Wicked Prey

assault and rape. Lucas expected a deal, an arranged guilty plea, which would allow Whitcomb to be remanded to a state hospital. No fuss, no muss, and little paperwork.
    Ranch was another problem: the shrinks were having a close look at him. The public defender was claiming that Ranch couldn’t assist with his own defense, because of drug-induced brain damage. Ranch, in fact, didn’t seem to remember anything after a Fourth of July fireworks display in Stillwater, Minnesota, in 2006.
    A lot of problems: gone.
    * * *
    AT REGIONS Hospital, Lucas got the room number from a nurse, and at the nursing station asked for Dr. Grigor Papirian. Papirian came out and they shook hands and Papirian asked, “How’s Weather?”
    “Good, she’s fine. Working all the time,” Lucas said.
    “Surgeons,” Papirian said. Then, “You know about Mr. Whitcomb’s accident?”
    “Yes. I was actually there that night, after he’d been hurt,” Lucas said.
    Papirian nodded. “A tragedy. We knew as soon as we saw the film—the spinal cord was crushed. We took the pressure off, but the nerve was like mush.”
    Lucas nodded. “You know, he and I—we’ve had some trouble. He blamed me for his paraplegia, even though I didn’t do the shooting. I can’t think why he’d want to see me.”
    Papirian shook his head: “I know nothing about that. He said he wanted to see you, but he wouldn’t say why. His vocal cords aren’t functional, by the way—he can only communicate in a whisper. You may have to lean close.”
    “What’s the prognosis? I mean, I know he’s quadriplegic, but will he have any residual movement at all?”
    Papirian was shaking his head, sadly. “Doubtful. There was too much damage. He’ll probably die in a year or two. That’s what happens in these cases. They tend to go more quickly when they don’t have family support.”
    They’d been walking along and now Papirian indicated a room, and said, “In here.”
    Lucas led the way in. Whitcomb was lying flat on a hospital bed, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling. He appeared to be dead, until he blinked, and Lucas said, “Randy.”
    Whitcomb’s eyes shifted toward Lucas, and then widened a bit more. He whispered something, his lips barely quivering.
    “You’ll have to lean close,” Papirian said.
    Lucas leaned over him, one ear toward Whitcomb’s face, smelling the sweat on him. “Randy?”
    Whitcomb’s whisper was soft, but clear enough. “Davenport . . .” Breath. “Davenport.” Another breath. Finally, his eyes pleading, sweat shining from his immobile face:
    “Davenport . . . Killlll meee . . .”
    * * *
    THE NEXT day, Tuesday, in third hour, her gym class, Letty sat on a metal folding chair as the gym teacher handed out fitness books, and held one up and called, “Letty West?”
    Letty held up a hand. “My name is changed now. It’s Letty Davenport.”
    A girl named Susan snickered: “What happened, you get married?”
    Letty turned and looked at her, held her eyes for a second, showed some teeth, in a thin smile, and the other girl froze. Letty held her for another second, then turned back to the teacher.
    “Letty Davenport,” she said again.
    •  •  •
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