THE PSYCHS OF MANHATTAN

by C. C. Harris

  ‘No, I’m not taking a seat. I need this matter to be dealt with quickly. I have important business to attend to.’

  His petulance reminded the desk clerk of her five-year-old nephew.

  ‘I’ve called the nurse, she will see you shortly, Doctor.’

  A voice came from behind him. ‘Hello Dr Ellison, how are you?’

  ‘Enough of the small talk. You stated that I had to sign some papers. Can we make this quick?’

  ‘Yes, of course, but first it’s important I let you know some sad news. Your mom already has difficultly knowing where she is. She can have quite a lengthy discussion and then soon forgets the conversation. She is also losing facial recognition. We think it may have been due to her recent stroke.’

  ‘Can I see the medical report?’ the doctor asked.

  Lauren produced the papers. She was as scared as hell. If she didn’t pull this off, she risked losing her job. She had no choice but to fake her confidence and then lure him into his mom’s room.

  The doctor flicked through the physical and mental health assessment.

  Lauren said, ‘It’s important you sign the documentation to authorize medication. I have the remaining forms in your mom’s room. It may be a good idea to have as much quality time with your mom while you can.’

  ‘What’s the point of spending time with her if she’s going to forget me anyway,’ he said coldly.

  ‘It may be the last time she will recognize you. She is going downhill fast. It may not be long before she is bedridden and needs total care.’

  ‘This better not take long,’ the doctor sighed. ‘I will see her and sign these goddam documents. I can’t understand why I pay big money to do your job.’ The bloody old nuisance, he thought. He didn’t care about her memory. He just wanted to get out of there.

  Rose was sitting up in bed staring into space when they entered her room, seemingly in a catatonic state.

  ‘Rose, I have a visitor for you. It’s your son, Luke. He’s come to see you.’

  ‘Who has come to see me?’

  ‘Your son, Luke. He’s here for a visit.’

  Rose smiled. ‘Oh yes, Luke. How could I forget my only son?’

  Little did the doctor know that his mom spoke with biting sarcasm.

  ‘I will return soon.’ Lauren left the room without waiting for his response. She paced the corridors as the minutes ticked by excruciatingly slowly.

  He leaned over the bed and kissed Rose’s forehead. ‘Hello Mother. I brought you some chocolates.’

  Rose found his voice nauseating.

  ‘Sorry? Who are you?’

  ‘I’m your son, Luke.’

  ‘Oh yes, sorry Luke, I’m rather forgetful.’

  ‘Here, I have a box of chocolates for you.’

  ‘Thank you, Luke, you are so thoughtful. Are you still working as a psychologist?’

  ‘Of course, helping people is what I do best. How is your health, Mother?’

  ‘I’m a bit confused lately. Where am I? Why do I have nurses looking after me? Can I come home with you?’

  ‘Mother, you’re at the Kennedy Nursing Home on Long Island. It’s important you stay here for the best possible treatment and care.’

  ‘Luke, I keep having these nightmares. I dreamed you did a terrible thing when you were a young boy.’

  Her son came closer to the bed. ‘What are these nightmares, Mother?’

  ‘I had a dream that you hurt your stepbrother Kevin. Tell me it isn’t true, Luke.’

  His stare was chilling. Did he suspect her plan of entrapment?

  ‘Your dreams are truly disturbing, Mother. Do you think I killed my stepbrother?’

  ‘I don’t know, Luke.’

  He gave her an evil grin. ‘What if I told you the truth?’

  ‘I love you and nothing you could say or do would change that. You are my sweet boy and the only person on this earth who cares about me. I will always stand by you no matter what.’

  Luke stepped closer. Rose could now smell his breath. ‘I killed him and in fact, my stepfather as well. Did you really expect me to put up with their arrogant presence? They treated me like shit. I deserved better.’

  Rose’s gaze wandered, as if she hadn’t really heard him.

  He continued. ‘You married such a loser and you gave me no choice but to eliminate them. They were out to destroy us and take the farm. We would have been left with nothing.’

  Rose felt sick to her stomach, but she didn’t flinch. She couldn’t believe she had given birth to a monster who justified his evil. She realized he had no conscience. She knew she had to continue the pretense to entrap him.

