Hideaway Hospital Murders

by Robert Burton Robinson

  He and Cynthia walked to the elevator.

  When the doors opened at the second floor Greg spotted her immediately. She was in the nurse’s station.

  “Mary?” said Greg.

  “Yes?” she said as she looked up. She seemed to remember him. “May I help you?”

  “I’m Greg Tenorly. I was here on Wednesday during a surgery and talked to you briefly.”

  “Yes, I remember you.”

  “Oh, and this is Cynthia Blockerman.”

  The two women exchanged hellos.

  “We were wondering if we could talk to you in private for just a minute,” said Greg.

  “Well, I’m pretty busy tonight…”

  Cynthia stepped forward. “It’s a matter of life or death.”

  The pain she saw in Cynthia’s eyes was more convincing than her words. She told one of the other nurses she was taking her break. Then she led them into an unoccupied room and closed the door.

  Greg told her about the murder and the kidnappings, and Cynthia’s mother. Then he explained how he thought the killer was the same one who had murdered Nancie Jo Gristel. He told her about the crazy neighbor and the bumper sticker and the copy shop and the clinical trial document. Then he explained his theory that it was all somehow connected to the Mobley family.

  “You’re not implying that Elmo is a kidnapper and a murderer, are you?” said Mary.

  “No. Not at all,” said Greg.

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t know anything that will help you,” said Mary as she turned to leave.

  “Wait,” said Greg. “You know something. I could see it in your eyes the other day.”

  “Look, we don’t have a clue where to look next,” said Cynthia. “You never know what might help us.”

  “Okay. But I don’t see how this will help. And I’ve never told anybody,” she said. “In the early ‘80s I worked in the Emergency Room. And Morford Mobley, Elmo’s father, was an Emergency Room doc. We had worked together for several years.

  “One night two men came in. They were fairly new in town, and had moved here from San Francisco. I don’t really know why they moved to Coreyville. I think they chose our town at random. But one of the men looked terrible. He was coughing uncontrollably and spitting up blood. The other man was not in much better shape.

  “So, Morford spent an unusually long time examining the men and asking them questions. Then he prescribed some drugs and sent them on their way. Afterwards, he told me in private that he believed the man and his friend both had a new disease called AIDS. Back then, some people were calling it ‘Gay Cancer.’ Everybody was scared to death of it. They thought you could get it just by being in the room with somebody who had it.

  “But Morford was the most compassionate doctor I’ve ever known. He wanted to help the men somehow. And in the days and weeks that followed it was on his mind constantly. Finally, he decided to build his own little clinic to care for them. And he would try to develop better medicines and other types of treatment for their disease.

  “But as he listened to other doctors and nurses talking about AIDS, he knew it would be extremely difficult to do such a thing. Nobody would want a clinic like that near their home or business. So, he came up with the idea of building the clinic on his own property.”

  “But it didn’t work out,” said Greg.

  “Actually, it did,” said Mary.

  Greg and Cynthia looked at each other.

  Cynthia said, “I’ve never heard anything about it.”

  “That’s because it’s underground,” said Mary. “I can see by the look on your faces you think I’m a nut. But it’s true. He waited until Mallie Mae was away on a tour of Europe with her sister. They were gone for over a month. And Elmo was practicing medicine in Dallas. The black men who built it were sworn to secrecy.”

  “Wow. I can’t believe nobody ever told thatsecret,” said Greg.

  “Mallie Mae knew about the lab. But she didn’t know about the secret door to the clinic. And there was a long hallway that led to the barn.

  “Morford quit his job at the hospital to do experiments and run the clinic. They had plenty of money, so he didn’t need the income. Mallie Mae thought it was a little weird, but she didn’t mind as long as he was happy.

  “He offered me a job, and I gladly took his offer. I was very much in love with him, but I never told him. He was always faithful to Mallie Mae.

