Janet McNulty - Mellow Summers 03 - An Apple a Day Keeps Murder Away

by Janet McNulty

“Convenient,” I said.

  “Miss Summers,” said the secretary, “The doctor will see you now.”

  I stood up with my entourage. “Rachel,” I whispered, “Do you think you can do something to help that janitor?”

  “Like what?”

  I gave her a pleading look.

  “Oh, all right,” relented Rachel. “I’ll see what I can do.” She vanished.

  We all went into Dr. Carver’s office. He had a nice place. It was warmly decorated with plants and paintings. The design was to create a warm and inviting atmosphere where people would feel very comfortable relaxing in.

  “Miss Summers,” said the man seated in an office chair. “I am Dr. Carver.”

  I shook his hand. He proceeded to introduce himself to the rest of my party. Next he directed me to the couch to sit on, while everyone else went to some chairs on the far end of the room.

  “Have you ever been hypnotized before?” asked Dr. Carver.

  “No,” I replied.

  “OK. What I want you to do is relax and let me guide you. Are you ready?”

  I nodded. My nerves kicked in as I immediately felt afraid of what I might remember.

  Dr. Carver pulled out an old pocket watch. “I want you to concentrate on this and on my voice.” He swung the watch back and forth slowly. I stared at it. Within seconds, I was out.

  “Now, I want you to go back to the last moment you remember before you disappeared,” Dr. Carver’s voice drifted in my mind.

  Instantly, images of going to my car popped in my mind. Then, I remembered someone talking to me about the blood drive. Before I knew it I was at the blood bank with my sleeve rolled up and a needle in my arm.

  “What did you do after that?” Dr. Carver’s voice echoed through mind.

  I was back at my car and about to put the key in the lock when a white cloth covered my mouth and nose. I struggled. Suddenly, I woke up in a strange room with my hands and feet tied up. I remembered working the ropes loose but the sounds of heavy boots stopped me. A masked man entered the dingy room I was in.

  The scene in my mind changed. Instantly I found myself transported to the motel bathroom struggling with a man whose face I could not see. I ripped off one of his buttons with the engraving of a star on it. My face stung. Once again a white cloth covered my mouth and nose and I blacked out.

  “Mel? Mel?” Dr. Carver’s voice broke through my mind. It was insistent and worried. “Mel, when I count to three you will wake up. One. Two. Three.”

  I woke up in Dr. Carver’s office. I had no memory of what had happened much less of having actually spoken. He stared at me with a worried expression on his face. I glanced over at my aunt, Jackie, and Greg and they had the same expression.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  Dr. Carver pulled out a digital recorder. He had taped the entire session in case it could be used in court as part of my defense. He pressed play. My voice blared out of the small speaker filling the room. It sounded shrill and frightened. It didn’t even sound like me. He pressed the stop button and the room fell silent.

  “I still don’t remember anything,” I said.

  “That’s all right,” answered Dr. Carver. “But what I have on here indicates that you were kidnapped and held against your will someplace. Perhaps with a few more sessions, we might be able to uncover everything that happened.”

  “I don’t know if I want to,” I said.

  “Well, that is enough for today,” said Dr. Carver. “Perhaps you would like to schedule another session later in the week?”

  I told him that I would think about it. My underarms sweated profusely from the tension in my stomach.

  Dr. Carver said good-bye and gave me his card saying that I could call him whenever I needed to.

  We walked out into the hall. Rachel leaned against the wall for us all to see her. “So,” she said, “How’d it go?”

  “It’s all a bit jumbled,” said Jackie. “But it sounds like someone kidnapped her.”

  Rachel’s eyes flared with anger. I had never thought of a ghost getting angry before. “If I get my hands on him—”

  “Rachel, it’s OK,” I said. “What happened with the janitor?”

  “A little R and R and he’ll be back at work,” said Rachel. “As for the psychiatrist, he’s going on a three week vacation. Maybe even a little longer than that.”

