Unfinished Symphony (Logan 3)

Another attendant arrived, an older, bigger man. "You having some sort of trouble, Mrs. Kleckner?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. -The police have been called, Morris. No one is permitted into the hospital," she said, her eyes fixed on Cary.

"Cary, let's go," I pleaded, but he was as stiff and unmovable as one of Kenneth's statues. It was like trying to uproot a tree.

The larger attendant took his position in the doorway. Mrs. Kleckner turned to me.

"I'm not lying about this. You have to go through proper channels and you will learn I've told you the truth. You're just making things harder for yourselves."

"I'm sorry," I said, "but you have to understand we just learned about all this and it really was done illegally. I'm sure you can imagine the shock. That's why he's so upset. He doesn't mean to make trouble for you. Please understand," I begged.

She considered and then nodded.

"Wait here. I have something that might help you accept what I'm saying," she declared and left us. The attendant was joined by the redheaded man and they both blocked the doorway.

"Cops are on their way," he said gleefully.

"Cary, we're only getting ourselves into deeper trouble," I whispered. He didn't hear me. He glared at the two attendants. Moments later, the nurse reappeared, carrying a small cloth bag.

"These were her personal things. Among them," she said, "is this," she said, lifting a thick notebook out of the bag. "It was her diary. Her doctors encouraged her to keep it, hoping recollections, thoughts would help her revive her identity. Apparently, no one ever came for it. If she wasn't gone," the nurse added in a harder tone, "I wouldn't be giving it to you, now would I?"

I took the bag and the notebook and tugged on Cary's hand.

"Please, Cary. She's right."

He wilted, accepting what he was told. "Where is she buried?" he asked softly.

"I don't know. You'll have to contact Mr. Crowley tomorrow and ask him for whatever details he has. He's the administrator here. He will be in his office at nine a.m. I'm asking you now to leave these premises. The police are on their way and you will be placed under arrest if you don't go," she threatened.

"Cary."

"We're too late," he said more to himself than to me. "I'm sorry," Mrs. Kleckner said, "but I have told you the truth. I've done more than I have to do and more than Mr. Crowley will approve of, I'm sure."

"Thank you," I said, pulling Cary harder.

He stepped back with me.

"Laura," he said shaking his head. "I'm sorry we were too late."

We reached the truck just as the police car arrived. The officers spoke to Mrs. Kleckner and then questioned us. When I promised we would leave, they let us go.

Cary drove back on the strength of his anger and hate. We hardly said a word to each other. All that mattered to him now was to find out where Laura had been buried. It was mid-morning by the time we drove into Grandma Olivia's driveway. Both of us were physically exhausted, but our emotions gave us the strength to continue.

Loretta came rushing down the hallway when we entered the house.

"Where have you been?" she asked.

"What is it?"

"Your grandmother turned worse last night and was rushed to the hospital," she said.

"She's not gonig to die," Cary said, shaking his head at me. "She's not getting away that easily."

Loretta's eyes nearly bulged out of her head. "What?"

"Nothing. We're on our way to the hospital," I told her and we left.

We found Judge Childs in the lobby talking with the doctor when we arrived.