Curse of the Sea

by Joni Parker

  Alex shook her head. “I’d rather be here than in prison.”

  Dr. Ram laughed. “Let me slide this under the microscope. I’ll be right with you.” He placed the glass slide with her blood under the microscope and studied it for a second. “Oh my…” His brow furrowed and he looked once more, adjusting the lens. Then he looked at her.

  “Is something wrong?” Alex asked.

  “No, nothing to worry about. Why don’t you step over here?” He led her to a chair in a darkened room. “Have a seat and let me look at your eyes.” He turned on a small light and shined it into her eyes. He told her to look up, to the side, down and to the other side. “Now, put this paddle over your left eye and read the letters on the chart in front of you. Read the smallest line you can.”

  Alex read the letters to him at the bottom of the chart, “m-a-d-e-i-n-c-h-i-n-a.”

  “Where do you see that?” He stared at the chart.

  Alex got up and pointed to the bottom right hand corner.

  He squinted. “Try the other eye. Can you read the same line?”

  “Yes.”

  “You have exceptional eyesight, my lady. Let me take a closer look.” He had her rest her chin on a device and looked into her eyes with a bright light. “Very interesting. Now, come next door and we’ll test your hearing.”

  He led her into a soundproof room. “Sit down and let me explain. Once you put these earphones on, you’ll hear a beeping noise in either one or both of your ears. As soon as you hear it, push this button.” He put a small device attached to a wire in her hand and showed her how to push the button. Once he put the earphones on her head, he closed the door.

  Alex felt the air pressure change when the door closed. The room had no windows and sweat beaded on her forehead. As the walls closed in, she shut her eyes and focused on the beeping noises and pushed the button. When the beeping stopped, the door opened. She took off the earphones quickly and went out the door to take a deep breath.

  Dr. Ram looked at the computer screen. “You also have excellent hearing. In fact, I’ve never had a reading like this before. Please sit here and let me examine your ears.”

  Alex sat in a chair and the doctor pulled her hair back.

  He looked at her ears with a light. “Why is there blue hair in your ears?”

  “I’m a Water Elf, less than a hundred years old.”

  “Does it help your hearing?”

  Alex nodded. “Yes.”

  “Could I take one to test? Wait, one of them fell out. I’ll take this one.” He picked it up with a pair of tweezers and placed it on a small piece of glass. He took it to the microscope and examined it.

  “Could I take a look?” Alex asked.

  He waved her over and let her look through the microscope. It looked an enlarged view of one of her blue hairs. She shrugged, not seeing any reason for his interest.

  “Could I see my blood?” She pointed to the other slide.

  “Of course.” He changed slides and Alex looked at it. She’d never seen blood this way before and was surprised to see it. It was red, but also had circles of white, blue, and green.

  “Is there something wrong with my blood?”

  “Wrong, no. Different, yes.” He looked at her hair. “Would you mind if I took a hair sample?”

  “What for?”

  “I’d like to test it. I’d also like a DNA sample.”

  “They did that in the prison. What do you need it for?”

  “DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid. It forms the building blocks of our body. Everyone has a different pattern.” He sounded excited and rushed around getting some equipment. “Spit into this test tube, please.”

  “What?” Alex stared at the glass tube he was handing her.

  “Spit in it…to the white line. That’s how we test your DNA.”

  “They used cotton stick at the prison.”

  “We need a pure sample without cotton.” He smiled. “Please begin.”

  Alex proceeded to spit into the tube, holding it up after a while to make sure it went up to the white line. Meanwhile, Doctor Ram got a pair of scissors and cut a three-inch sample from her hair and put it in a plastic bag.

  Gemma reminded him that Alex had another appointment.

  “Before you leave, may I have another blood sample? You’re quite unusual.” He waved her over to the station to draw blood from her left arm. “It’ll feel like a small stick.” He pushed in the needle and drew two more vials of blood. She looked away.

  “Doctor Ram, she’s going to be late for her next appointment.” Gemma stood to the side tapping her foot.

