’s viewing followed immediately by his funeral services.
Nathan could feel Gillian Solomon’s eyes on him from the moment he stepped in front of the coffin holding the body of his dear friend. Jack’s wife Dede joined Nathan slipping her hand into his as they both looked down on a man they both loved.
“Hello Jack’s darling woman, I am so sorry to see you again under these circumstances,” said Nathan.
“Oh Nathan, he was such a good husband and father,” said Dede.
“I remember thinking your family was so blessed, the last time we shared dinner together, and now I’m not sure my coming to Houston isn’t to blame for what happened to Jack,” said Nathan honestly.
“He told me the night you arrived, that he was going to find a way to tell you about the diagnosis he had just received a week earlier. It was liver cancer in its final stage, and we were told he had less than a year before it killed him. Ironically, the second and third opinion we solicited came in writing in the last two days. Both confirmed the first diagnosis.
“Believe me Nathan, Jack would have picked the car accident over a long drawn out illness, such as he was facing. This case of yours brought a gleam to his eyes I haven’t seen since the last time he worked on a case with you and your young men. He said that this was his last chance to right a wrong done to an innocent man, and for giving him that, I thank you Nathan,” said Dede.
“George Lopez and Sam Weiss kept company with Ken Hernandez and Farley Coombs as they encircled Nathan throughout the night totally frustrating Gillian Solomon’s efforts to draw their bosses’ attention.
George’s fierce opposition to Nathan’s attending the funeral compilation because of the enormous opportunity it would present to a foe determined to harm Nathan or his team or both, had Nathan alert Dede of his impending absence from the funeral luncheon. Dede offered him a chance to join her aboard Jack’s boat to privately distribute his cremains on the water with the family, the following week end. It was a way to say his final goodbyes which pleased Nathan immensely.
When the county D.A. Montgomery Frost tried to introduce himself to Nathan as he stood next to Gillian who was waiting an introduction of her own, Nathan’s men stepped between Nathan and Frost, blocking any communication by repeating “Excuse us please,” over and over again, until they were all outside the funeral home and inside the SUV.
“That son of a bitch ignored me,” whispered Gillian Solomon to Monty.
“Oh he saw you Gillian, it’s just that he didn’t seem to like what he saw,” said Monty Frost, who took every opportunity he could to irritate the sister-in-law he now slept with regularly with very little pleasure for the effort. He hated Gillian for her method of manipulating his entire life using threats and deceit to get what she wanted from him.
He didn’t much like his wife either, as her sister Gillian insisted that she get a divorce or else plan her funeral. There was something so obviously evil in Gillian that had now attached itself to him, so that what he considered horrendous not so long ago barely caused him a moment’s anxiety these days.
True devotion was once given freely to a much younger Gillian Solomon, by her men because of her powerful allure and the chance they knew they’d eventually have to bed the beauty sooner or later. With the years their devotion changed to abject fear that any negative expression or the inability to satisfy the lusty lady in bed could bring any one of them a bullet behind their ear, and another dead center of their heart. They knew she was seriously psychotic, but she was also all-powerful and she could bring about whatever debauchery she desired without one moment of regret.
Tony Carpetti knew this first hand after watching her among half dozen Godfathers at a New Orleans gathering held in a private home where the guests arrived in the evening by private plane and left the same way. The lady earned her way into their good graces that weekend, each man thinking that he was her heart’s desire because she fawned over each of them, giving each a reason to rejoice. Carpetti on the other hand, left the place exhausted as Gillian took her lack of satisfaction out on him the entire weekend.
Earlier today, when Tony tried to worm his way out of her latest command that he off her sister as soon as possible and make it look like suicide, she warned him that she’d have him killed, maybe do it herself, if he didn’t do as he was told.
A much young Sandra Solomon-Frost was drinking heavily and acting erratic ever since she learned from Gillian that Monty was sleeping with her on a regular basis. Reed thin with coarse brown hair and dull blue eyes after suffering months of sharing her husband with her sister, she couldn’t hold food down and looked more like fifty-seven, than thirty-seven years of age. Sandra’s two children knew their Aunt was hateful toward their mother, but they couldn’t know that their Aunt Gillian had chosen a fate too horrible to imagine that would result in their mother’s demise.
