The Deadliest Institution Collection

by Holly Copella

  Jacey sighed with relief. Asher had managed to slip away unnoticed. Despite her relief, she intended to have a lengthy discussion with him about his nasty habit of showing up when things looked bad for him.

  Chapter Fourteen

  It was late afternoon. Monique and Coleen rode their horses around the training ring and playfully jumped their horses over short jumps. They looked in the direction of the porch several times and appeared interested in Jacey’s business. Asher sat on the porch near Jacey while sipping his brandy and stared at his crossed, propped feet on the porch railing across from where he sat. Jacey watched him in silence for a long moment. He obviously knew she was waiting for an explanation, but he never just came out with it. She was always forced to ask him point blank.

  “Do you intend to tell me what you were doing at the institution earlier today?” Jacey finally asked while glaring at him as she sat sideways in her chair.

  Asher stared into his brandy glass, sighed, and took another swallow before responding. “Early this morning I received a phone call. The voice on the line told me to meet them at the institution at one. It was concerning Katie’s death.” He turned his head to look at her. “Of course, I’m the skeptic, but I couldn’t resist the offer. Just to outwit my mysterious caller, I purposely showed up half an hour late. I arrived on the grounds from the back and saw Deputy Jameson pull up looking all-official. Apparently I wasn’t the only one invited to the institution.”

  “But for what reason?” Jacey asked. “Jameson didn’t find anything there. Other than the fact that you were trespassing, what difference would it have made that you were there? Why would someone go to all that trouble?”

  “I don’t know,” he said with a sigh. “Someone’s up to something foul. Maybe there was something to be found and our deputy just wasn’t clever enough to find it. I’m a little concerned about Roseanne’s sudden disappearance as well. I can’t help but wonder if it’s tied in somehow.”

  “You had a small argument with Roseanne last night,” Jacey reminded. “Maybe she’s playing you for a fool and staged the entire thing.”

  Asher shook his head without looking at her and appeared concerned. “I don’t think so. I fear Roseanne fell victim to something last night.”

  “You think someone may have killed her?” Jacey suddenly asked and felt alarm sweeping through her. It just didn’t seem possible, and she wondered if Asher was being overdramatic. However, it wasn’t like him. “But for what reason?”

  “I couldn’t even guess,” he replied softly.

  “Well, tell me about the voice on the phone? Was it male or female? Who do you think it could have been?”

  “The voice sounded male, but I can’t be sure. It was whispered in such a manner that it could have been a female lowering her voice.” He then looked at Jacey. “It could have been Jill for all I know. She hates me with a passion. Of course, so does most of the town.”

  Jacey slipped into thought while staring out toward the two girls in the riding ring. Monique stood before her paint horse and made him rear up on his hind legs. The horse towered over the girl with his front hooves thrashing in the air. He landed softly and collected the treat she held in her hand. That girl was a handful. She wanted to scold her, but she had been just as bad when she was her age. Besides, she had more important things on her mind.

  She looked back at Asher and shook her head. “None of this makes any sense.”

  “Of course it doesn’t, but I’m sure it will soon enough.” He placed his feet on the porch and leaned forward. “I need to ask you for another favor.”

  “What sort of favor?” she asked with some concern. His idea of a favor was most times troubling and borderline illegal.

  “I need to get into the institution and have a look around, but I need to be invited.”

  Jacey’s eyes widened with horror. “Are you out of your mind? If anything happens, whoever lured you there might continue with their plan.”

  “Returning to that place won’t exactly be easy for me either,” he announced boldly. “But I need to check on a couple of theories. I can sense something very bad is about to happen, and I’d like to prevent it.”

  Jacey’s eyes were wide with fear. “Then I suggest you keep away from there,” she announced firmly. “This isn’t you fight, Asher. It would probably be best if you looked up an old friend and stayed away for a week or so.”

  He chuckled softly as his smile mocked her. “Are you suggesting I secure an alibi?”

