name, “Norman’s gout is getting worse. His knees have swollen up like soccer balls. They’re going to move him to the nursing care section. He can’t walk or even move out of bed … not even to go to the bathroom.”
“Oh dear, that sounds awful.”
“I need you guys to come back right away. When they move him over, we’re going to have to stand guard twenty-four-seven so that he doesn’t become the next victim.”
“Don’t you worry, we’re on it.” Nans snapped the phone shut, then looked at the other women around the table.
“Well, you heard her … let’s get a move on.”
###
Lexy eyed the remains of Cassie’s practice wedding cake sitting in the middle of Nans’s dining room table.
“Help yourself, dear.”
Lexy looked down at her stomach. Her pants were just starting to fit normally and she didn’t want to risk gaining weight back, even though she was so hungry she felt like passing out. “Thanks, but I’m all set.”
Lexy took a seat furthest from the cake and watched Nans pace the room. According to Nans’s early morning phone call, she had some “big news” but she wouldn’t spill the beans until Ruth and Helen were there.
Finally, a knock sounded at the door and Nans rushed over to let the two women in.
“So, what’s so important that you have to call us all here at this hour of the morning?” Ruth hustled into the apartment, a steaming coffee mug already in her hand.
“You won’t believe what happened last night!” Nans’s face was flushed with excitement, her sharp green eyes twinkled.
Lexy, Ruth and Helen raised their eyebrows.
“What?”
“I was taking my shift, watching Norman last night and at approximately 3:12 AM, I heard some moaning and what sounded like a struggle from the room next door. I turned my hearing aid way up, so I could hear better and I thought I heard someone say No . Then I heard a crash.” She paused, and Ruth gasped. Lexy leaned forward on the edge of her chair.
“Go on.” Helen said, motioning with her hands.
“I ran out into the hallway, and just as I reached the door, who do you think was coming out of that room?”
“Nurse Rothschild!”
“No. The janitor,” Nans said. “And he was acting sneaky too. When he saw me, he got all nervous and practically ran down the hall.
Lexy sucked in a breath. “Do you think he tried to kill the person?”
“I don’t know. Maybe,” Nans said. “I went into the room to make sure the patient was okay. He was, but he looked like he was in pain, thrashing around and stuff. The sliding tray had crashed down onto the floor.”
“What did you do?”
“Thankfully a nurse came in and gave him some morphine and picked up the mess.”
“Nurse Rothschild?”
“No, I don’t think she was on duty last night. At least I didn’t see her.”
Ruth tapped her finger on her top lip. “So … maybe we’ve been wasting our time with the investigation of Rothschild.”
Nans nodded. “We’d better start looking into that janitor.”
“I still wish we could get a handle on the motive,” Helen said.
“And what about the earring I found?” Lexy asked.
Nans walked over to her computer table, pulled the earring out of a drawer and held it up. The gold setting glimmered in the light, a perfect contrast to the black pearl. “It’s a very distinctive setting, and very feminine. I doubt the janitor would have been wearing it.”
“Maybe it fell off earlier and has nothing to do with the murder,” Helen said.
“Or maybe the janitor has an accomplice who wears earrings,” Ruth added.
Nans pursed her lips. “We’ll have to keep all avenues open. What I heard last night doesn’t necessarily mean the janitor is the killer. But it does mean we need to look at him a little closer. I’m not ruling Rothschild out just yet either and, if we can tie the earring to her, all the better.”
Nans’s iPad started ringing on the table in front of her and she tilted her head to
“Oh dear, that sounds awful.”
“I need you guys to come back right away. When they move him over, we’re going to have to stand guard twenty-four-seven so that he doesn’t become the next victim.”
“Don’t you worry, we’re on it.” Nans snapped the phone shut, then looked at the other women around the table.
“Well, you heard her … let’s get a move on.”
###
Lexy eyed the remains of Cassie’s practice wedding cake sitting in the middle of Nans’s dining room table.
“Help yourself, dear.”
Lexy looked down at her stomach. Her pants were just starting to fit normally and she didn’t want to risk gaining weight back, even though she was so hungry she felt like passing out. “Thanks, but I’m all set.”
Lexy took a seat furthest from the cake and watched Nans pace the room. According to Nans’s early morning phone call, she had some “big news” but she wouldn’t spill the beans until Ruth and Helen were there.
Finally, a knock sounded at the door and Nans rushed over to let the two women in.
“So, what’s so important that you have to call us all here at this hour of the morning?” Ruth hustled into the apartment, a steaming coffee mug already in her hand.
“You won’t believe what happened last night!” Nans’s face was flushed with excitement, her sharp green eyes twinkled.
Lexy, Ruth and Helen raised their eyebrows.
“What?”
“I was taking my shift, watching Norman last night and at approximately 3:12 AM, I heard some moaning and what sounded like a struggle from the room next door. I turned my hearing aid way up, so I could hear better and I thought I heard someone say No . Then I heard a crash.” She paused, and Ruth gasped. Lexy leaned forward on the edge of her chair.
“Go on.” Helen said, motioning with her hands.
“I ran out into the hallway, and just as I reached the door, who do you think was coming out of that room?”
“Nurse Rothschild!”
“No. The janitor,” Nans said. “And he was acting sneaky too. When he saw me, he got all nervous and practically ran down the hall.
Lexy sucked in a breath. “Do you think he tried to kill the person?”
“I don’t know. Maybe,” Nans said. “I went into the room to make sure the patient was okay. He was, but he looked like he was in pain, thrashing around and stuff. The sliding tray had crashed down onto the floor.”
“What did you do?”
“Thankfully a nurse came in and gave him some morphine and picked up the mess.”
“Nurse Rothschild?”
“No, I don’t think she was on duty last night. At least I didn’t see her.”
Ruth tapped her finger on her top lip. “So … maybe we’ve been wasting our time with the investigation of Rothschild.”
Nans nodded. “We’d better start looking into that janitor.”
“I still wish we could get a handle on the motive,” Helen said.
“And what about the earring I found?” Lexy asked.
Nans walked over to her computer table, pulled the earring out of a drawer and held it up. The gold setting glimmered in the light, a perfect contrast to the black pearl. “It’s a very distinctive setting, and very feminine. I doubt the janitor would have been wearing it.”
“Maybe it fell off earlier and has nothing to do with the murder,” Helen said.
“Or maybe the janitor has an accomplice who wears earrings,” Ruth added.
Nans pursed her lips. “We’ll have to keep all avenues open. What I heard last night doesn’t necessarily mean the janitor is the killer. But it does mean we need to look at him a little closer. I’m not ruling Rothschild out just yet either and, if we can tie the earring to her, all the better.”
Nans’s iPad started ringing on the table in front of her and she tilted her head to
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