The Deadliest Institution Collection Read online

  The Deadliest Institution Collection

  Romantic Thriller Four-Book Box Set

  Holly Copella

  Copyright © 2019 Holly Copella

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN:

  ISBN-13:

  In loving memory of

  Kenny Apgar, Sr.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Copella Books – First Edition 2019

  Cover Artist: Daniela Owergoor

  Dani-owergoor.deviantart.com

  Printed by CreateSpace, An Amazon.com Company

  PUBLISHER’S NOTE

  This is a work of fiction. Names, character, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

  Table of Contents

  Deadly Institution

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-one

  Deadly Institution 2

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-one

  Chapter Thirty-two

  Chapter Thirty-three

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Chapter Thirty-five

  Chapter Thirty-six

  Chapter Thirty-seven

  Chapter Thirty-eight

  Chapter Thirty-nine

  Murder in Wax

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-one

  Chapter Thirty-two

  Chapter Thirty-three

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Chapter Thirty-five

  Chapter Thirty-six

  Chapter Thirty-seven

  Chapter Thirty-eight

  Chapter Thirty-nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-one

  Chapter Forty-two

  Chapter Forty-three

  Chapter Forty-four

  Chapter Forty-five

  Chapter Forty-six

  Chapter Forty-seven

  Chapter Forty-eight

  Chapter Forty-nine

  Chapter Fifty

  Chapter Fifty-one

  Chapter Fifty-two

  Chapter Fifty-three

  Chapter Fifty-four

  Chapter Fifty-five

  Chapter Fifty-six

  Chapter Fifty-seven

  The Murder of Emily Fisher

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-one

  Chapter Thirty-two

  Chapter Thirty-three

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Chapter Thirty-five

  Chapter Thirty-six

  Chapter Thirty-seven

  Chapter Thirty-eight

  Chapter Thirty-nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-one

  Chapter Forty-two

  Chapter Forty-three

  Chapter Forty-four

  Chapter Forty-five

  Chapter Forty-six

  Chapter Forty-seven

  Chapter Forty-eight

  Chapter Forty-nine

  Chapter Fifty

  Chapter Fifty-one

  Chapter Fifty-two

  Chapter Fifty-three

  Other books by Holly Copella!

  About the Author

  Deadly Institution

  Holly Copella

  Copyright © 1998 Holly Copella

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 0986441643

  ISBN-13: 978-09864416-4-6

  In loving memory of

  Kenny Apgar, Sr.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Copella Books – First Paperback Edition 2015

  Cover Artist: Fantasyart

  SelfPubBookCovers.com/Fantasyart

  Printed by CreateSpace, An Amazon.com Company

  PUBLISHER’S NOTE

  This is a work of fiction. Names, character, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitio
usly, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

  Chapter One

  11:00 P.M.

  The little house sat on the quiet back street in the small town of Stony Ridge. The house itself was in desperate need of paint and the lawn needed a gardener’s touch. Despite the limited activity at the surrounding homes on the warm summer evening, there were several cars parked along the street before the little house. The dingy, crudely appointed basement den was filled with cigar smoke and contained old, worn furniture that had seen better days. Six men varying in age from their twenties to their sixties sat around the poker table and puffed on cigars. Bottles of beer and snacks cluttered the table. A large pot of plastic poker chips were piled in the center of the table. Three men remained in the current hand. Five of the men stared impatiently at the sixth man who held his cards and stared at his chips as he played with them. A stocky, African-American man in his early thirties, Deputy Monroe Carson, held his cards and chewed on his cigar while staring at the silent man across from him. Monroe was obviously losing patience with Konrad Asher. Asher was a distinguished looking man in his early thirties. His light brown hair was neatly trimmed, and he dressed with a fashionable business-like style. He seemed almost out of place with the other five, who dressed in jeans, flannel shirts, and were sporting a day’s worth of stubble on their faces.