  Her brows raised in response. “It wouldn’t be a bad idea. What if someone has killed Roseanne?” she demanded. “You know you’ll be the first person they question.”

  “Yes,” he replied with a wry smile and seemed a little too proud of his reputation. “My legacy continues.”

  “Not just that, but she was at your house the night she disappeared. Dr. Talbert and Maxwell witnessed the hatred between the two of you. It just looks bad.”

  “Yes, I see your point.” He looked out to the training ring and watched the girls perform. “Tomorrow’s the town fair. Are you taking the girls?”

  She was perfectly aware he was once again changing the subject, but she was too tired to argue the current subject anyway. “They heard about the horse fun show and insisted we go,” Jacey said and forced a tiny smile. “Their rooms are wallpapered with ribbons. I fear to say it, but they both ride better than I do.”

  Asher laughed softly. “And how are you and your young scientist getting along?”

  “Brian?” she asked while raising a curious brow. “He’s nothing to brag about. He’ll eventually get bored and move on.”

  Asher tilted his head and appeared bewildered. “Brian? I was referring to our young Dr. Alvord.”

  Jacey was slightly surprised then smiled with some embarrassment. “Oh, Maxwell, well, he’s already seeing someone. She’s more his type anyway. I’m not exactly intellectually compatible with him.”

  Asher appeared disappointed and almost offended. “My darling,” he announced simply while smiling wryly. “You don’t have to battle wits with a man in order for him to want you. Even men of great intelligence yearn for women of endless beauty.” His irritation with her comment seemed to escalate. “And I certainly hope you’re not implying you’re beneath any man just because he has fancy, little degrees.”

  She leaned forward, smiled slyly, and placed her hand on his. “He already has someone--give it up.”

  He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it warmly. His smile indicated there was no chance of that. “Not until I’ve found someone suitable to replace me.” Asher laughed softly and stood. “I’d best be going. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  He set his glass on the small table. Asher walked with use of his cane down the steps and toward his jeep. Jacey watched him disappear into his jeep then drive along the old mining road, which was a more direct route to his isolated home. She had a bad feeling. Asher involving himself in anything surrounding the institution frightened her. She wished, just once, he’d be less curious and practice a little self-preservation. Perhaps, in his warped mind, investigating the uncertain was his idea of self-preservation. Why did men have to be so complicated?

  †

  The small, sterile examination room was dimly lit by a single lightbulb in a surgical ceiling fixture containing several burnt bulbs. Roseanne, still in her nightgown, lie on the metal surgical table. Her body and white nightgown were soaked in sweat and her own urine. Her wrists and ankles were strapped to the table with leather, buckle-style restraints. She struggled in vain against the restraints. Her wrists and ankles were bruised and bloody from over twenty-four hours of struggling to free herself. She had duct tape over her mouth to prevent her from screaming. Despite her obvious exhaustion and injuries beneath the straps, she continued to fight her restraints. She lie motionless a moment while breathing heavily. Roseanne attempted to scream out with frustration and thrashed wildly against her restraints. A metallic ping was heard as her left ar
m pulled away from the surgical table. She stared at her free, left arm with the restraint still tight around her wrist. She appeared almost stunned then overwhelmingly relieved. Roseanne immediately pulled the tape from her mouth, gasped only a moment, and then worked on unbuckling the restraint from her right wrist. Within seconds, she was sitting up on the table and releasing her restrained ankles. She jumped off the table and nearly collapsed from an entire day of lying still on her back. She clutched the table for support and looked around the small, surgical room. There was a door to the front and one to the back. She hurried to the one toward the front, paused before it, and uncertainly turned the knob. To her surprise, it opened!

