Allen unlocked the door to Wallace Henedy’s office two days after the man’s arrest. Rafe had volunteered him for this unpleasant task after Allen made the mistake of stopping by the other man’s office that morning. Now, he was stuck with one of his least favorite TSP detectives.
Not a good start to his day, by any means.
“No one’s been in here?” Detective Callum asked.
Allen shook his head. He’d already told the man that—twice. “We had Vince change the locks immediately after everything that happened. The only ones with the keys are Vince and Rafe. I had to get one today from Rafe to let you in.”
Callum nodded. “How’s the nurse who was shot?”
“Holding on.” She was fighting. Her progress had been cautiously upgraded about two that morning. Her stats were stable, and everything looked good. Allen had checked her charts carefully himself.
“Her uncle is a friend of mine. And colleague. This was senseless. The TSP is taking it personally.”
Senseless. “Personally is a good word for it. I think we’d all like to know why he did it.”
The Snotty Garlic tabloid had somehow gotten ahold of the security tapes of what had happened. Both inside W4HAV and in the hall. The clips were playing online in an almost continuous loop on all the local sites.
Allen had watched them over and over. He hadn’t been able to look away for the longest time.
There had been a madness on Henedy’s face as he’d shoved Izzie at Allen.
Madness Allen would never forget. He’d seen it again in his nightmares last night. Nightmares where the story had a different ending. For Izzie and Nikkie Jean.
Allen had had to look away when Henedy had attacked Nikkie Jean on the video each and every time. Allen hadn’t been able to stop himself from playing it again and again. Just hoping for why.
Henedy had slammed Nikkie Jean into the damned wall. As small as she was.
It was a miracle Nikkie Jean had survived relatively unscathed. She had visible bruises. Allen had checked on her himself after his shift the day before, stopping by the ranch she was now sharing with Caine.
Watching the bullets strike Izzie was something Allen would never forget. He hadn’t needed to rewatch that video to see those images again and again.
Nikkie Jean had been singing before Henedy had come in. Izzie…Izzie had been laughing and pirouetting across the lobby floor.
Then Wallace Henedy had walked in.
Izzie had been caught between Henedy and his true target.
Izzie’s expression in that next moment was seared into his brain, his nightmares. It probably always would be.
The way her body had jerked. The terror and confusion on her beautiful pixie face. The blank look on Henedy’s face as he’d done it. The terror on Nikkie Jean’s sweet face as she’d realized what was happening.
He shook off the memories again as Callum asked how Henedy had been acting in the days before the attack.
“Quiet, stuck to himself. He usually did. He’d returned after the storm. We were giving him space since his nephew had been killed. He was a part of the department, but not well-liked. Never made close connections.”
“We’ve confirmed his nephew was stalking Dr. Coulter. You know anything about that?”
Allen paused in putting a stack of notebooks into a bag for the detective. He sat the bag at his feet then looked at Callum. “Fin was being stalked?”
Callum nodded. “The security guard, Henedy’s nephew, had been stalking her for weeks. You haven’t noticed anything around here? Nothing strange going on this time either?”
Callum suspected Allen in what Logan and Banks and Jess had been involved in. There was always a look of distrust in the man’s eyes whenever their paths would cross.
“No. Fin didn’t mention anything, either. My path rarely crossed Ray’s. Dr. Henedy spoke highly of his nephew and his son, Reggie. His entire family.”
“We’re interviewing Henedy’s son and wife, too.”
They started cataloging the contents of Henedy’s desk together. It was all so random. Things similar to what Allen had in his own office. Although there were a good dozen journals. He flipped through one. Patient notes. Things Henedy had learned from certain surgeries. Rambled notes that no doubt only fully made sense to Henedy. “I’ll want a copy of the list of everything taken out of this office as well. Duplicates.”
Callum’s mouth twisted and a taunting expression hit the man’s hazel eyes. “What’s the matter? Don’t trust me?”
“Well, the TSP has a reputation for corruption going back a century and a half, after all.” He’d seen the modern-day corruption first-hand himself. What had happened had destroyed his sister in more ways than Allen had ever been able to fix. “Just covering the hospital’s bases. I’m sure you understand. Wouldn’t want anything to be misplaced on my watch.”
“Noted.”
“His wife and son will want his personal belongings.” Maybe. He’d heard from Nikkie Jean that Henedy’s wife of thirty-something years had asked for a divorce the day the shooting had happened. Combined with the loss of his nephew, it had sent him over the edge. That was what the media was reporting.
No one knew why Wallace had shot Izzie. He’d taken one look at her and fired. It seemed so random. There were theories ranging from demon possession—the Snotty Garlic was responsible for that one—to the idea that Izzie and Nikkie Jean were Wallace Henedy’s illegitimate daughters. Again, the Garlic.
Some enterprising tabloid reporter had found baby photos of both Izzie and Nikkie Jean and was claiming they resembled Henedy’s only son. Drama. Nothing but drama and gossip. Allen bit back the anger.
Someone needed to buy that damned rag and shut it down completely.
He toyed with the idea for a quick moment. He might just do it. Put Logan’s legacy to some good, at least.
“We’re getting forensic accountants to go over the entire department’s billing practices. At every hospital where Henedy has practiced. You ever have any concerns?”
“He wasn’t the greatest surgeon, but he was better than many I’ve seen come through the department. I didn’t hire him. Dr. Daniels did years before I signed on here. Wallace had worked here at least fourteen or fifteen years. I never had cause to fire him, though there were several instances that I questioned his judgment with patients. Nothing ever crossed the line. I know Rafe reported him to the medical board twice within the last year.” He wished he had. He wished he’d gotten rid of Henedy years ago when he’d first taken over the surgical department.
Then none of this would have happened. That he hadn’t was all on him.
Izzie wouldn’t be fighting for every minute of life, for every breath she took. Allen should have realized something was going on with Henedy. Guilt settled against his shoulders once again. “I hope you find the answers.”
“We will. And if anyone else is involved, that will come out, too.”
“I want answers, for Nikkie Jean and Izzie. They deserve that. You sure you’re the best man to find them?” Allen wanted to say so much more, but he bit his tongue. Callum might be an abrasive asshole, but Allen had more important things to deal with now.
“I’ve got it handled.”
The people Henedy had hurt deserved answers. If putting up with Callum brought those answers, Allen would suffer the experience. He sent Callum off with two small boxes of Henedy’s personal belongings.
They’d found a different set of journals. Horribly misspelled and chronicling Henedy’s daily life for the past forty years, with a few notes about his patients and his family. There was a surprising amount of journals.
Not exactly something Allen would ever want to read, but maybe it would give the TSP the answers they needed. Answers Nikkie Jean and Izzie deserved.