One Dead Under the Cuckoo's Nest by Lori Avocato Read Free Book Online Page B

hell is the real Mary Louise?”
    Jagger glared at me.
    For a few seconds I only stared back. It was so easy to mindlessly stare at Jagger. I used to enjoy it. But now, being deceived like this kinda took away the fun. Damn it!
    Then he touched my arm, and I didn’t pull back. Not that I didn’t want to, but suddenly his touch was comforting. Jagger may have gotten me into this, but in my heart I knew he wouldn’t let me get hurt. After all, he could have let me get killed several times before on other cases and never had.
    â€œLook, Sherlock, we need to find out more about the guy from the airport. Be on the lookout for him. His name is Vito Doran. Works as an orderly.”
    â€œWhat if I see him?” Okay, with Jagger’s hand still on my arm, my temper had defused—for now. Hey, Jagger’s touch could work miracles . . . and he knew it.
    And I knew I couldn’t fight it.
    â€œIf you see him, tell me.”
    â€œOh, sure, Dr. Dick. I’ll phone you pronto. How the hell am I going to get in touch with you? They don’t exactlygive me phone privileges around here. They don’t even give me my clothes.”
    Jagger shook his head—once. And then he grinned.
    I mentally slapped myself in the head. Of course, Jagger would always be around or at least popping up when least expected.
    I chose to look at that as a bright side to my incarceration.
    He let my arm go and turned toward the door.
    â€œOkay. I’ll watch out for Vito.” Before Jagger stepped out, I said, “Oh, hey. Where’s the real Mary Louise?”
    He paused and said, “Missing.”
    â€œMiss . . . missing!”
    Jagger stopped, turned and shook his head.
    â€œSorry. I didn’t mean that to come out so loudly. But, I mean, missing ?”
    â€œYes, Sherlock, she disappeared at the airport.”
    Now I shook my head, this time in disgust. “Great. I’m trapped here. The male ‘nun’ is on the loose, and your client is missing. Some case we got here.” He didn’t move, so I said, “Speaking of cases, what about mine? Number three? How am I going to do it while here helping you?”
    â€œIt’ll get done.”
    That was it. Short and sweet. It’ll get done. And, it probably would, because I’d make damn sure that Jagger paid me back by helping me out. I needed money real soon.
    â€œYou’re going to pay me for this, too.” I said it with as much bravado as I could muster, knowing I couldn’t force Jagger into doing anything he didn’t want to.
    He merely looked at me.
    For a second I thought I saw disappointment in his eyes as if I was accusing him of trying to cheat me. Then, I realized Jagger had every intention of paying me, and really didn’t stick me here for any other reason but his case.
    What a guy.
    I groaned. From behind Jagger I could see Sister Liz approaching. Yikes! She was coming to get me. “Jagger, do something.”
    He looked at me. “About?”
    Through clenched teeth I said, “The treatment. My treatment. The brain-zapping thing. My brain.”
    While he looked at me the nun came closer.
    â€œAre you finished, Doctor?”
    He nodded.
    â€œFine. We need to get you upstairs, Pauline, before you are late. No one wants to be late for that technician.”
    I looked toward Jagger. Make that looked toward where he’d been because now it was an empty hallway. Gone. He was gone like some magical creature.
    And me on my way to get my brain zapped.
    Sister Liz took my arm to guide me upstairs. We never had to leave the patient unit. There was a locked stairway that she opened and, I assumed, if I ran down instead of up, the doors would all be locked too.
    No means of escape.
    â€œUm, Sister Liz—” I paused on the stairway and looked at her. “Can I call you Sister Liz?”
    A ruddy hue spread up her cheeks. “Oh. My. I guess that will be all