Eventually, my thoughts turned from Ryan to my current situation. Rather, situations. I had a lot on my plate at the time. First, I had my father’s case to work on. That had led me to the discovery of the existence of my half-brother. And, as if that wasn’t enough, I was a witness in Joanna Baker’s murder case, and there was no telling how involved I might become in that investigation. Part of me secretly hoped I’d be very involved, so I could see Sebastian Webster again. If you counted Ryan’s murder and the subsequent fallout, I had been through so much in the past several months, it was quite surprising I hadn’t had a nervous breakdown. I really needed some peace and quiet, but it didn’t look like I’d be getting that anytime soon. Perhaps I should check into Pleasant Valley myself—take a much-needed mental vacation.
I arrived at Pleasant Valley about quarter-to-two. The building was new, sleek, and modern in its design. A large, artsy, asymmetrical fountain spurted water into a tiny pond in front of the building. I parked and walked in with only a few moments to spare. Not sure exactly where to go, I opted for the reception desk off to the left. A very pleasant older lady with cotton ball hair looked up from her computer and asked if she could help me. I gave her my name and told her I was scheduled to meet with Dr. Frank Detweiler at two o’clock. She smiled and began typing away at her computer…click, click, click. Then she looked back up at me and asked me to please wait in the lobby. Someone would be with me shortly.
I found an empty spot on the chic, modern red-leather couch and sat with my back to the all-glass wall. To kill the time, I scanned my Facebook page on my phone. Nothing new or noteworthy. Same old stuff. People complaining about their bosses, spouses, and parents, posting stupid pictures of their cats they thought were hilarious. This was why I rarely checked my Facebook page anymore. I hadn’t even posted anything since earlier that year. The only reason I even kept my account was to find people I needed to find.
Finally, a tall, lean lady in light blue scrubs walked into the lobby and called my name.
“That’s me,” I said, as I grabbed my purse and slung it back over my shoulder.
“Follow me,” she said. I walked behind her, watching her ponytail swish from side to side, until we arrived at an office with the door shut. The nametag on the wall next to the door read, ‘Frank Detweiler, MD’.
She knocked on the door, poked her head in, and announced my arrival. He said something I couldn’t hear and she opened the door all the way, motioning for me to enter the office.
When I walked in, a very handsome older man stood up from where he’d been sitting. He had completely grey hair, which made him look very distinguished, and tanned skin, as if he spent every weekend on the golf course. When he smiled, perfectly aligned white teeth peeked out from behind his thin lips.
When we shook hands, I noticed how warm and firm his hands were.
“Please,” he said, gesturing to the seat across from his desk. “Have a seat.”
I obliged and took a seat in the padded blue chair. The doctor sat down in a large maroon leather chair opposite me and leaned back.
“My name is Frank Detweiler. I’m Brian’s psychiatrist. And you are…?”
Even though I had made the appointment as a private investigator, I decided the best course of action was to be completely frank and honest with Dr. Detweiler if I was going to expect the same from him.
“My name is Libby Carter. I’m Brian’s sister.”
“Sister? I wasn’t aware Brian had a sister.”
“Join the club,” I said more sarcastically than I meant to. “I only found out two days ago myself. We have the same father.”
“I was under the impression you were some sort of investigator.”
“I am. I’m a private investigator. But that’s not really why I’m here.”
“And why are you here, if you don’t mind my asking?”
“I came because I just need to know more about him. I never had a brother or sister growing up and my family life is not exactly what you’d call normal.”
“Yes, I’m aware of your family history. Or at least, that of your father. Randall McLanahan, right?”
“That’s him,” I said with faux pride.
“So you’re not here in any official capacity?”
“Well, actually, I am technically working on a case. My father’s case, really. He now claims he’s innocent and he’s hired me to prove it. Only, I can’t prove it unless I find the real killer.”
“I’m sorry,” he said with a scowl. “I don’t see how that involves Brian.”
“I’m not exactly sure, either,” I admitted with a shrug. “All I know is that in the course of my investigation, I learned about Brian’s mother, and then, of course, Brian. I don’t think it’s connected, but I’m not sure it’s not, either. I’m sorry. That makes absolutely no sense.”
“I think I understand. But Mrs. Carter…”
“I’m not a Missus anymore. You can just call me Libby. My husband died this summer. Murdered, actually.” I wasn’t sure exactly why I told him that. Maybe he reminded me of my own psychiatrist, Dr. Lange, whom I hadn’t seen in months. I made a mental note to book an appointment. If I ever needed a shrink, it was now.
“I’m very sorry to hear that,” he said sincerely. “But my first priority is to Brian’s well-being and mental health. May I ask your intentions?”
“Sure. I really need to find my brother. Get to know him a little. Maybe establish some form of a relationship. And, if in doing so, I learn something which may help with my father’s case, then all the better.”
“I see. So what can I do to help you? You may or may not be aware that Brian left our facility back in June. Perhaps I can be of assistance instead?”
I thought on this for a moment. Was there really anything he could tell me that would help me at all? I highly doubted it, but it was worth a shot.
“Tell me what you can about Brian,” I said matter-of-factly, as if conducting a very official interview.
