Page 8 of Delusion in Death
“This way. Exam Three’s a broken tibia, three broken fingers, a concussion, facial injuries, multiple stab wounds, which the MTs treated on-site. Most of the stab wounds were minor, considering. She’s one of the lucky ones.”
“Do you have a name?”
“CiCi Way. She’s fairly lucid, was able to give us her name, her address, the date, but not how she was injured. We haven’t gotten any details on this, Lieutenant. What the hell happened?”
“That’s what I’m going to find out.”
She moved through the double swinging doors with him where a nurse checked one of the IVs plugged into CiCi Way.
The woman on the table kept her eyes closed. Probably couldn’t open the left in any case, Eve thought. Not with that vicious swelling. They’d coated her face with gel and patches of Nu Skin so it shone like an oiled mask.
It only made her look more victimized.
Thin casting encased her right arm and hand. Angry scratches and freshly treated wounds showed above her sadly floral hospital gown and along her unbroken arm.
Tribido signaled the nurse as he stepped toward his patient. “CiCi? It’s Dr. Tribido. Do you remember me?”
“I…” Her right eye slitted open, tracked nervously back and forth under its purpled lid. “Yes. I think. Hospital? I’m in the hospital.”
“That’s right, and you’re doing fine.”
“Macie? Is Macie here?”
“I’m going to check on that.” His voice, edged with exhaustion, managed to convey a soft, steady gentleness. “There’s a police officer here to talk to you. Are you okay with that?”
“Police? The police? Because of the accident? The police came, or maybe I dreamed it. The policeman said I was going to be okay.”
“That’s right. You’re going to be okay. I’ll be right outside if you need me.”
“Macie.” Her voice pitched up, sounded strangled. “Is Macie going to be okay? And, and Travis. And—I can’t remember.”
“It’s all right. You just take it easy.” Tribido turned to Eve, spoke quietly. “She’s asked for Macie every time she’s come around. And she’s mentioned Travis and sometimes someone called Bren. She came out screaming a couple times. We’ve got her on a mild sedative for the pain, and to keep her as calm as possible. She’s lucid, as I said, but she’s spotty on everything that happened after she went in that bar. She’d feel better if we could locate this Macie.”
No, Eve thought, she doubted the woman would feel better knowing Macie Snyder was on her way to the morgue. “We’ll take it easy on her” was all Eve said.
She stepped to one side of the elevated table. “I’m Lieutenant Dallas, and this is my partner Detective Peabody. What happened to you, CiCi?”
“I got hurt.”
“I know. Who hurt you?”
That single eye began its fearful tracking. “I don’t know. You have to find Macie.”
“She’s your friend,” Peabody said in her soothing way.
“Yeah. We work together at Stuben-Barnes. And we hang.”
“You went to On the Rocks with Macie,” Eve asked, “after work?”
“Um.” Her good eye wheeled again, then focused on Eve. “Yes. That’s right. We work together, and we hang. Me and Macie. She’s going out with Travis. They’re tight. Macie thinks she might move in with him.”
“So you and Macie went to have a drink after work. Hang.”
“I think so. Yes. Me and Macie, for a drink. It’s a nice bar, and they have a mag happy hour. I like the nachos especially. You have to use a fork because they’re so…”
Her voice shook, and something like terror gleamed in her eye. “It’s close to work. Is Macie okay?”
“It’s nice to have a friend to hang with,” Peabody commented.