With a look of concerned concentration, Detective Nolan took a pad of paper from his pocket, jotted something down, then turned his attention to Dr. Baldwin. “You said you were told there was a body down there as well,” he said. “May I ask who told you that?”
“Certainly. It was Miss Winters.” Baldwin gestured toward Sage. “That’s why I wanted her here in my office when you arrived. She needs to learn once and for all that her antics have real-life consequences. You see, we caught her trying to escape, not for the first time, I might add, so she has come up with an elaborate story about finding her twin sister’s body in the tunnels to distract us.”
“That’s not true,” Sage said, her voice rattled by anger. “She was there! I saw her!”
Nolan looked at the doctor for a moment. “So you’re telling me there’s no body?”
“That’s exactly right. There’s no body. Miss Winters has been going by numerous names for years now. She claimed one of the other residents was her sister, but I believe they’ve had a spat. And now, suddenly, she says she has a twin sister. A dead twin sister. But you have to understand, thinking that way is a result of her many conditions. She also has what’s called split personality disorder, among other problems.”
Sage furiously shook her head. “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. My sister was ill, but I swear to you, I’m not. I’m perfectly sane. You can’t believe anything he tells you because he’s trying to cover up what happens here. This place isn’t a school. It’s like a concentration camp! A prison! Didn’t you see it on the news? The staff abuses the residents and—”
“Miss Winters,” Dr. Baldwin interrupted, his voice granite. “Do I need to send you into the waiting room?”
She hesitated. She had to be careful. “Please,” she said, turning to him, her eyes filling. “I’m begging you. Just tell them the truth.”
“You know perfectly well that I am telling the truth,” he said. “But I’m also losing patience with you. So I suggest you keep quiet until a staff member arrives to take you back to your ward.” He looked at the detective. “Please continue, Detective Nolan.”
“So you’re saying Miss Winters made up a story about the body in the tunnels, correct?”
“She either made it up or actually believes she saw it. It’s hard to tell with someone who suffers from her illness.”
“But the person who called the station said he was an employee. And he was male. How do you explain that?”
Dr. Baldwin shrugged. “Unless you can give me a name, I can’t.”
“The call was made anonymously.”
Sage opened her mouth to tell them it was Eddie, then stopped. She didn’t want him to get fired for calling the cops.
“It’s quite possible that one of our employees caught wind of Miss Winters’s story,” Dr. Baldwin said. “Because as you can imagine, a place like this is ripe with gossip. And sadly, there are employees who like to start trouble for those of us in charge.” He looked at Sage. “Who else did you tell about this wild idea of yours?”
She ignored him and kept her eyes on the detective. “You need to check the tunnels again. Or the morgue. No one would even notice another dead body in this place because people die here all the time and they cover it up. My sister was down there, but someone moved her. I swear I’m telling the truth.”
Another knock sounded on the door. Sage ignored it. “Please, you have to listen to me.”
“What is it?” Dr. Baldwin shouted, scowling at the door.
A man’s muffled voice came from the other side. “Picking up.”
“Enter.” Baldwin looked at Nolan. “Excuse me, Detective, but someone is here to take Miss Winters back to her ward. I just wanted her here long enough to see the trouble she’s caused. She needs to know that giving a false report is not only wrong, it’s against the law.”
The door opened, the uniformed cop moved to the side, and Leonard came into the office. When he saw the cop, he hesitated for a moment, then dropped his gaze and lumbered toward Sage. She gripped the back of the chair and held on, her knuckles turning white. If Dr. Baldwin wanted her to leave, he’d have to wrench her loose from it.
“Please,” she begged Nolan. “Don’t let them do this. I’m not crazy.” Leonard grabbed her by the arm and began trying to pry her fingers from the chair. She struggled to hold on, her eyes locked on the detective. “They’re keeping me here against my will because I look like my twin sister. But I found out she’s dead and I think I know who killed her. I saw her body in the tunnels. I swear on my life.”
Leonard yanked the chair from her grasp and pulled on her arm, jerking her toward him. She let her knees buckle to make herself heavier.
“Please do as you’re told, Miss Winters,” Dr. Baldwin said. “Or I’ll have a nurse sedate you.”
Before Sage could stand again, Leonard heaved her upright. He wrestled her arm behind her back and steered her toward the door, his knuckles digging into her spine. She yelped in pain and, using everyone ounce of strength she had left, tried to get away.
Nolan gaped at Dr. Baldwin, his forehead lined with concern. “Is it necessary to manhandle her like that?”
“Sometimes, yes,” Baldwin said. “If a resident is being difficult, we have no choice.”
Nolan held up his hand. “Hold on a minute,” he said. “I’m not sure what’s going on here, but I want to hear what this girl has to say.”
Sergeant Clark took a step sideways to block the exit. Leonard stopped shoving Sage toward it and looked back at Baldwin, awaiting his next order.
Bent over and in pain, Sage turned her head toward the detective and tried to catch her breath. “My sister’s throat and wrists were slit,” she said. “Her hair was chopped off, and her lips were painted red. I think one of the attendants killed her. His name is Wayne. Please, you have to help me. Dr. Baldwin doesn’t want anyone to know she was murdered because he never reported her missing.”
“My apologies, Detective,” Baldwin said. “I’m very sorry you have to witness this. As I said, Miss Winters is a manic-depressive schizophrenic with violent tendencies, and today has not been one of her better days. She believes everyone from Jack the Ripper to Cropsey is trying to harm her. I probably should have waited until she was gone before we spoke any more about the reason for your visit, but I didn’t expect this reaction. And if she doesn’t return to her ward soon, she’ll miss breakfast.”
“He’s lying!” she said. “Call my stepfather and ask him about me. His name is Alan Tern and his number is 212-567-2345.”
Dr. Baldwin shook his head, looking slightly amused. “I’ve spoken to her stepfather numerous times and I can assure you he has never mentioned having twin stepdaughters. Call him if you’d like, but Miss Winters has wandered off before and we’ve always returned her to Ward D safe and sound.”
“So she was missing?”
Dr. Baldwin hestitated, as if caught off guard. “For . . . for a day or so, yes.”
“But you never reported it?”