Episode 9: Who Wrote the Book of Love?

Previously:

Noelle’s homecoming was less than joyous.

Maria was denied access into the hospital’s computer system.

Patrick scouted around Notre Dame d’Orleans.




At least Blaine and Suzanne didn’t have to worry about having to do dishes that morning. The excursion to Toronto took less time than they’d thought.  Blaine drove, while Suzanne slept the whole way.

Paige met them at the studio’s front door, exchanged pleasantries with both Carrolls, and then whisked them away to their dressing area.  Suzanne made sure the precious family recipes were well protected, while Blaine objected to having some unknown flunkie smearing greasepaint on his face.

“Your face won’t look so washed out under the lights,” the assistant told him. “Trust me.  I do this for Ms. Gilbert every morning, and you should see how great she looks.”

Blaine wanted to say something, but the words just wouldn’t come out.

“Three minutes,”  Paige squawked over an intercom.

“There’s something about her…I could have sworn I’ve met her somewhere before.” 

*****
Noelle sat in a small, undisturbed corner of her parents’ house, telling Detectives Jarrett and Gauthier her version of what happened on Parliament Hill.

“He grabbed my necklace, said something about Madonna…”

“I know about Madonna,”  Elise Jarrett said.  “What happened next?”

“I remember being knocked down.”

“How did that happen?”

“He…he threw my necklace down and stepped on it. I’m not sure.”

  Noelle produced the broken cross from her purse.  She looked at it for a minute before she started to cry.  
 
“Then he shoved me.  I closed my eyes.  I think I went to sleep.  When I woke up, I was at the hospital and I saw Ryan and Dr. Escalante.  I was supposed to work that evening.”

“Can you remember how you got to the hospital?”  Rene Gauthier asked.

“I’m sorry.  I can’t.” 

She then wiped a tear from her eye and set the broken cross onto a small corner table.  Rene then produced a plastic bag from his pocket.

“We’d like to take your cross as evidence,” Elise told her.   “We’ll return it to you when we finish our investigation.”

Noelle nodded quietly as she dropped the crucifix into the plastic evidence bag. Rene nodded back as he sealed it.

*****
Maria sipped her coffee as she looked over her patient records and notes from the morning rounds.  No job’s over until the paperwork’s done, she thought.  Or rather, the computer work. 

Once again she turned her computer screen toward her.  She typed her access code.  Infernal machines.  One day they work and the next they don’t.  Maybe the computer gurus will show some mercy.

WELCOME TO THE CPR (COMPLETE PATIENT RECORD) SYSTEM AT UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL.

“Finally!”  Maria declared, not caring who, or what, was around. “Fourth time has to be the charm!”

A few more taps and she’d have what she needed.

She nodded, printed the record out and walked out the door to the department fax machine.  Ryan was about to bump into her.

“MacPherson, I thought you didn’t have a shift until Tuesday.  Aren’t you going back to Claypool to visit your family?”

“I came here to catch up on some reading and start work on my paper.”

“Have you talked to Noelle Armand since she went home?”

Ryan nodded.  “Last night. She said she was meeting with the detectives today.”

Maria shoved the printout into Ryan’s hand.  “Good.  Take this and fax it over to their office.”

******

    Louisa was glad for the peace and quiet at the Vineyards this morning.  The last guest had checked out yesterday evening, and Seth would come over later in the afternoon to help her with the record keeping.   She welcomed the chance to curl up in the inn’s small library with a cup of coffee and the morning edition of the Claypool Chronicle.
   
    As she looked around the airy room,  she noticed the magazine rack and several bookshelves were in disarray.  She straightened them quickly, blew the dust around a little, and settled down into a Queen Anne chair in the corner.  She placed her coffee cup on a side table when the doorbell rang.

    “Oh, no.  It can’t be the police.  I honestly don’t know what they’d want with me,” she thought.    She walked down the hall, into the entry, and registered a look of surprise when Seth stood in the doorway with a bottle of this year’s vintage.

    “I didn’t expect you until this afternoon,”  Louisa said, smiling at him.

    “Not a thing going on at the winery, either.  Ryan went over to the Armands’ to help Noelle out, and Patrick said he’d have dinner with some friends.  So, it looks like just you and me this evening.”

    “Well, I don’t know about that.  It’ll depend on when Blaine and Suzanne get back from Toronto.”

    “One can dream, can’t one?”  Seth asked.  “Besides, what better to do on a quiet evening?”

    “Curl up with a good book?”

    Seth nodded, as they both searched the library for suitable reading material.  Louisa inspected one of the shelves when she noticed something suspicious.

    “Oh, my God.”

    “What is it, Louisa?”

    “I just put the cookbook I wanted…right there,” she pointed to the shelf, “and now it’s gone.”