"No. You know I didn't shoot them, right?"
"I'm your lawyer."
"That's not what I asked. Listen to me. I didn't kill them. If I had, the police would never have caught me."
"Martin, chill," Kieran barked an order.
"I can't chill if my own attorney thinks I did this."
"I didn't say that, Mr. Bailey. I believe someone is framing you. Rephrase that, you made it easy to frame you. Now, we need to explain the gunshot residue on your hands."
"I can't. Did they find splatter on my shirt?"
"They found blood. The report is not in yet."
"Mrs. Snow, those men were shot up close and personal. It's not like TV. It’s messy and wet, and death smells. Blood splatters."
"I will look into it." The experienced attorney was not flustered by his temper. "As a law enforcement officer, you are being placed in their special housing unit. Your family filled your commissary account. You are permitted to call Mr. Newsome or me—the jail should accommodate that request. Otherwise, life is desolate. You will be provided one hour in the yard and allowed three phone calls of five minutes’ duration per month. We go back to court in ten days. Mr. Bailey, if someone else doesn't confess sooner, you will be in custody quite a while."
"Kieran, I was thinking…" Martin tilted his head.
Kieran shook his head. "That could be dangerous. Why didn't you think before you crossed that threshold?"
"How is Greece this time of year?" Martin asked his boss.
Cordelia scratched her temple in a sign of confusion.
"The infrastructure is crumbling."
Martin swallowed hard. "Kieran, if this goes the way of Greece, promise me to do the right thing."
"Not gonna come to that." Kieran looked grim. "Watch your six."
Cordelia waved in the guards. "Good day, Mr. Bailey."
"We will figure this out." Kieran stood, and as the guard approached, he whispered, "Your false termination will start the rumors.”
On the ride to the hospital, Elizabeth made some decisions. "Julian, I appreciate all your efforts on my behalf." She reached to open her door. "I want to check on Austin and Mr. Mills. Don't think of stopping me; Austin is my patient. Then, I want to spend the rest of the day with Lola." She took a deep breath. "I need to tell you something."
"What,chère?"
"Melinda Bradford has been sleeping with my father for years. So did Tibby Spooner when she was Cicely Moody—and Cecile Dufour. I think Celine still was."
Elizabeth stopped by her office to grab her lab coat, then tossed a student one to Julian. "I am checking on my, or should I say,ourpatient." When she made full eye contact with him, Julian's lips turned up. "You may stay for a moment; I plan on being in there a while."
Two corrections officers sat in front of Troy's doorway. The first guard blocked her entry. "ID please?"
"Fine, you show me yours."
Julian lifted his badge, hoping it would encourage Elizabeth to do so as well. "Doc, we’re doing our job. This man is in custody," CO Vernon Gafford said.
"The man is comatose." She pushed past him. A nursing assistant was sitting beside Troy. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize someone was with him."
"I'm Kenny Clarke, ma'am. Dr. Hedges ordered around-the-clock staffing. Mr. Mills is experiencing fluctuations in his oxygen levels even with the vent. His temperature is 102.4 and trending up. If you need to speak to him, Dr. Hedges is asleep in the on-call room."
"Thank you. If you would like to take a break, we will stay with him." Elizabeth scanned the monitors and read the nursing notes on the computer. Kenny vacated his seat to allow Julian to reach Troy's side. The sorrow in Julian's eyes was obvious. "I'm okay alone with Mr. Mills, Julian.”
"I'll be outside." Julian left her with his friend.
