Night-World Read Online Free PDF Page B

two more bodies found upstairs. She knew who they were, now—an orderly named Thomas and an elderly woman patient. The orderly had been stabbed to death, and the patient apparently died of a heart seizure, but of course they couldn’t be certain of that. All they knew was that four people had died; three staff members and one patient.
    Five other rooms upstairs showed signs of occupancy, so there had been five other patients in the sanatorium. But they were missing.
    They were missing, and all their records, all means of identifying them, had gone up in smoke in Griswold’s fireplace.
    Five mentally disturbed patients gone. Vanished. Only one—Bruce—known by name. And every reason to believe that one or more of those patients was a mass murderer.
    But who were they?
    And where could they have gone?
    No wonder Lieutenant Barringer frowned when Karen shook her head.
    “I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t know their names. I never even set eyes on any of them. I told you I didn’t visit my husband while he was in the sanatorium.”
    “Why not?”
    “Dr. Griswold thought it best if I stayed away. Bruce seemed so disturbed—”
    “Disturbed?”
    Barringer picked up the word, but Karen couldn’t help that. There was no avoiding the subject, and if she didn’t speak up, they’d hear it from Rita.
    “Of course. That’s why he was under treatment, it was a nervous condition. Ever since he came back from Vietnam—”
    “Was he a head?”
    “No. He never got into drugs.”
    “You’re sure of that?”
    “Certainly. I’m his wife—if there was anything like that going on, I’d know.”
    “Then in what way was he disturbed?”
    “Just nerves—”
    “Please, Mrs. Raymond. People don’t spend six months in a sanatorium unless there’s been some kind of diagnosis. Surely Dr. Griswold told you more than that. What were the symptoms? What did your husband do that prompted you to put him away—”
    “I didn’t put him away! Bruce was the one who wanted to go!”
    Hearing the shrill echo of her own voice, Karen realized she was close to hysterics. If she wanted to help Bruce, she would have to control herself.
    Subsiding, she watched Barringer ease himself into a chair across the table from where she sat. He glanced at Cole, then turned to her again.
    “Sorry, Mrs. Raymond. I know how you feel.”
    “Do you?”
    “Of course. You’ve had a shock, you’re tired, you don’t like all these questions.” Barringer sighed softly. “Well, neither do we. The trouble is, we’ve got to come up with some answers. And right now you’re the only one who can help us.”
    “I’ve told you the truth.”
    “I believe you.”
    “Then what more do you want from me?”
    “The rest of the truth. The part you haven’t told us yet.”
    “But that’s all there is.”
    Barringer glanced at Cole again. Cole didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to say anything, neither of them did. They’d just sit here, waiting until she broke down and gave them what they wanted. Sooner or later they’d get to her, and if they got to her, they’d get to Bruce.
    Unless—
    “Wait a minute.” Karen took a deep breath.
    The two men looked up quickly.
    “I just thought of something.”
    This time it was Cole who flashed a look at Barringer, a look that said, see, I told you so, she’s ready to crack. But Barringer, playing the game, the old waiting game he knew so well, didn’t react. He leveled his stare at Karen.
    “Go on.”
    “I used to call the sanatorium every week for a report. Usually I talked to Dr. Griswold, but sometimes he wasn’t available, and I’d speak to his nurse instead. She was in charge of the day shift. I’m sure if you talked to her she could give you the names of the other patients.”
    Barringer was leaning forward. “What’s her name?”
    “Dorothy. Dorothy Anderson.”
    Sergeant Cole was already scribbling on his note pad.
    “Any idea where she lives?”
    “I’m not sure.” Karen hesitated.