Episode 72 – Felicity meets the janitor

Felicity checked the man for a pulse, and when she found one, went out to the washroom and soaked some paper towels in cold water to see if she could revive him.

There was a wound on the back of his head, and a little spilt blood.  He’d been taken from behind by, no doubt, the person who’d trashed the office.

As soon as she touched the wound, he stirred, groaned, and opened his eyes.

“I’m not here to hurt you,” Felicity told him in a soothing voice.  “I found you one the floor.  Are you OK?”

The man moved his hand to the back of his head, and gingerly felt for the wound, and winced when he touched it.  Felicity gave him the wet paper towels so he could tend to the wound.

A minute or so later, he sat up.

“Do you know what happened to you?” she asked.

“One minute I was sweeping the floor, the next I felt a whack on the head, and then nothing.”  He looked around to see the papers scattered about the floor.  “A robbery?  Do you know Mr Walthenson?”

“Yes.  He sent me here to collect some papers, but it’s going to be difficult to find those he needs.  I take it it wasn’t like this when you came in here?”

“No.”

“When was that?”

“About Seven thirty, give or take.  It’s the last office I do for this corridor.”

“Any one in any of the others?”

“Not that I could see.  You a friend of his?”

“Colleague.  We’re working a case together.”

“where is he, he hasn’t been around for a few weeks.”

“Away on a job.  Got into a little trouble, been spending a few days in hospital.  He’ll be back soon enough.”

Felicity then helped the man up off the floor, and then stood nearby, just in case he fell.  He looked very unsteady on his feet, perhaps the attack had been more severe than both thought.

“Want me to call an ambulance?”

“No.  I’ll be fine.  Can’t afford no hospitals I’m afraid.  Should call the police though, and report a break-in.”

“You should.”  She gave him her card with her phone number on it.  “If the police need any further information, tell them to call me.  Oh, and you might want to pass the information about this to a detective called Sykes.”

She made sure the man was OK before she left.

There was no way she could search the premises now, lest she invite unwanted attention from the police.  She would have to come back later, or after Sykes called, if he called.

It was time to track down Corinne.

© Charles Heath 2016-2019