Authors: Jerrie Alexander
Chris scooted to the edge of her chair. The unknown scared the wits out of her. What if she’d suppressed something, a memory she might not be able to handle? She reached for Marcus’s hand. “Is it all right if he stays?”
“That’s fine.” Dr. Stern stood, moved across the plush gray carpet, and opened a second door. She turned to Marcus. “I ask that you remain silent. Sit where Ms. Holland can’t see you, and if you think of something I need to ask, write it down and hold up the piece of paper. I’ll come get it.”
“You got it.”
****
Sit still and shut up. The doctor hadn’t used those exact words, but Marcus got her meaning. They had moved into a smaller area, which he thought looked more like a living room. A small couch and two chairs had been arranged facing each other. End tables flanked each one. The overhead light was a normal setting, which surprised him. He’d expected a softer glow to help relax the patient, but then what did he know about hypnosis? Dr. Stern started to move a chair out of the way, but he took it from her.
“Right there is fine.” She indicated a spot, and he followed the doctor’s orders.
“How do we do this?” Chris’s voice had lost some of its strength, making her sound wary.
“Have a seat.” Dr. Stern directed her to a chair. “If you’re wondering, I don’t swing a watch in front of you and ask you to follow its movement like they used to do in the movies. In fact, I don’t use any equipment. We’re going to take it nice and slow. I’ll talk to you in a quiet tone and help you calm down. That process will continue until you’re in a state of relaxation.”
Marcus listened to Dr. Stern’s words, thinking her low and monotone voice would put anybody to sleep.
“What do you want me to do?” Chris sounded a little more comfortable.
“Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Now let’s start at the top of your head, relax the nerves and muscles. Now work your way down to your face and neck.”
Marcus had never been hypnotized, and he intentionally tuned the doctor out. He pulled a small pad and pen from his pocket. The doc might be able to recall everything perfectly later, but he had to take notes.
Dr. Stern wandered through Chris’s past jobs, boyfriends, school mates, and even teachers. Chris’s words were pleasant, and her memories were good ones. She’d fallen in love with Mr. and Mrs. Holland the first time they visited the home.
Chris’s tone of voice changed as they discussed her years before the adoption. She was a frightened little girl who didn’t understand why the bad people had taken her mommy away. She wanted her mother to come get her.
The doc switched back to the day Chris’s adoptive parents took her and Chelsea home with them. Chris began to cry. Her arms extended toward someone. Then she clutched her arms to her breasts as if holding on to something tightly.
“Who is there with you?” the doctor asked.
“We’re leaving the home, but Charlie’s not coming with us.”
“Who is Charlie?”
“My brother. He’s upset.”
Another sibling? Marcus leaned closer, listening for the next revelation.
“Talk to your brother. Why is he upset?”
Chris was silent for a moment. She extended her arms and shook her head. “Yes. I won’t forget. I promise. Yes. I swear.” She struggled to pull away from something that held her back. Her sobs filled the room.
Marcus wanted to intervene. Chris’s sorrow was gut-wrenching. His heart ached for her, but they couldn’t stop now. He scribbled on his pad, and then passed the note to Dr. Stern.
“Chris, I want you to relax. Let’s talk about your sister’s death.”
She stopped crying on the spot. Marcus was amazed how the mind could turn scenes off and on. He listened carefully, not wanting to miss a thing, as the doctor calmly walked Chris through the incident.
“Okay, Chris. You’re inside the house. I want you to remember that you are just an observer today. The attacker can’t hurt you.”
“I don’t want to look at Chelsea.”
“You don’t have to. We’re only concerned with the person who killed her.”
Chris frowned. “It happened so fast. He choked me.”
“What color is his hair?” the doctor probed.
“Blond.”
“Lighter or darker than yours?”
“About the same. He is tall and has blue eyes.” Chris fidgeted.
“Stay calm and relaxed. He can’t hurt you.”
“He’s so angry.”
“Chris, do you know this man?”
“No. Yes. Something about him is familiar.”
“That’s enough for today. You’ll remember everything we talked about, but you’ll wake calm and relaxed.” The doctor reached over and touched Chris on the hand. “Chris?”
She opened her eyes and let out a long breath. Marcus knelt in front of her. He grabbed her hands, rubbing hard because they were ice cold. “It’s over. The doc and I are right here.”
Her blue eyes widened as they searched his face. “I remember,” she choked out the words.
Dr. Stern caught Marcus by the arm. “Come sit down. Let me chat with Chris for a minute.” Her tone reminded him that she was the doctor.
He gritted his teeth and reluctantly followed instructions. She couldn’t possibly realize that Chris had revealed a very important memory.
“Chris, I want you to take a few deep breaths.” The doc waited a few seconds. “When you’re ready, let’s talk about what upset you.”
“I have a brother.” Chris sounded calm, but he wasn’t buying it. She shuddered. “How could I have forgotten?” Her voice caught, and Marcus knew the tears had returned. The hell with standing behind her. He knelt next to her chair where they could see each other.
“If his existence was never mentioned, it’s understandable that you’d forget him. Leaving him behind was a traumatic experience for you, too. You were a child and couldn’t keep your promise, so you suppressed his memory to protect yourself from the pain.”
“I remember my birth mother.”
“Do you?” the doc challenged. “Or do you remember what you were told again and again over the years?”
“I’m not sure anymore.”
“What did you promise him?” Marcus had to ask.
Chris frowned. “I promised I’d come back for him.”
“Who was the oldest of you three?” Marcus pushed.
Chris’s head tilted to the right. Her gaze focused somewhere only she could see. “Charlie was two years older than me.” She dropped her head into her hands. “How could my mother and father have been so cruel as to split us up? Why?”
