He returned his attention, his eyes had never left it, to the letter and read:
“Miss Parkins has done international and character work for us for about five years. She, in our opinion, is capable of any situation where courage, brains, and mixing abilities are required. Within the last year we have had her upon one of the big liners between New York and Cherbourg, on the road with the circus, and living as an immigrant on the East Side. During the war, she worked for the Government in Mexico. She, we understand, you desire as a patient on a ward of medical women. She has an unfortunate, and slight, heart ailment, which will serve to divert the suspicion of even your staff.
“The terrible delicacy with which the situation must be handled has occasioned our sending what we consider the three most able people in New York. Miss Parkins was taken off political work today at the insistence of Dr. Bridgman, through whom we were contacted, and who seems to feel that the patient in the ward of medical women is the key person. All three people were interviewed by and met with the approval of Dr. Bridgman.
“Our terms, which at his suggestion we state, are $2000.00 per week and maintenance.
“Awaiting your orders,
“We are....”
Dr. MacArthur carefully folded the letter and decided to take Harrison’s advice. Two thousand dollars a week ... it took brains and plenty of them to be able to demand that!
The late afternoon sun had left the room. He looked up and discovered the room was semi-dark, and the three people were sitting motionless. The door into the corridor was still open; he had been too rattled to close it when they entered. The measured and constant footfalls of the thousands of feet had padded into his consciousness so long that he didn’t sense it, but they must.
He rose, closed the door, turned up the lights and said, as he walked toward the windows to lower the shades, “Sorry to subject you to all of that racket. Time for duty changes. Hospitals are noisy places.”
Mr. Higgins had risen and was pulling down the shades, too.
“So is New York, Doctor.”
Dr. MacArthur nodded and returned to his desk. He looked at his wrist watch and said:
“Miss Parkins, Mr. Higgins and Mr. Smooty, if we are to get Miss Parkins on Ward B as a patient tonight, my résumé must necessarily be shorter than I should desire.
“You were sent for because there have been committed in the Elijah Wilson Hospital within the last week two traceable murders, proved by autopsy findings, and two deaths ... in the same bed. The deaths (we presume them murders also) preceded the murders. The last person murdered was a nurse who volunteered to go into the bed in an effort to solve the mystery.”