The Tenth Justice - Brad Meltzer [154]
“Oh, my God,” Ben said, running toward the stairs. “OBER!!” he screamed.
Instinctively, Nathan and Eric followed.
“OBER, ARE YOU IN THERE?” Ben screamed, pounding on the locked door to Ober’s room. Ben turned to Eric and Nathan. “I think I found a suicide note!”
“OBER! OPEN UP!” Nathan screamed, pounding on the door.
“Break it down,” Ben said frantically.
“Move out of the way.” Nathan took a couple of steps back, then threw all his weight against the door.
“Again!” Ben said.
Once again, Nathan rammed his body into the door.
“KICK IT!” Eric shouted. “HURRY!”
Nathan rammed his foot into the door, and the door frame buckled. He rammed it again, and the door flew open. They all ran inside.
Ober was dangling against the closet door, a belt taut around his neck. “Omigod!” Eric said. “Omigod! Omigod!”
“Help me get him down,” Ben said as he and Nathan grabbed Ober’s legs and struggled to support his body. “Eric, open the door.”
Eric was hysterically crying. With his hands shaking and the tears rolling down his face, he didn’t even hear Nathan’s request. All he could see was Ober. “He’s dead!”
“OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!” Nathan screamed.
Eric pulled open the closet door, and Ober’s body slumped forward and fell to the floor. Instantly, Nathan rolled Ober on his back and started CPR.
“Hurry!” Ben said as Nathan pinched Ober’s nose. Taking a deep breath, Nathan tried to breathe life back into his friend.
“Look at his eyes!” Eric said, unnerved by the blank stare on Ober’s face. “He’s dead.”
Nathan shut Ober’s eyes and looked at Ben. “Get Eric the hell out of here.”
“Eric, go downstairs,” Ben said. “Call an ambulance.”
As Eric ran out of the room, Nathan pumped Ober’s chest and then listened for a heartbeat.
“There’s no pulse!” Ben said, holding Ober’s wrist.
“He’s all white,” Nathan said, looking at Ober’s pallid complexion.
“Keep trying,” Ben demanded. “Do it again!”
Futilely filling Ober’s lungs with air, Nathan continued to administer CPR.
“DON’T STOP!” Ben screamed, reading the disheartened look on Nathan’s face. “DO IT AGAIN!”
Once again, Nathan tried to bring back his friend. He pumped against Ober’s chest with his full strength, and did everything he could to elicit any sign of life. He listened closely for a heartbeat, but eventually pulled away. “Forget it. It’s over.”
“Let me try,” Ben said, pushing Nathan aside.
“Ben, it’s over.”
“Help me take him downstairs!” Ben demanded, lifting Ober’s feet. “Maybe the ambulance can revive him. They have that shock machine—”
“It won’t do any good,” Nathan said, sitting on the floor and leaning against Ober’s bed. “He’s gone.”
As the paramedics rolled the stretcher out of the house, Ben gave the suicide note and the leather belt to the policemen assigned to the scene. After interviewing the three roommates, one of the officers gave Ben his card. “I’d like to talk to you more about this.”
“We’ll come down tomorrow,” Ben said. He felt emotionally drained. Shutting his eyes, hoping to somehow shut out reality, Ben attempted to quell the throbbing pain at the back of his neck.
“I’m really sorry about your friend,” the other officer said.
“Thanks,” Ben said, walking the two officers to the door. When the police car and the ambulance pulled away from the house, Ben shut the door. Collapsing on the floor, he rolled on his back and tried his best to think clearly. A minute later, he turned toward Nathan, who was sitting at the glass table in the dining room. “Where’s Eric?” Ben asked.
Nathan peered through the glass, staring at his feet. “He’s in his room talking to his mom.”
“Is