Chapter 59: Suspicious Nurse

Tim's confession brought the case forward.

Luke was in high spirits today. After picking up a pizza and some fried chicken on the road, he headed home to visit his mother and younger brother.

Upon seeing the food he brought, Linda couldn't help but remark, "couldn't you have brought anything else? Isn't your brother already round enough? He's practically turning to a ball."

"Occasionally, indulging a bit is okay," Luke said, gesturing for his brother to join him.

Unable to resist, the chubby little boy eagerly opened the box, grabbed a chicken leg, and took a hearty bite, savoring every crunchy morsel with evident delight.

Linda grabbed a slice of pizza, relieved not to have to cook tonight.

Luke opened a cold beer, took a bite of chicken, and sipped his drink, enjoying the simple pleasure.

Linda glanced at her eldest son. "So, where were you last night?"

"I had a mission," Luke replied.

Linda raised an eyebrow. "Am I supposed to believe that so easily?"

"I'm telling the truth. I'm on witness protection duty. Can't go into details. I just came back for some clothes. I need to head out again soon."

"You're moving out?"

"No, no. Just for the mission. I'll be back to stay when this case wraps up."

Linda shrugged. "I don't mind where you live, but as long as your stuff is here, you're paying rent."

"Mom, it's a shame you didn't go into business."

"I'm ready to, but who do you think raised you two?" Linda shot a look at the little fat boy. "You've had two chicken legs already. That's your limit for tonight."

The boy, chewing, protested, "Mom, chicken is protein. It won't make you fat."

"You're thinking of boiled chicken. This is fried. Don't twist the facts. If you eat another drumstick, you'll…"

"I know, I'll lose my pocket money," he interrupted. "Can I have some pizza?"

"One slice only."

The boy rolled his eyes and said, "You're such a wonderful mother."

"Thanks for the compliment."

Luke set down his beer and noticed a bruise on his brother's face. "Jack, what happened to your face?"

The boy shrugged nonchalantly. "Got into a fight yesterday. Just a scratch."

"Did you get beaten up?" Luke asked, concerned.

"Nope, it was a fair fight. I won, and he looked worse for wear." The boy waved his fist, "He had a swollen eye and cried like a baby."

Luke clinked glasses with his brother. "Good job."

Linda chimed in, "Is this how you're teaching your brother? Fighting is not the answer."

"Mom, boys need to stand up for themselves. Otherwise, they'll get pushed around." Luke patted his brother's shoulder. "If anyone gives you trouble, let me know."

The boy boasted, "I'm the Bruce Lee of the new generation."

Luke laughed. "Bruce Lee wasn't as chubby as you."

The three of them enjoyed their meal and conversation, and Luke cherished this homey atmosphere—a rare comfort for a time traveler.

Early the next morning, Luke was jolted awake by his ringing cell phone.

Groggily reaching for it, he saw it was just past seven.

"Hello?"

"Luke, tell me you're not still in bed," came David's voice.

Luke yawned. "What's up?"

"We just got word from Ome Hospital. Lawn is missing."

"Missing? He was awake yesterday. How could he just disappear?"

"We don't know yet if it's a kidnapping or something else. We need to meet at Ome Hospital in thirty minutes."

"This case is full of surprises," Luke muttered, hanging up and tossing his phone aside.

After a brief delay, he got up, freshened up, said goodbye to Daisy, and sped off to the hospital on his Harley.

Meeting David downstairs, they quickly made their way to Lawn's ward.

A patrolman with a worried expression was waiting. He seemed more trustworthy than Marcus.

Luke flashed his badge. "I'm Detective Luke. What's your name?"

"Roland. I was on night watch. The nurse discovered this morning that Lawn was missing."

"Did you leave the ward door unattended?"

"Only briefly. Around 3 a.m., I heard what sounded like gunshots. I went to investigate but found nothing unusual. I was gone for about ten minutes."

"Did you see Lawn during that time?"

"I saw him through the glass; he was asleep. This morning, though, we found a dummy in his bed."

Roland looked remorseful.

"Who visited Lawn in the past two days?"

"Sophia and Emma, his daughters."

"Who was the last visitor?"

"Sophia, the eldest. She comes daily and stays longer."

"And my stepson, Brooke?"

"Not here for the last two days."

Luke nodded and entered Lawn's ward.

The room looked the same, except for a dummy in the bed.

He checked the window, which was locked from the inside. If Lawn had escaped, there was no way he could have locked it behind him.

David examined the dummy and remarked, "The hair matches Lawn's. This must have been planned. Lawn didn't leave on his own."

"Either someone helped him, or he was kidnapped," Luke concluded.

The door creaked open, and Dean Cook walked in. "Inspector David, Detective Luke, any updates on Lawn?"

"Just in time. We were about to ask about Lawn's condition. Is it safe for him to be out of the hospital?"

"He's stable, but his brain condition requires constant medication. Short breaks won't harm him, but extended interruptions could affect his recovery."

"Is he awake?"

"No."

"Did the night nurse notice anything unusual?"

"No."

"When was the last time you saw Lawn?"

"The nurse's rounds were at ten last night."

With little progress, Luke suggested, "We should check the surveillance footage."

"Certainly, I'll take you to the monitoring room," Cook said.

A patient disappearing from a hospital was a serious matter. If Lawn's condition deteriorated, the hospital would face significant repercussions, and Cook's position would be in jeopardy.

Soon, Luke and David were in the monitoring room.

Luke reviewed the corridor footage from 2:30 to 3:30 a.m.

At 3:10, Roland left his post. A nurse then wheeled Lawn's bed into the corridor. The patient appeared slumped, not awake.

The suspect wore a blue nurse's uniform, mask, and hat. The figure was hard to identify but likely a woman based on body shape.

The footage showed the suspect pushing Lawn's wheelchair into the elevator.

In clearer footage, the woman was seen in the hospital yard, changing out of her nurse's uniform, covering Lawn with a coat, and leaving the hospital, vanishing into the night.