  At first I felt like asking her what she had done, but thought better of it. Rachel was Rachel.

  We left the doctor’s office and went out in the midday sun. Jackie wanted to go shopping. Actually, she just wanted to go anywhere that had air conditioning so as to get out of the summer heat. It had already hit a hundred and the humidity was unbearable.

  We ultimately decided on going into a department store. It was one of those places that had everything: housewares, clothes, children’s stuff. Greg had to go to work which left just us girls.

  Upon entering the store, Jackie immediately headed for the clothing section. I joined her. I had no desire to look at sheets and towels with my Aunt Ethel. She always pulled them out of their plastic wrap and spread them on the floor so she could get a really good look at them.

  Jackie and I had fun just trying on different outfits. After a while though I began to get hungry and told her I wanted to get some lunch. She agreed.

  Suddenly, I became aware of just how quiet the store had gotten. Rachel stood in the main aisle trying on a hat. Actually, she seemed to be modeling it. She walked down the aisle and did an elegant turn before walking in the other direction all the while humming to herself. The problem was, the hat appeared to be floating through the air on its own and humming on its own. Rachel remained oblivious to the crowd she attracted. I noticed someone pull out their cell phone and begin recording. Here came another YouTube video.

  Finally, Rachel stopped and looked around. A sheepish expression filled her face as she said, “Oops.”

  I motioned for her to follow me, but tried to not be seen by those watching her. Rachel took her hat off, went over to a saleslady and handed it to her. “Here you go,” she said as she walked off. The poor woman almost jumped out of her skin. To her, the hat appeared to move and speak on its own.

  We grabbed Aunt Ethel and dragged her away from, “The greatest sale ever.” She had an armful of flannel blankets with dogs on them. I seized them from her and put them aside; snatched her arm and dragged her out of there. I don’t think I will ever understand my aunt. On the way out, I thought I noticed someone watching us. Once again the man kept his face covered. I pointed him out to Jackie, but she sloughed it off as my imagination. Outside the summer heat smacked us and undid whatever cooling effects the indoors had on us.

  “Mel?”

  I turned around. Jeremy stood on the sidewalk behind us. He wore a button up shirt and slacks with a name tag that indicated he volunteered at the blood bank.

  “Jeremy?” I couldn’t believe I had just run into him. “What are you doing here?” I asked.

  “Just running some errands,” he replied, “I thought that was you.”

  “I thought you had left town.” The coldness in my voice put him off guard. I didn’t mean to be rude.

  “No, I never left,” he said. “It’s just we parted on bad terms and take a completely different set of courses at the university.”

  He stared at my aunt. Quickly, I introduced them. Aunt Ethel pursed her lips in that usual manner of hers that indicates she didn’t like him. I don’t think she ever liked anybody outside of the family.

  “How have you been?” I asked him in an effort to be nice.

  “Oh, well,” he said. He seemed very different from when I had last seen him. “I keep busy with my summer classes and volunteer work. You?”

  “OK.” Something gnawed at me, but I couldn’t figure out what it was. “I need to go.”

  Jeremy left. Jackie, Aunt Ethel, and I remained alone on the sidewalk. Rachel had disappeared again. I remained confused about the entire incident.
It seemed odd.

  “I don’t like him,” said Aunt Ethel in a curt manner.

  “You don’t like anyone,” I chided her.

  “That isn’t entirely true,” she said. “But I most certainly do not like him.”

  “Can we go eat, please,” said Jackie. Her stomach grumbled loud enough to earn her a few passing looks from people.

  A harsh male voice broke our plans. “Miss Summers,” said a male officer.

  “Yes,” I replied, cautiously.

  “I am placing you under arrest.”

  “For what?” demanded Aunt Ethel, her face turning red.

  Before I had a chance to respond, an officer turned me around and wrenched my hands behind my back handcuffing them.

  “I’m talking to you,” shouted Aunt Ethel to the arresting officer.

  He stopped and stared at her in frustration. “Ma’am I need you to leave.”

