have?
He grabbed a second beer and after achieving a good buzz was able to set his fears aside.
The day passed with no violent outburst from Josie. It was close to midnight before he was able to get her to eat anything, and she was still unaware of her surroundings.
He tucked her hack into bed before he settled in for another night in the armchair. But he couldn’t sleep. He couldn’t stop wondering what was going to happen when Josie finally woke up; when she was finally able to recognize him.
He imagined that she wouldn’t be too happy.
Lowering his gaze, he contemplated grabbing another beer. He needed something to numb his growing anxiety; not that it was entirely aimed at Josie, but more toward himself for letting her go in the first place.
As the night ticked on, William was content to listen to Josie’s steady breathing. Hours later, exhaustion finally claimed him. However, he didn’t sleep long before the sun’s early rays sliced through the blinds and warmed his face.
It was time to face the day. Time to return to the scene of the crime. He glanced at his Timex and saw he had less than an hour before Ecaterina arrived.
Standing, he stretched and popped his aching bones. A painful cramp lingered in his neck, but it was undoubtedly a direct result of his sleeping arrangement. He walked over to the bed. Josie was still out of it. How could he leave her like this? What would he tell Cat now?
“Okay. Pull yourself together,” he said. After giving himself a moment to think everything over, he realizing that he didn’t have a choice but to follow his original plan. He couldn’t call in sick, and he was pretty sure Josie’s violent episodes were over. Heck, at this rate, there was a good chance that she would still be knocked out when he returned.
Exhaling, he reached into the drawer for a new hypodermic needle, gave Josie her morning injection, and changed her IV bag.
Afterward, he rushed to get himself ready for work. While he dressed he wondered if he should change his story with Ecaterina. How much should her tell her? If she’d seen the news reports about Keystone, would she put two and two together?
A new wave of anxiety gripped him. He had expected Josie to be conscious by now, and he would have convinced her to play along with having a simple flu bug. Now, the only thing he could do was pray…pray that Josie slept until he returned from work. A loud knock on the front door jerked William from his private reverie. It was time. Another knock accompanied the visitor’s persistent ringing of the doorbell. William rushed down, peeked through the peephole, and smiled as he welcomed his long time friend and housekeeper into the house. “Good morning, Cat.”
“Morning.” She breezed through the door. “Traffic was crazy.” She peeled off her coat and tossed it up on a gold hook behind him. “So where is she?”
He closed the door. “She’s upstairs in the master bedroom. Sleeping.”
“It’s so nice of you to do this for your sister-in-law,” Cat said, and removed her scarf. “Then again, you’ve always been such a kind person. Are there any special instructions?”
“Yeah. Uh.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to think where he wrote everything down. “I think it’s all upstairs. I’ll go get it. I need to finish changing anyway.” He walked over and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “The electricity is out from the storm the other night. Is that going to be a problem?” “Nah. I’m a tough old bird. I can handle it. What happened to your head?” William touched the bruised above his eye. “Just me being clumsy.” He smiled. “I owe you big for doing this.” “Yeah. Yeah. Place a dozen roses on my grave when I’m gone, and we can call it square.” William smiled. “Tell you what, I’ll buy them sooner than that.” Even better.” She winked, then headed into the kitchen. “You better hurry up. You’re already running late.” He nodded and then rushed up the stairs. He was suddenly confident in his decision to ask Cat to watch Josie.”
Opening the bedroom door, William’s mind was awhirl with all the things he needed to do and what might be waiting for him when he arrived at work. He walked over to the bed and gazed down at Josie.
He didn’t want to leave, but he didn’t have a choice. “I’ll be back,” he whispered, but it was a statement of hoe rather than a promise. He had no idea what awaited him at Keystone. Turning, he quickly grabbed everything he needed and headed out of the room. At the soft click of the door, Josie opened her eyes.
Chapter 10
An hour later, in record time, William arrived at Keystone. Despite his preparation in the car, his heart skipped a beat at the sight of police cars and newsstands monopolizing the employee parking deck. He rubbernecked to see what was going on as he scanned his parking card. When the Mechanical arm lifted, he rolled inside.
The moment he saw the yellow crime tape surrounding a black BMW, a wave of nausea hit him. “Meredith,” he whispered, recognizing the car.
A horn blared, and William slammed on his brakes just in time to avoid ramming a silver Mercedes that had suddenly backed up in front of him. While his heart pounded against his chest, he saw heads from the crime scenes swivel in his direction.
“So much for keeping a low profile,” he chastised himself under his breath.
When the silver Mercedes pulled out of its parking space, William recognized the flaming mane of Dr. Ambrose Turner and gave him a quick wave of apology.
As a matter of convenience William with his Navigator into a vacant spot. “Keep it together. Keep it together,” he coached. Everything wrote of his being cool. No one should suspect him and Michelle Andrews disappearance. After all, she wasn’t even his patient. Climbing out of the car, he grabs his things and headed toward the building. “Sir!” Someone shouted. We and kept moving. “Hey, you!” The voice thundered again.
If finally dawn on William that the person was talking to him. He turned around and when he caught the wave of an approaching police officer, his stomach dropped somewhere between his knees. “You must be a mute or own world,” the baby-faced cop commented, flashing him a quick smile. “Can I help you?” Williams said. The cops found stabbed back in a line of cars. “Your lights. You left the lights on.”
“My lights?” A second pass before the man’s words sank in, and for waiting to react. He faced his car again just as the headlines automatically shut off. “Oh, look at that,” the cop said. “I guess you didn’t deny help after all.” Williams only manage a benign smile. “Guess not.” The cop shrugged and turned away.
Relieved, William continued toward the building, all the while his nerves rattling. He had made it inside yet, and he was already a wreck.
During his short trek to the building his mind wandered to what could’ve happened to Meredith Bancroft. The doctor’s kind a surface from his memory, and the nausea returned. He had known her long, as he’d only been working at the institute six weeks. However, he’d been impressed not only by the positions intelligence, but also bought her sharp wit and easy disposition.
Strolling through the doors of the Institute, William dragged himself out of his melancholy thoughts just as Dr. Rae Coleman nearly bumped into him.
“Oh, good morning,” she said, gushing up at him. “Just got off the graveyard shift. I haven’t seen you around. What happened to your head?” He relied on his previous explanation. “Just me being clumsy.” “You should be careful. Can you believe what’s going on around here?” “Actually, I don’t know much about it,” he said. “But that he is married his car taped off, isn’t it?”
“I’m afraid so.” Ray abruptly changed her course toward the exit to backtrack and follow way into the hallways. “Dr. Bancroft was found dead in the talk of her car.”
He stopped. Here in the words allow brought the tragedy home.
“I know,” she said. “Were all upset about the news. But you should have seen poor Brian Bancroft. He said that he knew something was wrong when married and had made it home early Saturday morning. It said he just knew in his gut that something bad had happened.”
William imagined the man’s heartbreak. “My prayers go out to him.” He resumed walking with a heavy heart. “Where is Mr. Bancroft now?” “Grady Hospital.” He frowned at Rae as he pressed the up button for the elevator. “Heart attack,” she added. “This is just horrible all around.” Stunned, William blinked. “Is he going to be okay?” “We don’t know yet,” she said remorsefully. “Marcus is supposed to keep us posted.” A bell chimed, and the elevator door slid open. William stepped inside, hoping for a clean escape, but Rae followed him. “And guess what else,” Rae continued. “There’s more?” He swallowed while his stomach twisted in knots. “Yeah. We’re missing a patient:
