Murder Couldn't Wait: An Amy Bell Mystery

By David Schwinger

Jack Markov was building his professional reputation as nurse manager by moving from one medical group to another and implementing the changes he believed were necessary to ensure that they would thrive in the coming decades. But these changes adversely affected the benefits and working conditions of his nurses. Now, Jack was coming to the North Bayonne Medical Group, and his reputation had preceded him. At the retirement party for the outgoing nurse manager, Jack gave a speech reaffirming the nurses' worst fears. Someone attending the affair decided to act before Jack could even start his first day on the job. That person poisoned Jack's drink with methanol, and a few hours later, Jack was dead. Two months later, the police were making no progress, and the medical group hired detective Amy Bell to investigate the killing. Amy soon realized that she had an overabundance of suspects. All twenty–three nurses at the party hated Jack's guts. So did their spouses, many of whom were also in attendance. But as the vivacious and witty Amy dug deeper, she discovered that several people at the party had other motives for killing Jack. She uncovered ugly and painful secrets that they would not want revealed. However, even with the assistance of her husband Jeremy – with whom she had many loving but fierce political disputes – Amy realized that identifying the killer at this point was a long shot. And bringing the killer to justice, by coming up with proof, was an even longer shot. Author David Schwinger, when not writing Amy Bell mysteries – there are now ten – enjoys composing songs, playing pickleball, and traveling the world with his wife, Sherryl. He first met Sherryl when she was his student in a mathematics class he taught at City College of New York. Their secret romance became the inspiration for his first Amy Bell mystery, The Teacher's Pet Murders.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 12, 2019
• ISBN: 9781643508283

Book preview

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Marian Rozinski was nearly in tears and was not attempting to hide her emotions as she sat down to lunch, with her friend and fellow nurse Janet Court, in the staff dining room at North Bayonne Medical Group’s expansive center, on Kennedy Boulevard, in Bayonne, New Jersey.

Janet immediately put on her sympathetic face and voice. You look like the world is about to end. What’s wrong?

Janet, I don’t think I should tell you before you finish eating.

Do you have a health problem? Or maybe it’s a relative?

No, and my problem will also be your problem.

Janet put down her sandwich. You might as well tell me now. I’m already getting upset.

Her friend and colleague nodded. Okay, here goes. You know that Doreen is retiring as nurse manager, right?

Right. I heard she’s retiring as of April first.

Marian shook her head. There’s been a change in the timetable. I have it on good authority that she’ll be gone as of February first, and as of that date, the new manager will be Jack Markov.

Jack Markov? Janet started fidgeting in her seat. Why does that name sound familiar?

"Because Jack made headlines with what he called his ‘crackdown’ on lax supervision of nurses when he became nurse manager two years ago at Kearny Metro Medical Group. I’ve heard that nearly half the nursing staff have quit there since he took over. And now he’s coming here.

Seven years ago, I left my friends and relatives in Pittsburgh and moved here to Bayonne because this center had a reputation as one the best places in the country to work as a nurse. I bought a house here. I put down roots. Now Marian was actually crying. And NBMG has more than lived up to its reputation. Our working conditions and benefits are head and shoulders above those at most other medical groups and hospitals. I think this has also benefited the patients. I have loved it here. Now everything that’s wonderful about this place is going to be destroyed.

Janet ran her fingers through her short brown hair. Are you sure Jack Markov has officially been hired?

Her friend nodded. Yes, I’ve seen a copy of the announcement. I think it’s coming out before the end of this week.

Why would they bring him here?

"I presume it has to do primarily with cutting costs although I doubt NBMG will admit that. The announcement says Jack is in the forefront of twenty-first century advances in nursing administration. That would be very funny if it weren’t so tragic.

I think Jack is going from medical group to medical group, achieving his ‘advances,’ to build up his reputation as a springboard for achieving his goal of eventually attaining the position of nurse manager at a big hospital where he can screw up the lives of a much larger number of nurses. This place is making a big, big mistake by hiring him.