  Roseanne, in her bare feet, slipped out of the room into what could only be described as a basement. She looked at the odd staircase before her. There was nothing else. Just the small, narrow stone steps. She uncertainly hurried up the nearly dark steps and paused before a strange looking door. She slowly opened the door and peered through the opening. She stared at the basement before her. The area she was within was massive and contained old furniture and various other useless items left in storage from the old institution. Most were covered in dust and thick cobwebs. She uncertainly shut the door behind her and looked back at it. It was actually a secret passageway. The door blended in with the wall. She hurried across the room to an opening. The next room over was more of the same. The basement was a maze! She heard movement, which resembled the sound of someone walking on metal stairs. Roseanne ducked into another storage area and hid behind an old stack of mattresses. She could see the shadow of someone walking past. When she heard the passageway door open and close, she ran out from behind the mattresses and hurried in the direction of possible stairs.

  She ran up the metal fire stairs, knowing it would only be a matter of minutes before her abductor discovered she was gone. She ran through the doorway on the first floor and suddenly stopped. Roseanne stared at the familiar first floor hallway of the west wing. Although not the wing she worked in, being it burned to the ground ten years ago, both wings were setup exactly the same. Despite the eeriness of her location, it was familiar! She heard thundering footfalls on the basement stairs. Her abductor must have gotten to the sub-basement faster than she thought. Roseanne ran down the dirty hallway in her bare feet and entered the first doorway she found. She entered the massive, tiled shower room with rows of tile shower stalls with flimsy shower curtains covering the openings. The shower room smelled strong of mildew, possibly due to the dripping water that echoed throughout the room. There was no telling how long the water had been dripping.

  Roseanne ducked into one of the damp shower stalls and pulled the curtain partially closed. She sat on the floor, hugged her knees to her chest, and remained quiet and motionless. If her abductor assumed she ran, he might bypass searching the floor for her and head outside. Keeping hidden and quiet seemed her best option. She rested her head on her knees and listened to the sound of the dripping water. Her eyes slowly closed. An hour later, Roseanne suddenly jerked awake and uncertainly looked around from where she still sat within the tile shower stall behind the plastic curtain. The sound of the dripping water continued. She looked under the plastic curtain and saw the shimmer of light. She appeared curious and slowly pulled the curtain back from where she sat and peered across the shower room. Judging by the small amount of light filtering through the grimy small window near the ceiling, it was nearly sunup. The window had bars outside, so there was no chance escaping that way. She again sat against the shower stall wall and stared at the ceiling. She knew she had been in the shower room for an hour or longer. With morning rapidly approaching, she stood a better chance of getting help.

  She gathered up her courage and slowly stood within the shower stall. Voices could be heard in the hallway just outside the shower room. Roseanne became alert then alarmed. As she listened to the jovial voices, it was evident they were the scientists occupying the institution. It was almost impossible that they would have been involved in her abduction, which meant they were the good guys! Roseanne appeared almost relieved and attempted to hold back her sobs of joy. She pulled open the curtain. Light glistened off the scalpel a split second before it slashed firmly across her throat. Roseanne gasped and clutched her bleeding throat. There wasn’t even time to scream. She attempted to clutch the wall as she felt her body sink. She slid down the wall to the tile shower floor in a sitting position and stared up at her attacker. As blood drenched her body, she no longer moved. Her dead eyes remained opened and fixated as if staring at her assailant. The shower room was again silent except for the relentless dripping of water.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Friday, 6:00 P.M.

  The once quiet streets of Stony Ridge were now alive with people from all over the county. All the streets had been blocked off to accommodate the weekend event. Vendors lined the streets with their games and stands of greasy, overpriced food. Monique and Coleen pranced excitedly alongside Jacey, proudly carrying their ribbons from the horse show. Both girls chattered continuously between themselves, recapping the entire horse show. Jacey was glad she hadn’t entered the fun show. They would have shown her up as they had everyone else.

  “Have you decided what you want for dinner yet?” Jacey asked with curiosity.

  “Pizza,” Monique chanted.

  “Hamburgers,” Coleen said.

  Jacey gave them each some money. “If I let you on your own for a couple of hours, do you promise to eat something other than ice cream and cotton candy?”

  “Yes, of course. There’s always French fries and funnel cake,” Monique teased. “We can play some games too.”

