Authors: Judith Townsend Rocchiccioli
Mona,
Bridgett, and Leticia were drinking coffee and gossiping in Alex's office.
All three stood and hugged her when she came in. Bridget looked rested and
she was laughing. "Guess what, Al? Angie's much better today! Last night
she began to come around. She began talking about the attack and said it was
Whitset who attacked her. Angie was a little emotional when Jack told her that
Whitset was dead. It takes her a while to understand stuff, but then she said
she was glad."
Alex
hugged Bridgett again, as her secretary continued to talk.
"Anyway,
she seemed relieved that Whitset was dead. Nadine told her that her responses
were natural, well, you know, normal. Anyway, she is so much better, and I
feel so grateful to you all." Bridgett looked like her old self. Her
blonde hair was piled high on her head, her blue eyes were sparkling and the
rings of fatigue around her eyes were gone. Her clothes, once again, were
outrageous. She wore a pink mini-skirt, an orange tank top, and a lime green
blazer. She couldn't be any brighter. She even had on 3 inch gold heels and
the largest lime green necklace and drop earrings Alex had ever seen.
Alex
shook her head when she noted Bridgett's outfit, but was so happy for her that
she just said, "Bridge, I'm so glad. I know Angie's going to be fine
now. She is strong and practical, just like you, and she will be able to work
through it. Besides, she has her husband and Jessica to pull her through.
They'll help her refocus her life."
Bridgett
hugged Alex again and said, "Alex, will you help me help her? You are so
good at helping people with things."
Alex
felt her heart start to beat frantically. She understood then that Bridgett
didn't know that Whitset had attacked and raped her as well. Alex didn't know
if she would be able to help herself, much less Angie.
"I'll
do my best, Bridge. You know that. And by the way, most people would need
sunglasses to look at you today, you're so bright. What an outfit!" If
Bridgett picked up on the hesitancy in Alex's voice, she didn't let on.
Bridgett
looked a bit chagrined. "Yeah, but I wanted to look cheerful for
Angie. Believe me, she had plenty to say to me about my outfit. She's so
conservative. She doesn't dress like me at all anymore. She used to hate it
when Momma dressed us alike in bright colors."
Leticia
was laughing at them and commented, "Yes, Miss Bridgett, now, she does
wear the bright clothes. No question."
Alex’s
spirits rose as she looked at Leticia. "Leticia, how's the boss this
morning?"
Leticia
smiled coyly at Alex and said, "Well, Miss Alex, Mr. Montgomery isn't in
this morning. I doubt he'll be here for the rest of the week. Rumor has it
that he has a black eye, among other injuries." I even heard he needed to
see his dentist 'cause he lost a few teeth!" Leticia was smiling broadly,
her white teeth shining.
Alex
held up her hand to stop her and said gaily, "Say no more, Leticia. Let's
just glory in rumors and the memories! And, Miss Mona, how are you today?"
"I'm
right well, Alex. I'm glad to see you're looking so good. Much better than
yesterday! I guess I'm a little sad, though. Looks like I'll be out of a job
soon. Bridge is coming back next week." Mona looked a little forlorn.
"Get
off it, Mona. You know you can only stand working a week at a time. If you
need some extra work, I'm sure Alex can arrange it. Right, Alex?"
Alex
smiled at both women. "Yeah. You bet. Just let me know, Mona."
Bridgett
changed the subject. "How's Dr. Desmonde, Alex?
Alex
shook her head. "Not good, Bridgett. She's the same. She's in a coma.
Dr. Bonnet is hopeful that she'll regain consciousness soon. Her neurosurgeon
is less hopeful."
Bridget
and Leticia looked sad. Mona said expectantly, "Commander Françoise was
in here earlier. He said she had squeezed his hand."
Alex
nodded her head and said, "Yes, I know. He told me, too. But now, she seems
to be back in a deep coma." There was silence and Alex continued,
"Bridgett or Mona, could you have dietary send up some coffee and donuts
for us? Jack and Robert are coming over soon and will be in my office."
