The Imposter (Alexandra Destephano Book 2) Read online

  Alex could see the flush of anger under his tanned skin. I bet he's been on his sail boat over at Gulf Shores. He looks really good.

  Alex refocused and felt herself shudder as she remembered Angie's injuries. The psychotic activity she'd seen in the Pavilion freaked her out and gave her chills. As she glanced at Monique, she could tell she was fighting with herself about revealing any possible suspects among her patients.

  "Let's just hope she doesn't remember everything." Robert interrupted. "Let's be sure she wakes up first. That is still an if.”

  "Yeah, really. Do you think she will, Robert? What's the prognosis?"

  "It's guarded, Alex. There are clear concerns based on the blood loss and head trauma. We are hopeful, though," Robert added, remembering that he had just said this earlier.

  Alex felt depressed. "Let's hope she wakes up soon. The sooner, the better."

  Robert and Monique nodded in agreement.

  Jack looked annoyed. He obviously felt left out of the conversation. "Does anyone want to hear about my theory?"

  "Absolutely. We all do," Alex answered for all of them.

  "O.K., it's about time. I am pretty done with the medical talk. I guess I'll have to tell you what I know, although it's just a theory at this point." Jack noted and appreciated the attentiveness of the group. He continued, "Monique, two of your patients in the Pavilion are possible suspects …." He was immediately silenced by the look on Monique's face. She was enraged.

  "Jack, how could you suspect two of my patients when you haven't even talked to me? That's outlandish speculation on your part!" Monique's voice was cutting and derisive.

  Alex had never heard Monique speak in that tone of voice.

  "Now, Monique," Jack chided her, "I told you. This is purely speculation on my part. You asked and I'm only telling you what I think. Besides, do you think I need you to develop a theory on what happened during a crime."

  Monique looked contrite, but Alex knew she was still seething. In fact, Monique was irked.

  Jack nodded and continued, "Nothing's official. Do you want to hear, or do you want to change the subject?" Jack looked at her darkly, his voice impatient.

  Monique looked apologetic. "I'm sorry. You're right. I guess I spend so much time defending my patients and fighting for them that my response was purely instinct. Go ahead …." Her face was flushed with either anger or embarrassment.

  Alex couldn't tell for sure.

  "Okay. Remember, it's a theory, not a reality. I talked to one of the psych techs who told me it'd been reported on the 7:00 AM shift that the side stairwell door had been left open during the night. Consequently, it's plausible to think that …."

  "What? The door was open! That's impossible! The whole building is secured at 11 o'clock at night by CCMC security. Besides, that door is attached to a fire alarm so if anyone had exited through it, the alarm would've gone off. It's inconceivable that …." Monique was even more angry now.

  Robert and Alex caught each other's eye. Robert was looking strained, his deep-set brown eyes displaying his anxiety.

  Commander Françoise threw up his hands. "Okay, that's it! No more," he said to Monique in a loud voice. "Change the subject."

  There was a heavy silence. Finally a waiter came over to offer after-dinner drinks. They all ordered Irish coffee. They needed something to fortify themselves against the uncomfortable silence. Monique excused herself to go to the ladies room, and Alex immediately began to explain Monique's position to Jack, who waved her justification aside.

  His voice was impatient. "Stop it, Alex. I don't need to hear this. Monique and I have to talk about this sooner or later -- either officially or unofficially. She has to open herself up to reason, for God's sake! Angie was brutally raped. The SOB may as well have killed her. She'll carry scars, inside and out, for the rest of her life ... if she lives or wakes up ... and, dammit, I'm gonna catch the pervert that did it! I don't give a flying shit if it is one of her patients or the President!" Jack stopped for a moment, as if to contemplate his next thoughts. He shook his head and continued in a calm voice, "Besides, we've got to learn to communicate about unpleasant things, don't we?" Françoise was so disgusted that he pushed away from the table and went outside to smoke.

  Robert and Alex looked at each other across the table. He said gently, "You know, he is right, Al. They've got to talk sooner or later. It's all part of building a relationship."

