Margaret Truman's Experiment in Murder by Margaret Truman Read Free Book Online

Mrs. Marcos was known for her shoe collection. What’s Sheila’s last name?”
    â€œKlaus.”
    â€œI didn’t see any file for her.”
    â€œIt’s there.”
    â€œProbably with the ones I haven’t gotten to yet.”
    He shuffled through the remaining files and pulled the one for Sheila Klaus. He opened it, frowned, and looked up at Betty. “There’s virtually nothing in it,” he said.
    â€œDr. Sedgwick never dictated notes after their sessions. I suppose he wrote them by hand.”
    Tatum nodded and returned to the few pages contained in the folder. “He sure didn’t write many for this patient,” he muttered, turning the file on the desk for Betty to see. “There’s a date on this sheet for when she started seeing him. It goes back to 2007.”
    â€œSheila has been a patient for a long time,” Betty said. “Not always steady. She sometimes stopped coming for months. I remember when she didn’t have a session scheduled for six months.”
    Tatum continued to peruse what the folder held. On the bottom of the sheet on which her start date was mentioned were a series of notations written in what Tatum assumed was Sedgwick’s handwriting: Up Gaze 4; Arm Levitation left 3–4; Squint 0; Amnesia to Cut Off 2; Float 2. The final entry was the numeral 5 with a box drawn around it.
    â€œDr. Sedgwick used hypnosis with her,” Tatum said, more to himself than to Betty. “These notations are from the HIP test.”
    â€œHe used hypnosis with a lot of his patients,” she offered.
    That wasn’t surprising. Tatum and Sedgwick had worked together on a number of projects at NIH and at GW that involved medical hypnosis. Using trance to treat certain conditions, psychological as well as physical, was now firmly entrenched in a physician’s bag of tricks. One trial involving the use of hypnosis as anesthesia for patients whose physical condition ruled out chemical anesthesia produced what Tatum considered remarkable results. Videotapes of patients undergoing major surgery using only hypno-anesthesia demonstrated dramatic proof of how the power of suggestion could be every bit as potent and effective as the chemical variety.
    â€œIs Ms. Klaus a blond woman?” he asked.
    â€œYes.”
    â€œAnd she wore red shoes?”
    â€œYes.”
    He hesitated before asking, “Were Dr. Sedgwick and Ms. Klaus close?”
    â€œHow do you mean?” she asked, although he was certain she knew the answer.
    â€œClose,” he said. “Friends beyond therapy.”
    â€œI really don’t like talking about things like that,” Betty said.
    â€œI can understand your reluctance,” he said, “but I’m here as a representative of the police, Betty, and everything points to Dr. Sedgwick having been run over deliberately—by a blond woman who might have been a patient.”
    â€œThey—” she started, biting her lip in the process. “They traveled together sometimes.” She quickly added, “Just a few times.”
    Tatum nodded. He understood.
    â€œWhen was the last time she saw Dr. Sedgwick as a patient?” he asked.
    â€œOh, it’s been awhile,” she replied. “Two months, maybe three. I can look it up.”
    â€œI’d appreciate that. There’s no mention in the file of the last time he saw her.”
    She returned from the reception area. “Two months ago to the day,” she reported.
    â€œI appreciate your help, Betty. I think I’ll run out for a sandwich. Get you anything?”
    â€œNo, thank you. I brought my lunch. It’s cheaper.”
    â€œIt certainly is. You have an address and phone number for Ms. Klaus?”
    â€œSure.” She returned with it a minute later.
    â€œThanks,” he said. “I’ll be back in an hour to finish going through the files.”
    It had begun to rain while Tatum was in