  “After a couple of months, the first two men told us about another couple they knew who also had AIDS. Morford agreed to take them as well. So then, all four of the beds in his little clinic were occupied. Most days Hadley, Morford’s manservant, would help me walk them through the long passageway and out behind the barn to sit for a while in the open air. And Hadley prepared meals for them. I don’t know how he did without Mallie Mae finding out, but as far as I could tell, she never knew about the clinic.

  “We worked so hard to save them. And the thing I remember most is how much those men appreciated what we were trying to do for them. They would break down in tears just talking about it. And that would make me start crying.

  “But it really got tough when they began to give up, and just wanted to die. They were happy that somebody in this world had cared enough to work so hard to save their lives. But they knew the end was near, and they were ready to go.

  “But Morford didn’t want to letthem go. He kept working frantically for a breakthrough. He was only sleeping about two hours a night. Mallie Mae begged him to get more rest.

  “Finally one day, he told me to go back to work at the hospital. And when I refused, he became angry, and told me he could no longer stand to have me around.”

  “Oh, no,” said Cynthia.

  “I was deeply hurt. And then two days later he died in a car crash,” said Mary.

  “I heard about that,” said Greg.

  “Well, what happened to the AIDS patients?” said Cynthia.

  “I don’t know. I assume they died, but I never heard a thing about them after I left,” said Mary. “Maybe their families finally came to get them, although I doubt it. They had basically been disowned by their parents for being gay. Then, once they came down with AIDS, nobodywanted anything to do with them.”

  “Except you and Morford,” said Cynthia. “What y’all did was amazing.”

  “Thank you. But that’s all I know about the Mobleys,” said Mary. “But I doubt these kidnappings and murders have anything to do with Elmo. I can’t imagine him doing anything unethical or illegal.”

  But Mary could see the determination on their faces. There was no doubt where they were headed next: the Mobley estate.

  Chapter30

  Macy was in a hurry to get downstairs to Elmo. And fortunately, getting Mallie Mae ready for bed had taken less time than usual. Mallie Mae always wanted her to hang around and talk for a while once she was in bed. But not on this night.

  Elmo’s mother had heard enough of the conversation in the car to know what was going on between her caretaker and her son. And for the first time ever, she saw a match she could be happy with. She and Macy had spent untold hours together over the past 15 years—more than enough time for Mallie Mae to understand the true character of the 37 year-old.

  Macy had not dated at all during those years. She had spent much of her free time with Elmo. And Mallie Mae knew the two had a wonderful platonic relationship. But she had wondered how thathad been enough to sustain the lovelorn beauty.

  Macy had been out of college just one year when Elmo had hired her away from the hospital to be his mother’s nurse. The lovely young lady had taken the job with the understanding that once his mother had completely recovered from her broken leg, Macy would go back to her job at the hospital.

  But by that time, Mallie Mae had taken such a liking to her that she begged her to stay on and be her personal aide. And Macy had agreed, primarily because she had fallen in love with Elmo and didn’t want to give up their time together.

  Elmo had always looked forward
to his evenings with Macy. He had been crazy about her from day one, but quickly taught himself to hide his romantic feelings and limit their relationship to the joy of being best friends. Back then, as a 41 year-old, he couldn’t imagine datingsuch a young woman.

  But the age gap didn’t seem to matter as much, now that she was 37. Macy was not a kid anymore—she was a grown woman. And she was old enough to know what she wanted. And what she wanted with all her heart was love—to love and beloved by Elmo Mobley for the rest of her life.

  Elmo had never dated a woman as attractive as Macy—until Carsie. Carsie was every bit as sexy and beautiful as Macy. And once she had come into Elmo’s life, Macy feared that her own dreams of happiness would never come true.

  But now Carsie was irrelevant.

  Macy walked to Elmo’s study and stood in the doorway. Elmo was sitting at his desk.

  “Come in,” he said. “And please close the door.”