The cremation of Abby Carter was ordered done by Ruby Carter realizing that in a recent conversation, Abby had told her that cremation was the way she wanted her body disposed of. Those handling the cremation of Abby’s corpse promised the task would be completed by morning so that Ruby Carter could board a plane after lunch and return to New Mexico with Abby’s cremains. Her friends from St. Xavier high school had requested a Memorial Mass said in Abby’s honor so that they could say goodbye.
Nathan had called Ruby’s local church where Abby was confirmed and informed them that he would replace the broken stained glass window Ruby Carter had told him about. Receiving the Pastor’s absolute gratitude for the very expensive undertaking, Nathan asked only that it read “In Memory of Abigail Carter”.
His team was told that Mike Dempsey would be released into their care, after receiving his honorable discharge, early the following week. George and John would pick him up in San Antonio and get him safely back to Houston. Ken Hernandez and Farley Coombs along with two uniforms they both trusted began protecting Ronnie and Mickey at the hotel until the others returned.
It wasn’t difficult for Mickey to attach himself to the two Houston Police Detectives because they were single as he was and just as dedicated to their work. The two men fell into their friendship with each other because at the police academy they were the only orphans ever to enter and later to graduate together. Ken was raised by a former nun, who read about him as the only survivor of the bus accident that killed his parents. Farley Coombs never knew his father and lost his mother when he was six years old and was raised by his mother’s male twin.
Eleven years ago Ken Hernandez at 6’3” ruggedly handsome with black hair and huge brown eyes, and Farley Coombs 6’5” blonde and blue-eyed and the chick magnet of the two, drew the attention of Jack McArdle from their first day as Houston cops. Neither man could think of anything they enjoyed more than each other’s company, so losing Jack McArdle these many years later, was like being orphaned all over again.
Neither man was sure how well they related to Nathan March, but he certainly was different. According to Mickey, Nathan took on cases where he spent more money than he earned, made enemies that later begged to be his friends, and risked his life more than once for someone who’d never appreciate his efforts on their behalf. They both discussed that Mickey Stone would die for his boss if it came down to it, just as they would have done for Jack McArdle, had they been given the chance.
Their opinion of the three men, who often worked with Mickey for Nathan, was that they would not wish to fall into disharmony with any of them. Not only were John, George and Sam scary just to look at, but they were super intelligent and absolutely fearless. It was a privilege to be in there company where there wasn’t a foul word said or a nasty comment made to or about each other because mockery didn’t build camaraderie, and they were all about that.
The next morning Dr. Fletcher Adams, pronounced that Mickey could shower, dress and take meals with the others, but that was it for another week, when he’d discharge his patient from in-house care, only if he continued to improve.
Nathan, Ken Hernandez and Farley Coombs, formed the protective party that were taking Miss Ruby Coombs to the airport after Nathan picked up Abby’s cremains. However before she would leave, she demanded ten minutes alone with Mickey.
“I want you to know Ruby, you are the reason I can think straight again,” said Mickey.
“Oh dear boy I wish things had gone so differently for you and my Abby. Of course that’s my selfishness speaking because it would have been fun to see her all settled down with the man she loved so very much,” said Ruby.
“All I can think of when I’m alone is Abby delivering our baby all by herself and then having to bury her all by herself,” said Mickey now in Ruby’s embrace.
“Mickey Stone don’t you think about those things, think about all the love that made your daughter. Love’s what’s important, not how long or short the time was to love or even how it all ended. Instead cherish the fearlessness that gave you the ability to love so deeply in the first place. Promise me Mickey that to honor Abby and Trinity, you’ll allow yourself to think about a day sometime in the future, when love will find you again and your love for that woman will result in another child you’ll both love for a lifetime,” said Ruby kissing Mickey’s face and then standing to go.
“I promise you Ruby, I promise.” said Mickey getting up and out of bed to hug the lady who’d brought his sorrow full circle, leaving him with a gratitude that had eluded him for a very long time.
The noise at the airport dulled down in Nathan’s ears as Ruby, carrying Abby’s cremains in an urn inside a large canvas bag she now used as a purse, reached the last step they all could take with her before she met with security procedures at the plane’s departure area.
“Thank you Nathan March for the privilege of meeting the people my niece held in such high regard. It’s been almost twenty years since I’ve flown in an airplane and that was to attend Abby’s college graduation in Massachusetts. This time she graduated life and soon she and I will be together after my graduation. So God Bless You Nathan,” said Ruby with one of her amazing smiles that initiated a feeling in Nathan that seemed to be telling him that life was in order again, no matter how it all seemed at the present moment.
