Page 93 of The Lost Girls of Willowbrook

When Eddie looked up, he stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide.

She gaped at Dr. Baldwin. “What’s going on? Why did you lock him up? He’s not crazy. He was only trying to help me!”

“Sit down over there, Eddie,” Dr. Baldwin said, pointing at the chair opposite the detective.

Eddie dropped his eyes but stayed put. The attendant yanked him forward and forced him into the chair, then stood behind him.

“It’s all right,” Dr. Baldwin said, nodding at the attendant. “I can handle this. Wait outside in the hall and shut the door behind you.” After the attendant left, Baldwin stood in the middle of the room, halfway between Eddie and Detective Nolan.

Sage could only stare at Eddie, the roar of her blood growing louder and louder in her ears. She felt light-headed. Confused and sick. “Will someone please tell me what is going on?”

“Just a moment, Miss Winters,” Dr. Baldwin said. “I think Detective Nolan might have a few questions first.” Then he addressed Eddie. “I expect you to cooperate.”

Eddie shrugged. “I did yesterday, didn’t I?”

“Yes, but things have changed since then,” Dr. Baldwin said. “We just came from—”

Nolan held up a hand to stop Dr. Baldwin from saying anything more, then regarded Eddie. “He’s right, things have changed,” he said. “And I appreciated your cooperation yesterday evening, but due to recent developments, I have some more questions. Sage says you paid her a visit last night. What do you have to say about that?”

“What do you want me to say about it?”

“Just answer the question,” Dr. Baldwin said. “Did you go to Sage’s apartment or not?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Eddie, please,” Sage said. “Tell them the truth. They can’t fire you for something you did on your free time!”

Nolan held up a hand to silence her, keeping his eyes on Eddie. “She said you went to her apartment after she was released and stayed overnight on the couch.”

Eddie shrugged again. “Okay.”

“What thehellis going on?” Sage glared at Dr. Baldwin. “Did you drug him? Is that why he’s acting so strange?”

Dr. Baldwin shook his head.

“Yeah, right. What did you give him?”

The doctor ignored her.

She began pleading with Eddie. “Why aren’t you telling them what happened? You showed up in front of my house when I left to go to the grocery store a little after one in the morning. We went to the Top Hat to get something to eat, then you slept on my couch because I was scared, remember? And then this morning . . . this morning I found Alan dead under his bed!”

Finally, Eddie acknowledged her. “I’m sorry to hear that,” he said. “I really am.” His voice was emotionless and cold, nothing like the Eddie she thought she knew. And he wouldn’t meet her eyes.

Panic and anger rose like bile in her throat. She wanted to grab him by the neck and shake him until he told the truth. What was he trying to pull? Did he want Dr. Baldwin to think she was crazy?

Eddie looked at Detective Nolan. “Was it Wayne? Did you catch him yet?”

“Yes, we found him,” Nolan said.

“Wow, that was quick. Did he confess?”

“No, he didn’t confess. He’s dead. They found him in the morgue this morning.”

Eddie’s mouth fell open. Then a smirk played around his lips and he eyed Dr. Baldwin. “Didyouput him there?”

“Enough of the bullshit, Eddie,” Dr. Baldwin said. “I warned you to cooperate.”

“How am I not cooperating?” Eddie raised his hands in the air. “It’s a legitimate question.”

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