Free Murder on Lenox Hill by Victoria Thompson Page A

“But I can’t imagine he’d agree to anything involving the police.”
    â€œPerhaps you could ask him just to meet with Detective Sergeant Malloy. The two men might be able to come up with an idea for identifying this man and stopping him, at least, even if he can’t be arrested and prosecuted.”
    Mrs. Linton’s face twisted in pain. “Please don’t think I don’t want this man caught, Mrs. Brandt. I’d like to see him pitched over the side of the Brooklyn Bridge or thrown beneath the wheels of a speeding locomotive. I’d like him to suffer for what he did to my baby girl, and I’d certainly like to stop him from ever hurting another girl, but you must understand, I can’t see Grace hurt any more in the process.”
    â€œI understand completely. If you decide not to investigate, Mr. Malloy will respect your wishes.”
    â€œI’ll have to ask my husband,” she repeated. “But I can’t imagine he’ll agree.”
    F RANK HAD BEEN WAITING ALMOST AN HOUR, BUT HE’D wait all day to see Dr. David Newton. Dr. Newton had operated on Brian’s club foot, and he was the only doctor Frank trusted. They’d told him he’d have to wait until Dr. Newton was finished seeing patients for the day before he’d have time for Frank, and so he sat.
    Finally, a nurse escorted him into the doctor’s office. Newton rose from the chair behind his desk and put out his hand to greet him.
    â€œMr. Malloy, good to see you,” he said with obvious sincerity. “How’s Brian doing?”
    â€œHe’s wearing out a pair of shoes a week from walking so much,” Frank reported proudly, shaking the doctor’s hand. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate what you did for him.”
    â€œI was happy to be able to help. Not all my operations turn out so well,” he said modestly. “What can I do for you? My nurse said you needed some information for a case you’re working on.”
    Newton motioned to a chair, and Frank sat down as the doctor took his seat behind his desk again.
    â€œI came across a medical condition in some women, something I never heard of, and I was wondering if you could tell me anything about it.”
    â€œWhat kind of condition?”
    Frank pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. On it he’d written the words used to describe the medical histories of the women involved. He handed it to Dr. Newton, not trusting his ability to pronounce the foreign words correctly.
    Dr. Newton looked at the paper for a moment. “ Dementia praecox is a tragic form of insanity that strikes otherwise healthy, normal young adults for no known reason. Some of them must be institutionalized because they are dangerous to themselves or others.”
    â€œAre they all violent?”
    â€œOh, no, only a few, but all of them are completely out of touch with reality. They hear voices and imagine all sorts of things that aren’t true.”
    â€œCould a woman with this kind of insanity be kept at home by her family?”
    â€œI’m sure it happens often, if the patient isn’t violent, as I said. No one with the means to keep them would put a loved one into an asylum unless it was absolutely necessary.”
    Frank considered this a long moment. “What about ‘hysteria. ’ What does that mean?”
    â€œIt can mean almost anything.” Dr. Newton smiled sadly. “Sometimes it just means the doctor has no idea what’s really wrong with the woman, so he calls it hysteria.”
    â€œAre the dementia and the hysteria the same thing?”
    â€œI’m not sure. This isn’t my area of study, but the symptoms can be similar, so they may be confused. Maybe the conditions even overlap sometimes. As I said, I don’t know that much about insanity.”
    â€œAll these women I’m investigating fell in love with a man they hardly knew, and they were