  “Yes, yes. Let Doctor Owens know.” The doctor put a bandage on Alex’s other arm. “Thank you so much, Lady Dumwalt. It’s been an honor.” He bowed to her. “You must see Doctor Owens next. He’s very nice. Thank you for your cooperation.”

  The guard, P.C. Kent, put the handcuffs back on her and led her to the lift. They went down to the second floor and turned to the right and went in.

  ***

  A young woman at the desk smiled at her when they entered. “Is this Lady Dumwalt? Please remove her handcuffs.” Once Alex was free, she led her down a hall. “Come this way. Doctor Owens is expecting you.” The young woman knocked on a door and opened it. “Doctor Owens, Lady Dumwalt is here to see you.”

  “Thank you, Christina.”

  Alex saluted Doctor Owens in Elf form, just to see his reaction.

  He smiled. “Good morning, my lady. My name is Doctor Owens. I’ve been contracted by the Met to conduct psychological examinations. Please come in and be seated. Would you care for some coffee or tea?”

  “Tea.”

  “Christina, please bring two cups of tea. Was that arm gesture a greeting?”

  “Yes.”

  The doctor mimicked her salute and nodded at her. “Please allow me to explain what I’ve been asked to do. Detective Inspector Tyler wants me determine your mental state, as we would define it. Are you familiar with any of this?”

  Alex shook her head.

  “No? It’s actually a standard police procedure. We must determine if you have any mental conditions that would affect your behavior. First, let me be absolutely clear that I won’t divulge anything you say in the upcoming hearing. I can only testify to your mental state at the time of the incident.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Very simply, I’ll be testifying at your hearing tomorrow and I’ll only say what I think your mental condition was at the time of the alleged incident. I won’t say anything about the incident itself. In other words, I won’t say if you’re guilty or innocent. I’ll only say that I think your actions may have been caused by, let’s say, anger or distress. Is that any clearer?”

  “I think so.”

  Christina brought in a teapot and two cups of tea. “What do you use in your tea, love?”

  “Honey,” Alex said.

  Christina opened a small pot, pulling out a stick covered with honey. She let it drip into the cup and handed it to Alex. She did the same for the doctor. Alex sipped her tea. It was very good and soothing. Then Christina left.

  “Shall we begin?” Doctor Owens pressed a button on a machine. “I record all of my sessions and transcribe them later. They’re kept locked in a safe. Now, for the record, please tell me your name, age, and where you’re from.”

  Alex gave him the information he wanted and she went on to discuss her trip to London. He asked several questions, but was particularly interested in how she felt about it. She said she felt betrayed. She’d tried to help, but she was arrested instead. Soon, there was a knock on the door.

  “Yes?” Doctor Owens looked up.

  Christina opened the door. “Sorry, Doctor, but you said to let you know when it was time for your next appointment.”

  “Has it been that long? I apologize, my lady, but we must end our session. I believe I have enough information for the hearing. Remember, you won’t have to say anything at all. The judge will deter
mine if there’s enough evidence against you. If there isn’t, all charges could be dropped.” He saluted like an Elf. “It’s been a pleasure. Now, follow Christina.”

  Alex thanked him and left, feeling slightly hopeful. P.C. Kent met her and put the handcuffs on. Then she was taken downstairs to the van and shackled inside. At the jail, she was taken back to solitary confinement.

  “Why am I back in solitary? It’s still early.” She’d wanted to share her experience with the girls to find out if it was normal or not.

  “Your cell block has been shut down for renovations.”

  “For what?” Alex raised her eyebrows.

  “They’re removing all the lead pipes and scraping off the lead paint. Then they’ll remove the asbestos flooring. That’s why the plastic sheets are up in the hall.” She glanced to her right where plastic sheeting blocked any passage through the hall.

  “Lead pipes?” Alex’s jaw dropped. More lead. “Have I been drinking it?”

  “Yeah, get inside.”

  “What about this room?”

  “All done. We put your things from your locker in the plastic bag.” Kent pointed to the black plastic bag at the foot of the bed.

