Chapter 13: Midnight Visitor

It was a few minutes past midnight. Less than two hours earlier Stacy was sitting on her porch ending her first date since Eric died. Now she sat in her living room with only a single bulb providing illumination. She listened intently for the signal. There was a series of three short knocks followed by two long at the back door. She heard the door open and waited for her visitor to enter the living room.

A woman entered the living room. She was dressed in all black, including a black hoodie with the hood pulled over her blonde hair. Before she sat she handed Stacy a large steaming cup of coffee.

“I don’t know why you insist on such clandestine meetings, and at this hour,” said the visitor.

“You know why. I don’t want anyone, especially my sister, to know my business.”

“What you are doing is not illegal, though I’m not sure about what’s next?” The visitor raised an eyebrow to try and elicit information about Stacy’s future plans.

“Honestly, I do not know what will come next. It may just depend on what you tell me tonight.”

The woman leaned forward and pulled off her hoodie. Her hair cascaded halfway down her back. She had an athletic frame with medium-size breasts and a small waist. Her easy smile made her look like the girl next door that should pose for Playboy.

Stacy took a big sip of coffee, took a deep breath, and then said, “Obviously, I got your text. She’s out. Tell me everything.”

Alexa popped open her Red Bull and took a big gulp. She leveled her gaze at Stacy.

“Yes, as you read in my text message, Nikki was released from her minimum security facility last week. She was evaluated by two psychologists and both agreed that she posed no danger to herself or anyone else.”

Stacy’s expression was steeled. She sat stone cold listening to the report.

“Where is she now?”

Alexa said, “She is living with an orderly from the facility in the Shady Groves mobile homes complex just south of the city.”

“What is his name? His story?” asked Stacy.

Alexa pulled a notebook from her rear pocket. She didn’t need it, but she knew it calmed Stacy by appearing to verify information instead of reciting it from memory.

“His name is Jacob Williams. His unit is 16 Elm Tree Way. He’s worked at the facility for about six years. He mostly pushes pills to the patients on their schedule, helps the nurses move patients, clean, and do light repairs and maintenance.”

Alexa looked to Stacy. She had not moved but was clearly concentrating hard on everything Alexa said to remember it, even though it was in her report.

Alexa continued, “He has lived in the mobile home for about ten years. When his parents were killed in a car accident he sold the house and made just enough to pay it off, pay for the funerals, and get his current place. He has a record, but nothing major – bunch of speeding tickets, and a possession charge from about five years ago. Two joints. Guess he pissed the cop off to get hauled in for that little marijuana.”

Alexa glanced at her notebook.

“Jacob’s record is mostly clean, but his brother and a cousin are real fuck-ups. They have both been in and out of prison for various drug-related offenses. His brother is currently upstate serving 12-to-15 for distributing cocaine. He was due for a parole hearing last month. If it goes well he’ll likely be out any day now.”

“On the job, Jacob does the minimum work he has to do to keep his job. He arrives mostly on time. At least within ten to fifteen minutes of his start time. Management is desperate to get orderlies that they let this slide since he’s been there so long. He has a reputation in the facility of being a supplier. He can get drugs, phones, money from the outside, pretty much anything. It is usually for sexual favors, but somethings he works for cash or barters for something on the outside.”

“That’s a lot of very specific information. I assume you had an informant that fed it to you?”

Alexa grinned. “Yes. I signed up to be a ride share driver and hung out near the facility. It took about a month, but it eventually paid off big time. One night I got called for a ride from the main office of the facility. My passenger was a homely middle-aged nurse that was very upset when I picked her up. I engaged her in small talk, and when she said her car would be in the shop for a few weeks, I offered her a deal to take her to and from the facility off the books at a reduced rate.”

“On the morning and evening rides I would talk and flirt with Julie. It only took a few days before she asked me into her home after work for a drink. Her girlfriend broke up with her and she was heartbroken. She wasn’t looking for a new relationship, but a bounce-back fling.”

Stacy’s headed crooked. “I didn’t think...”

Alexa laughed. “I’m mostly straight, but a few weeks of playing for the other side was kind of fun.”

“OK, you start seeing Julie and she gives you information about Nikki?”

“Yep. I was careful not to ask any direct questions, but one night Julie mentioned a patient who had killed her husband’s best friend was doing an orderly. She was using him to get a phone, and if the rumors were true, bribe the shrinks that were to evaluate her so that she was guaranteed to get out at her next parole hearing. Once she brought up Nikki, it was easy for me to ask if there was any new in the story about that crazy lady that’s fucking an orderly.”