Listen to the Shadows (5 page)

He leaned forward in the chair, his cobalt blue eyes penetrating, challenging her. “Another question that might be raised during an interrogation is why you didn’t see the corpse propped up in the back seat of your car when you got in.”

Just the word “corpse” raised gooseflesh on Katie’s arms beneath the hospital shirt. “There was a downpour and it was dark,” she said, beginning to lose patience. “And I was running to keep from getting thoroughly soaked.” Anger erupted in her. “You’re the one conducting the interrogation, Doctor. If this is an example of how you help patients, I’d be surprised if any of your patients get well.”

He reacted visibly to her words, actually blinking, as if she’d slapped him, and Katie at once regretted them, even though she did feel partly justified. He rose quickly to his feet, the chair legs scraping the tile floor. Standing there, he seemed to Katie suddenly vulnerable, lost. There was clearly something at work here she didn’t understand.

He started for the door. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I just thought you should know what you might be in for if the police are called in.”

“Since it’s obvious neither you nor Dr. Miller believe a word I’ve said,” she answered quietly to his retreating back, “I don’t think it’s likely they will. Although I can’t imagine why you think I would lie about it. What would I have to gain?”

He turned in the doorway, thrusting one hand in his pocket. The chart dangled from the other. He shrugged lightly. “It’s not entirely unheard of for a lonely woman to fabricate such a story—perhaps to gain attention. Maybe she’s been doing it since childhood. It works. I have to admit, though, this particular story is not without a certain—flare.”

Barely trusting herself to speak, her face burning, Katie finally managed through tight lips, “I’m not lonely, and I don’t need attention that badly.”

“No,” he said, his gaze shifting to the bouquet of roses on her night table. “I don’t suppose you do. I’m sorry if I offended you, but you did ask. Could it possibly have been the trick of the car lights reflected in the rain?” he offered. “Or perhaps an animal on the road? Some freak illusion?”

“Anything’s possible, I suppose,” Katie conceded, weary of all the questions, the speculations, the ridiculous verbal ping-pong with this very strange and disturbing man.

She looked away from him, concentrated instead on the hairline crack snaking out from the light fixture in the ceiling, and waited for him to leave. She’d often heard that some psychiatrists were far crazier than their patients.

“Do you mind if I ask…?”

“The roses are from a friend,” she snapped. “His name is Drake Devlin, and he’s a lawyer. In fact, he just recently passed his bar exams, which is a good thing since it seems I might be in need of a lawyer. Anything else, Doctor?”

“Not about your social life. Unless there’s something you wish to tell me. And I had no intention of asking you who the sender of the flowers was, I assure you.”

“Oh.” Katie found herself blushing again. “Then what?”

“It says on your chart that you live at Black Lake. I’m familiar with that area. I was just thinking that it seems a rather isolated spot for a woman alone, that’s all.”

“I can take care of myself.”

He studied her for a long moment as if trying to decide something about her. Then he said, “Yes, I’m sure you can. Oh, by the way, we did do a bit of checking. Just a couple of discreet phone calls. The morgue, missing persons, that sort of thing.

“But no bodies unaccounted for.”

“Not a one, I’m afraid.”

Both heads turned toward the middle-aged, heavy-set nurse who stopped in the doorway and beamed a million dollar smile at Dr. Shea, yellow curls bobbing beneath her cap.

“It’s all right, nurse,” he said, quickly stepping to one side. “I was just leaving.” To Katie, he said, “I’m afraid a hospital isn’t always the best place to find rest. We’ll talk again. Perhaps when your test results come back. We’ll know more then.”

Psychoanalysis time, Katie thought wearily. Well, why not if I would help her get at the truth?

“Won’t take but a minute, dear,” the nurse said, seeing Katie eye the blood pressure apparatus in her hand.

“Well, what do you think of him?” she whispered conspiratorially, wrapping Katie’s arm snugly with the wide rubber band. “Dr. Shea is the resident heart-throb around here, you know,” she went on, pumping air that hissed from the little ball until Katie’s fingers began to tingle. “You just wouldn’t believe how otherwise mature and competent nurses can turn into giddy teenagers when he’s around.” She made a little sniffing sound. “It’s positively disgusting.

