Off the Record Read online

  Kate’s eyes widened. “Disappeared?” This must be the lie the aides were talking about. But was it really a lie? She’d seen that thin woman making changes in a chart during the crisis, and Nurse Pritchard ran off with it as if her scrub top was on fire.

  The sounds of snipping and chattering paused.

  “It’s all nonsense!” Lucy Mae waved a dismissive hand. “They’ve checked the record. There is no Vicodin order. Never was.”

  “How did you find this out?” Kate asked.

  “Lawton was on the phone with the Orchard Hill administrator for quite a while this morning. He’s going to make certain they let that careless nurse go. She ought to lose her license.”

  The tired droop of Lucy Mae’s eyes and lips tugged at Kate’s heartstrings, though the woman’s vengeful attitude troubled her. “I’m sure the facility is investigating the incident thoroughly. They don’t take such things lightly.”

  “I should hope not!”

  Kate frowned and fell silent. The snick-snick of scissors and buzz of conversation resumed. Velma Hopkins came in and sat down next to her. Vice president of the Harrington County Dog Club, Velma was aglow with news about her award-winning Irish setter’s latest championship. Preoccupied, Kate barely managed to hold up her end of the conversation until Betty called her to take her turn in the salon chair.

  Kate remained wrapped in her thoughts, with ques-tions pouring through her head. It was entirely possible that a rookie nurse had made a mistake, maybe misread something on Shirley Kraemer’s chart. That was the neat and simple explanation. Except for the claim about a prescription mysteriously disappearing from the chart. Surely someone with half an ounce of intelligence could come up with a better cover story. No wonder Rita had called the lie “dumb.” But what if the young nurse was telling the truth? That meant someone had tampered with the chart after the incident occurred.

  Kate mentally reviewed the behavior of the mystery woman and the charge nurse the previous afternoon, and their handling of the patient chart. Nurse Pritchard had said something about fixing a file, and the thin woman had assured her it was done. Was the exchange innocent, or had Kate witnessed a cover-up?

  She shifted in her chair.

  “Hold still now,” Betty said with a chuckle. “I’d like nothing better than to try a fancy new look on you, but I don’t think a scalping would be the thing.”

  Kate let out a laugh, but her heart wasn’t in it.

  AFTER HER HAIR TRIM, Kate stepped out the door and headed for her car, but a hand on her arm stopped her. She turned to find Lucy Mae’s strained face broadcasting a plea.

  “You’re unusually observant, Kate, and you have a knack for figuring things out. I want justice to be served, but I’m not sure I trust the facility to do a fair job of investigating one of their employees.” Lucy Mae lifted her chin, and her expression hardened. “Would you look into this matter for us?”

  This wasn’t exactly how Kate had expected her day to go. “I don’t know how much help I could be, Lucy Mae.” She spread her hands. “I don’t have any authority.”

  “Anything you find out would be appreciated. Lawton can handle the authority part.”

  From what Lucy Mae had said in the beauty shop, her husband had already been exercising those muscles. But why not go ahead and see what she could do? She wanted to find out what really happened as much as anybody.

  “What if there’s more to this story than the obvious?” Kate searched Lucy Mae’s expectant face. “I can ask a few questions, because I’ve got lots of them myself, but what if you don’t like the answers?”

  Lucy Mae touched Kate’s arm. “We just want the truth so that negligent nurse can be punished.”

  Kate swallowed a caution about not rushing to judgment. Lucy Mae wouldn’t hear it in her distressed state of mind. “I’d be interested to know what pain medication your mom’s doctor actually prescribed for her.”

  The woman’s eyes brightened. “I can answer that one because I carefully monitor my mother’s health and the care she’s receiving. She had a standing order for Ultram prn.” Lucy Mae leaned toward Kate. “P-r-n means she can have it on demand. It’s not as strong a pain medication as Vicodin, but mother tolerates it quite well.” She went ramrod straight. “There is no way any nurse who’s not blind could have read Vicodin for Ultram.”

  Kate nodded. “I agree those two words are very different. Did you see the prescription for Ultram in the file?”

