The murmuring picked up in appreciation of that.
“That sounds really nice, Eleanor,” I called over the chatter.
Eleanor smiled. “Yes, Bridget, I hope you’ll enjoy it. It’s important to me that you’re all happy and enjoy coming here. I feel that’s the best way to help you all adjust.”
I gave her my best professional smile since I had nothing I could really say to that. She gave me an appreciative nod of her head and returned her attention to the group, issuing instructions for how we would travel there.
“You know where we’re going, right?” Sabrina asked.
“Yep.”
“So, we’re going back there a for second time. The first time we weren’t expected and tonight, which I’m pretty certain was unplanned.” Sabrina glanced around the group. “I feel fairly confident in saying someone wants us there to investigate.”
“I agree with the first half of that but I think you added the ‘to investigate’ all by yourself.”
“Why else would they want us there?” Sabrina asked.
I shook my head. “I dread to think. Maybe they have another dead body for me to find. Maybe they want me to be the next dead body found.”
Eleanor divided us up into groups of five and made everyone hold hands and transported us. We were in the second group because, I assumed, Eleanor thought that might make Anna stop questioning her if I was out of sight. We landed in almost the exact same spot that Officer Leonard had dropped us off in at lunch.
“Damn it. We should’ve asked Anna if she arranged for you to attend this at lunchtime,” Sabrina said and snapped her fingers. “Okay. Never mind that now, let’s find someone new to pump for information and remember to ask her later.”
“Bridget. Sabrina. I’m surprised to see both of you back here,” Alex said as he walked up to us.
“Did you manage to find out anything at the asylum?” Sabrina asked and Alex cast a startled glance my way.
“She’s not being rude. She’s always like this,” I said.
“What?” she asked, gesturing to him. “He has access to information we need.”
“Well, I did manage to get into Mendall’s office and look through Katie’s file.” Alex said it as though it were a peace offering.
Sabrina was almost salivating. “What did you find?”
“Nothing really. Katie was on some pretty intense tranquillisers for her violent tendencies but that was it. There was only a passing mention to her fixation on Lily’s death.”
Sabrina glanced from Alex to me and back again. “That’s it?”
Alex shook his head. “There wasn’t that much there.”
“Really?” I asked. “Her obsession with Lily’s death only got a passing mention? Gouging her name into a wall seems like it should be worth more than that.”
“Maybe she just hid it really well,” Sabrina offered. “And if she could hide that, maybe she was hiding other things too.”
“Like what?” Alex asked.
I shook my head. “Who knows?”
“Well, clearly not us, because people can’t conduct a thorough search,” Sabrina mumbled.
“How did you get into Mendall’s office so easily?” I asked before Alex could retort.
“They let one of their patients escape. I don’t think heavy security is really one of their strengths,” Sabrina pointed out before turning back to Alex. “But still, it’s a valid question.”
“He has group therapy in the afternoons. I spilled some coffee down myself and left the group to change. I searched it in that time.”
“That sounds like a quick search to me,” Sabrina said. And she might have said “quick” but I heard “poor”. By the expression on Alex’s face, he did too.
“Well, I might not have managed to find anything useful during this quick search but I did overhear Mendall and Timothy talking about your adjustment companion. Timothy was considering filing a grievance with the bureau because he didn’t think she was performing to the required standard after seeing the way she behaved with you on the tour. And for forgetting to notify him you were coming to our meeting this afternoon.”
“Does Anna know about that?” I asked, throwing a glance Sabrina’s way.
Alex nodded. “Timothy said he was going to express his concerns to her about it at the end of lunch today.”
“Well, it didn’t show in her attitude,” I said. “Was anything mentioned about her relationship with Jason?”
Alex hesitated. He scanned the surroundings and focused on the horizon. Sabrina tugged on his sleeve to get his attention.
“You held us both at gunpoint. You chased us through a forest in the pitch black. You owe us.”
