"Mocha"
It was a nice late morning when Dr. Daisuke drove his car through Orlando. He looked around the shopping district for a place to park. When he found a lot by chance, he parked over there and began walking. He took his case with him in case there was an emergency. He turned his smartphone to vibrate so he could enjoy his lunch in peace. He wouldn't be eating alone. He'd be catching up with an old friend.
He went to an outdoor café where he worked on his puzzle waiting for his friend to arrive. When he finished his second crypto puzzle, Spencer Caliber showed up and greeted the fellow. The two men shook hands with smiles, saying their how do you dos to one another. They both sat across one another and talked about their lives. It was mostly about their day-to-day moments with their patients mostly. It was when Spencer talked about Rose was when the atmosphere shifted.
"I gotta tell you, Dai, she was something." Spencer sipped his coffee after stirring it with caramel cream. "Rose was a laugh riot and a good friend. My life won't be the same without her."
Daisuke understood his feelings. Rose was a saint, so kind to everyone. Yes, she can be strict if she had to, but it was all because she believed morality and freedom should be balanced. She did make a point to it. Florida alone was split between liberals and conservatives all the time. Rose was neither of the two. She was what I call centralist. She was a liberal with limitations and a conservative without religious restrictions.
"I'll miss her too, Spence. She was very kind to me. She never judged me once about anything I was. She poked fun of the way I cook spareribs once, but she loved smoked hickory and teriyaki spareribs since I cooked for her."
"She's like that...I mean she was." Spencer sighed. "It's been over a week now. The tests came back."
"Her COD?" Daisuke asked. He put his menu down. "So that's why Rose came up. You examined her. What was the cause?"
"An allergic reaction to almond essence in the bloodstream. Rose has...had a tree nut allergy. She knew she shouldn't eat them. The thing is, there weren't any nuts in her system."
Daisuke stared at his colleague. "Spence, you know there are three ways an allergen can be in your system. They are consummation, contact and inhale. She must have one of to have a reaction that severe. We don't have any clothing detergents with almond serum nor any almond perfume! So, she had to have consume almonds!"
"She cleaned her stomach hours before her surgery. She was empty!"
Daisuke knew Spencer's point was valid. He sat back and sipped his green tea. "Well, I won't eat anything with nuts today. It'll remind me of this riddle you gave me. I think I'll have a veggie omelet with brains on the side."
Spencer sighed and looked for a waiter. "I get it. You want an answer. But here is a problem, not everyone is Sherlock Holmes!"
"Are you saying I can't solve this mystery?"
"I'm saying you're not supposed to. Dai, Rose was my patient, my responsibility...my best friend. I would like to solve this with some help of a detective."
Daisuke sulked inside and felt offended. But he understood where Spencer is coming from. Yeah, peeps, struggle is part of life, as of a lot of things. It what makes us stronger. And the doctor in front of Daisuke struggled. However, as stubborn as the doctor was, Daisuke didn't want him to struggle alone.
I promise you, my friend. I won't let you suffer. My friends and I will help you no matter what. We are friends, and friends work together. Whether it's around you, or not.
It was his personal intention that he would help Spence with this conundrum. Their time together was quiet for the most part. Other than enjoying the food, they kept their dark thoughts to themselves.
After they said their farewells, the two doctors parted ways. Spence had to go back to his hospital to check up with his patients. He also informed Daisuke that he organized the annual Ursula Cambridge Memorial fundraiser. Daisuke thought to himself that he was always so busy with charities. When Rose was alive, she partook in the work of raising money for foster kids. Spencer knew there were going to be some huge shoes to fill, but he had to what he had to do.
As for Daisuke, it was slow at best. His nurses worked on the clinic from top to bottom. There wasn't a patient that came in for an appointment that day. For the doctor that seemed odd. There usually was a patient or two every day. But there wasn't a soul on the beds or in the waiting room.
"Really?" Daisuke asked Bertha after her hard work moping the floor. "You girls are going to turn this place into a desensitized bucket if you keep on cleaning."
"Well, we have nothing else to do! Sammy and Goldie are cleaning the toilets."
"Brave souls." Commented the doctor. "Where is Kat?"
"She's washing the sheets."
"And Julie."
"She and Aria are dusting the waiting room." Bertha wiped her forehead from her dripping sweat. Her hair was up in a bun do. Some of the loose strands landed on her neck and shoulders. Her eyes drooped with exhaustion. "Well, thank goodness the new nurse is coming."
"Great! That is the best news I heard all day!" Daisuke sat on his desk, his head settling on his knuckles. Bertha placed her mop outside and sat across her. "That's right! You had breakfast with Dr. Caliber! How is he? Is he fairing well?"
"As well as a mourning friend could be. I'll give you breakdown if you want to know."
Bertha did want to know the doctor told her employer. When he revealed the cause of death, Bertha gasped. "Wait, so she never consumed anything! Nor were there any signs of almonds anywhere else in or on her person?"
"Correct." Answered Daisuke simply.
"That is some puzzle he's solving."
"Yes. It's a puzzle I'm helping solve."
Bertha combed her recent flowing thick hair listening to her friend. "Did he say that you're helping him?"
"I volunteered."
The nurse shook her head. "Hell, hon! I don't think it's a good idea to solve the crime. You need a professional. Try Frank, Hope's husband! He's a great detective in the Orlando PD! He might help!"
Daisuke thought it over and nodded. "I might need his assistance. I can call him and tell him what we know. This Flasher won't know about all this."
A few moments later, the doctor called the detective and explained to him what Dr. Caliber told him. Frank agreed to swing on by and discuss with Dr. Daisuke in person. When the detective arrived at the clinic sometime later, they began to discuss the situation.
"I see." Frank chugged his tea before putting his cup back on the desk. "Wow! Rose had a tree nut allergy. I never guessed that in a million years."
