Manitou Blood Read Free Page B

on the other end of the phone, but Dr. Pellman had to repeat himself twice. “Drinking
blood
, lieutenant. Human blood, and other people’s blood, not her own. And unless they’ve been given an emergency transfusion, whoever she drank it from is probably dead.”
    He spelled out Susan Fireman’s address and personal details, and then he hung up the phone. “That’s it, gentlemen. There’s nothing else we can do.”
    Frank stayed in his seat. “With all due respect, sir, I think I should try to talk to Ms. Fireman before the police get here. We really need to find out
why
she ingested all that blood, and who she got it from.”
    â€œBad idea,” said Dr. Pellman. “You’re not a detective, Frank, and I don’t want anybody on this hospital’s medical staff laying themselves open to accusations of compromising a police investigation. You remember what happened with the Koslowski kid. Nightmare.”
    â€œYes, sir,” said Frank. “But Ms. Fireman is still our patient, isn’t she, no matter what she’s done? We’re morally bound to pursue our diagnostic procedure until we find out what’s wrong with her.”
    â€œFrank—for Christ’s sake, we
know
what’s wrong withher. She’s been binging on other people’s circulatory systems, and it’s almost a certainty that she’s killed them in the process.”
    â€œI realize that, sir. But for all we know, drinking human blood may be a key symptom of her condition. If we don’t investigate it—well, I personally think that we’d be failing in our duty as physicians.”
    George said, very quietly, “I’m afraid I have to agree with that. Supposing her condition can be transmitted? If one of our staff catches it, or one of our other patients goes down with it—I mean, the legal consequences don’t bear thinking about.”
    â€œSo that’s it,” said Dr. Pellman. “We’re damned if we do, and doubly damned if we don’t.”
    Frank said, “All I need to do is ask her some very straightforward questions. Like, whose blood did you drink? Where did you get it from, and how, and why did you drink it?”
    â€œAnd what do you think the cops will ask her? Exactly the same things.”
    â€œBut once the police get here, she’s far less likely to respond to any questions about her condition, in case she incriminates herself—and if she gets herself a lawyer, forget it, we won’t have a hope in hell of finding out what’s wrong with her. She has a highly unusual combination of physical symptoms—her anemia, her sensitivity to light—and she obviously has severe psychological problems, too.”
    Dr. Pellman tossed down his pen. “Okay. But don’t ask her anything other than medical questions; and if she refuses to answer, don’t push her. And don’t instigate any new diagnostic procedures until you’ve cleared them with me.”
    They were just about to leave his office when Frank’s beeper buzzed again.
    â€œOkay if I use your phone, sir?” he asked Dr. Pellman. Dr. Pellman gave him a wave of his hand and Frank picked it up.
    â€œDean Garrett here, Frank, in the emergency room. We’ve just had a young man brought in here, vomiting blood. Hissymptoms are very similar to that girl you brought in this morning.”
    â€œI’ll be right down.” Frank cradled the phone and then he looked at Dr. Pellman with a serious expression. “Sounds like we’ve got ourselves another one.”
    Frank and George went down together to the ER. As they arrived, seven victims of a gang fight were being brought through the doors by paramedics, all shouting and swearing and covered in blood.
    Dr. Garrett grabbed one of the gang members by the lapels of his sleeveless leather vest. “What’s your name,
bobo?
” he demanded. Dean Garrett was thin and