Girl Jacked (17 page)

Like I’ll ask for directions…

Jack opened the closed door on the left. A cement hallway stretched out into the darkness.

Brendan smirked and pointed to the right and the other door. “That’s a utility corridor, this way.”

Jack let Brendan lead and tried to unclench his fists.

They walked down another corridor until the came to a large double door. Brendan swiped his card and the doors opened. A short hallway split left and right with doors at the ends. This section had the feel of a hospital, as everything was white and sterile.

“This way to the lab.” Brendan walked to the left and into a small hallway filled with cubes along the wall.

Brendan pulled out a small plastic tray from one cube. “Do you have any ferromagnetic materials?”

“What?”

“Metal?” He rolled his eyes as he pointed up to the caution sign.
No Metal Beyond this Point!

Jack bit his tongue but made a show of it as he un-chambered his Glock .40 caliber gun, dropping the clip into his hand. “Do you have a secure location for this?” Jack smirked as he pulled the slide back to remove the round in the chamber.

Brendan walked over and opened a safe as he snidely smiled back.

Jack took his time while he placed his gun inside. He closed the door himself and tried the handle to make sure it locked.

Brendan moved over to a door. Another swipe and it opened. “The fMRI is in here.” Jack followed and found himself in some kind of control booth. A computer console in front of a large window looked out to a room that appeared as if it belonged in a hospital. A large circular machine was in the main room, centered over a stretcher, and looked to be in use. On a monitor in the control booth, Jack could see that a smiling girl was lying on the stretcher. Her body was inside of the long tube, surrounded by the machine. The ring was the size of two large tractor tires. It reflected in the pristine black tiled floor.

“Impressive isn’t it?” Brendan beamed. “It is a modified experimental design, 9.4 Tesla. One of the most powerful fMRI’s in the world and 6 times more powerful than the average MRI. The University of Illinois at Chicago has been experimenting with a similar design for years with excellent results. The detailed brain scans can pinpoint reactions in nanoseconds.

“How does it work?”

“It operates by detecting the changes in blood oxygenation and flow that occur in response to neural activity. This control booth precisely controls and monitors the machine and the super magnet inside.”

A young man, in his mid-twenties, sat at the console and clicked a mouse. Video monitors on either side of him flashed graphs and charts. “It takes almost a full day to power down,” the young man chimed in.

“Let him hear.” Brendan tapped the young man’s shoulder and he flicked a switch.

Jack looked at the girl on the stretcher and realized that she was watching a monitor inside of the machine. He could hear her laughing and with each laugh, the charts on the monitors in the control room jumped and changed.

“Excellent. You’ll accept my apologies for my tardiness.” Dr. Hahn hurried into the room and shook Jack’s hand. “I trust that Brendan is explaining everything?”

“It is very impressive doctor.”

“It represents countless hours and sacrifice by so many, including Michelle.”

“How many students work here?”

“Several dozen. We are at full staff and have a number of students who volunteer too. Don’t you wish that you could have been able to get credit for watching TV?” he laughed.

“I didn’t realize that you had so much high-tech equipment in here. It’s great that Michelle was getting it all locked down.”

“This is a college Psychology Center. It is as quiet as a church. Still, the college wants you to follow procedures.”

“How late are people here, typically?”

“Typically?” Dr. Hahn paused. “The hours are ‘typically’ nine to five. It is however a college and in academia things are sometimes atypical.”

“Dr. Hahn, what is your function here?”

“I am a figure head.” He laughed. “They say that I run the Center but you see that is better left to the young. They bring me out for fundraisers and to teach a class or two.”

“He’s being modest.” Brendan stepped forward. “Dr. Hahn is the director of the Neuropsychology Department. This whole center is his work. He is a real pioneer in fMRI research.”

Dr. Hahn’s hand rested on Brendan’s shoulder. “My student’s flattery is sure to positively affect his grades.” He laughed again and patted Brendan’s arm. “I do apologize but I have a class this morning and I need to prepare for it.”

“Of course, it was a pleasure. Thank you for thinking of me.” Jack shook his hand.

“It was the least that I could for all of Michelle’s work. Brendan will see you out.” Dr. Hahn turned to go.

“Dr. Hahn, I was hoping that I could make a rather odd request of you. After seeing all of this, I just wish… I wish that I could have been a fly on the wall and seen Michelle at work. Do you know what I mean?”

“I do. Maybe it is the researcher in me but wanting to be an observer is a frequent wish of mine too.”

“Then do you think it would be possible if I could look at some of the video footage of Michelle working? I know it’s not a typical request but I think it would help me with closure.”

“Sadly… that would not be possible…”

“I’d be happy to come back.” Jack turned his hands out.

“Unfortunately, it is not a matter of time. The security cameras were one of the last things Michelle was working on and right now, they do not record anything. They only serve as a deterrent.”

“That’s too bad.” Jack’s shoulders slumped.

“Michelle would have been very happy that you came out here today, Officer. I hope you can find some closure in the fact that her work here was meaningful and will continue.”

After another minute and one wimpy handshake from Brendan, Jack walked back towards his Impala as it began to rain. He didn’t change his pace or even react to the cold sting from the drops.

Closure. I’ll get closure when I find out what happened to Michelle.

Jack drove along the road through the state forest and looked at the clock. 12:49 pm. He was early. He pulled to the side into the third lookout spot. There were many staggered along the scenic drive so people could pull off, stretch their legs, and enjoy the view. He wasn’t there for the scenery and he didn’t get out of the car. He was waiting for a silver Ford Taurus. It wasn’t there yet.

It was cold out. He left the car running.

Jack shook his head.
Undercover detectives.