  She closed it and met Elmo behind his desk as he stood up. They wrapped their arms around each other.

  “All these years…” he said. “I’ve been in love with you since you first came here.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “You were just too young,” he said.

  Macy was trembling with anticipation, and Elmo could hear it in her voice. “We were so stupid—both of us afraid to act on our feelings.”

  “But it’s okay. We’ve had great times together as friends. Just think of it as 15 years of foreplay,” he said.

  “Oh, Elmo…”

  He leaned in and began kissing her.

  She let herself slowly sink deep into the passion, as though her body was easing its way down into a steamy bubble bath.

  He opened his mouth slightly and rubbed the tip of his tongue softly and slowly along her lips until they parted, welcoming him inside. As he gently explored her smooth teeth and quivering tongue, they breathed each others’ breath until they became dizzy.

  Elmo had never experienced such a combination of physical stimulation and emotional oneness. And he knew he truly belonged with this incredible woman. He wanted her now and forever.

  He slid his hands down her back, past her waist and spread his long fingers across her warm, tight cheeks and gently pulled her firmly against his body. Macy could feel how much he wanted her.

  Then he worked his left hand up to her back as he placed his right hand on her hip. He massaged the side of her ribcage and then moved upward, just to the right of her breast.

  Macy ran her left hand up the back of his neck and into his scalp, which encouraged him to slide his hand onto the side of her breast and begin rubbing her erect nipple with his thumb. She jerked slightly, and he thought he had hurt her. But that fear ended quickly when she pulled him closer and started kissing him harder.

  Elmo’s fingers found a button on her blouse and unfastened it. Macy could not recall ever being this hot—even in her most sizzling fantasies. She wanted him to go faster—to just rip off her blouse. With each button her burning anticipation soared even higher.

  Would he have trouble with her bra strap? she wondered.

  He slipped a finger under the front edge of her bra, pulled it outward and up, and her lovely breasts were exposed. She longed for the glorious sensation of his fingertips. But instead, he teased her by kissing the side of her face, then down her neck. As his warm, moist lips inched their way toward the nipple, she knew an orgasm was imminent.

  They were lost in their own world. So, it was not surprising that neither of them heard the soft knock at the door.

  Then it opened.

  “Elmo?”

  It was Carnie, standing in the doorway, staring at them—undeniably in the heat of passion.

  Macy pulled her blouse together and turned her back to Carnie.

  Carnie glanced down at Elmo’s crotch.

  His face turned bright red. “Carnie, let me explain.”

  “What are you doing to my sister?”

  “I’m sorry. We shouldn’t have been doing this.”

  No, Elmo, thought Macy. Don’t say that. It’s what we’ve always wanted.

  “But I’m calling off the wedding—for good,” he said.

  “You’re breaking up with Carsie? Just like that?” said Carnie.

  “Yes.”

  “Well, then you should have had the decently to tell her before you go having sex with somebody else,” said Carnie.

  “I’m not. I mean, we weren’t.”

  “Yeah, right. You think I’m an idiot?” Carnie slammed the door shut and walked off.

  Elmo ran to the door and yanked it open. “Please don’t tell Carsie. I promise I’ll call her in the morning and ask her to come here. Then I’ll try to break it to her gently.”

  “Good luck with that,” said Carnie.

  “So, you’ll let metell her?”

  “Okay, sure. Whatever.”

  Elmo walked back into the study and closed the door.

  “Are you okay?” he said to Macy, who was standing at the window looking out into the night.

  She turned around. “Yeah.”

  But she didn’t lookokay. Tears were dripping off her face.

  He walked over to her. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have started this tonight.”

  “It wasn’t just you. Iwanted it too.”

  “I know. But we should have waited until I settled things with Carsie. It’s just not right for us to be doing this when she still thinks I plan to marry her.”

  “Yeah, you’re right.”

  “But I promise I will take care of it tomorrow. Then we can be together. I love you so much, Macy.”

