The Secret Patient Read online

  Vaughan W. Smith

  Fair Folio

  Contents

  1. Beginnings

  2. Routine

  3. Discovery

  4. A New Assignment

  5. More Routine

  6. The Interview

  7. First Expedition

  8. The Remaining Thirteen

  9. Lines of Communication

  10. A Message of Hope

  11. The Newspaper Shuffle

  12. Contact

  13. A Tale of Cars

  14. The Missing Link

  15. Chasing Leads

  16. A Key Play

  17. An Important Call

  18. The Not So Simple Sample

  19. Taken

  20. Another Confrontation

  21. The Inconvenient Truth

  22. A Warning

  23. The Story

  24. Regrouping

  25. Radio Silence

  26. The Showdown

  27. Going Rogue

  28. The Long Walk

  29. A Change of Plans

  30. The Secret

  Epilogue

  Did you enjoy the book?

  Also by Vaughan W. Smith

  About the Author

  Dedication

  Copyright

  1

  Beginnings

  Elizabeth stepped back from the curb as a bus hurtled past way too close. She felt the gust of wind and almost lost her balance. She was in too much of a hurry, and the place she was in needed caution.

  “But I can’t be late,” she thought to herself, trying to justify the recklessness. She had an informant to meet, and she really needed to make it. So after a short pause, Elizabeth scanned the traffic and made a dash across the road.

  She was heading into an old run-down part of town. It was a strange mix of established family homes and organised crime, which was maybe not so strange when you thought about it. That led her to believe that her tip was about a crime boss, or some sort of drug operation.

  She desperately wanted to check a map, to verify where she was and make sure she was on the right track. But opening a map would be suicide here, it would mark her as an outsider, or worse a tourist waiting to get fleeced. She didn’t have time for that kind of attention, or the ability to get out if it escalated.

  Elizabeth kept up a fast walk, trying to look like she was hurrying somewhere and knew what she was doing. She spotted a man with a sun visor and bum bag pulling out a big paper map.

  “A plant or a soon to be victim,” Elizabeth thought, unwilling to engage with either. This was not the place to stick your neck out, because you could lose it in a heartbeat. She avoided eye contact and kept walking.

  “Excuse me,” the man said, but she pretended she didn’t hear and kept walking.

  “Excuuuse me,” the man said again, this time placing a hand on her shoulder. Elizabeth almost jumped, and spun around swiftly. Something seemed wrong. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a street sign, and realised that she had walked past the meeting point. She focused on the man in front of her, keeping an annoyed look on her face while she tried to study him. He had sunglasses and bleached, short cut hair. She sensed that this was the guy, the contact.

  “Sorry, I’m running late,” she said, testing him.

  “This won’t take but a minute. I just need your help confirming my location. I’m trying to find the Golden Arms,” he said. Elizabeth choked back a gasp as he spoke the code words. That had been the phrase she had arranged with her contact. Nobody else would have known to say it.

  “I’ll take a look for you,” she said and moved closer to examine his map in detail. She hoped that whatever was happening would happen quickly, she didn’t want a third party stumbling in and taking advantage of the situation.

  “So I think we’re around here,” the man said out loud, pointing out a corner of the map where he was also holding a slip of paper. Elizabeth held out her hand to point at the same spot, slipping the folded paper into her hand expertly.

  “No I think that’s the wrong spot. Let me see,” she said, pretending to study the map to give him a moment to add anything.

  “What’s...?” Elizabeth started to whisper, but she was cut off when she noticed the pressure on her arm. He was squeezing it with considerable force.

  “No questions. The lead to the biggest story you will ever find is there,” he whispered forcefully. Elizabeth took the hint and remained quiet.

  “Yep I think I’m on the right track. Thanks for the help,” the man said in a normal voice, and then walked off. Elizabeth’s first reaction was to return back the way she came, but that seemed wrong. It would tip off anyone who saw her that she had been there to meet the man. That was a sure fire way to get them both into trouble. So she hurried on, wondering what her destination could be. She remembered a quirky bar a bit further ahead, that was popular enough to be a safer area.

  Elizabeth walked with speed and purpose. But it wasn’t potential danger or the chance of missing her meeting that spurred her on now, it was curiosity. She had to see what the tip was. But she didn’t dare open it until she was seated in a quiet spot at the bar. So all she could do was speculate.

  The man had a pretty big claim about the importance of the tip when he gave her the paper, but he didn’t have the air of someone trying to show off. He was more trying to explain his urgency and get her attention. He was certainly desperate, posing as a tourist in the Black Jungle was a recipe for disaster. The area hadn’t garnered the name by having special black fauna, but instead from the grimy interconnected mess of alliances and backstreets and beastly people that prowled them. Perhaps there was a reason he chose that location, because others wouldn’t dare go there. She had been quite foolish turning up there alone, but she had sensed the importance of this tip. And she needed a new assignment.

