"Come on, Gage. Let's move!" Mike Morton said opening the door to his station wagon for John to stow his duffle bag.
"I'm coming, I'm coming," Johnny agititatedly said, heading over and putting the supply case in the back of the vehicle.
"Gage, we should have been on the road 14 minutes ago. We're going to be behind schedule now," Craig Brice said looking at his watch as he opened the passenger door and climbed in the front seat.
"Maybe the two of you should just go on without me," Johnny said sighing as he stared at the two men.
"Get in, Gage," Morton said climbing in behind the wheel and pulling his door shut.
"Jeez, what have I gotten myself into?" Johnny muttered as he opened the door to the backseat and climbed in.
"Buckle your seat belt," Morton said watching him from the rearview mirror.
"I don't - fine. I'll buckle up," Johnny said fastening the belt.
"Good. Brice, you have your part of the study ready to present?" Morton asked as he backed out of Rampart's parking lot.
"Presentation should go as planned. I have copies that I revised from DeSoto's report," Brice said.
"What do you mean, you revised Roy's report? It was perfect the way it was," Johnny interrupted.
"I'm sure it was, but a little revision never hurts anything," Morton said.
"Too bad DeSoto's family is ill. I'm sure he would have been adequate at the presentation," Brice said.
"Adequate? He'd be a lot more than adequate. He and I had this worked out perfectly. We go to San Diego, talk to the officials about their paramedic program, answer their questions and head home. You've turned it into some sort of circus!" Johnny said.
"Gage, has anyone ever told you, you don't take constructive criticism well?" Brice asked as Morton smiled slightly watching Johnny remain angrily silent in the back seat.
"I don't want to talk about it," Johnny said looking out the rear window.
"Fine. Dr. Morton, I thought we could start with a brief history of our department," Brice said as Morton nodded.
"How do I get myself into these things? Man, I wish Roy were here," Johnny thought to himself as he sighed and tried to block Brice's voice out of his head.
****************************
Roy quietly walked into his bedroom and picked up the nearly empty soup bowl from the bedside table. He watched his wife sleep then turned to the door only to see his daughter standing there rubbing tiredly at her eyes and clutching her doll.
"Daddy, I feel bad," Jennifer said as he knelt by her and put a hand to her forehead.
"Roy?" JoAnn asked waking when she heard Jennifer's voice.
"It's okay. I'll get her to bed. You just rest," he said scooping up Jennifer and glancing at JoAnn.
"I can help," JoAnn said starting to get out of bed as Roy headed over.
"Sweetheart, you need to rest. I'll get Jen to bed and check her temperature. I don't want you worrying," he said kissing her forehead.
"Daddy, I don't want to throw up," Jennifer said.
"That means you better get her to the bathroom," JoAnn said starting to get up again.
"I got it," Roy said and hurried to the bathroom with Jennifer.
****************************************
"Doc, I'm sure you made a wrong turn about 30 miles back," Johnny said as Mike Morton drove along an old, dusty two-lane highway.
"Of course he didn't, Gage. I have a map up here. I'm giving him perfect directions," Brice said.
"Perfect directions would have been staying on the highway. We're never going to get there on this road," Johnny said.
"Oh no," Morton said hearing a backfiring noise, then seeing smoke come out from under the hood of his car as he lost power and let the car drift to the edge of the road.
"What happened?" Johnny asked as the three men climbed out of the vehicle.
"Busted radiator," Morton murmured backing away from the smoke as he opened the hood.
"I'm sure we can make some sort of temporary repair," Brice said.
"Looks like you've got a little exhaust problem, too," Johnny said as he walked around the back of the station wagon and saw the tailpipe dragging the ground.
"How can the tailpipe just snap like that?" Morton angrily asked.
"They don't make cars like they use to," Brice said.
"It's getting hot. We should get walking," Johnny said.
"Walking? I'm sure someone will come along any minute, Gage," Brice said.
"I'm sure we can wait here for awhile," Morton said.
