What Looks Like Crazy (21 page)

“I've been walking the mall, and I've seen a lot of movies.”

“What about hobbies?”

“I used to play tennis. I'm pretty good. Also, I biked with these guys. I've got a fifteen-hundred-dollar bicycle in my garage collecting dust.”

“I'd say it's about time you dust off that bicycle.”

Kevin smiled for the first time since I'd met him.

 

“Have you heard
anything about Alice?” I asked Mona once I'd scheduled Kevin's next appointment and walked him out.

“Nobody will tell me anything,” she said.

I knew somebody who could get me the information I wanted. I called Jay and explained the situation.

“I'll see what I can find out,” he said.

Mona and I waited. She practically dove on the phone each time it rang. Finally she handed me the receiver. “It's Jay.”

“Here's what I've got so far,” he said. “The cops arrived at the scene and found a badly beaten woman. There was nobody else inside the condo. The woman was taken by ambulance to the ER.” He gave me the name of the hospital.

“Thank you, Jay,” I said.

“Anytime, Katie.”

I hung up the phone and passed the news on to Mona. “Would you please cancel my appointments for the rest of the day? I'm going to go to the hospital.”

She nodded. “I know this is bad timing, but Mrs. Perez is picking me up shortly to take me to the chiropractor her cousin uses. Maybe he can undo some of the damage that jerk upstairs did to me.”

“What's going to happen to Dr. Manning?”

“My lawyer has already contacted the police; there is a detective looking into it. It's all hush-hush since they don't want him to suspect anything and take off again. Speaking of jerks, George Moss called. He thinks you should give him another chance. I told him to forget it.”

“Don't worry about coming back to the office today,” I told her.

“Nancy won't be around to help with the phones,” Mona said. “She has several job interviews set up today.”

“Let the answering machine pick up the calls. I'll be back later to check it.”

“You'll have to meet with Omar when he comes in,” Mona said.

“Omar? Is he a new patient?”

“He's performing at the mental health fair, but he has to be paid up front.” She handed me an envelope with his name on it.

I could have argued with Mona about spending money on an event that made no sense to me, but I would have been wasting my breath. Besides, it was her money. “Omar the Great, huh?” I said. “What's so great about him?”

“He's a famous sword swallower.”

“Well, that's something you don't see every day.”

“His brother, Gus the Great, was supposed to perform, but he discovered he was overbooked.”

“Is Gus a sword swallower too?” I asked.

Mona shook her head. “He's a knife thrower.”

“Oh, well, that makes sense,” I lied. Nothing seemed to make sense in my life these days.

 

I drove to
the hospital, parked as close to the emergency entrance as I could, and hurried inside. The waiting area was crowded and noisy. The receptionist informed me they did not have a patient by the name of Alice Smithers.

“There must be some mistake,” I said. “I was told she was brought here by ambulance.”

The woman called the nurses' station. “I'm sorry,” she said. “Nobody named Smithers.”

I stepped aside so that the person in line behind me could approach the desk. I wondered whether Jay had been given the wrong hospital, but knowing the vicinity where Alice lived, I felt certain I was in the right place.

I took a seat in one of the chairs and wondered what to do next. Something didn't feel right. I tried to think what it might be. For one thing, it made no sense that Liz Jones was gone, but her boyfriend was still coming around. What made him think he could just barge in on Alice? Had he been so drunk that he hadn't been thinking straight? If he and Liz had this hot thing going, why wasn't he with her? Why hadn't Liz returned for her clothes?

So many unanswered questions.

I recalled how terrified Alice had sounded, so terrified that she couldn't give me her address. I would not have even recognized her voice had I not known it was Alice calling to begin with.

I was missing something. I ran through my list of possibilities. Alice had a serious problem with boundaries. Her mother was an alcoholic. I knew in my gut there had been some form of abuse. That Alice was unable to forgive the abuse suggested it was bad. Children of abuse felt trapped and terrified. They feared telling on the abuser, so they had to find ways to cope.

I suddenly had a chilling thought. I knew one way they coped.

I returned to the receptionist's desk. “Would you please check and see if you have a patient by the name of Liz Jones?”

“I'm fairly certain
Alice Smithers has dissociative phenomena,” I told Thad as we sipped coffee in the hospital cafeteria and waited for her to get out of X-ray. The attending physician was checking for head trauma. I had called Thad and asked him to meet me at the hospital. Without going into details, I had told him it was urgent. Thankfully, he'd gotten over my slipping out on him, and he had driven straight over. He had listened quietly as I'd tried to back up my reasoning.

“Well, multiples are pretty rare,” he said, “but it would explain what's going on with this patient. I wouldn't mind taking a look.”

“That's why I called you. I want your opinion.”

He stirred his coffee. “Oh, so this wasn't just an excuse to see me again?”

I chuckled. “I don't know what I'm going to do with you.”

“The question is, what would you do
without
me?”

