Margaret Truman's Experiment in Murder by Margaret Truman Page B

tell you that it will rain tomorrow, you will go to the window and look out. You will feel that cold helmet on your head and it will feel good. There will be no headaches, but if there ever is, you will put on that cold helmet and the headache will go away. When I say that the forecast was wrong, the helmet will disappear and you will say, ‘It was supposed to rain.’”
    Borger slowly counted down to one. When he reached it, he snapped his fingers and said, “How do you feel, Iskander?”
    Itani appeared to be startled. He looked around the room as though wondering where he was and why he was there.
    â€œIt will rain tomorrow,” Borger said.
    Itani slowly got up and went directly to the window. He opened the blinds and peered into the darkness. His hands went to his head. “My head is cold,” he said.
    â€œThe forecast was wrong,” Borger said.
    Itani dropped his hands to his sides. “It was supposed to rain,” he said.
    â€œYes, it was,” said Borger. “How do you feel?”
    â€œI feel good.”
    â€œNo headache?”
    â€œNo, no headache.”
    â€œDo you remember what has just happened here in my office?”
    Itani looked puzzled. “No,” he said. “We … we talked.”
    â€œYes, we talked. Do you remember what we talked about?”
    Itani shook his head.
    â€œWe talked about good things, worthwhile things. I hypnotized you.”
    Anger returned to Itani’s face. “No. No you did not.”
    Borger had him take his seat again and handed him the notepad. “Do you recognize this?” he asked.
    Itani squinted in the dim light as he looked at the page with his writings. “No,” he said.
    â€œYou wrote that,” Borger said.
    â€œNo, I did not,” Itani said angrily.
    Borger smiled and patted his knee, pleased that his subject now exhibited total amnesia of what had transpired. “The important thing, Iskander, is that you feel good and that your headaches are gone,” he said. “But we must have more sessions together to be sure that your headaches will never return. Will you do that?”
    â€œYes, I will.”
    â€œGood. How about we go back to see Elena? The two of you will be my overnight guests, and I’m sure you have much to discuss.”
    Elena was waiting with Puhlman in the living room, which the caterer had cleaned up after the party and departed.
    â€œHave a drink,” Borger told Elena and Itani. “Relax. The night isn’t over yet.”

 
    CHAPTER
    15
    Iskander Itani looked over at the naked Elena Jones, who slept peacefully, her mane of dark hair swirling about her pretty face. He looked down and realized that he, too, was still naked after their awkward lovemaking. He pulled the sheet up over him and thought back to what had led them there.
    They’d had drinks together—one drink too many for him—and his memory of what had transpired was fuzzy. He knew it had happened, but it was as though it had involved someone else. The stripping off of clothes and tumbling into bed seemed to have occurred within seconds—the entire episode was compressed.
    There was a slight, albeit constant, throbbing above and behind his eyes. Too many Tom Collinses? He remembered what Dr. Borger had said and the exercise he’d taught. Itani rolled his eyes up as far as he could, slowly lowered his eyelids, and drew deep breaths. He allowed one arm to slowly levitate and continued the rhythm of his breathing until he imagined that an ice-cold helmet had been slipped over his head. A smile came to his face. The pain in his head was gone. He remained that way for a few more minutes before opening his eyes and glancing over again at Elena. A recollection of last night’s sweaty tryst now became evident to him as though barriers to memory had lifted along with his imaginary helmet. He rolled onto his side, the motion waking her.
    â€œGood