Homicide at the Hospital Read online

  Monte frowned. “Okay, I’ll be right there.” He turned back to Felicity and the others. “Can you wait on me for a minute?”

  “Sure thing,” Jefferson said, and so they waited out in the lobby.

  “So, who is Edgar?” Felicity asked.

  “Our supervisor,” Dawn said. “He’s…lovely.”

  Felicity and the others laughed. Autumn rolled her eyes. “I have to say, not having to work under Edgar Uldridge anymore is great.”

  “That bad, huh?” Jefferson asked, and Autumn stuck out her tongue.

  They didn’t have to wait too much longer before Monte came storming into the lobby. “Everything all right, baby?” Dawn asked.

  “Babe, I just got fired,” he said.

  “What!” Dawn jumped up, her eyes wide. “Are you serious?”

  “Someone told Edgar about me moonlighting as a deejay. They’re citing my unhappiness with my career and my moonlighting late at night, especially around alcohol, as a reason,” he said.

  “That’s not in line with our plan,” Dawn moaned. “You were going to keep working here for another year before you left to go deejay.”

  “I know,” he said. “They’re going to send me a severance check, but it’s not going to be much.”

  Dawn and Monte had both recently decided they were dissatisfied with their nursing careers. Monte’s love for music had drawn him into a deejaying business, but he was still new in the industry. Dawn was secretly studying and working toward a teaching degree. But with their wedding coming up and the expenses that came with a new marriage, they had both decided to stick with nursing while working toward those goals.

  From the pale look on Dawn’s face, Felicity could tell that this was going to be a big jab financially. They were paying for their own wedding, and as their wedding planner, Felicity knew it was rather extravagant. Dawn was paying for school, taking on a pretty serious workload there. And Monte was only deejaying once or twice a week—certainly nothing compared to the check he got from nursing.

  “What are we going to do?” Dawn asked.

  “We might have to reconsider the Bahamas,” Monte said, referring to their honeymoon trip coming up in less than a month. “We haven’t bought the plane tickets yet…”

  “That really sucks, you guys,” Jefferson said.

  Dawn looked devastated, but she perked up and smiled at Monte. “Hey, this just means you get to focus on your new career a hundred percent, right? That’s a good thing.”

  “I guess so,” he said. “And, you know what? Edgar is the one who made the call. He had this stupid smirk on his face when he told me I was fired. I think he got some sort of weird satisfaction from it.”

  “What a creep,” Jefferson said.

  “Not having to work for him anymore, I suppose, is the silver lining,” Monte said. “He is a creep.”

  “Monte, don’t start,” Dawn said, but Monte was still fuming.

  “No, for real. He is a creep, and you know it. Everyone knows he cheated on his ex-wife with a hooker,” he said, and Felicity had to bite her tongue from laughing at the audacity of the accusation.

  “Whoa, really?” Autumn asked.

  “Yeah, those are the recent rumors,” Dawn said. “And, Monte, hush. Wait to badmouth him until we leave the building. I still work here.”

  Monte crossed his arms. He looked fighting mad. “It’s not like I moonlight on nights when I’m working the next day. He just knew I was planning on leaving in a year or two, and he wanted to screw up our plans because he’s got a creepy crush on Dawn.”

  “That’s not true,” Dawn said. “He has a creepy crush on Veronica, not me.”

  “From what I recall, Edgar had a creepy crush on anything with boobs,” Autumn said and then laughed. “You can’t do anything about it now, Monte. Like Dawn said, this is probably a blessing in disguise. You’re not being held back by the nursing thing anymore. You can focus on your new career.”

  “Yeah, I guess,” he said and took a deep, calming breath. “Silver lining here, folks. I don’t get to work for Edgar, and I get to deejay more. That was the goal anyway, right?”

  “Right,” Dawn said. “Even if that means no Bahamas… We could drive up to Helen or something.”

  “The Hornsbys went to Helen for their honeymoon,” Felicity said. “They loved it.”

  “No Bahamas,” Dawn said and sighed. “I can live with that. Helen is…nice…carriage rides…German food…tubing down the Chattahoochee. We could stay in a cabin.”

  “Yeah,” Monte said.

