AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Gregson grew very quiet. When she spoke, it was in a low, angry tone. “Are you accusing a nurse of killing a patient? Because if you are, you’d better be very, very sure.”
“Becoming very, very sure is what we’re trying to do, ma’am,” Kit said, understanding the woman’s ire. No one wanted to believe that a colleague was capable of murder, particularly a medical professional. “We’d really like to be upfront with you, but there are things we can’t share until we are very sure. And right now, we’re trying to figure things out. We’d appreciate your help.”
“All right,” the woman said, her warning clear. “What do you want to know?”
“Did Nurse Beaton attend to the resident in your facility who was robbed of his brooch?” Kit asked.
Another moment of quiet. “I don’t remember, and that’s the truth, Detective. I’d have to go back into his patient files. Can you give me a few minutes to check?”
“Of course. I’ll wait.”
“When she comes back ask her if she had an address for Roxanne,” Connor said softly. “We can follow up and see if she gave fake addresses everywhere she worked, or just here.”
“I will.”
Kit muted the phone, just in case Miss Gregson hadn’t put them on hold and was listening to their conversation. “Does Roxanne even have a real nursing license?”
“I’ll check.” Connor googled the state licensing board, showing Kit his phone screen before stepping out of the car to make the call.
Kit reviewed the rest of the retirement facilities on Roxanne’s résumé while she waited for Nora Gregson to come back on the line. Roxanne had been a traveling nurse for more than fifteen years, working in twenty-nine facilities during that time. Kit had identified only six thefts so far from the police reports. There had to have been more.
They were going to have to call all twenty-nine retirement facilities. Kit had started an email to Navarro asking for a support person when Connor got back into the car.
“Roxanne’s legit,” he said. “She got her nursing degree from the University of Tennessee, just like her résumé says. Her continuing education credits are up-to-date. The interesting thing is that they also have a Roxie Moynahan, an Anna Dupree, and a Rocki Davidson. All under the same license number.”
Kit blinked and took another gulp of coffee because that wasn’t computing. “Didn’t they realize that four people were claiming the same license?”
“They’re all Roxanne. Apparently, she’s been married a number of times.” He tilted his head, his expression meaningful. “I had our clerk run a quick check. All four husbands have died. Roxanne was widowed, every time. Poor Roxanne,” he added sarcastically. “How unlucky she is.”
Kit caught his drift and nearly choked on her coffee. “She’s a black widow? Marrying the men and killing them? For money?”
“I don’t know that, but we’re going to find out. We also need to find out if any of her husbands were patients in the retirement homes where she worked. For now, we know that Beaton is her given surname.”
Kit’s mind was spinning. “Our background check didn’t bring this up.”
“We ran a criminal check. Prior marriages slip through, sometimes.”
“Fucking hell,” Kit muttered. “She’s worked in twenty-nine places as Roxanne Beaton. How many others has she worked at under the other names?”
“Fifty-three in total over fifteen years.”
“Oh my God. Fifty-three?” Kit revised her request to Navarro with the new details, requesting two support people to help them make calls instead of only one. She sent the email and regarded Connor grimly. “We definitely need to find out if she inherited money from those deceased husbands. They are all husbands, yes? No wives?”
“No wives.”
Kit drained her coffee and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I thought we were finally on top of this case and the sand just shifted. Again.”
“We’ll roll with it,” Connor said. “We always do.”
Gregson came back on the line. “Detectives?”
Kit unmuted the phone. “We’re still here.”
“She did attend to Mr. Brighton. She was his favorite nurse. She spent a great deal of time in his apartment.”
“So she would have had access to the brooch that was stolen,” Kit said.
Gregson sighed. “Yes. Look, you didn’t ask for more, but I asked one of Roxanne’s colleagues from that time if she’d be willing to talk to you and she said yes. She’s here with me now. Would you like to speak with her?”
