“An eighth used to do. It’s a half now....”

Her hands began to flutter wildly. Higgins turned the doll over again. Its nasal whining raised the electric tension.

His voice cut through the whining. He said:

“It was clever of you not to take any tablets the night you did the nurse....”

“I didn’t! Before God, I didn’t do....”

“You don’t like Cub Sterling, do you?”

The question shot at her like a bullet. She staggered internally.

“Dr. Hoffbein doesn’t like him, either! Dr. Hoffbein used to put you to sleep after...!”

“After what?” she defied and cowered at the same time.

“After that woman doctor you lived with died.”