  Felicity frowned. She felt horrible for Monte and Dawn. Dawn had been really excited about that trip to the Bahamas. They were getting married in two weeks. She decided she would find a few ways to give them some discounts on the wedding planning package; they still had two more checks due to her, so if she could cut them a break, she would.

  The five of them wound up just loading into the event van and heading into Newnan for lunch. Once the shock of Monte’s abrupt unemployment sunk in, he and Dawn both seemed in better spirits. It was a good thing, really. Sure, it had come unexpectedly, but they could make it work. At least Monte already had another job even if it was just twice a week—and even that could turn into more money if he could get bookings at higher end locations. And at least Dawn still had her job. She probably wouldn’t be able to take on a full load at school now in the upcoming semester, but Monte losing his job would not stop her from pushing forward there.

  “Hey,” Jefferson said at lunch, pulling everyone’s attention in his direction. “Let’s just pause for a second here and acknowledge something awesome. Our two friends are getting married in two weeks, guys! That’s something worth celebrating, right?”

  “Yeah!” Autumn cheered. “Forget about Edgar Uldridge. You two are getting married!”

  Dawn and Monte smiled at one another, and that made Felicity grin. She was very happy for her friends, but a part of her felt her stomach tighten. It was probably a hint of jealousy; she and Brian were supposed to be getting married in October, but he was gone now. She shook it off; it was getting easier to do that now. She was happy for Dawn and Monte. “We love you guys,” Felicity said. “I think I’m going to cry like a baby when I see Dawn walk down the aisle in that beautiful dress.”

  “I really want to see the dress,” Monte said.

  “No!” the three women exclaimed at once, and the group had a nice laugh over Monte.

  Chapter 3

  Felicity felt like she should have known that Dawn’s bachelorette party would be a little crazy considering that Veronica was the maid of honor. They had been enjoying an early evening at Dawn’s mother’s house, sipping on champagne in their little black dresses, when a large limo pulled up in the driveway.

  It was then that Veronica busted out the cheesy and oh-so-typical bachelorette party décor: a pink tiara for Dawn and sashes reading “Bride,” “Maid of Honor,” and “Bridesmaid.” Felicity laughed even though this was far from the type of partying she was into, because she was determined to enjoy her evening.

  The group of girls piled into the car: Dawn, Veronica, Autumn, Felicity, and finally Brittany. “Wait, where are we going?” Brittany moaned as everyone found their seat in the back of the limo.

  “Um, that’s a secret, honey,” Veronica teased.

  “But I can’t get into the Atlanta clubs,” Brittany said. “I’m twenty, remember?”

  “Yes, we know all about how our buddy Jack is a little cradle-robber,” Veronica said with a wave of her hand. “You can get in where we’re going, sweetie, no worries. I’ve thought of everything.”

  Brittany rolled her eyes. Jack was really not that much older than her, but it was enough of an age difference to make the two of them easy targets among the group of friends. Dawn leaned over and whispered to Felicity with a slight moan, “I told her I did not want to go to a club… I’m too old for that crap now.”

  Felicity laughed. “I honestly have no idea where we’re going. Veronic
a texted us a bunch of weird questions, though, so I’m curious about what she has in store.” She reached down and rubbed her ankle a bit. She had been off her crutches for a few days and the swelling was completely gone, but heels had not been her best decision.

  “Drinks!” Veronica practically wailed as she opened up a secret apartment, revealing to everyone a hidden compartment with various types of alcohol. The sun was just setting outside of the limo, so Felicity was almost one hundred percent certain Veronica was having the limo driver take them to a club up in Atlanta—the suspicion becoming even more likely when the driver turned up the highway.

  “Okay, ladies,” Dawn said. “While I have all of you in this confined space, I wanted to give everyone the final lineup for the procession.”

  “Ooh, which of those hotties has Monte chosen as his best man?” Veronica squealed and then extended her right arm. “Got to make sure I’ve got some eye-candy latched around me here.”

  “She says that, but her date is Agent Ryan,” Brittany said. “And…he…is…hot!”

  “It took you guys a long time to sort out the procession,” Autumn said. “So, who am I stuck with?”

  “Okay, so Monte decided to make his brother Theo his best man, so obviously he’s escorting Veronica,” Dawn began. “Then we’ll have Autumn and Monte’s cousin Nathaniel.”

