"The administrator definitely hinted that there was big trouble. I'm going to get on the phone and find out more,” Owen decided.
They climbed into the car, and Owen immediately dialed the Chestnut Hill police department.
May took a look at the time. It was getting late now, after nine p.m. If this lead didn't pan out, she was not sure what else would be possible tonight, and she felt a wave of stress that clenched at her insides. Only once you’d worked a tough murder case like this, did you understand how hard it could be, she thought.
Suddenly, and out of the blue, she felt closer to Kerry than she had for a long time.
Kerry worked with tough murder cases practically every day in her FBI agent career. Now, May was realizing what it took, and that even though her older sister presented a hardcore, capable front, May decided that she probably felt as if she was hyperventilating inside, some of the time, anyway.
May decided that as soon as she got a chance, she was going to call Kerry. Suddenly, it felt like a comforting possibility, rather than a threat, to be able to bounce some ideas off her. Kerry might have some suggestions. And in any case, she wanted to check in with her sis. After all, she’d recently called off her engagement and broken things off with her cheating fiancé, flinging all his belongings out of their apartment window. At this time, she needed sisterly support.
If the case was not solved by tomorrow, May was sure Sheriff Jack would ask the FBI to come on board in any case. And then, Kerry would be actively involved.
But May hoped that she would manage to get results. Hopefully, Nurse Keyes would be the suspect they needed.
"Hello?" Owen said, as his call was answered. "It's Deputy Lovell here. Is anyone able to access address details and case history for us at this time? It's urgent."
He waited. May felt herself getting more and more anxious.
"Oh, great," Owen said, and May breathed out a breath she didn't even know she'd been holding.
"They're going to look it up for us," he whispered to May.
In a few more moments, Owen said, "Okay, yes, the address first, please."
May thought that was sensible. The minute they had this address, they needed to hotfoot it there.
"Four Woodside Drive, Chestnut Hill," Owen repeated.
May hastily keyed the address into her phone, seeing it was just ten minutes away.
She started the car and drove out of the hospital. There was no time to waste. While Owen was waiting for any case details, she could get them closer to this suspect.
"Okay. Yes, that'll be great. Here's my email." Owen read out his address.
"There is a case," he said to May. “The assault charges were dropped, but they are going to send the details anyway in case they’re helpful to us.”
“That’s great. And relevant,” May said excitedly.
So, there had been actual charges laid against the nurse. Undoubtedly, they were dealing with someone who had the capacity for violence.
May focused on her driving, navigating the route as fast as she could, conscious that Owen was opening the information that had just come through on his phone.
"Oh, wow, May. This is serious," he said.
May swerved very slightly. She was so tense, and this was so vitally important.
"What is it? What's serious?" she asked.
She listened, feeling breathless, as Owen read out the charges.
"Patient name, Seanna O'Neill, age twenty, following an accident in the hospital. The patient was recovering from broken ribs. She complained about the hospital food, and she says that the nurse, David Keyes, deliberately threatened her with a knife, telling her that she was moaning nonstop and should just shutup and eat what was given to her, or else he'd personally make her do so."
"That's terrible," May said, gripping the steering wheel hard. It sounded like this nurse was highly unstable and had gotten triggered by interaction with patients. Also, there was a definite connection in the fact that he'd immediately gone for a knife. A bladed weapon. That meant something, surely.
"She pressed charges against him, but when the hospital agreed to fire the nurse, the charges were dropped. But that still gives him a reason to have a serious grudge against the hospital.”
“Yes, it does,” May agreed somberly. There was every reason for Nurse Keyes to have gone on a revenge vendetta of violence, and perhaps it was even the firing itself that had tipped him over into a criminal mindset.