New Year's Eve Kill Read Online Free PDF Page A

cowboy hat on top of her head.
       “Well, two of the nurses on my floor—“
       “—Missy and Gita.” Vince added. His warm, handsome face was only interrupted by his large nose.
       “Right. They had—well Missy had accidently given my roommate Mr. Grant the wrong medication. She gave him a pill form of Lidocaine. The usual use is tropical and you just rub it on the area. The medication numbs the body, and when taken orally, numbs the mouth as well. Mr. Grant had a stroke, or heart attack because of it. Anita is doing the autopsy now. I thought at first Mr. Grant was breathing but when the staff removed his blanket, they found a tiny massage machine that was making the movements. Missy got Gita involved, and the senior nurse didn’t want to lose her job for letting one of her nurses be so careless.”
       Ethel paused to sip the water Vince had poured. She still felt weird as the drug was leaving her system, and she had the worst dry mouth on the planet.
       Bernice was tired of waiting, and stumped her feet. “So how did the doctor get killed? Come on, I could die before you finish the story.” Ethel decided not to get angry with her. She had made it through the worst night of her life.
       “Dr. Dutter found out when he made his rounds and checked Mr. Grant’s vitals. Missy walked in and begged him not to say anything. You see, the doctor was in love with her and agreed. Unbeknownst to them, the orderly—“
       “—real name Richard Hyde,” Vince interjected.
       “The orderly—Richard Hyde, overheard them talking. He knew the doctor was in love with Missy. He was scared that Missy was going to dump him. So he decided to kill Dr. Dutter. But then I was put into the room.”
       “Oh friends. This story is out of this world, and I would be the perfect person to play you in the movie.” Fading actress Rita Renee said, drawling glares from everyone in the room.
       “Would you just let her finish the damn story?” Mr. Healy said from across the room. “I have to get home and feed Cuddles.”
       The mention of Mr. Healy’s cat made her think of her dog, Ace. She was glad her friend Jim was taking care of him. He was the only neighbor from Clover Court that was absent, and it kind of made her feel sad. The young man had been a big help to her on many occasions. Besides taking care of her dog, he was also watching the coffee shop that she owned, The Bold & the Bean. She had also been a lot of help to him, or at least she had hoped. Jim had had a rough childhood and drug problem, and often said Ethel was the first person not to judge him.
       “The orderly grabbed Dr. Dutter when I was sleeping. And tied his hands behind his back, and put a plastic bag over his head to smother him to death. I assume the doctor was making his rounds and came into my room when the orderly was waiting for him. He then raised Mr. Grant’s bed and stuffed the doctor under it until they could get rid of the body.”
       “Savages!” Professional dancer Kylie said, sporting green highlights and doing leg stretches around the room. “But what about the noises you heard?”
       “What they didn’t know was Dr. Dutter had somehow made a hole in the plastic bag around his face. His hands were tied, and he was gagged, but he was still alive, barely, and running out of time. The hole was small, so he was losing air every-time he moved around. We are doing tests. I think there was a small whole already in the bag that the orderly didn’t notice.”
       Ethel waited for Vince to finish and then went on, “Dr. Dutter was the one making the scratching sounds and noises. If only I could have saved him. It just breaks my heart to think I was so close and he was suffering.”
       “It’s not your fault Ethel. What a bunch of heartless people.” Doris added.
       The room was silent for a couple of minutes as everyone thought in different ways how the world could be so dangerous and cruel. Even