Kill Switch Read Free

the country.
    At the time, Curtin’s star was on the rise. Already in demand as an expert witness, he’d written two books about his groundbreaking research in forensic psychiatry, both of which sold hundreds of thousands of copies. This success led to TV appearances on CNN and what used to be known as Court TV to discuss high-profile criminal trials. His natural gift at gallows humor and his ability to make people laugh about subjects as macabre as anorexia and necrophilia had secured him spots on the talk-show circuit; he’d done Dave, Jay, and Oprah numerous times. In less than a decade, Curtin had become known as “the Dr. Oz of Forensic Psychiatry” or, as his detractors in the psychiatric community preferred, “the Jerry Springer for Serial Killers.”
    But when pressed, even Curtin’s detractors would admit his skill as a showman produced results. He’d convinced numerous juries in execution-happy states to spare the lives of capital defendants whose mental illness drove them to commit murder. And his honesty was without question. More than once, some shyster would try retaining Curtin to confirm a client’s bogus insanity defense. Proving he was more than just a highly paid mercenary, Curtin would not only refuse to commit what amounted to perjury, but he also offered in each case to testify against the defendant.
    Within his profession, however, Curtin’s reputation as the real deal stemmed from something deeper. He believed he could prevent the mentally ill from committing crimes by attacking the problem at its source. And he had at his doorstep the perfect laboratory to prove it.
    Curtin viewed the suicide rate among the prisoners at Rikers Island as a moral outrage, a failure of the profession he loved. He knew most of the Psychiatric Wing’s inmates had never committed a violent crime and was convinced that early intervention could prevent them from ever doing so. Using his name and prestige to bombard politicians and bureaucrats, he offered the media his services with assurances that he and the students in his fellowship program could make a difference. The city, threatened with state and federal investigations and buried in a PR crisis, was hardly in a position to refuse.
    Five years later, suicides at Rikers were at an all-time low, and the recidivism rate among Curtin’s patients was one-tenth the jail average. Even the number of mentally ill inmates plummeted because Curtin had convinced the powers-that-be to parole many of his patients, with two conditions: They had to continue psychotherapy, and they had to stay on their meds. The plan seemed to be working, in no small part due to the quality of students Curtin chose for his fellowship.
    As they stopped in front of a door marked P ATIENT I NTERVIEW , Claire Waters knew it was her chance to prove herself fit to reside among Curtin’s worthy. This was the moment she had dreaded and driven herself toward for almost ten years. She was both exhilarated and terrified, which she somehow successfully hid under the thinnest veneer of calm. But she knew she’d be all right because she had the gift: the natural ability to put people at ease, to draw out their darkest secrets. Even those she barely knew would sense her deep empathy and open up to her. She was determined to show Curtin her power to connect with the sickest souls.
    â€œWhat you’re about to do is like nothing you’ve ever done as a psychiatrist before,” Curtin said. “Dr. Fairborn and I will be observing you.”
    â€œI know,” answered Claire.
    â€œAre you ready, Doctor?” Curtin asked.
    â€œYes, sir,” she replied.
    Curtin smiled.
    â€œGo get him.”

C HAPTER 2
    T odd Quimby jerked his head up from the metal table when Claire walked into the windowless room. A fan in the corner stirred the air into a warm breeze. Funny, he doesn’t look like a scumbag , Claire thought, wondering how the emotional