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“I do remember now.” Nurse Ally’s brows drew together. “She was a good one. Cooperative, a pleasure, really. You told me—I forgot—Deb, when she went missing. Sorry,” she said to Sloan. “It didn’t ring a bell.”
She glanced at the call board. “But that one does. A lot. And he’s mine.”
“You go ahead. I’ll talk to—sorry?”
“Sergeant Cooper. I appreciate it. I wonder about visitors, or people asking about her.”
“Let me think. I put my mind to that when I read about her being missing, then again when the police asked, so it’s a little fresher than it might be. Her daughter—every day. Some of the people she worked with, and her neighbor. She got plenty of flowers and cards. I recall she said her neighbors were taking care of her little dog.”
“You were her nurse?”
“Day nurse. But any of us would see to her if I was on break or off shift. Ah, let’s see, Luke would’ve been on nights. Luke Renner, but no visitors once he’d come on. She was a sweetheart. Everyone on the floor liked her.”
Sloan asked more questions, got a few more names before she left. And admitted the investigators would have already covered the ground.
She considered just texting her sister, but since she’d already started, she might as well finish.
She hit the next hospital ER to ask about Lori Preston.
She thought about her own trip there on Thanksgiving. The pain, the anger at herself, the depression from knowing she’d undone so much progress.
Behind her now, she reminded herself as she approached the desk.
She started the same routine at the desk when the doctor who’d treated her walked up.
“It’s Corporal Cooper, right?”
“Sergeant now, Dr. Marlowe. Sloan,” she added, and offered a hand.
“Well, congratulations on the promotion and your recovery. You look fit and healthy. Why are you here?”
“Actually about another patient. She was admitted after an electric shock.”
Dr. Marlowe listened, nodded. Then turned to the nurse at the desk. “I’m taking five, Clara.” She signaled Sloan. “I need some caffeine. Do you want something?”
“I’m good, thanks.”
Marlowe fed some money into a vending machine, chose a Coke Zero. “Bad habit,” she said, and drank. “I didn’t treat her, Dr. Larson did. I know because I understand she’s missing.”
“Yes.”
“I can’t tell you much. I know she was admitted for observation because Dr. Larson and I talked about it the other day. You’re better off talking to him. Let’s see where he is.”
“I appreciate it.”
She guzzled more Coke Zero as they walked back to the desk. “Clara, where’s Dr. Larson?”
“Exam room two. Shoveling snow. Chest pains.” Clara shook her head. “Patient’s seventy-two, already taking meds for high blood pressure, and should know better.”
“Clara always knows. We’re lucky you rotated down to ER.”
“Back upstairs next week.”
“Our loss. I’ll take a look in exam two if you want to wait, Sloan.”
“Yes, thanks.”
“You sure don’t look like a cop,” Clara commented when Marlowe walked off.