Chapter 35

“Any truth is better than infinite doubt.”

-Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Yellow Face

I checked my watch. It was getting late, but I wanted to brief Morgan on the weird stalking over the past few weeks. Maybe he’d have some good advice.

“I don’t like the sound of this,” Morgan said thoughtfully after I’d summarized what’d been happening to me. “Seriously, what you’re describing could come straight out of a textbook on Criminology 101. Those are classic signs of a warped mind out to get you. Don’t you have any idea who it might be?”

“I don’t have a clue, Morgan. All I have are these notes that were shoved under my door.” I pulled the last two envelopes out of my purse and showed him.

“I did install a mini cam disguised as an air freshener in the hallway outside my door, but whoever is doing this was smart enough to disable it. I’ve been so busy, I haven’t fixed it yet.”

Morgan frowned. “About this note and the stalking, DD, could it have anything to do with what happened to Tom Joyce?”

“I don’t see how. It started weeks before I’d even heard of the Grange estate.”

“Is there something else from your job that’s coming back to bite you?”

“I’ve thought and thought about it, Morgan. I can’t come up with anyone. There are some people I helped put in jail from that HI-Data Corporation case a couple years ago, but I checked and they’re still there. I can’t see them hiring someone to do this to me, but it’s certainly a possibility.”

“Sounds like the only possibility right now. I’ll do some inside checking. Give me their names. I’ll get in touch with some guys I know at the county jail and get back to you.”

I wrote down their names. As I handed him the slip of paper, my cell rang again.

“Sorry Morgan.” I answered. It was Debra Yates. She sounded panicky.

“Please DD. You’ve got to get here as quick as you can. Tom wants to see you. He’s threatening to leave the hospital, and I can’t stop him.”

“I’ll be right there.”

I told Morgan what was going on.

“Be careful, DD. Remember your court date’s coming up. Don’t leave the Cook County jurisdiction and don’t get in any more trouble, or it’ll go against you. Those two detectives on your case are just waiting to reinstate those charges and get them off the book. Go ahead. I’ll take care of this.”

I thanked him, ran to the car, backed out of the parking lot, and stepped on the gas.

What was going on? Why would Tom want to leave the hospital? Had someone made another attempt on his life? I had no idea. I hit the gas even harder.