  Rose gazed at him, ‘I am so sorry I ruined your childhood Luke. It must have been dreadful for you. I hope you can forgive me. I just have one question though, how did you kill your stepbrother?’

  ‘It was easy. I planned the camping trip. You really think I wanted to spend time with those fuckin’ assholes? I played the role of the good child. It only took one push and he bounced off the rocks like a rag doll. As for my stepdad, he was an imbecile to think I was going to put up with him. He tried to get away, but he only made it to the gates. You should have seen his face. I shot him at point blank range. He cried like a baby and begged for mercy. He was pathetic.’

  Rose remembered the headlines: Terrible accident…camping trip…leads to suicide of traumatized father. Loss of son too much to bear. She hoped he couldn’t hear her pounding heart and see the revulsion in her eyes.

  He placed his hand on hers and leaned slowly across the bed.

  Her stomach lurched when she felt his touch.

  ‘You see, Mother dearest, I did it for us.’

  The doctor stood up as Lauren entered the room.

  Rose was relieved to see her.

  ‘How did you go with the forms, Doctor?’

  ‘I’m signing them now.’

  Rose turned to look at Lauren. ‘Do I know you?’

  ‘I’m Lauren, your nurse.’ Lauren approached the bed as if to reassure Rose. ‘It’s ok, Rose. I’m going to give you some medication that will help you sleep.’

  Rose looked bewildered. ‘Who is this man in my room?’

  ‘It’s Luke, your son. He came for a visit.’

  ‘Oh dear. I’m so forgetful. I can’t even remember my own son.’

  Lauren looked at the doctor meaningfully. ‘Thank you for signing the forms. As you can see, it’s important she start this medication as soon as possible. I’m so sorry, but she won’t be able to remember your visit. Unfortunately, Doctor, as you would know, Alzheimer’s is such a debilitating disease, not only for the patient but for family and friends.’

  ‘Yes, I’m well aware of that. They call it the walking dead,’ the doctor quipped.

  ‘If you need any further information, let me know,’ Lauren responded, trying to keep her voice level.

  ‘I need to get out of here. As far as I’m concerned you’ve already wasted enough of my time.’

  Rose closed her eyes, pretending to drift off to sleep. She could not bear to look at him. She knew he was not only evil but dangerous.

  The doctor turned to kiss his mother goodbye but then pulled back. ‘I must be off. Say goodbye to my mother when she wakes, that is, if she remembers me.’ He couldn’t believe his luck. His mom was losing her memory and soon, the memories of his childhood would be dead with her. He congratulated himself on committing the perfect crime. Before leaving the room, he snatched back his gift of chocolates. No sense wasting them when she won’t even remember me being here, he thought.

  Rose was relieved not to feel the touch of his lips. She kept her eyes closed, hoping her eyelids weren’t flickering, and continued to breathe deeply.

  ‘I will see you out, thanks so much for coming.’ You black-hearted mongrel, Lauren thought. She did not expect him to reply. She let him out through the front doors and watched his vehicle screech away.

  Ten minutes into the drive to Brooklyn, his eyes narrowed, an
d his thoughts turned to nurse Lauren. He had spoken with the nurse before but this time he’d noticed something different about her demeanor. Her speech had been rapid, and she’d seemed anxious. He eased his foot off the accelerator. He also thought of his mother being extremely lucid and communicative, then suddenly quite vague. Something didn’t fit. As the vehicle slowed, he pulled off the road. He sat in silence with both hands still on the wheel, wondering whether to go back. He was pushed for time. He knew if he returned to the nursing home he would have to be quick.

  He looked at his mom’s box of chocolates on the passenger seat and ripped open the lid to scoop up a chocolate-coated caramel. His favorite. What a good idea, he thought as he delicately rolled the chocolate around his tongue.

  The flavor of his favorite chocolate was enough to distract him. His thoughts switched to the other thing he had a taste for: murder. His eye twitched with the memory of his stepbrother screaming with terror as he bounced off the ravine’s jagged edge. His body landing on the canyon floor. The force of the impact caused cerebrospinal fluid to spill from his cracked skull and ooze through his nose. He imagined with delight, the thickness and volume of his stepbrother’s blood. The funeral had gone off without a glitch. He had played the role of a grieving stepbrother. He was surprised at how easily he’d been able to carry out his plan and fool everyone. It was then he learned how satisfying it was to manipulate others to meet his needs.

