“Oh no, I know Linda. I met her. She was always out back. I didn’t hear she was dead.” Dink frowned, confused, but she was listening.

“Right, I met her, too. She was always out back, spying on the neighbors. She told me that she saw other men on Gail’s back steps, and I think she saw one of them on the day of the murder.”

“Not Jeffcoat?” Dink’s lips parted in surprise.

“No.” Gail’s phone started ringing in her purse, and she checked it quickly. It was Marcus calling, so she didn’t answer.

“Who then?”

“I don’t know. She didn’t tell me. She called the police to tell them, but they didn’t call her back, and she was killed.”

“Oh, man,” Dink said, hushed, her bloodshot eyes widening.

“She fell down her stairs, supposedly by accident, but I looked into it and found some things that made me think she was murdered.”

“What things?”

“It’s a long story, but I think she was murdered because she knows who the real killer is. I don’t think the real killer is Zachary Jeffcoat. The real killer could be Gail’s boyfriend.”

“But that would mean he’s a serial killer.” Dink shook her head, frowning. “He’s a jerk, but I don’t think he’s a serial killer.”

“How do you know? You can’t tell somebody’s a serial killer just by looking. They can be very successful. They’re selfish. Narcissists. Isn’t that how you described him in the ladies’ room? Doesn’t that sound like her boyfriend?”

“Well, yes, it does.” Dink nodded, newly tense.

“Or, think about this possibility.” Christine was thinking aloud. “Maybe he’s not the serial killer, but what if he killed Gail the same way the Nurse Murderer killed the other nurses, so the police would think the Nurse Murderer had killed Gail?”

“Like a copycat, like on CSI or something?”

“Yes, he knew about the Nurse Murderer, didn’t he? It was on the national news.”

“He knew, we all did.” Dink’s eyes flew open with a sudden realization. “Oh my God, he sent an email to us nurses three weeks ago, warning us about the Nurse Murderer and saying that we should be on the lookout.”

“Three weeks ago?” Christine’s thoughts raced. “What if he was setting himself up to kill her? What if he planned the whole thing? Did he know she wanted to break up with him?”

“Yes, totally.” Dink met Christine’s eye, a horrified expression coming over her face. “She told him she wanted to break up with him, over and over. He wouldn’t take no for an answer. He’s used to getting what he wants. He could have killed her, and nobody would believe it was him because of who he is.”

“Who is he? Which of the speakers was he?”

“Grant Hallstead,” Dink answered, glowering.

“The preppy one with the blue eyes?”

“Yes, that bastard.” Dink’s bloodshot eyes glittered. “The head of our unit, orthopedic surgery.”

Christine thought fast. “As an orthopedic surgeon, would he have access to a Langenbeck bone saw? Do you know what that is?”

“Of course.” Dink’s mouth twisted with bitter anger. “He could have killed her. I wouldn’t put it past him.”

“So we have to go to the police. Let’s go together. They’ll investigate him and—”

“No.” Dink shook her head, flatly. “That’s so not what we’re doing.”

“Why not?” Christine asked, but in the next minute, she got her answer.

Dink had turned away and was stalking off in the direction of the stage.

“Dink?” Christine called out, hustling after her. “Dink!”

Chapter Forty-eight

Christine took off after Dink, realizing what was happening. The nurse was going to confront the man who she now believed had killed her best friend. Christine had to stop her. It wouldn’t help Zachary unless Dink went to the police, and worse, it would alert Hallstead to the fact that he was suspected of Gail’s murder. Christine shouted, “Dink, no!”

Dink ignored her, jogging through the crowd, her blond curls bouncing, her arms swinging, her stride strong and determined. She ran past the other orthopedic surgery nurses, who looked at her curiously, their heads turning in confusion.

One of the nurses, a tall African-American woman, grabbed Dink by the arm, trying to slow her step. “Honey, what’s going on?”

“Amy, let me go. I know exactly what I’m doing.”

“Dink, wait! Hold up!” Christine reached the nurse, touching her other arm, flanking her. “Don’t do it this way. You’re just going to tip him off. He’ll get a lawyer, he could leave town. Let’s get him the right way. Let’s go to the cops.”

“I don’t care!” Dink didn’t break stride or even look over. “I’m gonna call him out! I’m gonna bust him in front of everybody! He’s going to pay for what he did to Gail!”

On the other side, Amy hustled to fall into step with Dink, her dark eyes flaring behind wire-rimmed glasses. “Dink, don’t do this! You’re going to get fired! He could even sue you!”

“He’s a killer, Amy! He killed Gail! He killed her because he didn’t want to let her go!”

“What?” Amy said, shocked, hustling to keep up with Dink. “What are you talking about?”

“Dink, no!” Christine grabbed the nurse’s elbow, but she wrenched it away.

“Don’t try and stop me! You didn’t know Gail and you don’t know me! Stay out of it!”

“Please, no!” Christine shouted, running beside Dink. People began to notice the commotion they were making, three women shouting and running through the astonished crowd. Nurses swiveled their heads to them in alarm, other hospital employees craned their necks to see what was going on, and people at the periphery looked askance, wondering who would disrupt such a solemn occasion.

Suddenly Dink broke into a run, her curls flying as she bolted forward, ignoring Christine’s and Amy’s shouts to stop. Amy outpaced Christine, who ran as hard as she could on her swollen feet.

“Dink, no!” Christine hollered futilely, as she watched Dink sprint around the right side of the stage and disappear behind the curtain, where the speakers had been. Christine picked up the pace, panicked as she ran through the crowd, which had parted to let them through. She veered around the side of the stage, where she saw that the speakers had dispersed, but Dink was running after them full-tilt as they walked toward the hospital entrance near the ER, Dr. Hallstead, Dr. Cohen, Dr. Verbena, with Rita Kaplan, some other men, and the women in pastel suits.