Web of Deceit (13 page)

“Are you
suggesting that Chip and that kid were hypnotized?” Captain Aims asks.

“That’s exactly what
I am suggesting.”

“But . . . Chip
and the kid both lost it after they talked on the phone,” Elliot says.

“That’s a good
point, Elliot. Don’t you have to have eye contact to be hypnotized?” the
Captain asks.

“That’s the beauty
of this whole thing,” Joanna says. “A message could be hidden deep in the
subconscious by the hypnotist and one command could bring it out of dormancy.”

“Can it be
reversed?” the captain questions.

“I’d like to say
yes, but all the documentation I’ve studied advised how dangerous it could be.
No one has admitted to doing it.”

“Could you give
Chip a subconscious suggestion that everything is OK and to calm down?” Elliot
asks.

“That’s the thing.
If this is what’s going on, I don’t know what he’s been told. He could be
programmed to have a heart attack and die,” Joanna replies.

“They can do
that?” Elliot asks.

“Yeah, it’s very
possible,” Joanna says. “And I don’t have the experience to handle a case like
this.”

“Do you know
anyone who does?” Captain Aims asks.

“I know a guy who
took it a lot further than I did. If anyone can help Chip, its Dale.”

“What makes you so
sure about this guy?” Elliot asks.

“He worked for the
government specializing in brainwashing reversal.”

“I don’t know if
it is wise to get the government involved. We don’t have enough evidence to
prove this theory,” the captain says.

“Dale became a
believer and decided that hypnosis can be very destructive and that God is the
only one that should know what is going on inside your head,” Joanna says.

“So, you’re sayin’
he’s ex-government?” Elliot asks.

“Yes.”

“All right, I’m
convinced. Give him a call,” Captain Aims says. “But if this falls through …”

“You never heard
about it,” Joanna says, finishing for the captain.

“Right. Now get
out of here and get me some answers,” Captain Aims says. “Elliot, stay behind
for a second.”

“What’s goin’ on?”
Elliot asks as the door closes behind Joanna.

“It’s time for you
to come back from your leave of absence,”

“Thanks but …”

“No, this is an
order, not an offer,” Aims interrupts Elliot. “If you do any more on this case,
it’s as Detective Elliot Synclair. So, what’s it gonna be?”

“Detective?”

“Good. Glad you’re
back.” Captain Aims unlocks a drawer and takes out Elliot’s gun and badge. He
stands up and hands them to Elliot. “Try not to lose ’em this time. You’re an
asset to us, son. Don’t let anyone tell you different.”

Elliot grabs the
doorknob with his right hand and winces. Switching to his left hand, he opens
the door. “Thanks.”

The Captain
acknowledges him with a solemn nod as Elliot disappears behind the closing
door.

“What was that
about?” Joanna asks as Elliot enters her small but well-kept office.

“He took me off my
‘voluntary’ leave of absence.”

“He can’t do that.
You have to be properly evaluated. I know you haven’t been because I’m the one
who does it.”

“He gave me a
choice. Come back or stay away from the case.” Elliot flashes his badge. “This
is what I had to choose to help my friends.”

“Elliot, you’re
not ready. I’ll prove it,” Joanna says. “Answer this one question. If you could
go back before you were suspended …” Joanna starts to ask Elliot.

“My ‘voluntary’
leave of absence,” Elliot interrupts.

“Whatever … tell
me what you would change?” Joanna finishes her question.

“You really want
to know?”

“Yes.”

“Off the record,
right?”

“Sure, off the
record. I really want to know.”

“I wouldn’t have
touched him.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, then he
would’ve gone to prison. Guys like him don’t make it long in there,” Elliot
says.

“That’s my point.
You didn’t even know that girl, and you became emotionally connected. How are
you going to respond this time?”

“A seven-year-old
girl was being dangled over the edge of a four-story building, Joanna. When she
dropped, I thought she had plunged to her death. At that moment I felt he
deserved the same. I didn’t know about the net.”

“That’s not our
call. That’s why we have rules. Not just to protect them, but to protect us
from becoming like them. People are dying. You can’t afford to lose it again,”
Joanna says. “I’m going to be keeping a close watch on you. If you cross the
line, I’m going over Aims’s head to the Chief. Got it?”

