Enid spun around and turned all her attention onto Tracy. “Is that right? You knew that Kaylna said some patients deserved to die?”
“Yes, it’s true. Ashley reported that,” said Tracy.
“Is that why you two were meeting secretly outside the hospital?” Enid was now on a tear. “Were you two plotting something behind our backs?”
Enid was quickly turning the focus away from Hanna, blaming Tracy and Ashley for something completely different. It was an old trick and Tracy was fully aware of it.
She took charge immediately. “I was within my complete rights as a professional to meet and speak with Ashley outside the hospital or anywhere I chose. All information on a case is welcomed. Ashley was trying to help.”
“I doubt that she was trying to help,” Enid muttered.
“I beg your pardon?” asked Tracy. There was definitely bad blood between Enid and Ashley. That was completely obvious now.
Enid backed slightly down. “Shouldn’t you guys take Kaylna in?” Enid continued, heatedly. “Why are you letting some who thinks that way float around with access to our patients?”
“We don’t have enough evidence yet to take Kaylna in,” Tracy responded definitively.
“So, you’ll just let all the patients die?” Enid seemed crazed, flailing around, looking for someone to blame. Tracy knew she had to turn the tables on her.
“There are other developments we are checking as well,” Tracy added quickly. “Did you know that Dr. Jarnow received a letter saying that another killing was coming soon?”
Enid took a few quick steps back. “How would I know that?” she asked, stung.
“We need to see that letter immediately,” Tracy continued. “I thought you might have it.”
Enid looked confused. “What are you talking about?”
“Dr. Jarnow said he threw it away,” Tracy went on. “It’s hard to believe he would do something so stupid.”
Enid stopped cold. “Dr. Jarnow must have not thought the letter meant anything. Patients write all kinds of crazy things to him. Most of it is garbage.”
“Garbage? A letter like that?” Tracy dug in. “That’s not garbage, it’s evidence.”
“The patients ramble, they rant,” Enid breathed.
“How do we even know the letter was from a patient if we can’t see it?” Tracy wouldn’t let go.
“Do you have any idea where that letter is? We thought Dr. Jarnow might have given it to you.”
“I never even heard a thing about it.” Enid rapidly went on the defensive.
The policeman who’d been close by listening, rubbed his hands on his face, exasperated.
“Okay, ladies, I’ll leave you here,” he said. “Go to your stations immediately.”
“I assume the FBI is aware of what’s happened?” Tracy asked him quickly.
“Yes, they are,” the policeman said. “They’re all over the hospital.”
“I’ll contact them and wait where I am,” said Tracy.
“And I’ll accompany Ashley back to her room,” Enid offered, looking grim.
“Be careful where you go,” said the officer. “Barricades are being erected everywhere. Lots of hallways are being closed down.”
“What good do barricades or FBI do?” Ashley piped up loudly. “Whatever you’re trying is not working. The killer is winning. Hanna is dead.”
Enid put her arm on Ashley’s shoulder. “Come on,” she whispered, “let’s get back to your room.”
Ashley flung a bitter look at Tracy. “Get me out of here, fast! I beg you!”
*
Tracy immediately called Aldon, who, thankfully, was only a few steps away.
“Come meet me in Hanna’s room.” Aldon’s voice was heavy. “They’ve just taken her body to the morgue.”
“My God,” Tracy breathed. “Why Hanna?”
“And it stinks like hell in here,” Aldon added. “She’s been dead awhile. Get over here fast.”
Tracy’s knees felt wobbly as she walked down the narrow corridor to Ward 3, where Hanna’s room was located. Except for police stationed every few feet, the hallways were empty. The thought of Hanna in the morgue horrified Tracy. What in the world caused someone to kill her? Was there some way that Tracy could have saved Hanna’s life? Should they have taken in Kaylna? Was Enid right?
Tracy turned and walked to the edge of Ward 3. Many of the patients on this ward had single rooms, did better alone.
When Tracy arrived at Hanna’s room, three cops stood outside the door as if they were protecting the entrance to a castle.
“FBI,” Tracy said as she approached.
“We were told you were coming,” one of the cops replied, slowly opening the door to Hanna’s room.
As soon as Tracy walked in, she put her hand over her mouth and lurched backwards. The smell of death hit her hard.
“Be careful where you walk.” Aldon came right over to her. “There’s still blood on the floor. Stay at the edge over here.”
Two officers from forensics were inside, taking impressions. There was very little room to stand in or move.
“How long was she dead before they found her?” asked Tracy. She was hit with a wave of missing Hanna. And the entire scene felt surrealistic. Tracy needed plain facts to ground her.
“We’ll find out the time of death soon enough,” Aldon replied. “But Hanna was dead longer before she was found than the other victims.”
The forensic officers turned to Tracy and Aldon. “We’re leaving for a few minutes, just stay in this corner of the room. Don’t touch anything.”
“Fine,” said Aldon.
“Did they find a weapon?” Tracy continued, as the officers walked out.
“No,” Aldon grumbled. “And same as the others, she was slashed at the jugular. No weapon left behind.”
“It’s definitely an inside job,” Tracy mumbled.
“Looks that way,” Aldon agreed. “But someone in the hospital’s got the weapon. We have to find it, are turning everything upside down. No one’s being allowed in or out, it’s a complete lockdown. The patients are actually being stashed in their rooms now, as we speak.”