  Alex knew Robert was projecting their own trouble in communicating with the difficulty Jack and Monique were having. She sighed and said, "I know, Robert. I just wished we had gotten through dinner and we hadn't started in with this stuff. The day's been emotional enough."

  Robert touched her hand and said, "Monique will be okay. You can bet she's pulling herself together right this minute, and she'll be back to continue this. She's not one to let feelings of any sort hang around. Tricks of her trade, I guess. Do you think we should stay or leave?"

  Monique interrupted him from behind.

  She was cool and collected, but Alex could detect the fake gaiety.

  "You'll stay, of course! You're right, Robert. I'm gonna get this thing sorted out now, once and for all. Where's Jack?" Monique looked around.

  "Outside smoking, I guess," Robert said as he gestured with his finger out the window.

  Monique looked impatient. "He's trying hard to quit. He has taken your advice to heart and cut down."

  "Good, he'd better. He's got ten times more reasons to live now that he has you. Now, go get the big guy and tell him to get his tail back in here so we can get this over with. I'm paying the bill," Robert said as he motioned for the waiter.

  Monique started to protest, but Robert waved her protests away and demanded again that she get the Commander.

  Alex smiled. Robert really was good with people. Maybe I will learn to love him again, she thought. I guess anything's possible. Maybe once I work through the hurt of losing Mitch, I'll be able to love Robert like I loved him once. The idea seemed settling to her. She continued to think positively as she said, "Good job, Bonnet. I've never seen you push both a shrink and a policeman around in less than five minutes. I'm proud of you!"

  Robert looked at her with a smile on his face and said, "Not just a policeman, Alex. A Police Commander." He grinned. "Seriously, these people are like family to me. Even though I have a big family here in town, Monique, you, and Jack are my best friends."

  "How are your parents, Robert?" Alex was fond of the elder Bonnet's, one of the first families of New Orleans. The Bonnet's were of Creole extraction and had lived in the Crescent City since it was settled. His mother was a gracious lady who had kept in contact with Alex even after the couple had divorced. In fact, Elisha Bonnet was one of the main reasons Alex had decided to accept the legal counsel position at CCMC. In many respects, the two women were soul mates. Alex had done exactly what Elisha had always wanted to do. She had moved away from the traditional bounds of matrimony into a profession. Elisha had never been brave enough to do so and had lived a very traditional life.

  Robert’s family lived in the family mansion on St. Charles Street in the garden district, where they lead an active social life. The older Bonnet's were young for their 60+ years and were very wealthy. They had extensive property holdings in the French Quarter and on the riverfront. They also owned several of the finest hotels in New Orleans.

  Alex had lunch with Elisha often and knew the elder Mrs. Bonnet hoped, although she would never say it, that Alex and Robert would reunite. It was ironic. Her grandmother, Kathryn Rosseau Lee of Virginia, had also encouraged Alex to reconsider reconciliation with Robert. Alex had great respect and love for her maternal grandmother and Robert's mother, but she knew the choice was hers and hers alone. Alex had been raised by her grandparents, Congressman Adam Patrick Lee and Kathryn Rosseau Lee, on their farm in Virginia. For all intents and purposes, Kathryn was Alex's mother.

  Robert responded to her question. "My folks are fine. Dad said he hadn't seen yo
u lately. They want us to come for dinner on Sunday. What do you think?"

  "Sure, Robert. I love your parents. I'd love to come," she said, as she looked across the dining room and saw Jack and Monique. "Uh oh, here they come. Let's hope all goes well."

  Jack and Monique were laughing and holding hands as they returned to the table. Patrons at nearby tables eyed the couple curiously.

  Alex figured that several of the diners recognized either Jack or Monique.

  After profuse apologies from the two lovers, all of which Alex and Robert waved aside impatiently, Monique said, "I've assured Jack … actually, I've given him my ironclad word, that I won't interrupt him or misbehave in any way until he is finished with his theory."

  The Commander looked at Monique sideways. "Does that mean you're gonna misbehave when I'm done? If so…."

  "No, no. I promise!" Monique was so emphatic that the entire group laughed.

  "This, this, I've got to see," Robert said. “Monique could never stay quiet, you know that Jack! She was always in trouble when we were little. I'm holding her to her word!" Robert was serious, but his eyes were laughing. "Go on, Jack. Do your thing."

