A Witness in Disguise (Sarah Woods Mystery Book 10) (5 page)

              Chapter 7

It was a pleasant and sunny d
ay for a drive through the backcountry roads leading to Holbrook, New Hampshire.  According to the website, the facility where George Hart lived was rated in the top ten in the country for brain injury patients requiring full time medical staff twenty-four seven.  When we pulled in, the impressive stone and glass structure reminded me more of a five star hotel than an assisted living home.  Gorgeous landscaping and an Olympic size swimming pool could be seen as we drove through the property.

Once we were parked, Carter said, “Why don’t you go in by yourself
.  I’ll stay out here and call Heather’s friends to confirm her alibi for April 3rd.  You okay with that?”

“Sure.” I grabb
ed my purse and headed to the building.

I entered the double glass doors leading into the lobby and approached the reception desk
.  The woman was friendly and asked me for personal identification when I inquired about visiting George Hart. 

“Are yo
u a family member?” she inquired.

“No,” I said
, thinking on my feet.  “But I’m a friend of his daughter, Meagan.”

I wasn’t sure if the woman believed my lie but she appeared to type my driver’s license information into her computer
.  After a long minute, she handed back my license and pointed down the hall.  “Take the elevators to the third floor and stay to the left.  Mr. Hart is room 258.”

When I got to George’s room, I knocked on the doo
r and waited for several moments with no answer.  I glanced up and down the hallway, searching for a nurse or staff member, but not a soul was in sight.  Another minute passed until, finally, I noticed a couple slowly making their way up the corridor toward me.  The man was in his sixties, dressed in baggy jeans and sweatshirt, shuffling slowly as if one leg was paralyzed.  He was holding the arm of the woman who assisted him, probably a nurse or therapist.  She was medium height, on the chunky side, with short auburn hair. 

As the couple approached
room 258, I realized that the man must be Meagan’s father. 

The
woman obviously worked there, she had a nametag that said Sue-Ann. 

“Hello, Ma’am,” she said
to me with a look of mild curiosity.  “Can I help you with something?”

“Yes,” I replied, gesturing to the man clinging to her arm
.  “I’m here to see Mr. George Hart.  I’m Sarah Woods.”

Sue-Ann
turned to her left and tenderly caressed George’s hand.  “Mr. Hart, it looks like you have a visitor.  Do you recognize this woman?” Her southern accent was thick as syrup - probably a transplant from Tennessee or Louisiana.  I appreciated the fact that she spoke to George with respect, like he wasn’t handicapped or stupid.  I immediately liked this woman.

When G
eorge didn’t respond, I got the sense that he hadn’t understood a word Sue-Ann just said to him.  His dreamy gaze was focused on the wall behind her.

Sue-Ann
turned back to me with an apologetic shrug.  “Would you mind giving us a few minutes? I’ll get Mr. Hart settled in his room and, once he’s comfortable, I’ll come get you.  Okay?”

“No problem,” I said
.  “Take your time.”

When Sue-Ann reappeared in the hallway, she approached me with a disheartened smile.  “May I have a word with you?”

“Of course,
” I said.

“
Forgive me for being so blunt but what is your business with Mr. Hart?”

I
swallowed hard.  “I’m assuming you know about his daughter Meagan.”

Her eyes widened
.  “Are you with the police?”

“
Not exactly.” I produced my P.I. license.  “But I’ve been hired to work on the case.”

Sue-Ann
held the license in her hand, staring at it for a long time, until she finally looked up.  Her eyes seemed unfocused as she handed back the license.  “Perhaps you don’t understand, Mr. Hart won’t be able to help you.  He hasn’t spoken a word since his accident last March.”

“
Yes, I know,” I said.  “Could you tell me what Mr. Hart’s condition is exactly?”

“He suffers from moderate traumatic brain injury with permanent cognitive and physical impairment,” she said
, as if I should understand any of that.  She must have seen my blank expression.  “In other words, he’s unable to communicate.”

I glanced around the corridor to make sure nobody else was around
.  “How long have you worked here?”

“Technically, I’m not an employee
.  I volunteer four days a week as part of my education.  I’m taking nursing courses and I need five hundred hours of hands on experience.”

“Oh, then maybe
there’s another nurse or doctor I can talk to?”

Sue-Ann
seemed slightly hurt.  “We’re understaffed here, so getting a doctor or even a nurse to sit down and talk with you will be difficult unless you’re family of the patient.”

“Right,” I said, deciding to change my tactic
.  This Sue-Ann seemed like a straight shooter and she certainly seemed to feel comfortable with George.  “Look, I need your help.  Could you tell me who’s been here to visit Mr. Hart? Friends, family, maybe an old girlfriend?”

