One (Bar Dance) (8 page)

Chapter Eight

Tuesday morning I went to work early as usual. Something had been roaming around in the back of my mind since Saturday at Keiley’s. Her sister had three fake ID’s with three prescriptions of Oxy. Scripts for it were highly monitored. It wasn’t unusual for misuse. It just wasn’t usual for one person to have that many scripts. She had to have gotten the ID’s somewhere illegal for them not to be tracked more closely.

Besides it was normally only used for end of life care
in the dosages that she had. Chronic pain was more like Codeine or a much lower dosage than Keiley said Kelley had been taking.

I came up with six patient’s names that were old enough for Oxy that had died recently and did a search to see if any of them still had active scripts. I had six hits. I had a knee jerk reaction and did something completely
immoral if not illegal. It could get me fired. Possibly have charges brought against me. I not only printed out their information I copied it on to a stick that I kept on my key ring. I pulled the print outs off and put them in a manila folder. I took that to my locker and put it in my bag. I had a lock on the bag that I never used but I did this time. I locked my locker. Something else that I never did. Then I hooked the flash drive to a ring that I had in my scrub pocket so that it couldn’t fall out and get lost. At lunch I took the flash drive out to my car and hid it. I know that I was being paranoid. I knew that but if you are going to be a possible whistle blower you had to be careful. At the end of my shift I pulled up the hospice that I knew one of the kids got and found out that all six of them were using the same one. I pulled doctors and nurses on just one kid. I didn’t dare do more. I had already done enough to get myself in trouble.

I walked in my front door to find Rand in the kitchen area with his cell phone glued to his shoulder while he was talking on the phone. I quietly closed the door and walked as soundlessly as I could toward him.

“Okay. Then what?” Pause. “How much? Pause. “How long?” Pause. “I won’t forget about them mom. I promise. This is the first time that I have cooked for her. I’m trying to impress her not scare her away.” Pause. “Love you too mom.”

He hung up and finished making little aluminum packets wrapping them carefully.

My kitchen resembled an assembly line with bowls, pans and I think every spice that I owned sitting on the counter. That was funny because I had one of those doors inside the door that was made just to hold spice jars. You could easily see the name of each spice at eye level inside the door. It was much easier to choose from there than on the counter where you had to pick each one up to see what it was. He picked up all the little packets as he turned around. He saw me and did an instant clown imitation. You know the ones that try to juggle and do it really badly. The only reason that he saved them all is because they landed on the pan in front of him and not on the floor.

Through my laughter I said. “Lucy, I’m home.”

“You could have made some noise you know.”

“What and ruin your culinary secrets. No way.” I was still grinning.

“Told you I’m not much of a cook. I was trying to surprise you.”

I held up my hands. “It’s still a surprise. I’ll just go put my stuff away while you finish. Then I’ll come supervise.”

“Good plan.” He mumbled at the counter.

I actually was grateful for the brief time. Now I could find someplace to hide stuff. I was feeling guilty about what I had
done. I also knew what I had to do with it. I just couldn’t do anything with it yet. Except hide it for time being. I pulled out a box of boots that I had bought and only wore once. They were way too slutty for me to wear much less uncomfortable and hot. As in too warm not sexy hot. They also cost too much to just throw away. I pulled them out and slid the folder under the tissue paper and put the boots back in. I put the box back on the shelf and put another box on top of it for good measure. Then I went in the bathroom and closed the door. I pulled out my box of tampons and pulled one out. I opened the wrapper and pulled it out carefully. I pulled the cotton out of the applicator and threw it in the toilet. I put the flash drive inside of the applicator them put it back inside the wrapper. I put that on the bottom shelf as if it had fallen out of the box and shoved to the back. I didn’t want to grab it on accident. Then put the box back where it had been. I used the toilet and flushed my evidence away and hopefully some of my guilt. After I washed my hands I did what I said I would. I went and supervised the newly learned culinary skills.

I walked in the kitchen to find Rand reading the back of a package of frozen peas, very carefully. He had also set a glass of wine on the counter for me. I took a sip and watched him read again with a scowl on his face. “Want a quick hint?”

“No.” He glared up at me.

“Okay.”  I took another sip and he was still reading the instructions.

He then glared at me again. “Yes.”

“Open package. Pour in about a quarter or third of the bag. Add a splash of water and a hunk of butter. Put it in the nuke for about two minutes.”

He breathed a sigh of relief. “I can do that.”

“It ain’t rocket science.” I hid my smirk. “What else we having?”

“Salmon.”

“The oven is a pain in the ass. Is it actually on?” I knew that he had them in the oven and truthfully the oven was a pain in the ass.

“It says that it is at three twenty-five.”

“Are any other lights on besides that one?”

He glared at it. “No.”

“Then it isn’t on.
” I got up and wandered around the counter. “That sets the temp but to turn it on you have to choose how you want it to bake and then tell it to bake.”

“That’s stupid.”  He glared at the oven.

“Told you it is a pain in the ass.”

“Mom told me to preheat it.”

“You only have to do that if you are baking bread, cakes, cookies. Other than that it is just a waste of energy. Just add a minute or two to your cooking time.”

He held up the package of rice. His eyebrows were raised. “I love that stuff. No bowl needed. It only takes like two minutes. When you turn the fish put that in for whatever time it says on the package. Pull it out and put in the peas. When they are done you serve the two and then pull out the fish.
Dinner is done.”

I watched him visibly relax.

“Turn the oven up ten degrees though. It cooks a little low.”

“Not rocket science huh?”

