Deadly Institution

by Holly Copella

  Brian was completely astonished. Jacey was beginning to think she had him almost convinced it was destiny that brought them together.

  “Talk about fate,” he said with conviction in his tone. “I’m sure Dr. Zellner wouldn’t mind. In fact, he’d welcome any good publicity connected to the institution.”

  “It’s going to be a story to help put the fears of the town aside,” she informed him. “This town has a tendency to be very narrow-minded.”

  “So I’ve heard,” he replied with a genuine smile. “We’d appreciate some positive response on our research. Public relation is very important in these small towns. When will you be dropping by?”

  “Would this afternoon be okay?” she asked with some apprehension.

  “It’ll be a bit cluttered. We haven’t really had a chance to go through a lot of things, but today will work just fine,” he said with a soft laugh then extended his hand. “I’m Brian Murdock.”

  “Jacey McMurray.”

  “Are these your sisters?” he asked and looked at both girls seated in the booth.

  He had to know they weren’t. She laughed softly and marveled at this man. He missed his calling selling snake oil. “My cousin, Monique, and her friend, Coleen.”

  He nodded politely to both of them.

  Chapter Eight

  The local newspaper press was barely two rooms attached onto the pharmacy next door. Monique and Coleen poked around the old-fashioned press while Jacey talked to the blonde woman, Shelly, by the counter. The business was still run as it had been for decades and the old press was still used on occasion, although Shelly, the owner’s daughter, was slowly transferring the press into the digital age. Jacey looked at the moderately large digital camera then to Shelly and frowned.

  “I’m not sure about taking my own photos,” Jacey informed the woman. “You should see the photos I took last Christmas. I couldn’t tell the tree from my mother.”

  Monique sprang forward eagerly and grinned. “I can take pictures. I’m an excellent photographer.”

  Coleen nodded. “She takes great pictures of our horses.”

  “I really want some pictures of the inside of the institution,” Shelly said. “No one’s been inside for ten years. I’m sure seeing it will change some opinions, once they see there aren’t any ghosts or demons.”

  Jacey jotted some notes on her tablet then sighed. “Should I interview the man in charge or all six?”

  “All six, if possible,” Shelly replied. “Have them tell you what their special area is and what they’ll be contributing to the foundation on a whole.” Shelly’s look was serious. “Make sure there’s a positive side to benefit the town.”

  Jacey nodded and checked the small tape recorder. “I’m not used to interviews with actual people. I hope I don’t stumble over myself.”

  “You can’t write about the collapse of old mines all your life, Jacey,” Shelly said firmly. “You have to graduate to actual people eventually. I’m getting tired of the same old interviews from Brenda.” Shelly’s eyes suddenly strayed to the front of the press as the door opened. Her smile faded. “Speaking of the she-devil--”

  Jacey glanced toward the front of the press. An attractive woman in her late twenties with raven black hair and milky skin entered the press. She had a flawless figure with proudly displayed cleavage that screamed ‘squeeze me’. It’s not as if Jacey and Brenda were rivals in the sense that they liked the same men, they were just rivals over top stories for the paper. Jacey’s stories almost always played second fiddle to Brenda’s stories. Of course Brenda’s stories were better; there was usually a lot of pillow talk involved in her interviews.

  Shelly pat Jacey on the back. “Good luck. I won’t tell her about the scientists arriving early, but she’s bound to find out on her own pretty fast, so get your article to me as soon as possible.”

  Jacey nodded but wasn’t sure she liked the added pressure. As they turned to leave, Brenda smirked at Jacey and gave her the standard, disinterested nod. She obviously felt she was above Jacey, and Jacey was pretty sure she was right.

  “Soliciting another article about the mayor’s garden?” Brenda mocked with a twisted smile on her nearly perfect face.