"Doc, there's not going to be any lifeboat coming this way soon. I haven't seen another car on this road since we've been on it. And since we didn't pass any gas stations when we got off the highway, I suggest we go forward," Johnny said.
Morton sighed and glanced at Brice. "I have a suspicion he may be right. Why don't we at least check it out. I can leave some sort of note on the window where we headed.
"It's your call, Doctor," Brice said as Johnny rolled his eyes.
Morton wrote a quick note, tucked it under the windshield wiper and grabbed his medical bag from the back. "All right, gentlemen. Let's see if we can find some help."
"I hope we find food. I'm starving," Johnny said as they started down the road.
**************************
"Roy!" JoAnn called as she tried to stand and felt a wave of dizziness hit her at once.
"Jo, you need to stay in bed!" Roy said hurrying in to help her sit down.
"I wanted to check on Jennifer," she insisted as he felt her forehead.
"She's sleeping and her fever's down. Now, please rest," Roy said.
"I feel that's all I've done for two days. This vertigo is driving me crazy," JoAnn replied.
"Maybe I should take you into the doctor's office," Roy worriedly said.
"No. I'm okay. I should be up and moving. You look so tired an I know it's my fault," JoAnn said taking his hand.
"I'll be better when you and Jennifer feel better," he replied and kissed her forehead.
************************************
"Look, a motel," Brice said seeing an old, rundown looking building with a sign dangling from the front porch declaring it to be something called Jamaica Inn.
"That cannot be a working motel. It looks like no one's lived there for years," Johnny said.
"I have to admit, it looks like Bates Motel, but we might as well check it out. It should give us some shelter from the heat anyway," Morton said.
"I don't know. I get a bad feeling about this place," Johnny said.
"You've watched too many horror movies, Gage. It's an old building. It just needs a little work. I'm sure someone's around," Brice said as they started forward.
"Man, look! All of the birds around here all of the sudden," Johnny said grabbing their arms to hold them back.
"Those are just seagulls, John. I guess there are a few of them, but you're letting your imagination get the best of you," Morton said.
"You and Kelly have to be, beyond a shadow of doubt, the most gullible people," Brice said heading up the porch steps as Morton patted Johnny's shoulder.
"Come on. Maybe there's at least some water around here," he said as Johnny looked at the birds once more and hurried for the steps.
"Anyone here?" Brice called as he opened the creaky front door.
"I don't think anyone's been here for 50 years," Johnny said seeing the torn curtain separating the front room from the back of the building.
"I confess, it doesn't look good," Morton said seeing the dust piled up on the rotting front desk.
"I'll check around back. Gage, why don't you check upstairs and Doctor Morton, maybe you can see if the kitchen has any running water," Brice said heading back outside.
"Why should he get to go back outside?" Johnny asked looking at the steps leading to an ominous 2nd floor.
"John, I'll be right down here. Just go up and make sure no one's there," Morton said heading behind the curtain then coming to a stop.
"Um, John. You may be right," he said taking a step backward as Johnny hurried in after him and saw skeletal remains propped in a chair facing a window.
"Damn," Johnny quietly swore as he edged toward the figure then both he and Morton spun around as they heard a scream and saw a figure spring for them. Johnny cried out as the hysterical man lunged at him with a knife, thrusting it in his shoulder as he and the man fell to the ground. Morton looked frantically around the room for something to use to stop the man's attack on Johnny. As he grabbed on old brass lamp, the man pulled Johnny up and held him tightly in front of him, the knife now at his throat.
"Look, don't hurt him anymore. I'm a doctor and I just want to help him," Morton said as calmly as possible.
"Gage?" Brice asked hurrying into the room after hearing the screams from outside. He came to an abrupt stop seeing Johnny wince as the man pricked Johnny's neck with the knife.
"You're not a doctor. You're just like Harry. You're all thieves. Well, I saw you coming and I knew if I wanted to catch a thief, I'd stay real quiet then I'd get you, just like I got Harry," he said as Johnny winced as he was nudged forward.
