by Jonas Saul
Her hands secured to the arms of the wheelchair, Sarah shook and rocked her head until the towel slipped below her eyes.
“After a tasty mental hospital dinner,” Cole said. “I’ve got my last set of rounds to make. Then we’ll have a bit of fun before the fire.”
“The fire?”
He raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms, then tilted his head to the side. “You ask about the fire. Are you not concerned about the bit of fun part?”
Wet hair spilled over Sarah’s face. She pushed out her bottom lip and blew the wisp aside. “There will be no fun,” she said in a deep, cold voice. “The only fun that will be had will be mine.”
Cole tilted his head to the other side. “How do you figure? You’re the one tied up. You’re soaked, barely dressed, which is turning me on by the way, and I’m the one in charge. I’ve got the weapons.”
“You were saying something about a fire?”
He glared at her a moment longer, then uncrossed his arms, walked around behind the wheelchair and started her toward the door.
“How are your parents? Amelia, right? For some reason I can’t remember your dad’s name.”
Sarah remained silent. It infuriated her to be in such a position, so helpless, a victim. A shudder passed through her as she clenched her hands, the restraints pressed against her wrists.
“How did you get Dr. Williams to admit me? We both know he didn’t do it based on our short meeting. Those two thugs were ready and waiting.”
“Oh, that part was easy.” He pushed the chair through the doors, out into the corridor. “Back when I was on the force, Williams and I worked together on various cases many times. Eventually we became friends. Golfed together, went fishing. He confided in me. A little problem that could hurt his career had popped up. A little female problem that wouldn’t go away.”
“So he asked you to make it go away?”
“Let’s just say he dabbled with his patient when he shouldn’t have and now she wanted a payout. Pay her and she goes away, or she tells, sues and gets paid anyway, except the second option kills a career. It was cheaper for Williams to pay me to warn her off. A lot cheaper.”
“And it didn’t work, I assume.”
They pushed through a set of double doors and entered the corridor that led back to Sarah’s room.
“Good guess. No, it didn’t work. In fact, the bitch raised the amount. Doubled it. Williams panicked. Told me he needed this issue silenced and would rather pay me than have the money extorted from him.”
“Same thing, though.”
There was a pause. “What?”
“Whether Williams pays her or you, the money’s being spent as a result of the girl’s extortion.”
“But he didn’t pay her.”
“Whatever. What happened next?”
“I silenced the girl. In a back alley.” The warmth of his breath brushed across her neck as he leaned in close to her ear. “I silenced her with my cock. She choked on it. Ever since then, I’ve been having my fun and getting away with it.”
“And Williams always owed you this debt.”
Cole pushed the door open to Sarah’s room and ushered her inside.
“He doesn’t anymore. The debt has been paid. Isn’t that right, Dr. Williams?”
“Yes, it is.” Williams stepped out from behind the bed. “I’m debt free.”
“Then why are you still here?” Sarah asked, not showing her surprise at his sudden arrival.
“I was promised a little fun with the prize. Tonight, we take turns on the legendary Sarah Roberts. In this hospital, surrounded by the institutionalized and criminally insane, we’re the only normal two and we’re the ones in charge. No one will bother us. You’re all alone, Sarah.” Williams stepped closer, bent down and placed his hands on his knees as he got to her level. “No one knows you’re here. Before the end of the night, a fire will raze this building and you’ll die in it. I would like to think you’ll focus on enjoying yourself before you die.” He looked up past her to smile at Cole. “Two men at once. Your last night on Earth.” His eyes found her again. “Try to enjoy it and we’ll be gentle.”
“Oh, I’ll enjoy myself tonight, but I won’t be gentle.”
Williams stood up, his face hardening. “I was afraid you’d be this way.” He shrugged. “Oh well, I tried.”
Sarah tested the strength of the wrist straps again, pulling up on them hard.
She didn’t see Cole’s right hook until it was an inch from her face.
Then she didn’t see anything at all after that.
Chapter 16
Kershaw pulled up out front of the Amy Greg Psychiatric Hospital, parked and killed the engine.
Aaron grabbed the back door to leave but stopped when Kershaw spoke up.
“Parkman,” Kershaw said. “I don’t have any legal recourse here. I’ve got no search warrants, no paperwork whatsoever, and no proof to believe that Sarah is in there. And even if she is, what am I supposed to say to her?” He closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose with two fingers. “What the hell are we doing here, anyway?”
“Sarah’s here,” Aaron said. “I can feel it.”
Parkman looked back and forth between the two of them. “This is a fishing expedition. We’re going in there to ask a few questions and figure it out from there. If Sarah ever made it to this facility, people will know. If she didn’t, we’re about to find out.”
Kershaw opened his eyes and turned to Parkman. “How will people know? What does that mean?”