  Jacey found dealing with Brenda exhausting. She smirked without comment and ushered both girls from the press. She didn’t want to admit how much she hated Brenda, because she refused to believe she hated anyone, but there were days she wanted pluck every black hair from her head. Judging by the looks she received from both girls, they were silently wondering why she didn’t do just that. Truth was, Jacey could have a headline article that would stun and shock the town while shutting Brenda’s mouth once and for all, but she wasn’t about to act on it. Asher had offered to do an interview with Jacey to further her career, but she refused to print anything about him that would stir more controversy and cause problems for him. It was generous of him, but she couldn’t do that to him. If the town knew her true relationship to Asher, they’d be shocked. The three left the press with the professional looking camera. Jacey could see several people standing on their porches, gawking at the scientists leaving the diner. She immediately wondered if Brenda had noticed or not. Of course, she noticed. How could she not notice? The scientists piled into a white, luxury van. It was still raining quite heavily, but that didn’t stop the nosy townspeople from standing around and gossiping.

  “What does this town do for fun?” Coleen asked. “Watch paint peel?”

  “Oh, no,” Jacey said cheerfully. “Their main objective is to persecute the innocent, ridicule the weak, and condemn those who dare think differently.”

  Monique aimed the camera at two older women on their porch, staring intensely at the van as it pulled away from the diner. She snapped a picture. The older women appeared to notice their picture being taken.

  Monique grinned proudly. “I’ll call that one ‘portrait of a busybody”,” she said loud enough for the women to hear.

  Both women huffed and went inside the house. The door slammed shut.

  “Stop that,” Jacey scolded then secretly smiled.

  †

  The mayor’s office was nestled in the corner of the top floor of Town Hall. The town had come a long way since the days of mayor being an unpaid position taken by locals who held other full-time jobs. Ten years ago, Mayor Bradford used the conference room to conduct any official business, of which there was very little. The new mayor’s office, renovated nearly a decade ago for the new mayor, was as old as the building itself but had a regal appeal to it. The large, old-fashioned desk was elegant and possibly antique with sculpted edges and fancy legs. Howard Norad sat behind his desk in the large, leather chair and rubbed his sore temple while holding the phone to his ear. When the position of mayor became a full-time paid position, Howard leapt at the opportunity to secure it. With the shutdown of the fire riddled mental institution, Howard needed a new position to command.

  “I know you’re concerned,” he muttered into the phone. “But the institution opening is completely out of our hands.” He became silent then groaned and sat back in his plush chair. “That’s impossible, it can’t be done,” he said and sat forward while quickly losing patience with the caller. “I’ve had fifty phone calls today from our citizens. All of them want the institution plowed to the ground. My personal thoughts are of no importance here. There’s nothing I can do about it. I’ve fought, I’ve begged, and I’ve even groveled, but there’s nothing more I can do.” He groaned and listened while rolling his eyes. “Okay, okay. I understand your point.”

  There was a knock on the door and the secretary entered. She leaned on the doorknob. He looked at her, rolled his eyes, pointed to the phone, and shook his head.

  “If you have another idea, I’d be more than willing to hear you out.” The mayor was silent. His brow raised sharply, and he eyed his secretary. “No, that’s not a good idea. You’d better think of something else. Listen, I have to go,” he announced firmly. “There’s a meetin
g I need to attend.” He was finally able to put down the phone. He allowed his head to drop to the desk then lifted it with a groan. “No more phone calls on the institution subject. I can’t handle anymore.”

  The secretary smiled sympathetically. Howard motioned for her to come to him with both hands and a warm, inviting smile. Her smile faded into something resembling a sneer.

  “Your wife is here with Jill Sutten,” she said firmly.

  Howard’s head once more dropped to the desk. “No, not Jill,” he moaned. “Tell them I’m dead.”

  “I told your wife that the last time,” she replied dryly. “She didn’t believe me.” Her eyes swept over him as he straightened and rubbed his eyes. “You said you were going to divorce her.”

  “Soon, darling,” he said with a moan. “One crisis at a time, please.”

  The secretary gave him a cold glare then left the office. A few minutes had passed before a stocky woman entered Howard’s office with Jill.

  “Damn it, Howard,” his stocky wife lurched. “I want that institution shut down--today!”