I had to admit it was a valid question. We finished our coffee and headed for the elevators. Thad punched the button, and we waited until the elevator cleared before we stepped on. I gave scant notice to the uniformed man standing before the control panel.

“What floor?” he asked.

I knew that voice. I turned. “Mr. Lewey!”

He gave me a sheepish smile. “Hey, Dr. Kate,” he said. “How's the wrist?”

“What are
you
doing here? And why are you wearing that uniform and operating an elevator? You don't like elevators.”

“I felt so bad over what happened the last time I saw you, especially after Mona convinced me I was a creep, that I decided to take action and finally
do
something about my problem. Instead of expecting you to fix everything for me,” he added.

I noted he was holding the door open so that others could get on. “I'm so proud of you! Would you please take me to the first floor?”

“You got it, Dr. Kate.”

Thad and I exited the elevator a moment later and headed for the ER. All he had to do was smile at the receptionist, and she pushed a buzzer that opened the metal doors leading to the treatment area.

The policeman standing outside Alice's door stepped aside when I told him that Thad and I were doctors and needed to consult with my patient. I paused before going in.

“Has the man responsible for her injuries been located?” I asked.

“Still looking,” he said.

Thad and I walked into the room. The woman inside was badly beaten, and was wearing a short leather skirt, a tight blouse, and red Prada high heels. She was groggy and complaining to the nurse for not allowing her to smoke. She looked at me. I could barely pick out Alice's features beneath the heavy makeup and bruises.

“Well, well, look at what the wind blew in,” she said derisively. Her voice sounded nothing like Alice's. She turned her attention to Thad, and her eyes took him in hungrily. “I hope you're my doctor, because the other guy isn't much to look at, if you get my meaning.” She gave him a come-hither smile, then winced and touched her swollen lips.

“You're going to have to lie still, hon,” the nurse said. “You've got a couple of cracked ribs.” The nurse gave us a curious look as she left the exam room.

I stepped closer to the bed. I did not want to call Liz by name. “This is an associate of mine,” I said, motioning to Thad. “Dr. Glazer. He's a psychiatrist. I'd like your permission to have him present while I speak with you.”

She shrugged.

Thad offered his hand. “And you are?”

“Liz Jones.” She glanced at me briefly as they shook hands. “You'll have to excuse my appearance,” she said. “My prick ex-boyfriend got drunk and beat the crap out of me. The cops are waiting to take my statement. I'm going to have his ass thrown in jail this time.”

“Has the doctor said whether you've suffered any head trauma?” I asked.

“My head is fine,” she said, her words clipped, “but he wants to keep me overnight for observation, which sucks, since I can't smoke.”

“I'd like to see you in my office as soon as possible,” I said.

She looked smug. “I'll bet you would. But that's not going to happen, if I have any say in the matter.”

“What makes you say that?” Thad asked.

She didn't look at him; her gaze was still fixed on me. “Because it's a waste of time,” she said. “I know what she wants.”

“Perhaps you'll reconsider,” Thad said. “Dr. Holly and I share a genuine interest in getting to know you better.” He gave her his card. “In the meantime, please call me if you need anything.”

“Sure.” She studied the card before tucking it inside her bra.

Thad and I left the room a few minutes later. “The person we just spoke to is not the woman who has been seeing me the past couple of weeks,” I told him. “They have distinctly different voices and dress styles. This morning I heard the voice of a little girl.”

“I think you just might be right about having a multiple personality on your hands,” he said. “I seriously doubt Alice knows about Liz.”

I agreed with him. “I think Alice suspects something isn't right, though. She mentioned losing track of time, sometimes hours.”

“That's a good indication,” he said. “It's not going to be an easy case, Kate, and there's no guarantee you'll be able to integrate the personalities. You know how these things work.”

I nodded. “I can probably get Alice Smithers to agree to counseling,” I said, “but Liz Jones will be a problem.”

“Just leave Lizzy to me,” he said, giving me a wink. “I'll play her like a tune.”

I laughed. “I could never love you as much as you love yourself.”

“I could teach you.”

 

I arrived back
at work and was surprised to find the hall door unlocked, as well as the door leading to my private office. Had I been in such a rush to get to the hospital that I'd forgotten to lock up?

I stepped inside, flipped the light switch, and gaped when I saw my file drawer standing open, a drawer I never forgot to lock. I felt a presence in the room even before I turned and saw him, before I heard the door close and the lock click into place.

He was in his thirties, not unattractive, but disheveled and unshaven. I met his gaze, saw the rage, felt a ripple of fear in my gut.

“Who are you, and what are you doing in my office?” I said, sounding cool and professional even as my heart skipped a few beats.

“So you're Dr. Holly,” he said, taking a moment to look me over. “You don't look so tough.”

I recognized the lisp immediately. I noted his clenched fists. “Why are you here?” I said. “The statue is gone from my front flower bed. Why can't you people just leave me alone?”

