For a few seconds Mrs. Schultz did not speak. Finally she said, “Yes, but how did you know?”
“I read some of your commendations,” said Fred. “Your personal history is one of advocating peace and attempting to prevent wars. You were the logical recipient of the chip. I also know you would not have asked for money for the chip.”
“What happens to me now, Lieutenant?”
“I really don’t know. I’ll place you in the hands of a CIA agent. What happens then is up to her.”
He turned to Mr. Schultz, “I’m truly sorry this had to happen, you have over the past few weeks become my friend. But it’s in my nature to continue an investigation until it is complete, regardless of the consequences.”
*
The next morning the chief, Jim and Fred sat in the conference room. The chief said, “You deserve a lot of credit, Fred. Not only did you find the guilty party behind the bank and theater killings, but you also nabbed a spy. I am amazed how you put the dots together to identify Donna as the guilty person; and I’m even more amazed that you figured out Mrs. Schultz was the spy.”
“Chief, I can usually tell when someone is lying based on their facial reactions, and I picked up on that in Donna’s case long before I recognized distortions in her statements. As far as my ability to determine Mrs. Schultz’s guilt, I believe that being around all those talented people in AU, I may have gained some of their unique abilities. When I was in the den with Mrs. Schultz, I got a strong vibe how intensely she felt about the issue of peace and the impact of future wars as a function of the increasing strength our military. It was a natural step to conclude that she was the likely spy trying to stem the military buildup.”
The chief said, “I don’t know how the DA is going to be able to structure his case on the basis of a perpetrator using mind control to commit murders, but that’s his problem. He did tell me that he was going to take steps to insure that Slivers and Shepard would ultimately be released. By the way, what do you think will happen to Mrs. Schultz? Even with all of their wealth, she won’t be able to fight the charges against her.”
Fred said, “I know, but in a way I’m sorry for her. After all, a contemporary president attempted to do the same thing, and it certainly wasn’t considered unpatriotic or wrong at the time.”
The chief asked, “Who and what do you mean?”
“President Reagan. When he indicated that he was going to pursue Star Wars, or in military circles, the Strategic Defense Initiative, he stated that once it was developed he would give all the information to the Russians, so they in turn could develop the same system. He firmly believed that by both superpowers having a parity of military capability, there would no longer be a nuclear threat in the world.
“You see, Chief, I truly believe Reagan was unbelievably lucky with respect to the end of the cold war. After all, the Russian economy was about to implode, maintaining their large military had become unaffordable, and their leader was, for once in a Russian lifetime, a highly educated and entirely reasonable man. The culmination of all of these fortunate factors led to the end of the cold war. It was a classic example of multiple causations which led to a monumental solution of a complex problem.
“However, I believe more importantly, that history will judge Reagan most positively as a man of peace who wanted to curtail war at all costs and not as he is currently classified, as an American leader who built up our military to new heights. So when you look at it in that light, was Mrs. Schultz so bad in what she was trying to do? After all, she never had either the platform or the prestige of a United States president.”
The chief said, “I guess as far as Reagan is concerned, he will be the subject for future historians to evaluate. But as for Mrs. Schultz, that will be a case for the U.S. government and the federal court system to decide what should be done.”
“For an abrupt change of subject,” the chief smiled, “I have a great idea, why don’t all three of us take the rest of the day off and go deep sea fishing?”
Fred said, “Dan, I can’t really believe you proposed that!”
Jim, chimed in, “Nor can I, boss.”
“Life is short, guys, we need to enjoy it to the fullest; and the best time to start is now. Besides that, I really want to get to know you guys better. I’ll pay for the boat rental; now, who is going to buy the beers?
“And Fred, by the way, never again call me Dan!”
Chapter 79
A week had passed and Fred was back to police work, but at a much more leisurely and controllable pace. He heard a tap on his office door and in came Marv Atwell. He pulled out a small leather pouch and handed it to Fred. “I believe this is yours.”
It was a miniaturized electronic device of some type that Fred had never seen before. Numerous tiny wires were extending in all directions from tiny holes in its plastic cage.
“What is this, a hearing device of some type?” Fred asked.
“Hardly. You remember in the warehouse you stated that you were not sure that I would show up?”