  Jacey rolled her eyes and attempted to hide her smile. “I’d like to use the library computer and type that article for Shelly. I’m sure you’ll find something more exciting to do here.”

  “Yeah, we certainly don’t want to go to the library,” Coleen replied.

  Monique then pointed up the street just past Town Square and appeared excited. “Look, it’s Professor!”

  Both girls waved their ribbons and ran for Professor, who was tall enough that he was easily noticed in a crowd. Jacey followed obediently. The scientists had a stand along the street with a fossil exhibit, rocks, dinosaur bones, and the solar system. Timon even had his telescope set up. Maxwell appeared to be the only one missing from the group. Even Angela was present, though she appeared bored. Doc saw them and approached the inside of their stand.

  “Do you like our little exhibit?” Doc asked. “I thought joining the festivities would be to our benefit.”

  Jacey nodded with a soft laugh. “When did you put all this together?”

  “This morning,” Doc replied. “We noticed the banner across the street yesterday afternoon.”

  Timon inched his way closer like a cat stalking a mouse and smiled at Jacey. “Hey, Jacey,” he chirped.

  Both girls flocked around Professor and showed him their ribbons. He seemed impressed with their wins.

  “Had I known you were in the show, I would’ve slipped away from the exhibit to watch it,” Professor announced cheerfully to both girls.

  “Would you like it if I won you a teddy bear?” Timon asked Jacey with a childlike smile.

  Brian practically jumped the table, nearly dumping the fossils, placed his arm around Jacey, and smirked at Timon.

  “If it’s a teddy bear she wants, I’d have better luck winning it than you.”

  Monique and Coleen bounced around Professor like lovesick schoolgirls. “Come on, Professor. You can hang out with us tonight.”

  “Sounds like fun,” Professor announced cheerfully as they pulled him away from the stand.

  Maxwell returned carrying a box of drinks and snacks for the entire group. Timon and Brian nearly tackled him for the goodies he carried. Sheriff Monroe approached the scientists’ stand, eyed their exhibits, and gave a general nod.

  “How’s our town been treating you?” Sheriff Monroe asked pleasantly.

 
“Mostly everyone has been friendly,” Doc announced with a hint of reserve.

  Monroe snorted a soft laugh with apparent understanding. “It’s okay, we share the same headache,” he replied. “I’m sorry if my deputy caused you any grief with yesterday’s search of the institution. It was bound to happen eventually. We’re trying to keep our headache from turning into a migraine.”

  “I’m sure it’ll die down,” Doc replied while maintaining his good humor. “We’re not building monsters in the basement.”

  “Speak for yourself,” Timon teased and immediately received several annoyed looks. He rolled his eyes. “No sense of humor.”

  “If there’s any trouble,” Monroe announced, “just give us a shout. We’ll handle Jill and her followers.”

  “Thank you, Sheriff,” Doc announced.

  Sheriff Monroe grinned at Jacey, gave her a polite nod, and continued his patrol of the fair.

  Doc looked at the others and appeared more cheerful than he had. “Why don’t the rest of you go out and enjoy yourselves at the fair,” he announced. “I’ll take care of the exhibit. I want to watch the unveiling of the new town statue at dusk anyway.” He nodded toward the large, canvas-covered statue practically in front of their stand.

  “Thanks, Doc,” Brian announced cheerfully then looked at Jacey. “I’ll escort Jacey.”

  Timon clung to her right arm and glared at Brian. “Why don’t you go join the rest of the pigs at the farm exhibit,” Timon snorted. “I saw Jacey first.”

  “I saw her first--the day we arrived in town,” Brian snapped. “Find your own date.”

  “Now you two just behave,” Doc said firmly. “If you don’t stop fighting over the young lady, I’ll take her away; then neither of you will have her.”

  Jacey laughed softly to Doc’s scolding remarks. Both men became sheepish.

  “Honestly,” Jacey announced with an embarrassed smile, “I have some research to do at the library.”