“The worst.”
“Yeah.”He adjusted his stethoscope.“I’ll call.”
He walked out of the cafeteria without looking back.
* * *
Graham finished his volunteer shift at one.
He delivered two more flower arrangements, refilled the pamphlet rack in the surgical waiting room, and wheeled an eighty-six-year-old woman to the front entrance who informed him he had a trustworthy face and should eat more.He thanked her, signed out at the volunteer desk, and walked to his truck.
He pulled out of the visitor lot and turned left onto Hospital Road.As he passed the staff parking lot, his eyes found Maren’s car near the east end of the lot—the same way he’d memorized her plate at the bakery two days ago without deciding to.Operational reflex.Her shift didn’t start until six tonight.
He pulled over on Hospital Road and picked up the burner.
Are you at the hospital?
The reply came forty seconds later.
Staff meeting.Mandatory.Called in this morning.Only night shift nurses.
A mandatory meeting for night shift nurses only.The day after Maren’s charting access was revoked.The day after she’d confronted Janet Creighton in the medication room.
What’s it about?
Official topic is updated charting protocols.Real topic seems to be reminding everyone about proper chain of command and the consequences of circumventing established procedures.Janet ran the meeting.She looked at me when she said it.
Are you safe?
I’m standing in a parking lot in broad daylight surrounded by hospital employees.I’m fine.
That’s not what I asked.
A pause.Longer than the others.
I know.
He stared at those two words on the small screen.The wanting to know about Maren Ward had started to separate from the needing to know.That was the part that worried him.
Instead, he typed:
Go home.Rest before your shift.I’ll check in tonight.
Copy that.
Graham pulled back onto Hospital Road and drove toward the cottage on Lake Road.There was a great deal about Maren Ward he didn’t know.Her reasons for leaving Chicago.What she did with her off-hours.Whether the directness was armor or just who she was.He was starting to want answers that had nothing to do with the investigation.
He called Caleb on the drive.
“Made contact with a doctor on staff.Mason Thompson, former Army trauma surgeon.He’s noticed the same things Maren documented—staff turnover, sealed transfers, gaps in oversight.Cautious, but he took my number.”
“Harper’s already pulled his background.Clean.Decorated service record, no financial red flags.If he’s willing to talk, he could be valuable.”
“He’ll talk.He’s been carrying it alone.You can see it on him.”
“Sounds like someone else I know.”
Graham didn’t answer that.
