Inanimate (28 page)

“
Tony?”

A sullen voice
echoed in the throes
of the cells.

“
Hey
Unc.”

“
What
are you doing down here?”

Oates
asked the question even though he
already knew the answer. Tony stepped up to the bars to meet Oates.
The cold metal felt nice as he gripped it in the stuffy
basement.

“
Look around you uncle, this is
the safest place to be right now. I’m not safe outside, no-one
is.”

Oates
looked at his nephew
intently.

“
What gives you the right to
hide? You caused all this.”

Tony was unable to answer, instead
choosing to look down at his uncle’s superbly polished shoes. Oates
sighed, he knew his nephew was a screw-up but he got the feeling
Tony knew it as well. So he decided not to kick him at his
lowest.

“
Sorry to hear about
Earl.”

“
You knew him as well as I
did”
stated
Tony quietly.

“
Yes but I didn’t find his
body
.”

“
Well
…” Tony swallowed hard “…It is what
it is.”

Tony looked at Oates thoughtfully.
Behind the young man’s thuggish nature was a scared child begging
for comfort.

“
You know what this thing is
don’t you?”

“
I don’t think it’s one thing.
Whatever it was that killed Earl was different from the thing that
killed Amanda and Kyle, and probably different from the thing that
killed Jimmy and Lucy.”

“
You know, I never really
realized my actions could have such severe consequences until
now.”

Oates scoffed.

“
Tony, you killed a man! Don’t
tell me you didn’t think there wouldn’t be any consequences after
that. It doesn’t matter how innocent or scared you want to act,
you’re not an infant! You are very capable of understanding right
from wrong, you always have been. You just always chose not
to.”

“
And what about you Unc?
Weren’t you supposed to arrest me or something? What did you do
about it?”

Oates reached through the bars in a fit of
rage, grabbing Tony and pulling him hard up against the cold
metal.

“
You ungrateful little
prick! I spare you the needle and this is the thanks I get? You’d
have been in juvi years ago if it wasn’t for me.”

“
Yeah…” said Tony shakily “…And
then maybe this wouldn’t have happened.”

Oates let him go. Tony was right and
Oates knew it. Oates knew it all too well. Although on the surface
he blamed Tony for causing this he knew it was his inability to
keep Tony in check that was the real cause.

Tony walked back to the cot and lit up
a cigarette. Oates decided not to inform him of the state law
prohibiting smoking in public buildings.

“
So what now then Sheriff? You
know we’re both targets now right?”

Oates nodded

“
I have to go.”

“
You’re leaving?”

“
I’m going to see the Williams
boy. I’m going to put a stop to all this.”

Tony took
a long drag of his
cigarette.

“
You want my advice
Unc?”

“
No. Not really.”

“
The boy has to die. He’s pulling
the strings here. If he goes, all this stops.”

Oates simply
looked back at him; he had never
contemplated this as a solution before. Instead, he looked at his
own nephew, his own blood; advocating the murder of a ten year old
boy in order to save his own skin. Oates found this especially
unsettling as there was no way for them to know if the death of
Connor Williams would actually stop anything. Tony was prepared to
say such a thing on a whim. It was at that moment Sheriff Oates
realized he only had blood in common with his nephew, nothing
else.

“
I’ll have Dora bring you
some coffee.”

This was all Oates could say. It was
all he wanted to say. He had a monster in the family. This was
something he and Andy Williams had in common.

Oates
was determined to get some answers at
Hallcombes. Pulling out his reserved parking spot he trundled out
onto the main road heading for the highway. The morning dew had
only recently begun to disappear, and Staunton was getting smaller
behind him.

CHAPTER 28

MacNamee had only recently been called
over the P.A system despite his request the telephone be used
instead. He was, at least happy the message was vague enough so as
not to arouse the interest of nosey staff.

“
You
have a visitor in the
canteen.”

He knew the canteen would be
fairly empty at this time
so he could chat without worry of too many ears
listening. His office would normally be a better place, but there
were too many eyes around there. He would go into his office when
all parties had arrived. Gliding down the hallway his feet barely
had time to touch the ground in between steps. As he suspected, the
canteen was virtually deserted. Most of the staff had retreated
into the smoking area to chat while it was quiet. MacNamee looked
over at the corner table. Indeed, his visitor had arrived. Sergeant
Jacobs sat patiently for his audience with Doctor MacNamee, and
soon, Crass as well.

“
Morning
Doctor” said Jacobs as MacNamee
approached.

“
Thanks for coming over
Sergeant.”

The smell of cleaning
fluid
was
faint in the air, the linoleum floor was shiny from recent mopping.
Wet floor signs were dotted around the long tables where the
orderly’s normally sat. MacNamee knew this was not the ideal place
for a meeting but at least it was quiet. As soon as everyone
arrived they would move to his office.

“
I’m assuming you’ve been
following the spate of deaths in Staunton?”
MacNamee asked quietly.

“
Only through hearsay. It’s quite
hard to follow from my position. Those Staunton boys don’t like it
much when a city cop tries to interfere in their
business.”

“
Well I
can tell you this, last I heard there
were six bodies, and I think there will be more.”

“
Were they all involved in
the death of Andy Williams?”

“
No, not all, but at least two of
them were
.”

