Feeling his desperation, I took a deep breath and said, “I can try. Where’s her bedroom?”
“Top of the stairs, to the right.”
“The gun?”
“Her backup. She surrendered her service pistol.”
“You know what prescriptions she’s taking?”
“What isn’t she taking? The kitchen counter’s covered with them.”
“Then I want to take a look there first.”
He led me inside, past a steep staircase and into a small modern kitchen. The counter held a blooming array of prescription drugs.
I picked up the canisters one by one and studied them. Some names I recognized. I got out my smartphone and typed names of the medicines I didn’t know into Drugs.com. I scanned all the drugs’ therapeutic effects, scribbled a few notes, and then used the site to look for possible interactions.
When I finished, I was upset, and I whispered, “Bernie? Is Tess taking all of these? Or just some?”
“She won’t tell me, and I can’t get her damn doctors on the phone.”
I grabbed the bottles and looked for the prescribers’ names. In all, five physicians had prescribed twelve different meds for Tess Aaliyah in the past six weeks.
Her father said, “What do you think?”
“If she’s taking half these drugs at the same time, it’s a wonder she hasn’t been committed for psychotic behavior already.”
“Jesus H. Christ.” Bernie moaned. “I knew it. I told my girlfriend something was wrong. But, Jesus, I … I just didn’t push it.”
“Tess is a grown woman,” I said, and I patted him on the arm. “You coming? She’ll want you at some point, but please don’t say anything unless I give you the nod. Okay?”
He didn’t like that. “I’ve done my share of talking people off ledges.”
“I bet you have, Bernie. But it’s like a surgeon operating on a close relative or a man acting as his own lawyer in court. Never a good move.”
Tess’s dad gave me a sour expression but said, “I won’t speak unless you give me the green light.”
“Let’s go upstairs, then.”
CHAPTER
40
THE CARPETED STAIRS made no noise as I climbed to a narrow landing. I turned right and went around the banister to Tess Aaliyah’s bedroom door. Before I could knock, I heard her in there talking.
“Rats,” Tess said in a soft voice that sounded bewildered. “I saw rats. Here? Believe it. I saw … I heard … them scratching in the walls … and her screaming. Mom screaming. Mom’s always screaming.” Tess cried quietly. “Always screaming.”
She sounded so close, I squatted down and saw a shadow that suggested she was sitting on the floor with her back to the door.
I got up, took a deep breath, knocked, and said softly, “Tess?”
“Go ’way,” she said in a whisper that I had to strain to hear.
“It’s Alex Cross,” I said, a little louder. “I wanted to see if we could talk.”
“Quiet!” she snarled. “I know my … my rights. I’m not seeing another shrink. No more rats chattering in my closets, no way.”
Before I could reply, Tess said, “Alex, you’re the big rat. One chitchat, and you start all this drama … put nasty thoughts in my dad’s head. ‘Poor Tess. She’s crazy enough now. Stick her in a hole.’”