“Got it,” Elliot
answers. “So where’re we at on the case?”

“I’m trying to get
Dale to meet us at the hospital to help Chip. He’s not at work. I was just
about to try his cell phone when you walked in.”

“Good, I’m going
to grab a coffee and call Beth.” Elliot steps into the hall.

“Beth, it’s
Elliot. Where you at?”

“You don’t want to
know. Why?”

“Our last witness
just died.”

“What happened?”

“The kid killed
himself, but we’re not convinced it’s suicide.”

“That doesn’t make
sense. When you take your own life, it’s called suicide.”

“That’s the thing.
We didn’t put it together when Chip lost it and tried to kill ’im, but he got a
phone call right before he attacked the kid. The kid called someone and the
same thing happened. Only this time a rookie was on the job, and the kid got
his gun and shot himself in the head.”

Beth is silent for
a moment before she asks, “Did they trace the numbers?”

“They’re working on
it. We have no idea who’s behind this, and I’m worried about Sarah,” Elliot
says. “I was hoping you could stay with her until we can get someone over
there.”

“We’re tied up at
the moment in Death Chester. It will be at least an hour before I can make it.”

“Joanna and I are
goin’ to the hospital to see Chip. I’ll check in on Sarah while I’m there.”

“Sound good. I’ll
call Elizabeth and let her know what is going on,” Beth says.

“Great. Be careful
Beth. Sarah’s attacker may be after you too. I don’t know who is behind this
but they seem to have people everywhere.”

“Don’t worry about
me; just make sure nothing else happens to Sarah.”

“I’ll call you
after I check on her.”

“Thanks.” Beth
disconnects the call and scans her contacts for Elizabeth Perkin’s number. She
finds it and presses
Send
.

“Hello,”
Elizabeth’s sweet voice answers.

“Hi, Elizabeth,
it’s Beth. How is Sarah doing?”

“Much better. She
wants to go home. They told her they would let her go after she walks for them.
So you can guess where she is at.”

“Yeah,” Beth
chuckles, “walking. Elliot is on his way over. He wanted me to tell you that
he’s worried about Sarah’s safety and doesn’t want her left alone.”

“I thought they
caught the guys.”

“Yeah, so did I,”
Beth says. “But Elliot said they are finding evidence that proves otherwise.”

“Don’t let this
bother you, Beth. God is the one that’s really in control. Everyone else just
thinks they are. I’ll go get Sarah and bring her back to the room, but it won’t
make her any safer than she already is. Sarah is a child of God, and there is
no place safer than the center of God’s will.”

“I see where Sarah
gets it from.”

“I’ll take that as
a compliment,” Elizabeth says. “But the truth is, we both have the same Father
and true wisdom is found through God. So when we are like-minded, it’s only
because our blessed Father in heaven has shared his truth with us.”

“OK, well, I’ll
let you go then, and I’ll check in with you later.”

“Sounds great,
hon. I love you, and remember as much as I love you, God loves you more than I
or anyone else could dream possible.” And with that, Elizabeth ends the call.

Beth listens to
the silence on her phone for a moment while thoughts invade her mind. She
closes her phone.
I hate it when they end their conversations like that.
Somehow, it makes me feel all alone. Like I’m missing something or someone.
What if they’re right? What if God is real and when that guy died today he went
to hell. But Sarah’s dad said that, as good as I am, if I don’t believe in
Jesus I’ll split hell wide open too.

“Are you ready?” A
solemn voice asks from inside the jeep.

Ready for what?
Death?

“Can we get this
started? It’s getting colder,” Symphony says, losing patience.

Beth reaches for
the radio on the dashboard. “I’m on my way. I’ll push the talk button as soon as
she comes to the door so you will know it’s clear.”

“Great. When I’m
done I’ll call you on your cell.”

“Perfect.” Beth
puts the radio in her pocket. She gets out of the Jeep and strides toward the
safe house, casting a long shadow in the setting sun.

*   *   *

Hurry up, Beth.
It’s not getting any warmer.

“Hi, I was here
earlier …” Beth’s voice comes through the radio.

