Decisions, Quincy Moore [reading tree .txt] 📗

time before someone would bluff him or herself into the building and break the protection zone.
“Did you arrive from the back of the hospital?” he asked me.
“Yes, I did”, I replied.
“Good, lets get out of here! Someone will have seen you and you are a big story for them to get their hands on!”
“What do you mean?”, I asked naively.
“It is full of reporters out there Elissa and we have to get away. The police is planning a press conference later today, but right now, we have to get you out! Follow me!” he commanded.

I followed him out of the office and passed the Nursing Station. It was still busy and again, voices died down when I walked by.
“If anyone needs to get hold of me they can call me at the station!”, Milton told the guy in Charge. This time I was able to read his badge and it named him as Paul Wesley, Sr Charge Nurse. Paul just nodded and watched us walk away.
I followed Milton through the corridor towards the lifts.
“Is there a fire escape route here?” he asked as we waited for one of three available lifts to arrive.
“Yes, there is, around the back of the east corridor”, I replied.
“Will it take us to the back entrance of the hospital?”
“Yes, it will and it goes all the way to the basement where the car park is.”
“Show me”, he said and this time he followed me. I led him towards the east corridor. Just before the entrance to the ward situated on this wing, a door with a fire exit sign showed us the way to the stairwell. It was a different stairwell from the one I used the night before, that one was the main stairwell, accessible to staff and visitors if they did not want to use the lifts – or were tired of waiting for them to arrive - which happened regularly.
The fire escape stairs were small compared to the main stairwell. They were also just made of plain concrete and not lined with linoleum like the main stairs were. Milton took the lead again and it felt as if he was running down the stairs. His long muscular legs were able to take two steps at the time. I only just managed to keep up with him. When we reached the basement he stopped and he gestured to me to be quiet and not say a word. He looked through the safety glass of the fire door leading to the car park and once making sure there was no press present, he guided me to a silver BMW.
“Get in quickly and keep yourself hidden until I say so”, he whispered.
“I can get home in my own car!” I suddenly said, demonstrating my need not to rely on others – yes, I like my independence- as it had never occurred to me that the plan was that Milton was going to take me home.
“Elissa, get in! I will get someone to take your car home. You have no idea what it will be like once the press will see you drive off! They will be onto you like a tonne of bricks and neither I or the officers outside of the Hospital will be able to help you if you use your own car!”
“Shit!” he muttered between his teeth. “Elissa, get in NOW! They've spotted us already!
As I turned around I saw a small group of people with camera's and microphones, come out of the hospital's back entrance giving access to the car park and I forgot what I had intended to do and got into Milton's car.
It is unfortunate that, although the car park has its entrance around the back of the hospital, the only way to get there is still via the road that also leads to the front and main entrance of the hospital. Something the press had of course caught onto as soon as they saw Milton's car speed past them. Perhaps they had also been tipped off by the reporters that had almost caught us at the back in the car park. From everywhere they suddenly turned towards the BMW and cameras flashed and voices yelled from every direction: “DCI Milton! DCI Milton, can you give us any comments about the case?”
“Can you confirm if there has been a murder?”
“Do you have any suspects yet? What is the name of the nurse who found the old lady? Is she involved in any way?”
Milton revved his engine and quickly scooted passed the reporters as several uniformed police officers helped to clear the way. I kept myself down and out of sight by squeezing in the space between the front and back seat. I even held my breath for a while, just out of sheer fright. I had of course seen scenes like these on TV or in movies, but to be actually a part of this myself was a pretty scary experience. Even when Milton indicated that it was safe for me to come out of hiding, I was very weary and constantly on edge, expecting reporters to suddenly turn up at every corner. It wasn't until we had covered quite a distance without any visible signs of us being followed that I started to relax.
“Do you know a good lawyer?” I asked Milton.
He briefly took his eyes from the road and the traffic ahead of him and glanced at me for a few seconds before focusing his attention back to his driving.
“Yes, Elissa”, I do.
“But first, let me drive you home!”

Milton drove me home and made sure that I entered my flat safely. Initially I did not completely understand his concerns, but he explained that it was likely only a matter of time before my name would be known to the press and I could expect a similar frenzy as we had encountered at the hospital, on my own doorstep. It was not a prospect I looked forward to. I offered Milton I would make us some coffee and he gladly accepted. I took off my coat on my way towards the living room and encountered Naomi and Kai. “Mummy!” Kai shouted out happily.
“Hello my sweetie!” I responded and picked him up from the floor and gave him the biggest cuddle I had.
“Did you miss me my darling?”
“No!” replied my son, but from the way the corners of his mouths tried to hide his smile and the way his eyes twinkled naughtily, I knew he was just joking with me.
“No?”, I asked him. “Is that really true?”, and I started to tickle him. He started giggling and after I questioned him again and again if he had not missed me, he eventually gave in with a big chuckle and gave me a big cuddle. “Of course I missed you Mummy!”
It was a little game we always played. Oh how I loved him! I put Kai down and said: “This is a Policeman Kai, I am helping him with something that happened at Mummy's work”.
“Hello Kai”, said Milton as he bent down and shook my little guy's hand.
“Why don't you have a uniform?”, asked Kai inquisitively.
“I am a special policeman”, replied Milton.
“Like a spy?” asked Kai.
I raised my eyebrows and looked surprised at my little boy.
“Yes, a little bit like a spy”, replied Milton with a smile, he was a little surprised by the slight oriental looking little boy. He wondered if Elissa's former husband was perhaps Japanese or maybe they had adopted.
That man should smile more often, I thought, being aware of how attractive it made the stern detective look. I also introduced him to Naomi, explaining she was my child minder.
“Sweetie, would you mind playing with Naomi for just a little while. I need to talk to the policeman for a moment. Alright?”
“OK, Mummy!”
“Thanks Naomi” I said to the young woman who took my son to his bedroom.
I made my way to my open plan kitchen and prepared the coffee machine with freshly ground coffee, took two mugs from the cupboard and waited for the coffee to run through. Milton was making a phone call on his mobile. I poured the coffee as he finished his call. “Do you take milk or sugar?”, I asked him.
“Just black will do, thank you!” he answered.
I handed him one of the mugs with the hot coffee, asked him to take a seat and he sat down on my sofa. I sat in my favorite chair and sighed deeply before taking a sip from the freshly brewed coffee. God, I needed that, I thought.
“I got you a name for a lawyer Elissa!” Milton broke the silence. “His name is George Waters. He is a good guy. I just spoke to him on my phone. I will give you his contact details”.
“Thank you DCI Milton”, I said.
“Call me Joe”, Milton replied.


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Publication Date: 01-16-2011

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