AllFreeNovel
Share Us
ALEXEI
The mystery that was Nora Walsh was slowly driving me mad. I didn’t understand why I was spending so much time thinking about one woman. I had a whole club of them at my disposal. Just one shouldn’t be able to get under my skin like this.
I paced up and down my office, going over the events of the day before.
“She’s a nurse?” I said it to myself in various tones, but it didn’t sound any more believable. “And if she’s a nurse, why didn’t the receptionist recognize her name? And what the fuck has she to do with JodiefuckingHunt?”
I decided that was the first place I should start. Picking up my cell phone, I called her.
“Mr. Levin!” Her voice was high and breathy, and I knew she was scared out of her mind.
“Jodie… how are you doing?”
“I-I… I’m fine.”
“Good. Now tell me everything you know about Nora Walsh,” I said with fake pleasantry.
“W-what?”
“You heard me,” I said coldly.
“Er, Nora Walsh? She’s just, uh-”
“Do notlie to me,” I growled warningly.
“No. Of course I wouldn’t. I was just saying that she’s a nurse, here at the hospital.”
“For how long?”
“What?”
“How long has she worked there?” I enunciated slowly and clearly, giving her no leeway to misunderstand me.
“Um, months I think. I’m not really sure.”
“So how do you know her?”
“We… we became friendly some time back, and we eat lunch together.”
“Did you know she was working for me?”
“Of course not. She didn’t tell me.”
That was the first thing she’d said that I knew was a hundred percent true.
“So why is she so hard up for money?”
“She is? I had no idea. I mean, the salaries here are shit, as I’m sure you know, and what with the cost of—”
“Yeah, yeah, alright.” I wasn’t in the mood to listen to a backhanded pitch for salary increases. Besides, it wasn’t in my purview to decide that. It was Jodie’s need for extra money that led her to working for me. I wasn’t exactly incentivized to lobby for an increase.
“And that’s all you know about her?” I pressed.
“I know she’s a good and loyal friend and very honest, sir. Whatever you think she’s doing, I can assure you, you’re wrong.”
“Hmph. I pay you for your services as a pathologist not an advisor, so kindly keep your opinions for someone who asked for them.” I hung up on that note, tapping the phone against my chin thoughtfully.
All I had really gleaned from that conversation was that Nora inspired loyalty in her friends. It was great for her, I guess, but not so much for me. I threw my phone on the desk and resumed my pacing, deep in thought.
