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"Isn’t Dr Spitz a country doctor, a general practitioner?" Ethan heard the smooth touch of condescension in Dr Truitt’s voice

"And you think he’s been duped, right?"

"No, no, surely not, but all this nonsense about instant hypnosis, people killing theestion--"

Ethan could see the future stretching out in front of hi to make people believe what Blessed Backman was fully capable of and fully prepared to do to anyone who got in his way or could be of use to hi to keep him blindfolded, because the minute the pain meds kick in, the ain, and trustend So you fully understand, he brutally murdered a hiker yesterday in Titus Hitch, left hie"

Dr Truitt looked shocked Ethan watched his tongue whip over his bottom lip "Do you have proof thiscleanly

Dr Truitt looked at hi moment, then simply shook his head and looked away

Ethan hardened his voice "He does look helpless, doesn’t he? No threat at all All right, Doctor, consider this an order--keep this man blindfolded at all times; keep his hands tied down at all times I’ll have deputies here around the clock to le second to pull off the blindfold, and it’ll be over" Ethan raised his finger, cocked it like a gun, pointed it at the doctor, and pulled the trigger "He ht kill you if he’s able, or ue or a nurse"

Blessed estible Since he knew Ethan atching him, he calh Ethan was standing right beside him, and checked his pupils "He’s still out of it If there is anything to this hypnosis business, he can’t do ery ell, and his wounds, both of them, should heal With rest, he should be okay"

"There’ll be a tea tomorrow, h, they’ll begin testing him"

"What sorts of tests?"

"I assume they’ll evaluate him, physically and mentally, to see if there’s a consensus on when he’s ready for transfer I expect you and all hospital staff to cooperate fully with thehtly "Listen to ine I kno he looks about as dangerous as a toothless old dog, but he’s not, Doctor, he’s theI’ve ever met in my life"

Ethan could see Dr Truitt still wavered He knew if Joanna were here, she’d bitch-slap hi as your FBI personnel are cleared by the chief of staff, I’ll cooperate with anything I think ethical As long as this man is h Ethan wanted to punch him out, this little speech was a start He nodded "Give e at all in his condition My deputy Ox Cobin is going to stay in this room with him And by the way, Ox is one of his victiood ti, Ox Come on in Blessed is still out of it, but he o You knohat to do"

Ox nodded as he brought in a huge easy chair with an adjustable footrest "Nurse Lowery loanedman’s chair He’s on vacation in Croatia"

Ethan sht?"

"Yep, but I’ll tell you, Ethan, I’ to look at that little man, even all tied down, even with a blindfold over those mad eyes of his"

Dr Truitt harrumphed, turned on his heel, and left the hospital roohtfully, "That’s going to be everyone’s reaction--doctors, lawyers, judges, laypeople--you know that, Ethan"

"Yeah, I know, even though I told hi our visitor from Alaska And no, I didn’t try to tell hie his corpse We’ve got Blessed on a dozen felony charges, even if the FBI forensic tea definitive to tie Blessed to Mr Spalding’s murder

"You know, Ox, I hate to say this, but truthfully, I don’t think we even have a chance to get Blessed to the lawyer stage I have this gut feeling it’s not going to be long before he walks out of this fine hospital, a load of stymied folk in his wake"