Murder On The Mainline - S01 E68

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 68

Marlene comes in and tells him, "She's a little apprehensive now. She's really looking forward to you coming over to tuck her in. You better go right over."

"I'm on my way. How's her bump look? Is it bothering her?"

"She didn't even mention it."

"See you later."

Mike walks past Jeff's and around the block to the hospital. He checks with the desk about visiting hours. The nurse tells him not to worry about the hours. They encourage parents to be with their children as much as possible. Mike goes to her room. It's a four bed ward room and two other beds are occupied by little girls. One's asleep and the other looks up expectantly when he comes in. He spots Shelly as she raises her hand to catch his attention. He grins and says; "I hear you broke the swings with your head. Hard heads must run in this family." He raps on the side of his head with his knuckles as he approaches her. "Ow! Mine's not as hard as I thought!" She grins at him.

Mike sits in a chair by the bed and takes her hand. "Can I see the bump?"

"It's right there." She bends her head forward. He's shocked but tries to hide it, when he sees the swelling. Gently he takes his other hand and turns her head a bit.

"I can't find it. Oh, just a minute, I see it. Is that little bump what this is all about?"

"Oh daddy. What did you do to your hand?" She examines his scabs where he cut himself.

"Awww, I zigged when I should have zagged with a knife. If you think it's bad enough, maybe I should stay in the hospital, too. Shall I see if I can get the next bed there?"

"Hmmm, I don't think it's that bad. Can I come home tonight, daddy?"

"Well, I think the doctor wants to look at your noggin first thing in the morning. Mommy and I would never get up early enough to bring you over so you better stay the night. I'll stick around with you, if you want?"

"Don't you have to work in the morning?"

"Maybe after I come over to see you."

"Don't I have to go to school?"

"Do you want to?"

She whispers, "Not really. I got a headache."

Mike asks with real concern in his voice, "Does it hurt a lot, honey?"

Soberly she says, "No, it just aches a bit."

"Maybe you should try to get some sleep. I'll tuck you in. Will that be alright?"

He tucks the blankets up around her and she says, "Thanks, daddy. I'll go to sleep so you can go home and sleep, too."

He sits beside her until she has dropped off to sleep. He feels so anxious about her condition. He checks her chart and tries to figure out what they are doing for her. Finally he gives up and goes to the nearest nurse's station. He gives his card to the nurse and asks he be called if any problems with his daughter should arise. He specifies he be called immediately.

Then he leaves the hospital and walks home. Down the street he sees a black van parked and he wonders, "Can they be tailing me that close?" He doesn't think so and goes on into the house.

Down the street in the black van sit two men playing cards. One says, "He's back from the hospital. I just saw him go into the house."

Mike goes to see where Marlene is, hears her upstairs putting the kids to bed and goes down to his office. He calls Trudy and tells her he will have to take part of the morning to be with his daughter. He also tells her he argued with Lindross today and has a tail.

He asks if she can come to Abbotsford tomorrow morning with the files and meet him at the restaurant closest to the hospital. They will use her car and shake off the tail. She agrees and they set up a time. He also asks her to bring a Polaroid and anything else she thinks they may be able to use.

Early in the morning Mike takes his car around to his mechanic. He comes home with a loaner and parks it at the hospital. He walks home and tells Marlene he's going over to the hospital.

Marlene says, "Wait a minute till I get Richard off to school and I'll go with you. We can take Janet. Will they be long fixing the car?"

"He said he might be able to finish it today. He hasn't got a lot of other work, so far. He gave me a loaner and I parked it by the hospital. Lindross has a tail on me again so I'll go to work from there. I might be able to shake him that way."

"Can't you ever get along with that man? Do you want me to take your briefcase under my spring coat? I think I can hide it unless they come right up to me."

"That sounds like a good idea. Your pretty sharp."

"Sharpest lady in Abbotsford!"

"I guess I'd agree to that."

"Maybe tonight you'll reward me?"

"Maybe." He grins as she scoots Richard on his way.

It's misting a light rain as they leave the house. Mike notes that the van is back. He takes Janet's hand on one side and Marlene takes her other. Marlene uses her other hand to hold the briefcase tight against her body under her coat. They walk around the block and into the hospital. Mike waves Marlene on and fades back into the shadows by the door. He watches the black van park out near the front of the lot.

He smiles and catches up with his wife and daughter. They go right in to find a cheerful Shelly chatting with a nurse. The nurse says the doctor will be right back. He is releasing their daughter this morning.

Shelly wants him to look at her head and he's surprised to see that the bump has subsided and is almost invisible. When the doctor comes back he says she has responded to treatment well and he is sending her home. She should rest this weekend and will be able to go back to school by Monday.

Mike stays until his daughter is released then asks Marlene to wait for ten minutes before she takes them home. He slips out a side door and walks around the next block to the restaurant. He spots Trudy's Sprint and goes inside.

"Hi Boss, you want coffee?"

"No, but you go ahead and finish yours. You got the file for POCO? The WCB file?"

She pulls out a manila envelope, about nine by twelve and hands it to him. Return address's Workman's Compensation Board, Victoria, British Columbia and a postal code. He pulls out the package, glances at the advisory letter then looks into the file. John Hagen, forty-four, married, address in Port Coquitlam claims he sustained a back injury while moving produce in the food processing and packing plant of York Farms in Chilliwack. Has been off work for over a month. Claims he is bedridden, suffering such pains as to make it impossible for him to work. Has not responded favorably to treatment and his claim is supported by his doctor.

"This one may require patience, but it's fairly straight forward. Catch him on film doing something strenuous. You could handle this one on your own, if he doesn't catch you. Just about done?"

"Just finished. Let's go. You want to drive?"

"I'm surprised you'd let me." He takes the keys and catches her coffee at the till. They go out front and Mike tries to fit himself into the sub compact. He's surprised how much room he does have when he slides the seat back all the way. It starts to rain in earnest as they head west from Mission. Mike says, "I hope it's not going to keep this up. Did you hear the weather report this morning?"

"No, but last night on the news it said an unsettled day of sun and rain. It didn't look bad when I left home."

"Maybe this is just a shower. It should get better as we go west, anyway. I've often seen it pouring out around Chilliwack and the sun shining when I get into the yard in POCO. How can you find the pedals in this little piss pot?"

"Don't make fun of it. This little baby gets me seventy miles to the gallon. I laugh when I pass everybody at the gas pumps."

"I'm surprised how much room you have when you push the seat all the way back. I suppose you use it with the seat forward as far as it'll go. I can't imagine even a child using the rear seat behind me. That rear seat comes out, doesn't it?"

"Yep. I pulled them out once and took Crystal camping. We slept back there on a foam rubber pad. It fit us."

"I think I'd have to leave the hatch back open to lay down back there." He laughs as he pictures himself stretched out with his feet sticking out.