He shifted slightly in his seat, suddenly looking very uncomfortable. “I’m not really sure there’s much I can tell you, due to patient confidentiality rules. They’ve become even stricter recently with the new HIPAA laws.”
“I know all about HIPAA. I was a paralegal for sixteen years before I became an investigator. But I also know you can speak to me in generalities. That’s all I’m asking.”
The doctor leaned back in his chair and sighed, clearly debating what he could ethically share with me. After an uncomfortable few seconds of silence, he finally spoke.
“Brian was diagnosed with schizophrenia around the time he turned twenty-five. Not by me. By some doctor in Virginia, I believe. He’s had a very tough time of it his entire life, from what I understand. He has been in and out of institutions and jail since he was eighteen. Mostly minor, non-violent crimes, but he does demonstrate some violent tendencies from time to time. Typically, he only becomes violent when he feels threatened. He was here this last time due to a minor scrape with the law involving a romantic situation gone wrong. The judge, knowing his mental…difficulties…took pity on him and sent him here to us rather than sending him to jail again. He was due to be released next month, but as I’ve already stated, Brian left here of his own accord a few months ago. No one has seen or heard from him since. That’s really all I can tell you.”
The moment Dr. Detweiler had mentioned violent tendencies, my mind went straight to Randy. Rather, Randy’s case. Randy was in prison for allegedly killing nine women, but I had always found it hard to believe that my father, the gentle former preacher, could be capable of such violence. Brian, on the other hand, was apparently capable of violence. But was it even possible? Could Brian be the real killer?
“Do you know if Brian was incarcerated in the mid-nineties?”
“I don’t know without thoroughly reviewing his file, but I don’t recall any extended periods of confinement during that time. Why do you ask?”
“Oh, no reason.” I had to change
the subject before the good doctor became suspicious. “Do you know where Brian’s mother is now?’
Dr. Detweiler looked nonplussed. “Brian’s mother? No. No one here has ever seen or heard from her. Brian, on the other hand, swears he’s seen and talked to her. But we have never been able to determine if it’s real or simply more of his hallucinations.”
“That’s very strange, don’t you think?”
“I suppose it is, but many of my adult patients don’t have parents visiting them often. This type of mental illness can be very difficult for family members. Some people, quite frankly, can’t handle it.”
“So Brian was all alone?”
“I suppose you could say that.”
How very sad, I thought. To be so sick and so alone at the same time. I made a vow then and there that whatever the circumstances, I would find a way to be a part of Brian’s life from that point forward.
“And you have no idea where he might be?”
“None whatsoever. I’ll be honest with you, Mrs…Libby, we should have reported Brian’s departure to the authorities, but we became very fond of him during his stay here and since he was only a few months shy of completing his stay, well, we sort of…”
“Lied?”
“We simply noted in his record that he was discharged early. Not a lie, really. Simply a bending of the truth. I really felt sorry for Brian and I didn’t want him to go to jail.”
“I see. Well, Dr. Detweiler,” I said as I stood from my chair. “Thank you for your time. And thank you for the information.”
“Glad I could be of assistance.” He held out his hand and I shook it.
I felt disappointed as I turned to go, until a thought hit me like a bolt of lightning. I turned and faced the doctor again. “Are there any nurses still here who cared for Brian during his stay?”
He raised one of his grey eyebrows, but answered me anyway. “Yes, I believe all of them are still here. We don’t have a very high turnover rate. We offer excellent pay and benefits and—”
“Could I possibly speak to one of them?”
“I don’t see how that would help any.”
“It couldn’t hurt, could it?”
“I can certainly see if any of them are here today. But I will tell you, they are bound by the same ethical rules I am bound by. There won’t be much they can tell you, legally speaking.”
“That’s okay. I’ll take whatever information I can get. I really need to find my brother.”
“In that case…” Dr. Detweiler moved over to a large file cabinet behind his desk and opened the top drawer. He rifled through the files until he found the one he was looking for and pulled it out. He laid it on his desk and flipped through the pages, scanning the words with his forefinger. Suddenly he tapped the page and looked up at me.
“Gregory Wheeler.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Gregory Wheeler was his primary nurse. He probably spent more time with Brian than anyone else.”
“Is Gregory here today?”
“I believe so. Hold on one moment.”
Dr. Detweiler picked up his phone, punched in a couple numbers and then asked the person on the other end if Gregory Wheeler was on duty. He thanked the other person and hung up.
“You’re in luck. Gregory is here today. I’ll take you to him.”
Chapter 14
I followed Dr. Detweiler down the long corridor until we arrived at a small room at the end. The door was open. It was apparently the break room. Sitting at a round table were three nurses, all wearing light blue scrubs and Crocs of varying colors, eating chips and drinking bottled water. One was female and two were male. I wondered which one Gregory Wheeler was.
“Gregory,” Dr. Detweiler said to the short, pudgy black man. “There is an investigator here who would like to talk to you about Brian Larson.”
Gregory’s eyes widened and he nearly spat out the water he had just sipped from a clear plastic bottle. The other two nurses apparently took the cue, got up, and left the break room, leaving Gregory all alone at the table.
