Just before two officers Anna Martin and Maria Desalva got a call from an ER nurse at Midtown Hospital.

“I just read your bulletin about someone having a chest wound. It took a while but I read back through the admissions last night. We treated a woman for lacerations of both breasts about two AM. She filed a police report on the incident. She said someone attacked her with a knife.”

“Do you have a name and address?”

“I can do better than that. She is still here. She was admitted.”

“We will be over as soon as we can.”

As Maria drove Anna arranged to meet a blue and white at the hospital. On the way they got a call from the lab. The team at Dr. Davis’ home had found a two inch, blood soaked pad under the table in the kitchen. They would now have evidence for a DNA match.

Maria and Anna met the uniformed officers, checked in with hospital security and went to room 721. The room was empty. The floor nurse assured them the woman was there about twenty minutes ago. “I helped the doctor check the dressing and drains. Someone really ripped up her breasts. Let me give you her name and address. Laura Spangler.”

One of the other nurses spoke up. “You must have the wrong chart. That is Leah Starner.”

“The chart for room 721 says Laura Spangler.”

“It’s Leah Starner. I worked with her at Poly. I think she is still there in OB/GYN. I haven’t seen her for three years. I was going to drop in to see how she was doing when things slowed. The name was close enough that I didn’t notice it wasn’t the same.”

“Are you sure it’s her?”

“I saw her. I’m sure.”

The two detectives took the name Leah Starner and the other information the nurse could remember about her. As she was finishing she noted that Leah had a tough time in recent years. Anna asked why.

“Her husband was in a motorcycle accident, really messed up his right leg. The bones went out the side and went in the ground. Dr. Davis did surgery to reduce the fracture but three days later it got infected and they amputated. He didn’t handle the amputation well and about a year later he killed himself. She blamed Dr. Davis. The accident was his fault and there wasn’t much money to cover the medical expenses.”