  “I love you too.”

  He kissed her on the forehead. They said goodnight and she went back upstairs.

  And Macy knew that dreams and fantasies would never again be enough.

  **********

  Carnie sat at the bar in the Pub Room next to her bedroom and chugged down a beer.

  All her planning and work had been a waste of time. The two old women and the fat used car guy had died for nothing. Not that she really cared, except that every murder could be increasing her chances of getting caught. And if there was one thing she cherished, it was her freedom. She would kill herself before going to prison.

  And what about Jake and the four women down in the Hideaway Hospital? She hated to admit it, but she needed advice. And the one person she could always depend on was her grandmother, Sylvia.

  She loved her grandmother, as most grandchildren love their grandparents. But there was a dark side to their relationship. After her mother died, Carnie frequently had terrible nightmares. And when she did, she ran to Sylvia’s bed.

  But long after the nightmares ended, her grandmother continued to insist that Carnie sleep with her. And Sylvia began to touch Carnie in a way that made her uncomfortable. The quick peck on the lips of her granddaughter became long, open-mouth kisses.

  Carsie had always seemed oblivious to Carnie’s plight—going along her merry way, while her sister was being abused right under her nose. Carnie used to hate Carsie for that. But she had since forgiven her. After all, if Carnie had ever told her sister what was happening, she surely would have helped her. But Carnie could never bring herself to do that. Carnie had letit happen, so she couldn’t put allthe blame on her grandmother.

  Once Carnie was grown and able to finally move out and get away from Sylvia, she thought she’d be able to live a normal life. But in truth, there was no way she could ever escape Sylvia’s powerful hold on her psyche.

  And now, as much as she hated to admit it, she needed her grandmother’s help.

  Chapter31

  “What if somebody sees us driving in?” said Cynthia. “It’s going to be a little hard to explain why we’re coming to visit them at 10:30 on a Saturday night. Especially since we don’t even knowthem.”

  They were halfway up the long driveway to the Mobley house.

  “We’ll park along here somewhere and walk the rest of the
way. Like right there—between those trees,” said Greg.

  He steered the big Bonneville off the driveway and into the woods.

  “I don’t think anybody will notice the car here,” he said.

  “Until morning,” she said.

  “Yeah. Well, I hope we’re out of here before then.”

  “Me too.”

  Greg killed the engine and opened his door. Cynthia tried to open hers.

  “My door won’t open,” she said. “There must be a little bush or something blocking it.”

  “That’s okay. Just get out on my side.”

  They walked out of the woods and toward the house.

  “When we get closer, we’ll have to turn off our flashlights,” said Greg.

  “I heard there were bobcats living in these woods.”

  “Bobcats? Could be, I guess. But don’t worry, they only eat smallmammals,” said Greg.

  She looked up into the moonlight and observed the tips of the tall trees lining the driveway. “Well, I’m feeling pretty small right now,” she said under her breath.

  **********

  The last thing Carnie wanted to do was admit failure to her grandmother. As much as she despised the woman, she longed for her approval.

  “Hello?”

  “I’ve got a big problem,” said Carnie.

  “What did you do?” said Sylvia, with disappointment in her voice.

  “I got my clinic all set up, but then—“

  “—Carnie! I told you that wouldn’t work.”

  “I know, but—“

  “—you should have just waited, like I told you. He would have come around in a couple of weeks. By then, he would have been missing Carsie so much he would have agreed to marry her right away.”

  “I don’t think so…”

  “Why not?” said Sylvia.

  “I caught him with Macy tonight.”

  “Having sex?”

  “Pretty close. Her blouse was open and Elmo was kissing her boobs,” said Carnie.

  “Oh, no.”

  “Yeah. So, see—your idea wasn’t gonna work either.”

  “Shut up, Carnie. Let me think.”

  After ten seconds of silence, Carnie began to wonder if the call had been dropped.