mystified how a mother could poison her own child.
Muffled sounds of doctors and nurses came from Joss's room. Jake paced the floor in the hall, continuing to watch for any reaction from Miranda.
Eventually the activity stilled, and slowly the staff filtered out, grave expressions on their faces. The doctor stepped into the hall, glanced around for Jake. “Detective?”
“Yes?” He moved to the doctor, spoke with him for a moment then turned to face the other officers. “Amend the charge to murder. Jocelyn Wheeler just died.”
Chapter Eleven
“No!” Miranda screamed and fell to her knees.
Jake felt a flash of guilt, but it was necessary. Somebody wanted Joss dead. He had to figure out who .
The two cops lifted her mother into a seat. She sobbed uncontrollably as Jake watched, judging her performance.
He handed a list of names and phone numbers to the nurse. “Please phone these people, tell them what's happened and ask them to come immediately. Is there a room we can use?”
“Sure.” She showed him to a private waiting room, where he left Miranda and her two bodyguards.
“Is there a computer I can use to access the Internet?”
“Yes, in the doctors' lounge. This way.” She showed him to the computer.
Jake typed David Taylor's name into the police department database. He scanned the information that popped up, until he found what he was looking for. “There we go.” He slapped the table next to the computer.
A doctor on the sofa glanced up.
“Sorry.” He smiled sheepishly. Another thought occurred to him, and he searched the database until satisfied he was on the right track. It all seemed amazingly clear now. Completely crazy, unbelievable, but clear.
He returned to Joss's room and watched out the hall window, so he could see when people arrived. Roy was directed to the waiting room, then Roland Watkins. When David Taylor showed up, Jake knew it was time to move. His chief didn't look pleased about being summoned and he might not stick around long.
“Let's go.” He settled Joss in a wheelchair, attached her IV bags to a transportable pole which he rolled along next to her. He parked her in an adjacent waiting room and stepped inside the one where everyone else was gathered.
“What's going on here, Gilford?” Taylor asked immediately.
He ignored his chief and looked at Roy . “Thanks for coming. You have a set of cuffs, I hope? We'll need them.”
“I do.” Roy folded his arms across his chest. “I'm real sorry to hear about Joss. What's up?”
Jake looked at the nervous faces of Roland Watkins and Miranda Wheeler. “I guess the younger Watkins and Taylor boys aren't going to make an appearance.” He turned to one of the uniformed officers. “Make a call, have someone pick them up for questioning.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Taylor shouted. “I'm sure you're upset that the girl died, but—”
“You know,” Jake interrupted. “I am upset. But not about Joss. She's going to be fine.” He yanked open the door connecting the two waiting rooms and wheeled her in.
“Jocelyn!” her mother cried.
Taylor , obviously shocked, bellowed, “She's alive!”
“Sorry about the deception, but somebody in this room wanted her dead. Now, we get to watch and see who's the most disappointed.”
“None of them look very happy,” Joss muttered.
“I'm happy!” Roy flashed a big grin.
Jake smiled at him then returned his attention to the group. “Okay, people, here's what we know, so far. It's a long, messy story, so I'll be as succinct as possible. Edward Cooper died, leaving his large estate to a daughter he never knew, apparently the result of a fling some twenty-five years ago. Joss came here to settle the estate and has had nothing but problems since she arrived. Someone obviously tried to scare her out of the mansion—a delightful skeleton in the attic, thunderously loud noises every night and God knows what else was there that we didn't
Muffled sounds of doctors and nurses came from Joss's room. Jake paced the floor in the hall, continuing to watch for any reaction from Miranda.
Eventually the activity stilled, and slowly the staff filtered out, grave expressions on their faces. The doctor stepped into the hall, glanced around for Jake. “Detective?”
“Yes?” He moved to the doctor, spoke with him for a moment then turned to face the other officers. “Amend the charge to murder. Jocelyn Wheeler just died.”
Chapter Eleven
“No!” Miranda screamed and fell to her knees.
Jake felt a flash of guilt, but it was necessary. Somebody wanted Joss dead. He had to figure out who .
The two cops lifted her mother into a seat. She sobbed uncontrollably as Jake watched, judging her performance.
He handed a list of names and phone numbers to the nurse. “Please phone these people, tell them what's happened and ask them to come immediately. Is there a room we can use?”
“Sure.” She showed him to a private waiting room, where he left Miranda and her two bodyguards.
“Is there a computer I can use to access the Internet?”
“Yes, in the doctors' lounge. This way.” She showed him to the computer.
Jake typed David Taylor's name into the police department database. He scanned the information that popped up, until he found what he was looking for. “There we go.” He slapped the table next to the computer.
A doctor on the sofa glanced up.
“Sorry.” He smiled sheepishly. Another thought occurred to him, and he searched the database until satisfied he was on the right track. It all seemed amazingly clear now. Completely crazy, unbelievable, but clear.
He returned to Joss's room and watched out the hall window, so he could see when people arrived. Roy was directed to the waiting room, then Roland Watkins. When David Taylor showed up, Jake knew it was time to move. His chief didn't look pleased about being summoned and he might not stick around long.
“Let's go.” He settled Joss in a wheelchair, attached her IV bags to a transportable pole which he rolled along next to her. He parked her in an adjacent waiting room and stepped inside the one where everyone else was gathered.
“What's going on here, Gilford?” Taylor asked immediately.
He ignored his chief and looked at Roy . “Thanks for coming. You have a set of cuffs, I hope? We'll need them.”
“I do.” Roy folded his arms across his chest. “I'm real sorry to hear about Joss. What's up?”
Jake looked at the nervous faces of Roland Watkins and Miranda Wheeler. “I guess the younger Watkins and Taylor boys aren't going to make an appearance.” He turned to one of the uniformed officers. “Make a call, have someone pick them up for questioning.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Taylor shouted. “I'm sure you're upset that the girl died, but—”
“You know,” Jake interrupted. “I am upset. But not about Joss. She's going to be fine.” He yanked open the door connecting the two waiting rooms and wheeled her in.
“Jocelyn!” her mother cried.
Taylor , obviously shocked, bellowed, “She's alive!”
“Sorry about the deception, but somebody in this room wanted her dead. Now, we get to watch and see who's the most disappointed.”
“None of them look very happy,” Joss muttered.
“I'm happy!” Roy flashed a big grin.
Jake smiled at him then returned his attention to the group. “Okay, people, here's what we know, so far. It's a long, messy story, so I'll be as succinct as possible. Edward Cooper died, leaving his large estate to a daughter he never knew, apparently the result of a fling some twenty-five years ago. Joss came here to settle the estate and has had nothing but problems since she arrived. Someone obviously tried to scare her out of the mansion—a delightful skeleton in the attic, thunderously loud noises every night and God knows what else was there that we didn't
Similar Books
