Eyes by Joanne Fluke

she was strong. “How much does that flower pot weigh?”
    â€œI don’t know, but the janitor can’t move it by himself. That’s why they got that dolly.” Jimmy pointed to the small block of wood with wheels propped up against the wall. “I saw her lift up that tree like it was a feather and toss it through the window.”
    As Doug rounded another corner, he saw her. She was a slim, brown-haired woman who would have been pretty under any other circumstances. Even though she had on an old-fashioned straitjacket, it still took two security guards to hold her down.
    Jimmy ran toward the security guards, and Doug followed him. He tapped the older security guard on the shoulder, then pointed to Doug. “Chuck? This is Sergeant Lake.”
    â€œHi.” Doug flashed his badge. “What have you got here?”
    â€œA wildcat.” Chuck was an older black man with salt and pepper hair. He looked worried as he turned to Doug. “If we let her go, she tries to kick us. And she won’t stop screaming.”
    The woman looked up at Doug. Her eyes were wide and frightened, and they didn’t seem to be focusing properly. She stared at him for a moment, then started screaming again.
    Doug motioned for Jimmy to take Chuck’s place, and they walked down the hall. Chuck unlocked a door to a vacant office. Then they stepped in and closed the door.
    â€œTell me what happened.” Doug sat on the edge of the desk and pulled out his notebook.
    â€œI don’t know, but it’s a good thing the kid called us when he did. We got here just in time to keep her from going through that window. I hate to think what might have happened if she’d gotten into the morgue.”
    Doug nodded. “What time was that?’
    â€œA little after midnight. Tommy and I were just taking our break.”
    Doug glanced at his watch. It was almost one. “And she’s been screaming all this time?”
    â€œThat’s right. She stops for a couple seconds to catch her breath and then she starts in again.”
    â€œHas anyone given her a tranquilizer?”
    â€œNot yet.” Chick shook his head. “The doctor said he had to wait until you got here. He doesn’t know what she’s on, and he can’t do a blood test unless you arrest her and sign off on the form.”
    Doug nodded. It was standard operating procedure. If the woman’s condition wasn’t life threatening, the hospital couldn’t treat her without a signed release form. “Okay, Chuck. Call him and tell him to bring me the form. I’ll arrest her for destruction of property and sign it. And let’s have an orderly bring down a gurney with straps.”
    â€œOkay. You got it.” Chuck used his radio, and a few minutes later an orderly brought a gurney. It took all five of them to strap the woman down, but finally she was rendered immobile. Doug signed the release form. Then the orderly wheeled the woman away, accompanied by Jimmy and the younger security guard.
    â€œWhat a relief!” Chuck sat down in a chair and stretched his arms. “You wouldn’t think a tiny little thing like her could be so strong. I’m going to wake up with a stiff back tomorrow, I can tell you that!”
    â€œDo you think she was trying to hurt you?”
    Chuck thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. “She was just trying to get in that morgue. She thought her boyfriend was in there, and she had to see him.”
    â€œDo you think she was on some kind of drug?”
    â€œI don’t know.” Chuck frowned. “She was grieving for her boyfriend, I can tell you that. And she thought we were keeping her from seeing his body. She was crazy, but I don’t know if it was drugs.”
    While he was waiting for the results of the blood test, Doug interviewed everyone who’d come in contact with the woman. He learned that she’d carried no identification and no