  Alex sat on the bed. Not only was lead all around her, but she’d been drinking it. No wonder she felt this way. She turned on the telly.

  ***

  Later that night in London, Tyler was asleep in bed when his phone rang. He reached for the mobile and looked at the caller ID. It was Pennington.

  “Tyler here.” He rolled onto his back. “You’d better have a good reason for calling me at two in the morning.”

  “Sorry about that, but I’d thought you be interested. I finally found Ecstasy.”

  “What?”

  “The wizard.”

  “Oh, yeah, him.” Tyler ran his hand through his hair and sat up, more alert after recognizing that she was speaking of a person, not a condition, or a drug. “Where was he?”

  “In Soho. He’s been performing at a drag queen review.”

  “How’d you know where to look?”

  “He said he loved woman’s clothes and singing, so I had a hunch. I’ve got to admit it was so-o-o good.”

  “You saw it? I didn’t think you would enjoy that kind of show.”

  “I didn’t either, but it was super. What do you want me to do?”

  “Tell him to come by the office tomorrow afternoon.”

  “What about the hearing? That starts in the morning, doesn’t it?”

  “I’ll take care of it.” Tyler ended the conversation by tapping the screen. Ecstasy wasn’t on the witness list to testify, but if he did, he could blow the entire case. The prosecution could worry about that later.

  Chapter 29

  COURTROOM

  Back in the London jail, Alex woke up early and got ready for the day. A guard showed up and escorted her to the shower. When she got back, another set of clean sweats was stacked on her bed. Alex put on the clean clothes and packed her old set in the black plastic bag.

  “It’s time for your hearing.” P.C. Kent stood outside her cell door.

  Alex turned around with her hands behind her back. “Ready.”

  “Want your old clothes?” Kent asked as she handcuffed her.

  “Yeah, just in case.” Alex shrugged.

  Kent and another guard led Alex to the garage where she was shackled into the waiting van. The driver and Kent sat in front with her bag of clothes. Alex grimaced, but took a deep breath, steeling herself for the trip. She tasted her breakfast during the trip at least once, but held it down. The van made its way through morning traffic and turned into a fenced lot next to a white stucco building with ornate trim.

  As soon as Alex stepped out, a throng of men and women with mobile phones and cameras, stood behind a barricade to her right and left. The guard pulled her to the door, while other officers pushed the people away.

  “Stay back!” Kent held up her hands, but the crowd remained, shouting questions at Alex.

  “Tell us what happened at the government building.”

  “Is it true you killed six people?”

  “Tell us about the video.”

  Kent tugged on Alex’s arm. “Don’t say a word.”

  Alex went through a wooden door, relieved to be away from those people. Once inside, she asked Kent, “Who were they?”

  “Reporters.”

  “What do they want?”

  “A story to tell.”

  Alex pressed her lips together and remembered her journalist friend, Olivia Richards, back on Seaward Isle. A wave of homesickness washed over her.

  Inside, dozens of people lined the corridor, but parted to let them by. Alex stared at the black and white tiled floors and the elaborate woodwork around the doors. Down the middle of the hall were wooden benches, covered with small blue-patterned cushions and the windows were stained glass. They went through a set of double doors, made of wood and glass and guarded by a male officer, carrying a long, black rifle. Alex stared at it for a second until she was pushed inside.

  The room was filled with empty wooden benches without cushions, resembling a church Alex once saw on Seaward Isle. She was led to the defendant’s box, which held a wooden bench surrounded by low walls. Her bag of clothes was placed at her feet and P.C. Kent removed the handcuffs. “Sit down and behave yourself.”

  Julia, the barrister, came over. “Good morning, Alex. Did you sleep well?”

  Alex shrugged and smiled at her black robe and white wig. “What are you wearing?”

  “We have to wear these robes for all hearings, including the wig. It’s part of the ceremony.”

  “Why is he here?” She nodded over to D.I. Tyler.

