💋ABIGAIL
INOCENCIO💓
(The Murderer....)
By, Dammrare
Chapter 09🦋10
•••••
{ CASE SOLVED 2 }
"I heard what happened. Marshall told me." Mr. Jersey said. He was the director of Santos hospital.
Abigail fidgeted with her fingers, biting her bottom lips. She deserve every scolding she was going to soon get from her director. The mistake she made was bad and unforgivable. What if something worse had happened to the little girl? What if she had died? God, she can't believe she could be this careless and joke with the life of an innocent young girl.
It was a mistake, yes. But that doesn't still give justification for her foolishness.
Marshall and Sandra must be laughing their @sses out wherever they are right now. After all, they've always prayed for her downfall and now, she has given them a tiny hope of getting what they ever wanted.
"I'm sorry..." That was all she could say at this point. She has no excuse whatsoever to give. And besides, giving out excuses for her stupidity will only make matter worse and make it seem like she doesn't give a f**k. Because honestly, that was far from being the case. She gives a f**k about what happened.
Tara wasn't just her favorite patient but more like a baby sister to her. Abby was an only child of her parents and aside from Emma, she has no other family by her side. She lost her mother at the age of seventeen and thriving for a comfortable and better life has been hard for her. However, Emma made life much easier for her. She will be forever grateful to her best friend and sister from another mother.
Mr. Jersey let out a sigh that sounded like a disappointment to her ears or maybe Abby was just overthinking the whole thing. She was disappointed in herself so it was only fair if those who looked up to her are also disappointed.
"I know it was a mistake and this has never happened before. But I won't claim not to be disappointed in you because I am. Really." He said.
Abigail nodded her head in understanding, avoiding to meet with his gaze.
Most people might imagine Jersey to be an ugly-looking old man with grey hair, a wrinkled face, and yellowish teeth because he was handling a hospital as ancient as Santos hospital. This hospital has been on board longer before Abigail was even born.
It has been passed down from generation to generation. Handled by different people in the lineage of the man and his wife who had started the hospital from scratch.
Jersey's father had looked over the affairs of the hospital as well and finally, it was passed down to his only son, Jersey, six years ago.
Jersey is a fine-looking young man in his early thirties. Black ruffled hair, brown eyes that could remind anyone of chocolates, sharp jawlines, pointed nose, and heart-shaped lips. He is gorgeous and attractive.
"How is she now?" Jersey asked, placing his hands on the brown desk.
"Fortunately, she is fine. Nothing to worry about." She mumbled.
"Why are you avoiding my gaze, Dr. Abby?" He observed, watching her closely.
Abigail sucked in a deep breath and exhaled it right out, running her fingers through her blonde locks. "I feel... so bad and ashamed of myself. I toyed with a patient's life. I should even be grateful that you aren't suspending me."
"Should I suspend you then to get rid of the guilt for you?" He proposed.
Abby shot her head up immediately to meet his gaze, her eyes wide open. "What?"
"Ah, now you are looking at me. I should have proposed that a lot earlier. Don't you think?"
"Are you... Are you joking around, sir?"
H gave out a toothy smile, leaning back into his cool leather seat. "Of course, I am. You are one doctor in this hospital patients seem to be comfortable with. I can't suspend you because I know very well that it is going to affect a lot of things around."
"Does that mean you are not suspending me?" She dumbly asked.
"I'm not. However, some changes have occurred." He told her.
Just then there was a knock on the door, bringing confusion onto Abby's face as she looked away from Jersey to the door.
"Come in," He called out.
The door opened and Marshall walked in, making the frown on Abigail's face deepen.
'What is going on? Why is this idiot here? What else does he have to say? Don't tell me he is here to poison the director's mind and give him reasons to suspend me. Or wait, the director was saying something about changes occurring, is Marshall involved in these changes? Do they want to give me some other kind of punishment, like degrading me to a lower section? Oh, God. I hope not.' Abigail thought to herself, worry and fear covering her face.
"Dr. Marshall," Jersey called in a calm tone. Well, he is always this calm and friendly. And nothing like the usual kind of boss that is rude, prickly, and annoying.
"Sir," Marshall bowed slightly, folding his hands behind his back, looking like a nice human being in the presence of their boss.
"Seat." Jersey offered.
"Thank you, sir." Marshall smiled and sat down on the chair beside Abigail, not even sparing her a single glance.
"I was just about to tell Dr. Abby about the new change before you came in."
"Oh."
"Uhm," Abby cleared her throat, adjusting herself on the chair. She was feeling so uncomfortable and scared. Why does she have bad feelings about this 'change'? It's not like they are going to ask her to commit suicide or become a receptionist. Right? "Why is Dr. Marshall here?"
She noticed the idiot rolling his eyes, letting out a quiet scoff. But no one was deaf there not to hear it.
"He has a role to play in this change, Dr. Abby. Here," Jersey grabbed an untouched bottle of water and handed it over to her. "You look very nervous."
