“What the hell happened to you, Borders? Having a boil removed from your ass?”
“It’s a little more complicated than that.”
“Oh, yeah, what? You look like shit.”
The orderly asked, “You guys know each other?”
“Yeah, I arrested him once,” Dodds said. “Morals charge.”
Will ignored him and nodded toward the room. “That victim. Did you see her hand?”
“I saw. Why are you here? Enlighten me.” A moment before the cops had been rushing them by. Now Dodds’ meaty hand held the gurney fast. The orderly sighed loudly and lounged against the wall. A few feet away stood the pretty nurse he had seen on the elevator going down. Her clothes were streaked with blood and her face was ashen.
“What ailment, Borders? Surely not something in the line of duty.”
Will’s throat was still sore from the intubation for surgery. He swallowed hard and wished he had some water. “A spinal cord tumor, okay?”
“Spinal cord what?” Dodds’ exotic, cynical eyes widened. Then he blinked the moment away. “I’ve got a bad back, too.”
“Her hand, Dodds. Her hand.”
“I saw it.” He lounged nonchalantly against the rails of the gurney.
“Dodds…”
“What are you telling me, Borders? That you believe in ghosts? The Mount Adams Slasher died at Lucasville last summer.”
“Maybe he wasn’t the Slasher.”
Dodds lifted the sheet and studied Will. “Shit, you’ve got tubes coming out of you. That’s gross. You in pain?”
“Who was this woman? Do you have a suspect?”
“They’ll just go lay it on an innocent brother like they always do,” the orderly grumbled. Dodds ignored him.
“This is none of your concern, Mister Patient.” Dodds carelessly replaced the sheet. “You’re the only one in town who ever had a doubt over that case, and as I recall you left the Homicide Unit. You make a living ratting out police officers.”
“He took her ring finger, goddammit. Just like the Mount Adams cases.”
“So it’s a copy cat.”
Will hissed, “We never released that information about the crime and the media never reported it!” His back was starting to hurt, a low, spreading fire of pain. “I bet you found her clothes folded neatly, too. Dodds!”
“Borders…”
“You know who did this. You know it.” Will heard an unfamiliar pleading in his voice. “Look for the knife!”
Dodds tapped the gurney. “Get him out of here.” The orderly pushed and the scene receded. Out of the gloom, he heard Dodds’ voice, “Hope your back feels better, Borders.”