If Jack becomes nurse manager, are you gonna look for a new position elsewhere?

Marian nodded. The announcement says that he’ll be coming here later this month, on a date to be announced, to introduce himself and make a presentation to the nurses. I’ll attend his presentation, and then I’ll decide how to proceed. But if he says anything like what I expect him to say, my days at NBMG are numbered.

Would you go back to Pittsburgh? Speaking selfishly, I sure hope you don’t.

Marian, with tears flowing down her cheek, got up, hugged her friend, and then went back to her seat. "Thank you for saying that. I’ve made a lot of friends in this area over the course of the past seven years. It’ll be a very tough decision for me, whatever I decide to do. And wherever I end up, it won’t be as wonderful a place as this is.

My family in Pittsburgh always tells me to come back home and find a husband. They say there’s a better ratio of eligible men to eligible women back home than in the New York City metropolitan area. And they’re probably right.

Janet was contemplative. Why don’t you keep an open mind and give Jack a chance for at least six months before you make any kind of decision? That’s what I plan to do. I also love it here, and I’ve been here six years, but I’m lucky that with Henry doing so well, I have total flexibility. I can work full time, part time, or not at all. And we’ll also be starting a family at some point. So I realize that my situation is different from yours. But still, please don’t rush into anything.

Marian nodded as she forced herself to smile. You’re probably right. I won’t jump into any premature action. But right now, I plan to do something I’ll probably regret. I’m gonna have some chocolate cake for dessert. I really need it at this point.

Her colleague laughed. Okay, good idea. I think I’ll join you and make the same bad decision!

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Among the twenty-four full-time nurses employed by the North Bayonne Medical Group, exactly three were males. They had all been there for quite a few years, and naturally, they had become good friends.

At 7:00 p.m., Tom Corman, Jared Warner, and Steve Barron were enjoying dinner together, after work, at Matt’s Steakhouse in Bayonne. They were discussing two recent announcements.

So, Steve declared, Doreen is retiring, and at her retirement dinner this Sunday, Jack Markov will be there to introduce himself and make a presentation. Isn’t that just special?

A retirement dinner, chimed in Jared, is supposed to be an event to honor the retiree. Now Jack is gonna butt in and spoil everything.

Tom glanced at the announcement. It says here that all the full-time doctors and nurses are invited, and each invitee can bring one guest. Jared, are you bringing Becky? Tom was referring to the administrative assistant at NBMG whom Jared had been dating for the past nine months.

Of course! Why would you even ask? And I assume you’ll come with Audrey.

Tom smiled. That’s right, and since Audrey is a nurse here, we won’t need to bring any additional guests. You bringing your wife, Steve?

Peggy is coming, but she’s not happy about it. She checked out Jack on the web, and she says he’s even more disgusting than I had told her he was. Peggy says she can’t imagine that I’ll be able to stay here with Jack as manager. She has suggested that I secure a position elsewhere in this area before other NBMG nurses read the writing on the wall and beat me to the punch, leaving no decent positions remaining.

Jared was a bit more sanguine. I’m gonna give Jack a chance for a while. He knows what a great reputation NBMG has. The situation at Kearny Metro could have been different when he was hired there. Maybe Jack’s smarter and more flexible than you think. Or maybe it’s just that I’ve been here for eleven years, and I can’t imagine leaving. Anyhow, please forgive me, but I really have to use the men’s room.

While Jared was gone, Tom smiled and changed the subject. Steve, can you believe that Jared ditched Andrea and went with Becky? Andrea is a stunner, and she’s so sweet. She told me it was Jared who did the breaking up, and she was shocked at the time. They had been together for two years.

Steve nodded. Yeah, Andrea said as much to me too.

What does he see in Becky? True, she’s a decent person, but she’s five years older than Jared, and well, just take a look at her. I don’t think she’s ever had a serious boyfriend during the eight years she’s been here, until Jared. I was here a year before Becky arrived, and I think I would have known if there was ever a guy, but of course I can’t be sure.

