His cell phone buzzed as he was paying the bill, and he checked the number, saw it was GAI and connected the call. “Blackburn speaking.”
“Slade, it’s Amanda Peterson from GAI.”
“Yeah?”
“Gage managed to get a copy of all the forensics reports from the hospital fire, including copies of the bodies found after the fire.”
Slade’s gut tightened. “And?”
“It was a mess,” she said. “I can see why forensics and the cops had trouble sorting out the truth. Bodies were dismembered, literally blown apart. The chemicals ate away skin, bone and tissue, making identities impossible. The small town just didn’t have the manpower at the time to handle such a large investigation, and the feds that came in wrote it off as a tragic accident and told families they had to accept the loss.”
Slade saw Nina watching and adopted a poker face. “So what can you tell me?”
“They did take photographs of the bones and recorded the unidentified ones. Unfortunately hospital records were also destroyed that night, so any records of Peyton Nash, including her footprints and handprints, were lost in the fire.”
“Damn.”
A moment of silence, then Amanda continued. “But there were a couple of infant bones in the mix. I’m trying to see if they belong to Peyton now, but getting the results may take time.”
“How about patient files of other births, infants in the hospital for other procedures, tests or treatments that night?”
“Gage already put Benjamin Camp on it.”
Slade’s admiration for McDermont rose. “Thanks. I’ll fish around at the hospital. Keep me posted.”
She agreed and he snapped his phone closed. Nina was watching with anticipation.
“What?”
“I told you I wouldn’t mince words,” Slade begun. Her face paled slightly. “All right.”
“The forensics expert at GAI is studying copies of the forensics reports. I’m sorry to say, but there were infant bones in the mix.”
Her breath hitched out. “Did they identify them?”
“No, they’re working on that now. But I want to question Dr. Emery again. According to him, there weren’t any babies other than Peyton lost that night.”
Tears glittered in her eyes before she blinked them away. “Then he lied,” she said with a strength to her voice that surprised him.
“Gage is going to request copies of hospital records from that night, but most were destroyed in the fire.”
“Didn’t they have some kind of back-up system?” Nina asked.
“Our computer guy is working on that angle.” Slade reached for the bill. “Let’s go talk to the nurse on duty that night and find out what she remembers.”
* * *
THE IMPLICATIONS THAT there had been an infant’s bones in the fire made Nina’s stomach protest, and for a moment she’d thought she might lose the lunch she’d barely touched.
But she swallowed hard to stem the nausea. At least Slade hadn’t given up. She’d asked for answers and she was grateful he was being honest with her, not treating her as if she were a crazy woman who might flip out if he didn’t walk on eggshells around her.
The wind ruffled her hair as they entered the hospital and rode the elevator to the maternity floor. Nurses bustled up and down the halls, orderlies were picking up food trays, a woman in a robe strolled toward the nursery and voices echoed from the closest room nearby just as an older couple, probably grandparents, rushed down the hallway carrying flowers and a blue stuffed teddy bear.
Nina’s experience had been so different, yet she had to smile at the thought of the happy couple and grandparents celebrating a new life.
“Excuse me,” Slade said to a curly-haired nurse wearing pink scrubs at the nurses’ station. “Is Carrie Poole here?”
The woman nodded. “She’s in the NICU.”
“Can you ask her if she can speak with us?” Slade asked.
The woman glanced at Nina with a frown. “Regarding what?”
Nina cleared her throat. “I just want to ask her a couple of questions. She took care of my baby when I was here a long time ago.”
“You’re Nina Nash, aren’t you?” the woman asked.
Nina stiffened. “Yes.”
“Dr. Emery said you hired a private investigator and were asking questions.” A wariness tinged her eyes. “I wasn’t here back then, but I’ve heard how horrible it was. I can’t imagine…”
“I’m not here to cause trouble for the staff, or blame anyone for that night,” Nina said. “In fact Carrie was so sweet to me, that I just want to talk to her, that’s all. Please.”
The woman’s expression softened. “All right, sugar. I’ll let her know.”
She rose from the desk, exited on the opposite side and walked down the hallway.
Voices sounded, and she glanced to the left and saw a new mother cradling her baby as the nurse pushed her in a wheelchair toward the elevator. The father walked behind, carrying a bouquet of balloons and pink roses. As they reached the elevator, he leaned over and kissed his wife and baby girl. Tears stung Nina’s eyes.
Slade’s hand stroked her shoulder as if he understood how the scene affected her. A minute later, the nurse returned and pointed them to a waiting room. The bubbly red-haired nurse Nina remembered popped into the room a second later, and Nina made the introductions.
“I don’t know if you remember me or not,” Nina began.
“Of course I do.” Carrie sat down and took her hands in hers. “I’ve thought about you a lot over the years. I’m sorry for all you’ve been through.”
Her kindness touched Nina. “You were so sweet to me and my baby,” Nina said. “I want to thank you for that.”
Carrie smiled. “I can still see her little face, all scrunched up and fussing. She was a real fighter. I… thought she had a good chance.” Carrie’s voice cracked. “And then everything went wrong.”
“Can you tell us exactly what you remember about that night?” Slade said.
She bit her lip as she looked at him, then nodded. “I wasn’t in the nursery when the fire broke out. I was down the hall with another patient. I helped them to get out, then rushed back to help clear the babies. Two other nurses from the regular unit had infants in their arms, and rescue workers were rushing toward them to help. I ran to the NICU. There were only two babies in there that night, and Jane had the little boy. I went to get Peyton, but she wasn’t in the bassinet.”
“No one saw anyone take her?”
Carrie shook her head. “Dr. Emery had ordered tests for the baby, and I assumed that someone had taken her to another wing to administer them.”
“Carrie, I know it’s been a long time,” Slade said. “But do you remember anyone odd hanging around the nursery, someone who looked out of place?”
She fidgeted with the pocket of her scrubs jacket. “No, not that I can think of.”
Slade hesitated. “How about other births that might have gone wrong that night or week? Maybe someone who had a miscarriage?”
Carrie drew her shoulders back. “That information is restricted for the patient’s privacy.”
“Please,” Nina said. “If there’s