Sue-Ann appeared to think it over as she pushed her reading glasses up on the bridge of her nose
.  “There have only been two people I’ve seen come to visit him in the past few months since I’ve been here.  His neighbor Verna comes once a week and another woman who claims to be a friend.  Her name is Maria.”

“
What is Maria’s last name?”

“I think
it is Lopez, but I’m not sure.  She comes here about once a week, usually on Wednesdays or Thursdays.  She always brings Mr. Hart the most wonderful muffins and pastries.  Too bad he doesn’t have any interest in them.” She playfully tapped her upper thigh and it jiggled.  “I end up eating most of them.”

I chuckled at the woman’s candid self-deprecating humor
.  “You wouldn’t happen to have her number, would you?”

“No, but the next time she’s here, I could pass along your number.”

“Actually, it might be better if you’d call me when she comes back for a visit.  I’d like to speak to her in person.”

Sue-Ann shrugged
.  “Sure, I guess I could do that.” She adjusted her glasses again and made a tight expression.  “Pardon me for asking, but have there been any leads in Mr. Hart’s daughter’s disappearance? I haven’t read anything in the papers recently.”

“That’s because there’s nothing new to talk about
.  Meagan’s ex-boyfriend is the one who hired us to beef up the investigation.”

“Ex-boyfriend? Why?”

“He says he’s still in love with her, holding out hope that she’s still alive.  After three months, however, the chances aren’t very promising in that regard.”

Sue-Ann nodded with a woeful expression.

I was thinking I should leave so Sue-Ann could get back to work but then I had a change of heart.  “Since I’m here, would you mind if I spoke with Mr. Hart? I’d like to show him a picture of Meagan, just to see if anything registers with him.”

She seemed a little reluctant at first
, but then she nodded.  “Okay, but if he becomes agitated, you will have to leave.  Okay?”

“Of course.”

Sue-Ann escorted me into room 258 where George was propped against a plush sofa with pillows on either side of him for support.  The T.V. was on but he paid no mind to the show.  Instead, he seemed to be contemplating the blank wall on the far side of the room.

Sue-Ann
pulled up a chair for me and for herself.  Apparently, she had no intention of leaving us alone.  I didn’t mind.  In fact, it was comforting knowing she’d be there in case George had a negative reaction to my presence.  Last thing I wanted to do was upset this poor man.

I held the photo of Meagan a few feet away from his face
.  When his eyes wandered and landed on the photo, nothing in his expression changed.  His eyes still had that glazed over quality to them.

In a soft voice I asked, “Mr
. Hart, this is your daughter, Meagan.”

He didn’t respond
.  Not even rapid blinking to signify he understood me.  Not that I’d expected him to, but I felt disheartened nonetheless.  Because it was obvious to me that George didn’t recognize this beautiful blue-eyed blonde girl to be his own daughter. 

I looked at
Sue-Ann and she offered me a sad smile.  What could she say? Nothing, apparently. 

I knew this encounter was a fruitless effort, and I didn’t want to waste anyone’s time, so I returned the photo to my purse
.  “May I speak to you again outside for a moment?” I asked Sue-Anne.

She nodded and got to her feet but not before tucking in the blanket on George’s lap
. 

When
Sue-Anne joined me out in the hallway, I handed her my business card.  “Next time someone shows up to visit Mr. Hart, please call me, any time of the day.  I only live twenty minutes from here.”

Sue-Ann
nodded as she slipped the card into her pocket.  “Sure.  I’ll do that.  ”

“Thank you,” I told her
.  “You’ve been a big help.” I was about to walk away when something occurred to me.  I reached into my bag and showed her the photo of Graham Taylor.  “I know this is a long shot but does this person look familiar to you? His name is Graham Taylor.”

She looked at it for a long time
.  “No, who is he?”

“Not important,” I said
.  “He was reported missing around the same time as Meagan.  The two incidents are probably not related.”

             
Chapter 8

When I returned to the parking lot, I recounted to Carter verbatim my conversation with Sue-Ann
.  “She has my number and she seems willing to help us.”

“Nice work,” Carter said
.  “I’ve been busy calling Heather’s friends and I’ve spoken to three out of the four.  All three confirmed that Heather was partying with them on the evening of April 3
rd
. 

“Okay,” I said
.  “But they could be lying for her.”

“I suppose, but I didn’t get the sense that they were
.  Anyway, still have one more to confirm, so we’ll see what she has to say.”

At the sound of my grumbling stomach, I suggested that we grab a quick lunch, thrilled that my hangover had fully dissipated
. 

We headed back toward Bridgeport and stopped at a deli on route 101 for sandwiches
.  While we ate them on a picnic table, Carter kept staring at me, a pensive look on his face.

