Chapter 50
"Murder?" Maria said when what Sharon has just told her had sunk in. "They think Victoria was murdered?" Murdered. Why wasn't she surprised that a new disaster had hit? Wasn't it bad enough that Victoria had ended up with a funeral that had practically turned into a national day of mourning, and had landed the director in the mental institution? Now they were facing a murder investigation? "Why in the world do they think she was murdered? It was the FLU!"
"Right, but Agent Hand isn't in a high risk group. She's not that old, and she doesn't have any health problems that I've heard about, right?"
"Well, she didn't have health problems until this happened." Maria muttered.
"True. But she was fine before that. The people that you expect to die from the flu are the elderly, very young kids, people with pre-existing conditions. Plenty of people in those groups got sick from the shot and none of them died. No one has died of this thing, except Agent Hand, and she's probably the least likely person who should have died. So naturally the doctor's suspicious, especially when he found out that we only sent six people to look after three hundred sick agents. At best, he's probably thinking that there were so many sick people to look after that Agent Hand didn't get proper attention and died as a result, at worst…. I'm not thinking about that. I'm not talking about worst cases. What in the world should I do now? They're not going to let the director out without a court order, or possibly Agent Hand showing up to let them know in person that she isn't dead. There isn't any chance she might be feeling better and able to do that, is there?"
"Definitely not. And even if she was feeling better from the flu, she's still at risk for a secondary infection. There's no way that she can be moved at the moment." Maria said. And after what had happened, with the near heart attack, how much additional strain had that put on Victoria's already stressed body? It was going to be a miracle if she didn't come down with something else on top of the flu.
"So what do I do? I'm afraid the doctor might be calling the police, and I would really like to be elsewhere in case the show up. I've got Aunt Peggy with me, I really, really don't want to drag her into the middle of murder investigation."
"Can you see if the doctor will let you see the director? If you can, get in to see him, and let him know we're trying to find a judge to sign the paperwork to have him released. Then go and find Victoria's family and let them know that she's okay."
"What if they think that the pictures we have are Photoshopped like the doctor does?" Sharon asked.
"Have them try her cell phone. I'm pretty sure she's too drugged to talk, but maybe Coulson's people can talk to them and convince them that she's alive." At least Maria hoped that Coulson's people could convince Victoria's family that she wasn't dead, or she was very afraid of what could happen. What if they thought it was some sort of cruel hoax and pressed charges? Not to mention how Victoria would react when she woke up if she thought they had been tormenting and alarming her elderly grandparents!
"I'll try. Oh, Agent Hill, about the fraud thing. I was just wanting to make sure, when Agent Coulson didn't die but everyone was told he did, how did Director Fury pay for his funeral? Please tell me he didn't file a claim for his life insurance."
"I think he used…." But how had Nick paid for that funeral? Maria had been too upset at the time to be paying much attention. Surely he wouldn't have filed a life insurance claim for someone he planned to bring back! "I'll look into that and let you know. Thank you for reminding me to check it. Just try to let the director know we're working on getting him out, but for now the most important thing is to get to Victoria's family, especially before that murder thing gets out if the doctor really is calling the police."
"Murder thing?" Jasper asked as soon as Maria ended the call. "What murder thing?"
"The doctor that's treating the director thinks something's suspicious about Victoria's death, since she isn't the most likely candidate to die from the flu. Sharon's thinking he's calling the police to suggest Shield was negligent and caused her death as a result."
"We did send only six people to look after three hundred sick agents." Jasper said with a wince. "I could see why the doctor might think that."
"I can too, which isn't good, because if we can see his point, want to bet the police will too? Victoria nearly had a heart attack over her funeral. How's she going to take it if people start saying she was murdered next?"
"Negligent homicide. I think that's what they would charge us with, not murder." Not that negligent homicide any better seeing as it implied they hadn't taken care of a sick friend and she had died as a result of their carelessness. "But maybe if they looked into things…. They would have to dig up her coffin, wouldn't they? And maybe if they saw there wasn't a body, they would realize that this entire thing was a giant misunderstanding?"
"Or they would think we're guilty of worse than negligent homicide and we'll all be drug off to jail until Victoria's feeling better and can come get us out. If she would come and get us out. I'm not sure how friendly she's going to be, after the disaster that we caused." She would probably leave them behind bars for the rest of their lives, and they would deserve it too. How could things go so crazy?