Professor Stone was no stranger to a modern hospital, unlike the clueless Martial Kim.
Granted, he doesn’t make it a habit to visit one on a daily basis but he was familiar with how things operated. So when the young master was struggling with all the noise, the chaos, and the running around, the forensic chemist merely took things in stride, literally.
He would brace his back to the wall to allow nurses and hospital staff to push patient beds down the hall; leap out of the way when a team of expert nurses and doctors race to address a heart failure protocol; and pretty much knew the layout of the hospital to avoid winding up in the basement by accident.
In his stride, he came across a familiar face. No, they were not a patient – god forbid.
“Oh. Officer McNabb, from Motor Patrol right?”
“Nice to see you again, Prof. Stone...well I shouldn’t say ‘nice’, not exactly, but you get what I mean, right?”
The forensic chemist encountered fellow police officers, clad in reflective neon yellow jackets and carrying pearl-white helmets under an arm or two. Prof. Stone chanced upon them standing idle around the water cooler. Well idle may not have been a suitable description – they seem to be vigilant, as if someone in their care was about to get shot...or escape.
Most of the medical staff and visitors would stay clear of them, as if they were the living plague. Prof. Stone on the other hand dared to approach them, and even ask them an important question. Just, he didn’t expect an equally vital answer.
“What!? Keekee got hit by a car?”
“That’s the gist of it,” The Motor Patrolman would nod, albeit a bit solemn, “By the time my partner and I arrived at the scene, boy it was bad. Like something straight out of a movie. Found her body sprawled on the asphalt. The entire hood looked like a rhino sat on it and the cracks on the windshields still make my skin crawl.”
“Who did this? Why?”
“Taxi Driver. Claimed he just dropped off some clients and was on his way back to his agency’s garage, to trade his car for the night shift driver. Then all of a sudden, the victim was said to have ‘bolted right out of the woods’ and in front of his vehicle on the road. Next thing they knew, both of them were deer in a headlights. Then BOOM... As for why? Well from what I gather, purely accident.”
Prof. Stone nodded along, trying to be neutral as he gathered more information, “What makes you say that?”
The Motor Patrolman was used to carrying multiple things while clipping his helmet under an arm. He expertly flipped out his police notebook to the right page and read off his notes, “After examining the tire tracks and the angle of impact, along with force – yaddy yada – we’re able to estimate the Taxi Driver did attempt to stop, but it was too late. We got some of your experts in traffic forensics looking into some factors if the man was speeding or right under the limit.”
“Were there any cameras that caught sight of this?”
“Hah. If there was, I wouldn’t be scratching my head in how to report this to my higher ups. Nothing, not even so much as a speed camera. Barely has enough street lights if you ask me.”
“Any witnesses? Other vehicles or sightings of vehicles other than the taxi?”
“Wh-whoa, now, hold on. Prof. Stone. When did the new Chief Commissioner promote you to detective?”
Prof. Stone sighed. He half expected to hit a wall, probably sooner than later. “The victim is a friend of mine.”
“Oh shit.” And that was enough for the Motor Patrolman to cut some slack on roles and status, “We had several squads to sweep the road from where he dropped off the clients to hitting the girl. We even went past Badger’s Bridge, where he was going to to get back into town. No signs of any vehicle. When we arrived, it was just the Taxi Driver, his busted vehicle, and the vic—your friend.”
The forensic chemist had to sweep a hand over his face and bald head to double check if this was a bad dream or not, “Was there a bike?”
“A...bike? Like an actual bike, or a motor bike you’re asking?”
“My friend, the victim, she usually commutes by bicycle. Rarely travels without it. Anything like that?”
The Motor Patrolman double checked with his partner. After a lengthy conversation, the answer was, “Just the girl. No bike. I mean, who misses a bike half buried in a ditch or whatever.”
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
“The Taxi Driver, was he drunk? Under influence of a drug?”
“Breathlyzer came back negative for alcohol. I even had him do the ‘walk a straight line’ and ‘balance on one leg’ test. Drug wise, the nurse did a blood test on him and waiting for the results. Otherwise, 100% sober... Now granted, the man is shaken up. He looked like he sat on his favourite cat to death and can’t forgive himself...if you get what I mean.”
