One Hundred and fifty seven

CHAPTER 157

Nicholas parked his car with other cars in the hospital parking lot. Golden Hospital was one of the famous hospitals in New York City. It had two different buildings. Where one building consisted of ten floors. This hospital was the place where Wilson Blake was treated, but it was a different building from the one that Nicholas was currently in.

In his hurried pace, Nicholas still had time to check his cell phone from inside his long pants pocket. There were no incoming messages from Alicia, even though he was waiting for her. But Nicholas tried to push away the bad thoughts about Alicia and chose to focus on his current work. He passed through the crowded corridors of the hospital. On the first and second floors, Nicholas would find outpatients, while the floors above, were used to treat patients who had to stay overnight or undergo hospitalization. It was a well-equipped hospital and they contributed to the government, giving the hospital credibility.

Golden Hospital was one of the assets owned by Wilson Blake. And Nicholas knew that the old man's wealth had a very high value in the next few years. The stock value would continue to rise, and this could lead to other problems.

"Excuse me, I'm Nicholas," Nicholas said, then showed his ID card as Chief of the NYPD. He smiled at one of the forensic lab officers he had never met before, and said, "Can I see Dr. Harris?"

"Sure. I'll call him for you," the woman said, and she went inside the lab.

After a long wait, the Dr. Harris that Nicholas was looking for was finally found.

Dr. Harris greeted Nicholas casually, they walked out of the lab door and sat on the metal waiting chair at the corner of the corridor. People were passing by, but neither of them was distracted at all. Especially Nicholas, was very focused on what he wanted there.

"Did you do the autopsy?"

"I did."

"So, what was the result?"

"Cyanide." Dr. Harris sighed softly, seemingly unnerved by his discovery there. This was not the first time poison had been found in a human body, but Dr. Harris still felt angry at anyone who killed another person just for personal gain. "There was potassium cyanide in her stomach. That proves that the poison entered her body shortly before she died. The time of death was probably about ten minutes after the cyanide filled her stomach. And looking at the bruises on her body, we know that the seawater had made her body look worse than it was. Her face had been eaten by the fish, so it was partially destroyed. But looking at the situation, she doesn't have any other wounds or injuries on her body."

"So, you're saying... there was no attempt at violence? Resistance? A fight?"

"No, no. Her body was clean, I mean... there were no injuries from recent wounds. She died of organ failure due to poison. There was caffeine mixed in, it must have been put in her coffee or tea with a plan. But that's just my guess, you know better, Detective. Um, I mean, Chief. I forgot you have a new title now."

The joke was intended by Dr. Harris to make the atmosphere more relaxed than before. But Nicholas just laughed softly. He patted his thighs, then made a confident face. "What about the stone placed on his stomach?"

"We checked her abdomen and there was a small injury there, meaning that the stone was indeed placed when the perpetrator wanted to drown her. It was placed well, there was no violence or injury from the stones that were tied there. The rope marks are still on the victim's body and it is consistent with our suspicion that the stone was placed on her stomach after she died."

Nicholas pursed his lips. He remembered something, so he quickly said it. "We examined the crime scene, but didn't find the drink he used to mix the cyanide. Is it possible that the cyanide was mixed into ordinary mineral water that is transparent in color?"

"I don't think it makes sense, cyanide will make a change in color and smell. A person would know immediately that he was poisoned with cyanide," Dr. Harris explained. His face was calm, but his words were serious. He seemed to be frowning, recalling everything he saw and found in the autopsy room this morning. "Unless... you knew you were going to be poisoned, but chose to remain silent and drink the poison."

The words of the doctor who had worked at Golden Hospital for several years might have sounded like jokes, but Nicholas took them seriously. Nicholas began to imagine the chronology of how Jill was eventually found dead there. What if... Jill was discharged from the rehabilitation center, then she went to the cliff house to meet her daughter whom she had escaped from the hospital and at the cliff house, Ace killed her, or forced her to commit suicide with her daughter.

"I heard that Jill owed someone a favor."

"Was it a debt of life, that Jill had to repay it with her life and the life of her daughter?" Dr. Harris' words sounded sarcastic. He then stood up, and tapped Nicholas lightly on the shoulder. "I hear you want a good funeral for Jill's daughter. Are you going to take care of it out of sympathy?"

"Yes, I will take care of all the paperwork today and give her the best funeral possible. I'll bring Jill's body as well. She must really want to sleep with her father in close quarters. I have no intention of separating them."

Dr. Harris smiled, then put both hands into the pockets of his medical coat. "That is a noble thing, Nicholas. I will help you with the paperwork you need."

"Thank you very much, Dr. Harris."

Nicholas stood up, he smoothed his coat after he sat down and gave a small smile to the doctor before him.

"It must be tiring taking care of all these bad people. Take care of yourself, you should rest too."