Myers continued, “Culvert corresponded with a woman named Rachel Whitehurst while in jail. She apparently imagined herself in love with Culvert.” He shook his head. “The way these women throw themselves at bad guys like Culvert will never cease to amaze me. They know these men have done terrible things—in Culvert’s case, he’s been an alleged hired assassin for more than twenty years with hundreds of kills to his credit—but still they want to be with them.”
Priscilla couldn’t imagine wanting to talk with a man like Culvert, much less fall in love with him. She suppressed a shudder. “You think this Rachel might know where Culvert is?”
“If we can find her,” Aldrich said. “She worked in Billing at the hospital where Culvert had his operation, and she hasn’t been seen since his escape.”
“How did this slip by until now?” Luc sounded as angry as Priscilla felt.
Myers visibly bristled, sitting up straighter in his chair. “Listen, the FBI followed protocol and worked with the sheriff’s department on transporting Culvert to the hospital from the county jail. They even isolated him under an assumed name at the end of a hallway that didn’t have access to the stairs or an elevator. He was handcuffed to the bed and had two deputies guarding him at all times. They did everything they could in the small window of time we had to make arrangements.”
“But surely the FBI was aware that his so-called girlfriend worked at the hospital?” Priscilla tried to keep her voice even. The marshals worked hard to keep witnesses like herself safe from harm—it was a tough job mostly done behind the scenes. But she couldn’t help but wonder who had dropped the ball with Culvert’s security.
Aldrich sighed. “It was in Culvert’s paperwork, but no one thought to look until after his escape.”
“How exactly did he manage that?” Luc questioned.
“That’s where we think Rachel helped him. Several hours before Culvert’s escape, security footage shows her having a brief conversation with Deputy Calvin Horner in the hospital parking lot just before Horner’s overnight guard shift.” Myers tapped his cell phone on his leg. “We think she must have passed along instructions or payment to Horner. A few hours into Horner’s shift, one of the orderlies brought up two cups of coffee from the cafeteria, an arrangement Horner had made before coming to Culvert’s floor. Security footage shows Horner bringing the cups into Culvert’s room.”
“But I thought both deputies had been drugged?” Priscilla frowned, as she recalled the details Mac had given her about Culvert’s escape.
“They were. We think Horner slipped sedatives into both cups, making sure he was close enough to Culvert’s bed that the prisoner could get the handcuff keys once the men were out.”
“Didn’t the nurses think something was off without the guard outside Culvert’s room?” Priscilla still couldn’t believe Culvert had escaped so easily.
Myers shook his head. “Horner timed the coffee delivery perfectly. Only four nurses were on the nighttime staff for that floor. It’s usually five, but one had called out sick.” He held up a hand as if to forestall their next question. “And before you ask, the FBI verified that the nurse had a legitimate reason.” A small smile crossed his lips. “She was in Labor and Delivery two floors up having a baby, which no one could have foreseen.”
“Unfortunately, we’ve not been able to question Horner because he had some sort of reaction to the sedative and has been in a coma.” Aldrich sipped his coffee. “But the other deputy appears clean.”
Priscilla organized her thoughts before speaking. “Horner laces the coffee with some sort of quick-acting sedative, gives one to the other deputy. They both drink it and pass out. Then what? That still doesn’t explain how Culvert made it out of the hospital.”
“He overpowered one of the nurses when she came into his room during her rounds, stuffed her in a closet and walked out wearing stolen scrubs, a surgical mask and hair cap. No one thought to check his ID—he’d used the nurse’s ID to exit the secured floor during the middle of the night.”