  Her thought pattern had distracted her enough that when she arrived at the Third Crow she almost walked past it. She had been there a few times, but she was still startled by the bar staff and their feathered outfits. The hats especially, were creepy when pulled down to cover their faces. She ordered a gin and tonic and then settled down into a cane chair in the corner lavished with tasselled cushions. After a half a glass she pulled out the note and unfolded it.

  “What the hell,” she whispered, confused by the contents.

  Royal Monterey Hospital - CM

  She flipped the note over, looking for more information. There was nothing else, the other side was blank. She folded the note and slipped it into her purse. As far as leads went, it was pretty flimsy. The informant had gone to a lot of effort to pass it on. He had seemed anxious and in a hurry, which could have been explained by the location. But he had convinced her of the importance of the information, and had also believed it himself. That was cause for investigation.

  She didn’t know where to begin. The note may as well have been blank for all the good it did her. But she needed something new to unearth, and she’d been given a lead. The least she could do was follow the trail, and see if anything came up. She smiled as she raised her glass to her lips. The tip was probably nothing, but hinted at being spectacular. And she would enjoy closing it down, even though the real excitement would be finding something there.

  The next morning Elizabeth walked through the doors of the Stately Herald, the buzz of activity sounding pleasant to her ears. Her heart always skipped a beat when she walked past the framed front page article that had catapulted her to fame - ‘MAYOR BURNT BY INCRIMINATING DOCUMENTS’. It had been the biggest scoop in recent history, and nothing she had worked on since had measured up. She noticed a tall gaunt man with close cropped black hair and thick glasses standing over her desk. As always his pot belly seemed like it was
intruding incredibly rudely. He was waiting for her, and she could see his anger simmering.

  “Your editor would like to know why you ran out yesterday without filing your story,” he said, the volume of his voice slowly building.

  “My editor would know that it was just a fluff piece on the local hospital, and that it could wait. I had a tip George.”

  “Well, what was it?” George said, his anger a little deflected by curiosity.

  “Too vague to bother mentioning, but the guy seemed spooked so there could be something to it.”

  “I don’t want you wasting time on these spotlight seekers. You can work the normal stuff while you wait for the next big break. Have you even looked at the so-called fluff piece?”

  “No.”

  “It’s not that bad. It won’t get you hospitalised and on the front page, but most people would see that as a good thing,” George said, his anger subsiding.

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “My rising star reporter isn’t worth much if she isn’t doing her job,” George said, without venom but with honesty.

  “Fair enough. Where is this fluff piece?” she asked.

  “Royal Monterey Hospital. Brief is on your desk, where it’s been all week. Today, Elizabeth,” George said and walked away. But she didn’t hear his last words. As soon as he had said ‘Royal Monterey Hospital’ her mind started ticking over with the possibilities. She was glad that she hadn’t mentioned the tip to George. He would have reassigned the story to keep her away from the distraction. She sat down and picked up the manila folder that she had been avoiding. It now had additional interest, as well as being a way to keep her job.

  As she scanned the folder for the notes on the story she realised that it was pretty much a fluff piece. A nurse was being recognised for twenty years’ service and would be retiring soon. It was a nice opportunity to recognise the woman’s dedication and service to others, but it was hardly hard-hitting journalism. But it would serve its purpose as an excuse for her to go digging at the hospital.

  The notes also had when the nurse, a Robin Mellows, would be available for interview. Each day had a one to two hour window listed, up to today.

  “Here we go,” Elizabeth said to herself and picked up the phone. A few minutes later she had apologised for her late follow-up and organised an interview. The woman on the phone had said two-thirty in the afternoon but Elizabeth wrote down two in her diary.

  “Can’t hurt to be early,” she thought to herself. It would give her some more time to look around under the guise of being bored.

  “You doing the hospital piece?” a man’s voice said. It was Peter, the other general reporter. Elizabeth looked over and noticed that his crazy tie for the day was a bright purple.

  “Yeah, couldn’t avoid it forever.”

  “It’ll be a nice change, so much negativity comes through here,” Peter said.

  “That’s what sells papers.”

  “I know. Still, learn to enjoy the happy ones. They’ll be the ones that keep you in the game,” Peter said, a big smile on his face.

  “Yeah I guess,” she said. She watched him turn back to his desk and continue his work. With the small tuft of hair on his otherwise bald head and his generally round shape Elizabeth couldn’t shake the impression of him being an over-boiled egg. But he was a nice guy, and had been a reporter for almost twenty years.

  “Maybe I’ll be doing a fluff piece about him reaching twenty years soon,” Elizabeth thought before turning back to her diary. She had nothing else pencilled in for the day. So she pulled out the slip of paper and examined it once more. The ‘CM’ had to be the key piece of information, but she wasn’t sure what it meant. Her best bet was that it was the initials of a key person at the hospital who knew more. So she decided to keep an eye out for any people she met with those initials.

  Elizabeth filled the morning with some prep and busywork. After a light lunch she drove out to the hospital and headed for the South Wing. It looked like an older hospital, with tired decor and dated trimmings. She walked up to the nurse station and waited to get their attention.

  “Hello, may I help you?” the nurse said.

