Chapter 12
Tennyson
After lunch wrapped up, Cisco headed back to his office with a promise that he’d be in touch if there were any developments in the case.
He also stressed how important it was that their investigation of Autumn Miller be completely above board.
According to Ronan, all they were going to do was talk to a couple of witnesses.
Ten knew there might be a little more involved, but couldn’t care less if Ronan’s work got him out of legal danger.
Ten sat in the back of Fitzgibbon’s SUV as they drove to Salem Mercy Hospital.
The plan was to speak to Dr. Logan and through him, find out if the Hughes family would be willing to speak with them.
Also on the agenda was getting Ten checked out in the emergency room.
Ronan wanted all of his injuries documented, not only for the case, but for a possible civil suit.
It wasn’t in Ten’s nature to sue people, but after what Dutch Vance had done to him, he was willing to make an exception.
“Logan just texted me back,” Ronan said. “He’s available to see us now in the NICU.”
“That’s good news.” Fitz parked the car and turned back to Tennyson. “Are you okay to do this? I know you spoke to the doc yesterday. You get seen in the ER and we’ll go speak to Logan.”
Ten shook his head. “Aside from a headache, I’m fine, Fitz. Reagan said I could spend up to a decade in prison if I’m convicted on these charges. I refuse to sit on the sidelines and watch when my freedom is on the line.”
“Okay,” Fitz said. “I’d feel the same way.”
“Me too,” Ronan said, climbing out of the SUV. He opened the door for Ten and helped him out of the car. “Put on your badge. I want the good doctor to know he’s meeting with Tennyson Grimm, cold case detective, not the psychic.”
Ten nodded and did what Ronan asked, pulling his badge out of his pocket and clipping it to his waistband.
He noticed the others had done the same.
Fitz led them past the ER and into an open elevator.
Ronan ushered Ten inside. When the doors opened, they were standing in front of the NICU.
Ronan sent a text. Moments later, Elijah Logan opened the doors for them.
Tennyson introduced the detectives to him.
“Jesus, Tennyson,” Logan said, leading them down the hall. “Have you seen a doctor yet?”
“We’re going to the ER after we’re finished here.” Ronan’s tone brooked no argument.
“That sounds like a good plan.” Logan opened the door to his office and ushered everyone inside. “I read about what you’ve been charged with, Tennyson. On the one hand, I’m stunned. On the other, I know how Autumn Miller operates, so I’m not surprised at all that she’s coming after you.”
Ten took a seat in a chair across from Logan’s desk. “I hate to say this, but you’re next. She’s planning to press sexual harassment charges against you and she’s going to sue you and the hospital for wrongful termination, among other things.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Logan shook his head in obvious disbelief. “I appreciate you warning me ahead of time.” He turned to Ronan. “You said you wanted to speak with me about Autumn Miller as an employee?”
“That’s right. Our department has been looking into her since her firing last week. The hospital’s statement claimed she’d been terminated for negligence of duty and that a child nearly died as a result.”
“That’s right.” Logan grabbed a thick folder from the corner of his desk and handed it to Ronan.
“Autumn’s entire personnel file is in here, along with a written statement from me detailing the stalking and harassment she’s put me through.
I also downloaded my text stream with her and those messages are in there as well. ” Logan passed the folder to Ronan.
“Holy shit,” he muttered as he flipped through the information. “Are you willing to testify against Autumn in a criminal trial?”
“Yes. This woman has been the bane of my existence for the last year. Before all of this started, I really liked Autumn. She was an incredible nurse.”
“What do you think changed?” Fitz asked.
“A friend of hers got engaged. Matilda, I think her name was.” Logan shook his head. “Ten told me yesterday that she’d been the one who’d referred Autumn to him.”
“That’s right.” Ten agreed. “The feeling I got from Autumn was that she felt her biological clock running out of time, which made her feel desperate.”
“That’s the impression I got as well. I hate to say this, but I liked Autumn, I really did.
When I was going through my divorce I’d thought of asking her out, once the dust had settled, but then she started turning up everywhere I was and constantly flirted with me at work, in front of the parents of my patients.
You mentioned yesterday that the future was fluid and that our decisions can alter what happens to us.
I never understood what you meant until just now.
When Autumn had her reading with you, there had been a chance for us to date and who knows what would have happened from there, but that possible future ended when she began to stalk and harass me. ”
“Exactly,” Ten agreed.
“Is there anything else you all need from me?” Logan asked, his eyes on Ronan.
“No, we’re good for now.” Ronan handed the doctor his card. “Call if you need anything.”
“I will. Thank you.” Logan set the card on his desk. “I’ll take you to see the Hughes family, but I’m afraid only two of you can go in the room.”
“Jude and I will get this information back to the office right now, so Greeley can get to work on it.” Fitz said. “Call me when you’re done in the ER and I’ll come pick you up.”
“You got it,” Ronan said, as Jude and Fitz left the room.
“Before I take you to see the Hughes family, there are some things you need to know,” Dr. Logan began.
“First off, they’re still traumatized by what happened last week, so please treat them with the gentlest of kid gloves.
Secondly, alarms go off all the time. Some are more serious than others, please be aware of where you are and get out of the way if need be. Got it?”
Ten nodded. He followed Dr. Logan out of the room and down the hall. Several alarms sounded, but thankfully, none that sent the staff running.
Dr. Logan stopped in front of a room. He knocked softly and walked in. “Becky, Mason, I’d like to introduce you to Detective Ronan O’Mara and Tennyson Grimm.” He motioned them into the room.