Bridgett
said with some authority, "The Commander just needs to be patient, Angie
was in a coma too and now she's just fine."
"Why
don't you remind him of that, Bridgett, when you see him today, "Alex
suggested. "He could use a perk.”
Bridgett
gave Alex a bright, dazzling smile. "I'll do just that, Alex. The
Commander is a good man."
Alex
nodded in agreement, while Mona went to call dietary. Then, she waved goodbye
to the secretaries and went into her office.
As
Alex savored the silence and elegance of her office, she noted she had less than
an hour before Jack, Nadine, and Robert would show up. It had occurred to her
that no one knew about her rape except for Jack, Robert, Josh, and Nadine.
That was comforting. If Bridgett or Mona knew, she would've picked up on it.
Alex felt some relief that her confidentiality was intact.
As
she continued to think to herself, she again noticed the letter from her friend
in San Francisco. Alex found herself reading the letter and scanning the
organization's annual report. Her interest in setting up their legal
department was heightened. More than ever she felt a pressing need to get out
of New Orleans and away from Crescent City Medical Center for a while. Perhaps
she could arrange for a year or two sabbatical. Maybe by then, Don would have
quit and she could come back. She was infinitely sick of him and his juvenile
antics. But she might as well forget California. Her grandparents would
have a fit, particularly the Congressman. She really needed to get closer to
Virginia. It occurred to her that this was the second time she had had these
thoughts in a very short period of time.
Maybe, though, she should
consider California for a year.
Mona
buzzed her and said the others were in her conference room. Alex went in, her
heart pounding, as if she were about to be executed. Now, she would find out
if she had been forcibly raped or not. Then, she could make plans and get on
with her life.
Jack,
Robert, and Nadine were drinking coffee and talking quietly. Only Robert was
eating a donut. A bad sign, Alex thought. Jack had never turned down a donut
before. She studied his face as she sat down. It was dismal as he spoke to
them. He looked like a whipped puppy.
"I
don't have much to tell you," he began. "First of all, Whitset was
responsible for the rape and beating of Angie and the murder of Mrs. Smithson.
The evidence is conclusive, the bite marks match up perfectly."
Alex
and Robert sat quietly and Nadine said, "Go on, Jack, what else?"
Jack
sighed and continued, "There's also evidence that Weston Whitset killed
his elementary school teacher when he was seven years old. After that, he was
committed to a state institution for the criminally insane. Anyway, Weston
assumed the identity of his brother, Lester, about 20 years ago. Lester was a
hospital administrator in the British West Indies and died there rather
unexpectedly. As a matter of fact, he died during a visit from Weston. Weston
Whitset had been released earlier from a forensics unit and had gone there to
visit. Apparently, Lester Whitset's death was never reported in the United
States, but Weston Whitset's was." Jack looked around at the incredulous
stares of the group.
The
Commander continued, "Therefore, the psych hospital wrote him off and
never expected him back for follow-up. There was some speculation of foul play
in Lester's death, but the evidence against Weston was inconclusive. After a
year or so, Weston Whitset reappeared in the United States as Lester Whitset
and assumed his brother’s identity and occupation."
Alex
moaned and said, "Oh, my God, this is unbelievable!"
Françoise
agreed, "Yes, unbelievable, but true. Anyway, the records at the
Pennsylvania psychiatric hospital noted that Lester Whitset had called from the
West Indies, shortly before his death, and expressed concern because his
brother had stopped taking his medicine and was acting strangely. Shortly
after that, the hospital received notice of Weston Whitset's death, so they
closed their case."
Robert
interrupted, "So, was it proven that Whitset killed his brother?"
"No,"
Jack said. "Lester Whitset apparently drowned while sailing. An autopsy
revealed he had been taking illegal drugs -- a real surprise to everyone.
Anyhow, the investigation and evidence against Weston was inconclusive. It's
an incredible story!" Jack lamented, as he shook his head.