Katie grinned.

Chapter 6

The tantalizing aroma of coffee wafted from the corridor, where breakfasts were being wheeled and distributed to the rooms on either side. Since Katie was going for tests, there would be no tray for her this morning. Feeling mildly deprived, she turned away from the hallway to look out the window. She was consoled to see that another perfect day dawned, the sky a bright enamel blue, broken only occasionally by a wispy cloud or two.

How exquisite the trees at Black Lake would be just about now, in their profusion of golds and scarlets. Oh, how she did love the autumn. She longed now to have her morning coffee in her studio in front of the fire. She would throw open the drapes and gaze out upon the trees in their showy colors, and her beautiful lake, a view of which, no matter what the season, Katie never grew bored. Perhaps, she continued to fancy, if it were warm enough, she would just take her coffee out onto her little balcony. Feeling a pang of homesickness, Katie wondered when she would get out of here.

“Ready?” Nurse Ring asked brightly, coming into the room, toting a rich burgundy overnight bag Katie had never seen before. “Ready as I’ll ever be,” she answered, easing her legs out from beneath the sheet, regarding them as if they belonged to someone else. They were nearly as white as the sheet, her skin translucent, showing a fine tracery of veins beneath. Between working at The Coffee Shop and her painting, there wasn’t a lot of time left for sunbathing, but she couldn’t remember her legs ever looking this pale, or so thin.

Hoping they would support her, she placed both bare feet on the cool tile floor and stood up. Instantly, the room went into a spin and she had to clutch the edge of the mattress to keep from falling. In a single stride the nurse was beside her, her arm firmly around Katie’s waist. “Easy now. You just moved too quickly is all. Do you feel faint?”

With the blood drumming in her ears like Niagara Falls, and her body enveloped in a cold sweat, Katie could only nod, feeling as if the strength were slowly being sapped from her body by some unseen force.

“Place your head between your knees and take nice deep breaths,” the nurse advised. Katie obeyed, and gradually the spinning room slowed, her heartbeat returned to normal. A long shudder of breath escaped her.

“Okay?” the nurse asked.

“I—I think so. Can’t say I wasn’t forewarned, can I?”

She slid her damp palms down the sides of her nightshirt. “Whew. That was awful. I’ve never fainted before. It’s not anything like in the movies, is it?”

The nurse smiled. “Hardly. But then, few things ever are, right?”

After a minute or two, she said, “Do you think you can make it over to the chair now? Do you feel up to it?”

Katie listened closely to her body, then said yes, and began to ease herself off the bed and place her feet again on the floor.

“Take your time. Just lean on me.”

She didn’t need any coaxing. Wary now after her sickening experience, she stood slowly. And felt relieved when the room didn’t move. Taking small, careful steps, and with the nurse’s support, at last she was across the mile of floor and settled into the big olive green chair. The vinyl upholstery was cool on her skin, and Katie had to laugh as she tucked the two ends of her nightshirt beneath her bottom. “I feel absolutely naked. You know, it just occurred to me I don’t have a darned thing to wear other than this God-awful hospital gown.”

The nurse grinned slyly and knelt to the overnight case at her feet. “Oh, I think you do,” she said, beginning to undo the small, gold-plated buckle. “He said everything you need should be in here.” She glanced up at a puzzled Katie. “Shall I open it?”

“Are you sure it’s for me?”

“Absolutely. The gentleman was quite anxious that it be delivered to you right away.”

Pleasantly surprised, assuming that this was her friend Jason’s doing, Katie gestured to the nurse to go ahead and open the case. Jason, knowing where Katie kept an extra key, must have driven out to the house and picked up some of her things. Odd. It wasn’t like Jason to be so practical on his own. Thoughtful, yes. Sweet, yes. But practical…? Well, she mustn’t underestimate him in the future. The bag must be his. It certainly wasn’t hers. “Did my friend leave a name?” Katie asked, fully expecting to hear the name “Jason Belding”.

