The Deadliest Institution Collection

by Holly Copella

  Both girls smiled at him. Timon was the typical comedian type.

  Jacey grimaced and looked around. “I’m not a fan of rats.”

  “Ah, don’t worry about the rats,” Timon said cheerfully. “The snakes are keeping them under control.”

  Monique and Coleen suddenly looked around the floor as well. Timon laughed heartily, startling all three. Brian rolled his eyes then led the way along the large hallway. Jacey walked more slowly and studied the walls and floor. She felt a little uneasy. The building was almost mansion-like. It was truly elegant and rich. The tables were antique and old paintings lined the walls. There was a library, dining room, and several offices. They passed an old, sculpted elevator. Timon pointed out that the elevator didn’t work, like most things in the institution. They entered a large room in the back, which was one of two ballrooms now converted into a sprawling lab. There were rows of tables with fossils and various other finds lying about. Some, oddly enough, just looked like piles of dirt.

  Brian fell back and walked alongside Jacey. He casually placed an arm over her shoulder. “Timon and I study the stars. Our observatory is upstairs in the attic. It’s far from being finished, but we do have our planetarium erected.”

  “Yours always is,” Timon muttered softly.

  Both girls looked at him and appeared slightly puzzled. He gently cleared his throat and appeared to estimate the age of his audience. He quickly fumbled for something more appropriate to say.

  “The telescope won’t be along for several weeks,” Timon added and turned his head to look back at Jacey. “Wait until you see the size of that baby.” He laughed in his throat. “The monster of all telescopes. We’ll be the envy of every nerd this side of the Rio Grande.”

  The other four scientists were at their respective workstations, looking through microscopes and documenting their discoveries. The gray-haired man, Dr. Zellner, looked in their direction, smiled brightly, and stood.

  “Ms. McMurray,” he announced pleasantly and approached her with hands extended. He grasped her hand with both of his. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Dr. Zellner, but you can call me Doc. Brian mentioned you’d be here for an interview. I’m so glad you could make it.” He then released her hand and looked at both girls. “And who are these young ladies?”

  Jacey introduced Monique and Coleen. They exchanged pleasantries. Doc was even more pleasant than Jacey had imagined. Doc linked Jacey’s arm onto his and guided her toward the other three. They paused near the tall, lanky man.

  “This is Dr. Ted Fuller,” Doc announced proudly. “He has a PhD in Paleontology. We stole him from a very prestigious college.”

  “Everyone calls me Professor,” Professor said with a warm smile and shook their hands. He seemed a bit fidgety and awkward to say the least.

  Doc then led them toward the sole woman on their team. For some strange reason, Jacey was interested in meeting this woman. She struck Jacey as being mysterious, and she wanted to know more about her.

  “This is Dr. Angela Cimarron,” Doc continued. “She has a PhD in Palaeobiology.”

  The black-haired woman forced a tiny smile and barely shook their hands. She appeared to eye Jacey with some secret loath. Jacey felt uneasy around the woman almost immediately. So much for the intrigue of the mysterious woman. Monique and Coleen seemed to sense the woman’s lack of interest as well. They both ignored her and talked between themselves over one of the fossils on the table before them. Doc then guided them toward the strange man with the dark eyes. He wore a white lab coat and looked the part of a nerdy scientist, although now without the glasses. “And this is Dr. Maxwell Alvord,” Doc announced proudly with a broad smile. “He also has a PhD in Paleontology. He’s just had his third book published on ancient artifacts and archaeological finds.”

  Dr. Alvord appeared slightly awkward and shy as he shook Jacey’s hand. “It’s a pleasure, Ms. McMurray,” he said in a refined, British accent.

  Jacey was slightly surprised by the accent. She’d never met a real Englishman before. Stony Ridge didn’t see many foreigners. She looked into his dark eyes and felt herself smile helplessly. He had a refined style about him. It was almost superior without seeming arrogant. She slowly pulled her hand away from his but didn’t take her eyes from him. His smile was warm and almost boyish. Without the nerdy glasses, he was rather handsome. Maxwell then shook Monique and Coleen’s hands in a polite gesture.

