Chapter 8
EIGHT
Sandra couldn’t be happier that there were two potential suspects for today’s events. Now they just needed to find out more about Brent Hartley. Ideally that intel would prove useful for negotiations. Once she established a means of communication anyhow.
When Neal’s phone had rung a few minutes ago, he put it on speaker for everyone to hear. At the sound of Eric’s voice, her spirits lifted. She couldn’t help but speak up and say she and Brice were there, but he didn’t seem surprised.
At the time of his call, Eric had just brought Cross to the station for interrogation. But Cross had requested a lawyer. Eric volunteered to go to Hartley’s residence to see what he could find out.
Brice stopped tapping on his laptop. “Okay, so Hartley is fifty-nine, no criminal record. Single, lives in the city.” He turned the screen so everyone could see his driver’s license. The man was average in every way. Brown hair, brown eyes, medium build.
“As that detective said,” Luis began, “I can confirm Hartley was a hospital employee in the admin offices. He was let go three weeks ago for stealing office supplies. He lost his full pension with his termination.”
“It seems a rather severe punishment for lifting some pens and paper,” Brice said.
“According to his file, it wasn’t just one offense.
He’d been stealing over a length of time.
His option was to leave quietly and take the hit on the pension, or the hospital was prepared to file a lawsuit against him.
The hospital doesn’t want to give the message employees can help themselves to hospital property. ”
“Understandable, but I can see how this guy might feel backed into a corner.” Brice looked at her.
“No job, no pension, no source of income, but how does that translate to him paying Cross to get into the server room? One would think he’d be strapped for cash.
And does this guy even possess computer knowledge? ”
“It would be foolish to assume he doesn’t just because he worked as a paper pusher,” she said. “Hartley could study computers in his time off. Today could be about getting his job back or his pension,” she said. “Desperate people don’t think rationally, as you know.”
“And if Hartley is on the sixth floor, who is he working with? Just two friends or others we don’t know about?”
“He could have hired help,” Brice said. “There is the possibility this is simply about retaliation. He’s attacking the hospital, like they essentially attacked him. Though I’m still not sure where he’d get the money to pay anyone.”
“And Hartley’s not all we’re dealing with here,” Sandra said. “Luis, were you able to confirm the patient system was unharmed?”
Luis nodded. “Yes, I just received that confirmation via email.”
“One thing going right, at least,” Neal said.
There was a knock on the door, and it opened immediately after. Kreiger stepped inside with an officer holding a few bags of food.
“Hope you don’t mind that I sent an officer on a lunch run. Hopefully y’all love mumbo sauce.”
The smell hit before Kreiger’s words, and it had Sandra’s stomach growling. Mumbo sauce was a Washington staple and typically accompanied comfort food such as wings or pulled-meat sandwiches. She’d run harder and farther along the Potomac tomorrow morning to make up for the indulgence.
The officer set the bags of food on the table and left with a dip of his head.
“Help yourselves.” Kreiger grabbed a container and dropped onto the bench of the booth. He opened it and took out a pulled-beef sandwich. “What’s the latest on this end? I haven’t heard anything about communication being established yet.” With that statement, he shot a look at Sandra.
“We’re all still working on finding a way in,” Neal said, stepping in on her behalf. He then opened the lid on another container and licked his lips.
Sandra filled him in on the leads so far.
Kreiger bobbed his head. “Some headway then. We’ve had some too. We got our hands on the blueprints, and ERT’s studying them. If all turns to hell, we need the fastest and safest route inside.”
“Which is even harder when we’d be going in blind.” Including herself in the summary hurt, but it would build some camaraderie. “We don’t know how many gunmen we’re dealing with or where they are all positioned.”
Kreiger’s mouth was full, but he raised his sandwich to show his agreement.
Everyone else helped themselves to a container and started eating.
After Sandra finished, she stepped outside for some fresh air. The hope was a few minutes to herself would clear her mind. But there was no luck ditching the nagging thoughts about her mother. She took out her phone, and there was a text from Olivia.
Okay, be safe. If u r late, I’ll go to Avery’s.
Avery was Olivia’s best friend, and the girls were practically inseparable.
Sandra stared at her daughter’s name, wondering if she should mention the news about Margo. If I were in her shoes… This had her selecting her name and calling.
“Mom? What’s up?”
“Liv, there’s something I need to tell you.”
“I responded to your message. Did you not see it? And if you’re busy with a negotiation, why are you calling?”
Sandra’s heart pinched thinking about the reason.
She could come up with something to explain the call and back out of telling Olivia.
But if she were in Olivia’s place she’d want to know.
It was a two-way street. Sandra couldn’t expect her daughter to communicate openly if she didn’t.
“I have some sad news.” She paused there.
Not because she’d intended to but anxiety gripped tightly around her throat.
“Mom, you’re scaring me.”
“I’m sorry, sweetie. Everything should be all right, but your grandmother fainted this morning.” She pushed past Olivia’s gasp. “But Dana’s with her, and the doctors are taking care of her.”
“I don’t understand. But she is okay? Right?”
Avery asked Olivia in the background, “What’s going on?”
“It’s Grandma.”
Hearing her daughter’s voice sound so fragile, stung. “She should be fine,” Sandra rushed out, trying to salve the wound. “Dana said the doctors are running tests to tell us if there are any underlying reasons that caused her to faint.”
“When you know, I want to know.”
“I promise.”
“Grandma’s gonna be all right, Mom.” Now it was her daughter reassuring her.
Sandra squeezed her eyes shut. Her girl had been fortunate not to have lost someone, and Sandra didn’t relish the time when that innocence would be taken.
“Well, if I had any reservations, I wouldn’t be at work.
Let that assure you.” Guilt snaked through her at the white lie.
Sticking around here didn’t stop bad feelings from making inroads.
She was using her work to preoccupy her mind, or at least keep her worrying at bay.
“Should I go and see her?”
Sandra thought of what Dana had told her about Margo resting peacefully. Also what she’d told her earlier about her being disoriented. “It might be best if we catch up with her a bit later today or tomorrow. She needs her rest, and she’s a bit confused.”
“I can’t believe she’s going through this. Isn’t the Alzheimer’s enough?”
Sandra glanced heavenward. That was a question for a greater being. “Life doesn’t always play out how we want. Speaking of, sweetheart, I need to get back to work.”
“I love you, Mom.”
“I love you too, Liv.” Sandra got out her entire reply before Olivia hung up. A rarity that told Sandra that Olivia was clearly just as shaken as Sandra. But regardless of her personal turmoil, Sandra had a job to do. Lives depended on her.
Sandra tried Dana’s number and listened to it ring until she landed in voicemail. She ended the call without leaving a message. There could be many reasons Dana couldn’t answer. It didn’t mean her mother was dying. Nothing to worry about…
She pushed off the command vehicle and went inside. Brice raised his left eyebrow, a creepy expression of his that he pulled out when he was shocked or curious. This time she’d side with the latter, but she wasn’t getting into her personal life with him right now. “Tell me what I missed.”