100 Ways to Solve a Murder-Chapter 122: The Artist X

3 hours later, Jackson Detectives Agency

Marco felt short of breath and dizzy while he stood leaning against the wall beside Levi’s office door. They were discussing the paintings and all the clues leading to the killer when he felt odd if he was honest, he was shocked by everything that the two had revealed to him. But he wasn’t shocked to the point that he was feeling it physiologically like he did then.

’What’s happening?’ he wondered, and then pain enveloped him completely.

Sam and Levi both looked at Marco; concern etched on their faces. The next second he collapsed to the floor in a thud while holding his gut, writhing in pain and his flushed face and neck dripping with cold sweat. He doesn’t know what was happening, but Marco knew something was seriously wrong with him.

Levi’s eyes widened at the bearded man’s state. The two ran at Marco’s side immediately. Both of them knelt on each side, "Tell me what’s wrong, Marco." Levi instructed, trying to get the man’s attention. While the redhead took the man’s hand, checking his vital signs, he was tachycardic and had shortness of breath. Based on the colour of his lips, he wasn’t getting enough oxygen in his system.

"It hurts, everything hurts," Marco stammered, a grimace clear on his face. His head was pounding, and he could feel the world spinning around him. Sam shot Levi an alarmed look, and they helped the man up to his feet. Marco groaned loudly, cursing after. They ushered him towards the backseat of the car, but before they could even reach it, the bearded man vomited on the pavement outside.

"You’ll be fine, Marco. We’ll get you to the hospital." Sam assured, getting him to the car. She loosens Marco’s clothes in the backseat of the vehicle while Levi drives.

The slicked blond’s eyes shifted from the road to the rearview mirror, worried for his best mate’s state. The bearded man was a tough bloke, so he can only assume that he must be in severe agony enough to get him to his knees.

Levi looked back on their day, his mind running 500 miles per second. At the same time, Sam ran all the possibility of his signs and symptoms in her head.

Appendicitis? No, he has constant pain, not rebound pain.

Gallstones?

Gastroenteritis?

Peptic Ulcer?

Food poisoning?

Wait...

All of which did not make any sense to her. Marco was in his mid 30’s, still in his prime. He had no known health-related issues, and from her knowledge, he recently had his annual medical exam, and nothing unusual was found. So she looked back in their day together, recalling if he seemed ill from the start or was it caused by something recent?

And as if simultaneously, the two exchanged looks from the rearview mirror after coming up with the same conclusion.

They were aware of how and why Marco was in pain.

And they needed to get him to the hospital fast.

...

A & E, Guys Hospital

Levi stood in the sideline as the redhead endorsed Marco to the emergency physician. A couple of nurses came to assist immediately, taking his vital signs and running tests. Sam slowly walked back towards the slicked blond 5 minutes later, and there was silence for a few moments between them.

"Lisa?" Sam asked, not tearing her eyes away from where Marco. "She’s on her way, she’ll drop off Liz in Eastbourne first." the blond replied. He had informed Lisa immediately after their arrival in the hospital, knowing full well she would be pissed if he forgot something so important.

"I take it you’ll run toxicology on his blood," Levi said, earning a nod from the redhead. They both had the same hunch, based on the bearded man’s signs and symptoms it was highly likely it was Lead Poisoning. And they knew exactly where he got it.

Sam will have to leave soon and do her tests, but she didn’t want to leave Levi there alone for too long. She knew he was worried; it was his oldest closest friend, after all. She’ll go when Lisa arrives.

15 Minutes later, Lisa fast-walked towards the Emergency room. She grabbed her mobile phone from her trench coat and dialed Levi’s number immediately. "Where are you?" she demanded, receiving a "Give me a second" from the other line. Seconds after, she saw his blond head peeking out of one of the hospital drapes.

She approached him immediately, pulling the drape open. Her blue eyes widened at the sight of her husband on the bed, unconscious. An IV inserted on his vein, pulse oximeter clipped to his index finger, and oxygen cannula attached to his nose.

Her eyes reddened immediately, and she glared at Levi. "What happened?" she demanded.

"He collapsed half an hour ago in Eastbourne. He was in pain; we took him here immediately." He explained, and she shot him a look. Lisa was smart enough to know he was keeping something from her.

Levi sighed; Lisa really was smarter than he previously assumed when they first met. She had good instincts too, but most of all, she was his best friend’s wife. He chose her wisely.

She wasn’t just some random bimbo he picked up at a bar.