  “I assume you’d like to start with a tour,” Doc announced cheerfully.

  Jacey slipped back into reality and looked at Doc with an embarrassed smile. Monique and Coleen were about ready to bubble over with glee.

  “Yes, we’d love to have a look around,” Jacey announced, almost sharing the girls’ enthusiasm. “I’ve never been inside the institution before.”

  He patted her hand on his arm. “I’d be more than happy to answer all your questions. We really would like the support of the town. I’ve felt the tension from the moment we arrived, and I’d like to dismiss their fears.”

  “Just ignorance, but I’d like the chance to rectify that,” Jacey replied.

  “I’m glad to hear,” Doc said with a sigh. “I’ve received much hate mail and even some death threats from this town. I was tempted to discontinue our project here, but the school administration persuaded me to proceed.” He forced a tiny laugh. “You’d think we’re making monsters in the basement or something.” He laughed at himself then smiled. “We won’t be discouraged, but we would prefer the support.”

  Jacey managed to smile warmly. “On behalf of the sane people in town, I’d like to apologize for what you’ve been put through. It sounds much worse than it is,” she informed him. “Your biggest problem is a small handful of townspeople led by a spiteful woman with too much time on her hands. The others are just easily swayed.”

  “And you’re going to set them straight, I trust,” Doc chirped.

  Jacey laughed softly. “I hope so,” she replied. “A few good articles, some public relations, and they’ll be cheering for the benefits to our town.”

  “Great. Then we’ll start our tour right here,” Doc announced cheerfully.

  Brian was directly behind them and had apparently been following them the entire way. He placed a hand on Doc’s shoulder. “You’re busy, Doc,” Brian said with a bold smile. “I’ll show the ladies around.”

  “I’m not busy,” Timon chirped and stepped forward with a bright smile as his eyes swept over Jacey. “I’d be more than happy to show them around.”

  Doc clung to Jacey’s arm and lifted his head proudly. “My building; my interview; my young ladies.”

  Doc led Jacey from the lab and talked the entire way. Monique and Coleen hurried after them.

  Chapter Nine

  The interior of the institution was the same as it had been nearly ten years ago. Most of the furnishings were the same with the exception of the lab and the attic, now turned into a planetarium. The west wing still contained all its patients’ beds and electronic locking doors. The building had been sold with everything intact. None of the furniture was removed in the hopes that the doors would again be opened, but that never happened. Doc omitted the basement from the tour, claiming it was dirty, cluttered, and a maze of rooms filled with old mattresses and boxes of useless items. They would eventually be sold at an auction to be held later in the month. Doc told Jacey in great detail about their research and their plans for the future of the lab. He explained how it would benefit the town with culture, knowledge, and a large telescope to enlighten children. It all sounded wonderful, though Jacey wondered if there was something he neglected to mention. Doc told her about his life, his work, and his life goals. He was a very intelligent man with much greatness and many degrees attached to his name.

  Monique took many pictures while they toured. The institution no longer appeared frightening to Jacey. Even the tour of the west wing didn’t bother her. They finally returned to the lab. Monique took pictures of the other five scientist
s while Coleen helped pose them for quality photos. Jacey found the girls’ professionalism slightly amusing. Brian volunteered as the first to be interviewed. Since it was obvious he wasn’t leaving her side, Jacey accepted his offer. Brian explained many aspects of astrophysics and told her what he’d be doing for the good of the team. After only ten minutes, he swiftly changed the subject to his personal life.

  “I’m twenty-nine and single,” he added with a smile. “I also have other interests beyond just stars and nebulas. In fact, I love dancing and going to nightclubs. Maybe you’d be interested in showing me some areas of interest. I could pick you up at your house tonight around seven for dinner,” Brian announced and warmly took her hand in his.

  Jacey smiled with some embarrassment and slowly pulled her hand away. “That sounds very nice, Brian, but I’m afraid I have a prior commitment with Monique and Coleen. I wouldn’t feel right leaving them alone.”