  He smiled wryly and barely attempted to humor her. “Honey, I can’t shut the place down. It’s out of my hands,” he insisted. “Don’t you think I’ve tried?”

  “You’d better try harder! They’re going to do experiments on animals,” she complained. “I have it on good authority. Shut it down!”

  †

  Jacey’s jeep drove through the gates to the institution just beyond the cemetery. All three stared at the headstones as they passed. Jacey looked at the recently mowed lawn. There were tall weeds near the fence that needed tending and the hedges were in need of trimming, but it looked better than it had in years. Both girls looked out the window with great interest and awe. The Stony Ridge Institution was just as impressive as it had been before the fire--and twice as creepy. Jacey inhaled deeply with some apprehension.

  Coleen looked at Jacey. “You aren’t nervous about the interview, are you?”

  Jacey slowly shook her head and stared at the institution ahead of them. “No, not the interview,” she replied. “I suppose I’m a little skeptical about setting foot inside. All those years and having heard all the stories; it’s like entering a haunted house.”

  “Yeah, cool, isn’t it?” Monique said excitedly.

  Jacey looked at her young cousin then smiled with a feeling of relief. “You’re right,” she replied. “It’s an amazing opportunity, and it’ll be exciting to be one of the first locals to see the place in ten years.”

  The rain continued to pour, giving the institution an even more eerie presence. Jacey’s jeep pulled up to the front doors just alongside the familiar white van. They hurried from the jeep and ran through the pouring rain to the large, stone porch before the double doors. The building itself was elegant in design with its fancy porch and sculptures, though they were in desperate need of a scrubbing. Jacey knocked on the double doors and waited several minutes before the door was opened by Brian and the heavyset scientist, Timon Bennet.

  “Glad you could make it,” Brian announced while retaining his charming smile. “Come inside.”

  All three entered the large foyer just before the spacious solarium. Brian shut the door and turned to face them. “This is Dr. Timon Bennet,” Brian announced pleasantly. “Timon has a PhD in Astrophysics, same as me. Timon, this is Jacey McMurray.”

  Timon extended his hand to Jacey. “Timon,” he announced with a pleasant smile.

  Jacey shook his hand. He then looked at both the girls and appeared enthusiastic.

  “And you two young ladies must be Monique and Coleen,” Timon said with a daring smile. He shook their hands suavely. He tilted Monique’s hand and examined her braided bracelet. “Hey, cool bracelet. What’s it made from?”

  Monique giggled. “My horse’s tail. I made it myself.”

  “The others are in the lab in the back of the building,” Brian announced. “It’s such a large place, we barely heard you knock.”

  “I still can’t find my way around,” Timon announced with a soft chuckle. “I wanted to try leaving breadcrumbs, but I still haven’t found the kitchen.” He then grinned and raised his brows. “Of course, we have rats the size of dogs, so breadcrumbs would probably be counterproductive.”

  Both girls smiled at him. Timon was the typical comedian type.

  Jacey grimaced and looked around. “I’m not a fan of rats.”

  “Ah, don’t worry about the rats,” Timon said cheerfully. “The snakes are keeping them under control.”

  Monique and Coleen suddenly looked around the floor as well. Timon laughed heartily, startling all three. Brian rolled his eyes then led the way along the large hallway. Jacey walked more slowly and studied the walls and floor. She felt a little uneasy. The building was almost mansion-like. It was truly elegant and rich. The tables were antique and old paintings lined the walls. There was a library, dining room, and several offices. They passed an old, sculpted elevator. Timon pointed out that the elevator didn’t work, like most things in the institution. They entered a large room in the back, which was one of two ballrooms now converted into a sprawling lab. There were rows of tables with fossils and various other finds lying about. Some, oddly enough, just looked like piles of dirt.

  Brian fell back and walked alongside Jacey. He casually placed an arm over her shoulder. “Timon and I study the stars. Our observatory is upstairs in the attic. It’s far from being finished, but we do have our planetarium erected.”

  “Yours always is,” Timon muttered softly.

  Both girls looked at him and appeared slightly puzzled. He gently cleared his throat and appeared to estimate the age of his audience. He quickly fumbled for something more appropriate to say.

