Part 4 (2/2)
Two security guards went toward the gate carrying freshly opened body bags.
”Don't bag them until I've inspected,” Glen said. ”I'll be back shortly.”
Glen insisted on accompanying him to the house.
”I need to get in touch with the rest of the board,” David said.
”You'd best ask Katie Starnes about that.”
The tone of Glen's voice, his choice of words, brought more recognition. Normally, he would have simply asked him outright if he'd been in the cla.s.s, but he wasn't about to do that now.
”Glen, you look familiar. Have we met before?”
Glen stared back, his eyes steady.
”We have, haven't we?”
He did not say no.
”And you remember, and thank G.o.d. What else do you remember?”
Glen grabbed his shoulder so hard he stopped talking immediately.
”Never speak about it,” he said.
”No, obviously not directly.”
”Not at all.”
As they walked, Glen took something from his pocket, then slipped it into David's hand. David felt a small capsule.
”If you're captured, bite down on it and breathe deeply. It takes ten seconds. No pain.”
”But-”
”Do it without fail.”
He jammed the thing down into his pocket, and then they were through the main door and immediately confronting a silent, frightened crowd.
Staffers, patients, workers-the whole front half of the house was filled with people. A couple of security men kept them back.
David realized that he was going to have to make an introduction of himself here and now. No waiting on this.
He raised his voice. ”Obviously a tragedy,” he said. He found himself clutching the cyanide capsule, as if it represented rescue, or needed protection. Then, afraid that it might open, he took his hand out of his pocket.
A sea of faces, eyes wide, silent, looked back at him. Here and there, somebody exhibited inappropriate behavior, grinning, bobbing their head, dancing to some inner music.
But these people weren't really crazy, at least not all of them. Induced psychosis as a means of concealment. And now what was he to do?
”I'm Dr. Ford. David Ford. I'm your new chief psychiatrist. I-we-we-” But what did he say? ”The security team will handle this,” he finally blurted out. ”Mr. MacNamara-here-here he is.”
Now, there was a great speech. Very dynamic and take-charge. Idiotic.
”Thank you, Dr. Ford. We've informed the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office,” he told them. ”Right now, we're a.s.suming that criminal activity was involved.” He drew himself up. ”There will be an investigation. The perpetrator will be found.”
”Was it one of us?” a voice called.
”There will be an investigation. That's all. Thank you.”
David said, ”Attendants, please accompany the patients back to routine. Back to routine, please.”
He went slowly up the grand staircase, into the fabulous painted sky, with its birds and its heavenly clouds.
I made believe I could hear those birds sing.
He had never felt this alone. He had not known that such a feeling-like falling and being buried alive at the same time-was possible.
He entered his office, filling now with evening shadows, as silent as death.
There was one h.e.l.l h.e.l.l of a security problem here, and Jesus, he had to be a prime target. That other guy-Ullman-had been burned to death. of a security problem here, and Jesus, he had to be a prime target. That other guy-Ullman-had been burned to death. Burned. Burned.
His stomach was sharp with acid, his mind racing. He needed a gun, he needed a bodyguard, but how to tell who was reliable?
Then he realized that somebody was in the room. He turned. A lovely young woman had entered and was standing in the doorway, silently watching him.
”h.e.l.lo.”
”I'm Katie Starnes.”
That was to be their only introduction.
”Miss Starnes, I want a list of all the other members of the board. And I want us to start trying to get in touch with them immediately.”
She stared at him.
”Please!”
”Dr. Ford, there are no other members of the board. Mrs. Denman-she's the board.”
”That's impossible!”
”I'm sorry.”
”Then get hold of her secretary, her accountant, whoever you can locate. I need to talk to anyone I can!”
<script>