Part 16 (2/2)
She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him tenderly on the lips. ”Trust me, Rawlins. We will make love again,” she whispered. ”I promise you that.”
He closed his eyes and pulled her to him with a groan.
”G.o.d help us,” he whispered.
Silently, she echoed his words, more afraid than she would ever let him know. But equally determined never to be the woman Rawlins had described to her, the woman it seemed she'd been for almost the entire last year.
SLADE WOULD RATHER have cut off his right arm than do it, but he started the truck and headed for Dr. Delaney's house.
”Why would someone want to brainwash me?” Holly said beside him. ”I'm an artist, right? Who in their right mind would want to brainwash an artist? artist? That would be even more useless than brainwas.h.i.+ng a private detective.” That would be even more useless than brainwas.h.i.+ng a private detective.”
He knew what she was trying to do. She'd always joked when she was scared. And she had to be running scared as h.e.l.l right now. ”You're a great artist.”
He wanted to argue that they should drive to b.u.t.te, find a hypnotherapist, see if the guy could get her memory back. But he knew he'd be wasting his breath. Holly was too smart not to know that time was of the essence. And Dr. Delaney might be the one person who knew how to get her memory back quickly. But would he? Even at gunpoint.
”So you've seen my work?” she asked, looking nervously at the road ahead.
He thought of the painting she'd done of the birth. ”You have real talent, trust me.”
”Sounds like you're not the first man to say that to me,” she said. ”Tell me about Dr. Allan Wellington.”
He was saved by the ringing of his cell phone. ”Rawlins.”
”Slade, man, have I got news for you,” Charley said. ”Dude, don't go near this Evergreen place.”
”Too late for that. What have you got?”
”The place was started by a guy named Dr. Allan Wellington as a fertility clinic-”
”Got that.”
”Then you already know about Dr. August Wellington, the headshrinker?”
Slade frowned, trying to remember where he'd seen that name. Inez's. A plaque on the wall. Some award. ”No.”
”Man, he was just one of leaders in mind control during World War II, and and he was Allan Wellington's he was Allan Wellington's father. father.”
Slade looked over at Holly. ”That makes a lot of sense. Was the old man connected with Evergreen?”
”You bet your best sneakers he was,” Charley crowed. ”But unofficially, of course.”
So Allan could have learned the techniques from his father. ”Did you find out anything on a Dr. O'Brien?”
”Not yet. Still checking. But if he's bad news, I'll get the dirt, man. You can count on me.”
”What about Inez Wellington?”
”The headshrinker's daughter?” Charley asked. ”Word I got, she's an old maid with an att.i.tude.” That about covered it. ”Flunked out of medical school. But she did did work with her father and brother, unofficially. Not much on her. Still digging.” work with her father and brother, unofficially. Not much on her. Still digging.”
”Listen, be careful. At least one person is dead and another missing and I suspect it's all connected.”
”Always careful, man. That's the name of the game. Later, dude.”
”Who's dead?” Holly asked the moment he clicked the phone off. ”You haven't told me everything, have you?”
”Your midwife. She was killed in a car wreck just before you gave birth. Supposedly, it was an accident.”
”So she wasn't one of the monsters,” Holly said thoughtfully.
”No. But it's quite the coincidence she died before she was to a.s.sist your birth.”
Holly nodded, still looking stunned by the news, but stronger than the Holly who'd stumbled up to his office on Christmas Eve.
And Carolyn Gray was missing, it seemed, but he suspected she hadn't gone far. In fact, he'd sworn he saw her outside the Inst.i.tute just minutes ago.
Dr. Delaney, it appeared as they neared the house, was home, and with luck, the doctor would be alone. Dr. Delaney lived just outside of town on a small hobby ranch. As Slade pulled into the drive, he noted that only one vehicle was parked out front. The doc's black Suburban.
A mongrel dog came out to meet them, barking as it ran alongside the pickup. Slade parked behind the doctor's car and asked, ”You're sure about this?”
”Positive,” she said and gave him a smile. ”After everything you told me, Dr. Delaney must realize Evergreen's house of cards is falling fast. He'll want to help us.”
”Yeah,” Slade said checking the clip on his weapon. ”Or kill us.” Or kill him and zap Holly into another state of mind.
And yet, he still had no proof that anything was going on. Nor was he ready to involve the police. But he wasn't fool enough to go to Dr. Delaney without letting at least someone know where he was.
He dialed Chief Curtis's private number and got his answering machine. ”I'm at Dr. Delaney's house. He has some tie-in with Evergreen and might be one of the people who has been using mind control on Holly. We're about to find out. Just want you to know in case you don't hear from me again.”
Dr. Delaney opened the door before they reached it as if he'd been expecting them. Not a good sign. He didn't seem surprised to see them-or the weapon Slade held in his hand.
”Are you alone?” Slade asked.
Delaney nodded.
”You knew we were coming?”
”Heard all about it on the police scanner.” Delaney pointed into his den.
Slade could hear the chatter, turned low. ”Why would we be on the police scanner?”
”Someone broke into Evergreen Inst.i.tute, stole confidential information and destroyed the lab. You were seen leaving the Inst.i.tute. There's a warrant out for your arrest and a court order for Holly Barrows's re-commitment. I just had a feeling I'd be seeing you.”
Slade couldn't believe what he was hearing. And now Chief Curtis knew exactly where to find the two of them.
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