“The answer may stay buried with your adoptive parents,” Marcus said. Chris’s tortured expression ripped at his soul.
“Oh my God. The killer looked a lot like an older version of Charlie.”
Pieces of the puzzle had started to drop into place. “Your description of the blond, blue-eyed killer brings a lot of answers to light.”
Dr. Stern stood and glanced at her watch. “I’m expecting a patient in a few minutes, but if you’d like to dig deeper into your past, we can schedule an appointment.”
“I’d like that, but let me call back with a time,” Chris said.
Marcus helped Chris to her feet. He put his arm around her waist to steady her. Together, they followed Dr. Stern back down the hall to her office, where she checked her computer.
“I’m free between ten and twelve tomorrow. Call my assistant if you decide to come in.”
“Thank you,” Chris said. “I appreciate your help. I can’t believe I’d blanked out that period of my life.”
“You’re welcome. One other thing you should be aware of, now that you remember your brother, more of the blanks in your past may come back on their own.”
Marcus shook the doc’s hand and then followed Chris to the elevator and outside. He called Nate while they walked to the car and quickly filled him in on everything she’d remembered. He slid behind the steering wheel. “Nate says our attorney has your adoption records. Kay’s gone after them. They will be at the office by the time we get there.”
“I’d rather go to the Miriam Waters Home for Children in Fort Worth. Maybe somebody there can tell us something. Surely, they keep records forever.”
“We can try. Maybe they’ll share information without you asking for a court order.”
“Only one way to find out.” She leaned her head back and closed her eyes.
“That’s my girl. I told you before that your strength is amazing. I meant it.”
“Why do I feel as if I’ve just run a marathon?”
“This is just a wild guess, but maybe it’s because you just relived years of your life?” She smiled, and the weight of a brick house lifted off his shoulders.
“Can we make it to Fort Worth before the children’s home closes?” she asked.
“I don’t see why not.”
“I have to know more about Charlie.” Her fingers gripped Marcus’s arm. “He’s a monster. But why? He was a sweet little boy. What happened to him?”
“We’ll find out. I’ll let Nate know where we’re going.” Marcus fired off a text, started the rental car, and drove out of the parking lot. A few seconds later, his cell vibrated. “Nate must have questions.” Marcus accepted the call. “What’s up?”
“Dalton’s with me,” Nate said. “He has some questions for Chris about her brother.”
“You got it,” Marcus said. “Hang on.” Marcus handed the cell to Chris. “Nate and Dalton. Go ahead.”
“What was your last name before you were adopted?” Dalton asked.
“Shelby.”
“And Charlie is two years older than you, right?” Marcus added.
“Yes. He’d be thirty-four now.”
“You hear that?” Marcus asked Nate.
“Yeah. While you’re in Fort Worth, Dalton and I will shake the bushes. See what we can learn about Charles Shelby.”
“Good. How’s my dog?”
“He gets petted more than I do. What does that tell you?”
“He’s easier to love?”
“Could be.” Nate laughed. “Kaycie just took him out back. Do you want to speak to him?”
“Cute.” Marcus disconnected the call. “You getting thirsty or hungry?”
“No. I don’t think I can eat.” Chris wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to hold food down. Charlie had butchered his own sister and tried to choke Chris. She could almost feel his hands on her throat.
“Hey,” Marcus said. “You’re going to get through this. I’m going to make sure you do.”
“I could’ve saved Chelsea.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I wasn’t very nice to her the last time we spoke. Chelsea had been kicked out of another rehab center. She’d come home and was staying with our mother. I stopped by there one day and caught her berating our mother, trying to get money from her. I lost it. Accused her of being a selfish brat. She left and never came back.”
“That wasn’t your sister you were talking to. It was the drugs. The narcotics had taken over her every waking thought.”
Marcus had been watching a van behind them. It had changed lanes with him twice. There had to be hundreds of white vans registered in Dallas County, but he wasn’t taking any chances with Chris’s safety.
Chapter 22
Chris grabbed the armrest to steady herself as Marcus crossed two lanes of freeway and shot down the off-ramp. She fought the urge to turn and look behind them. “Is someone following us?”
“I’ll know for sure in just a minute.” Marcus made a U-turn, swerving around the tight curve at a high speed. Just as the car leveled off, he pushed the gas pedal to the floor, slinging her back against the seat. Every nerve in her body tensed. Thank God, he hadn’t let down his guard.
He glanced at the rearview mirror. “The white van came with us. Hang on.”
With the skill of a race car driver, he wove in and out of traffic. This time she did turn to check behind them. She held her tongue, hoping he had shaken their tail.
“Nobody is behind us now,” he said.
Chris’s heart pounded against her rib cage. She tried to wet her lips, but her mouth was desert dry. “That was a wild ride.”
“Son of a bitch must have picked us up when we left the office. I don’t know how, because I watched carefully.”
A sudden sinking feeling washed over Chris. She closed her eyes, hoping it would go away. Instead, she felt as if she were falling down a black hole. Her flesh and blood was responsible for all those murders. She’d studied the pictures and the reports. Those women had died horribly. They’d suffered because of a promise she’d made as a child?
“I can’t get past Charlie doing those horrible things.” An ache rushed through her entire body. Her seat belt seemed to get tighter, choking the breath out of her. “His voice has changed, but I should’ve recognized him on the message. ‘Promises have to be kept no matter what your age.’“
“I still believe he has a partner. Could’ve been him who called.” Marcus was no doubt trying to ease her pain. Who’d have thought that when she’d walked into the Lost and Found office, she’d meet someone like him?