  Françoise took a deep breath and continued, "Supposing the door was left unlocked. It's highly possible that a patient could have easily escaped from the Pavilion and committed the crime. Nadine and I reviewed three medical records and two of them stuck out conspicuously. The records of Jim McMurdie and Anthony Gavette are the most suggestive. Their medical histories both report psychoses and dangerous behavior. Anthony even has a rap sheet with a number of arrests for A & B. He's been arrested several times for malicious assaults on strangers. The shrinks think he was psychotic when he committed the acts."

  "Yes," Monique agreed. "Anthony is schizophrenic. He has delusions and paranoia. He's even talked in group about having sexual fantasies involving several of the staff. I believe, I'm not absolutely sure, but I think he was arrested in Alabama for attempted rape. Was that in the chart, Jack?"

  "Nope, but we will run a check with Alabama and Florida. Is Anthony prone to violence on the unit?"

  Monique laughed. "Why don't you ask Alex? Anthony put on quite a show for her today! Tell them, Alex."

  Alex didn't think Anthony's behavior was quite as humorous as Monique did, but she smiled to be agreeable and replied, "I'd say he got pretty violent this afternoon with another patient named Rose. She was just talking. Then she started crying, and he went after her in a rage."

  "Why? What precipitated the attack?" Robert asked.

  Alex looked to Monique for guidance, but she didn't offer any. "I don't know for sure. I had interrupted the community meeting. The group was trying to decide if I could stay and finally agreed that I could, except for Anthony. He wasn't too keen on it. Then, Monique was having them express their feelings about what happened to Angela. Rose was talking about her feelings when Anthony got mad, called her a slut, and went after her. Fortunately, the staff acted quickly and no one was hurt." Alex finished breathlessly, her heart racing a little at the memory.

  Françoise was intrigued and asked, "What else did Anthony say? Anything specific to Angie?"

  Alex was trying to remember. "He did say that Angie came to work for a paycheck and that she was afraid of the patients. That's about it. Do you remember anything else pertinent, Monique?"

  Monique shook her head, while Robert remained silent.

  Jack was rethinking the scenario. "Well," he finally said, "Anthony knew that she was afraid of him. It also sounds like he dislikes women in general from what he said to Rose, especially the bit about her being a slut. What do you all think?"

  Monique responded quickly. "Short of giving you a long dissertation in psychobabble, it's possible that Anthony was transferring his feelings about Angie to Rose. It's hard to say, Jack. Anthony's paranoid. None of this is conclusive." Monique's voice was skeptical.

  Jack looked irritated. "Of course, it's inconclusive. It's a theory. These are just possibilities, what ifs and wherefores, so to speak. What is conclusive is a DNA match on the hair follicles and other evidence pulled from the crime scene. I'll check on our boy with Alabama tomorrow. You never know." Jack was trying hard to be neutral.

  Alex broached the next question. "What about Jim, Jack? Do you know he's former NOPD? I think he's on disability of some type now."

  Jack heaved a heavy sigh. "I know Jim McMurdie well. Good cop, good guy. I rode with him when he was a rookie. He was a good man, an outstanding police officer. I'll never understand why he flipped. What about him, Monique? Do you think he could fit into this?"

  Monique was clearly annoyed at Jack. She responded in an irritated voice, "Jim McMurdie is a good man. He's still a good guy. He's just sick. I haven't finished working him up yet. He's been on the unit for about three days and I've made a tentative diagnosis."

  "Why was he admitted?" Robert asked.

  Monique continued, "Mrs. McMurdie, Lynette, called me several years ago and told me that she thought Jim was having some psychotic episodes. Since Lynette's a registered nurse who worked at CCMC before their first child was born, I gave her telephone call credibility."

  "I remember Lynette McMurdie. Didn't she teach critical care nursing over at LSU?" Robert asked as he searched his memory. "From what I can remember, she was a real knockout! A beautiful girl."