  “Awesome,” Autumn said.

  “Nick’s going to be jealous,” Veronica said. “Nathaniel is an Abercrombie and Fitch model!”

  “He’s not going to be shirtless, Veronica,” Dawn said and rolled her eyes. “Anyway, Felicity will be next with Jefferson, and then Brittany gets to have her boyfriend walk her down.”

  Felicity blushed. Jefferson? She gave Dawn a look, and she started to wonder if everyone in their group of friends were shipping them or something, as though their life was some sort of daytime drama. She chose not to say anything. At least with Jefferson, she didn’t have to worry about awkwardly making small talk with someone she barely knew during the bridal party dance. Oh wow, she thought for a moment, imagine if they had wanted Jack to walk me down… That would have been way worse! Jack was her ex, after all. Jefferson was her roommate, so it shouldn’t be awkward. Right?

  “So, where are we going, Veronica?” Dawn asked.

  “Not yet, my lips are sealed until we get closer,” Veronica teased. “You ladies are going to have to find something else to talk about. Just…don’t get too tipsy on the way there, okay?”

  What is she up to, Felicity wondered. Veronica had asked for nearly $100 from each of them for this big surprise, so she was hoping it was something better than her renting out a VIP room at a club. “So, how are things with you and Nick?” Felicity asked, turning to Autumn.

  “Really great, actually,” she said. “His physical therapy is going well too, and that is keeping him in good spirits.”

  “You’re a better person than me,” Veronica admitted. “I would have had a hard time dating a guy in his situation. I mean, it would be one thing if you were already dating him when all that went down and you decided to stay, but you have a heart of gold, so you know.”

  Nick, Autumn’s boyfriend who had recently moved in with her, had been shot in the neck—a plot Brittany’s sister had been involved in. Autumn had gotten to know Nick really well while he was at the hospital, and the two of them had started dating. Brittany was actually a replacement bridesmaid; she had been close with Dawn and Veronica when she was a kid, but her crazy sister Whitney had originally been bridesmaid number four before she had conspired to murder Nick, her husband at the time.

  “You know, you are dating an FBI agent, Veronica,” Autumn said. “You never know what might happen while he’s on the job. Are you—”

  Veronica held up her hand. “Believe me, I’ve thought about that. It’s nerve-wracking, but he’s a good man. I really think I might actually see a future with him.”

  “Oh my gosh, what!” Dawn cried. “Did Veronica just say something about commitment, or have I had too much champagne?”

  “Shut up,” Veronica griped. She looked in Felicity’s direction. “Speaking of Ryan, Felicity, have you considered his offer any?”

  “To train at the FBI academy…” Felicity mumbled, still hardly able to believe she had been honored with such an offer. “I don’t know. I mean, it’s a lot to think about. I’d be gone for a long time. It would be a whole career change. I would have to leave Georgia, and quite possibly on a permanent basis. It would involve relocating, and…well, things are going so well with my shop. Yet, after everything that’s happened this year, it’s tempting to want to dip out and start over.”

  “We’d miss you,” Brittany said. “But, I would definitely consider it. It’s a pretty big opportunity.”

  “Maybe,” Felicity grumbled slightly. “So, Dawn, any pre-wedding jitters?” Felicity asked, eager to draw the conversation back on the bride-to-be.

  “Not really,” she said. “And, as far as I know, Monte hasn’t had any freak-outs yet. Although, there is one thing…” She rolled her eyes and took a swig of her champagne. “Edgar sent in an RSVP. He is coming.”

  “Edgar?” Veronica asked. “As in supervisor Edgar who fired Monte?”

  “That Edgar,” Dawn grumbled. “I can’t believe he thinks he would still be invited after that. Turns out, this was one hundred percent his decision. Apparently, he had asked to fire Monte like a month ago and got turned down, but he kept at it. He was really ticked about Monte doing the deejay thing on the weekends, and he knew Monte didn’t plan to the be at the hospital too much longer.”

  “You know the real reason, don’t you?” Veronica asked.

  “What? Please, enlighten me,” Dawn hissed.

