North had been right about one thing, she reflected. The locals were only too happy to talk about the creepy doctor who worked at the insane asylum a couple of miles out of town. The owner of the inn had been especially informative.

It turned out that everyone in the area had been shocked and alarmed when the Riverview Psychiatric Hospital had opened a year earlier. But there was nothing the town could do to prevent the trust that owned the mansion from selling it to the shadowy medical corporation headed by Dr. Garraway. When the first patients arrived, everyone in town had purchased new locks for their doors. Those who didn’t already own guns bought them and kept them handy.

The innkeeper admitted that there had been no problems from the patients at Riverview, although there had been rumors that a few had escaped. It’s the orderlies who make people nervous around here. Tough-looking bunch. Keep to themselves for the most part, though. They sleep at the hospital.

“You start on the file cabinets,” North said. “I’ll take the desk.”

Sierra glanced at him. His mood had undergone a distinct change after the phone call from Victor Arganbright informing him that Allegra Raines had stabilized Chandler Chastain’s aura. In doing so she had bought everyone involved some time. North was still focused, intense and determined to move as quickly as possible, but she sensed he was able to think more coolly and logically now that he knew his father was no longer deteriorating.

She crossed the room to the nearest file drawer. “It’s locked. Needs a key.”

“Yeah?”

North took three strides to the file cabinet, grabbed the metal handle and yanked. Hard. Sierra heard something metallic snap. The drawer popped open.

“Okay, that works,” she said.

North went back to the desk.

She started flipping through folders.

“What have you got there?” North asked. “Patient records, by any chance?”

“Yes, but the names on the folders appear to be coded,” she said. “The sex and age of the individual are on each label, though. I’ll concentrate on the files for female subjects. What are you finding?”

“A lot of charts and graphs.” North whistled softly. “Loring was conducting experiments involving crystal-generated paranormal light.”

“Light is everywhere in this case.”

“Yes. Judging by these scientific logs, Loring knows a lot about the subject.”

“We are seeing a pattern, aren’t we?” Sierra said.

“Yeah.”

“You know this is illegal as hell.”

“So is conducting experiments on people like Marge.”

“True. On another topic, do you think it’s weird that Loring kept so many files in paper form instead of on a computer?”

“No. People who are conducting unauthorized paranormal research are usually paranoid about keeping their records in digital form,” North said. “Sooner or later they end up online.”

“And the Foundation is always watching?”

“Yes, but it’s not just the Foundation that makes them nervous. They’re afraid of the Puppets, too. Those conspiracy crazies are always combing the Internet looking for hints of secret paranormal research.”