Mickey’s new lease on life was definitely the result of seeing the photograph Nathan had enlarged for him and placed in a stunning pure gold frame that displayed his Abby holding their tiny infant daughter Trinity. Nathan had made Mickey understand that had Abby lived she would have married him without a doubt. She had loved him enough to deliver his baby and stayed by Trinity’s side until her infant lost her battle with life. Now their souls were united again in a celebration of love’s endurance past all time and space. There was no reason to grieve because the two lived on, and Mickey believed that completely.
Nathan insisted that the six of them, Sam, Ken, Farley, Ronnie, Mickey and himself, sit down to breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant for the first time together while they awaited John and George with Michael Dempsey to arrive in Houston. It was in this atmosphere of bright sunlight and friendship combined with awaiting a wonderful meal to be eaten together, that Nathan announced that he had rented a beautiful ten-room home with a large pool, for the duration of the team’s stay in Houston. They were to move in over the week end.
Because of the danger involved in her testifying about the Merrick murders, Ronnie Perry decided not to return to her old job even for a day. Instead she had used her remaining three weeks of vacation as notice of her voluntary termination. Next she’d took the offer presented to her months earlier by a realtor who guaranteed to sell her home at a profit, or buy it himself. That action got her immediately out from under the very stifling payments she’d been making on her home and put some money in her bank account instead.
Ronnie took Dr. Fletcher Adams up on his offer to join him at the Carney Street Clinic where she’d be protected by a myriad of his loyal “street people”, which delighted Nathan. Under Sam’s supervision, Ronnie’s furniture and belongings would be packed and brought to a rented storage unit. Nathan insisted that when off-duty she stay at the rental house surrounded by the rest of the team, until the case that brought Nathan to Houston, was fully resolved and she was no longer in danger. She happily agreed.
With steaming hot plates full of breakfast food now in front of each of them, Sam Weiss began to jog Mickey’s memory about the site of the horrible beating administered to him only ten days earlier.
“Mickey, John and I found your rental car right where you said you had parked it, in front of the police station in a free parking space. Of course it was wiped clean inside and outside which we found very odd,” said Sam.
“That’s crazy don’t you think?” said Mickey.
“Your right but let’s go over things again, now that you are not under the influence of pain or pain medication. You said you were in a large room where you had been severely beaten and you heard a woman’s voice encouraging you to tell her everything or else. Suddenly you were on the floor and someone kicked you in the head.
“When you woke you realized that you had been left alone in an unheated basement while upstairs voices could be heard having an argument. You found a lead tool sharpener and used it on a metal door’s lock and got out. Then you crawled through waist high grass with weeds, and soon you saw the Hyatt flags and used the side of buildings to hold you upright. Do I have that right?” asked Nathan.
“Yeah, that’s all I could remember, because I did feel drugged,” said Mickey.
“Yes, that’s the part I forgot. Ken, are there buildings abandoned close to the hotel or behind the park across the street from it?” asked Nathan.
“Hey Farley what about the church, the Catholic Church that’s been up for sale for a while now?” asked Ken.
“That’s right and the grass around it is waist high and full of weeds, I know because patrolmen always chase teenagers away from there where they go to smoke weed. You could definitely see the Hyatt’s flags from any window on the west side of the church,” said Farley.
“Sounds perfect for a place to beat the bejeepers out of someone without anyone interfering,” said Ronnie.
“Boss how about letting Ken and Farley take me to it, while you guys wait for Mike Dempsey to get here with John and George?” asked Mickey.
“It’ll only take ten minutes to get there, ten minutes to look it over and another ten to get back here with anything we find inside,” said Ken.
“Well it’s good enough of you two to spend your nights and your days off with us, so I don’t want to pressure either of you because this excursion of yours could be dangerous if somebody spots the three of you and draws a weapon on any of you.
“Mr. March, I’m a very careful man and I mean it when I tell you not to worry,” said Farley.
“Okay then, let’s eat up and then you can go check the abandoned church site,” said Nathan.
A little over two hours had elapsed since Michael Dempsey met his two huge bodyguards who began driving him back to Houston, the city he grew up in and the city that arrested and prosecuted his father for murder, twice.
“How’s it feel Mike to be honorably discharged and about to start living the life of a civilian again,” asked John.
“It’s all so surreal. One day I was in uniform on duty in Afghanistan, and then I was on a C-17 to Germany and expecting to go from there to Lackland. Instead I get beaten and left for dead in Germany, finally come out of a coma and head to Lackland my original destination to spend more time in the hospital there.
