me, are you
looking for someone?”
“I’m here to visit a patient,” said Maura. “She was admitted last night, through the ER. I
understand she was transferred out of ICU this morning.”
“The patient’s name?”
Maura hesitated. “I believe she’s still registered as Jane Doe. Dr. Cutler told me she’s in room
four-thirty-one.”
The ward clerk’s gaze narrowed. “I’m sorry. We’ve had calls from reporters all day. We can’t
answer any more questions about that patient.”
“I’m not a reporter. I’m Dr. Isles, from the medical examiner’s office. I told Dr. Cutler I’d be
coming by to check on the patient.”
“May I see some identification?”
Maura dug into her purse and placed her ID on the countertop. This is what I get for showing
up without my lab coat, she thought. She could see the interns cruising down the hall,
unimpeded, like a flock of strutting white geese.
“You could call Dr. Cutler,” Maura suggested. “He knows who I am.”
“Well, I suppose it’s okay,” said the ward clerk, handing back the ID. “There’s been so much
fuss over this patient, they had to send over a security guard.” As Maura headed up the hall, the
clerk called out: “He’ll probably want to see your ID as well!”
Prepared to endure another round of questions, she kept her ID in hand as she walked to room
431, but she found no guard standing outside the closed door. Just as she was about to knock,
she heard a thud inside the room, and the clang of falling metal.
At once, she pushed into the room and found a confusing tableau. A doctor stood at the
bedside, reaching up toward the IV bottle. Opposite him, a security guard was leaning over the
patient, trying to restrain her wrists. A bedside stand had just toppled, and the floor was slick
with spilled water.
“Do you need help?” called Maura.
The doctor glanced over his shoulder at her, and she caught a glimpse of blue eyes, blond hair
cut short as a brush. “No, we’re fine. We’ve got her,” he said.
“Let me tie that restraint,” she offered, and moved to the guard’s side of the bed. Just as she
reached for the loose wrist strap, she saw the woman’s hand snap free. Heard the guard give a
grunt of alarm.
The explosion made Maura flinch. Warmth splashed her face, and the guard suddenly
staggered sideways, against her. She stumbled under his weight, landing on her back beneath
him. Cold water soaked into her blouse from the wet floor, and from above seeped the liquid
heat of blood. She tried to shove aside the body now weighing down on her, but he was heavy,
so heavy he was crushing the breath from her lungs.
His body began to shake, seized by agonal twitches. Fresh heat splashed her face, her mouth,
and she gagged at the taste. I’m drowning in it. With a cry, she pushed against him, and the
body, slippery with blood, slid off her.
She scrambled to her feet, and focused on the woman, who was now free of all her restraints.
Only then did she see what the woman was gripping in both hands.
A gun. She has the guard’s gun.
The doctor had vanished. Maura was alone with Jane Doe, and as they stared at each other,
every detail of the woman’s face stood out with terrible clarity. The tangled black hair, the wildeyed gaze. The inexorable tightening of the tendons in her arm as she slowly squeezed the grip.
Dear god, she’s going to pull the trigger.
“Please,” whispered Maura. “I only want to help you.”
The sound of running footsteps made the woman’s attention jerk sideways. The door flew
open and a nurse stared, openmouthed, at the carnage in the room.
Suddenly Jane Doe sprang out of the bed. It happened so fast that Maura had no time to react.
She snapped rigid as the woman grabbed her arm, as the gun barrel bit into her neck. Heart
slamming against her ribs, Maura let herself be shoved to the door, cold steel pressed against
her flesh. The nurse backed away, too terrified to say a
looking for someone?”
“I’m here to visit a patient,” said Maura. “She was admitted last night, through the ER. I
understand she was transferred out of ICU this morning.”
“The patient’s name?”
Maura hesitated. “I believe she’s still registered as Jane Doe. Dr. Cutler told me she’s in room
four-thirty-one.”
The ward clerk’s gaze narrowed. “I’m sorry. We’ve had calls from reporters all day. We can’t
answer any more questions about that patient.”
“I’m not a reporter. I’m Dr. Isles, from the medical examiner’s office. I told Dr. Cutler I’d be
coming by to check on the patient.”
“May I see some identification?”
Maura dug into her purse and placed her ID on the countertop. This is what I get for showing
up without my lab coat, she thought. She could see the interns cruising down the hall,
unimpeded, like a flock of strutting white geese.
“You could call Dr. Cutler,” Maura suggested. “He knows who I am.”
“Well, I suppose it’s okay,” said the ward clerk, handing back the ID. “There’s been so much
fuss over this patient, they had to send over a security guard.” As Maura headed up the hall, the
clerk called out: “He’ll probably want to see your ID as well!”
Prepared to endure another round of questions, she kept her ID in hand as she walked to room
431, but she found no guard standing outside the closed door. Just as she was about to knock,
she heard a thud inside the room, and the clang of falling metal.
At once, she pushed into the room and found a confusing tableau. A doctor stood at the
bedside, reaching up toward the IV bottle. Opposite him, a security guard was leaning over the
patient, trying to restrain her wrists. A bedside stand had just toppled, and the floor was slick
with spilled water.
“Do you need help?” called Maura.
The doctor glanced over his shoulder at her, and she caught a glimpse of blue eyes, blond hair
cut short as a brush. “No, we’re fine. We’ve got her,” he said.
“Let me tie that restraint,” she offered, and moved to the guard’s side of the bed. Just as she
reached for the loose wrist strap, she saw the woman’s hand snap free. Heard the guard give a
grunt of alarm.
The explosion made Maura flinch. Warmth splashed her face, and the guard suddenly
staggered sideways, against her. She stumbled under his weight, landing on her back beneath
him. Cold water soaked into her blouse from the wet floor, and from above seeped the liquid
heat of blood. She tried to shove aside the body now weighing down on her, but he was heavy,
so heavy he was crushing the breath from her lungs.
His body began to shake, seized by agonal twitches. Fresh heat splashed her face, her mouth,
and she gagged at the taste. I’m drowning in it. With a cry, she pushed against him, and the
body, slippery with blood, slid off her.
She scrambled to her feet, and focused on the woman, who was now free of all her restraints.
Only then did she see what the woman was gripping in both hands.
A gun. She has the guard’s gun.
The doctor had vanished. Maura was alone with Jane Doe, and as they stared at each other,
every detail of the woman’s face stood out with terrible clarity. The tangled black hair, the wildeyed gaze. The inexorable tightening of the tendons in her arm as she slowly squeezed the grip.
Dear god, she’s going to pull the trigger.
“Please,” whispered Maura. “I only want to help you.”
The sound of running footsteps made the woman’s attention jerk sideways. The door flew
open and a nurse stared, openmouthed, at the carnage in the room.
Suddenly Jane Doe sprang out of the bed. It happened so fast that Maura had no time to react.
She snapped rigid as the woman grabbed her arm, as the gun barrel bit into her neck. Heart
slamming against her ribs, Maura let herself be shoved to the door, cold steel pressed against
her flesh. The nurse backed away, too terrified to say a
Similar Books