  Lucy Mae shook her head. “I didn’t have to. Dr. Rogers told me that was what he was going to prescribe, and that’s what the nurses were giving her right along at Orchard Hill...until this wet-behind-the-ears young lady either didn’t read the doctor’s order or grabbed the wrong medication bottle. I could possibly forgive her mistake if she’d admit to it, but making up stories to cover herself makes me so mad I could spit. I don’t want her to get away with it.”

  Kate took Lucy Mae’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “I understand your feelings. Keep Paul and me updated on your mother’s condition. We’ll continue to pray.”

  “Thank you.” Lucy Mae flashed a faint smile. Then she hurried to her car.

  Kate saw her Honda Accord and decided to leave it parked outside Betty’s. She turned and walked west toward the library on the next block, where her best friend Livvy Jenner served as head librarian. Bouncing the medication-error mystery off Livvy was just what the doctor ordered.

  Chapter Five

  Yoo-hoo!” a throaty voice warbled as Kate set her foot on the first step of the stairs leading into the two-story brick building.

  Kate’s nostrils pinched. There was only one woman in town who could make a noise exactly like that. Kate turned to see Renee Lambert hustling toward her with another woman in tow. The seventy-one-year-old Renee, who insisted she wasn’t a day over thirty-nine, wore a shocking pink velour sweat suit and an overdose of eye makeup. Her dog Kisses was tucked under her arm. Her bottle-blonde hair was precisely styled, and her pearly white smile filled half of her face while her French-manicured fingers fluttered a greeting. The other woman, with short, dark hair, was several inches taller than the petite Renee and was dressed in conservative brown pants and a cream-colored blouse. The younger woman’s smile was a bit tentative.

  >“Kate, it’s a good thing we ran into you,” Renee announced, her trademark scent of Estée Lauder’s Youth-Dew perfume enveloping them. “I want you to meet Nurse Peggy Brower. She’s the Red Cross supervisor in charge of blood drives in southeastern Tennessee.”

  Kate stepped down onto the sidewalk and offered a smile to the nurse. “Good to meet you. My husband and I read about the drive in the newspaper. A single local drive is a big undertaking, but to have charge of a whole region? You must be a busy woman.”

  Peggy laughed, her agate blue eyes crinkling at the corners. Kate put the woman at around her own age. “You have no idea. But it’s work I enjoy. Renee tells me you’re a minister’s wife and a helpful sort of person.”

  A caution light flipped on inside Kate. She glanced toward Renee.

  The older woman’s chest expanded. “As you said, Kate, a local drive is a big undertaking, and it takes teamwork. Part of my task is to organize the team. I told Peggy you’d be just the person to recruit.”

  “What am I being recruited for?” The yellow light doubled wattage.

  Renee fluttered the fingers on both hands, then clasped them together, glee broadcasting from her small brown eyes. “Telephone Encourager. I came up with the title myself. Doesn’t it sound so positive and inviting?”

  “And a Telephone Encourager is...?”

  A pleasant laugh came from Peggy. “Nothing complicated, I assure you. The local organizers are making—”

  “Lists of townspeople and their phone numbers,” Renee bubbled. “This was my idea. It goes one step beyond simply announcing the drive in the newspaper and the radio. Adds the personal touch, you know.” She let out a chuckle and gripped Kate’s arm. “We’re asking busy beavers lik
e you to take a list of fifty people and call each one to personally encourage them to donate blood. I’ve even prepared a script. So it’ll be easy. I’ll drop a list off at your house in a few days.”

  Kate’s mouth opened, but no response came out. She was happy to help with such a good cause. But if Renee’s approach didn’t make volunteering mandatory, she might not have to squash the contrary impulse to say no.

  Peggy cleared her throat. “That is, if you agree to do it.” The upward curve of one side of her mouth broadcast sympathetic understanding.

  Kate chuckled. “Renee, you’ve got yourself a Telephone Encourager.”

  Renee wriggled like a tickled kitten. “I’ll see you soon, then.” She turned on her spiked heels. “Come along, Peggy. I have more people for you to meet.”

  Kate and Peggy exchanged grins, then the nurse turned and followed Renee as she clattered up the sidewalk in the direction of Betty’s Beauty Parlor—a treasure trove of fresh arms to twist. Smiling, Kate went up the steps and into the library.