“So far the best part of it all was seeing you two and knowing that a man would have to be suicidal to want to mess with either of you,” said Mike sincerely.
“You’re not exactly a small target yourself. You are around 6’5” aren’t you?” asked George.
“Exactly and at one time I weighed 230, now I’m down to 200lbs,” said Mike.
“We plan to feed you plenty because we need you strong mentally, physically and spiritually,” said George.
“We do thank you for the vote of confidence in us and we are going to take very good care of you. Having said that Mike in all seriousness, Nathan asked us to discuss a few things that might be upsetting but it’s important he felt that you be informed about several matters.
“First, we are very sorry to tell you that Albert Merrick and his wife were both killed and their house was set on fire. We feel it was done to keep them from clearing your father’s name and placing the blame for David Solomon’s death on the real murderer.
“I had a feeling they were in danger,” said Mike Dempsey shaking his head.
“Are you alright Mike,” asked George.
“Yeah, I’m just so damn sorry it cost them their lives,” said Mike.
“Next we need to tell you that your mother’s fatal auto accident years ago was not an accident. HPD has proof from one of their forensic pathologists that it was homicide by auto. We believe it was probably set in motion by the same people who are responsible for your father’s convictions both times.
“Those same people used their death by auto scenario less than two weeks ago, killing a teenager on his way to a scrimmage game, as well as Captain John McArdle of HPD and Miss Abby Carter a Nathan March operative very close to the team leader, Mickey Stone. McArdle and Carter are the ones who found out about your mother’s real method of death, and it got them killed. The poor teenager’s vehicle was forced into their car and he died as a result,” said George.
“My grandfather swore Mom’s death was someone’s way of shutting up my father, who was definitely getting the attention of the press in Texas at the time. After Mom died, Gramps said that Dad gave up the fight. He didn’t want me or Gramps to be killed too,” said Mike.
“Well Nathan wants this case blown wide open now for certain. The attempt on your life got three of the perpetrators their own horrible deaths to keep them quiet too. Somehow it has to end and that means being a lot smarter than those looking to do us harm,” said John.
“During training, Marines are taught the five stresses encountered during combat. They are extreme risk or fear, the fog of war, discomfort and fatigue, becoming or dealing with casualties and finally boredom.
“I learned through experience to counter those stresses. by being prepared at all times, staying focused despite my surroundings and circumstances, ignoring discomfort and avoiding fatigue through rest schedules I worked out with others. I also regularly discussed the impact of casualties and my feelings about dying with my buddies, and I listened when they discussed how they dealt with boredom,” said Mike.
That response made John and George realized Mike Dempsey, was going to be an excellent asset in this investigation.
Mickey’s sinuses began acting up the same way they had when he awoke to find himself in the hands of three men and one woman who caused him enormous pain the last time he was here in the basement of the church where he was held against his will after being drugged.
“This is the place isn’t it Mickey?” said Ken seeing the recognition on Mickey’s face as he saw the remnants of some large areas of his blood looking more brown than red against the cement floor.
“Definitely Ken,” said Mickey.
“We’ve got cigarette butts, care to guess if they contain DNA from your captors?” asked Ken as he placed a half dozen of them in an evidence bag.
“For five days, I was this close to the hotel without knowing it,” said Mickey.
“You were drugged Mickey, to make you think you were miles away from anything familiar,” said Ken compassionately.
“Dudes why is it I am always the one to find a corpse?” asked Farley who returned downstairs to get Ken and Mickey.
Upstairs in what was once called the church sacristy was a closet which Farley kicked in, to find the remains of an obvious skeletonized murder victim whose head bore a bullet hole to prove it.
“Do any of you smell anything a bit riper, than this fellow,” said Mickey sniffing the air and making faces.
“Let’s split up,” said Farley.
Several minutes passed before Mickey shouted, “I found him and I may be sick,” Mickey added.
“Okay then who’s the guy I just found,” said Ken.
“Damn, I just found two more,” shouted Farley calling them all in to police headquarters.
By the time the air was full of police sirens and police vans from the Medical Examiner’s office, the four corpses found by Mickey, Ken and Farley were joined by six more bodies found by uniformed cops, and needing a trip to the Medical Examiner’s office too.
