“Yes?”
“Doctor Jobkin said I’d have no legal recourse should anything go wrong.On account of this not being done at a hospital.”
“Nothing will go wrong.”Damn Jobkin for putting doubt in the woman’s mind.“Rest assured, I know what I’m doing, Mrs.Hughes.And I’m only able to do it so cheaply because the hospital isn’t involved.”
“I just don’t understand what you stand to gain.Why you’re willing to help people like me for such a low fee.”
Another warm smile was directed toward her.“Because doing so is of greater value to me than money.”
This comment seemed to appease her.She offered a smile in return and relaxed her hold on her reticule.“You’re a good person.A pity there aren’t more like you.”
“Indeed.”The surgeon offered her the tincture that had been prepared.“Drink this.It will make you more comfortable.”
She took a deep breath and set her reticule aside so she could accept the glass.A sniff of the contents made her scrunch her nose.She thrust the glass toward him.“I’d rather not.”
Maintaining an amicable expression became a challenge.“It’s for your own good.”
“Smells like it contains cannabis.I’ve never reacted well to that.”
“I can assure you it won’t have the same effect when combined with the other ingredients.In fact, it will aid me in my work by calming your nerves.In other words, I won’t be able to do the procedure unless you agree to drink the tonic.”The surgeon stepped back in order to give her space.“Of course, if you’re having second thoughts, you’re welcome to take additional time to think this through, though I should warn you that this will place you at the end of the waiting list.”
“Thank you, but that won’t be necessary.”She took a deep breath.“I’ll drink so we can get this over and done with.”
She swallowed the contents of the glass.It would take a few minutes to work, upon which she’d be secured to the table.If all went well, the kidney stones she suffered from would be pulverized without her notice within the next hour.
This would confirm that the tincture used on Mr.Booker worked and that the process could be repeated.This time, however, the surgeon would make damn sure there was no risk of Mrs.Hughes telling anyone what had occurred here today.
19
Samantha followed the stairs leading deeper into the subterranean depths beneath the hospital.Uneven blocks of stone stacked upon one another served as walls.It looked like they belonged to a medieval castle rather than to a modern city building.She slid her palm over their icy surfaces as she descended farther, her feet finding solid support against the smoothed-out steps.
“What do you suppose we’ll find?”Adrian asked at her back.
“I’ve no idea.Your guess is as good as mine.”
“This would make an excellent location for any number of horrid occurrences to take place.”
“I’m not so sure.”She kept her steps careful and even.“Wouldn’t the door we came through have been locked to keep people out if that were the case?Also, I don’t envision a patient accompanying a surgeon down here willingly.Surely they would have protested and raised the alarm.”
“Unless this case involves more scoundrels than we realize.If a larger group were working together, I’m sure they could have managed somehow.And a subterranean location nobody visits, with easy access to medical equipment, would make an excellent spot for surgical experimentation.”
“Maybe.”She didn’t disagree.This was the theory that had brought them here in the first place.She just worried they were leading themselves astray by investigating down here.
The stairwell swept to the left before opening into what looked like a tunnel.Samantha stepped off the bottom step and felt packed dirt beneath her feet.She started forward, the glow from her candle lighting up the space that lay roughly two feet ahead.
Adrian grunted and muttered a curse behind her.“Ceiling’s too low.I think I walked into a support beam.”
Samantha turned and held up the candle, spreading its glow across a low archway they’d just passed through.“Sorry.Would you like to go first?”
He nodded and took the candle from her before stepping ahead.She fell in behind him and realized how diminished the light was now when he blocked it.No wonder he’d hit his head.
“I think we may have the answer to your question,” he said a few moments later before he stopped walking.
“What do you mean?”
“You were questioning if a killer would operate in a place that could be accessed by anyone.”
Stepping aside as much as he was able, Adrian revealed the heavy iron gate blocking their path.It had a large square lock welded into it, so ancient in appearance she worried her hairpins would be no match in this instance.