“...Right.”
Prof. Stone added rubbing the back of his neck to his habits of anxiety as he tried to put a clear image in his head. Usually he would have a decent picture of the whole incident in his head...but he wasn’t sure if it was his concern for Keekee – or Martial Kim’s feelings for that matter – that was making his brain processors lag.
“This Taxi Driver. Where is he right now? At the police station?”
“Oh no, he’s here. In the hospital.”
“...Please don’t tell me he is ALSO in a coma?”
“Hah. He wish,” The Motor Patrolman wanted to snort, but took back what he said when he remembered what professionalism meant, “I mean, the man is so shell shocked he wished he was out cold right now. Nerves so bad, my partner and I had to carry him to get him admitted to the hospital. He’s in one of the patient rooms, bed rest and whatever the hell nurses prick him with...You know, needles.”
“Right...Now, Officer McNabb. From your perspective, what are the odds: this was not an accident, but intentional?”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Professor. That’s, a pretty tall accusation there. What brought this up?”
Prof. Stone folded his arms across his chest, “The location of this incident is too far away from where my friend normally travels. Be it work, her apartment, or the cabin in the mountains – the distance between her regular life and where she was found after the accident is drawing a lot of questions for me.”
The Motor Patrolman pinched his nose bridge, for a different reason, “Well I have a teenage daughter who should be going to school, the local library, home, and no where else – but how many times have I caught her sneaking off to a movie theatre with friends on the other end of town or knocking on the doors of her many ‘boyfriends’.”
“Keekee isn’t a reckless teen, Officer.”
“My point is, young woman like the victim can essentially go anywhere they want.”
“Neither is she that type of girl who puts herself at risk for a flight of fancy.”
“I mean, Professor. How would you know?”
“...I don’t.”
Prof. Stone knew, the Motor Patrolman had him there. Clearly the forensic chemist was neither a father nor boyfriend. Hell, even his protege Martial Kim didn’t know much about Keekee other than her life in the cabin. Prof. Stone admitted, he was a bit too hasty......wait a second.
“Actually, Officer McNabb. Even if I don’t know the victim too well – people don’t change their regular routine out of the blue. Ask yourself, when have you ever travelled farther than your comfort zone?”
“...Fair enough. Still, the reality remains – the victim was caught in the middle of the road and got herself in a car accident. I hope to ask straight from the horse’s mouth to put this case to rest but she’s—”
“Still in a coma...yeah.” Prof. Stone clicked his tongue. “...Can I talk to the Taxi Driver?”
“Professor. Gotta stop you, right there,” The Motor Patrolman tried to poke back, but changed his mind and went polite mode, “Me telling you the case details is already putting my badge on the chopping block. You’re not involved in this investigation, there’s no way I have the clearance to let you go see the Taxi Driver. You should know this.”
“Hmn-hnn.”
“And besides, how many accidents like this do we get in a year? We’re lucky, this wasn’t a hit and run, or else this would give us more problems.”
“Hmn-hnn.”
“Come on, Professor. Even you could tell this is a clear and cut case. I mean, I know the one hurt is your friend but job’s a job right?”
Prof. Stone nodded, one last time. Then he whispered, “Why was a young woman like the victim seen ‘bolting’ out of the woods in a night like this? So far away from home? ...Doesn’t that make you a bit curious?”
“.............................................The Inspector from Accident Investigation will be here in 10 minutes.”
“I’ll be gone by 4 minutes and 59 seconds.”
In the end of the day – regardless if you are a detective, a school teacher, officer worker, or YouTube Streamer – everyone loves a good mystery. And humans have this undeniable urge to pursue the answers to clear those bothersome question marks in their minds.
And one of the many perks in working in forensics along side the police, is finding like minded people who wants to get to the bottom of everything, regardless of roles.
...... Still, this begs the question.
Why was Keekee found so far away, on a lonely night like this?
Why did she not have her trademark bike? How did she get there?
Why a Taxi Driver of all things?
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