Jacobs
sat back and pondered.

“
It’s hardly concrete
Doctor, you said on
the phone these were all revenge killings, it doesn’t sound like
it. Even if they were, what do you need me for? I have no
jurisdiction there.”

Outside in the parking lot
Oates’ cruiser
pulled into a gravel-lined space. Loud crunching from
underneath the tire tread signaled his entry. Oates lifted his hat
off the passenger seat and lingered for a moment in the vehicle,
peering at himself in the mirror. He was determined not to leave
here today without answers. Oates was so wrapped up in his goals
today he was not aware he was carrying a stowaway. From the back
floor of the cruiser a brown paw reached for the door handle;
timing opening the back door to coincide with Oates opening the
front so as to remain undetected. This was the same brown paw that
earlier disabled the lock on the cruiser so it could be opened from
the inside. Oates took his time, trying to get his frame of mind
just right. After a moment he opened the door and got out. With
perfect synchronicity, Bear dropped to the ground. Leaving the door
open, Bear waited for Oates to enter the building before slipping
behind Hallcombes hospital. Using the trees in the surrounding
fields as cover, Bear headed towards the city.

Oates reached the reception desk
briskly. The rugged
Sheriff looked completely normal in Staunton, but this was
the city. And, with his big round hat and sepia toned uniform, it
was clear he was an outsider. Oates took off his hat in front of
the pretty young receptionist.

“
Hello miss, I’m here to see
a
Doctor
MacNamee.”

The receptionist looked at him
blankly.

“
Sheriff Oates
right?”

Thinking it was pretty obvious
he was the Sheriff, what with
him wearing his Sheriff’s badge, Oates had to
resist the urge for a sarcastic comment.

“
Yes miss
.”

“
He’s expecting you; he’s waiting
in the staff canteen. Turn right down the hall and follow the
signs. It’s not far.”

Oates thank
ed her and followed her
directions. She was right, it wasn’t far. Soon he was in the
canteen meeting three men. Two appeared to be doctors and one was
wearing a worn suit.

“
Hello Sheriff, thanks for
coming
.”

Doctor Crass
greeted Oates as the senior
Doctor, despite the fact it was MacNamee who dealt with
him.

“
Thank you for having me”
said Oates as he
looked at Jacobs apprehensively.

“
If you’re
Doctor Crass then you must be
Doctor MacNamee, the voice on the phone.”

MacNamee
greeted Oates warmly.

“
It’s good to finally meet
you
. I just
wish the circumstances could be better.”

Oates’ eyes shifted to Jacobs.

“
And who might this
be?”

MacNamee
introduced the two.

“
Sheriff Oates, this
is Sergeant Jacobs,
I asked him to come along.”

“
Why?”
asked Oates bluntly, suspicious of an
outside cop’s involvement.

Jacobs stood for a moment before
answering.

“
Doctor MacNam
ee was just about to explain
that explain that, weren’t you doc.”

“
I was going to discuss all this
in my
office,
said MacNamee. “But it’s much quieter in here than I anticipated so
I guess this is as good a place as any to talk”

The men nod
ded in agreement.

“
Sheriff Oates, I understand you
want to
know
who is responsible for the murders in Staunton.”

“
I do
.”

“
Well, Doctor Crass and I would
like to
know
as well, as would Sergeant Jacobs. Now, the only person who can
tell us for sure who is responsible is Connor Williams and so far
he has been playing games with our resident child psychologist
Doctor Frieda. That said, we are still going to use Doctor Frieda
in the questioning process, but we would like a police officer
present, to hopefully add some more weight to the questioning.
That’s why we asked Sergeant Jacobs along.”

Crass
stepped in.

“
We feel, that since the
Sergeant
has
spoken to Connor only a few days ago, informing the boy of his
father’s death, his presence in the room might encourage the boy to
give us more details.”

The Doctors
looked at Oates, half expecting
some objection.

“
Hey”
said Oates “I have no complaints, as
long as I find out what’s going on in my town, I don’t care whose
present in the room.”

The Doctors then
turned their
attentions to Jacobs who was sitting patiently.

“
I
have no problem with it, he’s just a
kid.”

The two Doctors
share
d a
looked before Crass spoke.

“
Very good then, I
will fetch Doctor
Frieda and we will meet in our interview room in ten
minutes.”

Oates
sat, trying to look as casual as he
could.

“
Sounds good doctor.”

Oates’ front could be seen through from a
mile away. He did not know what to expect when he saw Connor
Williams, but this was a child who could be responsible for a
number of deaths. And that scared him a little. Jacobs, on the
other hand, was not scared. He too did not know what to expect from
the boy but at most, maybe Connor had some information on the real
culprit. He did not believe for one second this boy could be
responsible for murder. That opinion however, was about to
change.

CHAPTER 29

In the room behind the glass MacNamee,
Oates and Crass stood, watching Frieda and Jacobs chat to each
other before they interviewed Connor Williams. Frieda looked at
Jacobs intently.

“
Have you ever interviewed a
child before?”

“
Yes
…” replied Jacobs. “…In fact I spoke to
Connor just before he was committed here.”

“
Then you
know what he’s like?”

“
No, I’m sorry;
I don’t know what
you mean.”

Frieda
leaned in close.