“Sarah always gets results. Sometimes getting results means you have to make a little noise. If she came here looking for Cole Lincoln, you can bet there will have been some trouble.”
“Hey, guys,” Aaron said. “We can’t learn anything in the car.”
Kershaw nodded as Parkman got out, followed by Aaron. The warmth of the late afternoon on this spring day soothed Aaron as they headed for the front doors of the Amy Greg facility.
“Let me do the talking,” Kershaw said. He turned back to face Aaron. “Even if we discover something you’re not happy with. Deal?”
“Fine.”
They hit the doors, Kershaw going through first. A reception area sat just left of the main doors. Kershaw steered that way with the two of them taking up the rear. Aaron pulled his cell phone out and flipped it to vibrate, as did Parkman.
A tall blonde woman in a vibrant yellow blouse and long black skirt came out of an office, closed the door firmly and approached them.
“How can I help you?” she asked.
“I’m Officer Nick Kershaw. My colleagues and I are looking into—”
“Is this official business?” the woman interjected.
Kershaw had a moment of uncertainty on his face. Aaron wanted to jab him in the side to prompt more talk out of him. He almost opened his mouth, when Kershaw started talking again.
“Your name is?” Kershaw pulled a pad out of his breast pocket, along with a pen.
“I’m Sandra Gonzales,” she said, without offering a hand to shake.
Kershaw wrote it down, then pressed on. “We are looking into the disappearance of a woman named Sarah Roberts. There is reason to believe she is here or will be here shortly.”
“I’m not aware of her being admitted recently. But then I don’t know everyone’s name.” The woman sat at the reception desk, adjusted her skirt, then her hair. “Even if Sarah Roberts was here, you know I can’t offer that kind of information without paperwork.”
“She wouldn’t be here as a patient.”
Sandra frowned. “Then why would a missing woman show up here? Do you think she’s coming to visit one of our guests?”
Kershaw exchanged a glance with Parkman, who nodded.
“She would be looking for one of your employees. A man named Cole Lincoln.”
“Cole?” Sandra sat back, the chair squeaking in protest. “I’m a little confused. You have a missing woman and yet you think she’s on her way here, or already
here, looking to meet with Cole?”
“That’s about it,” Kershaw said.
Aaron had lost patience with the dancing around. Either Sarah was here or not. He had the urge to walk the length of the corridor yelling her name.
“We have reason to believe that Sarah will be here today. Can you confirm whether she has come in or not? Have you heard the name before now?”
“Well, Officer, without—”
“A murder has taken place. The body of the dead woman was just found inside the driver’s seat of Sarah Roberts’ car not far from here. Sarah has gone missing. The only recent connection to Sarah is Cole Lincoln. She was looking for him and, as I stated earlier, we have reason to believe Sarah is here.” Sandra’s eyes widened noticeably as Kershaw went on in his authoritative cop voice. “Will you confirm whether Sarah is here or do I have to come back in an hour with twenty men and all the paperwork needed to do a little housecleaning?”
Sandra Gonzales got up and stepped to the side, pushing the chair under the desk. At first Aaron thought she was going to run. Maybe she was a patient playing with them and the real receptionist would be found bound and gagged in the janitor’s closet.
But all Sandra did was pick up an internal paging system and hold the phone to her ear.
“Would Cole Lincoln please come to the front desk. Cole, you have visitors.” She set the phone down. “I think it best that Cole handle this. He’ll be here shortly. Please take a seat over there.” She gestured with her fingers dangling from a limp wrist at the small collection of chairs that surrounded a circular table by the main doors.
Once seated and out of earshot, Parkman turned to Kershaw. “Looks like you hit a nerve.”
Kershaw nodded. “My gut tells me Sarah’s here. But Sandra is right about one thing. They don’t have to give me shit without proper paperwork. Since Cole is an ex-cop and I dropped his name in connection with the disappearance of Sarah Roberts, it’s a better play for them to let him handle this.”
Aaron couldn’t sit still. He fidgeted in the chair, bouncing both legs. “Do both of you think Sarah’s here?” Aaron asked.
They nodded in unison.
“Against her will?”
Only Parkman nodded this time. “If she was here willingly, there would be more noise. Remember why she was hunting Cole in the first place. I doubt they’d be having a chat over cappuccinos in the cafeteria.”
Aaron looked away and cracked his knuckles.
“When Cole comes out, I handle it,” Kershaw said. He nudged Aaron’s arm, who started at the intrusion. “You heard me?”
“I can’t make any promises.”
Kershaw got to his feet. “Get up,” he said, waving his hands.
Aaron stood, his eyes locked on Kershaw’s.
“Go sit in the car until we come out.”
“Fuck that. You sit in the car. I’m not moving.”
Parkman got to his feet behind Kershaw.
