“So after we’d gotten all them females quieted inside and out, I had to spend till seven this A. M. doing things that would keep me where I could see the nurse. Sweeping corridors and asking questions and messing up the guts of the electric refrigerator and, you know ... having the hell of a good time....”
He threw out his hands futilely.
“Women who can walk and talk is bad enough, but when they ain’t got nothing to do, except lay out in bed ... thirty strong ... I ain’t been this tired since I worked in a prison camp in Germany in ’16.
“That student nurse and her aunt suspect me, too. And I had to put up some alibi about having been a hospital orderly in London and when I was 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, time the aunt usually makes floor rounds, pretending to be learning the ways from the day orderly, she will be outa there ... and ... you know....”
“Good work, Snod.” Higgins complimented, and then ordered, “Good idea. Be back on by three. Sleep here this morning. After last night, the murderer will either strike quick, or lay off for some time. I’ll wire for another man this morning; but he may not get here until tomorrow.... We’ll have to do double time all around....”
Snod’s voice was flat and caustic.
“Yeah.”
Higgins ignored it and said:
“After you went on, MacArthur and I had another talk, and he took me to see the nurse’s body. Lovely thing. Seems this coniine can be prepared synthetically but the toxicologist laughs off the idea that 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 and he had apoplexy. He’s straight. I like him. I’m to see the heads of all departments today and see what I can find out, unobserved. And I’ll meet you here again at two-forty, before you go back on the ward.
“If Lil’s right, they are working for the psychiatrist, and if she’s not, then it’s the man MacArthur is shielding. See anybody last night took your eye?”