Read Online Elaine Orr - Jolie Gentil 07 - Vague Images by Elaine Orr - Free Book Online
Authors: Elaine Orr
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the Board of Directors know about Weiss’ spouse-stealing efforts. Would the Board even care? Likely only if the stolen spouse was the husband or wife of one of its members.
Professionally discrediting her made more sense . The Board might still implement some of her recommendations to reduce staff, but at least she would be one of the people in the unemployment line. I frowned. She hadn’t been at the hospital long, and unless her work-related boo-boos were especially obvious, they would take time to uncover.
A motive for murder didn’t seem likely in any situation I could come up with, especially premeditated killing . It was more likely that someone acted in a fit of rage. Maybe they tried to talk to her about some of the budget cuts. Weiss wouldn’t listen and they struck. But what would they have had to hit her with? It would take a lot of force to hit someone hard enough to render them unconscious. And dead. It wasn’t likely someone’s fist could do it without injuring the murderer’s hand.
There was also the issue of a woman committing a murder . I didn’t know any exact statistics, but I’d read several times that murderers were more often men, and by a large margin. A man could have entered the women’s restroom, but guys I knew would not do that unless not using it would be really embarrassing. Of course, guys I knew didn’t murder people.
Jazz hopped on my chest and put her nose on mine . She knows this annoys me. “I take it you’re hungry.” She apparently heard something she liked because she jumped to the floor and sauntered to the kitchen, black tail in the air.
I winced as I stood and tried to put weight on my foot . Still not a good idea, and it seemed even stiffer than yesterday.
With Jazz and Pebbles sated, I planned my day . I needed to appraise a house not far from Aunt Madge’s B&B, and wanted Lucas with me. He had gotten up when I did, but he looked so exhausted I suggested he get some more sleep. I delayed my work by a couple of hours. The house was vacant, so no one would care when I got there.
I decided to do at least one constructive thing while I waited , and called Aunt Madge.
“Good morning Jolie . I heard you felt good enough to drop in on Sergeant Morehouse yesterday.”
“You have more sources than George does.”
“I’m older. Did you tell him what you heard Nelson say?”
“Yes . I thought I was pretty convincing about pain meds making me forgetful, but he didn’t believe me. No surprise to you, I’m sure.”
She chuckled . “True. What are you up to today?”
“Not what I expected . Remember that night in eleventh grade when my babysitting job got, um, interrupted?”
“That night we were never supposed to discuss?”
“You sound like Lieutenant Tortino when I told him. Anyway, I have a reason for bringing it up.”
Her sarcasm came through . “Of course, if you have a reason.”
“One of those kids came to Ocean Alley . Both, maybe.”
She didn’t say anything for several seconds . “And they got in touch with you?”
“The elder one stayed here last night.”
“But not the girl?”
“The brother is looking for her.” We were avoiding the names . I felt kind of silly, as if I was playing spy.
“And Lieutenant Tortino knows.” She said this as a statement, but I knew she wanted to be sure I wasn’t fudging on that point.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“When you call me ma’am , I know you’re up to something. How long is he staying, and why doesn’t he know where his sister is?”
I told her Lucas and Kim’s names and explained their mom’s suicide and Kim’s apparent distress. When I said that Lucas had taken off work, she stopped me.
“So, they’ve had structure in their lives?”
I smiled at her precise question. “It sounds as if they went from here to Atlanta and stayed there. Lucas went to college, I don’t know what Kim’s plans are.”
She sighed, something Aunt Madge rarely does . “Are you and Scoobie
Professionally discrediting her made more sense . The Board might still implement some of her recommendations to reduce staff, but at least she would be one of the people in the unemployment line. I frowned. She hadn’t been at the hospital long, and unless her work-related boo-boos were especially obvious, they would take time to uncover.
A motive for murder didn’t seem likely in any situation I could come up with, especially premeditated killing . It was more likely that someone acted in a fit of rage. Maybe they tried to talk to her about some of the budget cuts. Weiss wouldn’t listen and they struck. But what would they have had to hit her with? It would take a lot of force to hit someone hard enough to render them unconscious. And dead. It wasn’t likely someone’s fist could do it without injuring the murderer’s hand.
There was also the issue of a woman committing a murder . I didn’t know any exact statistics, but I’d read several times that murderers were more often men, and by a large margin. A man could have entered the women’s restroom, but guys I knew would not do that unless not using it would be really embarrassing. Of course, guys I knew didn’t murder people.
Jazz hopped on my chest and put her nose on mine . She knows this annoys me. “I take it you’re hungry.” She apparently heard something she liked because she jumped to the floor and sauntered to the kitchen, black tail in the air.
I winced as I stood and tried to put weight on my foot . Still not a good idea, and it seemed even stiffer than yesterday.
With Jazz and Pebbles sated, I planned my day . I needed to appraise a house not far from Aunt Madge’s B&B, and wanted Lucas with me. He had gotten up when I did, but he looked so exhausted I suggested he get some more sleep. I delayed my work by a couple of hours. The house was vacant, so no one would care when I got there.
I decided to do at least one constructive thing while I waited , and called Aunt Madge.
“Good morning Jolie . I heard you felt good enough to drop in on Sergeant Morehouse yesterday.”
“You have more sources than George does.”
“I’m older. Did you tell him what you heard Nelson say?”
“Yes . I thought I was pretty convincing about pain meds making me forgetful, but he didn’t believe me. No surprise to you, I’m sure.”
She chuckled . “True. What are you up to today?”
“Not what I expected . Remember that night in eleventh grade when my babysitting job got, um, interrupted?”
“That night we were never supposed to discuss?”
“You sound like Lieutenant Tortino when I told him. Anyway, I have a reason for bringing it up.”
Her sarcasm came through . “Of course, if you have a reason.”
“One of those kids came to Ocean Alley . Both, maybe.”
She didn’t say anything for several seconds . “And they got in touch with you?”
“The elder one stayed here last night.”
“But not the girl?”
“The brother is looking for her.” We were avoiding the names . I felt kind of silly, as if I was playing spy.
“And Lieutenant Tortino knows.” She said this as a statement, but I knew she wanted to be sure I wasn’t fudging on that point.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“When you call me ma’am , I know you’re up to something. How long is he staying, and why doesn’t he know where his sister is?”
I told her Lucas and Kim’s names and explained their mom’s suicide and Kim’s apparent distress. When I said that Lucas had taken off work, she stopped me.
“So, they’ve had structure in their lives?”
I smiled at her precise question. “It sounds as if they went from here to Atlanta and stayed there. Lucas went to college, I don’t know what Kim’s plans are.”
She sighed, something Aunt Madge rarely does . “Are you and Scoobie
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