“Investigator?” he said, looking me up and down. “You don’t look like any cop I’ve ever seen.” His voice was effeminate and he raised one eyebrow and cocked his head to the right.
“I’m a private investigator, actually,” I told him, somewhat defensively.
“Gregory, I want you to cooperate and tell this young lady what you can about Brian, keeping patient confidentiality in mind. As it turns out, she is also Brian’s sister.”
“Sister? Uh, uh,” he said, shaking his head fiercely. “Brian didn’t have no sister.”
“It’s a long story,” I said in a softer tone, trying to break through the wall Gregory had quickly built between us. “I’ll explain it to you, if you’ll hear me out.”
Dr. Detweiler turned and left the room, leaving Gregory and me alone in the breakroom. I sat down in the chair across from him.
“Well?” he said with a tilt of his head. “Go on.”
I gave him the nutshell version of everything that had transpired in the past few months, starting with Ryan’s murder. When I was done, Gregory’s face had completely changed. He had softened toward me and he looked truly fascinated.
“Child, you been through it!”
“Tell me about it,” I said, relieved we were now speaking amicably. “So, as you can see, it’s very important that I find my brother.”
“Girlfriend, Brian was a hot mess. But I liked him. He was just…troubled. I’m sure the good doc informed you about his diagnosis?”
“Schizophrenia. Yes, he told me.”
“Okay, then if you know anything about schizophrenics, you know how hard my job was. I took care of that man day in and day out for nearly two years. It wasn’t always easy, child, but Brian really was a kind person, deep down. He just had demons. Very real, very scary demons.”
“For example?”
“Oh, gosh, let me see.” He put his chin on his hand and his elbow on the table while he pondered. “Like I said, for the most part, Brian was a very sweet man. But there were times when he would just freak out on me for no apparent reason. I had to watch what I said and did very carefully. If he felt like I was coming after him or if I asked too many questions, he would get all paranoid and it would take forever to calm him down.”
“Was he ever violent toward you?”
“Not with me, no. But he had learned to trust me. You see, with Brian, it took him a while to warm up to somebody, but once you earned his trust, you were golden. He trusted me. But some of the other nurses and a few of the orderlies weren’t so lucky.”
“Why? What happened?”
“There was this one incident…about a year ago, I think…when a new orderly came in. He was just trying to get to know Brian, but I guess he asked too many questions. Brian kinda freaked out on him and this orderly, not really having much experience, tried to calm him down by grabbing hold of his shoulders. Child, Brian just went berserk on the poor guy. Shoved him against the wall and held his forearm across his throat. Brian was convinced the guy was a CIA agent come to spy on him. Thank goodness me and some of the other staff heard the commotion. We rushed in and pulled Brian off the poor guy. The orderly had a bruise on his neck for the next few weeks, but other than that, he was no worse for wear.”
“Oh, my God,” I said, slack-jawed. “So he can be violent?”
“Under certain circumstances, yes. But the poor guy didn’t really mean to hurt anybody. When he was properly medicated, he almost seemed like a normal dude.”
“What do you mean by when he was properly medicated?”
“Brian was smart enough to know he was being medicated, so he’d go through these periods when he felt like he didn’t really need the medicine anymore. Child, he’d cheek the pills and spit them out later. After a few days, we could tell he was off his meds. This happened two or three times since he arrived here.”
“So what happened when he left?”
Gregory’
s demeanor changed almost instantly. His shoulders stiffened, his posture straightened, and his jaws clenched. He seemed closed-up and defensive all of the sudden. “I don’t know,” he said. But I could tell he knew.
“Gregory, it’s very important I find my brother. Anything you can tell me that might help would be greatly appreciated.”
“I don’t know anything about that.” He crossed his arms over his chest and looked everywhere but in my eyes.
“Gregory, please. You might be the one person who knows Brian best in this world. I really, really need to find him. If you care about him, even just a little, you need to talk to me. I can get Brian the help he needs. If he’s out there somewhere, off his meds, he could be a danger to himself or even other people. Please.”
His face softened, his hands dropped down to his sides and he once again looked me in the eyes. “Oh, okay. I’ll tell you what I know. But you have to promise me you won’t tell Dr. Detweiler. I could lose my job. And I love my job.”
“Okay, I promise,” I said, hoping I’d be able to keep my word.
He sighed heavily and rolled his eyes. “It all started back in May. One morning I went into Brian’s room to check on him. He was really worked up…excited even. When I asked him what he was so excited about, he told me it was a secret. When I pressed him on it, he swore me to secrecy and then told me his mother had come to visit him in the middle of the night.”
“But is that even possible? Wouldn’t you guys have some sort of log of who visits and when?”
“Exactly! Not to mention visiting hours end at eight p.m. So there was no way his mother came to see him. But I listened anyway, pretending to believe him. He was pacing the room and talking so fast I could barely understand him. He said his mother had brought him a message and he needed to leave. There was some sort of ‘plan’ he had to follow. I explained to him that he only had a few months left until he was allowed to leave and then he could go anywhere he wanted. He said, no, it had to be soon. I asked him what the message was. He said—”
Family Ties (Flesh & Blood Trilogy Book 2) Page 12