Page 18 of Absent Feeling

Amberknew that, but she also knew that it was more complicated than that. “Sayingyes isn’t that easy.”

“Isn’tit? I know you’re worried about losing part of your current life, but there’smore to the world than puzzles.”

“Puzzlesare what I’mgoodat!” Amber shot back. “Puzzles are the reason thatI’ve gotten to work with you at all.”

“You’reworking with me because you’re good at solving complex situations and becauseyou have good instincts,” Simon said. He gestured to the inkblots. “I thinkyou’re trying to find a puzzle here because that’s what you’re comfortablewith, but the job isn’t just about puzzles. It’s about finding a killer beforehe has a chance to strike again. Our best way to do that is through theconnection between Raymond Werdly and David Banks.”

Amberknew that he had a point, but she wasn’t sure how much she could usefully do topursue that connection when she wasn’t an agent.

“Didyou have any luck with the psychiatric institution?” she asked.

Simonnodded then. “I think so. The administrator I spoke to was able to confirm thatthey both worked there. I’m waiting for them to call back. Detective Heart isgoing to send over the warrant to them as soon as he gets it.”

Evenas Simon said it, his phone rang. He put it on speaker.

“Thisis Agent Phelps.”

“AgentPhelps, this is Lucy Dern, from the Guisborough Wellness Institute. We havereceived a copy of the warrant you sent.”

“Doesthat mean that you’ll be able to look through patient records for us now?”Amber asked.

“Someof them, at least,” the voice on the other end of the line confirmed.“Certainly for the last decade. There was a major computer crash before that,and no one ever quite got around to reinputting everything. Our paper files aregood enough if we really need to look in the archives.”

“So,just to confirm,” Simon said, “both Raymond Werdly and David Banks worked atyour institution?”

“That’scorrect, yes.”

“We’relooking for patients whose cases they worked on together,” Simon said.

“Thatwould potentially be a lot of cases,” Ms. Dern pointed out.

Probablytoo many to go through them all. They needed to find a way to narrow it down.Amber realized that she could help with that part, at least.

“Ifthis is someone looking for revenge, it would be someone released from yourcare recently,” she said, because if someone had been released earlier, whywouldn’t they have started killing back then? “My guess is that it will besomeone they were responsible for committing to your institution against theirwill, someone violent. Possibly someone who has used a knife before.” Shethought about the Rorschach inkblots, and the kinds of things they were used asa diagnostic tool for. “Maybe someone with schizophrenia.”

“Thatnarrows it down considerably,” Ms. Dern said. “In fact, if we apply all thosecriteria as filters, we get … yes, just one record. One of our patients,Matthew Aymes, was released recently after it was decided that he was no longera danger to others. Previously, he had stabbed three people, although notfatally, because his paranoid schizophrenia meant that he believed they weretrying to kill him.”

“Thankyou,” Simon said. He looked over to Amber as he hung up. “That’swhatyou’re here for.”

“What,to narrow down some information?”

“Tofind us a clear suspect, one we can’t ignore. We need to talk to Matthew Aymesat once.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

Ambercould feel her worries growing as she and Simon pulled up to the address they’dfound for Matthew Aymes. It was getting into evening as they arrived, the lightjust starting to fade. It was a brownstone apartment building near the centerof town, with an alley running down one side and a fire escape waiting there.

“Whatif he runs?” Amber asked. This was the only man who fit the criteria thatthey’d set out. They might be about to talk to a murderer. If he ran or fought,then the two of them would have to deal with that. Amber had completed her training,but the potential for the situation to get out of control was still worrying.

“Thenwe chase him, and we catch him,” Simon said. “If hedoesrun, it will bea good reason to bring him in.”

Theyheaded into the apartment building together. It seemed pleasant and well caredfor, looking as though the foyer had only recently been repainted. The addressthey had for Matthew Aymes was apartment 4B, so the two of them took thestairs. Amber found herself looking around for any signs of trouble as she andSimon kept going up.

Iftherewastrouble, what would she do? She had the training to take downa suspect hand to hand, but Amber wasn’t armed; she didn’t even have handcuffs.She would have to rely on Simon if things went wrong, although there were definitelyworse people to rely on. He always seemed ready to leap into action if needed. Amberfound her nerves on edge, listening out carefully for any sign of someone tryingto run.

Thereweren’t any as they reached the floor they were looking for and stopped infront of the door to apartment 4B.

Simonhammered on the door, loud enough that anyone inside wouldn’t be able to ignoreit. “Matthew Aymes! This is the FBI. Open up please!”

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