Jack McArdle’s police academy buddy, Detective Taylor Davis one of HPD’s best investigators, could only shake his head knowing that the bodies found had to be at this location for over four years. The sale of the property was delayed as the 1871 deed donated to the Catholic Diocese in 1906, was in question by the original deed holder’s family.
It was felt by the family, that the church needed to return the property since they no longer had use for it. News stories held that it would be decades before ownership of the deed was resolved. Obviously that made those using the church building as a perfect torture and murder repository, very comfortable for the present time. Any change in status would simply have them moving the bodies to a safer location.
Nathan March’s arrival on scene had the black, tall, and well-dressed police detective reach for him in a bear hug, in recognition of someone he absolutely admired greatly.
“Taylor, looks like Mickey here presented you with a whole can of worms that should keep the M.E.’s office busy around the clock identifying them all,” said Nathan patting Taylor’s back visibly happy to see him again.
“You guys always do stir things up when you come to Houston, now’s no exception. After seeing all of this, Mickey must really appreciate how lucky he was that he made it out of here alive,” Taylor responded.
“Ken and Farley were the ones who found him after five days and told him repeatedly that someone was looking out for him,” said Nathan.
“I can Amen that very true statement. Right now a few men closely associated with Gillian Solomon are wishing they had been so lucky. I wouldn’t be surprised if that crazy lady had murdered them already, herself. I’m also betting we find out that Carl Donetti, her old number one henchman, was one of the first to go from breather to non-breather, in this place,” said Taylor.
“Whoever gets near that woman, dies horribly, don’t they?” said Nathan.
“That they do my friend. In a way the timing couldn’t be better for this discovery. Jack’s death has left such a deep hole in the department and even the hint that the lady’s organization might be responsible in any way for Jack’s death as well as the death of Abby Carter, and Devon Harris the teenage driver of the other car, may galvanize the department. When we find irrefutable evidence that can’t be challenged, Solomon and her drug pushers, murders, thieves, corrupt lawyers and cops, as well as the MBA’s, CPAs and IT specialists working for her, will all do some serious time,” said Taylor.
“That was Jack’s dream, believe me. HPD is capable of making it happen if they stay focused on the end result, making Houston even better for families, businesses, schools and colleges to thrive like nowhere else,” said Nathan.
“Don’t look now, but here comes the Mayor and Chief of Police after stopping for thirty minutes to talk to the press gathering out there. I guess it’s better that it’s them and not me,” said Taylor.
“I know them both, they’re both good men trying to do a thankless and nearly impossible job these days,” said Nathan.
“I wouldn’t be carrying this badge if that weren’t true,” said Taylor moving to greet the two men, while dragging Nathan with him.
A burly looking uniformed officer excused himself for nearly knocking Nathan over as he passed the man. Almost instantly the floor beneath the private detective appeared wavy and he staggered to keep his balance. In seconds he knew that if he didn’t lower his own heart rate, he would be just another dead body being sent to the M.E.’s office to determine cause of death, like all the others.
Immediately he found that Mickey, Ken and Farley were heading in his direction and with great effort, he told them to get him to Dr. Fletcher Adams at his clinic or he’d be beyond all help.
The lights went out in his head first, and soon he knew that Abby was beside him laughing as the two greeted Jack McArdle on a beautiful carpet of thick green grass under a sunlight sky that was a brilliant blue unlike any other shade of blue Nathan had ever seen before.
“That’s it, now stay with me Nathan,” said Dr. Adams, “Talk to me man.”
“Saran, a uniformed cop stuck me with a needle full of Saran,” said Nathan very slowly but far louder than he could have known he was speaking.
“Organophosphate poisoning, oh Christ,” said Fletch watching the sweat roll off Nathan’s face as he was lowering his heart rate to hinder the absorption of the neurotoxin. In a flash Fletch was unlocking the door to a hidden medical cabinet in his office closet, where he kept Edward Tinsley’s Pralidoxime Chloride to assist the homeless man in his fight against myasthenia gravis. He knew the dosage recommended was based on body weight and he needed to take his time injecting the antidote or risk killing Nathan in minutes.
Ronnie Perry was a rock, as she sat by the gurney holding Nathan, still on the examining table thirty-six hours later, as the Carney Street Clinic was hushed except for a moment to moment prayer that Ed Tinsley led with dozens of other patients, for the stranger now sharing Ed’s medication with him.
