(28) I am what I am

~ Quinn ~

By mid-afternoon we’d managed to get a subpoena that allowed us to obtain the addresses on the list of Doctor Freer’s patients, but nothing more. His files were still off limits until we could prove one of them might hold information we needed for the case.

Freer’s secretary met us at his office. She was less than happy to be there, mainly because she apparently was grieving his death. But she understood why we needed the information and put it together for us, addresses and phone numbers.

“I wish…if I’d been here maybe he’d still be alive,” she said as she handed us the list.

“Were you off sick?” I asked her.

“No. He sent me home early because it was my anniversary. I’ll admit I was a bit surprised but I wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He still had two patients to see but he said he could handle the little bit of paperwork on them, so I left before he changed his mind.”

I glanced at the list and noted that Blair Ryley’s was the last name on it, preceded by an Arthur Holmes.

By the time we got back to the station house it was close to five. We split up the list with Jack taking the first three and me the last. It seemed logical to do this tonight, since as far as we could tell they were all home addresses. So after we’d signed out we took off in separate directions.

I immediately headed for Ryley’s address and fifteen minutes later found myself in front of a small apartment building. I didn’t find the name on the list of residents but since I had the apartment number that wasn’t really a problem. I buzzed the manager who let me into the building when I showed him my badge. He wanted to know why I was there and I told him police business which effectively shut him up.

When I got to the apartment I rapped on the door. It opened as far at the security chain would allow and a woman peered out at me.

“Can I help you?” she asked.

I identified myself and asked to talk to Blair Ryley. She frowned, asked to check my badge and then let me inside.

“Why do you want to talk to Blair? Not that you can right now, she’s not here.”

I heaved a sigh of relief as I asked, “When will she be back?”