"Um, I guess that's Harry?" Johnny muttered thru gritted teeth nodding at the remains in the chair.
"That's Harry. You know the trouble with Harry? He came here wanting to use my phone but I knew what he really wanted. Rebecca. My sweet wife, Rebecca," the man said loosening his grip on Johnny as his mind wandered. Johnny decided this might be his only chance to escape and as Morton and Brice helplessly watched, he threw his elbow backwards into the man's stomach and dove to the floor landing with a painful cry.
Morton quickly threw the lamp he was still holding at the man as Brice quickly grabbed Johnny and pulled him to his feet. He put a supportive arm around Johnny's waist as they hurried to the front door. Brice glanced back just as Morton slid down hard as he tripped over an old rug in the front room.
"Gage, run!" he shouted turning back to help Morton up as the man wielding the knife suddenly swung the weapon again. Brice tried backing away from the weapon and smacked his head hard against the wall, his glasses falling and breaking.
"All of you stay where you are!" the man said seeing Johnny starting forward again.
"Look, our car broke down. All we wanted was as place to call for help. Let me get my friends and we'll leave. We won't bother you again," Johnny said suddenly beginning to feel light-headed from the loss of blood.
"You want to use my phone, just like Harry. He brought a topaz ring for Rebecca. I told him she didn't want it. Then he saw her. She was on the couch and someone had tied her hands behind her. They used my own rope," the man said.
"I'm sorry about Rebecca," Johnny said.
"Harry, it was Harry. He wanted to call for help. He picked up the phone and started to dial. M, for murder. He murdered Rebecca," the man said suddenly swinging the knife around.
"All of you, the basement. I'll put you in the basement with Rebecca until the sheriff gets here," he said as he put the knife at Brice's stomach.
"Rebecca's in the basement?' Johnny asked.
"Just move," the man said as Morton got to his feet and helped Johnny to the door to the basement as the man kept the knife to Brice and nudged him after them.
"Open it," he said as Morton turned the doorknob and opened the door.
"Now, go down there and I'll get the sheriff," the man said.
"That's a good idea. You get the sheriff. He'll take good care of us," Brice said nearly stumbling down the steps as the man shoved him forward. Within seconds, the three men heard the door be slammed shut and the lock bolted.
"He's a psycho!" Johnny said as his knees buckled and Morton and Brice caught him, easing him to the dirt floor.
"We have to find a way out of here. That man's so dellusional, he's never going to let us out," Morton said trying to get a look at Johnny's shoulder wound.
"We have to hope someone sees the car," Brice said looking out the dark basement seeing only one very small window.
"Not even Gage could get thru that," he said with a sigh as he glanced at a worried Mike Morton.
*********************************
Dixie listened to Kelly Brackett's half of the phone conversation he was having with the California Highway patrol. He reported Mike Morton had never arrived at a conference along with two paramedics and was hoping the police might have information on stranded motorists. After saying a quick thanks, he hung up the phone and glanced at Dixie.
"Nothing," he said.
"Mike just had his car worked on. I hope it didin't give him any trouble. Can you just imagine Mike, John and Craig stranded somewhere together?" she asked with a slight smile.
"That's one place I wouldn't want to be," Brackett said.
"You're worried though," Dixie replied.
"Mike and Craig would never be late. And Johnny, well I'm sure he'd find a way to call. I'm going to ask Vince to keep an eye out for Mike's car. He is still here?" Brackett asked and Dixie nodded to the waiting area.
"He's still waiting for the report on the accident victim he brought in," she replied as Brackett headed over to talk to Vince.
*********************************
"You hear anything?" Johnny asked as Brice stood at the top of the stairs listening for the captor.
"Nothing. Of course, I didn't hear him the first time," he said carefully walking downt he steps then laughed slightly. "39 steps," he murmurred.
"Am I missing something?" Morton asked.
"It's nothing. I was just counting the steps to the basement," Brice said.
"You sure you didn't hit your head too hard?" Morton asked.
"I've been saying that for years," Johnny murmurred trying to move his arm.