“Mickey, he’s stable enough to make it to Intensive Care at St. Luke’s and I can’t delay seeing all my patients any longer. I called Dr. Mark Sayre who is a fabulous Internist, and I know he’ll do a fine job of getting Nathan through, but Nathan has to get there now, while he’s stable. Seriously he could deteriorate so fast I’d have no way of saving him here, but at the hospital he’d at least have an even chance.
“Right, let’s do it,” said Mickey nearly out of his mind seeing Nathan look as if he was at death’s doors, which was an apt perception of the situation.
Riding in the ambulance Ronnie Perry was amazed at how calm Nathan was despite all the foreign substances travelling his blood stream at the moment. His respirations were below normal but the idea that he was maintaining normal bodily functions at all was miraculous in itself. Despite everything, her nurse’s instinct told her that he would make it. There was no doubt in her that this wonderful man, who used metaphysical methods perfected through discipline and perseverance that most would find impossible, was going to live and finish this investigation stronger and more determined than ever.
“Nathan, I know you can hear me. It must feel like it would be so easy to let go, but please don’t go anywhere, we need you so much. I’m going to tell you a secret, a really important secret that I haven’t even told my sister yet. When you are better you can tell me what I told you, and we’ll laugh together. Here goes. Today, I kissed Fletch right on the mouth. Not just a little smacker, but a real kiss. I didn’t plan it, he just told me you were holding your own and I just kissed him, I was so happy. That’s not all Nathan, he kissed me back a few times and I really liked it. So now you have to get well and tell me how to land a guy like Dr. Adams, please,” said Ronnie with her hand brushing Nathan’s face as the ambulance backed into St. Luke’s Emergency Door.
Dr. Mark Sayre was totally wiped out after six hours of monitoring Nathan March’s condition in Intensive Care so he slipped out of Nathan’s glass cubicle to stretch and get something to eat and drink. He’d continued administering the Pralidoxime Chloride in small doses, along with Biperiden, to act as a blood-brain barrier to the toxin and watched Nathan react to the powerful drugs that he needed to work perfectly in order to save him. The young doctor swore he could feel his patient’s life force gaining strength by the hour and that made him cautiously optimistic.
On seeing the tall Mexican-American doctor heading toward him, Mickey got to his two feet immediately.
“Mr. Stone, why don’t you and your friends join me in the cafeteria for something to eat and drink, you all look as tired as I feel right now,” he said smiling.
Their cafeteria table was long enough to fit the six of them around it, which included John, George, Captain Taylor, Mickey, Ronnie and Dr. Sayre.
“We were lucky to get him to Dr. Fletcher Adams within minutes because he knew immediately what to do. Fletch told me that if anyone could you’d get him through, so we rushed him here. How is Nathan doing?” asked Mickey as Ronnie held his hand to keep it from shaking.
“Remarkably, he’s holding his own. I swear I can almost feel the man’s determination to come to and get the hell out of here. With this kind of neurotoxin however, you can’t get too cavalier because even the side efforts of the antidote are still capable of killing him.
“I’m thinking that what we possibly have going for us are three things. The victim Mr. March, somehow knew it was Saran hitting his blood stream. We’ll discuss how he knew that, sometime later. Because he received treatment within minutes of his exposure to the neurotoxin with exactly the right antidote, his odds of surviving increased substantially. Lastly, those purchasing Saran don’t realize that it has a very short shelf-life before it becomes less lethal. The Saran he got was probably breaking down, because according to our blood tests, Mr. March received enough that at full strength it would have done its job. Still a prognosis will take more time,” said the doctor.
“Dr. Sayre this was a deliberate attempt to kill your patient and I was wondering is it possible the person who administered it to Nathan, could become sick from it?” asked Captain Taylor Davis.
“The answer is yes. However, if the assailant took precautions like thick leather gloves and was careful not to inhale the substance while filling the syringe and didn’t spill any of it on his clothing, he’d probably be okay,” said Dr. Sayre.
“I checked and no personnel at the scene are ill, thank God,” said Captain Davis.
“Well folks I’ve got to get back to my patient in isolation,” said the doctor, leaving the others to finish their lunch.
“I’ve got to get back to headquarters myself, said Captain Taylor to the others. I’ll make sure to check into the results of the DNA tests on those cigarette butts you found left at the scene where they held you Mickey.
“I want to warn all of you to please take nothing for granted and stay close together to protect yourselves. The way this case has escalated and the fact that Gillian’s people are all aware that we’ve found their body drop, makes all of them far more dangerous,” Captain Taylor added.
