Page 82 of Death on Riddle Road

“Because he wasn’t killed by an overdose or incorrect medication.He was killed by—”

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

“You cannot stopthere,” Clara declared after a couple beats of silence.

Rose huffed out a breath.“I suppose you’ll find out soon enough.Donna told me she’s already heard.Granted she hears most things early, but it will get out to the general population soon enough.”

I could tell Clara wanted to object to being lumped into thegeneral population, but I waggled my fingers at her below Rose Gleiner’s line of sight.We could be insulted later.

“What did kill him?”I asked bluntly.

Maybe she appreciated bluntness, because she answered.

“A pillow.”

“A pillow?”Clara repeated.“Apillow?How—Oh.Over his face?”

Like a haze rising from a pond on a cold day, I saw Rose Gleiner’s causticof course over his facewreathed around her head.

I cut in.“How can you be sure?”

“Sure?Sure is up to the coroner.What I was was observant.First, I observed petechiae around his eyes.Petechiae display as tiny red dots.They are blood vessels made visible because of an abrupt increase in blood pressure into them.”

We both knew about petechiae.Neither of us mentioned that.The sacrifices we made to keep someone talking...

“They do not, in themselves, indicate suffocation, however.There can be many causes for petechiae—”

“Strangulation,” Clara muttered, closer to umbrage than I’d expected.She might have seen that caustic wreath rising, too.

“Strangulation,” Rose concurred.“Some patients exhibit petechiae from vomiting, coughing, childbirth — it’s the straining.The autopsy determines the cause.”

“But then how did you know about the pillow?”Clara had returned to her getting-the-most-out-of-people.

“I don’t use that kind of pillow for my patients.Ever.Soft, fluffy.The kind designed for a hotel,” she said with disdain.In addition, I keep the number of pillows at two per patient, while this was a third pillow.And—” Her tone conveyed this was the clincher.“—it did not have a pillow protector on it.Pillows for my patients are always to have protectors on them for adequate hygiene and all the aides know that.There have been stretches, with some new employees when it’s been unsatisfactory, but our current roster is fully compliant.

“There was a third pillow on that bed and it was not from the hospice’s stock.”

****

“Wouldn’t someone beseen walking in with a pillow?”Clara asked once we were settled in the vehicle.

“We should try to track that down.Clara—” I looked at her.“—I am going to tell Teague about the pillow.Maybe he already knows, but if he doesn’t, he needs to.”

“But—”

I held up a hand.“They probably have the actual pillow.We have to hope they do, because how could we even try to track it to a suspect?They have the resources to research pillows.We don’t.”

She contemplated that a moment.“You’re right.”

“I’ll call him and—”

“Besides, it might keep them busy and out of our way,” she added with satisfaction as I got him on the phone.

“Teague, we have something to tell you,” I said into the phone.

“Not me,” Clara said loud enough that he’d hear her through the speakerphone.“I’m going home.You can go to Sheila’s and get the scoop.”

“Sorry.No time.What do you have to tell me?”