Ten saw Becky sitting in a rocking chair holding her baby. He was wrapped in a blanket and wearing the smallest hat Ten had ever seen. “Hi, there.”
Becky’s eyes widened at the sight of Tennyson’s bruises. “What happened to you?”
“The short answer is Autumn Miller,” Ten said. “Which is why we’d like to speak with you and your husband today, if you have a little time for us?”
Both parents nodded.
“How is Jason doing today?” Ten asked, his eyes never leaving the tiny baby.
“He’s stable,” Becky said, before stopping to stare at Tennyson. “How do you know my baby’s name?”
“Tennyson is a psychic medium,” Dr. Logan said. “Because of HIPAA rules, I can’t divulge anything about your son’s care, but you can do so if you choose. I have rounds to make. Please make this fast, guys.” The doctor left the room, shutting the door behind him.
“Jesus, you’re the psychic Nurse Miller kept talking about,” Becky said, her eyes narrowed on Tennyson. “Day and night she would talk about how wonderful you are and how you predicted that she was going to marry Dr. Logan.”
“Yes, I was the one who did the reading for Autumn Miller,” Ten agreed.
“Okay, so let me get this straight,” Mason began, “You’re a psychic,” he said, pointing to Ten. “And you’re a detective,” he said, turning to Ronan.
“That’s right,” Ronan agreed. “For full disclosure, we’re also married and have two kids of our own.
We’re both members of the Salem Cold Case unit.
Ten has been working on investigations with me for eight years, first with the Boston Police and now here, but we’ve never had our worlds collide like this before. ”
“How do you mean?” Becky asked.
“Like you said, Autumn Miller came to see me for a reading a year ago, when I told her I saw a husband and children in her future, but never mentioned Dr. Logan being in the picture. Neither of those things has come true. She’s now claiming that my predictions were fraudulent and has pressed charges against me.
I was arrested yesterday.” Ten paused, hoping the shocked looks on the Hughes’s faces would dissipate.
“Not only is Ten dealing with Miller personally, but The Salem Police are investigating her for what happened to your son last week,” Ronan added. “We’re hoping that the two of you can tell us about the kind of care she provided to your son and would tell us what happened the day she was fired.”
Becky looked down at her infant son. “I never liked Autumn. There was something about her that rubbed me wrong. She was abrupt, scattered, and seemed preoccupied.”
“We also noticed the way she chased after Dr. Logan, even if she was in the middle of caring for Jason. She’d abandon him and leave the room,” Mason said.
Ten could feel the pain Becky and Mason were feeling, mixed with fear, for their son and his future. What they were telling he and Ronan was appalling.
“Jason had a bad day last Thursday. His oxygen level was down and he seemed to be struggling. Becky and I called for Autumn and she came into the room and checked on our son. She mentioned upping a medication, but turned toward the door after checking her watch. She was on her way out of the room when alarms began going off. Not the normal ones, but the loud, scary kinds. She never turned back. Not once. That woman left my child to die.” Mason set his head in his hands.
Ten couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Autumn’s behavior did not fall under the heading of “do no harm.”
“The alarms were the kind that sends the cavalry coming, Tennyson,” Becky added.
“That woman walked away from our baby when he was in severe distress. He could have died. We found out later that she’d been out in the hallway waiting to flirt with the doctor who was on his way back from lunch.
She walked out of the room like she hadn’t heard the alarms at all.
Thankfully, other staff rushed to our room and saved our baby. ”
“We heard later that she’d been terminated, and that in addition to being lax with her nursing responsibilities, that she was also stalking and harassing Dr. Logan,” Mason said, his composure restored.
“I wouldn’t ordinarily gossip about someone’s mental health, but that girl needs some serious help.
All she talked about was Dr. Logan this and Dr. Logan that.
She was obsessed, so much so that I spoke to the doctor to let him know. ”
“We really appreciate all that you’ve told us today.” Ronan said. “One of our detectives will be in touch to schedule sit-down interviews with both of you for the negligence case they’re trying to build.”
“Why didn’t your predictions come true, Tennyson?” Becky asked.
“Nurse Miller’s obsessiveness pushed Dr. Logan away. The decisions we make every day rewrite our future, some for the good, some for the bad.” Ten offered the new mother a smile.
“Do you know what’s going to happen to Jason?” Becky asked, unshed tears making her eyes glassy.
“Jason’s going to be just fine. So fine, in fact that Jason will be the valedictorian of his Harvard Medical School class.
Thanks to the lifesaving treatment he received here, he’s going to be a neonatologist, just like Doctor Logan.
” Ten stood up from his seat. “Thank you so much for your time and for sharing your story.”
“We’re going to do everything in our power to make sure Nurse Miller can never again harm another child.” Ronan offered a wave and ushered Tennyson out of the room.
“Those poor people,” Ronan said. “I don’t know what I would have done if one of Everly or Ezra’s nurses had acted like Autumn Miller.”
“Yes, you do,” Ten said, taking Ronan’s hand. “The kids and I would be visiting you in prison every weekend.”
Ronan snorted. “You’re probably right.” He pressed the button for the elevator. “Let’s go get your head examined.”
“You first!” The last thing Ten wanted was to go for an exam. Aside from the headache, he felt fine.
What Ten wanted more than anything was for the charges against him to be dismissed and for Autumn Miller to be out of their lives. In order to make sure that happened, Ten needed to be at his best, which at the moment, he wasn’t.
Ten would get his head injury treated and then he and Ronan were going after Autumn Miller. That bitch wasn’t going to know what hit her until it was too late.