When Bill, Bertie, and Audrey entered his hospital room, Matt was already dressed and was in the process of lacing up his shoes.
“Oy!” exclaimed Bertie, “Now, where do you think you’re going? Your nurse told us you were staying over night.”
Matt stopped what he was doing and glanced up at him. “I need to find that doctor.”
“What doctor?” Audrey asked, concerned, and peering at the other two.
“The one that was just in here,” he fumed. “You must have either seen her at the Nurses’ Station or passed her in the hall.” He knotted the lace on his last shoe and stood.
“Could have, but we don’t have a clue what she looked like. Never saw her,” declared Bill. “Why so riled up?” He noticed Matt’s shaky stance and moved closer to offer support but was waved off by Matt.
“She took something of mine, and I want it back,” Matt replied. “Better than that I want to know why she took it.” He made a beeline to the door, but Audrey and Bertie blocked his way. “Don’t tell me I have to force a path between you?”
“Now calm down! Let us get the nurse. Maybe she can straighten this out. Okay?” Bertie encouraged. Matt appeared to relent but he continued to eye him closely. He nodded in the direction of Bill who pressed the call buzzer.
A couple of minutes later, a nurse appeared. “What’s the matter? Oh! Mister Bigsley, you should be in bed.”
“Where is my nurse? Erin, the evening nurse?” asked Matt, stepping back slightly towards his bed.
“Erin? There’s no one by the name Erin on this shift,” the nurse replied. “As the Head Nurse I should know. Now please. Get those clothes off and put on your hospital gown and back into bed.”
“Nurse, maybe you can help us?” asked Bill, stepping forward. “It seems the doctor has inadvertently taken something belonging to my friend, here.” He turned to Matt. “Where was it.”
Matt pointed to the table beside his bed and steadfastly held his ground. “It was a folded piece of paper.”
The nurse appeared to be thinking before she said, “Everyone stay here! I’ll check at the Nurses’ Station.”
Several minutes passed before she returned. “Is this what you are looking for?” the nurse said holding up a folded piece of paper.
Matt rushed forward, took it and quickly opened it. It had all the original information, even the folds were right, but he knew by the feel of the paper and the written script it wasn’t the original. “Yes, this is it,” he lied. “Thank you. Where did you find it?’
“It was in your file. I shouldn’t really say this but…he’ll be retiring soon and… lately he tends to pick up items for no apparent reason and includes them in his patient’s file.”
“He?” Matt responded.
“Yes. Doctor Iain Hollicott.”
Matt slumped down on the chair at the foot of his bed. “You actually saw him on this floor?”
“No, I didn’t see him,” the nurse responded, “It’s unusually busy this evening. But he must have visited because there were a script and an appointment time for you in the file.”
Audrey could tell by Matt’s unusual severe reaction that it was time for her to step in and change the direction of this conversation. Audrey pressed her hand gently into the nurse’s back. “We’ll take care of him from here, nurse. Not to worry. Won’t we boys?!” She beamed a wide Chesire Cat smile as did the others until the nurse vacated the room.
The three quickly gathered around Matt.
“What’s wrong?” Audrey asked.
“Everything,” Matt replied not glancing up. “I need a minute to think.” She had to know I probably knew what was on that paper. So, why take it? Unless…the person she was bringing it to didn’t know. More importantly, how did she know I had that information in the first place? It’s unlikely that Maxim Abakumov would spread that outside his circle…unless. Then he remembered the Matryoshka dolls. Sonofabitch! He’s using me to draw out the conspirators against him. He peered up at Bertie. “I need you to check the hospital cameras and the CCTVs surrounding this hospital. Start with the cameras on this floor. You’re looking for a doctorish-looking female, relatively tall, athletic physique, with short dark hair and wearing glasses who entered my room,” he glanced at his watch, “about twenty minutes ago. I need to know where she went. And if possible, with whom. Now!” Next, he turned to Bill. “The Doctor Steiger killing…there’s something that has nagged at me for awhile, and I think I finally know what it is. The Engel Research Group. Remember they said they knew nothing about Doctor Steiger’s research. We agreed that that had to be a bald-faced lie. Doctor Steiger and what he was doing was too high profile not to know. What’s missing is we don’t know who he was working with leading up to the night of his murder. Who in our department is looking into this?”