"Do I?" She let out a chuckle and collected the bottle of water from him. "Thank you, sir."
"You both must be busy and I don't want to keep holding you back from working so I'm going to cut to the chase." He paused. "Dr. Marshall here," He nodded at the man who has a smug look on his face. "will be the personal doctor of ward 302 from now henceforth."
The bottle Abby was holding slipped off her fingers and fell to the ground. But thankfully, it was still sealed and the water didn't spill out.
"What?" She gasped out. "Why?"
"Isn't that a dumb question to ask, Dr. Abby?" Marshall questioned, giving her a bored look.
"I have been tending to Tara for a very long time. We can't just switch places like that. She is so comfortable with me." Abby pointed out.
"You almost killed that young lady."
"It was a mistake."
"Mistake?" He scoffed again. "There is nothing like a mistake when it comes to being a doctor. Didn't Dr. Sandra teach you that during your internship? Or did you forget all about them because of the little title you acquired during the years?" He shook his head. "When you are a chef you can make mistakes, lawyers, and other professions but when you're a doctor? You can't make such mistakes. Do you know why? Because you are handling a human being's life."
"That's enough, Dr. Marshall." Jersey cut in. "Dr. Abby knows about all these. She is not a newbie in this."
Abigail was left speechless. And that's because all Marshall had just said was the truth.
F**k, who would believe today will turn out like this? She felt like crying but that will make her look even more stupid and Marshall and his cohort will feel superior and use her weakness against her. She doesn't want that for herself. She was stronger than this.
With the thought in her head, Abby straightened herself on the chair, having no expression or emotion on her face.
"Fine." Both men turned their gazes to her, wondering what she meant. "Dr. Marshall can continue from where I stop with ward 302. I shouldn't be complaining. After all, it is all my fault."
Marshall looked surprised. He never expected this reaction from her, not after hearing how much she was so fond of the little girl. But then again, what was he expecting? Her throwing a tantrum? Or quitting her job? That was absurd.
Jersey nodded. "Good. It is settled then."
•••••
Abigail and Marshall stepped out of the director's office and entered the elevator, going to the third floor as they were currently on the ninth floor.
Neither of them said anything to each other during the long ride. When the elevator finally came to a stop and the door opened with a ding, They stepped out in synchronization.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Marshall asked, breaking the silence between them. He hated how calm she was after the news.
"What do you want me to say?" She fired back with a smile.
"You should be pissed off. He'll, you should even quit! Why are you maintaining such a calm and suspicious demeanor?"
"Was that your plan? You think I was going to quit simply because I won't longer be the doctor in charge of ward 302?" She clicked her tongue, folding her arms over her chest. "Don't be stupid, Dr. Marshall. I have a lot of patients who need me. And I don't need to be Tara's doctor before I can care for and love her. She will forever be my favorite in this hospital." She turned to leave but stopped. "Be careful with whatever you do, honey. I pray you don't make a mistake that will kill someone this time around. Because I swear, I will make sure that will be the end of your doctor career. You can tell that to your partner-in-crime. See ya around." She smirked and walked away, leaving Marshall dumbfounded.
•••••
"What are you doing here, detective Emma? Please come in." Julian opened the door wider for her, smiling.
"How do you feel now, Ms. Julian?" Emma asked.
"Good, I guess. You and your partner coming here earlier knocked some senses into my head. Please seat." Emma sat down while Julian remained standing. "What can I get for you?"
"Nothing at all. I am totally fine."
"Okay." Julian nodded in understanding and then sat down opposite Emma. "Uh... So what about your partner? The handsome detective."
Robert was indeed handsome. He does know how to make a girl trip for him just by smiling at her. It was no surprise that Julian was already crushing on him but it felt so wrong. Why? She just lost the boyfriend she claimed to love unless it was all a lie.
"He has something else to take care of." She responded.
Actually, Robert went to the station to submit the knife as evidence and for the forensic team to conduct some examination and figure out certain things like fingerprints or anything else that can be used to discover the killer.
Emma wasn't sure of anything anymore. The case has become more complicated and complex. Micah could be the killer and could also not be the killer. Vice versa for Julian.
Either way, both of these girls have something to do with the death of Steven.
But what is the connection between Micah and Steven? Emma doesn't want to solve the case base on her speculations. She needed to be sure of herself. This case was getting harder than she expected it to be.
"I see." Julian sighed. "Why are you here, detective Emma? Have you arrested Micah?"
Emma tilted her head to the side. "You don't sound pissed off."
"I am pissed off but I'm trying to withhold my anger."
"Really? I thought when the murderer is found, you will be angry and might even threaten to kill him or her."
Julian laughed softly. "Nah. I am not like that, detective Emma. Yes, I would be pissed but threatening to kill someone is not my thing. I can't do that. I don't think I can ever hurt anyone. Even a fly."
"I was being sarcastic, Ms. Julian."
"Oh. Yeah. I know that. I only wanted to give you a sincere answer."
"Sincere... Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"How well do you know how to use your kitchen equipment?"