“I’ve apologised for that.” Alex frowned at both of us, his voice laced with hurt.
“And we’ve accepted your apology but it doesn’t mean you don’t owe us,” Sabrina said. “Now tell us what you don’t want to tell us.”
Alex sighed. “Look, Jason was a good guy, really he was.”
“And now he’s doubly dead so his reputation doesn’t really matter anymore,” Sabrina oh-so-tactfully pointed out.
I whistled low. “Harsh.”
“But true. Alex?”
Alex sighed again. He hesitated again. And then Sabrina fashioned her hand into a gun and fake shot at him. He winced. “Jason was a very friendly guy.”
“Please do not tell me he was putting it around because we just don’t need more suspects.”
“First you say tell you, then you don’t want to know.” Alex shook his head. “Women are so difficult.”
I turned to Sabrina. “Just don’t hit him anywhere casually visible, okay?”
“Look. He put it about. Whether you want to hear that or not,” Alex said.
“With the nurses? The patients?” Sabrina asked.
“The nurses and visitors,” Alex said with a shocked expression. “Anything like that with the patients would be inappropriate.”
“Did all the participants know about the other participants?” I asked.
Alex shook his head. “I have no idea. I wasn’t privy to the minute details of all of his relationships. But I don’t think your adjustment companion knew. At least not until the tour. I don’t know what was said or how she found out but I caught the end of their argument.”
Sabrina and I exchanged a glance, obviously thinking the same thing. Suddenly Anna was looking pretty good for the murder again.
“Maybe that’s why she looked so flustered after lunch. Because they’d been arguing, not doing something else. Maybe she was telling the truth about how he got the lipstick on his collar,” I said.
“What did she say?” Alex asked.
“That they had to practice restraining people during their lunch meeting yesterday,” Sabrina said.
Alex nodded. “I don’t know if that’s how he got the lipstick on his collar but that’s true. I heard one of the adjustment companions complaining about it. I also heard that Detective Johnson found a timetable of the nurses’ shifts and the murder weapon in Katie’s room,” he said.
“So, Katie killed Jason and then went back to her room to conveniently leave the murder weapon and timetable for somebody to find?” Sabrina asked.
Alex shrugged. “That’s what I overheard.”
“When did Johnson find them?” I asked. There was a chance I might have missed the timetable but I was pretty darn sure I would have seen a bloodstained murder weapon.
“Before he questioned us, I think.” Alex glanced between us. “Why?”
“You think? You don’t know for sure?” Sabrina pressed. If it was before, we were still nowhere with our suspects. If it was after, Burt was looking good for planting the timetable and murder weapon. Maybe he and Anna were in it together. Or maybe he’d done it for Anna. Or maybe it was Alex and he was diverting the blame.
Alex was quiet for a moment. “He must have searched it before. He left after questioning everyone.”
Sabrina pursed her lips at
me and I nodded. So back to the suspect drawing board. I had no motive for Burt anyway, just him going into Katie’s room. Which he’d already explained. I was getting as bad as Johnson, assuming someone’s guilt with no evidence.
“What was the murder weapon?” I asked.
“It was a small, metal bust of Plato that used to sit in the group therapy room.” Alex glanced between us again. “What?”
Sabrina shook her head. “Nothing. So—”
“Hey, I might have held you at gunpoint and chased you through a dark forest but I said I was sorry for that,” Alex said. “Now I’ve broken into, and searched, the office of the head medical practitioner of an asylum I have a chance to be released from, so the least you can do is answer my questions.”
“He’s kinda got a point,” I said to Sabrina.
“Oh, really? Does he?” she asked. “Perhaps he killed Jason because Jason wasn’t going to recommend his release and now he’s pushing the blame on Anna.”
“Jason filed his report with Dr Mendall,” Alex said.
“That does not mean that Jason didn’t change his mind,” Sabrina retorted.
Alex shook his head as if disappointed in our lack of trust. “I’m trying to help. Jason was a good guy.”