Several off-duty police officers as well as Ken Hernandez and Farley Coombs, remained at the house Nathan had rented, protecting Mike Dempsey. The people delivering the bedding and other pieces of furniture were watched carefully and the goods received were examined for any tampering or any placement of listening devices.
With her two children back at College for the spring semester after their father’s funeral services, Dede McArdle happily volunteered to act as cook and housekeeper at the temporary residence were her late husband Jack’s favorite P.I. would be returning, once he was well enough. She told no one about it and knew to keep whatever she learned there to herself.
Already the house on Liberty Street had a lived-in quality to it, thanks to Dede’s talents at decorating. She removed all the useful items she’d gathered from garage sales and flea markets around Houston that were formerly stored in her garage, and used them to make a warm household for those whose intense work called for a very pleasant place in which to spend their free time.
It wasn’t hard for Dede to form a crush on Sam Weiss, who stood ready to nail, or power drill, carry or assemble anything she needed, whenever she needed it. Otherwise, Sam spent the majority of his time on a laptop interfacing with web sites that were not totally available to the general public. His printer was going off incessantly, but Dede liked the sound of it and never complained about his huge appetite because he took care of his own mess, and hugged her constantly in appreciation for her sweet disposition.
Ken Hernandez and Farley Coombs who knew how good a cook Dede was, told Mike Dempsey to tell her his favorite foods and then stand back for the culinary feast she would prepare. Already the house on Liberty Street was Dede’s home away from home, and with Jack’s death so fresh in her mind, it was perfect timing as far as she was concerned.
Dede was quick to tell Mickey that since her move to Liberty Street, Gillian Solomon, her former sorority sister and a woman she loathed for years, was trying desperately to become her new best friend.
Mickey found that information helpful to him, so helpful in fact he asked Dede to cautiously maintain their renewed relationship, just in case it could be useful to the investigation, in the near future.
As another week flew by, Mickey kept in touch with the home front in Guilford, Vermont speaking to Dina and Dennis and updating them on Nathan’s condition, as well as filling them in on any the details of the case, which Milt Pierce may not have shared with them. Dennis reminded Mickey of the fact that this case which was to take a month to resolve at best, was heading into its third month and he was concerned for them all.
Dina for her part, could only concentrate on the fact that sweet Abby who she adored was gone and with both Mickey and Nathan nearly done in themselves, she just wanted them all home, whether the case was ever solved or not.
Mike Dempsey and Mickey Stone continued to split guard duty of a seldom conscious Nathan, along with John and George, while Ken and Farley gathered all the police findings to share with them each night.
Dr. Fletch Adams was also a frequent guest at Liberty Street, where he and Ronnie Perry shared the accoutrements together quite often. Fletch was totally engrossed in everything discussed and grew to admire everyone living at the house for their diverse talents and deep convictions.
“Dede it’s your cell again and the same woman asking for you,” said Ronnie handing the cell phone to Dede.
“Thanks Ronnie. Hello,” said Dede wiping her hands with a dish towel.
“Hi Dede, how are you doing?” said Gillian Solomon in a most solicitous manner.
“I’m fine but extremely busy right now. Perhaps you’d let me call you back another time,” said Dede disguising her distain for the caller as best she could.
“Well I’ve become impatient waiting for you to accept my invitation for lunch dear lady,” said Gillian gritting her teeth.
“Sorry Gillian but I simply can’t any time soon. I have so many invitations and I’ve told each of them the same thing. It’ll be quite a while before I start socializing again and at that time with family and very close friends only. I know you understand having been widowed yourself,” said Dede still pretending to be grateful for Gillian’s call.
“Well I guess I did presume too much then didn’t I?” said Gillian now clearly unhappy.
“Knowing your ability to grasp the obvious, I’m sure that’s true. Thank you again for your invitation. Goodbye,” said Dede.
“Well if she wasn’t pissed before she made the call, I’ll bet she is now. What a brash and tactless woman she is to pester you so much,” said Ronnie.
“Oh it’s not totally her fault. Jack made me take her to lunch and attend the country club with her occasionally to slip her false information to keep her guessing about the direction of certain investigations. So she’s hoping after reading the papers about the newest findings regarding Jack’s car accident, I will supply her with information on the identities of all the bodies found at the church, as well as Nathan’s condition, and any word on Mickey’s kidnapping case. I can’t believe she doesn’t know that she’s the one who needs to be missing from public view at the moment,” said Dede.