"What
was Whitset's psychiatric diagnosis?" Robert asked.
Jack
shook his head and said, "I'll try to explain, but it's hard. He was
diagnosed with autism when he was little and then as a paranoid schizophrenic.
He was dangerous and violent. I'll never understand why they let him travel
out of the United States." Françoise shook his head disgustedly.
Alex
remembered back when psychiatric hospitals had emptied their patients into
society. The timing was about right, the late 1960s and early 1970s.
"Not so surprising, really. Has anyone in psychiatry reviewed Whitset's
records from Pennsylvania?"
Commander
Françoise smiled at her. "Funny you should mention that, Alex. Our state
forensic psychiatrist called me an hour ago. He said that, based on his review
of Whitset's records, he would diagnose him as having delusional
misidentification syndrome."
"What!
What in the heck is that? I've never heard of it. Delusional
misidentification syndrome. Is that for real?" Robert asked.
"It's
apparently a syndrome in which the affected patient believes that people in his
environment experience radical changes in their psychological identity without
a change in their physical appearance. In this case, the forensic expert said
he based his opinion on the fact that Whitset was actually suffering from
Fregoli syndrome. Fregoli's occurs when the patient has the delusion that
others exhibit radical changes in their physical identity without changing
their behavior."
"Huh?
Say that again, Jack. I want to be sure I understand," Nadine said. The
others nodded their heads in agreement.
"I
wish Monique was here to explain it. I really can't. Interestingly enough,
she had suspected it and had noted that as a potential diagnosis in his file in
her office. Let me try to tell you what I can." Jack looked so tired
and sad that Alex was alarmed for him.
Jack
repeated the definition of misidentification syndrome and continued,
"Whitset's records say that he reported his schoolteacher turned into
plastic before he killed her. He said she was a plastic person, an imposter,
and he had to kill her because his voices told him to. He referred to these
plastic people as imposters all the way through his medical records. The
forensic psychiatrist thinks that is why Whitset tried to destroy and eradicate
the faces of Angie, Monique, and Mrs. Smithson. The shrink thinks Whitset saw
them as plastic people. Apparently, it's written all through his medical
records that his job was to kill imposters!"
Noting
the confusion on the faces of his colleagues, Jack tried again, "In other
words, Monique, Angela, and Mrs. Smithson turned to plastic in front of him. A
delusion, I guess. Anyway, whenever Whitset got angry with them, they
appeared plastic to him. They were physically, in his mind, the same people
with plastic faces. They were the same people with the same behavior, but,
Whitset, the wacko, considered them imposters and his enemies. Since his
voices told him to destroy imposters, he went about his mission."
Alex
felt sick to her stomach. This is hideous, just grotesque. It sounds like the
plot for a horror movie. I can't believe it happened here at Crescent
City!"
Nadine
nodded her head in agreement with Alex and said, "Yeah, it's a ghastly
story. Isn't it ironic that it was Whitset who was actually the imposter? Do
these types of patients usually commit rape, Jack?"
Jack
shrugged his shoulders and said, "I don't know, Nadine. The state guy
didn't say. There is no evidence to suggest they do. I forgot to ask, I was
so appalled at the story. Anyway, Whitset did have an aberrant sexual
history. There were several sexual situations when he was hospitalized, so I
guess it's hard to say. We do know that Whitset raped people."
"I
guess Whitset planted the evidence to try to implicate Jim McMurdie, didn't
he?" Alex asked.
Jack
answered affirmatively. "Yep, and almost got by with it too. I think he
knew Monique was on to him. I think that's why he went after her. Just like
Whitset's schoolteacher, Angie, and Mrs. Smithson, I suppose Monique turned to
plastic and appeared as an imposter in Whitset's sick, whacked out mind."
Jack's voice was sad and forlorn. "I hate crazies," he added.
There
was a long silence as each of them considered Jack's story. It was a lot to
take in and understand.