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Finally, they reached the doctor’s office door. Valerie knocked sharply, and she heard Doctor Whitmore shout from inside.
“Come in!” he called out.
With a deep breath, Valerie pushed open the door and entered Doctor Whitmore’s office. He looked up from his desk and smiled.
“Ah, Agent Law, Doctor Cooper. What can I do for you?” he asked.
“We were wondering if we could speak to Doctor Winters,” Valerie said. “We have a few questions for her about the murders.”
Doctor Whitmore’s brow furrowed with worry, the color draining from his face. “Oh dear. You don’t think ...”
“We can’t rule out anything at the moment, Doctor Whitmore,” Will offered. “But we did want to chat with her about a couple of coincidences.”
Doctor Whitmore sighed, his shoulders sagging with exhaustion. “I suppose it could be nothing. Doctor Winters is on administrative leave right now due to some personal issues, but I can surely arrange for you two to meet with her.”
Valerie felt a flicker of unease. “Is she okay?”
Doctor Whitmore gave her an empathetic look. “It’s nothing serious, I assure you. Just some stress and anxiety that comes along with being a doctor at this place. She’ll be fine.”
Despite her misgivings, Valerie nodded at first, but she saw something in Doctor Whitmore’s demeanor. He planted his feet more firmly on the floor beneath his desk.
She knew this was what was known as an “anchor movement”. When someone felt under pressure, they would move their feet, anchoring their weight more into the ground.
Sometimes it just meant they were stressed, but often it meant they were hiding something.
“I’ll be frank, Doctor Whitmore,” Valerie said. “You have been so helpful to us since we’ve been here, but I sense you’re holding back something regarding Doctor Winters. And that breeds mistrust.”
The doctor didn’t say anything, he just looked at Valerie and Will as if he were searching for something to say.
“Doctor Whitmore,” Will added, gently stepping forward. “Why is Doctor Winters on administrative leave?”
The doctor hesitated for a moment before he finally relented. “She has a drinking problem,” he whispered, as if he were afraid someone might overhear him.
“I see,” Valerie said. “And you were worried that if we spoke to her, she might say something ... incriminating?”
Doctor Whitmore shook his head, his eyes pleading with them to understand. “I’m more worried that she’ll spiral out of control and drink even more, especially if she thinks she’s suspected of murder.”
“We’re not here to judge Doctor Winters, Doctor Whitmore,” Will said. “We just need to speak with her about the murders.”
“Of course, of course,” Doctor Whitmore said. “I understand that. But she’s such a good doctor, I don’t want her struck off. I placed her on leave for stress thinking it was the best way toprotect her. And I’ve organized for a friend at a detox facility to take her in next week.”
Valerie nodded, feeling a twinge of sympathy for Doctor Winters. She knew what it was like to struggle with a secret, and she could only imagine the pain that the doctor must have been going through.
“Do you think we can speak with her now?” she asked Doctor Whitmore. “We just need to ask a few questions about the recent murders. We’re not currently looking to arrest her.”
Doctor Whitmore thought for a moment, chewing his lip as he considered their request. Finally, he sighed and nodded.
“All right,” he said reluctantly. “I’ll take you to see her. But please treat her with kid gloves. She’s extremely fragile right now. She still hasn’t gotten over a bereavement from last year.”
Will said, “Thank you, Doctor Whitmore. Lead the way.”
“She’s not far. Come with me. She’s staying in the other building in one of the rooms.”
Valerie and Will followed Doctor Whitmore out of the main building. The wind howled, and the trees felt more menacing than they had before, as the skies darkened above.
They reached the residential building. The same place Valerie and her team had slept the night before.
It seemed that their prime suspect had only ever been a few steps away.