That’s the
signal.
Symphony mounts the rusty steel dumpster under the overhang.
Grabbing hold of the eave trough, she swings a leg over it and onto the roof
and eases her body up. She makes her way across the roof where the snow and ice
have mostly melted away. When she reaches the second floor bathroom window, she
retrieves a large pocket knife and locks it open with a quick flick of her
wrist. Working her way around the window, she finds the opening and slips the
blade through and unlatches it.
Lucky. They never fixed it.
She slides
open the bottom sash and balances on the window sill. Symphony removes the
rubber overshoes from her combat boots and leaves them outside the window
before slipping inside.

She enters into
the upstairs bathroom and slinks her way out and down the hall to Maggie’s
office.  Symphony locates to the filing cabinets and opens the drawer labeled
“M-N.” She flips through the tabs on the folders reading the names.
Marks,
Marshalls, Mathers, McHenry . . . McRoy. Sweet.
Pulling out her camera
phone, she proceeds to take pictures of each document in the folder. She
reaches the last form.
OK, this one’s got the address.
Symphony closes
the folder and returns it to the filing cabinet.

As the drawer
latches in place, the sound of footsteps reach Symphony’s ear.
Great plan,
Beth.
Symphony’s pulse quickens. Without a sound, she crosses the office to
the window leading to the sloped roof. Unlatching the sash, she slides it up
and crawls through. She closes the window from the roof. The snow and ice have
not melted from this section of the roof.
No way to get straight down
without leaving prints, and Maggie’ll notice me if I move now.
The window
to Maggie’s office is ninety degrees to the bathroom window that Symphony broke
in through. The overshoes are black and blend in with the exposed slate gray
shingles.

The light in
Maggie’s office flicks on. Symphony holds her breath, concealing the steam from
her nostrils and presses her body tight against the siding. Her Goth trench
coat and dark attire melt into the deepening January dusk. A moment later the
light goes out. Without hesitation, Symphony sidesteps along the snow free band
of exposed roof under the eves.
If I can get off this roof without leaving
any prints, Maggie’ll never know.
When she reaches the overshoes, she stows
them in a deep pocket inside her coat. She retraces her steps to the lower eve.
She slips over the edge, landing on the dumpster, and jumps to the ground.

Symphony runs
along the hedge keeping herself low enough to stay hidden by the shrubs. She
reaches in a pocket and pulls out her phone to dial Beth. “Where are you?” she
whispers half out of breath as she darts for the small exit she created between
the branches.

“Come out of the
yard to the right and you’ll see me.”

Symphony scales
the fence and drops onto the sidewalk.

Beth catches sight
of Symphony in the rearview mirror and leans over to open the passenger door.

Symphony quickens
her pace to reach the Jeep and gets in out of the cold. She slams the door as
the SUV takes off.

“Did you get the
address?” Beth asks as she takes the first left, putting distance between them
and the safe house.

“Yeah, barely. I
thought you were supposed to keep the warden busy,” Symphony says, irritated.

“I know. My phone
rang, and a blocked call showed up. I excused myself. By the time I realized it
wasn’t you, Maggie had shut the door and turned the porch light off. So I
waited where you went in, hoping for the best. So what’s the address?”

“Nice. I froze. I
climbed an ice-covered roof, almost got caught because someone had a really
great plan without a backup. And all you have to say is where’s the address.
What’s wrong with you?”

“You didn’t get
caught; you came out without a scratch; and you have the information. What’s
the problem? I’d say it went well.”

Resigning to
Beth’s lack of empathy, Symphony relents and opens her phone to retrieve the
photographed address. “Three-twenty-nine sycamore drive, room number
thirty-seven.”

“Do you know where
this is?”

“Yeah, it’s on the
other side of town.”

“Sarah’s place is
on the way. We’ll stop and take Fleshling out for a walk before going to find
Jade.”

Elizabeth closes
her phone. “Edwin, I’m going to find Sarah. Elliot’s on his way over because
he’s concerned about her safety.” She hurries to the nurse’s station. “Excuse
me,” Elizabeth pauses to read the nurses name tag, “Heather, do you know which
way the nurse took my daughter Sarah? I need to talk to her.”