A Sudden, Fearful Death

"Thank you," Barrymore said with a flash of gratitude. It was a minor thing, but at such times of numb tragedy the mind remembers the smallest kindness and clings to it amid the confusion and despair of events. Barrymore looked up at Monk and suddenly realized they were both standing and he had offered no hospitality of any sort. "Please sit down, Mr. Monk," he asked, sitting himself. "And tell me what I can do that will help. I really don't understand…"

"You could tell me something about her."

Barrymore blinked. "How can that help? Surely it was some madman? What sane person would do that to…" He was obliged to struggle to retain command of himself.

"That may be so," Monk interposed, to save Barrymore embarrassment. "But it is also possible that it was someone she knew. Even madmen have to have some sort of reason, unless they are simply lunatics, and there is no reason so far to suppose that there was a lunatic loose in the hospital. It is a place for the treatment of illnesses of the body, not of the mind. But of course, the police will make extensive inquiries to see if there were any strangers observed at all. You may be quite sure of that."

Banymore was still confused. He looked at Monk without comprehension.

"What do you want to know about Prudence? I cannot conceive of any reason at all why anyone who knew her would wish her harm."

"I heard she served in the Crimea?"

Unconsciously Barrymore straightened his shoulders. "Yes, indeed she did." There was pride in his voice. "She was one of the first to go out there. I remember the day she left home. She looked so terribly young." His eyes looked far beyond Monk into some place in his own inner vision.

"Only the young are so very confident. They have no idea what the world may bring them." He smiled with intense sadness. "They don't imagine that failure or death may come to them. It will always be someone else. That is immortality, isn't it? The belief."

Monk did not interrupt.

"She took one tin trunk," Barrymore went on. "Just a few plain blue gowns, clean linen, a second pair of boots, her Bible and journal, and her books on medicine. She wanted to be a doctor, you see. Impossible, I understand that, but it didn't stop her wanting it. She knew a great deal." For the first time he looked directly at Monk. "She was very clever, you know, very diligent. Studying came naturally to her. Nothing like her sister, Faith. She is quite different. They loved one another. After Faith was married and moved north, they wrote to each other at least once a week." His voice was thick with emotion. "She's going to be…"

"How were they different?" Monk asked, interrupting him for his own sake.

"How?" He was still gazing into the park, and the memories of happiness. "Oh, Faith was always laughing. She loved to dance. She cared about things, but she was such a flirt, then, so pretty. She found it easy to make people like her." He was smiling. "There were a dozen young men who were longing to court her. She chose Joseph Barker. He seemed so ordinary, a little shy. He even stuttered now and again when he was nervous." He shook his head a little as if it still surprised him. "He couldn't dance, and Faith loved to dance. But she had more sense than her mother or I. Joseph has made her very happy."

"And Prudence?" Monk prompted.

The light died out of his face.

"Prudence? She did not want to marry, she only cared about medicine and service. She wanted to heal people and to change things." He sighed. "And always to know more! Of course her mother wanted her to marry, but she turned away all suitors, and there were several. She was a lovely girl…" Again he stopped for a moment, his feelings too powerful to hide.

Monk waited..Barrymore needed time to recover control and master the outward show of his pain. Somewhere beyond the garden a dog barked, and from the other direction came the sound of children laughing.

"I'm sorry," Barrymore said after a few moments. "I loved her very much. One should not have favorite children, but Prudence was so easy for me to understand. We shared so many things-ideas-dreams…" He stopped, again his voice thick with tears.

"Thank you for sparing me your time, sir." Monk rose to his feet. The interview was unbearable, and he had learned all he could. "I will see what I can find from the hospital, and perhaps any other friends you think she may have spoken to lately and who may have some knowledge."

Barrymore recalled himself. "I have no idea how they could help, but if there is anything…"

"I would like to speak to Mrs. Barrymore, if she is well enough."

"Mrs. Barrymore?" He seemed surprised.

"She may know something of her daughter, some confidence perhaps, which might seem trivial but could lead us to something of importance."

"Oh-yes, I suppose so. I will ask her if she feels well enough." He shook his head very slightly. "I am amazed at her strength. She has borne this, I think, better than I." And with that observation, he excused himself and went to seek his wife.