“That poor girl. What a tragedy. I’m not sure how I can help. I just started working here when she left. Maybe you want to talk to Dina. She’s the head hygienist and she’s been here a long time.”
“That would be great. Is she in?”
“Yes, but she might be with a patient. Let me check.” The girl got up and walked through the doors marked employees only .
A few minutes went by and the girl returned with a woman who was probably in her early thirties and dressed in scrubs. I assumed she was the hygienist the receptionist had been talking about.
“Dina, this is the girl I told you had a few questions about Nicole.”
I smiled at her. “Thanks for coming out here to talk to me. I’m sure you’re busy.”
“I am. So, what is it you want to know about Nicole?” Dina said shortly.
“Do you know why she quit?”
“Are you from the school or something? We sent out her paperwork regarding the on the job training hours. Though it probably doesn’t matter now.”
“No, no. I’m not from the school. I’m just a friend. It’s just that she had wanted to be a hygienist for so long and then all of a sudden she changed her mind and quit this job. I guess you can say I’m just curious.” Yes, I was exaggerating a little, but I thought this might be my best chance for getting the information I needed.
Dina snorted. “You must not be that good of friend then if you think she really wanted to be a hygienist.” I was startled, thinking Dina had realized I was lying about the friend part when she continued talking. “Nicole’s goal was to marry rich and never work a day in her life. She took this job to please her parents and because she thought it might be a good place to meet rich men.”
I raised my eyebrows. I hadn’t thought of a dentist’s office as being a place to meet rich men. I would think it more a place to meet someone with insurance. “Are you sure?”
“Oh, I’m sure. It wasn’t a secret. Nicole was a decent worker, but she made no bones of the fact that she wouldn’t be working her life away in a dreary office like the rest of us. I thought she was crazy to think she would meet the rich man of her dreams here, and told her as much, but I guess she knew what she was doing because she met one and quit. If only I could be that lucky,” Dina said. “Except I guess she wasn’t so lucky, ending up killed.”
“So let me get this straight. She actually did meet a guy and quit working here for him?” This sounded crazy, but just went to show you couldn’t judge.
“I thought you were her friend,” Dina asked me suspiciously. “Shouldn’t you know this?”
“Apparently, we weren’t as good friends as I thought we were,” I said, trying to sound offended like a close friend would if she found out her friend had been hiding something from her.
“Apparently,” Dina said dryly. “But yes she told us she was leaving for greener pastures. That she had found the guy she’d been searching for to take care of her and was taking a job at a jewelry store to stay busy, but she didn’t need a career.”
“Why can’t I find one of those?” the girl at the desk muttered under her breath.
“It sounds good, but I’m sure it’s not all it’s cracked up to be, Jenny,” Dina said to the girl. “There’s no guarantee or retirement plan.”
“So who was it she was involved with?”
“I don’t know. All I know is she left and then shortly after was murdered at the jewelry store. Poor Mr. Anderson. I’m sure he feels bad that Nicole was killed at his store.”
That caught me off guard. “You know him?”
“Who? Mr. Anderson? Yes, he’s one of our patients. Has been for as long as I’ve been here, which is almost eight years. Listen I have a patient in the chair and I need to get back to work. Give her family our condolences.”
“I will. Thank you, Dina. Thanks, Jenny.”
“No problem.”
I walked out of the office thinking this was the connection I had been looking
“That would be great. Is she in?”
“Yes, but she might be with a patient. Let me check.” The girl got up and walked through the doors marked employees only .
A few minutes went by and the girl returned with a woman who was probably in her early thirties and dressed in scrubs. I assumed she was the hygienist the receptionist had been talking about.
“Dina, this is the girl I told you had a few questions about Nicole.”
I smiled at her. “Thanks for coming out here to talk to me. I’m sure you’re busy.”
“I am. So, what is it you want to know about Nicole?” Dina said shortly.
“Do you know why she quit?”
“Are you from the school or something? We sent out her paperwork regarding the on the job training hours. Though it probably doesn’t matter now.”
“No, no. I’m not from the school. I’m just a friend. It’s just that she had wanted to be a hygienist for so long and then all of a sudden she changed her mind and quit this job. I guess you can say I’m just curious.” Yes, I was exaggerating a little, but I thought this might be my best chance for getting the information I needed.
Dina snorted. “You must not be that good of friend then if you think she really wanted to be a hygienist.” I was startled, thinking Dina had realized I was lying about the friend part when she continued talking. “Nicole’s goal was to marry rich and never work a day in her life. She took this job to please her parents and because she thought it might be a good place to meet rich men.”
I raised my eyebrows. I hadn’t thought of a dentist’s office as being a place to meet rich men. I would think it more a place to meet someone with insurance. “Are you sure?”
“Oh, I’m sure. It wasn’t a secret. Nicole was a decent worker, but she made no bones of the fact that she wouldn’t be working her life away in a dreary office like the rest of us. I thought she was crazy to think she would meet the rich man of her dreams here, and told her as much, but I guess she knew what she was doing because she met one and quit. If only I could be that lucky,” Dina said. “Except I guess she wasn’t so lucky, ending up killed.”
“So let me get this straight. She actually did meet a guy and quit working here for him?” This sounded crazy, but just went to show you couldn’t judge.
“I thought you were her friend,” Dina asked me suspiciously. “Shouldn’t you know this?”
“Apparently, we weren’t as good friends as I thought we were,” I said, trying to sound offended like a close friend would if she found out her friend had been hiding something from her.
“Apparently,” Dina said dryly. “But yes she told us she was leaving for greener pastures. That she had found the guy she’d been searching for to take care of her and was taking a job at a jewelry store to stay busy, but she didn’t need a career.”
“Why can’t I find one of those?” the girl at the desk muttered under her breath.
“It sounds good, but I’m sure it’s not all it’s cracked up to be, Jenny,” Dina said to the girl. “There’s no guarantee or retirement plan.”
“So who was it she was involved with?”
“I don’t know. All I know is she left and then shortly after was murdered at the jewelry store. Poor Mr. Anderson. I’m sure he feels bad that Nicole was killed at his store.”
That caught me off guard. “You know him?”
“Who? Mr. Anderson? Yes, he’s one of our patients. Has been for as long as I’ve been here, which is almost eight years. Listen I have a patient in the chair and I need to get back to work. Give her family our condolences.”
“I will. Thank you, Dina. Thanks, Jenny.”
“No problem.”
I walked out of the office thinking this was the connection I had been looking
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