“Yes, I was very grateful.”
“Well, that’s not my point. I really wasn’t taking any chances. I knew from the start that I would be in control of the situation.”
“How could you possibly have known that?”
“Simple, what you have in your hands is a copy of the electronic device that was sold to the Chinese.”
“I don’t understand; one unit went to the CIA and one to the Chinese. How come there are three?”
Atwell continued, “One was a prototype which was attached to Miss Lang’s brain by Dr. Anderson. She was going to be the company’s test case. You see, Miss Lang had no God-given extraordinary ability at all. All she had was what this device provided to her—nothing more.”
“So Dodd lied to me about the number of the devices,” Fred responded.
Atwell said, “Don’t blame Dodd, he never knew.”
Fred asked, “So that device was the sole basis for all the power she displayed?”
‘Yes.”
Fred asked, “So why hadn’t Donna’s device been removed before now?”
“Before I answer that, let me give you some background. The operation was officially never supposed to have taken place, not because there was a high chance of her dying during the procedure, but because we didn’t know about the potential impact on her psyche. Think about it, all types of new mental processes are suddenly unleashed in this person; and we don’t even know if her psychological defensive mechanisms are adequate to deal with them. For all anyone knew, she could have become stark-raving mad.
“Dr. Anderson’s idea was to place it in her and then put her through a series of complex operational tests to evaluate her new capabilities. Because of the extreme secrecy of the operation, only the three of us knew about it. All of our tests were conducted after normal business hours. The tests indicated that our experiment was only partly successful. She had gained powers as a result of the device’s insertion, but to our understanding those powers were at best minimal. Still, they proved a major breakthrough in our field and they even exceeded the contractual standard insisted upon by the CIA. Her basic personality did not seem to have been altered as a result of her new skills. All the news was positive. Of course, Miss Lang received an exceptional monetary bonus as a result of her contribution.
“There was one problem—a major one. Miss Lang refused to have the second operation to remove the device. She said she would broadcast to the world what was done to her. Dr. Anderson didn’t know what to do; he was in perpetual fear of losing his medical license. So in the end, he did nothing.
“Dr. Anderson felt that her new powers were minimal, and assumed that the retention of the device in her brain would not cause any significant psychological problems, so he decided to let it remain in. One thing he did not know at the time, nor did I recognize, was that Miss Lang seemingly had received abilities from the device beyond what she let on. She, in effect, cooked the results of our tests to drastic
ally understate her real ability.”
Fred asked, “I still don’t understand, with all her powers how you could have assumed, when we were in the warehouse, that you were superior to her?”
“That’s simple, Lieutenant, who do you think the device was prototyped from?”
“You?”
“Of course, I only provided a small fraction of my innate abilities, so I knew she would never come close to equaling the full extent of my powers. You see, I really wasn’t that much of a hero after all.”
“Well, your talents are certainly beyond that of any person I have ever known.”
“You really think so?”
“Of course.”
“Do you remember the pen that rolled off the conference room table when you were interviewing me?”
“How could I forget it?”
“Well, it wasn’t me that did it.”
“You mean I did it?” Fred said disbelievingly.
Atwell smiled.
Fred had trouble processing this new unsettling information. He shifted back to the subject at hand.
“Sounds to me like Dr. Anderson will have to be prosecuted, I am not sure of the charge but—”
“—Ah, Lieutenant, you forget—he had authority to conduct the operation.”
“Who gave him the authority, I thought you said he did it without the backing of anybody.”
“That was the first operation, when he introduced the paranormal device in Donna’s brain. But I’m talking about the removal operation, for which you at gave at least tacit approval for him to perform.”
Fred did not know what to say.
Atwell continued, “I believe, Lieutenant, that you are now thinking that sometimes the end justifies the means. Besides, you have something of untold value in your hand; wouldn’t it be great to have all those great powers introduced into a basically good person such as yourself?
“Atwell continued, “Think about it. With the embryonic power you already enjoy, you might even exceed my talents.”
Marv Atwell walked out of Fred’s office and, Fred was certain, out of his life. Meanwhile Fred would be thinking about it for a long time.