This time I couldn’t help the smirk from showing. “Nope. Not in the least.”

Dinner turned out to be delicious. Since I didn’t have to do any of the prep work I did dishes. I was liking this a lot. Food s
omeone else cooked always tastes better than if you made it yourself. Especially if you only made it for yourself.

I was now at the counter searching for used text books for next semester. I was also having very little luck.
It was frustrating work but usually worth it. New ones were hundreds of dollars. Used ones weren’t hundreds. Most of the time they were reasonable. I could also resell it for at least half of what I paid for it. It didn’t always work that way since the medical field changed so quickly and text books were updated often. Rand was on my couch attempting to watch my ‘ancient TV’ as he called it. I heard him receive a text more than I saw it. I didn’t pay much attention. I was on a mission for children’s vascular something or another. Twelfth edition. Nothing lower. Preferred fifteenth edition. I was not paying three hundred dollars for a hundred and ten page book. Really three dollars a page? I found that ridiculous. Unfortunately I also found that to be the norm for higher education.

A
bout half an hour later and I was no closer to finding a used book I needed. When there was pounding on my door I nearly fell off my stool.

Rand got up and answered the door. “Took you long enough.” Was his greeting.

I turned and Bray walked in the door. Angie followed and came to me with a smirk. She shared first. “Apparently you have a dinosaur of a TV and Rand can’t take it anymore.”

“That’s what started our,” I did a waffling motion with my hand, “Whatever it was the other night. I g
uess that it why he called you two in.” I scratched my neck. “I’m guessing he didn’t want a repeat.”

Angie giggled.

I watched as Rand and Bray unhooked a few cables from my dinosaur TV and hefted it up the stairs. I whispered. “Sam and I lugged it in here by ourselves.”

Angie giggled harder.

Bray came back down and grabbed a few cables and went back up the stairs.

“How long do you think that it will take to get Rand’s TV installed here?”  I randomly asked.

“Twenty minutes to two hours.” She shrugged.

I stood up and walked around the counter.
I pulled a beer out and my bottle of wine. “Which one?” I asked.

“The beer.” I gave it to her and filled my glass up that I had had with dinner.

“You think that Keiley will show up this week end?” I asked her as I sat back down.

“Probably. I don’t think that she will be a regular anymore though. That has to you make you happy. That puts you at number two.” Angie stated casually.

“I am not number two. No way. No how.” Dread ran through my veins.

She made a noise that was somewhere between hacking up a fur ball and a snort. “You so are. I’m barely above Ree and Sasha. They are nothing to snort at but we are nowhere near the three of you.”

My mouth was open and I only remembered to close it when Rand came and kissed me. “Be back in a few.”

I went back to staring at Angie. “Crack?” I asked.

“What?”

“Ar
e you or have you been smoking crack?”

She broke out laughing.  “You just
got an offer by one of the biggest producer in music if you wanted to sign today. Then you are asking me if I’m smoking crack. Are you?”

I stood up and walked around the counter. I pulled out a bottle of forbidden fruit and t
wo shot glasses. I poured two shots of Patron. I held mine up. “Better than crack.” And I slugged it down.

Angie did the same. When her glass hit the counter she started speaking. “I had no idea he was tha
t in to the music industry. He’s been on his phone all night.”

“I sing other people’s songs. I dance to other peoples songs. Not mine. I’m not that good.”

“I told him you would say that. You know what his answer was?”

I shook my head.

“Everybody sings other peoples songs. That is why they’re called song writers. The also call music an industry for that reason. Everybody works together to make new stuff.”

I shook my head at her again. “I’m not that good.”

“I beg to differ. So does Bray. He spent one afternoon with you and he is willing to manage you. Even more, he wants to be your producer. Here in Colorado. He has never made that kind of call before. He told me so.”

I was still shaking my head no.

“He wants to talk to you about it later. I can’t say more but what he has said to me,” She was staring intently at me, “If I had an offer like he is talking about I would jump at it in a New York second.”

“The term is in a New York minute.” I countered.

“That would be too long.”

I had never seen Angie be this serious.

Ever.

“What is it that you aren’t saying?” I asked nervously.

She pursed her lips and looked at the counter. Then she looked at me and held my eyes. She didn’t say a word.

Not one word.

She chewed on her cheek and then blew out a breath. “Whatever you get offered, ask for half as much more money. That didn’t come from me. That came from him. He can’t say it and I shouldn’t.”

I poured another shot of tequila for my friend and me. Then I shared what I shouldn’t. “We have minutes and I have to decide what to do with something that I shouldn’t. I think that I found out how Keiley’s sister is getting drugs. I think that either the doctors or the nurses at the hospice or hospital are selling names of patients that have died and have scripts of Oxy.
I printed out copies of their deaths and how many times they have refilled since their deaths that I could find. All of what I have is illegal to share. I shouldn’t have the information at all. I could lose my job just printing it out. Worse than that I copied their whole medical file to a stick. That could get charges filed against me if the hospital administration found out. I had to be logged in to access it.”

Angie pointed to her shot glass. I refilled it and mine
one more time. We slugged it back. I put the bottle back up in the cabinet. I did have to get up at five in the morning and it was nearing eight at night. “I have one hour before I have to go to bed.” I informed her of the obvious.

“If I was you, which I am not,” She looked at the ceiling as if she was asking for divine intervention, “I would talk to Bray and then I would set up a meet with Adam. I would show him what you don’t have on paper and the burn it. Then I would sign whatever papers Bray sets in front of you and find a new profession. Pronto.”