Page 25 of Hidden Hero

“You have identified her as your mother, Carol Sue Hudgins, correct?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Cora knew that Carl was keeping notations, so she continued. “What was your mother’s medical condition, if any?”

“Her kidneys were failing. Her doctor is Dr. Nielson at the clinic near the hospital.”

“I know Dr. Nielson. Thank you for the information. It will make getting her records very easy.” Cora kept her voice soft.

“She was in palliative care and had a home health nurse stopping by weekly. But I didn’t know that she was this close to… well… I thought we had more time.” More tears fell, and Mary swiped at them.

“I understand, and I’m so sorry for your loss.”

A noise was heard at the doorway, and a large man wearing overalls and a barn coat rushed inside the room as Mary cried, “Martin!”

He wrapped his arms around Mary and held her close as he gazed toward the bed. Tears filled his eyes. “Oh, Mama Hudgins,” he whispered, then tightened his grip on Mary.

Cora gave them a few minutes before stepping closer. She introduced herself to Mary’s husband, then said, “I need to explain what happens next. The paramedics will take Mrs. Hudgins’s body to the hospital morgue?—”

“The morgue? But we thought it would just go to the funeral home. We’ve already made arrangements with Snyder Funeral Home. And we’ve called Mama’s pastor.”

“That’s perfectly fine. But we need to check her records and determine the cause of death officially. I will be the one who signs the death certificate, and then Snyder Funeral Home will be able to transport the body. I know this is all new to you, but it’s standard procedure when a person dies alone.”

Mary’s expression appeared lost, but Martin nodded. “I understand. I can call Mr. Snyder and our pastor and let them know.”

“Mr. Salisbury, I think it would be best if you took your wife outside. It can be upsetting to see the paramedics as they transport her. I have assured your wife that we will treat her mother with the utmost dignity.”

He nodded again. “I remember this several years ago when my daddy died at home and was all alone.” He guided Mary out of the room, and she waited until Carl stepped to the doorway and held his gaze.

“They’ve walked outside,” Carl said.

She pulled the bedcovers back and did a quick examination. Once complete, she nodded to Carl. The EMTs came in and carefully took care of the body before placing it on the gurney. Cora stepped over to the nightstand and snapped a picture of the pill bottles nearby.

“Ask one of the deputies to come in, please,” she requested.

The female deputy she had seen earlier walked in. Unsure if the deputy had attended a death before, Cora explained, “I need you to accompany me into the bathroom where we can check for medication.” The deputy nodded, and Cora led the way. She snapped pictures in the bathroom, and then they opened the medicine cabinet, where she examined each container. Most still had pills in them, but several were empty.

“I’ll need evidence bags,” Cora said. The deputy quickly walked back outside and returned with several. Cora placed the medication into the evidence bags and handed it to Carl for identification. She then followed the same procedure with the medication that was on the nightstand.

While there was nothing suspicious, it was her job to make sure. She found nothing out of the ordinary while looking around the bedroom. She walked out with Carl and told the deputy, “I’m finished here. If the North Heron Sheriff’s Department has a reason to search, that’s on them. At this point, I’m not seeing anything suspicious.”

“Thank you, Doctor. I’ll let my superiors know.”

With that, she and Carl headed back to the hospital. She checked with Dr. Nielsen and received the records, discovering that Mary’s report was correct. Her mother was in the late stages of kidney failure, and her doctor was not surprised she had died during the night.

She called Karen Drummond from the home health program. After explaining who she’d been to see, she asked, “There were empty prescription pill bottles in the medicine cabinet. They seem to be the same as the ones that were filled. Do you know the reason for that?”

“For some reason, Mary was afraid to throw out any of her mom’s prescription bottles. I thought I had convinced her she didn’t need to keep the empty ones because the pharmacist would simply give her a new one. Then she got into the habit of saving the last prescription bottle when she picked up a prescription for her mom. This had been going on for a while, and when I checked her medication each week, nothing was untoward about her number of pills.”

Thanking Karen, she disconnected, then finished her report, determining that Carol Sue Hudgins’s death was due to kidney failure, and the death was not suspicious. She filled out the form for the death certificate, and after it was brought to her, she double-checked the information, then signed and dated the form. Looking over at Janice, she said, “You can call Snyder Funeral Home and let them know they can pick up Mrs. Hudgins’s body.”

Cora glanced at the clock on the wall and realized she had worked straight through lunch. Thinking of the lunch Jeremy had brought the week before, she sighed. It had been delicious, and she was touched he’d thought of her. Snorting, she shook her head.Of course, he needed something from her, so it was more like a bribe than a thoughtful gesture.

Her stomach rumbled. It was midafternoon, but she had plenty of work to keep her busy. She couldn’t wait until the day was over. She wanted to see the cats, plus the unseasonably warm weather made her decide that a walk on the beach was just what her mood needed.

* * *

Jeremy and Pete parked outside Ed Evans’s house and walked to the front door. When they arrived, it was thrown open, and Ed greeted them with a broad smile and a booming welcome.

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