Eyes Wide Open by Andrew Gross Read Free Book Online

there.
    My next call was to the psych ward at the Central Coast Medical Center. I asked for Dr. Derosa.
    The nurse who answered asked who I was, and I gave her my name and told her that I was a doctor from back in New York and Evan Erlich’s uncle. She kept me on hold awhile and finally she came back on saying how very sorry they all were, but that the doctor would be out all day on an outside consult and would have to get back to me.
    I left my number and said that I’d be around only a few days. I figured I’d hear back in a couple of hours.
    A few minutes before one, I went with Charlie and Gabby to the one-story police station on Grand Street and met Detective Sherwood in a small interrogation room there.
    He seemed to be in his midfifties, ruddy complexioned, with a husky build and thick salt-and-pepper hair. He stood up when we came in, gave Charlie a shake with his thick, firm hands and Gabriella a warm hug. Charlie had said Sherwood had worked for the local PD and coroner’s office for more than twenty years.
    â€œHow’re you holding up?” he asked them, motioning to us to sit down at a table in the cordoned-off room.
    â€œNot so good,” Gabriella said, shrugging sadly.
    Sherwood nodded empathetically. “I understand.”
    â€œThis is my brother, Jay, from New York,” Charlie said. “He’s a doctor.”
    The detective sized me up—my blazer; an open, striped dress shirt; jeans my wife had picked out for me—and showed a little surprise.
    â€œThanks for seeing us,” I said.
    â€œNo problem at all.” He nodded. “Very sorry for your loss.”
    â€œMy brother and sister-in-law have a few questions they’d like to ask,” I said. “Not only about Evan, about what happened . . . but also about his treatment at the hospital. How he could have been released after just a few days and put in a place where he was essentially allowed to roam free. I’m sure you understand how this isn’t sitting well with them.”
    â€œI know you have some issues.” He looked at Charlie and Gabriella. “We’ve scheduled an autopsy and a toxicology lab later today. But I’m happy to fill you in on the details of what I know.”
    â€œThank you.” Gabriella nodded gratefully.
    â€œSome time late Thursday afternoon,” the detective said, opening a file, “Evan apparently left the halfway house in Morro Bay saying he was going to take a walk.”
    Charlie narrowed his eyes. “ A walk? My son was medicated.”
    â€œThe woman who runs the facility suggested she took it as a positive sign. His first day there, he’d been pretty withdrawn.”
    â€œThey told me they were putting him in a restrictive facility,” Gabby said bitterly. “That woman killed my son.”
    I squeezed my palm over her clenched fist to calm her. “What happened then?”
    â€œSome time that afternoon it appears he wandered down to the rock in the bay and found a path up on the southwest face. He was probably up there a considerable time. Some time during the night, at maybe two or three A.M. , it appears he fell from a large height onto the rocks below. We can approximate the time from the body’s temperature”—he turned to me—“as I’m sure you understand.”
    I nodded. The lower the body temperature, the longer the body had been dead.
    â€œHe was discovered early the next morning by two clammers at seven A.M. The coroner’s finding is that your son was killed on impact. The wounds on the top and back of his skull are consistent with his belief that essentially Evan did a back dive from a height of around a hundred and fifty feet and hit here . . .”
    Sherwood placed his palm on the back of his head.
    â€œOh, God! ” Gabby’s hand shot to her mouth. She crossed herself.
    Charlie just sat there numbly and shut his eyes.
    â€œAre you okay hearing