  “Are you going to make love to those cards, or are you going to play poker?” Monroe finally bellowed out.

  Monroe was large and intimidating to behold, but he wasn’t nearly as imposing as he’d allow others to believe. If it weren’t for the growth of stubble on his chin, his boyish baby face would give him away. Asher again glanced at his cards with a solemn expression, despite the commotion of the five other men. He then lifted his head and looked at the men in the smoke-filled den. A tiny smile crossed his face as he fanned the cards together.

  “I’ll raise another fifty cents,” Asher announced in a gentle, monotone voice.

  “Too rich for me,” said the older man, Fred, who sat alongside Asher. He tossed his cards onto the table with a disgusted sigh.

  Monroe removed the cigar from his mouth, chuckled lowly, and tossed in another fifty cents. “I’ll call your bluff,” he said firmly with a broad grin. He laid his cards on the table to reveal three queens. “Three of a kind. Beat that, sucker.”

  Asher fanned out his cards and stared at the full house in his hand. He closed the hand, appeared humored, and tossed the cards face down on the table.

  “You called my bluff,” Asher said simply.

  Monroe laughed with a subtle arrogance and collected the pot of nearly five dollars. “You were just meant to lose tonight, my friend.”

  Asher shrugged without care. “I’m having a good time,” he replied. “I suppose that’s what’s important.”

  “And it’s best not to antagonize the law,” Fred remarked, nodded to Monroe with a smirk, and then drank the last of his beer.

  Monroe laughed while stacking his chips. “I’m not on duty. If I was, I’d have to arrest us all,” he teased.

  The others laughed.

  “You wouldn’t even know how to make an arrest,” Fred remarked with a soft chuckle. “If it wasn’t for our local drunk and old Mrs. Skyler speeding, you’d have nothing to do all day. Nothing ever happens in this town.”

  Monroe grinned in response and didn’t deny the comment. Derek Falcone, a much younger man in his mid-twenties, collected the cards and shuffled them while the other five tossed their ante into the pot on the center of the cluttered table. Derek was a classically handsome man, who easily reminded some of a high school football player with his tall frame and sturdy build.

  “Maria said you and Katie were planning a cruise this fall,” Fred said to Asher.

  “We’d hoped to, but one of the nurses quit last week,” Asher remarked while casually puffing on his cigar. “Dr. Talbert may be reluctant to allow her the time off.”

  “A cruise, huh?” Derek remarked as he laughed lowly without looking up from the cards he was over shuffling. “Kate certainly has it good these days.”

  Asher stared at the small stack of chips before him with little expression. He’d obviously heard the comment, but refused to acknowledge it. The four other men glared at Derek. Derek prepared to deal the cards, saw the looks he was receiving, and smiled innocently.

  “What?” Derek asked with an unnatural laugh.

  “Just stop it, okay,” Monroe scoffed and looked back at his healthy stack of chips.

  Asher looked at Monroe and smiled lightly. “It’s okay, Monroe,” he informed him. “Derek has a tendency to dwell on the past when he’s drinking.”

  Derek laughed as he violently dealt the cards. “What? You think I’m still jealous after all these years?” He snorted and grinned. “It doesn’t bother me one bit.”

  There was an odd silence at the table. All five men watched Derek as he vigorously dealt the cards. Monroe folded his arms across his chest, chewed on his cigar, and raised a brow. All five waited for what was sure to follow.

  “I mean,” Derek continued as he picked up his five cards. “I only dated Kate all through high school and college.”

  There were several groans around the table. Asher just shook his head and frowned. They collected their cards and attempted to resume their game.

  “Doesn’t bother me that he’s only in town for six months before stealing her away from me,” Derek sulked then looked at the others and attempted a smile that resembled a sneer.

  “It’s been three years, man,” Monroe announced with a disgusted moan. “Let it go.”

