DAY FIFTY NINE

The new leads were processed.  The locations were posted.  There were new sightings.  Barb spent the day with an artist trying to come up with a composite of the shooter.  There was just not enough information, her view of the shooter was too brief and in too little light.  One thing was confirmed; the shooter wore an army field outfit including the army hat.  He was carrying a rifle that looked like an M1.  If the shooter had been able to get one of these that had not been modified it would fire in semi-automatic mode.  He could squeeze off shots as fast as he could pull the trigger and the 30.06 bullet had a fantastic hitting power, even if it didn’t explode.  The cartridge was big enough to handle an overload of powder to propel the bullet with extra energy and the chamber of the rifle was strong enough to handle the extra powder.   The shooter was not tall and seemed a little stocky.  Barb could not confirm that he had or did not have a limp but he had moved rather quickly out of the open part of the alley.  The other leads were followed up and returned no valuable information.  With Penny hurt she was alone in the office because Margie was still out with the flu.  She fumed that they had nothing for the evening.  Sometimes things happened to solve a case and sometimes leads just came to you but more often you had to be out there making it happen.

Jack Helm got about seven hours of sleep and at about 10:30 he was entering the hospital.  He decided to avoid the front desk.  He wanted to see Norma and the desk would probably intercept him and they might not let him see her.  The office types might stop him but the nursing staff knew him and would let him go almost anywhere.  Being a paramedic had some perks.  She should have been in surgery and out by the time he got off his shift.   She should be somewhat lucid by now.  “God,” he kept thinking.  “That could have been me.  I was just as exposed as she was.”

He rounded the corner from the parking lot and started for the door.  He found himself facing a young woman on crutches.  Her right leg was missing.  She was obviously an amputee.  In a half second he sized her up.  She was pretty, no, darn pretty, bordering on drop down gorgeous, at least compared to the girls he had dated.  She had on a skirt and sweater.  The sweater showed enough curves to attract attention.  The skirt was short enough that a couple of inches of her cast on her right leg, no stump, he corrected himself, was sticking out.  In the next second he realized she was the woman he and Norma picked up in the alley last night.  He stopped.  “Miss, is it Patricia?”

“No, it’s Penny.”  Somehow he looked familiar.

“Were you the police officer that was shot in the alley last night.”

Penny became standoffish, “Are you a reporter?  That’s all I need right now is some damned reporter wanting to talk to me.  I bet you want to know if it hurts to get shot in a wooden leg or something stupid like that.  If you want a story, tell that guy out there Penny is coming for him and when I get him it will be bad for him.  The worst day of his life will look like a good day.”

He shook his head.  “No, I’m not a reporter, I’m the ambulance attendant that helped load you in the alley last night.  I’m the one that pried your leg out of the grate.”

Her attitude changed.  “I’m sorry, I should be thanking you for what you did.  My leg is busted up pretty bad, it needs some repairs, but it can be fixed.”  With that an older woman came out the door carrying what was obviously the damaged leg.  She turned to her, “Mom, meet the guy that pulled my leg out of the grate.  It’s Jack, I think, I can’t remember the last name.”

“Helm, like what steers the ships.  How’s the leg?”  His face went red.  “I mean how are you?  I mean the other one, you had some pieces of metal in it.”

“I’m so full of medications that I have no idea if anything hurts.  I guess that will hit me when they start to wear off.  The doctor told me the pain would be bad.  My, ah er, stump is black and blue, top to bottom, looks like I jumped off a cliff and landed on it.  They put a cast on it to keep it from swelling.  If that happens it will be a long time till I can walk on my leg.”  She pulled her skirt up a little so he could see more of the cast.  “The left thigh has a couple of holes in it as you know, they have bandages on them.  It’s stiff, but I can walk on it.  I’ll not be entering any marathons this week.”

“You can’t know what I thought when I pulled that shoe out of the grate.  I thought we were putting your real leg on the stretcher, I almost asked if we should pack it in ice till I got over to the light and saw the top of it was metal.”  He grinned sheepishly.  “The guys at the firehouse would have had a field day with that, me packing a metal leg in ice.  As it is, they will be harassing me about feeling up some girl’s leg.”  He turned red after he said it.

They both laughed.  “Thanks for getting it, that is worth a lot of money and the more pieces that are salvaged, the easier it will be to replace.  And if they do kid you about it ask them if they are jealous.  Tell them the gal who owns the leg said you can come over and feel it any time as thanks for the help.”  She turned red after saying it, she felt almost drunk.  The medications certainly were making her fly.  It was good her mom was driving.

“I may take you up on that.  The leg has a nice shape and so does the other one. I guess that offer doesn’t extend to it.”  He quipped.  She ignored the comment.

“Are you here to see someone?”

“My partner, Norma, the guy shot her leg off in the hospital parking lot last night, along with two nurses about two hours after he shot you.  He had a busy night, so did we.”

“Oh, God no.  We didn’t stop him.”  She had not seen the report.

“Don’t kick yourself.  You have been as close as anyone.  Your partner got off a good shot.  They can’t find the bullet.  Nobody knows why.  Maybe she hit him.”

“But he was well enough to shoot three more people before the night was over she didn’t hit him very hard.”

“Let’s see.  I have to see Norma.  Maybe I’ll get a chance to see you again.”

“Sounds OK to me.”

He went into the hospital. 

As her mother walked to the car with her Penny said, “He’s a really nice guy.”

“I was almost embarrassed.  You were flirting with him.  And he was responding.  You are acting like you are drunk.”

“I’m on some real nasty drugs.  I really feel half drunk.  I wouldn’t try to drive.  I am pretty sure I couldn’t pass a field sobriety test.”

“Some excuse.”

Then they both broke out laughing. 

He headed upstairs in the elevator.  “Penny.”  He thought.  He would have to learn some more about her.

The Night Sniper Chapter One: On the Beat

The Night Sniper: Ch. 036 Penny is Shot Again

The Night Sniper: Ch. 038 Paul Visits Felicia