"Um, I can use my cutlery, pot, cooker, microwave, toaster... Wait, why are you asking?"
Emma shrugged. "I just want to know. You've mentioned some kitchen equipment but you left out one important one."
Julian pinched her brows together. "Which is?"
"A knife."
Julian holds in her breath, balling her fist pretty tight. "Huh?"
Emma stretched her lips into a smile. "You look... scared. Why?"
"I don't know what is going on right now, detective. It feels like you are trying to tell me something indirectly. Steven was killed with a knife, you know that, right?"
"Yeah..."
"Hold on a sec, you suspect me, don't you?"
"Honestly, I did. But not anymore."
"Why not?"
"You broke up with Steven the same night he died, didn't you?"
Julian blinked severally, "How...how do you know?"
"Now that I think back, you weren't crying because your boyfriend died. Yes, you felt guilty but not out of love."
Julian opened her mouth to talk but what left her lips was silence.
"You both had an argument which led to one thing until you broke up. You only lied about still dating him because you didn't want to be tagged as a suspect because breaking up with him that night will serve as a motive."
The girl lowered her gaze as she started biting her fingernails.
"Tell me what happened that night, Julian. What is it are you not letting out?" Emma asked in a quiet voice.
At first, it felt like she was going back and forth with the case but now she has come to realize the truth. Micah lied. She wasn't left-handed like she claimed. The day she had pointed out Cam, Trisha, and Luke, she used her right hand. And nobody in their right senses would carry a murder weapon around all in the name of looking for the courage to be able to provide it to the cop.
Micah claimed not to have said anything because they didn't ask her any questions. However, why didn't she give them the knife the first day they met? Maybe she hasn't found her courage then. Lies.
Julian swallowed nothing, staying silent.
"Are you scared of getting implicated? Probably because you own the knife used to murder your boyfriend." Julian's breath got caught up in her throat and her eyes widened. "You were the one driving the car, you stopped to give Micah a lift. She wasn't a friend so you could have just driven past her and no one will question you for it. You gave her the ride because you wanted to comfort her. You caught your boyfriend cheating and it so happens that the side chick was Micah. Tell me if I'm wrong." Those were all Emma's speculations so she could be wrong but the reactions from Julian said otherwise.
"I will say everything." The girl breathed out after a moment of silence. "You are right. I took the knife with me that night with the motive to kill Steven and his bitch. He never wanted to go because he knew I had my suspicion but I forced him. We left for the party with our friends. Had some fun and then started going home. Initially, I didn't know the identity of the girl. Everyone in the car was drunk so I used that as an opportunity to get hold of Steven's phone. I unlocked it with his fingerprint and dialed the number of the wh*re which he saved as Micah. I didn't know who that was, honestly. I called the number while driving down the street and that was when I heard a girl's voice saying 'hi babe.' Surprisingly, the voice didn't come from the phone but from the girl walking beside the car. I stopped the car and offered her a lift. She seemed to recognize me but got in anyway. I felt betrayed because I couldn't believe that Steven would cheat on me with someone like her. I wanted my instinct to be wrong. I wanted him to be innocent. But who was I kidding? I asked her what her name was and she told me, Micah. She seem friendly but I hated her immediately. We can't be sharing the same d*ck and be friends. I got distracted and mistakenly crashed into a tree. However, you were wrong about one thing, though, I do love Steven. Well, loved because he is no more."
"So, did you kill him?" Emma asked.
She shook her head, staring at the floor. "I couldn't. I told you, I can't hurt someone based on the emotion I was feeling. Have you heard of the saying 'anger first before regrets'?" Emma nodded her head. "I didn't want my case to become like that. Although, I confronted him that night when he was a lot sober. I threatened him with the knife but threw it at his feet and left. He wasn't worth my tears, anger, and love. He didn't deserve me so I walked away after ending our relationship. But before I left completely, I heard a voice talking to him. It sounded like Micah's. They were arguing. I'm sure she doesn't know Steven was two-timing her with me but I can't be so certain. I didn't even turn back to look at them. I just left. And then the next morning, we found Steven dead at the same spot I had left him last night. I didn't find my knife anywhere around. It is why I feel so guilty about his death and feel like I should be the one getting arrested." She sighed. "He was a d*ckhead but didn't deserve the brutal death he got."
Emma needs just one more proof and she will be sure of who the killer is.
Her phone started ringing, it was Robert calling.
"Hey, how did it go?" She asked as she answered the call.
"You were right. There is no fingerprint on the knife. Not even Micah's, the one who claimed to have seen the knife and taken it."
Emma smirked. "She wiped off the fingerprint. She wanted to fabricate Julian but made a terrible mistake. Obviously, Steven was her first kill."
"Luckily, we found a hidden CCTV around the vicinity that caught Micah in the act of murdering Steven. I am already on my way to her house with a few backups." Robert informed.
"Okay. I will see you at the station." She hung up the call and smiled at Julian. "The murderer has been caught."