hell was that? Ryan glanced down at the building map he’d laid out below bottles on the top of the cart. Dammit. Opposite side of the building from the records room.
The nurse pushed open a door. “Mr. Anders?”
A muffled grunt was the only response.
Ryan left the cart in the hallway. His nose puckered when he stepped into the room. Mother of God, he had not signed on for this. The old man’s bladder had all but exploded right on the floor.
“We’ll get this cleaned right up for you, Mr. Anders,” the nurse said. She nodded at Ryan to get moving.
Colorful language bubbled through his head, but he made his way back to the janitor’s cart and grabbed supplies he hoped would work. Twenty minutes later, he was once again pushing the cart through the long hallways. His skin itched, and he felt the need for a shower to wash off the stench of that room. And he definitely didn’t want to get old.
A woman was keying information into a computer when he made his way to the business offices. He lifted his ID badge. “I’m here to empty the waste baskets.”
She barely glanced at him. “Fine. Don’t be long. I need to lock up.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He went around the room, performing the menial task. When he finished in the outer office, he moved to the record room.
The spring-loaded door snapped closed behind him. He quickened his pace to the window and popped it open.
Annie stood from her spot below the window where she’d been hiding. “What the hell took you so long?”
“Old man’s bladder exploded on the other side of the building,” he whispered.
“What?”
“I’ll explain later. We don’t have long.” He helped her through the window. “There’s a secretary out front itching to get home.”
She went straight to the file cabinet, jerked the top drawer open and pawed through records. “There’s no Alexander.”
“Check Harrison.”
She closed the top drawer and dropped to the next one.
Ryan emptied the trash. The metal blinds clinked as he ran a broom over them to disguise the sound of the file cabinet squeaking open and closed.
“Nothing,” she whispered.
He looked back. “Mathews?”
“Here it is,” she whispered. “So much for the records being destroyed in a fire.” She pulled the file out, flipped it open, scanned each page.
Her sharp intake of breath brought his attention around. “What?”
“Jake’s signature is all over in here.” She kept flipping, her face so pale he was tempted to make her sit down. “There’s a nurse’s name on a lot of these. Janet Kelly.”
“Got it.” He moved to another cabinet and looked for personnel files. “They’re not here.”
“Another office?”
“Probably,” he said, flipping through drawers.
“What’s Midazolam?”
Ryan glanced up. “It’s a benzodiazepine.”
“What’s that?”
“A drug used as a hypnotic sedative.”
Her gaze shot to him. “Sedative? Like for a coma?”
“Maybe. If it’s combined with a paralytic agent, yeah.”
Kate swallowed and glanced back at her chart. “Like Anectine?”
Oh, shit. “Yeah.”
“What about Tabofren?”
Ryan’s hand stopped moving through files. “Say that again.”
“Tabofren. It’s all over in my chart.”
“It’s a cancer drug.”
Annie looked up sharply. “I didn’t have cancer, did I?”
He shook his head, but worry rippled through his chest.
A hand pounded on the door. “Hey, are you done in there? I have to lock up.”
“Shit.” Annie ducked behind the desk.
Ryan pulled the door open. His adrenaline pumped, but he forced a smile. “Sure thing. Just gotta get new bags.” Whistling, he made his way back to the cart, found what he needed, and came back. With a frown, Annie waved him out from her space behind the desk.
He took his time, made sure the window was closed, then eased out of the room.
The secretary checked her watch. “Took you long enough.” She flipped off the light and ushered him out of the main office, then locked the door.
“Night,” he drawled.
She didn’t answer, just headed down the long hallway, the clicking of her heels the only sound echoing in the empty space.
Ryan pushed the cart into the nearest janitor’s closet and carefully made his way back to the business office. He knocked, glanced around, and waited. The door opened a crack, and he pushed his way through then locked it behind him.
Annie’s green eyes sparkled in the darkness. “You sure know how to show a girl a good time.”
“This wasn’t my idea. Check that office. I’ll take this one.” They split up, each searching file cabinets and desk drawers. When Annie whispered from a nearby room, he closed the drawer he’d been searching and followed the sound of her voice.