“Is something on your mind?” I asked.

“Maybe.”

I looked straight into his eyes and couldn’t help but laugh quietly
.  “So, do you want to share?”

“I was just thinking about the first time I ever laid eyes on you
.  Do you remember that day?”

“How could I forget
?  I accused you of being involved in the murder of Max’s sister, Beth.”

It was Carter’s turn to laugh
.  “Yep, I remember thinking how beautiful you were, even angry.  Somehow I knew you’d make a great P.I.  and you know how I love to prove myself right.”

“I’ve done a lot of things in the p
ast year that I never imagined I could do.  It’s all your fault,” I teased.

“Well, you may not
have decades of experience but that doesn’t make you any less a detective.  You have a way with people, Sarah.  They trust you.  It’s one of the most important assets to have in this business.”

“Well, thanks,” I said, feeling a little flushed by his praise
.  “But you still need to teach me how to use a gun.  I think it’s time I graduated from using pepper spray, don’t you think?”

“I’ll be happy to take you to the shooting range,” he said with a twinkle in his eye
.  “I have a pistol in my collection that will be a perfect fit for you.”

I sensed there might be
a sexual connotation to his remark but I pretended not to pick up on it.  It was probably just my over-active imagination.  I deftly changed the subject.  “So, where are we off to now?”

“
Dr. Amos, the dentist Meagan worked for.”

* * *

The
office was located in a business condo unit on the first floor,
Pediatric Dentistry, Lyle T.  Amos, DMD
.  Upon entering the reception area, we noticed the waiting room was filled with toys, children’s books and a large screen TV mounted on the wall showing a Disney movie. 

Several kids were on the floor playing, as their parents zoned into their cell phones
or watched the Disney movie on the flat screen TV. 

Carter told the young receptionist who we were and that we’d like to speak to Dr
. Amos about Meagan Hart.  I showed her my P.I.  license and she examined it with great interest.  She showed us to a room near the back with a round table and chairs, probably the lunch/break room for employees. 

“I’ll let Dr
. Amos know you’re here.  It might take a few minutes.  Would you like some coffee or tea while you wait?”

Both Carter and I kindly declined, and the receptionist left us alone.

A few minutes later a young man, who appeared to be in his early twenties, waltzed into the room wearing a white lab coat with cartoon animals all over it.  He had a fair complexion with blonde hair that was practically white.  I figured he had to be one of the dental hygienists, although I had never met a guy dental hygienist before.  To my surprise, however, he introduced himself at Dr. Amos.

When he saw the expression on our faces, he laughed
.  “I get that same reaction from everyone,” he said.  “You can’t imagine how many times I’ve been called Doogie Howser.”

“When did you become a dentist?” I asked
.  “When you were ten years old?”

He didn’t seem the slightest bit offended
.  “I’m not that young.  I’ll be thirty-two next month.”

After Carter and I introduced ourselves, Dr
. Amos took a seat at the table and donned a more serious expression of concern.  “So, I understand you want to talk about Meagan Hart.  Have there been any new developments?”

Carter
shook his head and said, “Unfortunately not, which is why a friend of Meagan’s hired us.”

“I understand,” Dr
. Amos said.  “What can I do to help?”

“First of all, do you know if Meagan had any patients that might have been infatuated with her?”

“The detective asked me that same question last November and I’ll tell you what I told him.  Meagan never complained to me about anyone but it wasn’t in her nature to complain anyway.  She seemed to like her job and had a good rapport with all of her patients.  The other hygienists loved her, too.”

“Are you married, Dr
. Amos?” Carter asked.

He seemed a little taken aback by the question
.  “Yes.  Why do you ask?”

“Well,
I’m just wondering if you fancied Meagan?”

“Well,” he cleared his throat and smiled nervously
.  “First of all, I’m happily married and, second, I was not interested in Meagan … in that way.”

Carter made an apologetic expression
.  “Sorry to ask another uncomfortable question, but where were you on the night April 3
rd
?”

“Home with my wife and her parents
.  They were visiting from Detroit, staying with us for a week.”

“The in-laws for a whole week?” Carter teased
.  “I bet that was fun.”

Dr
. Amos laughed good-naturedly.  “They’re not so bad.”

Carter got back to business
.  “So, was Meagan friendly with the other hygienists here?”

“Sure
.  Beverly and Meagan were pretty close.”

“Is Beverly
working today?”

“Yes
.” He glanced at his watch.  “I’ll send her in as soon as she finishes up with her patient.”

“Thank you,” Carter said
.  “We appreciate your help.”

“Certainly.” Dr
. Amos rose to his feet and shook Carter’s hand and then mine. 