"The Lead poisoning case we are working on." he started, "Michael Scott’s case," Lisa said, earning a nod from the criminal psychologist. He’s not even surprised that she knows; Marco tells her everything. He reckons he reports how his day went every night when he comes home. There were no secrets between the couple.

"Yes, we went to revisit the family. We had tea there. Sam and I suspect the tea served to us were dosed." Levi revealed. But the question ’why’ remained in his mind. What’s the goal?

Lisa’s eyes narrowed, and she clenched her jaw. As much as she was a human rights advocate, she has the urge to tear anyone’s eyes out and skin them alive for hurting her loved ones.

"Sam left two minutes ago to work on confirming that," he added, informing her that the redhead was working on the test right at that moment.

"Why is it only him?" Lisa asked, wondering. If they were served tea, why was it only her husband that was ill?

Levi turned to Lisa as she took the empty seat beside her husband. "I suspect the poison was in the sugar," he said, and she nodded. She knew all too well that Marco took his tea on the sweeter side. In comparison, Levi took either little to no sugar at all, especially coffee.

Levi saw how the blonde reached to hold her husband’s hand and took it as his cue to give her a moment alone, "I’ll get you something to eat. "He said, walking out and closing the drapes.

....

Lab, Guys Hospital

Sam sat in her Lab, watching the roller mixer move on the marbled counter, mixing blood samples in the gel tube at 30rpm. Her hand fished for her mobile phone in her white gown’s pocket; she considered it a good time to use her connections for the sake of her friends. She dialed a number and pressed it against her ear, "Elle, I need a hospital suite." she said, a panicked response was what she heard on the other line.

’Are you okay?’

’What happened?’

Sam sighed, pulling her phone away for a moment. The brunette, on the other line, was talking too loudly. "Elle, I’m fine. It’s Marco. I need a room for him. Please arrange it immediately." she said, earning a sigh of relief and an ’of course’ from the woman.

Sam put on latex gloves; the second the mixer had stopped vibrating, and she proceeded to perform her test. And since Lead kills by attaching itself on the RBC, taking away oxygen in the blood, resulting in the brain starving. And so, whole blood is used for the qualitative test. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

And after, Sam prepared samples from Marco Evans and Michael Scott’s blood. The samples were dissolved in nitric acid and then heated, so the isotopes or chemicals signature of the Lead could be exposed.

Hours later, Lisa sat beside her husband, holding his hand a few hours later. He has yet to gain consciousness; the doctor said it might take him a few hours since they gave him something to dull the pain.

Her blue eyes scanned the suite; Marco was moved there an hour ago, and she mentally wondered how much it cost a night. She reckons it could put a hole in their pocket, that is IF they were paying, but that wasn’t the case.

Their friend happened to be a billionaire and has enough influence and power, enabling them to stay there for free.

She sighed; at least she knows Marco was getting the best care he could ever possibly receive. And with Sam performing the tests herself, she expects to receive sooner than later.

Lisa turned towards the door when she heard it slid open. Walking in was none other than Levi, a bag of fruits and drinks in his hand. "Thank you, Levi," Lisa said, taking it from his hand.

"Don’t mention it," he answered, his eyes scanned the blonde woman, and he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as she sat back down next to Marco’s bed.

"He’s stable, and he’s tough. Even though it may seem like a stiff breeze could blow him over." the Irishman said in good humour. "Don’t worry too much. And Liz is with Mrs Whitehall. She’ll be fine. The boys are also there to entertain her." Levi reassured, earning a smile from the woman.

Seconds later, Sam entered the room with dark bags under her eyes; she had yet to sleep. Busy running tests on not only Marco’s blood but also Michael Scott’s, comparing the two.

"What’s the craic," the blond asked the redhead immediately.

"As we expected, Lead poisoning. I’ve informed his attending, they’ll start chelation therapy soon. Rest assured, he’ll fully recover." Sam said, turning to Lisa after.

Lisa sighed in relief; she needed to hear that especially coming from the redhead.

"Also, after I finished the toxicology test, I ran an analysis on the victim’s blood and compared it with Marco’s blood," Sam said, "And?" Levi asked, curious.

"The isotopes that were found in the victim’s blood matched with the isotopes in Marco’s blood. This left no doubt that the source of Lead that killed Michael Scott was the same one Marco ingested," she informed. Levi nodded, fishing his mobile phone and dialling Davies’ number. He explained the situation, and the call ended quickly. Levi turned to the two women, Sam standing reading Marco’s chart. Lisa was holding the bearded man’s hand.

"I’ve informed Davies of your findings," Levi said, earning the two’s attention.

"They’re working on getting a warrant as we speak," he added, earning a nod from the two.