The Memory Painter

“My name is Linz Jacobs. I’m a close friend of Bryan’s.” She could feel herself being scrutinized through the peephole. “I realize it’s late. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t urgent. Bryan’s in trouble.”


The door unlocked and swung open. Holy shit. Linz’s mind went blank with shock. “Barbara?” she gasped.

“Yes, I’m Barbara Pierce, Bryan’s mother. What is this about?”

Linz covered her mouth—she couldn’t believe Bryan’s mother was Michael’s ex-girlfriend. She remembered that Diana and Barbara had met a few times, always with civility. Sometime after Michael and Barbara had broken up, Barbara started dating Michael’s best friend, Doc. For obvious reasons the four never did any couple’s outings. Now here she was thirty years later.

Linz tried to stop gawking, knowing she must look crazy. “I’m sorry to call so late. May I come in?”

Barbara hesitated a moment and let her in.

Linz entered, still unsure of how to explain herself. She decided to keep things simple. “Bryan is missing. His apartment’s been vandalized.”

Barbara gasped and headed to the phone.

“Wait,” Linz stopped her. “Don’t call the police. I know where he is.”

“Where?” Barbara demanded, her hand hovering over the phone.

“Forest Green Psychiatric Center.”

Barbara didn’t put the phone down. “What in God’s name is he doing there?”

“I don’t have all the answers, but let’s just say a very powerful man has taken an interest in Bryan’s dreams and is holding him against his will.”

“That’s unbelievable. How are you involved in all this?” Barbara looked at Linz as if she was the one who had taken him. “I am calling the police.”

“Barbara, I need you to trust me. I would never hurt your son. I love him.” Linz took a deep breath, somehow managing to hold her emotions in check. “The best way you can help him is to come with me right now to Forest Green and get him out before they can do anything to him. You have privileges there.” Barbara seemed to be sizing Linz up. Linz pleaded, “You have to believe me.”

Barbara hesitated only a moment and grabbed her purse.

*

Linz tried to concentrate on driving while she listened to Barbara on her cell phone. “No, stay at the bar. I’ll call you when I know more.” She could hear Doc’s voice on the other end. He sounded distraught, but Barbara interrupted him, “Honey, I will call you when I know more. We’re almost there.”

She hung up. The two women drove on in silence. They had already discussed their plan. Now they just needed to see if it would work.

*

A simple wooden plaque marked the entrance to one of the country’s largest psychiatric hospitals. Linz had never been inside Forest Green, but she had driven past it every day when she had interned at the Health Alliance the summer after her freshman year in college. The serenity of the winding drive and the quaint guardhouse was all an illusion, though. The place was more of a prison than a hospital. Only the most difficult patients ended up there, people in advanced stages of psychosis or mental disease who had no hope of a cure, and were admitted either by their families or law enforcement agencies. The idea that Bryan could be somewhere inside filled her with horror.

Barbara pointed. “Take a left here.”

“I know,” Linz murmured. A minute later she coasted up to the guardhouse and rolled down her window. The young guard on duty motioned for her to stop.

Barbara leaned over. “I’m here to see a patient.” She handed him her ID.

The guard logged her into the computer. “Thank you, Dr. Pierce.” He looked questioningly at Linz.

Barbara said, “This is my daughter. I can’t drive at night. It’s all right if she waits in the lounge, isn’t it?”

Linz tried to give him her most flirtatious look. He smiled back and said, “Of course,” and hurried to open the gate.

Inside, the nurse at reception logged them in and gave each of them a badge. She looked annoyed at having been interrupted from the show streaming on her iPad. “Which patient are you here to see?”

Barbara quickly glanced at Linz. “He’s a John Doe. Brought in yesterday, I believe. We’re still working with the police on identifying him. I just got the request for the psych eval, so I’m not sure what room he’s in.”

The nurse looked even more annoyed now that she had to get on her computer. She scrolled through the log. “Nope, sorry, no John Doe.”

Barbara didn’t miss a beat. “Then perhaps his identification was found, and I wasn’t notified of the status change. Could you look at the list of check-ins for yesterday? White male, age 30.”

The nurse gave them a pained look, but she checked the database again. “Sorry, I—” she stopped. “Wait, there’s someone unregistered in Room 450, came in yesterday. It has to be him.”