“I searched Katie’s room when Detective Johnson let me go. There was nothing in there, but I saw Burt go in after me so if it was found before it crosses Burt off our suspect list.”
Sabrina slapped my bicep with the back of her hand. “What is wrong with you?”
“Dying has made me soft,” I said with a shake of my head and then gestured to Alex. “Anyway, you already checked Jason’s recommendation for Alex.”
“So, I’m in the clear?” Alex asked, looking between us.
Sabrina gave him a grudging nod. “As much as someone who once tried to murder us can be, I suppose.”
“Okay, so who are our suspects?” Alex asked, watching the back and forth between Sabrina and me.
“Still you, because I’m not as forgiving as the weird new version of Bridget. Timothy, Katie, Mendall, Burt, Anna, Jason’s other special friends whose identities we’ll have to find out—”
“I can make a list of the ones I know,” Alex offered quickly.
“See?” I said, gesturing to him. “Helpful.”
“Unless he killed Jason and is trying to cover his tracks,” Sabrina said in a tone that added a silent “stupid” at the end.
“Yes, unless I’m doing that,” Alex agreed with exaggerated patience. “Hang on, why is Timothy a suspect?”
“He dresses in all white,” Sabrina said. “No one who isn’t trying to hide something dresses in such innocent clothing.”
Alex blinked at her. “He’s a suspect because of his choice in clothing?”
“Yes. And just because we don’t have a motive for him yet didn’t mean he didn’t do it,” Sabrina explained.
“You know that sounds ridiculous, right?” Alex asked.
“And he was the only person who saw Katie argue with the two other GA members she was supposed to have killed,” I added.
“And Dr Mendall?” Alex looked between us. “He’s a suspect because …?”
“Because if Katie is gouging ‘remember Lily’ into her walls then that’s worth more than a passing mention in her therapy notes unless Mendall is hiding something or is a bad doctor,” I explained.
“Or you’re lying about what was in the notes,” Sabrina added.
“Why is Burt a suspect?” Alex asked, blatantly ignoring Sabrina’s dig.
“He has a crush on Anna. If Jason and Anna had a fling or something and now Jason’s dead, Burt has a motive,” Sabrina explained.
Alex looked between us. “I thought you just said Burt didn’t plant the evidence?”
I patted Alex’s shoulder. “Suspecting people is a complicated business.”
“Well, I’m pretty sure that Jason must have had affairs with plenty of woman who other men had crushes on. Why aren’t they all suspects?” Alex asked.
“Because we don’t know all of their names,” Sabrina replied.
“Also, they don’t all work at Mendall Asylum,” I added.
“Okay, that’s a fair point,” Alex said after a moment’s thought.
Eleanor clapped to get everyone’s attention. “I’m going to call this meeting to order. I fear that Timothy might be running a little late tonight, so we’ll have to start without him.”
“Maybe he’s off killing someone,” Sabrina mumbled.
“Maybe he’s off being killed,” Alex countered and Sabrina and I turned to stare at him. He looked between us. “What?”
I sighed. “Why do you people not understand how this jinxing thing goes? I’ve got a death shroud and everything.”
“What’s a death shroud?” Alex asked.
I shook my head. “You don’t want to go down that road, Alex. It leads nowhere good.”
“This is Dr Mendall,” Eleanor gestured to Mendall, who I’d somehow not noticed was present until then. “He has made himself available tonight, so if you have any concerns about adjusting he is full of easy tips to help you. And this is Gary. He is also here to help.”
“Was there a doctor and nurse when the other group came to see us?” I asked Sabrina, who nodded.
“Now, since we don’t know each other I thought we’d start with a quick icebreaker. Form a circle.” Eleanor drew a circle in the air.
“Do you really think she thinks we don’t know what a circle looks like?” Sabrina whispered as we joined in and tried to form a circle.
“They did it in the assessment. I think they think we’re stupid,” I whispered back.
