The Hospital Murders

me since he was in the Middle West, and you got out of the way of remembering it. He

ffee roll I ever ha

nd cocked his

m to dis country, I vor

n his shoulders and h

you com

inging his to

so I tried to make into a Je

a moment. All of

osed, “Any new

ver his glass

inuers....” He threw out his hands. His face flashed sober

Sterlink is .

d sat straight on the stool.

Bear Sterling! Saved the l

r and began carefully balanc

ple. But even great men

oon upon the saucer of t

mean ... ‘wea

nd his philosophy collided. He

kno’, Docturr

shook his hea

, only. What’s

nd turned his back. When the dish

Sum ven ve are young.... Sum ven ve are studients.... Sum ven ve are in bed....” He wh

ll ha

t through the d

coffee quick! Qu

he boy’s blanched fa

soo

s hit,

he coffee and shook

ross the count

ightened yo

put down

rightened. It was a nigger baby with a severe

turned to Matt Higgins

... fear

upon the coun

you cu

straight in the

cation, come to see my kid brot

rked hi

... I k

3

ins shook

as hell. Only lets me see him half a day e

epped aside. Four medical stu

ter, slowly, thought

y hat over his narrowed eye

... but there was no use

the Elijah Wilson group; the other was bounded by the River. He looked back over his shoulder to see i

all walked like New Yorkers. But the women didn’t amo

he tall iron gate and approached the m

gray overcoat and stood back to let

3

walked with the air of a man who knows where he is going and is not to be stopped by trifles. Lon

th all of these were a group of abnormally sad faces, and then he remembered that today was the day of that nurse’s funeral. She’d been a pretty little thi

at the back garden of the hospital. He took in the approaching people in bo

ding, and with the renovating of the hospital had been left vacant. The corridor was lighted by a series of tall windows at the far end. The brill

ed his eyes to the light and looked at the floor. In the center were the tracks he and Dr. MacArthur and Snod

Then he threw his overcoat over his shoulder and approached, cautiously, the door of the laboratory they had decided upon. On tiptoe. Silently. His

d silently several seconds and then decided to chance a match. He took off his hat and struck it care

ne bottoms gone, and upon a bamboo couch in the corner Snod Smooty, 237 hi

over and watched Snod Smooty sleep. This was the first time in

nsciousness; he turned over suddenly and opened his eyes completely. His face w

at

. The match had burned out and Matt Higgin

ake up!

his thin feet to the grimy floor. He ran his left hand through

aret

and placed it over the hole in one of the stools. Over tha

men or something.

rette sullenly in his hip

3

uquet of red roses, darling. Thought she was doing duty on the ward. Didn’t know about her death. Shook the guts

dev

and tucked him into a parked car to sleep it off. Went ov

rs couldn’t make a squeak. Well, the Jew doctor got there and a mess of nurses and hen medics and give them all a bromide and then they needed bed-pans again ... and the

att’s voice

oon, she’s going to walk out. Says the examination she had to get in that damn bed

us last spring (she says you know which one) working for a hypnotist and selling dope. Damn if Lil ain’t decided that the head nurse of the clinic, Miss Kerr, who got her st

up, too.... Go on .

im, and get him out ... and nothing I could say ... between bed-pans and glasses of water ... could chan

ow, and told me if I let that little bitch come with

doing things that would keep me where I could see the nurse. Sweeping corridors and asking questions a

ut his han

nothing to do, except lay out in bed ... thirty strong ... I ain’t

always in the place I was told not to be, that was the way ... you know.... Lil says if I ain’t back on the ward by three this afternoon, tim

orning. After last night, the murderer will either strike quick, or lay off for some time. I’ll wire for anot

e was flat

ea

gnored it

was. Too hard to do. And I brought out that however prepared the first thing to do was to stop the ‘shots’. MacArthur agrees, but he won’t commit anybody. You were right. I told him it’s a crazy nurse or doctor

ist, and if she’s not, then it’s the man MacArthur

“in character” was too interested to “think” as an orderly. “The person in authority was the Je

ast?” Higgins as

a bed-pa

ce fluted

pillow, and was asleep before Mr. Higgins ha

4

stood in the dark basement corridor. He stood erect, with his shoulders thrown back, listening. When the silence assured his mind and hurt his eardrums he began walking up the basement corridor, toward the entrance into the main service corridor, which ran directly u

gled with that of damp plaster. The smell began to permeate his nostrils and made each creak of th

nderland, or had it been Alice who diminished? He had just convinced himself that the last sound and the newest smell were caused by a l

a

arm automatically. He stood with his muscles flexed, listening and beginning to fe

coat sleeve beginning to give. The tap continued its regular drip, drip, and his nerves became strung and h

by a long iron hook suspended from the ceiling. He l

uu

s. His coat was caught upon a cadaver hook! And with the realization his reflexes began

ed. 244 The feel of the burning match agai

ed dry by a consuming shame. “Lighting matches in a basement wit

ection of the door. When his hand was upon the handle he

een through been entirely hysterical or were they partly occasio

ria. An innate fear of dead people, which he knew perfectly well he had had ever since that boy in Mexico too

urderer left tracks just like any other m

o take a

ut into the service corridor. The door s

4

ge laundry bins. They had their backs to him. In the other direction were three maids standing around a woman who was talking hurriedly and gesticul

from in front of the door. Somehow he side-stepped

g, and by the time he had begun moving he had decided to ignore the flowers ... temporarily ... and try to rememb

hat walking beside him was a small faded woman, and she

e had removed his hat and was giving her the “

4

o gasp out

again toward a retreating figure, “to bring them over to the Nurses’ Home for Miss Standish’s funeral (she was of t

