Before falling asleep last night, Adam and I had discussed the Stowe situation. It was something we could work on together, and that felt good. Adam planned to tap his sources, find out whatever he could about Stowe Hannigan, and see if anyone knew why he was up here in Harbour Falls. And I was going to try and find out what I could as well, which would be convenient with Stowe living right next door.
Even though I was irritated Stowe had kept his true identity from me, Adam and I both agreed it was best to act like it didn’t matter that he was a Hannigan. He’d expect Adam to tell me everything, so there was no sense in pretending. But I didn’t have to make a big deal out of it. I planned to be all like, “Oh, so your Chelsea’s brother. Whatever.”
So when Stowe glanced up and saw me watching him from the second-story window, I waved. He smiled and waved in return. Excellent, I thought. If he suspects nothing, he’ll have no idea Adam and I are looking into him.
It was almost time to go, so I finished up the chapter I was working on, and then I left for Willow Point.
When I pulled up to the guardhouse, there was a different guard at the gate. This facility seemed to have a lot of turnover. This guard was younger but appeared just as disinterested as the other one had been as he entered my information into the computer at his station. He then handed me a visitor badge and waved me along, and I made my way up the hill.
I parked in the same spot across from the portico entrance. It was always so quiet up here at Willow Point, but today it seemed especially so. I gave the grounds a quick survey, only one guard keeping watch. This guard was milling around over at the far end of the closed-down west wing, which was way beyond the small employee lot across from the first section of the abandoned side of the building. Odd. There was nothing of interest where the guard stood, certainly nothing I could see that warranted him hanging out there. A shell of a building, several tangles of wiry branches, dead and dried-out grass, glimmers of broken glass…that was all there was. So why was the guard there?
I glanced his way as I got out of the car, and he stilled when he caught me looking. But I couldn’t turn away; his eyes seemed to follow me as I hastily walked to the entrance. Did he know me from somewhere? Did I know him? From so far away, it was hard to surmise what he really looked like. He was tall and thin, and from what I could tell, he had a receding hairline. What little bit of hair he had left appeared to be dark. And it was hard to say for sure but I thought I saw a thin mustache. All in all, though, his appearance rang no bells.
I finally averted my gaze when I reached the entrance. I rang the buzzer, but like last time I had to wait for a response. I decided to take one last look, see if the strange guard was still around. But he was gone. Had he ducked into one of the doors of the abandoned wing? I supposed, as an employee, he’d have keys to all the sections of Willow Point, open and closed. But why disappear? Why hide?
Something about this place was just so very wrong. With a shiver that wasn’t a response to the cool temperature, I hurried inside the second I was buzzed in.
***
I expected to visit with Ami in the recreation room again, but when we passed by and kept on going, Nurse Allen informed me Ami was in her room today. Maybe that would be better, no bizarre tracing lady to distract me.
Nurse Allen led me down the starkly lit corridor. She said Ami’s room was at the very end. I took in the surrounding as we walked. The linoleum floor was dull and scuffed, yellow under the harsh florescent lighting, and the walls were a pallid gray. All the doors to the rooms we passed were closed, but the plaintive wails of a few crying patients, though muffled, could be heard. God, the sooner I get out of here, the better. I was beginning to hate this place.
At last we reached the end of the hall. There was a formidable-looking lock on Ami’s door, but the door itself was propped open. The same guard as last time, just as big and just as beady-eyed, stood in the hall outside the room. He nodded a greeting of sorts, and I squeaked out a very meek “Hello.”
I scanned his uniform and noticed a badge bearing his name. Bradley Waters. The nurse was finishing up her spiel about how the visit would end at the fifteen-minute mark, same as last time, and then a few more rules, blah, blah, blah. I guessed I looked bored, because the guard smiled and rolled his eyes at the nurse when she wasn’t looking. Maybe he wasn’t so scary after all.
When Nurse Allen left, he said in a kind voice, “You can go on in. I’ll be right out here if you need me.”
I thought at first he was going to close the door with me in there, and I froze, panicked. I didn’t want to be alone with Ami. Ever. Sure, maybe if we were left alone she could just tell me the clues to solve this mystery…but, then again, maybe not. Ami liked this game too much. In any case, I wanted the door open and the guard close. I’d accept the cryptic puzzle pieces as a means of communication. It was better than the alternative, which would mean taking my chances with an unstable mental patient who’d once wanted me dead.
But I apparently had