  Monique said, "I don't know. She may have taught over there. I only remember her from the E.D. She and Jim met in the CCMC emergency department. But, you're right, Robert. She's gorgeous. Tall, fair skinned, with long, curly dark hair that she usually wears down. Anyway, …."

  Robert nodded his head. "Yeah. That's her!"

  Monique continued, "Lynette and I had lunch shortly after her phone call and she told me that Jim, out of the blue, started accusing her of having extramarital affairs. She said she was becoming a little frightened of him because he had become so irrational. She told me that the week before she called me, Jim had run outside their house and threatened a stranger who was out walking his dog. He apparently swore at the stranger, accused him of having an affair with his wife, and threatened to kill him if he ever saw him within eyesight of his house again!"

  Alex was wide-eyed. "Humph. Wow, that's pretty intimidating. Bet that man never walked his dog that way again," she quipped, trying to lighten the mood. It didn't work. She paused for a moment, then asked, "What did Lynette do?"

  "Well, she tried to reason with him later. Her four-year-old had witnessed the scene and had been frightened by it. Lynette said that when she mentioned it to Jim later, he denied it ever happened. She believed he had no recollection of the event."

  "Damn. How long ago was this?" Jack asked.

  "It was several years ago. Anyway, I asked Lynette if Jim had been under any unusual stress or pressure and she …."

  Jack jumped up from the table and exclaimed. "Damn, that's just about the time Jim was assaulted and beaten in the Quarter. From what I can remember, he was on foot patrol when he and his partner were jumped from behind by a gang of druggies, cop haters so they said. Anyway, Jim and his partner were badly beaten. They were hospitalized for quite a spell."

  Monique looked at Jack and marveled at his ability to remember things, from the biggest things in his life to the tiniest details of a crime committed 20 years earlier. "You're exactly right, Jack. Jim was hospitalized for about two weeks with a head injury. He recovered nicely in the hospital. However, about three months after the beating, he experienced a sudden onset of dizziness, headaches, vomiting, ataxia, and left-sided weakness. He came to the CCMC emergency department for a workup."

  Robert was absorbed, his medical mind working. "It sounds like he was having a stroke secondary to the beating. This is sounding like a very sad story," Robert said, lamenting over the Jim McMurdie story.

  "Yes," Monique said, "It is a very sad case. On neurological exam, there was evidence of left dysmetria and decreased sensation to touch on the left side. Jim had no history of hypertension or any othe
r risk factors for stroke. His head CT scan revealed a left cerebella hemorrhage with massive effect. He had edema present near the fourth ventricle. He also had some mild atrophy of …."

  Jack interrupted in an irate voice. "Yo. Wait a damn minute! Don't forget I'm here. Talk my language!" Françoise was once again furious because he couldn't understand the medical jargon. "Talk to me, not above me!"

  Alex intervened, "Basically, Jack, Jim had a stroke. It also sounds like parts of his brain weren't working based on the atrophy of .…"

  "What in the devil is atrophy?" the Commander barked at them. "Dammit, talk to me, too. I'm sitting here. You medical people are a pain in the …." Jack stared darkly into his Irish coffee, irritated that his friends were talking above him. He hated that worse than anything.

  Monique smiled and patted his hand. "Sorry, Jack. Atrophy just means parts of his brain hadn't been used lately. You know the old saying that if you don't use it, you lose it? Anyway, the jealous accusations of extramarital affairs started after his injury."

  Robert was intrigued. "This is fascinating, Monique. Do you think that his head injury caused his psychosis?" Robert leaned forward eagerly in anticipation of Monique's answer.

  "I think it's possible. There is research to support the premise and .…"

  Françoise interrupted rudely. "I don't think it's fascinating. I think it's generally shitty. A policeman gets injured in the line of duty, has a stroke, and goes wacko. What the hell is fascinating about that. I don't admire the science of it. I just see the loss of a good, honest cop. Sorry." Françoise's voice was bitter as he continued to stare darkly into his Irish coffee.

  Robert looked apologetic. "Sorry, Jack, I just ....”

  Françoise interrupted, "Save it for the medical books Bonnet, I am not interested.”

  There was an uncomfortable silence. Alex surveyed her nails and made a mental note to call for a manicure tomorrow.