Linda Ring unzipped the case and opened it, releasing the scent of new leather which wafted up to Katie.

“Drake Devlin,” Linda said, as she removed a pair of gold brocade slippers from the case and fit them over Katie’s feet. Then she was holding up a creamy luxurious robe for Katie’s viewing, oblivious to the stunned expression on her patient’s face. “Isn’t this absolutely the most gorgeous thing you’ve ever seen your entire life?” she breathed, struggling with the yards of skirt.

There was nothing here of hers. Everything was brand new, and far more expensive than anything Katie could ever have afforded. “It is beautiful,” she agreed, watching in astonishment as the nurse delved back into the case. With all the enthusiasm of a child on Christmas morning, she held up, one after the other, three peignoir sets, all satin and lace in delicate shades of pastel. Eyes glittering, she handled each with the reverence of a pirate finding treasure. When these were sufficiently admired she returned them and withdrew a teal-blue drawstring bag from the case. “Wow!” she said, peering inside. “French perfume, makeup…he wouldn’t happen to have a brother, by any chance.”

Katie gave a nervous laugh. “No, I don’t think so. Anyway, I certainly can’t keep any of this.”

The nurse raised dark, surprised eyes. “Why not?”

Despite her amazement, which was gradually turning to anger, Katie had to laugh. “Because this stuff must have cost a mint, and I hardly know Drake Devlin. I only dated him one time, for heaven’s sake.”

The nurse remained kneeling at the case, staring up at Katie. “You’re kidding. Well, you must have made one hell of an impression because he sure wants to make sure he gets a second date.” She grinned and caressed the velvety robe. “I think I’d be willing to give him a chance.”

“Whoever would have thought you were so materialistic, Linda,” Katie teased. After a shaky start, she and Linda Ring were becoming friends.

“Neither did I,” Linda replied wistfully, letting the satiny fabric of a soft blue negligee slide sensuously through her fingers and back into the case. Standing abruptly, she held up the robe, her chin tilted in decision. “Well, you’ll have to wear this at least, and the slippers. You’ve nothing else and this is an emergency. You can always return the rest, if you’re sure you really want to.”

“Linda, you’re not hearing me. I can’t wear any of this,” Katie protested, but the nurse had turned a deaf ear and was already deftly sliding Katie’s arms into the flowing sleeves of the robe, then tying the sash.

Katie sighed in resignation. “You’re taking advantage of my weakened state, you know,” she said. She supposed it wouldn’t hurt to wear the robe, and prayed she didn’t soil it. Glancing down at her feet clad in the gold brocade, she guessed it would be appropriate to keep the slippers as a gift.

“There,” the nurse said, stepping back so Katie could view herself in the full-length mirror hanging on the inside of the closet door. “You look like you just stepped out of a dream.”

Katie stifled a gasp at the sight of herself in the mirror. A dream, all right. More like a nightmare. Her eyes were dull and hollowed beneath the bandage and there was an ugly bruise on her left cheek that was fast turning a ghastly yellow, still tender to the touch. She looked like the victim of a bad beating. Her new hairdo hung limp and lifeless, some of it matted—with her blood? “The robe looks great,” she said dryly. “I look like I died and came back to life—almost.”

“Well, you haven’t exactly been on vacation in Acapulco, have you? Not to worry. When you get back I’ll give you a shampoo. That’ll pick you up.” She knelt to sift through the case again. “Shampoo, soap, toothbrush, let’s see—comb, brush…just like he said; everything you need. A shampoo and a little makeup from his lovely case, and you won’t know yourself.”

“I’ll hold you to your offer, but I’ve got makeup in my purse and that’ll do just fine.” Despite her resolve, Katie couldn’t resist stroking the luxurious velvet that fell in soft, rich folds to the floor. Maybe, she thought, as Linda Ring helped her into the waiting wheelchair, it would be okay to keep a few of the smaller items. It really was thoughtful of Drake.

Thoughtful? No, Katie. The flowers were thoughtful. This robe, and what’s in that overnight case, looks more like a carefully planned trousseau for a bride.