Within a few minutes, a very thin, elderly woman doddered into the room, wearing pink scrubs with baby bunnies on them.  She had to be in her late sixties, her spine curved into a question mark.  Her hair was like dandelion fluff, dyed a tangerine color and her skin resembled crepe paper. 

“Hello, I’m Bever
ly,” she said in a hollow voice that cracked.  “You wanted to talk to me about Meagan?”

I couldn’t believe this woman was still a dental hygienist, when she clearly should have been enjoying her retirement
.  I guessed the hump on her back was the result of decades of hunching over, cleaning people’s teeth.

After Carter
introduced us, Beverly took a seat and peered at us through sparkling blue eyes.  Although she might have been up there in the age department, I could tell she had her wits about her.  Those cool, blue eyes seemed sharp.

“I’m glad somebody is still trying to find out what happened to Meagan,” she said
.  “I still can’t sleep at night, I worry so much about her.  She’s like the daughter I never had.”

Carter nodded in understanding
.  “The police haven’t given up but, without any leads, things have come to a complete stop.  I know you spoke with a detective a few months ago but we’re still trying to find out if Meagan was having problems with anyone before her disappearance.  Anything you can think of would help us.”

Beverly exhaled and shook her head, the weary expression turning to frustration
.  “If Meagan was having problems with someone, she didn’t share that with me.  She was always so positive, even when things got ugly with Mark.  She never complained - even though she had every right to.  That boy was unrelenting.”

“What do you mean by that?” Carter asked
.  “My understanding was that she and Mark had an amicable break-up.”

“Well, by ugly I don’t mean he was abusive towards her but
, he was definitely on her case.  He’d call her every day, begging her to come back.  He clearly hadn’t respected her wishes.  Of course, I told her not to take his calls but she just didn’t know how to put her foot down.  I’m sure she was still in love with him.”

“Yes,” Carter replied
.  “Mark is the one who hired us to keep looking for her.”

Beverly’s eyes brightened
.  “Really? Well, at least he’s loyal to her, I’ll give him that.”

“Did Meagan start dating other guys after Mark?”

She narrowed her eyes in thought.  “No, not that Meagan talked about.”

“Did Meagan ever mention a guy named Cliff Collins? He’s a lawyer in town
.  She went to him for a consultation about getting a restraining order.  Did she ever mention anything about that to you?”

Beverly shook her head
.  “No and the name doesn’t sound familiar.  Why, is he important?”

“Apparently on the night Meagan disappeared,
she had invited him back to her house to watch a movie.  When he showed up an hour later, Meagan was nowhere to be found and there were clear signs a struggle had taken place.  He called 911 and stayed until the police showed up.  Mr. Collins claims that he’d only met Meagan that day.”

“That’s funny,” Beverly said with a wistful look
.  “I always joked to Meagan that she should find herself a wealthy doctor or lawyer to date.  After dealing with Mark’s money troubles, she deserved a guy who didn’t suck her dry, emotionally and financially.  Sounds like she had taken my advice.”

Carter rubbed his chin anxiously
. I knew the next question he was about to ask would sting and potentially backfire.  “Beverly, I hate to ask this, but do you think Dr. Amos had a thing for Meagan?”

To Carter’s relief, and mine, Beverly only chuckled at the insinuation
.  “Not a chance.  Dr. Amos is a big flirt but not just with Meagan.  Heck, he flirts with me and I’m older than dirt.”

Carter coughed nervously
.  “Well, you’re certain that he and Meagan never had a fling.”

“As certain as the arthritis in my bones, Dr
. Amos is a respectable man.  Meagan never mentioned anything to me about getting a restraining order: if she had considered it, then it certainly had nothing to do with anyone at work.”

The receptionist poked her head into the room
.  “Beverly, your next patient is here.”

“Thanks, hun
.  Be right there.” Beverly reluctantly got to her feet, which seemed to take some effort.  She looked straight into Carter’s eyes.  “Please call me anytime, if you want to talk about Meagan some more.  I’ll do anything to help you find her.”

Carter nodded
.  “We appreciate that, ma’am.”

It was almost 4:00 by the time we left the dentist’s office. 

“What do you think?” Carter asked me
.  “Is Dr. Amos a viable suspect, just because he tends to flirt with his employees from time to time? I don’t think so.”

“I think Beverly would have sensed something going on with them
.  She seems like an observant lady.”

When we got back to the Buick, Carter punched some numbers into the GPS.

“Where are we heading now?” I asked.

“I’d like to talk to Graham Taylor’s sister
.”

“Why?” I asked
.  “His name hasn’t come up at all.”

“I know
.  I just want to cover our bases.  She lives at the trailer park and it’s a quick ride from here.  What’ya say?”

“Fine with me, but I think we’re wasting our time.”