  “Because Edgar has a creepy crush on you, and he’s going to be free to flirt all he wants without your husband-to-be walking around the hospital,” Veronica said, and Dawn shivered.

  “Creepy,” Autumn said under her breath. “Is what Monte said true about him hiring a prostitute?”

  “I don’t know,” Dawn said. “Could be. There were a lot of weird rumors circling around him a while back after his divorce finalized.”

  “Ahem!” Veronica interrupted, then excitedly grabbed and shook Dawn’s shoulders. “Ladies! We have arrived!”

  They all exited the limo, eager to see what party-girl Veronica had come up with for the bachelorette party. Felicity was expecting to step out into the parking lot of a club—it was Veronica, after all—but instead, she found herself staring at a strange, round building not too far from downtown Atlanta. “What is this?” Felicity asked.

  Dawn evidently knew. She squealed, practically screamed, and gave Veronica a big hug. “Oh my gosh, this is going to be so fun!” Dawn yelped. “Veronica, we are so not dressed for this.”

  “Sweetie, I’ve got us covered,” Veronica said with a wink. “And, we got the place booked out just for us.”

  “What is this place?” Brittany asked, a bit louder than Felicity had.

  “Indoor skydiving!” Dawn exclaimed. “I’ve been wanting to come check this place out for months!”

  Felicity’s stomach started doing flips. Indoor skydiving? What did that even entail? Frankly, all she heard was skydiving, and she was not so sure she was the daredevil type. Nevertheless, it was for Dawn, and she seemed really excited. And, honestly, Felicity was just relieved she was not about to spend her evening in a club. Plus, now she could ditch the heels that were already killing her. She was certain they were not going to let them skydive in high heels and dresses.

  The next thing Felicity knew, they were inside and Veronica was handing each of them a pair of pink shorts and white shirts with a glittered Bridesmaid emblem. They took some pictures together and then sat in on a safety course. By then, Felicity’s heart was pounding. However, the video of this indoor skydiving that the instructor showed calmed her down quite a bit. They were just going to be in a large, round room with a giant fan underneath that would blow them upward. Okay, so no
getting in a helicopter or anything…thank goodness, Felicity thought.

  All of the ladies entered into this large round room with the instructor dressed in bright orange jumpsuits, goggles, and ear plugs. The outer wall of the room was cushioned, and there was cushioned ring around the fan where they all stood. Thankfully, there was a net between themselves and the fan, so Felicity was feeling more and more confident. Once the fan started up, Felicity couldn’t hear a thing apart from an occasional excited shout.

  The instructor took Dawn up first, and they all watched from the ground as she zipped up eight feet in the air and spun in a circle. There was a big grin on her face. I had no idea Dawn was such an adrenaline junkie, Felicity thought. She felt herself inching away from the instructor as he brought Dawn in for a landing. She tumbled and landed on her back against the cushioned wall as they had learned in the safety course.

  Felicity suddenly felt the instructor grab her wrists; she was next, and her heart was pounding. She went up, her arms and legs outstretched, and she watched her friends wave at her from below. Much to her surprise, she enjoyed it and let out an excited shout. They spun, went up and down, and the instructor even let her do a flip before shoving her to the side. She fell gracefully, landing as instructed in the safety video.

  Suddenly, the fan stopped after the emergency light went off. It grew quiet in the room after a minute. “What the heck?” the instructor shouted up toward the camera where a safety grew was watching them.

  The door to the room opened, and one of the other instructors popped his head in. “Um…there is a cop on the phone looking for the bride,” he said. “And he sounds pretty freaked.”

  “I swear,” Dawn roared, pointing a finger in Veronica’s direction. “If this is some sort of bachelorette party joke—”

  “I have nothing to do with this!”

  They exited the room and followed the instructor who had interrupted their fun back into the lobby. Dawn answered the phone, and they all stood by watching and waiting. “Jack!” Dawn exclaimed. “I swear, you and Monte and the guys better not be playing a joke on me tonight… I’m sorry?” Dawn’s face suddenly grew pale. “That’s not funny, Jack…” she said. “Oh…God, you’re serious, aren’t you?” Dawn started to shake. “Okay, we’re headed back… No, I’m not going to enjoy myself tonight and forget about it until later! We will be there soon!” She hung up the phone and looked to her friends.