Page 24 of Holmes Is Missing

“Vodka, neat,” Holmes called out.

“Well, now,” the woman said. “One of us just got a little more interesting.”

CHAPTER28

HOLMES CLEARED HISthroat. The vodka molecules had started to pass through his blood-brain barrier and he was feeling the effects. The woman had ordered a beer chaser to follow her shot.

“Can I tell you something?” said Holmes.

“Why not?” said the young woman. “That’s what bars are for.”

“I’m here on an investigation,” he said. “I’m a private investigator.”

“Can’t be all that private,” the woman replied. “You just told me.”

“I’m Brendan Holmes.”

“I know,” said the woman. “From your picture.” She nodded at the printout behind the bar. “I’m Callie Brett.” She held out her hand. Holmes shook it gently. Her skin was cool and damp from the beer bottle.

“Listen. I need to talk to somebody from the hospital,” he said. He was starting to feel the full impact of the alcohol now. “But everybody’s avoiding me.” He realized his sentences werestarting to spill out in a loose order. “It’s very important. Very important investigation. Urgent.”

“You can talk to me,” said Callie. “I don’t work there anymore.”

A hospital worker? Not a cop? Holmes would not have deduced that about her. Had he missed something obvious? He tried to cover his surprise with a rudimentary question. “And when did you leave?”

“Twenty-four hours ago.”

“You quit?”

“I did.”

“What did you do there?”

“Pediatrics resident.”

“You’re a doctor?” Holmes blinked. His normally sharp instincts were way off.

“You look surprised,” said Callie. She took a long sip of her beer. “I knew I should have worn my stethoscope.” Then she smiled again.

Holmes found himself making a quick mental adjustment. So much for his powers of perception. They were obviously wrecked. But now he had to capitalize on the opportunity. Make up for the deficit. Difficult. His brain was swimming. His head was heavy. But he did his best to spin out a line of questioning.

“Did you by any chance notice any strangers in the maternity unit recently?” he asked.

“You mean besides the dozen new patients a day and their families?”

“Anybody unusual,” said Holmes. “Anybody who stood out. Anybody who didn’t belong.”

Callie tilted her head and squinted toward the ceiling for a few seconds. She looked back at Holmes. “Some people came in last week from HavenCare. Corporate types. Two women.”

“HavenCare?”

“Yep. That’s the reason I quit. HavenCare is the conglomerate that’s planning to suck up St. Michael’s. Along with everything else.”

“St. Michael’s is going corporate?”

“Within six months.”

“You didn’t like that idea?”