“Oh. Now I feel much better about your plan.”
“Mars, I can at least notify hospital security and the nursing staff to be on the lookout for him.”
“That makes more sense.”
He slowed to pull into the parking lot, a gigantic four-story labyrinth.
I opened the door and hopped out. “I’ll see you at Charlene’s room.” I slammed the door and ran for the hospital entrance. I really didn’t know what I would find. A besotted man like Georgia had said, or a fleeing murderer intent on finishing the job. At the front desk, I asked for the security office. The woman pointed me to a long hallway. At the end of it was a glass window with the word SECURITY on a sign above the window. I rapped on the glass.
A man appeared behind the glass panel and listened to me with a bored expression. “Ma’am, if you’re afraid of this Fred fellow, I can walk you to your car.”
“He’s not a danger to me. He tried to kill one of your patients.”
“I believe we would have been informed of that.” He turned away and tossed a candy wrapper in the trash.
“Don’t you understand? I think he’s here now.”
“Uh-huh.” He smiled indulgently like one would at a silly child. “Then you should probably call the police.”
His total lack of interest was aggravating me. “I have! But they’re not here yet. Shouldn’t you go up to her room and make sure she’s okay?”
“What’s the patient’s name?”
“Charlene Smith.”
He didn’t bother to write down her name or look on the computer for her room number. “Yeah, okay. I’ll check it out.” He walked away and poured himself a cup of coffee.
Aargh! I gave up and rushed to the elevator. I gazed around before I stepped out on the third floor. I didn’t see Fred. My heart pounded in my ears as I made my way along the hall to Charlene’s room.
I took a deep breath before I peeked inside her room.
Fred was there!
Chapter 35
Dear Sophie,
I would love to send flowers to my former mother-in-law who is in the hospital. But she’s terribly allergic to them. Hospital rooms are simply ghastly, and flowers would brighten up her room. Are there any hypoallergenic flowers?
Hopeful Ex-Daughter-in-Law in Rose, Kansas
Dear Hopeful,
How about roses? Tulips and hydrangeas are also wonderful choices. Talk to your florist about it. People ask them this question all the time!
Sophie
Ijerked away and stood outside the room with my back against the wall. I could hear Fred talking softly. He could probably hear my heart pounding.
I pulled out my cell phone and texted Wolf again.
Fred is in Charlene’s hospital room right now.
What was I going to do if he started to beat her or if he strangled her like he did the other women? I looked around for a weapon. Was there anything I could smash over his head? The hallway was unbelievably void of objects. There wasn’t even a trash can. I walked back a few rooms, glancing in open doors. I found an unoccupied room. The flimsy plastic trash can would bounce off Fred’s head.
Why was everything mounted on the wall? Probably so people like me wouldn’t rip them off and bash them over someone’s head. Ah, but someone had left a step stool behind. It was lightweight and not very large, but it was better than nothing. I carried it along the hallway and paused outside of Charlene’s room.
I strained to hear what he was saying.
“You will not see me again, Charlene.”
I lifted the step stool over my head and barged into the room shouting, “Nooooo!”
Fred blinked at me. “I knew you were trouble.” He walked toward me slowly. “The apple fritters were delicious, but you and your friend Natasha were the only people who pretended to care about my welfare.” He looked up at the step stool that I brandished over my head. “Were you planning to disable me with that?”
“Yes. The legs are made of iron,” I lied.
He snorted. “They look like aluminum. An empty syringe with air in it or a knife would have served you better. Perhaps you should make note of that for your future endeavors.”
Future endeavors? At least that wasn’t a threat. “Move away from Charlene.”
His eyes widened. And for the first time I saw him smile. “You are here to protect Charlene? From me?”
“You tried to kill her.”
He stared at me without emotion. “Quite the contrary. I killed her attacker. I saved Charlene. But she vanished, and I could not find her. I feared she was dead.”
“Oh, please!” I cried. “How dumb do you think I am?”
“No, it is true. And I don’t think you are dumb. Nosy, perhaps. Alas, your presence here, not to mention your boldness in wielding such an alarming weapon, leads me to believe that the police cannot be far behind.” He edged backward and leaned over Charlene.
I hastened to the other side of the bed, still wielding the step stool. “Don’t touch her!”
He ignored me. “My lovely Charlene. I will carry you in my heart until the day I die. I am sorry I must leave. I had hoped to be here longer, but sometimes the unexpected happens and it is not in my control to fix it. I have no regrets. This is the end.”
I sucked in a noisy breath of air. “What did you do?” Had he poisoned her? Put something in her IV?
Fred stared at me in alarm.
Where was Wolf? Why hadn’t the nurse stopped by? I gazed at the IV. I didn’t see a syringe anywhere. I pressed the help button on Charlene’s bed. I had to buy time. “I found your cat.”
His face softened. “I must leave. I hope you will take care of her. She is a very good cat.”
“What’s her name?”
“Nika.”
Was Mars ever going to arrive? “Don’t you want to take Nika with you?”
“It will be a difficult journey. It would not be fair to her. She is better off living in Old Town with a nice person like you.”
He wouldn’t think I was so nice when Wolf showed up!
“I came to say goodbye to Charlene. When she awakens one day, would you please tell her that I was here?”
I was confused. It didn’t sound like he planned to kill her. “Yes. I would be happy to do that.”
“We had an argument. That is the last thing she will remember about me. I wish it could be different.”
Footsteps pounded along the hallway outside.
Fred flew toward the doorway.
I threw the step stool at him in the hope of slowing him down.
He turned and came straight toward me. He jammed his hand into his right pocket and withdrew a small weapon. A knife? I had nothing. Nothing to defend myself with. Nothing to throw at him. I thought I was a goner.
And then he swept right by me. The glass in the window shattered, and he jumped out.
Wolf and Mars entered the room, panting.
I breathed a little easier. “He came to say goodbye to Charlene.”
The three of us looked out the window. He had landed on the roof of a porte cochere. It was still a long way to the ground.
“Sophie, you stay here and watch him. If he jumps off, text me which way he’s going.” Wolf was on the run, barking something into his radio. Mars was on his heels.