The Evil Within: The Detective

The Hospital

The Hospital (Emily Wright)

The wind pulled at my clothes as I stepped out of the cab. It was windy for an autumn day and I pulled my scarf a little tighter. "Better keep warm. It could be very bad if I were to fall ill, wouldn't it little one?" I thought, gently touching the just visible baby bump.

I looked up at Beacon Mental Hospital. It seemed very out of place in the modern city, made of dark gray brick and surrounded by a tall brick wall. The building was ominous and oppressive, especially since it had been closed down since the massacre. A chill ran down my spine that had nothing to do with the cold. "Freaky." I thought.

"Hey, $34.20." The cab driver called.

"Oh. Sorry." I tore my eyes away from the building paid the cabby $40 in cash.

"Need me to stay?" He asked.

"No, I might be a while." I informed him. "Thanks for the ride. And keep the change." I added before hurrying inside. The cabby just gave me a nod of thanks before he drove off. 

The lobby was mostly empty and didn't give me the impression of either warmth nor coldness. It felt mostly neutral, much like a sterile hospital or a house without any furniture in it. I headed right for the front desk and flinched slightly at the loud echo of my shoes on the tile floor. "Excuse me. I have an appointment with Mr. Black." I told the secretary.

"And what is your name?" She asked.

"Emily Oda." I answered.

"You are expected. Come with me." The secretary stood and led me to the elevator. To my surprise we went down instead of up, but I didn't question her. The ride was fairly quick and the doors opened with a ding. She stepped out and I followed her down the long hallway. There were very few people here just like upstairs and those I did see were hurrying around, clearly busy working.

Finally we reached a large wooden door, which the secretary knocked on. "Enter." A voice called almost immediately and the secretary opened the door, putting just her head inside.

"Excuse me, sir, you have a visitor." She announced.

"Who?"

"Emily Oda." The way she said Oda put me on edge. Clearly she was emphasizing the name had some meaning, which meant that I was on the right track.

"Send her in." The man said after a moment. The secretary opened the door to let me past. I took a breath then stepped inside. The door clicked shut behind me, making me jump.

"Relax. This place has you on edge for no reason. It's unreasonable." I thought to myself, remembering some of Joseph's favorite words.

"You must be Mrs. Oda. I am Mr. Black." The man stood and offered me a hand, which I shook.

"A pleasure." I replied before we both sat down.

"What can I help you with today?" He asked.

"First I must apologize. My last name is not Oda, but Wright. However Oda is the name of my fiancé, a detective who went missing after a case here at this hospital. I'm looking for him." I explained.

"I see. I understand. There's no apology necessary. Now, what did you say his first name was?" Mr. Black asked, his fingers hovering over the keys.

"Joseph. Joseph Oda." I informed him and he quickly typed it into the computer. After a moment there was a beep.

"Ah, I see. As I expected. I can take you to him if you would like." He offered.

"Really?" I asked in shock and he nodded as he stood.