  “Don’t talk to me like that,” said Aunt Ethel. I had never seen her so incensed. “I demand to know what the charges are that you have brought against my niece.”

  “Murder,” said the officer.

  That shocked us all. Murder? According to Calvin they hadn’t enough evidence to arrest me unless they found—a body.

  My heart sank as the realization hit me. The body that the blood on me belonged to must have turned up. Now there was nothing standing in the way of Mr. Harrow arresting me and trying me for murder. My world spun around me. I couldn’t believe it.

  Within minutes I had been shoved into the back of a police cruiser. This marked the third time I had been arrested and driven to the station. Suddenly, I found myself wishing I had never come to Vermont. Such wishes were foolish at the moment as I had bigger problems.

  Rachel appeared in the backseat with me. “You want me to take over the car?”

  “That won’t solve anything,” I whispered to her.

  “I have to do something,” she said.

  “There’s nothing you can do,” I said to her making certain that the officer couldn’t hear me. “Not unless you can get the real murderer to show himself.”

  “You mean—”

  “There is no other way to prove my innocence,” I whispered. “The real killer, the man who kidnapped me needs to give himself up.”

  “Who are you talking to back there?” The officer driving the car must have heard my last statement. He glared at me through the rearview mirror.

  “Myself,” I replied.

  “AHA! I got it!” Rachel got a hopeful look on her face. I knew she had had an idea, but at the same time wished she hadn’t. Every time she got an idea I got into trouble. Though, my situation looked pretty bleak as it was. She vanished without so much as a good-bye.

  Within moments we had pulled into the police station. For the second time in my life I found myself being fingerprinted and having my mug shot taken. Then, I was led into an interrogation room where I waited for what seemed like an eternity. It probably was more like half an hour.

  Mr. Harrow and Detective Shorts walked in at the same time. Mr. Harrow appeared very happy while Detective Shorts looked grim and upset.

  “Miss Summers,” said Mr. Harrow taking a seat across from me. Could he look anymore smug?

  “Just a moment, Mr. Harrow,” said Detective Shorts. “We must wait until her attorney arrives. I took the liberty of calling him.”

  Mr. Harrow looked downright pissed when he heard that. “You called him?”

  “Yes,” replied Detective Shorts. “The law states that you cannot interrogate her without her lawyer present, unless of course she chooses to waive that right.”

  “I want my lawyer,” I said mechanically. That pleased Detective Shorts, but angered the District Attorney even more.

  Right on cue Calvin walked into the room. He looked sharp as usual in his tailored suit. Quickly, Calvin placed himself in a chair beside me and set his briefcase on the table. “What are the charges against my client?”

  “You know the charges,” said Mr. Harrow.

  “I believe in being formal,” said Calvin, “I want you to publicly state the charges so that the recorder in the room can hear it.”

  “Mellow Summers is charged with the murder of Byron Sanderson. The college student that went missing over a week ago,” said Mr. Harrow.

  “But I didn’t—”

  Calvin raised his hand to stop my outburst. “You do not have to answer any of their questions,” he said.

  “Where were you the night your friend Jackie reported you missing?” asked Detective Shorts.

  “You do not have to answer that,” said Calvin to me.

  I followed his advice. How could I answer? I had no memory despite the hypnosis. Actually, I wanted to tell Calvin about it, but hadn’t had the chance as events moved even more quickly. So I kept my mouth shut.

  “Miss Summers, I do not need you to say anything,” said Mr. Harrow. “With the body that has now been found and the fact that his blood was found on your clothes when you turned up in that motel, I have enough to put you away for a long time.”

  “Are you threatening my client?” asked Calvin.

  “No. Merely offering her a chance for a plea bargain,” replied Mr. Harrow. “If she pleads guilty and signs a confession now, I will see to it that she gets no more than ten years in prison. She may even be eligible for parole in half that time with good behavior.”

  That just boiled my blood. I had never killed anyone and this guy had been after me since the night I turned up smothered in another man’s blood.

