Deadly Double

Chapter 7

William made himself a pot of coffee after languishing in the sweet, love-filled memories of Paris. Despite so many years of trying to forget, it astounded him how clearly those images came back to him. The sights, the smells, and the sounds stirred up a lot of painful memories. Yet he knew if he had the chance to go back, he would in a heartbeat.

During the three months he spent in Paris, he’d hardly left Josie’s side. He didn’t know exactly when she fell in love with him, bit he was pretty much smitten that first night.

He smiled to himself as he reached for the powdered creamer from one of the cupboards. Just as quickly, his mood shifted. He wasn’t out of the woods yet. There was still a high chance for his colleague, Dr. Bancroft, to finger him as a possible suspect in Michelle Andrew’s disappearance.

William took the first sip of his coffee as he reviewed his last visit to Meredith’s office...

“I’m telling you I know this girl,” William insisted, as he closed the door to Meredith’s office.

Meredith settled behind her polished mahogany desk and looked at him with her kind, chocolate-colored eyes. “Maybe you do, Dr. Hayes, but it doesn’t change the face that Ms. Andrews is a very sick woman.”

William shook his head while he paced in front of her. “That’s just it. Her name isn’t Andrews.”

“According to her chart it is.” Meredith crossed her arms. “She has a long history of mental illness and has been in and out of trouble with the law for most of her life. It started odd with petty thief and cruelty to animals. Before long she was a full-fledged menace to society. By fifteen her adoptive mother had had enough and kicked her out onto the streets.” He shook his head and rejected everything Meredith said. “It’s a lie. The woman I met…” “Isn’t it possible that this woman just simply looks like the person you’re referring to? I’m told that she has a sister…” “I’m not wrong about this.” William slammed his hands down on her desk. Meredith blinked and calmly stared up at him. “I don’t know what this is all about, Dr. Hayes, but this conversation is over.” He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you like that.” She didn’t respond.

He drew himself upright and took another calming breath before he started again. “Can we at least lower her medication so that she’s not so sedated? I’m sure that she’ll be able to tell us who she is.” “I already know who she is,” William’s temper threatened to explode again. “Dr. Hayes, did you happen to notice the slashes across Ms. Andrew’s wrists?” The question deflated his anger.

“No? I did. There were slashed pretty badly by Ms. Andrews herself. Do you want to know who else wants to talk to Ms. Andrews?”

William now lowered his weight into the vacant chair across from Meredith’s desk as her words punched him hard.

“The police,” she answered for him. “She’s a suspect in her boyfriend’s homicide.” Meredith stood, then walked around to the front of her desk and leaned against it. “Do you see why I won’t let you go in there and talk to her?”

“No,” William said truthfully. “This is a case of mistaken identity.”

“On your part, yes.” Meredith crossed her arms. “If you go in there filling her head that she’s someone else, trust me, she’d going to agree with you. She’s going to tell you whatever you want to hear so she can get out off this place.”

“That’s not true.”

“Sure it is,” Meredith said. “Andrews is the smoothest liar you’ll ever meet. She’s not only a danger to herself, but to those around her as well.”

“And all of this is in her chart?”

“Most of it. The rest is from personal experience.” Meredith nodded. “This is not the first time Andrews has been here at Keystone. I’ve treated her before.”

The phone rang, and William returned to the present. He sloshed coffee over the rim of his cup and burned his hand. “Christ!” Clumsily, he sat that cup back on the counter and waved his hand around as he made his way over to the phone. “Hello.” “Ah, Dr. Hayes. You’re there.” Ecaterina’s thick Romanian accent came over the line. “Good morning, Cat,” he said. “You got my message.” “Yes. I would’ve called back sooner, but Nicolae and I had a few errands to run this morning.” William chuckled. “No need to explain. I understand.” “I just don’t understand why you need me to go all the way out to Pine Mountain.”

“I’m taking care of, uh, one of Sheila’s cousins.” William rubbed at his temples as he recited the lie he’d practiced. “She’s pretty out of it, so she shouldn’t be too much trouble.”

“You’re such a good brother-in-law,” Cat praised. “Taking care of Larry’s extended family like this.”

William’s guilt multiplied. His behavior in the past twenty-four hours was akin to an out of body experience. Kidnapping, lying…what would come next?”

“I’ll be happy to come out there Monday and so what I can,” she said cheerfully. “Anything for you, Dr. Hayes.”

William thanked her and hurried off the phone. A headache immediately bloomed in William’s temples. He reviewed his plan to leave Josie with his trusted housekeeper. The risk was high, but it was also a necessity.

He was already scheduled off for the weekend, but if he took any more time off from the Institute right on the heels of a disappearance, surely he’d raise more than a few eyebrows. Speaking of which, he thought, grabbing his cup again, he should see if anything was on the news.

He strode into the living room and clicked on the television. On channel 2, news anchor Warren Savage stared back at him. Keystone’s emblem and digital graphic of a white chalked-body projected from the corner of the screen.

“Police were called to Keystone Mental Institute early this morning when a prominent doctor at the facility this morning was found dead in the trunk of her car. Minutes later, the institute discovered a patient was missing. Authorities are trying to piece together whether the two incidents are connected. The name of the doctor as well as the missing patient has yet to be released at this time.”

William pressed the mute button on the remote. Dead? Found in the trunk of a car? Murdered? He stared at the reported for a few frantic heartbeats before bolting to the kitchen to retrieve the phone. Upon picking up the receiver, he quickly hung up. Who was he going to call, and what was he going to say?

“The truth,” he thought. He would say he saw everything on the news. He nodded, telling himself it sounded good, and grabbed the phone again.

While he waited for the line to connect, the words to his prepared speech jumbled inside his head. On the fifth ring, the line was transferred to Marcus Hines’s voicemail.

William hung up without leaving a message.

But his mind raced over the previous night’s events, and he couldn’t stop obsessing over what the hell had happened and who was murdered. Slowly the rest of the reporter’s words sank in: “...authorities are trying to piece together whether the two incidents are connected.”

“If I’m caught, they’re going to think I’m a murderer.”

Chapter 8

To help combat Josie’s withdrawal symptoms, William decided to administer methadone injections twice a day. The drug was a narcotic pain reliever, similar to morphine. It was commonly used for drug addiction detoxification and maintenance programs.

For most of Saturday, William helped his patient through fits of delirium, heavy sweating, vomiting, and manic outburst. He found all of these to be good signs.

The day flew by, and, as night descended, William was exhausted. When Josie fell into a deep slumber, he could no longer ignore his own needs. First thing being first, he sated his hunger with a large bowl of pasta and a bottle of Heineken.

Outside, he heard the rain return and pound the windows and roof as though it had a vicious vendetta against the house.

William moved into the living room and settled into an armchair juxtaposed to a plaid soda and in front of the television. He should check the news again, he rationalized, he had no idea what he would do if the news broadcast his picture as the latest member on the most wanted list.