“Woman like her always have an ace up their sleeve, and I believe she has plenty of powerful people to fall back on, like county D.A. Montgomery Frost, ” said Ken Hernandez.
“Jack always said that in criminal circles the accused seldom can expect their friends to visit or publically support them, because those friends are always too busy making sure no questions or suspicions are ever aimed in their direction,” said Dede.
“He’d know,” said Sam, “He’d beaten all of them at their own games.”
“Almost all of them anyway,” said Dede wistfully.
“I’d kill for a poached egg and some turkey bacon,” said the voice from the direction of Nathan’s bed in Intensive Care’s isolation room, as Dr. Martin Sayre finished removing the breathing tube no longer needed by his patient.
The young doctor nearly tumbled over as his patient opened his hazel eyes slowly and wet his lips with his tongue for the first time in several weeks.
“Welcome back to the land of the living Mr. March,” said Dr. Sayre.
“It’s good to be back, believe me,” said Nathan in a voice lots weaker than normal.
“I half expected you to be coming around since your breathing starting returning to normal, just not this soon. However everything’s reading normally and I think a cup of soup and some juice is in order,” said the Doctor.
“I really need to take a shower,” said a hoarse Nathan.
“Well I happen to know at least a dozen nurses who volunteered to shower with you, to keep you from falling in your weakened condition that is. However, tomorrow’s soon enough to try that, after some food and sitting you up in a chair today,” said Dr. Sayre smiling.
“Doctor I wouldn’t think of countermanding your orders, however necessity dictates that tomorrow I leave your fine establishment for the company of those I know are able to take very good care of me elsewhere,” said Nathan respectfully.
Having spent a good deal of time with his patient, Dr. Sayre knew that this was a man you didn’t argue with. On seeing the spark in his patient’s hazel eyes after the removal of the feeding and intervenes tubes were no longer needed, Dr. Sayre raised Nathan’s head in the hospital bed until he was in a sitting position. Next he signaled to Mickey Stone and Mike Dempsey standing outside the glass cubicle to come inside, and then took a seat beside Nathan’s bed.
“Mr. March, I have a few questions for you, and I don’t intend to leave this room not knowing the answers. First, how the hell did you know it was Saran that was poisoning you?” said the doctor handing Nathan a glass of water and then patiently waiting for an answer.
“It’s a particularly fast acting nerve agent, faster than most and when everyone in the church basement with me changed from looking normal to looking like they would have in a fun house mirror, I knew Saran was responsible,” said Nathan.
“That makes sense, I suppose. But you should have suffered vomiting and horrible diarrhea, as well as some pretty nasty drooling, yet that never happened. How did you keep that from happening? Please don’t bother pretending you didn’t, because I observed you and you never twitched under the effects of the worst toxin one could host in their body,” said Dr. Sayre.
“I’m going to answer your question this way. Although you thought I was, I wasn’t unconscious, my body was simply in stasis, until chemicals introduced to it in order to fight the neurotoxin, finally won the battle,” said a smiling Nathan as Mickey looked on.
“Somehow Mr. March, I know you are telling me the truth. You should know for certain, I’m going to be visiting you some day in Vermont. While there I’m going to let you show me how to put myself into stasis and then I will come back here and teach others the same mind blowing ability,” said an amazed Dr. Sayre.
“You are welcome to my home and I will be happy to mentor you young doctor after you get to the five mile mark in your daily jog,” said Nathan.
“How did you know that’s my goal?” said an incredulous Dr. Sayre.
“Oh Doc, wait a while cause you ain’t seen nothing yet,” said Mickey.
“I was really scared Nathan,” said Leslie Sawyer delighted with his call.
“I was too honey, but I’m glad you knew enough to trust Mickey and stay put. I’m sure it was horrible for you, but had you visited me I’d have lost the ability to concentrate and help myself, because of my need to comfort you. Do you understand sweetheart?” asked Nathan.
“If you say so, then I do understand. I must tell you that I prayed for you every day,” said Leslie the woman who made his life complete for years now.
“In ten days I’m going to hug you until you beg me to stop,” said Nathan.
“Well, I do have some healing to perform on you that’s going to put you close to unconscious again and that’s a promise,” said Leslie as Nathan smiled.
“I love you Nathan, never doubt that will you,” said Leslie, as a wheelchair arrived to free an anxious Nathan from his long confinement.