  She stepped over the threshold and inhaled a deep breath of library smell, an indefinable ambrosia of paper, printing ink, and binding glue. A few patrons browsed the first-floor fiction section, and the sound of footsteps on the second floor said someone was wandering through nonfiction. But overall, it looked like a quiet Saturday in the library.

  Kate went up to the horseshoe-shaped counter near the entrance. The clock on the wall said a few minutes to twelve. She’d timed her arrival perfectly for a walk through town during Livvy’s lunch hour.

  No one was standing behind the counter, but the head librarian’s office door was open, and Kate heard her friend’s cheery voice. The pauses between responses signaled that Livvy was on the phone. Kate went to the door and poked her head inside. Behind her desk, Livvy sat with one elbow on a big calendar blotter, twirling a lock of her auburn hair while she spoke. She glanced up at Kate, and her hazel eyes sparked a welcome.

  Kate waved and then went back to the foyer to wait for her friend on the maroon love seat by the front window. She gazed outside at the neatly laid-out streets and solid buildings of downtown Copper Mill. While no one would claim that the town or its inhabitants were perfect, this was a nice place to live, steeped in history and full of good, honest people. She hated to see any of her friends hurt by a stranger’s carelessness or attempts to cover up a mistake. But someone at Orchard Hill was definitely lying—of that much Kate was certain. Was it the young nurse claiming a doctor’s order that never existed? Or had the chart been altered by someone trying to protect Orchard Hill’s reputation by laying a record error on the shoulders of a new and vulnerable employee? Kate pursed her lips. Or maybe there was another motive she hadn’t considered. She needed more facts, not just circumstantial evidence and speculations.

  “I know that look, Kate Hanlon. What mystery is your nimble brain wrestling with now?”

  Livvy’s mock scolding brought Kate’s head up. She stood with a chuckle. “Join me for a stroll to Copper Mill Park and back, and I’ll fill you in.”

  “I haven’t had such an entertaining offer all morning. Let me get someone to cover the desk.” Livvy disappeared between a pair of long bookshelves. A few seconds later, she reemerged with Morty Robertson, a retiree who often volunteered at the library.

  “See ya.” She waved at Morty, who grinned back.

  Outside, a cool breeze wafting from the mountains ruffled Kate’s freshly trimmed hair, and she was thankful for the light sweater she’d donned before she left the house.

  “Have you heard about Lucy Mae Briddle’s mother yet?” Kate started the conversation as they trooped in unison down the stairs to the sidewalk.

  “No, is there something wrong?” Livvy’s brows lifted. “I thought she was doing okay after the surgery.”

  “There’s been a complication that might or might not be an accident.”

  “Are you serious? What happened?”

  They reached the corner of Smith and Main, and Kate led the way north onto Smith Street as she talked, beginning her story at coffee time with Nehemiah at Orchard Hill. On their right sprawled the Town Square with its tall clock tower. On their left, they passed Smith Street Gifts, followed by Weston’s Antiques and the Country Diner. A right turn onto Hamilton Road headed them in the direction of Copper Mill Park. Three blocks later, they entered the park, and Kate’s tale arrived at the events that took place in the salon that morning.

  As they strolled down a paved path, she explained Lucy Mae’s declarations about the young nurse who had administered the medication. “I’m a little troubled,” she said. “I’m not convinced the nurse is lying about the Vicodin order on the chart.”

  Livvy’s forehead puckered. “Why? Couldn’t a nurse read something wrong and then try to cover up her mistake with a questionable story?”

  “That’s just it.” Kate shook her head. “The claim about a medication order disappearing from the patient chart is outrageous if it’s simply made up. Now she’ll not only be considered careless and incompetent but a liar as well. And not a very skilled liar, either.”

  “You have a point.”

  A pondering silence fell as they continued down the path between fresh-leaved serviceberry bushes.

  “So you think there was some hanky-panky with Mrs. Kraemer’s chart?” Livvy asked.

  “I think there might have been. I have no proof, just observations without explanations...and a ton of questions and what-ifs.”

