The Third Degree by Peter Nelson

Author:Peter Nelson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 2023-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 12

“There,” Mollie said, pointing toward the Lost Camp Nursing Home from the back of Johnny’s motorcycle. “We’ll call the sheriff from inside.”

Johnny had been right about the gunshots. One of them had whistled past Mollie’s ear just as Johnny pulled her down into the creek. Keeping low, they’d made there way back to shore and then hurried back to Johnny’s bike.

Now they were zooming toward the first pay phone they could find.

Mollie hopped off the motorcycle as soon as Johnny pulled into a spot. Without waiting for him, she ran toward the front door. Johnny was right behind as the electronic door whooshed open.

“Oh, God! What is that?” Johnny grimaced, holding his ears as he looked at the ceiling.

“Muzak.” Mollie cocked her head. “The Thousand Strings doing ‘Yellow Submarine,’ by the Beatles.”

“Man. You know the strangest things,” Johnny said, following Mollie down the hall. As they headed toward the pay phone by the drinking fountain, they spotted Roberta coming toward them. She was wearing a white lab coat.

“You got the job, I see,” Mollie said.

“Sure did,” Roberta replied. “What’s wrong?”

Mollie explained about the fishing rod and the pit bulls, and the gunshots. “The sheriff has got to act now. Besides, Jaime has been missing for more than forty-eight hours,” she said, dialing the sheriff’s number.

“I don’t like the sound of this at all,” Roberta said anxiously.

When the sheriff’s department answered, Mollie asked to talk to Sheriff Ruiz. She was put on hold, and then a familiar, nasal voice came on the line. It was Sykes. Mollie explained the situation. She was surprised when Deputy Sykes agreed to take a drive up to the canyon to look around. “I wouldn’t be too concerned about the gunshots, miss,” he assured her. “Folks is always shooting at coyotes and varmints.”

“Well, someone mistook me for a varmint!” Mollie shouted into the phone. “I could have been killed.”

“You was trespassing, miss,” Sykes reminded her.

“Is that a capital crime now?” Mollie asked. “I didn’t know you could be executed on sight for that. If you don’t act on this, I’m calling the county police. And then I’m calling the county supervisor, maybe even the governor and—”

“I’m leaving right now,” Sykes said. “Just calm down.”

Mollie was red-faced as she hung up the phone.

“The governor?” Johnny said, smiling.

“I will, too.” Mollie spit out the words. “I’m about out of patience.”

“Speaking of patients,” said Roberta. “I’ve discovered a few things about the patients here.”

Roberta led them to the front desk. Behind it was an office. “Mrs. Johnson is out for the rest of the day,” Roberta explained. “She’s the head nurse. The minute she left, I went right into her office and did some snooping.”

Roberta pulled a manila folder from a file drawer and opened it onto the desk. It was full of newspaper clippings. “All these clippings are about the home being investigated for overmedicating and using excessive restraints on the patients. That’s why they started using those bracelets Cesar was wearing.”

“No offense, Roberta,” Johnny said. “But this doesn’t really have anything to do with us.

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