  His smartwatch buzzed. A message confirmed that Curtis was still alive and heading towards the city. He hoped it was Brooklyn. The Doctor continued his journey, enjoying the thought of finishing him off.

  THIRTY-NINE

  Symbiotic Relationship

  After ten minutes, Lauren hurried back to Rose. ‘Sorry I kept you waiting, Rose. I wanted to make sure he was definitely gone.’

  Rose sat up. ‘Thank you, Lauren. For a moment, I thought he was onto us. I think it’s time I called Lieutenant Wilkins.’

  Rose was trying to remain detached from the horror of what her son had admitted. It wasn’t the time to cry but to stay focused until the Lieutenant had the cell phone. The cell Lauren had set up in video mode in a display of flowers opposite her bed. She had to get it to the NYPD as quickly as possible.

  Rose dialed the NYPD number. ‘Hello, can I speak to Lieutenant Wilkins please. She’d asked me to call her if I had any further information.’

  ‘Certainly, I’ll transfer you,’ responded the desk clerk.

  ‘Lieutenant Wilkins speaking.’

  ‘Hello Lieutenant, it’s Rose Ellison. You came to see me this morning.’

  ‘Yes, that’s right, how can I help you Rose?’

  ‘I have just seen my son and I have something for you. Evidence on a cell video recording that proves he is a killer. How quickly can you get here?’

  Sarah hastily grabbed a notebook and pen, nearly knocking over her coffee. ‘Rose, it’s really important that I have heard you correctly.’ Sarah spoke with clear intention. ‘Did you just tell me that you have a video recording that proves your son is a killer, is that correct?’

  ‘Yes, that’s right. He admitted killing my husband and his stepbrother. Lauren, my nurse, hid her cell phone in a vase of flowers opposite my bed.’

  ‘An officer will leave straightaway to collect the evidence. Thank you, Rose. I understand how hard this must be for you.’

  ‘I don’t have a choice. To say nothing would make me equally evil,’ Rose replied.

  ‘Before you go, Rose, can I have a quick word with Nurse Lauren?’ Sarah asked.

  ‘Absolutely, I will put her on.’

  ‘Lauren speaking.’

  ‘Hello Lauren. This is Lieutenant Wilkins. Could you please alert your security to keep all doors and windows locked and not to allow anyone in. I mean no one at all! Unfortunately, I will need your cell for evidence, but I will make sure you get it back as soon as possible.’

  ‘I’m in no rush to get it back. I have another cell. That was a spare,’ Laura responded.

  ‘I will contact the local police to secure the building until our team arrive. I don’t want the doctor suspecting something and returning. Please do not tell anyone what is happening. Do you understand?’

  ‘Yes, absolutely.’ Lauren ended the call.

  Rose felt breathless with self-doubt. ‘I raised my son to be kind to others. Did I create that monster, Lauren? Was there something I should have done differently? Where did I go wrong?’

  ‘Don’t own his evil, Rose, you were a good mom. You faced the truth. He could have easily killed you. The quicker we get this evidence to the police the better.’

  ‘Oh Lauren, thank you for letting the police have your cell.’

  ‘Keeping a spare cell paid off. The main thing is that you are safe,’ Lauren Responded.

  Lauren gave Rose a gentle hug and then secured the building.

  * * *

  Sarah prepared all the necessary documents for the doctor’s arrest while she waited for the chopper to return with the cell. She wasn’t going to relax until it was in her hands.

  Unexpectedly, her office door swung open and Mick, a cop from her team, peered in. ‘Sorry to interrupt, Lieutenant, but we have a guy from Vegas on the phone. His name is Mohsen. He said he’s an imam in Vegas and he knows of a boy who may have been abducted from Manhattan and is being held captive by a pastor. The call was put through by an ex-colleague of yours, McQueen at the Central Park Precinct.’

  Sarah was swamped with paperwork and didn’t look up. ‘Why the hell would this imam call New York? And why are you bothering me about this? I’m under the gun here! It sounds urgent. Give him the number of the Vegas Police Department, for God’s sake.’ Sarah continued to flick through her case notes.

  Mick gave a slight cough as if mustering up enough courage to continue. ‘There may be a connection with the commissioner’s niece and what this imam is saying.’