  Their footsteps echoed on the bridge over Copper Mill Creek. They stopped at the center of the bridge, and Kate leaned her elbows on the top rail. Water swirled and meandered between the rocks below.

  “For instance...,” Livvy prompted.

  Kate turned toward her friend. “Humor me and assume that there was a prescription for Vicodin in Mrs. Kraemer’s chart, and now it’s been taken by a person or persons unknown. What doctor wrote the prescription? And why would he prescribe something his patient can’t have?”

  Livvy settled a hip against the railing next to Kate. “Wouldn’t that be the doctor’s mistake?” She gasped, and her eyes went as round as a koala bear’s. “That would be motive for tampering with a chart!”

  Kate waggled her eyebrows. “Watch out. You’re starting to think like me.”

  “Sounds like a dangerous proposition.”

  Their voices mingled in laughter.

  Kate sobered. “So you don’t think I’m crazy to wonder if something more than a simple mistake is going on here?”

  “I think you’ve got legitimate questions.” Livvy’s frank gaze met Kate’s. “I have no idea where they’ll lead, but you need to ask them.”

  “Thanks, Liv. I’ll keep you posted.”

  “You’d better. If something dishonest did happen, that’ll be a bitter pill for folks to swallow.”

  Kate let out a short laugh. “Don’t talk about pills with me. I’m a little leery about that sort of thing right now.”

  Chapter Six

  Kate smiled from a front pew as Paul took the pulpit at Faith Briar Church the next morning. Behind the altar, a stained-glass window of an oak tree gleamed in the midmorning sunlight. The tall, enduring oak was a fitting symbol of the spirit of the people who made up Faith Briar. Kate had been honored to fashion the window to commemorate the resurrection of the church after a devastating fire destroyed it when she and Paul first arrived in town. Now her husband stood before the little flock to feed them with the Word of God, the lifeblood of every soul here, including her own.

  After the service, the lifeblood analogy came back to her when she spotted Renee and Joe out on the church lawn with their heads together, no doubt discussing the upcoming blood drive. The discussion appeared to be animated, judging from the flying hand gestures. They were also attracting an audience of churchgoers who drifted toward them. With those two, it was hard to say if this was a good thing.

  Someone took Kate’s elbow, and she looked around to see Paul smiling down at her.

>   “Ready for lunch at the Country Diner?” he asked.

  Arm in arm, they proceeded up the walk. As they approached the small knot of people around the blood-drive organizers, Joe’s voice rang out.

  “What do we need with all that froufrou nonsense? This is a blood drive, not a garden party.”

  “Joe Tucker,” Renee shrilled, “how can you not see the logic of making an uncomfortable event as comfortable as possible? We’ll draw more people that way.” Her head turned toward Kate and Paul. “Paul! Yoo-hoo! Come and talk some sense into this old goat.”

  Renee broke free of the crowd and planted herself in front of Paul, face bright and expectant. Joe stepped up beside her, arms folded across his lean chest, his angular chin jutting.

  “She thinks we need to decorate the school gym like it was prom night and take the sweaty smell out of the room with fresh flowers and all these little stinky things—”

  “Air fresheners, Joe.” Renee puffed up. “But I don’t suppose you’d know anything about those, because your house has never seen one.”

  Paul lifted his hands in a peace-keeping gesture. “Creating a pleasant environment sounds like a good thing.”

  “See?” Renee shot Joe a high-nosed look.

  “But,” Paul continued, “I’m sure you both want to focus on the point of a blood drive—to help others with a life-giving gift.”

  “That’s right,” Joe snapped. “People will come because it’s their civic duty. They won’t give a flyin’ hoot about what the gymnasium looks like or how it smells.”

  Eli Weston edged closer, wearing a shy smile behind his tortoiseshell glasses. “I wouldn’t mind things being nice around me when I come to have a needle stuck in my arm.”

  Millie Lovelace, the gruff church secretary, sniffed. “Me, I just want to get in and get out. When I gave at the Pine Ridge drive, I kept my eyes closed the whole time.”

  “Well, now,” drawled Sam Gorman, Faith Briar’s organist and choir director, “I kinda get Paul’s point. It doesn’t matter what motivates people to contribute to a blood drive, as long as they do.”