Authors: Nero Blanc

Another Word for Murder (38 page)

“Okay,” Rosco said. “I'm just not convinced that Newcastle Memorial plays that kind of hardball in situations such as you described. Failing kidneys aren't anything to fool around with. I don't see them turning a patient away for lack of funds. There are agencies that can step in to help indigent patients.”

“They had another match for that kidney,” Gudgeon argued, raising his voice. “They didn't need her. They had Dawn on the ropes. They were going to go with the person who could pay. Health care's changed; it's big business now. They don't care about the little guy.”

“Did you visit Ms. Davis in the hospital?”

“No. She didn't want any visitors.”

“Phone her?”

“No. She had no phone in her room.”

“And when exactly did she disappear?”

“That was it. I dropped her off at Newcastle Memorial, and I haven't heard from her since.”

“Did you call the hospital and ask about her status?”

“Yes. They said she checked out the next day.”

Rosco shook his head slowly. “I don't know much about this kind of major surgery, but leaving the hospital after twenty-four hours seems like an unlikely scenario for what you're describing.”

“It seemed odd to me, too; I admit that. I tried to get more information, but they won't release details except to next of kin. I didn't want to push them any further. I didn't want to go on record as asking.”

Rosco rolled his chair closer to the desk, leaned on his forearms, and leveled his gaze on Walt's. “You're sure you don't want to go to the police with this?”

“Absolutely not. I don't want my children to hear a word of this.”

“If, and I'm not saying you have, but if you have been conned out of this money, there is virtually no way you will be able to reclaim a nickel if you refuse to pursue it through the legal system; I have to tell you that, Walt.”

“I haven't been cheated. I'm an old man who's fallen for a young girl who needed my help. Maybe I was a fool, okay, but I only want to know that Dawn's safe and well.”

“Had you been intimate with her?”

“That's nobody's damn business.” Gudgeon bristled, then added an abrupt, “What's this going to cost me?”

Rosco closed his notebook and said, “Let me first see what I can find out. I'll work up a fee schedule later.”

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The Answers

To download a PDF of the answers, please visit
openroadmedia.com/nero-blanc-crosswords/answers

“BABY STEPS”

“SUGAR AND SPICE”

“AS TIME GOES BY”

“FRANKLY, DEAR â¦”

“AND THE COW JUMPED OVER THE â¦”

“WHO KILLED COCK ROBIN?”

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the great talents of F. William Parker and his assistance in all things automotive over many, many years.

About the Author

Nero Blanc is the pseudonym of Steve Zettler and Cordelia Frances Biddle, who are husband and wife and serious crossword buffs. Biddle is also the author of the Martha Beale historical mystery series, which is set in Philadelphia, Zettler and Biddle's hometown. Their website is
www.crosswordmysteries.com
.

All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Cover design by Tammy Seidick

ISBN: 978-1-4976-7175-1

This edition published in 2014 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.

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New York, NY 10014

www.openroadmedia.com