Page 77 of No Quarter

Valerie waited, and then decided to do it for her to make sure that she was okay.

Opening the door slowly, Valerie found Doctor Winters sitting alone in her room on her bed. The light was low, casting shadows across her face as she looked up at Valerie in surprise.

“Hello,” said Valerie softly. “I just wanted to stop by and say goodbye before I left.”

Doctor Winters smiled sadly and nodded in understanding. She motioned for Valerie to come inside.

“I appreciate you coming around,” Doctor Winters said, still smelling of stale wine.

“I felt I should,” Valerie said. “It almost feels like ...”

“Fate?” said Doctor Winters. “That my brother was murdered on an unrelated case, and then you find me here, working somewhere where more people have died.”

“Uh, yes. Doesn’t it seem like an odd coincidence?”

“Maybe,” Doctor Winters said. “I’m just grateful that you caught his killer. And Doctor Whitmore says you’ve done it again. It was Logan Saldana?”

“Yes,” Valerie said. “I just wish we’d caught him before Melanie had been murdered.”

“It must be awful always dealing with death and destruction,” Doctor Winters said. “I couldn’t do it. I just want to make people better.”

Valerie felt terrible that Doctor Winters had become mired in alcoholism dealing with the brutal murder of her brother a year previous. She always knew that murder caused carnage in people’s lives, but the ripples of negativity continued on.

Valerie had guilt in her heart about that. She moved on at the end of each case, but the families could never do that. They would be changed forever.

“Did you start drinking after your brother died?” Valerie asked.

“Yes,” said Doctor Winters. “I’d always enjoyed a glass of wine. But when my brother was killed. It became a bottle a night. Then two. It kept going until recently when I was drinking during the day. I can’t even stop cold turkey because I’d go into withdrawal.”

“I’m glad Doctor Whitmore has arranged for your rehab and is keeping your problems away from the Board here.”

“Yes,” said Doctor Winters. “He’s my sweetheart. My anxiety has been through the roof recently. He even assured me he’d lock D tunnel when I was alone here in the residential building. I was afraid the killer would use it to come and find me.”

“D tunnel?” Valerie asked, unsure what she meant.

“Yes, it’s a tunnel that connects the residential basement to the basement in the main building with patients,” Doctor Winters said.

This surprised Valerie.

“What’s it used for?”

“We use it to transport equipment that’s stored here,” Doctor Winters said. “And occasionally when we have a patient who is more violent than usual, we use D tunnel to move them from themain building to the quiet of the residential building for more private treatment.”

“Oh...” Valerie felt something under her skin. It was a disquiet that was growing ever moment.

“Are you okay?” Doctor Winters asked. “You look quite pale?”

“Yes, just tired,” said Valerie. “Where is this D tunnel?”

“It’s just two lefts along the corridor. You can’t miss it,” she said.

“Thank you,” Valerie said. “I just wanted to wish you all the best, Doctor Winters. I really hope you can find some peace and get over any challenges you’re facing.”

“That’s very kind. I hope so too.”

They embraced. But Valerie left the room far more troubled than when she had entered it.

Drifting down the corridor, Valerie couldn’t shake that feeling of unease. As she followed the directions to D tunnel, her heart began to pound in her chest, and she felt a sense of dread clutching at her throat.

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