Chapter 30

LYNN

We haul everything from the truck and arrange it all in Dan’s dining room. He’s got a spacious table that’s perfect for spreading out multiple files.

Once we’ve brought in all the boxes, I notice they’re numbered. We arrange each box according to its number.

Box one is labeled Dr. David Headley, 1902. The boxes go all the way up to box thirteen, which is marked Dorothy’s last year alive, 2022. Dan stands behind me.

“Where do we start?” Zoey asks.

“We should start with number one and work our way up,” Dan suggests.

Zoey picks up the first box, places it on the table, and begins to arrange the files. She sorts them by date. Dan walks in with a coffee maker and sets it on the table.

“It’s going to be a long night,” he says, plugging it in.

I pick up a notebook labeled Dr. David Headley’s journal. I start to read.

~September 13, 1902: The house is almost finished. It’ll be a great day when I can live and work on the same property.~

~October 20, 1902: Move-in day. Everything is being moved from the hospital to the new house. I have ice being delivered this afternoon for my new icebox in the basement.~

I flip through the pages.

~June 12, 1904: My niece Clementine has graduated from nursing school and will be assisting me at Walken Hospital.~

~April 3, 1906: I built a house for Clementine on the property. She’s been promoted to head nurse and will be helping me with daily duties and scheduling.~

~March 3, 1910: The state has converted the hospital into an insane asylum. It’s to hold the guilty before trial.~

~Most of the subjects have claimed insanity to avoid the death penalty. I will be holding them and evaluating their current state of mind.~

~April 29, 1911: I’ve had my first murder in the ward. Haven’t been able to figure out who or which staff might be behind this.~

~May 3, 1911: Two more patients were murdered last night. They were found by Clementine. No evidence that it was a suicide.~

~June 19, 1911: Received a young boy who is scared to death. He must be only eighteen and was accused of raping a thirteen-year-old girl.~

~His name is Clayton Tucker. No history of sexual assault. His father was the mayor of the town. My determination is wrong place at the wrong time. Must help this young man before trial.~

~June 23, 1911: Sad news to report. The young man Clayton Tucker was murdered in his sleep, with several others also murdered.~

~My head nurse, Clementine, found property belonging to all the victims in another patient’s room.~

~That subject was put in maximum security until further notice. The young man proclaims he had nothing to do with the murders.~

~June 30, 1911: The hospital is under investigation as to why my hospital is letting sociopaths run around at night committing murders. I have no answers for them. This hospital is in jeopardy of being closed down.~

~February 11, 1912: Since the investigation back in June, my hospital has not had another incident since we found the patient who committed the murders. He was sent to the electric chair and put to death.~

I stop reading and notice there are missing pages in the journal.

“Look, there are missing pages. It jumps from 1912 to 1928.”

I continue to read more.

~June 9, 1928: My health is declining. Haven’t been able to work more than a couple of hours a day. Clementine is in full control of the hospital.~

~November 24, 1928: Thanksgiving Day. I’m bedridden. I have lost the ability to stand. I have also lost most of the vision in my left eye. I’m slowly losing the battle.~

~November 28, 1928: I have a theory for my demise. I’ve had one of my nurses take some blood, and she’s going to do some blood work. I think I’ve been poisoned.~

~December 5, 1928: My suspicions are correct. I’m being poisoned by methanol, and I think Clementine is behind it.~

Zoey pulls out her phone and looks up methanol.

“It says that methanol was produced by extracting the sugars out of wood pulp, creating the alcohol.

“It was used in the 1920s to help certain drinks during the Prohibition era. It was later deemed toxic. Symptoms include paralysis, blindness, and death.”

“So, if I’m reading this right, Clementine poisoned her uncle. Why?” I ask, looking at Dan.

He shrugs as Zoey puts her phone away. I continue to read.

~May 9, 1931: I am bedridden and almost blind. Clementine wants me to sign over my rights to the hospital and the estate. I don’t want her to have them. She is evil and will use the hospital for the wrong reasons.~

“That’s it, nothing more written by David. I’m assuming he died somewhere in 1932. That’s when Clementine took over the estate,” I say, closing the journal.

“Do you think Clementine had something to do with his death?” Zoey asks.

“Hard to say,” Dan says, looking at Zoey. “Find Clementine’s journal if she had one.”

Zoey grabs the box with Clementine’s name on it and dumps it out on the table. We push the files to the side until I find Clementine’s journal.

“Got it,” I say as I open it up and begin to read.

~June 12, 1904: Graduation day. I’m so excited to be a nurse and work for my uncle David.~

I flip through more pages.

~April 15, 1906: This is a great day for me. Just found out that I’m going to be a big sister. My parents got the news when my mother came by the hospital and my uncle told them that they were expecting.~

~Also, my uncle is building a house for me on the property. Close enough that I can walk to work. I’ve also been promoted to lead nurse. I’m so happy.~

~March 3, 1910: I don’t think I like what the state is doing to my uncle’s hospital. They’re turning it into an asylum for the mentally insane.~

~March 6, 1910: A dozen new patients arrived today, all claiming insanity to dodge the electric chair. It’s not right. If you commit the crime, you should serve the time.~

~April 28, 1911: There’s a patient who’s been nagging at me. He’s so smug about his supposed innocence. He’s fully aware he killed those women and he’s likely to escape punishment by pleading insanity. Tonight will be his last.~

~May 2, 1911: I’ve taken two more undesirables out of the ward. The suicide excuse won’t work this time. I’ll tell my uncle I found them first thing in the morning.~

~June 20, 1911: Clayton Tucker isn’t fooling anyone. He raped that girl. I’m certain of it. His father being the mayor doesn’t give him the right to violate young girls and think he can get away with it.~

~June 22, 1911: Clayton’s become irrational and had to be restrained to his bed. I administered a lethal dose of opioids to help him sleep. Hopefully, he won’t wake up.~

~There are others who don’t deserve to live, and they must face God’s judgment. I won’t let the courts declare them innocent.~

~June 30, 1911: I just found out the hospital is under investigation. I need to lay low for a while. But I’m not done with God’s work.~

~April 9, 1920: It’s been a while since I wrote in my journal. But I’ve noticed my uncle is too lenient with these criminals.~

~He’s letting them dictate their desires and telling the judge they’re unfit for trial. Pleading insanity shouldn’t be an option.~

I flip through more pages, nearing the end of her journal.

~May 17, 1928: I’ve learned how to distill methanol. A patient who was arrested for moonshine taught me. He was sent here because he shot a cop.~

~He told me I could boil wood shavings to extract the sugars from the wood. It’s a cost-effective way to make alcohol without using corn mash.~

~Once I’ve made my batch of methanol, I’ll add some to my uncle’s secret stash of liquor in his office. Gradually, I’ll take control of the hospital.~

~November 24, 1928: This will be the first holiday without my uncle. He’s bedridden and can’t work anymore. I’ve slowly been taking over the hospital.~

~December 6, 1928: My uncle just accused me of trying to kill him. It took him long enough, but he has no proof that I’m the one behind it. His days are numbered. God will have the final say.~

~August 16, 1931: The lawyers have given me full control over the hospital and the estate. Now all I have to do is wait for David to die.~

~February 12, 1932: Dr. David Headley finally passed away in his sleep. Now I can run the hospital the way it should be run. God willing.~

~May 21, 1932: I moved from my small house into the grand estate. I’m planning a small party or gathering for the children.~

~My main focus will be the children in the ward. I want to help them navigate through tough times without a mother or father. I’m doing God’s work now.~

I close the journal. “That’s all for this one. Is there another journal?” I ask, watching Zoey search for another book.

“Found it,” she says, handing it to me.