Steve smiled. My grandfather had a favorite song. It was entitled ‘If You Wanna Be Happy,’ by Jimmy Soul. The song suggested that if a man wants to be happily married, he should marry an unattractive woman because she’s more likely to be faithful, not cause problems, and cook meals on time. Tom burst out laughing. So maybe Jared agrees with my grandfather and with Jimmy Soul. And in fact, there may be some truth to that song.

Tom was still giggling. Well, in that case, I’m in big trouble. Audrey is beautiful, and I really think she’s gonna be the one, maybe sooner rather than later. And by the way, I wouldn’t say Becky is ugly. She’s just not one of the better-looking women around.

At this point, Jared returned to the table. What are you guys laughing about?

Oh, I was just bragging about Audrey and how lucky I am to be with her. You know, beauty and the beast.

Now Jared joined in the laughter. Give me a break! You’re a good-looking guy. Audrey’s lucky she got to be with you. And I’m lucky I got to be with Becky. She’s one in a million, and I’m pretty sure she’s a keeper.

Steve smiled in Tom’s direction and then turned toward Jared and said, I’ll second that.

Thursday, January 21, 2016, am

At 11:45 a.m., Amy Bell pulled her car into the visitors’ parking lot at Comlin College, in East Brunswick, New Jersey. She was not a happy camper. She had been talked into making a presentation to the sisters of Tau Mu Tau sorority.

Several months ago, Amy—who was vice president for sensitive investigations at Spy4U Services, a Manhattan detective agency—had investigated and solved the disappearance of a sister in Tau Mu Tau. In the course of that investigation, Amy had also solved the murder of a young waitress.

Several sisters in Tau Mu Tau had been extremely helpful to Amy in solving the two cases. For doing so, she had earned a bonus of twenty thousand dollars.

* * *

A month earlier, Lauren Bloom, the sorority president at Comlin, had phoned Amy and requested that she speak at the sorority house in January. Lauren said that normally, all Comlin students are permitted to attend sorority-sponsored presentations by outside speakers. However, Amy would be a special case.

The presentation would be held during the January intersession, when many Comlin students go home, but most Tau Mu Tau sisters remain on campus for charity work. Attendance would be limited to Tau Mu Tau sisters. So although Comlin was a coed college, this would be a girls-only event.

Amy, Lauren explained, "your presentation will be special in another way. As you know, Comlin is a socially conservative school. Most of our sorority sisters, like the great majority of Comlin students, are socially conservative, and most are also observant Christians or Jews. All of our previous speakers have been religious leaders or representatives of socially conservative organizations.

You never mentioned any of this to me when we met with regard to the case you were investigating, but I have it on good authority that you are a political and social liberal and that you’re not particularly observant, religiously speaking. Am I correct?

Amy laughed. Lauren, you have the makings of a good detective. You’ve done a thorough investigation, and you have me dead to rights.

Well, all the sisters who had contact with you say you are a highly intelligent, caring, strong woman, with an engaging personality and that you are the perfect person to speak to us as an exception to our normal speaker profile. I also know that you’re tops in your field, please don’t bother to deny it! And of course, we will pay you any required speaker’s fee.

Amy knew she was being buttered up, but she loved it. She also felt a debt to the sorority sisters who had helped her solve two cases and earn all that money. She couldn’t see a feasible way out, and she surrendered immediately.

Of course. I’ll be thrilled to come and speak to the sisters. And of course, there will be no speaker’s fee. Just give me a date, a time, and an approximate duration for the entire event. I assume there will be time for questions after my presentation, right?

Now Lauren laughed. "Oh yes, you should be ready for lots of questions. I suggest January 21. You can meet my two vice presidents and me at the sorority house at noon, and we’ll take you out to a restaurant for lunch. Then your actual presentation will be at two o’clock. We’ll set aside a maximum of two hours. So it’ll be