Finally, DiNolfo reached the third floor landing. There were two doors, one unmarked and another labeled simply with a number three, where an older man stood knocking. The cream colored rug had mud-caked footprints leading up to the labeled door. At first glance, DiNolfo thought it looked like a men’s hiking boot, size nine or ten. Quietly, she walked up the hallway, careful not to disturb the tracks. She finally reached the door, and approached the gentleman who stood before her.
The portly gentleman faced her. He was a pleasant man, dressed in a gray morning suit with a nervous look on his face. In his hand, he held a brown leather briefcase, and an index card in his left hand with Bernard Kendricks’ address on it.
“Hi there…” Dr. Lapidus said to DiNolfo, surprised to see another person in the hallway looking for Bernard.
“Good day to you… I’m Sergeant DiNolfo, and you are?”
“Dr. Walter Lapidus.”
“Are you a friend of Bernard’s?”
“No, I am his psychiatrist.”
“Making a house call?”
“Of sorts. He had called me quite distressed two days ago, but I was out of town on business. When I got the message I came here straight away, but it doesn’t seem like anyone is home.”
“I must tell you that Bernard is wanted for questioning in relation to the disappearance of a local girl. We have been trying to locate him and have not been having much luck.”
“A local girl?”
“Yes. Tristan Morrow.”
Dr. Lapidus looked stunned and alarmed.
“Oh dear… That is my colleague’s granddaughter. I will try to help where I can.”
DiNolfo nodded as she looked at the doctor surreptitiously and she proceeded to knock on the door. As her knuckles grazed the wood, the hinges groaned open, and she was face to face with the interior of her lead suspect’s apartment.
*
Jack's patience was wearing out in the waiting room as he slowly got to his feet again. He asked a nurse who was passing by when Tristan would be back, and she told him, “Any minute now.” He wondered if the nurse even knew what patient he was referring to. Letting out a disgusted sigh, he began wandering down the hallway towards the patient rooms.
To hell with their rules, they left me waiting long enough.
He watched as an orderly pushed a patient bed down the hallway and out the emergency room corridor. Jack walked down to patient room 7 where an elderly security guard was standing in front of the entryway. He had a miserable look on his face, and appeared to be more bark than bite.
“No one is allowed to enter except hospital personnel,” the guard said to Jack.
“And what about the patient's father?”
“Oh, they didn't say nothing about that.” Jack raised an eyebrow at the guard.
Seriously. This is the sort of incompetence I have to deal with today? I just want to see my daughter!
“Please let me in to see my daughter.”
“Well she's not here anyway. Off to radiology to get her x-rays.”
“That was over an hour ago.”
“She actually just left about twenty minutes ago, she'll be back soon.” Rolling his eyes in disgust, Jack slowly retreated back to the waiting room.
*
“Stay here,” said DiNolfo to the aging doctor, her eyes wide and alert. She entered the apartment, keeping her back to the door. Stealthily, she moved around the apartment, gun out, with a perplexed look on her face. The apartment was immaculate. There wasn’t much in terms of furniture, just a tan couch with the shipping cover still on it. There were no pictures or decorations on the walls. The kitchen was bare. The rugs looked brand new. This looked like an apartment that was never lived in before.