Four Square Ch. 02

"This is a supplemental report from Martha the M.E." Geiger said. "She said the Crime Lab was able to isolate the particular barbiturates used in the injection that killed Mr. Fitch. It's a compounding used mostly by the military. Their combat medics use it, as do military hospitals. It is not often found in civilian hospitals, as it's cheaper and not as high quality as what civilian hospitals buy."

"Are you telling me that our military gets lower-grade medications than the civilian world?" Teresa said angrily.

"Oh, no doubt." said Chief Moynahan. "Just try going to a military dentist versus a civilian one. The novocaine the military uses is either very poor in quality, or they dilute the hell out of it. I literally came out of my chair once while I was in an Army dentist chair getting a cavity filled."

I nodded vigorously in agreement, then said "Pertaining to this case, what I'm hearing is that the drugs used would be much more available to military personnel than civilian personnel. So who on the Hospice staff either is or was in the military?"

"No one, sir." said Theo after looking at his notes and papers. "Most of the nurses and staff are straight out of school."

"Sir," added Jerome Davis, "medical people coming out of the military tend to find military-related civilian positions, such as the V.A. or other places that cater mostly to veterans. Valley Villages's hospital hires only people with past military medical experience; they seem to relate to the veteran patients better. Those not in V.A. Hospitals get jobs in larger hospitals, leaving very little for facilities like the Boddiker Hospice."

"That would not surpriiizzzze me." said Chief Moynahan. "But it does raise a question about who could access those specific drugs... Commander?... Commander?"

"He's gone, sir." said Teresa. "Reverie Land."

It was a minute before I came out of it, and when I did, I both felt and saw lots of eyes upon me. "Uh, sorry, sir." I said to the Chief. "Something just crossed my mind."

"Crossed it, hell." said the Chief. "It took your mind and went running like somebody left the gate open. So, as you so often say... don't keep us in sus-pennnnse."

"These drugs..." I said. "Military... Federal Government. Trent and Quint possibly involved with the Dr. Christian murder and LCDR Waring's murder... what if the Fitch murder is somehow related to those?"

To be continued.