Nearly two minutes later our circle still looked like more of a squished egg type deal. Sabrina and I watched as Eleanor went around each person and moved them into place. Dr Mendall watched over us from a short distance away.
“Huh,” Sabrina said, looking around our not-circle. “Maybe she should have given some verbal instruction with her diagram.”
Once everyone was in place Eleanor picked up a tennis ball and joined the circle.
“Okay, for the first part of this game you shout your own name before you throw the ball. My name’s Eleanor so that’s what I’ll shout. You can throw the ball to anyone in the circle but try not to throw it to people who have already caught it before everyone has introduced themselves, okay?”
Everyone murmured their agreement. Eleanor shouted her own name and threw the tennis ball to a short, brunette girl in her early twenties. The girl caught it, shouted Eleanor’s name and threw the ball back to Eleanor. Sabrina turned to me, disbelief all over her face.
“What’s your name, sweetie?” Eleanor asked the girl whom she’d thrown the ball to.
“Jayde,” the girl said.
“Okay, Jayde, you need to call out your own name and then throw the ball to someone who hasn’t had it before, okay?” Eleanor explained. “Let’s try that again.”
Eleanor called out her own name and threw the ball to Jayde, who once again threw it back to Eleanor, shouting Eleanor’s name.
“I don’t understand what’s happening,” Alex whispered from my other side, frowning at Jayde.
Sabrina leaned around me to talk to him. “Clearly you’re not the only one.”
Eleanor explained the rules again but this time she threw the ball to me, an expression of desperation on her face that quite clearly said she hoped I’d understood. I gave her a small nod and threw the ball to Ginger Santa from the other group. The relief on Eleanor’s face when the ball didn’t come sailing back to her would’ve been funny if it wasn’t a sad example of how mentally sluggish the average dead person was.
And then Ginger Santa threw the ball back to me, shouting my name.
I watched as the ball sailed over my head and rolled into the shrubs. I turned back to Eleanor. “Maybe we should try a different game.”
“Maybe,” Eleanor agreed. “Would you mind retrieving the ball for me, Bridget?”
>
“Sure thing, Eleanor,” I said. Normally I’d have had a different response for a request like that but I just felt sorry for Eleanor. And I was trying to be a better person and all. I walked over to the rose bushes and crouched down to reach for the tennis ball. “Well, isn’t that just perfect?”
“What’s up?” Sabrina asked as she drifted over while Eleanor was rearranging everyone into two lines facing each other. “The ball is just there. I can see it through the leaves.”
I sighed heavily. “I know. I’m just trying to work out whether I should say anything or pretend I’ve not seen it.”
“The ball is right there. You walked over specifically to get it.” Sabrina shook her head at me. “How can you pretend you’ve not seen it?”
“Yeah, I wasn’t talking about the ball,” I said.
Several emotions rippled over Sabrina’s face until she controlled them into mild curiosity. She walked the rest of the way over to me and peered behind the rose bush at the dead body just hidden from view.
She rounded on me like it was my fault. “Why is it always a blow to the head?”
Chapter Twelve
I was sitting on a very nice bench with Sabrina on one side and a cup of tea and stash of biscuits on the other. Oz was fending off Detective Johnson while other suited members of the police force combed the grounds. I watched a constable get down on his hands and knees and peer underneath a rose bush.
“Yes, because the perfect place to hide would be inside a thorny rose bush that isn’t dense enough to hide a cat,” Sabrina mumbled as she watched him too. “I find it so disturbing these people are in charge of our safety.”
“Probably why people keep killing each other,” I said before nibbling on something like my ninth custard cream. Good job Anna wasn’t around to keep count.
The police had appeared pretty quickly after I’d found Timothy’s body and we’d given our statements, as usual, so we were really just waiting to go home. Or I was waiting to get dragged into an interrogation, as usual, while Sabrina waited to go home.
A Little More Dead Page 17