  Brain looked at the two girls who giggled at something Professor showed them on one of the tables. He looked back at Jacey and smiled daringly.

  “You can leave them here,” he informed her with a little too much charm. “Doc loves kids, and Professor will educate them. It’ll be like summer school.”

  Despite his pleasant smile, Jacey still thought Brain was a womanizer. She didn’t particularly trust him after their first meeting. A date with him just sounded all too exhausting.

  “I don’t know,” she said with some apprehension. “They are my responsibility the entire week.”

  Monique and Coleen ran toward Jacey and Brian with a look of excitement on their faces.

  “Professor’s going to show us the padded cell on the third floor on the west wing,” Monique announced with morbid enthusiasm. “Can we go?”

  Jacey smiled wryly. “How exciting,” she said with distaste. “Sure. Have fun.”

  Brain stopped them. “How would you ladies like to spend the evening with Professor and Doc? They could show you some really fun things.”

  Professor approached and eyed Brian skeptically. Jacey looked at Professor and appeared sympathetic. She knew what Brian was up too. She was certain Professor knew it too.

  “I don’t want to trouble you, Professor,” she said gently.

  “No trouble at all,” he replied then looked at both girls with a smile. “We have access to the large movie screen in the west wing. We could watch some classic horror movies I brought along then scare Dr. Alvord half to death afterwards.”

  Both girls looked at Jacey for approval.

  “Could we, Jacey?” Monique begged.

  “We’d love to explore the institution some more,” Coleen added. “It’ll be really creepy at night.”

  Jacey smiled with a look of defeat and sighed. “Sure,” she said. Of course, it also meant she would be going on a date tonight with the overtly charming Brian.

  “That’s great,” Professor said cheerfully. “We’ll have pizza delivered, if they’ll deliver it here. My treat.”

  “I’ll pick you up around eleven,” Jacey informed the girls.

  “Uh, midnight,” Brian said to Professor with a cheap grin on his handsome face.

  Professor managed a smirk, nodded, and then led the girls from the room. Brian looked back at Jacey and placed a hand on her shoulder.

  “Problem solved. That was easy enough,” he said and gently rubbed her shoulder. “Where can I pick you up?”

  Jacey was already uncomfortable with his frequent touching and wondered if it’d be an evening of prying him off her. “It’d be easier if I just met you here after I’ve changed,” she replied with a tiny smile. “My house is hard to find even when you know where you’re going.”

  She also didn’t need him picking her up and dropping her off at her secluded home when there was no one around. That would be an indecent proposal waiting to happen.

  “Okay,” he replied. “I’ll look for you around seven. And don’t worry about the girls; Professor is great with kids.” His eyes swept over her again. “See you later.”

  Brian kissed her quickly on the lips, nearly startling her. He then darted away before she’d even realized what had happened. Jacey collected herself and nervously ran her fingers through her hair. When she looked up, she noticed that the others were staring at her. She felt her cheeks immediately redden. Timon sat on the table near her and grinned.

  “Looks like Brian, the kissing bandit, strikes again,” he said and laughed loudly. “You still want to interview the rest of us, don’t you?”

  Jacey gently cleared her throat. “Uh, yes, I do.”

  Timon proceeded to tell her about his education, degrees, and special achievements. It was unnecessary for her to ask any questions, since he answered everything without being asked. He was a very interesting man, though he didn’t look much like a scientist. He still had a comedian appeal about him. Jacey couldn’t help but wonder if he was as much fun to work with as he appeared. Jacey found herself laughing at most of what he said. He liked to poke fun at himself and his own intelligence. Despite his outgoing nature, he was well-mannered and seemed very respectful toward her. Once he had finished, his smile brightened and he nodded toward the door from the lab.

  “Are you going out with Brain?” he asked inquisitively.

  Jacey felt her cheeks redden and forced a tiny smile. “Uh, yes, I suppose I am.”

  Timon nodded with a look of defeat. “I thought so,” he replied simply. “Brian doesn’t waste any time when it comes to attractive women.” His eyes met hers, and he smiled in a knowing sort of way. “He gets around.”