Matt Higgins had learned all

threads among the gold” smil

n corridor

It’s easy to get

rom the elevator and began walking toward the entrance

dead ti

the open door of his office, he knew that w

f the bank in Wall Street during the first days of the 1929 collapse. That

4

or,” his voice was

e rose with an obvious effort and motioned the detective to a chair,

ank

tor’s table, nor the glint it gave the diamond upon the finger

s eyelids listlessly and then, his blu

about la

odded and

strike immediately, or wait indefinitely. In either case, we need

use a l

ok his head

to take someone I am not su

lephone and MacArthur

erson. 248 James P. Anderson. Pu

arried himself with a brittle straightness, and Higgins watched him closely while the girls were say

Westbound mail plane in twenty minutes? Then the other plane and he’ll have to chang

hur wh

here this

he telephone ove

s. Otherwise about eight tonight. Next to Smoot

go back on at three to watch things and learn the Elijah Wilson routine f

4

s person, was stro

kened his pace and

ad nurse and her niece are mediums murde

and an imperceptible shadow of r

ed at the mere mention of such

as old and

octors by the thousand. Good. Bad. And indif

azy d

ew up his han

dy, yes. But no

o pass up the poi

t thinking, and I feel certain, Doctor MacArthur, that after the episode on the ward, we must hasten everything. Put me through the hospital as a member of the admin

idly, “And decide who I must question, and also permit me ... if nec

rrupted him. His p

t on that ward will know that Rose Standish was murdered! And we cannot avoid their knowing it. If we close the ward to visitors ... we have never in all the years the hospital

well,

ng itself out in speech a

day is over, we must face the hysteria manifesting itself among the menial staff. How can a

5

ntrance of the old lab building into the service corridor fi

ha

r, my feet

Where did th

he head nurse in Medicine Clinic, to take them over to the Nurses’ Home for th

od

MacArthur’s eyes and Higg

ve time I must have every atom of knowledge which you hav

gimlet gray eyes into the hor

ody but you suspec

s groan wa

t you suggested I question him

emed suddenly to ret

. I appreciate your position, but I must ask you to respect my wis

nnot await another

and is not questioned until after his death, supposing ... the other ... to be correct ... you will have not lost anything. They

or, and his figure was more than

a trust has always existed. Within twenty hours it will be broken and ... why, Mr. Higgins, if you wish, I shall sit outside

icine Clinic, you will insist that Dr. Cub Sterling accompany us over the clinic, in precisely the same manner in which the other men are to do. Thereby I can at least judge the man. Otherwise I throw up the case, here and now. My position would be hope

ggins. I’ll do

his face were

cked again an

to fight each other. Mainly because all evidence points to a crazy docto

large hairy hand and Dr. M

at his watch and rea

dent of nur

hur. Will you please come ov

5

d to have regained his

th your while to attend? Would a murderer of this t

ctor. What

-fift

Ker

th asked

n I

knock upon the door and the

ose and smiled

tedly and this morning I am upset about Dr. Sterling. Mr. Immerheld used to know Dr. Sterling ... and understands.... Will you please take him around, and see that he s

led politely at Matt

delighted, D

he same time authoritative. She was the spun-glass

ave my ha

opened the door, he gave her the “silver threads am

voice halted the

efore you go to Medicine Clinic? I am especially anxious for Mr. Immerheld to meet

ed and hers f

y, Dr. Ma

up the corridor, her

tal, Mr. Immerheld, the El

r. MacArthur thought and his hand

ns’ voice was irritable. She had been awake fo

5

that she was scary. Or that she had liked Rose Standish. But just the same, those roses against her face, when she had go

ecided that she was out of it. Spineless a

ting or lying respectfully still. Dr. Cub Sterling, Dr. Mattus had telepho

felt, suddenly, for a few hours at least,

shy hair leaning over her and saying, “Pretty

stood beside the tall man whose left

s’ face took on one of its flashes of sudden intensity and Cub Sterling’s responded. His res

ired, wer

al equal and Lil Parkins knew she really liked him. He

r name c

bed looking kindly into her eyes. With a supreme eff

slowly, and her fac

ly. “What you needed was res

eft forearm and Lil, mesmerized by

rcus. Trap

e carried both reprimand an

ing Br

u d

! Ringling Brothers, too! Top-notcher ain’t you, kid? Is Fred Bradna still ringmaster? How far out did you

spontaneously and every

she’s better. And then s

discussing Mrs. Witherspoon’s condition. Cub Sterling joined them, but h

to s

sly, and her tension snapped and h

Two. Mattus’ voice halte

just saw her ten minutes ago. Your father’s latest t

alked down the corridor t

ype="