Free Fall

23

Christine and I are standing there, stunned, staring at Ceepak, who is staring at his silent cell phone.

He looks stunned, too.

“That can’t be right,” says Christine. “Why would anybody want to kill Dr. Rosen?”

“Not knowing, can’t say,” mumbles Ceepak, who, it seems, has slipped into his analytical automaton mode. He thumbs a speed dial number.

“What’s up?” I ask.

“Calling Chief Rossi.”

The new guy. Great. The Chief of Detectives has to call the Chief of Police and tell him what his mommy just said. I don’t envy Ceepak on this call.

“Roy? John Ceepak. Sorry to be bothering you on the weekend. I see. Yes, sir. Things do get busy around town in the summer. Yes, sir. It’s all good. Sir, I need to call in a favor but I wanted to run it by you first. I’d like to contact Dr. Rebecca Kurth, the county medical examiner. Arnold Rosen passed away this morning. That’s right. Ninety-four, sir. Well, there is some suspicion of foul play …”

Here, Ceepak takes a long pause.

“My mother talked to Dr. Rosen last night. In their conversation, Dr. Rosen expressed a fear that someone was out to kill him. Yes, sir. My mother. No, sir. She does not typically get involved in our homicide investigations. In this instance, however, she was friendly with the deceased. Bingo, sir. Yes, sir. At the Senior Center.”

Ceepak is using a thumb and finger to massage the bridge of his nose while the Chief unloads on him in his ear.

“Well, sir, we have, in the past, done favors for Dr. Kurth. I don’t think this will, as you suggest, ‘ruin our relationship’ with the county medical examiner’s office. Yes, sir, you have my word. If Dr. Kurth, as you say, ‘laughs in my face,’ I will let the matter drop. Thank you, Chief.”

Ceepak thumbs the OFF button.

“You guys are really going to investigate Dr. Rosen’s death?” says Christine with a nervous titter. “He was ninety-four.”

“Indeed,” says Ceepak. “However, he was not on Hospice Care, therefore an investigation into the cause of his death may be warranted.”

“It’s up to Dr. Kurth?” I say.

“Roger that.” Then he turns to Christine. “How was Dr. Rosen this morning when you came on duty?”

“Tired, I guess. He didn’t want to wake up and eat breakfast or take his morning pills. Finally, after a little cajoling, I got him out of bed, escorted him to the bathroom, helped him clean up, brought him back to bed. He still wouldn’t take his pills. Wanted to sleep some more.”

“So you let him?”

She nods.

“And where did you place his morning pills?”

“Back in the kitchen with the pill organizer.”

“What happened next?”

“I had to go to my room.”

“Why?”

“Around 8 A.M., David and Judith showed up. They’re still mad at me about what happened in the courtroom with Judith’s sister. So Monae agreed to cover for me.”

“When did you give Dr. Rosen his pills?”

“I guess it was around eight thirty, after David and Judith finally left. Monae knocked on my door. Told me they were gone; that I was back on duty. I finally got Dr. Rosen to drink a can of Ensure-because he needed something in his stomach before he took his medicines. I had his morning pills all set in a paper cup, but he wanted to talk first.”

“About what?”

“Family stuff.”

“Christine?” says Ceepak.

“Yes, sir?”

“Your patient is deceased. The possibility that he might’ve been murdered has been raised. Your obligation is to the truth now, not your patient.”

“So you’re saying I’m free to discuss ‘family affairs’ that came to my knowledge during the practice of my calling?”

Yep, it’s code versus code.

And if I’m following the ethical logic, here, our need to learn the truth in the pursuit of justice outweighs Christine’s obligation to keep mum about the dead man’s family.