“I won’t lose my job,” Kershaw said, “because some hothead smacked a psychiatric security guard around. We’ll handle this. That’s the deal. Or I walk right now.”
“Then walk,” Aaron said. “This is Sarah. My Sarah. I won’t sit in the fucking car.”
“Last chance,” Kershaw said. “No hothead stuff and I handle this or you sit in the car.”
Parkman blinked at Aaron and gave a slight shake of his head. Sandra Gonzales watched them from the other side of the foyer.
“Okay,” Aaron said. “Fuck it. Fine.”
“What’s fine?”
“It’s your baby.”
“No hothead stuff?”
“No hothead stuff.”
“Shake on it.”
Kershaw held his hand out. Aaron took it.
“Gentlemen,” a man’s voice came from behind them.
They all turned. Aaron took a step forward but Kershaw shot a hand out and stopped him.
“I’m Officer Nick Kershaw.” He let go of Aaron and held his hand out to their visitor. “And you are?”
“Dr. Lance Williams. How can I be of service to you gentlemen today?”
“We’re looking to speak with Cole Lincoln.”
“He’s indisposed at the moment. Is there something I can help you with?”
Kershaw explained what he had told Sandra, the woman in yellow, and how they felt that Sarah Roberts might have come here looking for Cole.
“A body in her car?” Williams said. “I’m mystified. Have they ascertained a time of death yet?”
“Too early in the investigation.”
There was a moment of silence. Then Williams said, “Sarah Roberts,” a smirk on his face.
Kershaw frowned. “You say the name like you know her?”
“Before I say anything else, who are these two men with you?”
Parkman stepped around Kershaw and introduced himself. Aaron did the same.
“Her boyfriend?” Williams asked, keeping his attention on Aaron. “And you don’t know who I am?”
“Never heard your name before,” Aaron said.
“I’m Sarah’s psychologist.”
Aaron stepped closer. “Did she make it to her appointment this morning?”
Williams stepped back at Aaron’s advance.
Kershaw shot Aaron a warning glance.
“Yes, she did,” Williams said. “That’s why I asked about the time of death. Was the body in the car when she met with me, or shortly thereafter?”
“Where is your office located?” Kershaw asked.
“On Frontier Drive. Why do you ask?”
“Frontier Drive? That’s two blocks from where Sarah’s car was found.”
“My office used to be in another building two blocks away.” Williams suddenly looked around. “Excuse me. Can we take this into an office?”
“Absolutely,” Kershaw said.
They followed Williams down the corridor and into a room on the left. He closed the door and walked around to sit behind a large metal desk.
“Understandably, I can’t reveal much about Sarah, but what I can say is that she’s here, under my care—”
“She’s here!” Aaron snapped. “For what? I demand to see her.”
“Look, son, there are rules that the State of California have in place that protect the patient. What she wants to tell you is up to her, but all I’m able to say is that she’s here under a seventy-two-hour hold.”
“Hold for what?” Aaron said, his thighs pressing on the back of the desk.
“That’s enough,” Kershaw stepped in beside Aaron.
“No, it’s okay.” Williams raised a hand for calm. “I understand. You’re emotionally attached to her. I can tell you that she’s okay right now. At this moment she’s participating in a group therapy session.” He cleared his throat. “I might be able to pull some strings and give you a quick visit tomorrow if you were to return.”
“Why is she here?” Parkman asked.
“She came to me for help. Sarah needs more help than she would receive in one-hour sessions at my office. I don’t commit people for observation lightly. Under California law, she was allowed one phone call. You know, to let people close to her know where she is. I’m sorry that you weren’t her chosen call.”
Aaron moved Kershaw aside, making it clear he wasn’t to stand in front of him again. “And how does it help Sarah that the one person Sarah has an issue with is Cole Lincoln, a guard at this hospital? Or was that the plan? To get them together? Are you helping Sarah or working for Cole?”
“Now wait just one minute,” Williams said as he shot up from behind the desk. “What exactly are you insinuating? Are you accusing me of something, young man?”
“I think that’s enough,” Kershaw interrupted.
“I’ve been a psychologist in the State of California for over two decades. When I say a patient needs to be held for a seventy-two-hour observation, it is because I have deemed that they appear to be a danger to themselves or others. This is not a criminal distinction.
Within a couple of days, she will be free to go. Whether she has history with a member of our staff or not has not come up during her therapy sessions.”
Then it donned on Aaron that this was exactly where Sarah wanted to be. She probably met with Williams and convinced him to commit her. Now, inside these walls, Sarah’s finally going to get to Cole. Even if it wasn’t Sarah consciously, then Vivian had something to do with it. Either way, standing here and trying to get answers from Williams could thwart anything Sarah had set in motion, which would only upset her. They had probably gone too far already.