  Derek shrugged while staring at his cards. “Don’t know what you’re talking about. It doesn’t bother me,” he chirped. As he looked up, his smile twisted, giving him an almost psychotic look. “Girl knew I couldn’t provide the kind of lifestyle she wanted.”

  Asher tossed his cards to the table and sat forward. He remained calm but was obviously disturbed. “Say what you wish about me, Derek. You can accuse me of seducing the only love of your life, if it makes you feel better, but don’t disrespect Katie. I won’t tolerate that sort of behavior.”

  Derek laughed aloud. “Don’t act the role of her father. She’s already got one of those,” he muttered.

  Asher looked up at the ceiling with a humored smile. “Ah, yes, I almost forgot the age thing.” He looked back and Derek and tilted his head. “I know where this is leading, Derek. I don’t want to fight you again. I take no pleasure in kicking your ass.”

  Derek’s smile curled into a frown. He abruptly stood, knocking his chair to the floor. “Kate and I had it good until you came along with your expensive suit and philosophical attitude. You have no idea what it’s like having the woman you love taken from you!”

  All five men watched Derek dart from the den. The front door slammed just moments after. The men looked at one another with little emotion.

  “I’ll raise a quarter,” Monroe announced simply.

  †

  11:20 P.M.

  The Stony Ridge Institution sat away from the road on a large parcel of land surrounded by tall, chain-link fencing and stone walls. The institution encompassed more than twenty acres of land and the grounds were painstakingly maintained. The building itself was a massive marvel of stone and concrete. Castle-like in appearance, it was an eerily imposing sight. There appeared to be lights on within every room, giving it a creepy glow. Outside lights brightened half the grounds. The institution was easily mistaken for a hospital. It actually was a hospital. The sign on the stone wall near the security guard’s building read, “Stony Ridge Mental Institution”. The building itself had once been a college, but the isolation of the town made it undesirable to college students. The town rejoiced the end to hordes of drunken college kids, but they got the surpr
ise of their life once it was converted into an insane asylum. It was quite the culture shock to the small, conservative community.

  A nurse hurried along the elegant hallway on the first floor of the east wing. Her long, red hair was pulled back in a French twist. Kate Asher was a beautiful woman in her mid-twenties, but tonight her face expressed what appeared to be anger or rage. Her strides were long and determined as she approached the nurse’s station. She entered the area cluttered with thick charts piled ten high along the massive desk. She stormed past another nurse seated at the desk behind the tall counter. The second nurse, Roseanne Pierce, looked up from her magazine and gazed after Kate with surprise. Roseanne was a youthful beauty in her own rights with long, wavy dark hair and an impressive figure that captured more than her share of male attention.

  “You look pissed,” Roseanne said with a curious stare. “Did Dr. Talbert deny your vacation request? I swear he doesn’t want to see anyone happy.”

  Kate didn’t respond to her comment. She removed her purse from her locker, stuffed an envelope in the front pocket, and returned the purse. She took two strides to the desk near Roseanne and snatched the phone from its cradle. Roseanne watched in silence as Kate punched a series of numbers into the phone. Kate was still a moment, though uncomfortable, and then slammed down the phone. She spun to face Roseanne and looked at her for the first time.

  “I’m going to make my final rounds,” Kate said firmly. “Will you page me as soon as my husband arrives?”

  Roseanne slowly nodded with her mouth partially opened. “Is everything okay?”

  “No,” Kate retorted tersely. “But I intend to deal with it, believe me!”

  Kate stormed out of the nurse’s station just as quickly as she had entered, leaving Roseanne nearly speechless.

  †

  Kate walked more slowly now along the dimly lit corridor and looked into each room through sliding, metal windows with less thoroughness than usual. She appeared preoccupied, but at least her rage had diminished. A handsome young man in his early twenties wearing a guard’s uniform approached from the opposite direction with a pleasant smile on his youthful face.

  “Good evening, Mrs. Asher,” Jameson Ramos said and touched his hat respectfully.