Page 16 of Absent Feeling

He’dbeen waiting too long for this to risk it now, so he kept out of sight while hewatched, assessing the house. There were security lights on one side and asolid looking door at the back with a fancy, modern lock. Would he be able toget through that without attracting attention? Would he be able to slip insideunnoticed, the better to confront another figure who had done so much to hurthim?

Hefound himself thinking back to the first two he’d killed. The woman … well,that had been about anger, about the fact that time had already robbed him ofthe chance for revenge on her husband. He’d neededsomeoneto pay forwhat David Banks had done, and weren’t a husband and wife meant to be of oneflesh, one blood? He remembered her from back then in any case, just as she hadremembered him, in the moments before her death. She’d screamed at him to getout, and he … he’d done the only thing he could to silence her.

Thenthere had been Raymond Werdly. He had assumed that Raymond would try to runafter the first murder, that he would work out what it was all about and thathe was a target. He’d assumed that a man who had always liked to boast abouthow he was one of the top people in his field would have the smarts to knowwhen to leave town.

Thatwas why he’d struck so quickly the second time, not wanting to give Raymond theopportunity to get away.

Heemerged from his hiding place now, heading out onto the street and walking awayfrom the property. A woman walking her dog passed him, and he gave her afriendly nod. It wasn’t as if she would remember this or identify him later. Hewas just a man out for a walk, completely unmemorable.

Hefound himself wondering if his victims remembered. Did they recall what they’ddone in those last moments? Had Raymond thought about everything that hadrequired this small moment of revenge, this repayment after so many years? He’dtried to ask Raymond, of course, but the man had lied and tried to claim thatnone of it was his fault. Raymond had tried talking to him like thepsychiatrist he used to be and that … well, that had been too much. That hadbeen the moment when he’d started stabbing.

Hehadn’t lost control, though. He’d still been able to do everything he needed todo there, to arrange the scene exactly as he needed it to be. He’d been able toslip away without being seen, leaving no trace of himself behind. It had beenthe perfect revenge.

No,revenge wasn’t the right word. He kept thinking of it like that, but it wasn’trevenge; it was justice. It was exactly what they deserved for what they’ddone.

Therewas still work to do, though. He couldn’t stop now, even though working thisquickly brought risks with it. There was more chance of something going wrong.There was more chance of making a mistake.

Hedidn’t dare slow down, though. He’d seen on the news that the FBI were in town,hunting for him. He had no illusions about the ways that increased the risks.Every moment that passed was one in which they might work out what was going onhere. He had to work his way down the list of those who had wronged him, and hehad to do it now.

Therewas no time to waste. Soon, another of those who had wronged him would get thejustice they deserved.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Ambersat with Simon at a borrowed desk in the Guisborough PD, trying to find a wayto look for connections between Raymond Werdly and David Banks. Detective Heartwas a little way away, working through witness statements.

“Isit possible that they both worked at the same facility?” Amber asked. “Theywould have been different ages, but it’s not inconceivable that the two of themcould have worked at the same place at the same time.”

Shesaw Simon nod. He already had his phone in his hand. “I can only see one majorpsychiatric facility in the area. I’ll try calling them. You look for smallerprivate facilities or maybe try the psych department of the local hospital.”

Ambercould do that. She could only see one potential problem with it.

“Won’tpsychiatric facilities be cautious about giving out information? If we do finda place where both men worked, we’ll want to look for any patients they bothworked with who were violent and I guess who were released recently. They won’tbe able to give us that information without a warrant.”

“You’vegot a point. Detective Heart? Is there a local judge who will give us a warrantto look at patient records at the local psychiatric hospital quickly?”

Thedetective looked up. “To catch a serial killer? I’ll make a call. It shouldn’tbe hard.”

Whilethe detective went to make that call, Simon called the psychiatric institution.That left Amber to search for other places Raymond Werdly and David Banks mighthave worked together, searching for private psychiatric practices or specialistprojects in the area.

Amberquickly compiled a list, using the research skills that allowed her to compilequestions for quizzes to look for every obscure place the two men might haveworked that she could find.

Inthe background, Simon was on the phone with the town’s main psychiatricinstitution.

“Yes,yes, I understand that you can’t give out patient information without awarrant, but I’m not asking for that yet. I’m simply trying to confirm whetherRaymond Werdly and David Banks both worked there with you. If they did,thenwe’ll get the warrant you need.”

Amberguessed that Simon was hoping Detective Heart would come back with the warrantbefore it became an issue.

Shehad her own research to keep going with, though. Amber called a local hospital,waiting to get through to them. There was always the possibility that the twomen had worked on a psych ward there. It took a while before she got through toanyone there, a man’s voice answering the phone impatiently.

“Yes,can I help you?”

“Myname is Amber Young; I’m working with the FBI on the investigation into the deathsof Constance Banks and Raymond Werdly. We’re calling local hospitals in thearea to see if Raymond Werdly worked there at any point and, if so, if heworked alongside a man called David Banks.”

“Whatdid you say your name was again?”

“AmberYoung.”

“Andyou’re an FBI agent? I’ll need to check your badge number before I hand outthat kind of information. We’ve had a lot of reporters calling.”

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