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Authors: Sidney Sheldon
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might fit into that category were Harrison Burke and Amos Ziffren, the man who had killed McGreavy’s partner. If Burke had no alibi for the morning Hanson was killed, then Judd would ask Detective Angeli to check him out further. If Burke had an alibi, then he would concentrate on Ziffren. The feeling of depression that had enveloped him began to lift. He felt that at last he was doing something. He was suddenly desperately impatient to get out of the hospital.
He rang for the nurse and told her he wanted to see Dr. Harris. Ten minutes later Seymour Harris walked into the room. He was a little gnome of a man with bright blue eyes and tufts of black hair sticking out of his cheeks. Judd had known him a long time and had great respect for him. “Well! Sleeping Beauty’s awake. You look terrible.” Judd was getting tired of hearing it. “I feel fine,” he lied.
“I want to get out of here.”
“When?”
“Now.”
Dr. Harris looked at him reprovingly. “You just got here.Why don’t you stick around a few days? I’ll send you in a few nymphomaniac nurses to keep you company.”
“Thanks, Seymour. I really do have to leave.”
Dr. Harris sighed. “OK. You’re the doctor, Doctor. Personally, I wouldn’t let my cat walk around in your condition.” He looked at Judd keenly. “Anything I can do to help?”
Judd shook his head.
“I’ll have Miss Bedpan get your clothes.”
Thirty minutes later the girl at the reception desk called a taxi for him. He was at his office at ten-fifteen.
Chapter Six
HIS FIRST PATIENT, Teri Washburn, was waiting in the corridor. Twenty years earlier Teri had been one of the biggest stars in the Hollywood firmament. Her career had fizzled overnight, and she had married a lumberman from Oregon and dropped out of sight. Teri had been married five or six times since then and was now living in New York with her latest husband, an importer. She looked up angrily as Judd came down the corridor.
“Well…” she said. The speech of reproval she had rehearsed died away as she saw his face. “What happened to you?” she asked. “You look like you got caught between two horny mix-masters.”
“Just a little accident. Sorry I’m late.” He unlocked the door and ushered Teri into the reception office. Carol’s empty desk and chair loomed in front of him.
“I read about Carol,” Teri said. There was an excited edge to her voice. “Was it a sex murder?”
“No, “ Judd said shortly. He opened the door to his inner office. “Give me ten minutes.”
He went into the office, consulted his calendar pad, andbegan dialing the numbers of his patients, canceling the rest of his appointments for the day. He was able to reach all but three patients. His chest and arm hurt every time he moved, and his head was beginning to pound again. He took two Darvan from a drawer and washed them down with a glass of water. He walked over to the reception door and opened it for Teri. He steeled himself to put everything out of his mind for the next fifty minutes except the problems of his patient. Teri lay down on the couch, her skirt hiked up, and began talking.
Twenty years ago Teri Washburn had been a raving beauty, and traces of it were still there. She had the largest, softest, most innocent eyes that Judd had ever seen. The sultry mouth had a few hard lines around it, but it was still voluptuous, and her breasts were rounded and firm beneath a close-fitting Pucci print. Judd suspected that she had had a silicone injection, but he was waiting for her to mention it. The rest of her body was still good, and her legs were great.
At one time or another, most of Judd’s female patients thought they were in love with him, the natural transference from patient-doctor to patient-protector-lover. But Teri’s case was different. She had been trying to have an affair with Judd from the first minute she had walked into his office. She had tried to arouse him in every way she could think of—and Teri
He rang for the nurse and told her he wanted to see Dr. Harris. Ten minutes later Seymour Harris walked into the room. He was a little gnome of a man with bright blue eyes and tufts of black hair sticking out of his cheeks. Judd had known him a long time and had great respect for him. “Well! Sleeping Beauty’s awake. You look terrible.” Judd was getting tired of hearing it. “I feel fine,” he lied.
“I want to get out of here.”
“When?”
“Now.”
Dr. Harris looked at him reprovingly. “You just got here.Why don’t you stick around a few days? I’ll send you in a few nymphomaniac nurses to keep you company.”
“Thanks, Seymour. I really do have to leave.”
Dr. Harris sighed. “OK. You’re the doctor, Doctor. Personally, I wouldn’t let my cat walk around in your condition.” He looked at Judd keenly. “Anything I can do to help?”
Judd shook his head.
“I’ll have Miss Bedpan get your clothes.”
Thirty minutes later the girl at the reception desk called a taxi for him. He was at his office at ten-fifteen.
Chapter Six
HIS FIRST PATIENT, Teri Washburn, was waiting in the corridor. Twenty years earlier Teri had been one of the biggest stars in the Hollywood firmament. Her career had fizzled overnight, and she had married a lumberman from Oregon and dropped out of sight. Teri had been married five or six times since then and was now living in New York with her latest husband, an importer. She looked up angrily as Judd came down the corridor.
“Well…” she said. The speech of reproval she had rehearsed died away as she saw his face. “What happened to you?” she asked. “You look like you got caught between two horny mix-masters.”
“Just a little accident. Sorry I’m late.” He unlocked the door and ushered Teri into the reception office. Carol’s empty desk and chair loomed in front of him.
“I read about Carol,” Teri said. There was an excited edge to her voice. “Was it a sex murder?”
“No, “ Judd said shortly. He opened the door to his inner office. “Give me ten minutes.”
He went into the office, consulted his calendar pad, andbegan dialing the numbers of his patients, canceling the rest of his appointments for the day. He was able to reach all but three patients. His chest and arm hurt every time he moved, and his head was beginning to pound again. He took two Darvan from a drawer and washed them down with a glass of water. He walked over to the reception door and opened it for Teri. He steeled himself to put everything out of his mind for the next fifty minutes except the problems of his patient. Teri lay down on the couch, her skirt hiked up, and began talking.
Twenty years ago Teri Washburn had been a raving beauty, and traces of it were still there. She had the largest, softest, most innocent eyes that Judd had ever seen. The sultry mouth had a few hard lines around it, but it was still voluptuous, and her breasts were rounded and firm beneath a close-fitting Pucci print. Judd suspected that she had had a silicone injection, but he was waiting for her to mention it. The rest of her body was still good, and her legs were great.
At one time or another, most of Judd’s female patients thought they were in love with him, the natural transference from patient-doctor to patient-protector-lover. But Teri’s case was different. She had been trying to have an affair with Judd from the first minute she had walked into his office. She had tried to arouse him in every way she could think of—and Teri
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