  “The telescope won’t be along for several weeks,” Timon added and turned his head to look back at Jacey. “Wait until you see the size of that baby.” He laughed in his throat. “The monster of all telescopes. We’ll be the envy of every nerd this side of the Rio Grande.”

  The other four scientists were at their respective workstations, looking through microscopes and documenting their discoveries. The gray-haired man, Dr. Zellner, looked in their direction, smiled brightly, and stood.

  “Ms. McMurray,” he announced pleasantly and approached her with hands extended. He grasped her hand with both of his. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Dr. Zellner, but you can call me Doc. Brian mentioned you’d be here for an interview. I’m so glad you could make it.” He then released her hand and looked at both girls. “And who are these young ladies?”

  Jacey introduced Monique and Coleen. They exchanged pleasantries. Doc was even more pleasant than Jacey had imagined. Doc linked Jacey’s arm onto his and guided her toward the other three. They paused near the tall, lanky man.

  “This is Dr. Ted Fuller,” Doc announced proudly. “He has a PhD in Paleontology. We stole him from a very prestigious college.”

  “Everyone calls me Professor,” Professor said with a warm smile and shook their hands. He seemed a bit fidgety and awkward to say the least.

  Doc then led them toward the sole woman on their team. For some strange reason, Jacey was interested in meeting this woman. She struck Jacey as being mysterious, and she wanted to know more about her.

  “This is Dr. Angela Cimarron,” Doc continued. “She has a PhD in Palaeobiology.”

  The black-haired woman forced a tiny smile and barely shook their hands. She appeared to eye Jacey with some secret loath. Jacey felt uneasy around the woman almost immediately. So much for the intrigue of the mysterious woman. Monique and Coleen seemed to sense the woman’s lack of interest as well. They both ignored her and talked between themselves over one of the fossils on the table before them. Doc then guided them toward the strange man with the dark eyes. He wore a white lab coat and looked the part of a nerdy scientist, although now without the glasses. “And this is Dr. Maxwell Alvord,” Doc announced proudly with a broad smile. “He also has a PhD in Paleontology. He’s just ha
d his third book published on ancient artifacts and archaeological finds.”

  Dr. Alvord appeared slightly awkward and shy as he shook Jacey’s hand. “It’s a pleasure, Ms. McMurray,” he said in a refined, British accent.

  Jacey was slightly surprised by the accent. She’d never met a real Englishman before. Stony Ridge didn’t see many foreigners. She looked into his dark eyes and felt herself smile helplessly. He had a refined style about him. It was almost superior without seeming arrogant. She slowly pulled her hand away from his but didn’t take her eyes from him. His smile was warm and almost boyish. Without the nerdy glasses, he was rather handsome. Maxwell then shook Monique and Coleen’s hands in a polite gesture.

  “I assume you’d like to start with a tour,” Doc announced cheerfully.

  Jacey slipped back into reality and looked at Doc with an embarrassed smile. Monique and Coleen were about ready to bubble over with glee.

  “Yes, we’d love to have a look around,” Jacey announced, almost sharing the girls’ enthusiasm. “I’ve never been inside the institution before.”

  He patted her hand on his arm. “I’d be more than happy to answer all your questions. We really would like the support of the town. I’ve felt the tension from the moment we arrived, and I’d like to dismiss their fears.”

  “Just ignorance, but I’d like the chance to rectify that,” Jacey replied.

  “I’m glad to hear,” Doc said with a sigh. “I’ve received much hate mail and even some death threats from this town. I was tempted to discontinue our project here, but the school administration persuaded me to proceed.” He forced a tiny laugh. “You’d think we’re making monsters in the basement or something.” He laughed at himself then smiled. “We won’t be discouraged, but we would prefer the support.”

  Jacey managed to smile warmly. “On behalf of the sane people in town, I’d like to apologize for what you’ve been put through. It sounds much worse than it is,” she informed him. “Your biggest problem is a small handful of townspeople led by a spiteful woman with too much time on her hands. The others are just easily swayed.”