Free Clear and Convincing Proof by Kate Wilhelm Page A

but that just meant that Dr. Boardman had already gone in. Either he or Carlosunlocked the gate every morning. Carlos went into the garden and to the first bird feeder, manipulated by a cord and pulley, up high enough for the folks upstairs to look out and watch the birds. And the birds were real gluttons. He never had found out how much was too much for them. They ate whatever he put out.
    At twenty minutes past eight, rounding a curve in the path, he came to a stop, then dropped his pails and ran to a man lying on the path. ‘’Madre, Madre,” Carlos whispered, crossing himself.
    He backed up a step, and another, then turned and ran to the clinic. Inside the door he pulled off his rain hat and hurried down the corridor, dripping water, toward Dr. Boardman’s office.
    Darren and one of the young interns met him in the corridor and Darren said, “Carlos? What’s wrong? Are you sick?”
    â€œDr. Boardman,” he said. “I have to see Dr. Boardman.”
    â€œHe hasn’t come in yet,” Darren said. “What’s the matter with you?”
    â€œThere’s a dead man in the garden,” Carlos said in a hushed voice.
    â€œWhat the hell…?” Darren muttered. “Show us.”
    Carlos led the way to the path where the dead man was lying with rain streaming off his face.
    â€œJesus,” Tony Kranz whispered, gazing at David McIvey. There was no need to touch him, to feel for a pulse, no need to try to do anything for him. Hissightless eyes were wide-open, his skin as white as marble.
    What had started as a normal busy day became much, much busier.

8
    T hat evening Naomi, Greg and Thomas sat in the living room of the residence and talked.
    â€œIt’s been a madhouse all day,” Greg said, handing Thomas a glass of claret. “They didn’t even remove the body until four this afternoon. And they’ll be back tomorrow with more questions.”
    Thomas nodded. And the next day and the next, he thought, right up until they made an arrest, probably. “Tell me about it,” he said. His wrinkled face became so creased when he frowned that he looked inhuman, and he was frowning ferociously.
    â€œMcIvey came by this morning to make sure Naomi could drive him to the office,” Greg said, “and to get the key to the gate. He was going to sign a patient out. Annie dropped him off at seven-thirty,then left to go up to Portland to collect some X rays. Someone was waiting for him, or followed him, or he surprised someone who was already in the garden for God knows what reason. Anyway, he was shot in the heart at close range. The police kept asking exactly what time he arrived, what time he left, and I told them seven-thirty, then they wanted to know how I could be certain. God, you answer a question and they start pounding on the answer. The police wanted to know about the keys, who has one, when we lock up, when we open up. God knows how many keys are floating around. I don’t. You have one, we do, Carlos. Joyce had one. Who else? I don’t know.”
    â€œDarren has one,” Naomi said. “He told them he doesn’t know where it is, but he did have one.”
    Greg nodded, then said, “So he left the house here, sometime around seven-thirty. That’s about all I know directly.” He shook his head and went on, “The rest is what they call hearsay. You wouldn’t believe the rumors that have made the rounds today.”
    â€œI probably would,” Thomas said. “Let’s have them.”
    â€œRight. A patient says she heard what might have been a shot. She was in a wheelchair near her window waiting for breakfast, and she looked out and saw a dwarf in a shiny black cape and hood.”
    â€œSo are the police looking for a dwarf?” Thomas asked with a touch of sarcasm.
    â€œWho knows what they think, what they’re looking for? Carlos found the body sometime after eight.He doesn’t know