He frowned. “Lady, I don't know what the hell you're talking about.”

He stepped closer. I was surprised to smell alcohol on him. “Who
are
you?” He didn't answer, but suddenly I knew. I also knew what he was capable of: I'd seen his handiwork.

“You turned Liz against me,” Roy said. “You ruined everything.”

“She came to me for help,” I said. Which was only partially true, because Alice Smithers was the personality who'd sought me out.

“You messed with her head. I don't know what the hell you did to her, but she's all screwed up.”

“If you leave now, I won't call the police.” It was a lie, of course.

He drew back and slapped me so hard that I stumbled and fell to the floor. I tasted blood. I tried to stand, but he put his foot on me and held me down.

“She and I had big plans for that money. What did you say to her? What did you do that made her change her mind?”

“What money? I don't know anything about any money.”

“The blackmail money!” he said between gritted teeth. He leaned over and slapped me again.

I cried out. He covered my mouth with one hand, grabbed my hair with the other, and yanked me to my feet. “I'll bet you convinced her to split it with you so you wouldn't go to the cops. I'll bet it's in this office. It didn't just disappear into thin air.”

“I don't know what blackmail money you're talking about!”

“Stop lying!” he shouted. “You've got two seconds to tell me where it is!”

Frantically, I tried to put the pieces together. My mind raced; I grappled for answers. Who was Liz trying to blackmail? The only person who came to mind was the boss. Alice had mentioned an affair, but she did not strike me as a blackmailer. Liz, on the other hand, did.

“He was screwing her brains out,” Roy said. “Then, when he got bored with her, he wanted to fire her. She deserved that money;
we
deserved it. It was the perfect plan until you came along.”

It was too soon to know, and multiple personality disorders could get confusing as hell, but I had obviously “botched” the plan by convincing Alice, possibly the host personality, to stand up for herself. She had stood up to Roy.

I struggled, but I was no match for his strength. Finally I bit his hand hard. He yanked it away, and I screamed.

“You're dead, lady.”

I twisted in his arms and raked my nails down his face with my good hand. Every instinct in my body told me to fight, and the surprise on his face made it clear he hadn't expected it.

He grabbed my neck and squeezed. The look in his eyes told me he would not think twice about killing me. Mustering every bit of strength I had, I brought my knee up, found my target. He groaned; his eyes crossed; his grip loosened. I screamed again. He recovered quickly, and his hands felt stronger on my throat. I lost oxygen, began sinking to the floor, felt my knees hit the carpet. The gig was up.

Then the door to my office crashed open. A giant wearing a chest shield appeared suddenly. He leapt across the room, drawing an enormous sword. He put it to Roy's throat.

“Let her go or die,” the giant said.

Roy's eyes registered fear and confusion, and he let me go. “Who the hell are you?” he asked.

“Omar the Great. Make one move, and I cut your head off your shoulders and hang it from my rearview mirror.”

A tidal wave of relief flooded me. Then it drew me under, and I sank into blackness.

 

“Katie, wake up!”

Somebody was shaking me. I struggled, started to scream again, and found Jay's face in front of me. I cried out and threw my arms around him. “Roy tried to kill me!” My voice was a rasp.

“You're safe now, babe,” he said, putting his hand on my cheek.

I raised my head. Omar still had his sword at Roy's throat. I looked at Jay. “What are you doing here?” I asked. “Not that I'm complaining.”

“I've been trying to call you,” he said.

I remembered turning off my phone at the hospital. Obviously I'd forgotten to turn it back on.

“When I heard they couldn't find Roy, I got the sneaking suspicion he might show up here.”

“You were right,” I said. I looked at Omar. “Thank you.” He bowed slightly.

Jay reached for his cell phone. “I'm calling it in,” he said. “Do you need an ambulance?”

I shook my head. “My throat hurts, that's all.”

“It's called attempted murder. Try to rest your voice, Katie.”

 

By Friday I
was feeling calmer. Roy was in jail. He had pled not guilty to attempted murder, but thanks to Omar, I had the proof I needed.

I arrived at the office at eight a.m., only to learn that my nine o'clock appointment had canceled. I wasn't annoyed. It would give me time to relax with a good cup of coffee.

For the fair, I'd chosen to wear my yellow daisy outfit. I had hoped the bright colors would energize me. I was still waiting for that to happen as I stood at the window overlooking the parking lot outside the office building. The scene resembled one of those carnivals that appear out of nowhere and set up in front of some strip mall.

I dreaded having to spend the afternoon shaking hands with people. I wanted to go home. I wanted to spend time with Mike and her puppies.

“My first appointment canceled,” I told Mona when she arrived at eight thirty and met me in my office. I gazed out my window onto the parking lot, where a concession stand advertised hot dogs and cotton candy. “Oh, and I called my attorney. He's taking a deposition at the courthouse and can't be interrupted. Please let me know the minute he calls back.”

“Are you calling off the divorce?” she asked.