  Jacey starred at Timon a long moment. Neither said a word. She then understood what he was telling her in that last sentence. He must have thought he was telling her something she didn’t already know. She knew the sort of man Brian was. She’d met plenty of guys like him in her limited dating career.

  Timon smiled with sincerity and shrugged. “Just thought you’d like to know.”

  “I appreciate your concern, Timon,” she replied with a knowing smile. “But I’m not easily seduced by a handsome face and witless charm.”

  Timon’s eyes brightened as he laughed heartily and slid off the table. “Witless charm! I love it! Enjoy your date,” he announced and continued to chuckle. “I’m sure Brian will be in for a real eye-opener.” He continued to laugh as he walked away.

  Jacey wished now, more than ever, that she could get out of her date. She approached Angela next to interview her. Angela wasn’t very interested in talking to her, so the interview was very quick and impersonal. Jacey didn’t really mind either. Angela had a very casual way of making her feel small and insignificant. Angela told of her prestigious achievements with an amazingly unique, snobbish appeal. She also flaunted the fact that she was top in her field. Jacey never even went to college. Once the interview had concluded, Angela approached Dr. Alvord and clung to his arm. She spoke quietly to him and laughed softly. Dr. Alvord smiled warmly. Angela nodded toward Jacey then released his arm. Jacey pretended to jot something down in her notebook and avoided looking at them. They were obviously talking about her. She could see where this next interview was going to go. Dr. Alvord approached her and casually sat on the table across from her. He shifted uncomfortably and managed a smile.

  Jacey remained leaning against the opposite table. “Nice woman, that Angela,” Jacey said politely though she intended it to be sarcastic. She almost wished she hadn’t commented at all. She wasn’t going to win any points by insulting the woman to her boyfriend.

  “Yes,” Dr. Alvord said with a tiny smile.

  Jacey had to ask the questions directly. It took him several minutes to become comfortable enough to talk freely. Once he started, he told her about his work in great detail. Most of what he said was so technical and above her, she could do little more than nod and smile. She felt insignificant to his superior knowledge and accomplishments. When it came to his personal life, he hesitated and once more became uncomfortable.

  “There’s, uh, n
ot much to tell, really,” he announced and shifted. “I pretty much keep busy with research.”

  Jacey couldn’t help but wonder if he really was a snob, or if he was just so smart that he didn’t know how to relate. When it came to his personal life, he was incredibly shy.

  “No hobbies? Wife? Children?”

  He then laughed softly and looked down with an innocent smile. “No--to all of the above. My work keeps me extremely busy.” He then looked up and their eyes met.

  Jacey stared at him in silence, as if reading what lie beyond his dark eyes. She found herself wondering what sort of relationship he had with Angela. She had to admit, he looked almost sexy in his white lab coat, neatly pressed shirt, tie, and brown pleated pants. Dr. Alvord again shifted and both looked away.

  “Would you mind if I asked you a couple of questions, Ms. McMurray?” he asked and looked at her.

  Jacey straightened and smiled. “Please, call me Jacey. This town’s not very formal.”

  He sat forward with a puzzled look. “What has this town so upset about our presence? Why would Doc receive death threats, or any threats for that matter? I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

  Jacey inhaled nervously. “Well, Dr. Alvord--”

  “Please, call me Maxwell.” He smiled timidly. “We’re not formal either.”

  Jacey blushed with embarrassment. “Okay, Maxwell,” she replied warmly then became serious. “Certainly you’d heard what happened here ten years ago--with the fire.”

  “Yes, I did some research on the institution after Doc announced our transfer here,” he informed her in his sexy, British accent. “The east wing burned to the ground and killed twenty-five patients, two nurses, and one guard, I believe.”

  “Yes, that was the article from the city paper, but the articles from our paper told more about the people in town who had loved ones in the fire,” she informed him. “There were also rumors that one of the patients had set the fire to create chaos while he escaped. But the story didn’t end there.”