hit-and-run maniac who’s going around murdering people?” McGreavy turned and strode out of the room, his face red with anger.
The pounding in Judd’s head had turned to a throbbing agony.
Angeli was watching him, worried. “You all right?”
“You’ve got to help me,” Judd said. “Someone is trying to kill me.” It sounded like a threnody in his ears.
“Who’d have a motive for killing you, Doctor?”
“I don’t know.”
“Do you have any enemies?”
“No.”
“Have you been sleeping with anyone’s wife or girl friend?”
Judd shook his head and instantly regretted the motion.
“Is there any money in your family—relatives who might want to get you out of the way?”
“No.”
Angeli sighed. “OK. So there’s no motive for anyone wanting to murder you. What about your patients? I think you’d better give us a list so we can check them out.”
“I can’t do that.”
“All I’m asking for is their names.”
“I’m sorry.” It was an effort to speak. “If I were a dentist or a chiropodist I’d give it to you. But don’t you see? These people have problems. Most of them serious problems. If you started questioning them, you’d not only shatter them; you’d destroy their confidence in me. I wouldn’t be able to treat them any more. I can’t give you that list.” He lay back on the pillow, exhausted.
Angeli looked at him quietly, then asked, “What do you call a man who thinks that everyone’s out to kill him?”
“A paranoiac,” said Judd. He saw the look on Angeli’s face. “You don’t think I’m…?”
“Put yourself in my place,” Angeli said. “If I were in that bed right now, talking like you, and you were my doctor, what would you think?”
Judd closed his eyes against the stabs of pain in his head. He heard Angeli’s voice continue. “McGreavy’s waiting for me.”
Judd opened his eyes. “Wait…Give me a chance to prove that I’m telling the truth.”
“How?”
“Whoever’s trying to kill me is going to try again. I want someone with me. Next time they try, he can catch them.”
Angeli looked at Judd. “Dr. Stevens, if someone really wants to kill you, all the policemen in the world can’t stop them. If they don’t get you today, they’ll get you tomorrow.If they don’t get you here, they’ll get you somewhere else. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a king or a president, or just plain John Doe. Life is a very thin thread. It only takes a second to snap it.”
“There’s nothing—nothing at all you can do?”
“I can give you some advice. Have new locks put on the doors of your apartment, and check the windows to make sure they’re securely bolted. Don’t let anyone in the apartment unless you know them. No delivery boys unless you’ve ordered the delivery yourself.”
Judd nodded, his throat dry and aching.
“Your building has a doorman and an elevator man,” continued Angeli. “Can you trust them?”
“The doorman has worked there for ten years. The elevator operator has been there eight years. I’d trust them with my life.”
Angeli nodded approvingly. “Good. Ask them to keep their eyes open. If they’re on the alert, it’s going to be hard for anyone to sneak up to your apartment. What about the office? Are you going to hire a new receptionist?”
Judd thought of a stranger sitting at Carol’s desk, in her chair. A spasm of helpless anger wracked him. “Not right away.”
“You might think about hiring a man,” said Angeli.
“I’ll think about it.”
Angeli turned to go, then stopped. “I have an idea,” he said hesitantly, “but it’s a longshot.”
“Yes?” He hated the eagerness in his voice.
“This man who killed McGreavy’s old partner…”
“Ziffren.”
“Was he really insane?”
“Yes. They sent him to the Matteawan State Hospital for mentally ill criminals.”
“Maybe he blames you for having him put away. I’ll checkhim out. Just to make sure he hasn’t escaped or been
The pounding in Judd’s head had turned to a throbbing agony.
Angeli was watching him, worried. “You all right?”
“You’ve got to help me,” Judd said. “Someone is trying to kill me.” It sounded like a threnody in his ears.
“Who’d have a motive for killing you, Doctor?”
“I don’t know.”
“Do you have any enemies?”
“No.”
“Have you been sleeping with anyone’s wife or girl friend?”
Judd shook his head and instantly regretted the motion.
“Is there any money in your family—relatives who might want to get you out of the way?”
“No.”
Angeli sighed. “OK. So there’s no motive for anyone wanting to murder you. What about your patients? I think you’d better give us a list so we can check them out.”
“I can’t do that.”
“All I’m asking for is their names.”
“I’m sorry.” It was an effort to speak. “If I were a dentist or a chiropodist I’d give it to you. But don’t you see? These people have problems. Most of them serious problems. If you started questioning them, you’d not only shatter them; you’d destroy their confidence in me. I wouldn’t be able to treat them any more. I can’t give you that list.” He lay back on the pillow, exhausted.
Angeli looked at him quietly, then asked, “What do you call a man who thinks that everyone’s out to kill him?”
“A paranoiac,” said Judd. He saw the look on Angeli’s face. “You don’t think I’m…?”
“Put yourself in my place,” Angeli said. “If I were in that bed right now, talking like you, and you were my doctor, what would you think?”
Judd closed his eyes against the stabs of pain in his head. He heard Angeli’s voice continue. “McGreavy’s waiting for me.”
Judd opened his eyes. “Wait…Give me a chance to prove that I’m telling the truth.”
“How?”
“Whoever’s trying to kill me is going to try again. I want someone with me. Next time they try, he can catch them.”
Angeli looked at Judd. “Dr. Stevens, if someone really wants to kill you, all the policemen in the world can’t stop them. If they don’t get you today, they’ll get you tomorrow.If they don’t get you here, they’ll get you somewhere else. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a king or a president, or just plain John Doe. Life is a very thin thread. It only takes a second to snap it.”
“There’s nothing—nothing at all you can do?”
“I can give you some advice. Have new locks put on the doors of your apartment, and check the windows to make sure they’re securely bolted. Don’t let anyone in the apartment unless you know them. No delivery boys unless you’ve ordered the delivery yourself.”
Judd nodded, his throat dry and aching.
“Your building has a doorman and an elevator man,” continued Angeli. “Can you trust them?”
“The doorman has worked there for ten years. The elevator operator has been there eight years. I’d trust them with my life.”
Angeli nodded approvingly. “Good. Ask them to keep their eyes open. If they’re on the alert, it’s going to be hard for anyone to sneak up to your apartment. What about the office? Are you going to hire a new receptionist?”
Judd thought of a stranger sitting at Carol’s desk, in her chair. A spasm of helpless anger wracked him. “Not right away.”
“You might think about hiring a man,” said Angeli.
“I’ll think about it.”
Angeli turned to go, then stopped. “I have an idea,” he said hesitantly, “but it’s a longshot.”
“Yes?” He hated the eagerness in his voice.
“This man who killed McGreavy’s old partner…”
“Ziffren.”
“Was he really insane?”
“Yes. They sent him to the Matteawan State Hospital for mentally ill criminals.”
“Maybe he blames you for having him put away. I’ll checkhim out. Just to make sure he hasn’t escaped or been
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