  “Yes, I’m looking for Robin Mellows. I’m doing an interview for the Stately Herald,” Elizabeth said.

  “Oh yes, I’m afraid you’re a little early, but she should be available soon. Would you mind taking a seat,” the nurse said, gesturing at the old leather chairs in the corner. Elizabeth looked over the room and saw nothing of interest.

  “Sure, but can you direct me to the bathroom first?” she said.

  “Around this corner, second door. That’s the visitor bathroom. If they’re busy you can use the patient ones further down the hall.” Elizabeth thanked the nurse and followed the directions, rounding the corner and walking down the hall. She didn’t even bother checking the first bathroom. She tried to get a feel for the hospital, and let her eyes roam over the place as she walked. She wasn’t picking up anything that seemed particularly interesting or suspicious. She did notice a small, well-lit recreation room with some couches and tables. It was empty save for a copy of the Stately Herald. Elizabeth walked over to take a look.

  It was today’s edition, which she hadn’t looked at yet. She grabbed it to help pass the time. She returned to the main waiting area and pulled out the newspaper, making sure she read every page. It was good to keep in touch with the paper, and stay across the various articles. About halfway through she was interrupted.

  “Excuse me, are you Elizabeth?” a kind looking woman with blonde hair asked. Elizabeth paused, folding the newspaper over.

  “Yes, and you’re Robin?”

  “Yes that’s me.”

  “Great. While we’re on names, I didn’t catch the name of the nurse at the desk.”

  “Oh that’s Delores.”

  “Thanks I’ll note that down,” Elizabeth said. Mentally she checked off that Delores had a first initial of D and didn’t fit the bill. She stuffed the folded newspaper into her bag, then followed Robin through the corridor and into what looked like the nurse’s office. It was packed full of different things, with chairs and desks lumped wherever possible.

  Elizabeth smiled and took out her notepad. Robin was friendly and welcoming, which made it easy to ask all the right questions for the article. Once the interview was winding up, Elizabeth threw in a question just for herself.

  “So Robin, you’ve been here so long you must have seen a lot of crazy things. What’s been the biggest scandal?” she said.

  “Oh, well, I’m not one to gossip,” Robin said, reluctant to say any more. Elizabeth put her notepad away deliberately.

  “Just for my own curiosity and interest,” Elizabeth said.

  “Well, one of the doctors was doing the rounds with a few of the nurses, if you know what I mean,” Robin said softly, tapping the side of her nose. Elizabeth knew exactly what she meant, and felt disappointed that it was something so run of the mill.

  “I see, quite scandalous,” she said, sharing a smile with Robin. Then she picked up her bag and rose from the chair.

  “Very nice meeting you today. Thank you for your time, I think the article will be published in the next day or two. If you want I can send you a copy,” Elizabeth said.

  “Oh no don’t bother yourself, we get lots of papers through the hospital. It was lovely speaking with you, take care,” Robin said with a kindly smile. She walked Elizabeth out and waved as she drove off.

  “Lovely lady, but no leads to anything else,” Elizabeth thought to herself as she headed back to the office. She would be able to do more digging under the guise of research, but she would have to be careful. George was ever watchful, and would be extremely suspicious and call her out if he saw her over-researching for a simple article.

  She took the newspaper and her notepad out of her bag, then typed up and expanded her notes from the interview, filling in extra details that came to mind or seemed important for context. It was pretty good for a firs
t draft, so she printed it and left it on her desk. She could use it as a shield if George came over demanding progress.

  She looked up the names of the recent hospital administrators and key medical staff. None of them had the initials CM. She could start digging around for staff lists, but it didn’t feel right in her gut. If there was something here, it would require more than brute research. It would require a special finding. She leaned back in her chair, mentally drained. A large man sat on the edge of her desk, rocking it and startling Elizabeth. She looked over in surprise.

  “I see you’ve had a crack at one of my jumbles!” Alan bellowed out in excitement. Elizabeth continued to stare at him, unsure of what to say. She knew Alan, but they rarely spoke and she didn’t know what had triggered his excited outburst. Things started to click when he picked up the newspaper she had taken from the hospital.

  “I liked this one, it was especially devious, yet simple at the same time. The best kind of jumble. What do we have here; oh Elizabeth this is shameful,” Alan said, looking up to give her a reproachful look. She just shrugged at him, letting him finish before she explained that it wasn’t her.

  “I mean, c’mon you can’t just write any letters you want in there. And you didn’t even make sensible words out of them. Epic fail,” he said, tossing the newspaper over to her. She accepted the paper with a smile and replied.

  “Sorry Alan, my mind was elsewhere. I’ll take it more seriously next time.”

  “See that you do. They say that regular mental exercise is the key to a sharp mind, and you should be acing these. Don’t disappoint me again!” Alan said. But there was a playfulness to his manner, which she appreciated. The desk groaned in appreciation as he raised his bulk and walked off.

  Elizabeth regarded the wrongly completed jumble with interest. It looked like the hand writing was quite deliberate. Maybe there was something more to it, and just maybe it was the lead she needed.

  2