Left to Lapse (An Adele Sharp Mystery—Book Seven) by Blake Pierce (a book to read .txt) 📕

Adele raised an eyebrow and he coughed again, pulling athis neck skin once more. “I mean…” he stammered, “there are so many others whowould be missing out.”

Adele shook her head. “Sorry, Mr. Granet. The train staysin the station until I say so. Good day.”

Then she turned and stepped off the lounging compartment,following John and gesturing for Officer Allard to fall into step

“Which hospital is the witness staying at?” Adele calledover her shoulder.

“The General Hospital Ille de France. It’s not far.”

Adele nodded but didn’t reply, thinking about the conductor.He had seemed mighty rushed to get moving, and hadn’t seemed particularlybothered by a passenger dying. This didn’t point to guilt, but it might pointto neglect. As for his desire to keep going, Adele couldn’t care less. Thatwasn’t her job. Neglect on either side would allow a guilty party to skate byunnoticed.

It was Adele’s job to make sure this didn’t happen. Firststep: interviewing the witness to the death itself.

CHAPTER SIX

Thehospital was surprisingly small, no more than two stories, looking more like aconverted paper supply company than a medical facility. John and Adele followedOfficer Allard into the first floor, through glass doors that didn’t slide somuch as reluctantly allow themselves to be pushed along a track.

Ayoung woman sat behind a low, dusty counter with peeling varnish stripsrevealing a plastic frame for what was pretending to be wood. The woman glancedup, peering through her glasses and adjusting a row of pens which she’d stackedneatly on the calendar in front of her. “Can I help you?” she asked, glancingback down at her pens and rolling a couple into somehow preferable positions.

“We’rehere to see Ms. Dubot,” replied Allard. “Is she okay to speak?” He spoke withactual concern in his voice.

Thewoman smiled as she seemed to recognize Allard, some of her focus shifting nowtoward the chipper policeman. “Oh, hello!” she said. “How are you?”

Allardleaned against the faux wooden counter, beaming as if he were talking to a long-lostsister. “Wonderful,” he said. “How are you doing today, Adrienne? I certainlyhope they’ve cut back your work hours.”

Hersmile notched up a bit more, as often happens when someone remembers your name.She began to reply, but John stepped in, cleared his throat, and said, “I don’tmean to intrude on this little reunion, but could we see Ms. Dubot?”

Adeleresisted the urge to roll her eyes at her partner. Allard glanced at John andquickly shook his head. “Reun—no, no, we only just met yesterday. But how aboutit, is Ms. Dubot up for some company?”

Thewoman behind the counter had a somewhat cooler gaze as she glanced at John. Butthen, instead of buzzing an intercom or calling for a nurse, she walked aroundthe counter and began to stroll down the small, simple hallway of the tinyhospital. “Come,” she said. “We’re understaffed so I’ll have to show you. Ifshe’s asleep, though, I’m not allowed to let anyone in.”

Adelewaved away the concern and broke into a quick stride next to the receptionist.They passed one room, which had an empty bed against a bare wall. Then reacheda second. The woman pushed open the door, a bit of flaking paint spinning tothe tiled ground, and then stepped into the hospital room.

Thisarea was cleaner than the first room had been and smelled faintly of cleaningsolution and sanitizers.

Aslight woman sat upright in a reclining bed, not quite wide enough for anyonebesides the small frame of the woman who Adele decided must be Ms. Dubot,seeing as she was the only one wearing a hospital gown in the room.

Thewoman’s eyes widened as the four figures all entered, and she seemed to startleall of a sudden. One frail hand darted up to her chest, but then fell just asquickly as she seemed to recognize the arrivals. “Hello,” she said quietly. “Youmust be the police.”

Adeleglance at the woman who’d led them here, waiting for a sign of approval, butshe didn’t receive so much as a nod, so she took the initiative to step furtherinto the room, saying, “Ms. Dubot, hello. We are with DGSI. Do you think you’dbe up to answering a couple of questions for us? If anything is too alarming,we can stop at any point you’d like.”

Thesmall woman had curling hair and porcelain features, with a slight red flush toher pale skin. The curls seemed natural and bobbed as her head tilted a bit,reclining against the three pillows she’d used to prop herself up.

“DoI have to?” she said. “It was all so horrible.”

Adelewinced in sympathy but drew nearer to the bed, holding a hand out behind her toindicate the others should remain back.

Shestood at a respectful distance, but came to a halt near the foot of the bed. “Ms.Dubot,” she said, “we don’t mean to take up much of your time. Would you beable to give me a brief recounting of what you saw, though? You don’t have todo anything you’d rather not, but it could certainly help if you did.”

Thewoman took a shuddering breath, her eyes still wide in their sockets, as ifstrained from the inside. She closed her mouth and swallowed, and then, with aquiet murmur, she said, “It was so awful… Her hand… it was cold. She grabbed me…”

Adelefrowned. “The victim grabbed you? Were you fighting?”

Theyoung woman shook her head adamantly, her curls shifting and bouncing acrossher pale face. “No, nothing like that. She wouldn’t even talk to me, in fact. Ileft, but forgot my purse. As I came back, I saw her sitting on the couch, butshe looked alert all of a sudden.”

“Andthen?”

“Iwent to get my purse…” Here Ms. Dubot started breathing heavily, staring offinto the distance over Adele’s shoulder as if she weren’t quite present in theroom. “One moment Ms. Mayfield was fine… The next…” A soft sob escaped Dubot’slips.

Johnand the others had stayed back by the door, following Adele’s quiet motionswith her hand to stay put. Now, though, Agent Renee broke from the pack andstalked further into the room. The tall agent’s shadow cast across the floor andhe paused, looking down at the young woman. “Did you