  “I will discuss it with my client,” said Calvin. “Alone.”

  “Very well.” Mr. Harrow stood up and waved Detective Shorts out the door.

  “And I want a copy of the forensic report,” said Calvin.

  “What?”

  “I am assuming that an autopsy was done on the body so as to gather forensic evidence against my client,” said Calvin. “You do realize that you must provide me with a full copy of that report.”

  “You will get it when the autopsy is finished,” said Mr. Harrow. He left the room.

  “I’m not signing anything,” I said.

  “I didn’t think so.”

  “How can he arrest me without a forensic report?”

  “Probably figured he didn’t need one. And the judge must have agreed since he signed your arrest warrant.”

  “I need to tell you something,” I said. I relayed the trip to the hypnotist and what happened. I told Calvin all that I could remember from the flashes of memory that hit me while there.

  His face changed from interest to concern as I told him. I don’t know if he believed me, but I knew he would seek out Dr. Carver for the tapes of our session.

  When I had finished talking, Calvin opened the door to the interrogation room. Mr. Harrow walked in with a haughty look. He knew he had won.

  “My client refuses to plea bargain and will sign no confession. We will try this in the courts.”

  “As you wish,” said Mr. Harrow.

  Next thing I knew, I was led to the jail cell. As I entered the corridor, Aunt Ethel’s voice reached my ears. That woman had a piercing voice. “Detective Shorts,” she screamed, “I need to speak with you. Detective!”

  A loud crash sounded out in the lobby, but I never found out what caused it. An officer took me away and locked me in one of the jail cells. I was the only one there. I didn’t know if I should be relieved or worried.

  My time in the cell dragged on the longer I was there. I had no idea how much time had passed. The clock on the wall didn’t work and I had forgotten to wear my watch.

  I soon found myself wishing Rachel would show up. Though at the same time I wished she wouldn’t appear. I needed to know what she was up to. That look in her eyes when she left me in the car did not bode well.

  As the hours ticked by I paced in a circle in my cell thinking that at any moment a hole would appear in the floor. Soon, I decided I had to do something. I remembered watching movies where
the main character would do pushups or something when imprisoned. I decided to try it. One. Two. And that’s enough. I silently vowed that once I got out of here I would start an exercise regimen.

  The door to the cell chamber opened. In walked Detective Shorts. He looked even more unhappy than he did earlier.

  “What’s going on?” I asked as he approached my cell.

  “Transfer,” he said. “You’re being transferred to the county jail. Now, step back.”

  I did.

  He opened the cell door. “Turn around and place your hands behind your back.”

  I obeyed. Once again I felt the cold and unfeeling handcuffs snap around my wrists.

  Detective Shorts grabbed my arm and led me out of the jail. He took me past a counter and sat me on a bench. “Stay here,” he told me, “I need to clear your release to County.”

  Like, where was I going to go? I thought something about this seemed strange. Why would I be transferred anywhere? According to the clock in this room I had been here for eight hours. When Detective Shorts didn’t come back right away I started to think that something was seriously wrong. When the officer at the counter disappeared I knew that something wasn’t right.

  I was about to stand up when I felt a sharp prick in the base of my neck. Instantly, I whipped around to see who had stuck me with a needle when the world went blurry. Whoever stood behind me, I never saw his face. Before I knew it, everything went black and I lost consciousness.

  Chapter 10

  My head hurt. My body bounced around in a confined space. The sounds of a car engine told me that I was no longer in the police station. Groggily, I tried to sit up. Bang! I hit my head on something. The darkness prevented me from being able to see where I was.

  I shifted a little. My hands remained handcuffed behind my back. Instantly, pins and needles filled my hands as the blood flowed back into them. Another jolt caused me the bounce and hit the thing above me.

  Slowly, I realized that I lay in the trunk of a car. My scrunched up limbs desperately wanted to stretch out, but the small space prevented me from doing so. I shifted again. It didn’t do much good. The small trunk prevented me from doing much.