You always had to meet them somewhere out of the norm. When he first joined the force, he had to make drops to an undercover at a golf course. They were a paranoid bunch with good reason. If one wrong person saw them, months of work could go down the drain or worse they could end up dead.

Jack was here to meet Detective Mark Reynolds. He was the man to go to if you wanted to find out what was happening in Darrington County if drugs were involved. Jack wanted to know as much about meth as possible. He needed to rule out a few possible scenarios.

To Jack it didn’t make sense that Michelle, who worked hard and never did drugs, would use meth.

Could someone have slipped it to her? Are college kids using it and if so who is their supplier?

As Jack worked on his mental list, Reynolds’ car pulled in.

The silver Taurus backed up next to him and Mark slipped out of the driver seat and slid into Jack’s passenger seat. Reynolds was in his early thirties but looked about ten years younger. Jack couldn’t understand how considering all the stress he must be under. Reynolds was about five foot five and he was strong. His handshake was so firm that Jack thought it should belong to a sheet metal worker.

His hair was black and wavy. He wore a tan work coat and blue jeans. His voice wasn’t too deep but it had a calmness to it. It reminded Jack of a teacher.

“Jack.”

“Mark. I appreciate you coming.”

“I can’t stay long. I’m supposed to be dropping off a package. You said you had some questions you needed help with.”

“Yeah, they’re about meth.”

“This related to your foster sister Michelle Campbell?”

Jack nodded.

“She died in a car accident out on Reservoir Road?”

“Yes.”

“She had meth in her system.”

“Yes. How did you know all of that?”

“The ME’s office always informs the drug task force. We keep track of any deaths involving drugs.”

Jack nodded. “I have a few questions.”

Mark eyed Jack. “What are you going to do with the information if I do give it to you?”

“Do with it?”

“Are you going to go kicking down the doors of all the meth dealers in the city?”

Jack thought for a minute before responding; “I’ll think about what you give me. If it leads me to the guy who gave her the meth, yeah… I’ll kick his door down. You have a problem with that?”

Mark looked at him for a minute and then shook his head. He lit a cigarette and leaned back. “Okay. What do you want to know?”

“How can you take meth?”

“Shoot it. Smoke it. Eat it. Suppository.”

“Is it big at the college?”

“Depends on what your definition of big is. It’s available. It’s always available. We shut one lab down and another pops up. Last year there were two dealers at the college. I don’t know of one operating right now. It has been quiet there lately.”

“None?”

“Like I said, you can get it but there isn’t one dealer that’s got it for turf. Too much heat now.”

Mark leaned forward and angled his head down while he pretended to tune the radio. Jack looked up and saw a man riding his bike along the road. They both remained silent as the bike rider rode past. The detective leaned back and took a long drag from his cigarette.

“Could someone have forced her to take it?”

“Yeah, I suppose.” He paused and looked at Jack. “Is that what you think happened?”

“Yes.”

“Why do you think that?”

“She wouldn’t do meth. She was a clean hardworking kid with no previous drug use. If someone didn’t do drugs, would their first choice be meth?”

“You need to ask a better question Jack.”

Jack’s jaw clenched. “How so?”

“First off, you don’t know for a fact the she hadn’t done any other drugs, right?”

Jack nodded.

“Second, anyone might. It matters on the circumstances. I can’t answer how likely. Who knew her best?”

“Her sister.”

“Does she say that she could have done it?”

“She said no way.”

“But she had it in her system. What did the ME say?”

“The body hadn’t been discovered for some time… They couldn’t tell how much.”

Mark took a drag on his cigarette and blew the smoke out the crack of the window.

Jack cleared his throat. “I appreciate you meeting me.”

“I understand now why you asked. Family is important.”

“Do you have any?” Jack asked.

Mark took another long drag and exhaled, letting the smoke waft out the window.

“I have a wife that defies expectations. She’s like a good doctor; she has a lot of patience.” Jack smiled at the joke and Mark continued; “My daughter on the other hand… ” His voice trailed off and he looked out the window.

Jack debated for a second then said; “She’s like a pediatrician? She has little patience.”

Mark looked at him with a look of puzzlement then burst out laughing. He laughed so hard he started coughing.

“That was funny.” Mark tossed his cigarette out.

“I just made it up.”

“Thanks. I needed a laugh.”

“One more question?” Jack continued. “You said there are no dealers at the college now. Who were the dealers before?”

“Carl Finn and Mike Leverone. Leverone will talk with you.”

“Why not Finn?”

“He’s dead.”

“Dead?”

“Suicide. Last year.”

“Why will Leverone talk?”

“He had an accident. His lab blew up. Burned down his parents’ house and got pretty fried himself. He flipped. He gave us everything and everyone he had. He does scared straight stuff now.”

“How can I get in touch with him?”

Reynolds scribbled a phone number and address down and handed them to Jack.

“He’s odd but he’s helping us, so don’t go off, understand?”

“I just want to find out how she got it. I’m open to ideas.”

“Talk to Mike. He knew how everything went at the college. If it were me, I’d consider starting with your sister’s friends. Find out who she was with. Friends, start there. If not, you’re chasing the wind.”

“I appreciate it.”

They shook hands and Mark started to slide out of the car then he stopped.

“Jack?” Mark held up one finger as he stared straight ahead.

“Yeah?”

“There was this one kid. We followed him a few times last year. We suspected he was a runner for one of the dealers at the college but we never could catch him red-handed.”

Jack opened his notebook again.

“Lennie Jacobsen. They call him Lennie-J,” Reynolds said.

“Thanks. I’ll look him up.”

“No problem.” He gave a curt nod and then walked away.

Jack watched the Taurus pull out and started dialing. He wanted to see Leverone before he went home.