  ‘What are you talking about Mick?’

  ‘Wasn’t one of the victims Linda Maloney?’

  ‘Yes! The commissioner’s niece,’ Sarah snapped.

  ‘Her body was found at Lake Mead in Boulder City. There could be a connection between the commissioner’s niece found at Lake Mead and this boy whose being held captive in Vegas,’ Mick answered. ‘It sounds like a long shot, but this boy could be the pedestrian who was pulled into the van on 5th Avenue.’

  ‘Hell yes, that’s right! Great work, Mick. You’re a genius. Put the imam through. There is one other thing Mick. When a package from Long Island arrives, bring it straight to me.’

  ‘Will do,’ he responded.

  ‘James!’ Sarah called. ‘Come in here quickly. I want you to listen to this.’

  Sarah waited for the transfer then pressed speakerphone.

  ‘Hello, Lieutenant Wilkins speaking, can I help you?’

  ‘I’m sorry to disturb you, Lieutenant, but I called the Central Park Precinct and they put the call through to you.’

  ‘You’re not disturbing me at all. I understand you have some information you would like to report?’

  ‘My name is Mohsen and I’m risking my family’s life making this call. I must be quick. I don’t know if my cell is being tapped.’

  ‘I’m listening, Mohsen.’

  ‘There’s a pastor in Vegas. His name is pastor Sleeman. He’s the founder of the Vegas Savior’s Church. He’s doing bad things to people and he may be keeping a boy captive. The boy’s name is Sean Young and as far as I know, he was abducted from Manhattan.’

  ‘How do you know all this?’

  ‘I help the homeless and I work at a soup kitchen. I hear lots of things.’

  ‘Why haven’t you reported this to the Vegas police?’

  ‘It wouldn’t be safe. What’s going on around the world isn’t good for a Muslim and from what I’ve been told, pastor Sleeman knows lots of people in high places who get paid hush money.’

  ‘Do you know where this pastor lives?’

  ‘No, but the polic
e would. He has two places just out of Vegas. His family lives in one and he calls the other place The Lord’s House of Therapy. I’ve been told he’s keeping this boy at the Therapy House.’

  ‘Have you told anyone?’ Sarah asked.

  ‘No one. Not even my family.’

  ‘Do not talk to anyone about this. Thank you, Mohsen. You are a man of moral courage. I know this is dangerous for you. I’m on my way but you must promise not to tell a soul.’

  ‘If I told anyone, I know my family would not be safe,’ Mohsen whispered.

  ‘Can I contact you on this number if I need to?’ Sarah asked.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘You will be hearing from me again, Mohsen.’

  Sarah ended the call and tossed the paperwork to one side. ‘What do you make of it, James?’

  ‘Our psychologist Doctor Ellison is not a lone wolf. Sounds like he could be making donations to a Vegas pastor, and I don’t mean financial donations. These ones are alive and kicking. It would explain why he’s been under the radar for so long and why the clients vanish. This could be the kid that was pulled into the van on 5th Avenue.’

  Sarah’s heart raced. ‘He has a courier service that operates from New York and deals with live deliveries! It would make sense why the commissioner’s niece was found at Lake Mead.’

  ‘Exactly,’ James said. ‘This psych outsourced his clients to a killer. I’m predicting the killer is our pastor and he’s the accomplice who lost his glasses on his murderous dumping ground at Lake Mead.’

  Sarah visualized the pastor like a storm cloud looming over Vegas. ‘I’ll let the commissioner know what’s going down. He can make up some story about a diplomat visiting Vegas and that we need the NYPD there for emergency surveillance of the area for security reasons. If there’s a snitch in the Vegas Police Department and the pastor finds out he’s a suspect, then our pastor may do a runner or get rid of any evidence.’

  Sarah counted the minutes. Getting evidence from Long Island seemed to take forever. She was relieved when Mick returned.

  ‘Here’s your parcel from Long Island.’

  ‘Great job, Mick. I’m shouting you a dinner this Friday night and a few beers! You may have just cracked this case right open. Don’t tell anyone about our Vegas visit. If word gets out, then our suspects could get spooked and disappear. The quicker we get to this pastor in Vegas without him knowing, the better the chance of getting two killers and wrapping up this case.’