"Gage, I told you, don't be moving that arm. I tucked it in your shirt and that's where I want it to stay," Morton scolded worrying the bleeding could start again.
"You know, someone will coming looking for us. We should have been at that meeting hours ago," Johnny said.
"Gage, you're notorious for being late. They probably just think you're holding us up," Brice said.
"I'm not that bad," Johnny said with another wince.
"Look, we can't just sit here spellbound. We have to get Gage to the hospital," Morton said.
I'm open to suggestions," Brice said.
"Maybe we can get the man who knew too much to come down here, then we can make our move," Johnny said as Morton and Brice stared at him.
"He's feverish," Morton said as Brice nodded.
"Just be ready," Johnny said pushing himself up. He made his way to the top of the stairs and started pounding on the door.
"Hey, Harry! Harry! Rebecca needs you!" he shouted.
"Gage! What are you doing?" Brice asked.
"Rebecca, she's scared and she needs you! That topaz ring, she really likes it!" Johnny shouted pounding on the door again.
"Get ready," Johnny whispered as he heard the man approach. He watched the doorknob turn and heard the lock unlatch.
"Rebecca?" the man quietly asked opening the door as Johnny grabbed his wrist and slammed it against the wall causing the knife to fall. Morton and Brice quickly ran up the stairs to help Johnny with the now very angry man. Brice grabbed the knife before the man could grab it again while Morton grabbed his arm before he could throw a punch at Johnny who was clutching his shoulder again.
"Rebecca, she's down there. She's asking for you," Johnny said as the man quickly headed down the stairs and Morton helped Johnny out. Brice quickly shut and locked the door leaving the man locked in the basement shouting for Rebecca.
"Man that was close," Johnny said as Morton led him to the old couch.
"I don't believe it. This guy has a phone," Morton said seeing the old rotary phone on a small table.
"Any chance it acutally works?" Brice asked as Morton picked the receiver up and smiled.
"Dial tone. I'll get an ambulance out here," he said.
"Tow truck," Johnny said.
"Ambulance," Morton said and quickly dialed 0 for help.
**********************************
"Roy, who was that?" JoAnn asked walking into the living room hearing Roy ending a phone conversation.
"Dixie. Johnny's in the hospital," he said with a slight frown.
"The hospital? I thought he was just going to a meeting?" JoAnn asked.
"Yeah, you know John. Somehow he, Morton and Brice ended up at some sort of Bates Motel with some guy who had an old skeleton and a knife. Johnny found the knife in his shoulder," Roy explained.
"Oh my goodness," JoAnn said.
"I'll go by the hospital tomorrow and check on him. Dix says he's asleep. Hey, you look like you feel a lot better," he said.
"All thanks to you," JoAnn said hugging him then frowning. "You feel warm," she said.
"I'm fine," he said.
"Come on. Let's go take your temperature," she said and led him to the medicine cabinet.
*****************************
"Hey," Johnny said waking to see Brackett marking his chart.
"Hey, yourself. How do you feel?" he asked.
"A little stiff. Probably okay to go home," Johnny said.
"Maybe in the morning. Mike and Craig headed on home after talking to the sheriff's department. Your Norman Bates disappeared," Brackett said.
"Disappeared? That can't be. We locked him in the basement," Johnny said.
"No trace of him. I wouldn't worry. I'm sure he'll be found," Brackett said.
"Man, I hope so. And I'll tell you something else, Doc. I am never going anywhere with Morton and Brice again," Johnny said.
"I guess I don't blame you," Brackett said. "Get some sleep," he added and turned the light out as he headed out of the room.
Author's Note: For the film buffs, the following Hitchcock films are listed in the story. Hope you liked it!
30 Steps
Rear Window
The Birds
Dial M for Murder
Vertigo
The Trouble with Harry
Rope
To Catch a Thief
Lifeboat
Spellbound
Notorious
Rebecca
Suspicion
Shadow of a Doubt
The Man Who Knew too Much
Torn Curtain
Topaz
I Confess
Jamaica Inn