“The killer is on a vendetta,” Tracy continued. “They’re out to destroy one patient at a time. They’re winning and they know it, and they’re not wasting any time. They’re getting it all done before time runs out.”
“I got news for them,” Aldon barked, “their time has run out already!”
“They plan to keep going until all the patients are dead,” Tracy breathed.
“And maybe, not just the patients,” Aldon chimed in. “Maybe they want to destroy the entire hospital? This could have been engineered by someone who had a bad time here, by a family member, or someone who has something against the staff! Or for all we know it could be blackmail. We can’t count anything out.”
“This feels more like a personal vendetta to me,” Tracy disagreed. “The manner of death is too personal. Look at the way the victims were killed. Someone’s making a statement and wants to receive public acclaim for their prowess and success.”
“Not sure about that,” said Aldon, “neither is Hunter. We’re both thinking the crimes could have been engineered from a distance.”
“Engineered how?” asked Tracy.
“There are plenty of ways,” Aldon responded. “Someone could have gotten a weak-minded patient to gladly do their bidding. Who knows what they offered the patient in return? Or the killer could have infiltrated the hospital during visiting hours.”
“Are you checking on the name of the visitor Enid gave you, the one who came too often?” asked Tracy.
“Yes, we are,” said Aldon. “So far the name she gave us doesn’t check out. The person could have used a false name, though.”
“Or Enid might be lying,” Tracy jumped in, “sending us all on a wild goose chase.”
“Why would she do that?” Aldon was discomfited.
“Good question,” said Tracy quickly. “I just found out that Enid also worked in Anguilla, like Dr. Jarnow.”
“What are you talking about?” Aldon was jarred.
“It’s an interesting coincidence,” Tracy continued. “Most likely Jarnow and Enid worked there together at the same time.”
“Where did you hear that?” Aldon was insistent.
“From the interview with Kaylna’s therapist. Her parents were there and said Kaylna told them about Enid working in Anguilla.”
Aldon looked distressed. “It looks like Jarnow and Enid have a secret relationship that’s still going on. What are they hiding?”
“Find out about their time together in Anguilla,” said Tracy. “What were they up to? Why did they leave? What happened to them there?”
“Definitely,” agreed Aldon.
“And we have to find that letter as well,” Tracy continued.
“What letter?” Aldon looked puzzled.
Tracy was startled. “You didn’t hear that Jarnow received a letter warning that another killing would be coming soon?”
Aldon was becoming increasingly agitated. “I never heard that, either,” he proclaimed.
“Ashley just told me about it,” Tracy filled him in. “I thought it was common knowledge.”
“I want to see the letter immediately!” Aldon looked grim.
“Ashley said she heard that Jarnow threw it out. When I talked to Enid about the letter, she said Jarnow must have thought it was just the rambling of a sick person, meant nothing.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.” Aldon was furious. “We need that letter. We need to check fingerprints and handwriting. This could crack the case, especially if one of the patients wrote it.”
“Ashley’s convinced it was written by Kaylna,” Tracy continued. “Kaylna keeps saying there’ll be another killing here soon, and Ashley believes Kaylna wanted to warn Jarnow.”
“Kaylna’s schizophrenic, right?” asked Aldon. “Delusional disorder?”
“Right,” replied Tracy. “But we still need to see if she wrote that letter.”
“Find it,” Aldon growled.
Tracy’s focused intensified. “Okay, top priority is to find the weapon and letter. Tell the men to look in every garbage can. Have them contact the janitor and go through his trash as well.”
“The janitor’s a creepy guy,” murmured Aldon. “Always scoping things out.”
“Check him out,” Tracy insisted. “And we’ve got to talk more to Kaylna, as well.”
“You do that,” Aldon insisted. “You’re good at handling the patients.”
Tracy suddenly felt a tremendous hunger for all kinds of information. “Was there anything different about this killing, Aldon?”
“Hanna was shoved under her bed after she was murdered,” Aldon replied. “No one knew where she was. When she didn’t turn up in the usual places, people started looking for her all over the hospital. A few people thought she broke out.”
“She wasn’t killed right after breakfast like the others, either,” Tracy noted.
“No, not this time. Nobody knew where she was until her blood started spilling out from under the bed.”
The image of that made Tracy retch. “Who found her?” The thought of Hanna, dead, under her bed was crushing.
“Virginia found her,” answered Aldon.
Tracy stopped on a dime. “Wasn’t Virginia also the one who found Maggie?”
“Right,” Aldon replied, “Virginia was Maggie’s roommate. Virginia went back to her room and found Maggie there, lying in the middle of the floor. This time Virginia was among those looking for Hanna. She said she went to Hanna’s room just on the chance that Hanna had returned.”
“Returned from where?” Tracy was nervous.
“We didn’t ask Virginia that,” said Aldon. “Was it just a lucky break that she found Hanna? Virginia and Hanna got along okay, didn’t they?”
Tracy quickly remembered their time together at dinner. “I wouldn’t exactly say got along. There was some friction between Virginia and Hanna,” Tracy replied.
“There’s friction between everyone here, isn’t there?” asked Aldon.
“Some more, some less,” Tracy agreed.
“What’s this killer proving?” Aldon asked quickly then. “What are they getting out of it, Tracy?”
“That’s the real question,” Tracy murmured. “Just give me a little more time and I’ll figure it out.”
“We’re out of time, Tracy,” Aldon responded. “Tell me right now!”