Just trying to see if I can break the website uploading tons of chapters today. We shall see...
"Do you two ever sleep? You don't, do you? I mean, that's why you are always on edge. Try sleeping for more than two hours at a time."
"Let's quit the whining and get to the records, Lenny. Who's this Albert Mulligan? What do you know about him?"
They'd both barged into the Psychiatrist's office after ensuring that he'd be able to meet them at the clinic after hours. With the corridors empty except for the occasional nurse doing the rounds, the clattering of their shoes gave them away well before they ever even arrived at their destination.
"Give me a minute, will ya Lieutenant? It's not like I can remember every single nutjob that has walked these halls for the past few years. In other words, there are more of them than you think…"
Pointing at the two guests chairs in the office to get the Detectives to sit down, Lenny reached for his keys to open up the nearby file cabinet.
"R&I couldn't produce a current address. So we need to find out if he gave you any indication as to where he lives when you talked to him. Anything that can help us track him down."
Grasping the arm rest of the guest chair tightly, Steve nervously shifted back and forth as Lenny began to look through his files, seemingly taking forever, until he reached the column with all the last names ending in "M".
"Okay, here we go, guys…Albert Mulligan…"
Pulling the surprisingly thick file out of the cabinet and laying it out on his desk, Lenny quickly began to skip through the pages, his mind deeply focused on the information ahead.
"Ah yes…now I remember him. Smelly kinda guy. He's been suffering from hyperhidrosis his entire life, almost all over his body. Made him an outcast in school, victim of relentless bullying. Typical loner, couldn't hold a job. Suffering from frequent episodes of psychosis because of his paranoia stemming from his schizophrenic tendency."
"Translation please…", Mike requested brusquely, surprised when Steve answered before Lenny could.
"It means he's sweating uncontrollably. Would explain his body odor. So, a kid like that won't have too many friends in school. Pair that with some mental illness that is making him hear or see things, live in a fantasy world so to speak, and we have our suspect. Lenny, where on the scale did he fall with his schizophrenia? He seems to be functioning at a decent level of cognitive response."
"I classified him as mild at the time…", the Psychiatrist explained as he continued to scan through his file, "Mind you, I really disagreed with the court's ruling on that case. Albert is well aware of the difference between right and wrong and the consequences of his behavior. They made it sound as though the alcohol was the cause of all evil when in reality, I learned soon enough that this guy has a surprisingly high tolerance for any mind-altering drugs. I think he's been on something in one form or another for his entire life."
"Anything on an address? Relatives?", Mike continued to pry impatiently as he shared an anxious glance with his partner.
"Nothing. He left no forwarding address at all. I think he came off the streets and is surviving in abandoned buildings or halfway houses. As far as family is concerned…looks like he mentioned having a relationship when he still lived in Oakland but that was fifteen years ago. Heterosexual…just wanted to point that out because of the direction this investigation is headed. No tendency to excessive violence. He only struck people when cornered and bullied. Whatever happened the night of his arrest, something must have put him over the edge. Or somebody. But nothing in here suggests why he'd be picking guys off the streets now…"
"Aw come on, there's gotta be something in there, Lenny. What were you doing the entire time you talked to him? Sipping on coffee?!"
Raising his tone of voice sharply, Steve got off his chair, one hand in the pocket of his dress pants, the other one running over his gray tie in agitation.
Mike looked over at Lenny in silent apology, the Psychiatrist's worried brown eyes mirroring his own emotions.
Taking a deep breath and letting the tense atmosphere quiet down for a moment, Lenny finally crossed his arms in front of his chest, his trained senses cued on the young Inspector, who stared at him in unmasked frustration.
"Now…this the second time you went off on me like that today. What in the world is the matter with you, Stephen?! Lost your manners this week? Don't sit here and question my credibility unless you want me to turn around and question yours. And I am about to, trust me."
Surprised by the unusually harsh tone of the normally mild-mannered Psychiatrist, Mike watched the exchange with great interest. Much to his relief, Steve backed down immediately, symbolically taking a step back before nodding with his eyes lowered to the ground.
"You're right…I am sorry."
The room fell quiet once again, and Mike could feel Lenny's eyes on him, begging for a moment of private conversation. Turning around to face his partner, the Lieutenant pointed his chin to the deserted corridor outside, before clearing his throat.
"Steve, why don't you call Charley back, see if he can get you a list of all vacant buildings and halfway houses within the zone of our body drops. First thing tomorrow morning, we're going to hit up the local shelters, see if anybody has seen or heard from Albert."
Nodding obediently, the young Inspector spun around on his heels, before leaving the two men behind, undoubtedly relieved to escape the confines of the tension filled office.
When Mike closed the door and glanced back around, Lenny was leaning against his file cabinet, lips pursed to a thin line, a grim expression on his face.
"I'd ask you what in the hell that was all about but you seemed surprised yourself. When did he start to behave like that? I've never seen him this anxious and worked up. He's acting like a caged animal."
Shrugging, Mike drew in a deep breath before shaking his head.
"For the last couple of years, around springtime, he's been getting a bit more…hyper and edgy than normal. But this year it seems worse than I've ever seen him. I tried to ask him what's going on but he refuses to tell me. Clams right up. He's becoming more volatile by the day and I don't know why. Whatever it is, this case seems to make it worse."
"Well, that's the strangest case of the springtime hornies I've ever witnessed.", Lenny attempted to joke before his expression turned stern again, "Don't pressure him any further. He's already on edge; all you're going to do is push him farther away. Here, take this file with you, have him read through it. It'll make him feel better and keep his mind focused on the case. I am sure the warrant from Gerry's office is in the mail."
Nodding in quiet gratitude, Mike accepted the thick file, unable to shake off the growing unease in his heart. Lenny seemed to sense his inner turmoil and stepped closer, before gently patting his shoulder.
"I'll eh…I'll see if I can catch him in the next day or so and talk to him one on one. I'll get to the bottom of this, don't worry. I specialize in thick skulls with a badge. In the meantime, you guys have a killer to catch. Or two."