  “He’s part of the prosecution team.” Julia handed her a bottle of water. “Here’s some water. It’s going to be a long day. Remember, don’t say anything, even if you get pissed off. Don’t show any emotion. If you want to say something, write me a note or tell me after.” She handed her a pad of paper and a pen.

  Alex placed the bottle of water and the paper on a small table next to her. Reality set in. Her future was at stake. Tears welled in her eyes. She drank some water and took a few deep breaths. How was she going to get out of this one?

  Chapter 30

  THE HEARING

  “All rise.”

  Everyone in the room stood up, so Alex did, too. An older woman marched into the chamber through a door on the other side of the room and climbed some steps to a podium. After dropping a stack of books and papers on top, she sat down and sighed. She wore a bright red robe with white trim and had a white wig on her head. Alex chuckled softly. She looked like Lord Ashur on a bad hair day.

  “The Court will come to order. Everyone sit. This is a closed hearing. Lock the doors and remove your wigs.” The woman took off her wig and set it beside her on the podium. “Is the Prosecution ready to proceed?”

  “Yes, my lady.” Barrister Somers rose.

  Alex stared at him. He wore the same black robe that Julia had on, but he looked older and thinner. His skin was pasty white with a shadow of a beard. He looked close to death and definitely needed some sun.

  The Judge placed a pair of glasses on her nose, as Barrister Somers began.

  “Thank you, my lady. My name is Harold James Somers of the Crown Prosecution Service. Seated to my left is Miss Cornelia Julia Lloyd of the Defense. Before we begin, the Ministry of Defense has requested that this hearing be held in secret and all documentation be forwarded to the Ministry for proper security classification. My lady, have you received this request?”

  “I have. Can you explain the need for such measures?”

  “The facilities damaged were used by a top-secret government program. If the extent of damages were released, it could cause extreme harm to national security.”

  “We’ve taken extraordinary precautions already.” She glanced at the usher by the door. “Usher, please make certain the door is secured. Does the Defense object?”


  Barrister Julia Lloyd stood up. “No objections at this time, my lady; however, the Defense reserves the right to challenge at a later date.”

  “Miss Lloyd, is it? Is this your first case? I haven’t seen you before.”

  “Yes, my lady.”

  “Welcome. I always like to see a young face in my courtroom, but leave the pink hair behind in the future. Mr. Somers, you may proceed.”

  “Thank you, my lady. I will present evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant, Alexin Catherine Dumwalt, did, on or about July 3, 2031, willfully inflicted damage to government property, to wit: she caused the doors and computer system to malfunction in government offices, resulting in damage to the computer system and to the building in excess of one million pounds. A detailed list has been included as evidence. Miss Dumwalt escaped the building and avoided capture by security guards and the Metropolitan Police. In the process of her escape, she is alleged to have murdered six people. I would like to call my first witness, Rear Admiral Thomas Charles Collins.” Barrister Somers took off his glasses and put them on the table.

  “Objection, my lady.” Barrister Lloyd stood up at her table.

  “Grounds?”

  “According to precedent, all audio-visual evidence must be presented first.”

  “Sustained. Mr. Somers?” The Judge peered over her glasses at him.

  He cleared his throat and reddened slightly. “We have still photographs of the office that was damaged. As you can see, a hole had to be made in the wall in order to get out.” He handed the Bailiff several photos to hand to the Judge.

  “Yes, I see. Why couldn’t the doors be opened?”

  “Admiral Collins had initiated a program called Operation Lockdown to keep the defendant from leaving the building. All of the doors were locked electronically. However, sometime during her escape, the defendant damaged the security system, resulting in damage to CCTV.”

  “So, there’s no footage of what happened inside the building?”

  “There is, my lady, but it’s badly damaged. I’ll show you what we have of the actual video taken during the time of the incident.” He turned to the back of the courtroom and nodded. A video appeared on the computer screens in the courtroom, beginning with a picture of security guards running in the hallway, followed by a picture of Alex with Edith Johnson staring at the camera, another look at Alex’s face as she stood in the hall and strolled toward the camera, and then static, Alex’s face, and more static.