When they reached the hospital—another imposing building with the same number of floors and wings as the administration building—Nolan told Sargent Clark to park in the back. “Baldwin wants us to come in through a delivery door,” he said.
“What the hell?” Clark said. “What’s with all the secrecy?”
“Beats me. Maybe with that news report he’s had enough publicity for the year.”
After driving around one wing of the hospital into an empty parking lot scoured clean by the wind, Clark stopped the Ford next to a white van. The only other vehicle in the lot was Dr. Baldwin’s New Yorker. Clark shut off the engine and looked at Nolan.
“Need me to come inside?” he said.
“No, I’ll get it from here. We shouldn’t be long.”
“I’ll be here if you need me,” Clark said, then cracked the window and lit a cigarette.
Sage wished more than anything that she could stay in the car. What if they were at the hospital so Dr. Baldwin could give her a lobotomy? What if he had phoned the police station because he knew she’d be there? What if he told Detective Nolan to lie about the reason for his call? She wiped at her eyes, determined not to cry, and told herself to be reasonable. She was at the police station because someone had murdered Alan. Dr. Baldwin and Detective Nolan had nothing to do with that. At least she didn’t think Dr. Baldwin did. Maybe she should refuse to go inside. She could wait for Detective Nolan to tell her about the evidence, if it was that important.
Detective Nolan got out of the car, opened the back door, and waited for her to get out, holding on to his hat so the wind wouldn’t blow it away.
She looked up at him. “Can’t you just let me know what you find out?” she said.
He shook his head. “I need to you to tell Baldwin about Eddie.”
She sighed miserably, then climbed out of the back seat, pulled up her hood, and trailed the detective across the parking lot on shaking legs. Sleet pelted her face, and she put her head down to follow his quickly disappearing tracks. Thankfully, when they reached the back of the hospital, the massive building blocked most of the wind.
Nolan tried the nearest delivery door. It was locked. He pounded on it with the side of his fist.
“It’s Detective Nolan,” he shouted. “You in there, Dr. Baldwin?” He pounded again.
After what felt like forever, the handle rattled and the door opened. When Dr. Baldwin saw Sage, he frowned. “What’s she doing here?” He had a breathless, anxious look about him.
“She was at the station when you called. I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news. Her stepfather has been murdered. Same injuries as Rosemary and Evie.”
“Jesus Christ.”
“There’s more,” Nolan said. “She says Eddie King was at her apartment last night.”
Dr. Baldwin furrowed his brow. “But that’s impossible. He’s—”
“I haven’t told her yet. I thought it’d be better coming from you.”
“Told me what?” Sage said, her chest tightening.
“Come inside and we’ll talk,” Dr. Baldwin said.
She shook her head. “I don’t want to talk. I want you to tell me what the hell is going on.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Dr. Baldwin said. “It’s freezing out there.” He stepped back and held the door open.
Nolan jerked his chin toward the door. “It’s all right. You’re with me.” He entered and waited beside Dr. Baldwin.
“Just tell me about Eddie,” she said. “Then I’ll come inside.”
“After I show Detective Nolan why I called him,” Dr. Baldwin said, “I’ll explain everything.”
She rolled her eyes, annoyed and frightened at the same time. They knew they had the upper hand. And if she was being honest with herself, she knew she had to go inside—she owed it to Rosemary to do whatever she could to get to the bottom of this mess. Not to mention, the sooner they caught Wayne, the sooner she could try to move on with her life. Clenching her jaw, she went through the delivery door into Willowbrook’s hospital.
A dim yellow glow filled the narrow corridor, reminding her of the dank tunnels below. The air felt as cold as the parking lot. Dr. Baldwin locked the door behind them, tested it, then put the keys in his pocket. He looked at her, his forehead lined with concern. To her surprise and dismay, he seemed almost worried, though whether it was about her or something else, she couldn’t tell.
“When did you say Eddie was at your place?” he said.
Something about the tone of his voice set off alarms inside her head. It seemed casual, as if he were talking to a friend at a dinner party. “Last night,” she said. “A little after one o’clock. But I already told Detective Nolan that.” She crossed her arms and looked from him to Nolan and back again. “Will one of you please tell me what we’re doing here? Did you find Wayne yet?”
“If you want answers, follow me.” Dr. Baldwin started down the corridor, Nolan following.
Sage stood rooted to the floor, her heart jumping around in her chest. Something wasn’t right. She could feel it in her bones.
Detective Nolan stopped and looked back at her. “You coming?”
She shook her head. “Not until you can guarantee I’ll be leaving again.”
He took off his hat and came back to where she stood. “He’s not going to lock you up again. We’re just trying to solve this case, that’s why we’re here.”
She studied his face, trying to decide whether or not to believe him. It seemed like he was on her side. And he was a cop—surely he wanted to find the killer, whether it was Wayne or someone else. Plus, what would he gain by letting her be locked up? Reluctantly, she started down the corridor toward Dr. Baldwin, who was waiting next to what looked like a service lift. When she and the detective reached him, he pushed the up arrow and the door shuddered open to reveal a large elevator with peeling walls and a black floor. Dr. Baldwin got in and kept the door from closing with one hand.
She swore under her breath and followed him inside the elevator, where the smell of hot rubber and a rank mixture of sour milk and stale blood filled the air. After Detective Nolan got on, the doors jerked closed and the elevator lurched once before starting up the shaft. A few seconds later, it stopped and the doors opened to a deserted hallway. Dr. Baldwin held the door while they got out, then moved around them and kept going. Detective Nolan and Sage followed, walking past closed doors with doctors’ nameplates or signs that read: LAB, ELECTRIC SHOCK THERAPY, and LOBOTOMY. She pulled her eyes away from the signs and looked straight ahead, trying not to think about what went on inside those rooms. Finally, Dr. Baldwin stopped outside a set of steel doors below a sign that read: MORGUE. She swallowed. How many morgues did Willowbrook need?
“Is Rosemary in there?” she said. “Did you find something on her body that will help catch her killer?”
“No,” Dr. Baldwin said, then opened one of the doors and went inside.
“Wait out here,” Detective Nolan said, following him.
Sage moved a few yards away and leaned against the wall, relieved at least that she didn’t have to look at another dead body. Then she became aware of the rank stench of formaldehyde seeping under the doors, remembered where she was, and moved away from the wall. Being inside Willowbrook’s hospital was bad enough; she didn’t want to touch anything in there, didn’t want any part of her exposed to the poison that had surely permeated its bricks and mortar. Not her coat or her skin or her hair. She shoved her hands in her coat pockets and started to pace. Obviously Dr. Baldwin was showing Detective Nolan a body. But whose was it? And what was taking so long? What if they were lying about Eddie? What if he was in there, dead?