“Sergeant Gupta’s Team, if I remember correctly. Why?”
“Do you think that friend of yours…Oh, what’s his name?! You know the forensic accountant guy. The one investigating the Bahn-Kart Corporation. Do you think he might know who was working with Doctor Steiger?”
“You mean, Barry? I don’t know,” replied Bill with a slight shrug. “But I could ask him. Though, Matt, it’s best you understand he doesn’t give out much if anything until he has fully completed his investigation. Like all good poker players, he keeps his cards close to his chest. Why? What’s going on?”
Matt hesitated and reached out for Audrey’s hand and squeezed it. “Maxim Abakumov wanted three days to clear up some business interests. I think that’s why I’m here. Insurance. To keep me out of his way “so he can complete whatever it is he’s here for. Audrey? You met a Missus Bell earlier today.”
“How do you know that?” she asked taken by surprise.
“She told you she came from the Association of Hope.”
Audrey stared at him without saying a word.
Matt continued, “the Association doesn’t exist. It was Maxim’s way of letting me know the ease by which he could hurt me. Extra insurance so-to-speak to keep me and my team out of his way.” Matt caressed his chin in thought. “I need to know who Doctor Steiger was working closely with. I think whatever is going down begins tonight and they may either be collateral damage or the targets.” He handed Bill the note. “It’s not the original but the content is the same, nevertheless. Note the name. I see you’re surprised. So was I. He paid for the hit and run that killed Doctor Steiger. But it's who is behind him that is the real power. What we do over the ensuing hours may make or break our investigation. I don’t want these bad guys getting away with it. And time is of the essence.”
“I’ll get what I can out of Barry. Even if I have to twist his bloody balls to get it,” replied Bill, who headed towards the door.
The door swung open, and Bertie rushed in out of breath. “I found her. CCTV picked her up entering a limo at the side of the hospital. And guess what? I’ve got the licence plate of the limo. You’d never guess who it belongs to.”
“Don’t keep us in suspense!” the three said in unison.
“Big Jake. Our illustrious mayor.”
“I wonder,” Matt said in reflection. “There was something familiar about her.”
“Who?” Audrey asked.
“The doctor…Irene Hollicott. Now that I think of it, I bet she was his daughter.”
“Nadia Price?” Bertie asked, scratching the back of his ear. “Well, that’s a long one.”
“What goes around, comes around,” Audrey added.
Matt nodded. “Maybe. What’s important is I think the pieces to this puzzle are slowing beginning to fall into place. Bertie? You never cease to amaze me. How did you get this information so quickly?”
“Called in a few favours,” replied Bertie, with a slight smirk.
“Why don’t you just marry her?” Matt said. “It was Liz, wasn’t it?”
A slight smirk formed at the corner of his mouth. Bertie nodded. “Guilty.”
“You must have had a basketful of favors owed,” Bill chuckled.
Bertie shrugged sheepishly.
Matt slapped his thighs and stood. “Let’s get out of here. There’s lot’s to be done before we go to bed tonight.” He turned to Audrey. “How about remaining here in that comfortable bed and pretending to be me. Bertie, call in a couple of your trusted to stay in the room with her.”
“Outside, if you please,” replied Audrey. “A lady needs her privacy.”
“Outside it is then,” chuckled Bertie, already on his mobile making arrangements.
“You’ll have to tell them some cock and bull story at the Nurses’ Station, Bertie, while Bill and I exit down the back stairs,” Matt said.
Bertie smiled. “A deflection it is. Leave it to an old natural of spinning tales,” he said with a wink.
Matt hesitated at the door. “By any chance did you discover what happened—”
“—to that night nurse of yours,” Bertie interjected. “Erin, I think she called herself? When she left your room, she entered the back stairwell. After that there’s nothing,” sighed Bertie. “I can see that bothers you, too.”
“Settle with the nurses, and follow us as quickly as you can,” Matt responded. “I don’t like the feeling of this.”