Heartless Love

Chapter Six

Tamara harshly taps the Save button on her computer. "Inputting things into the system always takes so long?", she mutters to herself with a groan. After retying her ponytail, she stands up from her chair and puts back on her jacket. Afterwards, she pushes back in her chair and heads out of her office towards Bryce's. Once she reaches his office door, she lands two hard knocks on it. "Come in," he says out loud. As she opens the door, her eyes widen slightly at the state of his office. "Did the gang we're after come and throw a bomb into your office?", Tamara asks sarcastically. Keeping his eyes on his work, he responds, "I say nothing about your office Lewis; so, I would appreciate if you would not say anything about mine." Tamara's eyebrows furrow and she asks more seriously, "And just what is wrong with my office Detective Gates?" He closes the folder of papers he has been working on and stands up to push his chair in. After putting his suit coat on, he begins walking towards the doorframe. As he passes next to Tamara, he pauses. "It's not that anything is wrong Lewis. It's just that your essential oil diffuser can sometimes be slightly strong," he says in a low tone. Tamara doesn't respond and just continues to look out of his office windows to the city buildings. "I like it though," he adds quickly. Before Tamara can respond, he continues on past her and towards the elevators. She decides to ignore his words and hastily catches up with him.

When they reach the hospital, Tamara stops a moment to admire its structure. "Everything ok Lewis?", Bruce asks as he puts on his sunglasses. She looks away from the building and towards him. A small laugh escapes her lips, and she says, "Its overcast and the humidity is at seventy-two percent, and you're wearing sunglasses." "Still not answering my questions," Bryce states. Tamara scoffs as she begins to head for the hospital's main entrance. Once inside, she and Bryce walk over to the help desk and ask, "Do you know where we could speak to someone who would be able to answer some questions regarding Doctor Sutton?" The lady moves towards the computer as she asks in turn, "What department?" "Surgical," Tamara responds. The lady nods her head and begins typing something into the computer. After a short while, she says, "His head nurse, Karla, should be able to answer your questions. If you go on floor twenty-five you should be able to find her office. Room 250" Bryce and Tamara nod, before making their way to the elevators. Once inside, Bryce clicks the button to the twenty-fourth floor. He and Tamara stand in silence as the elevator begins to make its way up. "So, what caused your lunch to be a bust?", Bryce asks suddenly. Tamara thinks for a bit, then answers, "I had to chance a boy who stole bread from a baker." Bryce laughs deeply and remarks, "Detective Lewis running after a felon. Wish I would have been there." A ding sounds, and the doors to the elevator slide open. "It was much less entertaining than you would imagine," Tamara states as she exits the elevator. Once they reach Karla's office, they see that the door is already open. Bryce walks in front of Tamara and knocks on the door. Karla's eyes snap up from her desk and she asks, "How may I help you sir?" Tamara appears from behind Bryce and shows her badge. Karla's eyes get a bit wider. "We are from the NYPD and are investigating into Doctor Sutton's case," Bryce states. Karla nods her head and stands up from her desk. She out stretches an arm and offers Bryce and Tamara to sit down. As they take a seat, Karla sits back down into her own seat. "So, detectives, what are your questions," Karla asks. Clearing his throat, Bryce asks, "Did Doctor Sutton ever tell you about any issues he was experiencing, both in and out of work?" Karla shakes her head with uncertainty as her mind reels with thought. "What about conflicts with fellow co-workers?", Tamara pushes. Karla thinks for a bit, then replies, "All the staff got along with him. However, I remember there was this one time, right before he had to clean up for a surgery, he was on a call with someone. He kept on saying that he and the other man would soon be free for life." Bryce and Tamara look at one another. "One last question," Tamara states as she exhales deeply, "Did you ever see a tattoo on Doctor Sutton's neck? More specifically the left side?" "No. Absolutely not. He hated the idea of tattoos. Said they were a mark that showed the instability of one's self-worth," Karla responds.

"So, if Sutton had no tattoos, then why was a piece of skin cut out in the same place and in the same shape as the other victims?", Bryce asks as they exit the hospital. Tamara clicks her tongue against her pallet. "I don't know. But I am determined to find out," she replies. Bryce stops walking, which in turn causes Tamara to stop and turn to face him. "What if none of them had tattoos? What if...," he asks, but stops mid-sentence due to uncertainty. Tamara takes a few steps towards him. She scoffs halfheartedly and completes his sentence, "What if whoever killed them wasn't trying to hide who the murders were, but rather trying to leave their signature?" Bryce nods his head slowly. "Now, we can go talk to Detective Hayes," Tamara states as she turns back around to head to the car.