Chapter 80
Donna Lang’s trial was international news. It was the first time in the history of the country, that anyone had been accused of murder based on the application of real time mind control. Fred experienced extreme difficulty convincing the DA of Donna’s guilt; but that effort paled in comparison to the Herculean feat the DA had in convincing a jury. Fred was not sure the DA was up to the task.
Fred was, however, impressed from the inception of the trial with the assortment of legal skills exhibited by the DA. During the jury selection, the DA adroitly rejected those who displayed inflexibility in their beliefs. Potential jury members who were eliminated included religious fundamentalists as well as anyone who, during the DA questioning, didn’t appear to possess a supple and open mind.
Unfortunately, much of what the DA had available to establishing Donna’s guilt was purely circumstantial. To that end, he was able to establish that Donna had trailed both Slivers and Shepard for weeks prior to the murders. He used downtown surveillance camera records to prove that Donna was frequently in the exact vicinity as the two men, over extended time periods. Fortunately, at times, such cameras caught both Slivers and Donna in the same frames.
The DA had Donna’s library records canvassed. The records revealed that she had, in weeks prior to the shootings, taken out several books on assault weapons as well as technical books which included the methodology for the creation of soft latex molds. He had FBI experts testify how such a latex compound could be easily used to reproduce fingerprints. He obtained microscopic evidence to reveal that latex traces were found on Donna’s work desk as well as the stove knobs in her home. He was able to prove from mail order records that Donna had ordered the necessary raw materials to make latex of the required consistency. He put into evidence a red marker found in Donna’s home and was able to prove that it contained the same ink as that on the notes sent from The Marvel to Fred. He had an FBI signature expert testify that the writing on the notes was most likely the same handwriting as Donna’s.
As effective as the DA was in his mounting use of evidence and witnesses, it became apparent that the jury did not buy the concept of mind control. The CIA had absolutely refused to provide any evidence of its extensive use at AU, stating repeatedly the rigid restrictions imposed by national security.
Fred could see that the government’s case was going to be lost and Donna would soon be a free woman. The prosecution had hoped to use Atwell as a witness, but after his last meeting with Fred he had seemingly disappeared from the face of the earth.
When the defense summarized their case for acquittal, Fred noticed that the jury was highly animated, nodding their collective heads in agreement with the defense’s persuasive argument. In contrast, when the prosecution made its final argument, the jury appeared indifferent. Jim, who had accompanied Fred to the courtroom each day of the trial, whispered to Fred, “I’m sorry, the DA did a hell of a job, but it’s all over.” Fred nodded and stood up to leave the court room. He could not bear to be there at the time the ‘not guilty’ decision was read by the jury foreman.
At that moment, the door at the rear of the courtroom opened. A familiar figure walked in. Marv Atwell moved immediately to the extreme right side of the room where he would be in a position to observe each of the jury members. Fred, mesmerized by Atwell’s actions, sat down again. Fred realized that Donna had also witnessed Atwell’s arrival. The arrogance and confidence she had reflected all during the trial was now gone. Her hands were trembling. While the courtroom gallery was listening intently to the prosecution’s final arguments, Atwell focused only on the faces of the jury members.
Fred noticed that there was an abrupt change in the responsiveness of the jury to the DA’s presentation.
The jury deliberation only took ten minutes. The guilty finding was unanimous. Everybody in the courtroom seemed shocked at the verdict, including the DA. Fred wondered why it even took the jury ten minutes to deliberate.
For weeks after the trial, the nation’s newspapers and weekly magazines discussed the case in great detail. Editorial page artists had a field day with their caricatures. Using artistic license, their drawings greatly expanded the DA’s bulbous nose and large prominent ears, while depicting him using crystal balls, ouija boards and tarot cards. Surprisingly, though, letters to the editor were, in the main, supportive of the jury’s decision. Fred recognized a letter in the local paper from his fellow poker player, Jim Cole, who argued that Donna Lang was from Mars, and for the average Martian, mind control was a normal day to day event. Fred suspected many of the letters in support of the DA’s case were from the segment of Americans who religiously believed in flying saucers.
However, something had happened at the very end of the trial that may have had an impact on many rational people’s attitude about the existence of mind control. Immediately after the jury’s decision was read, Donna jumped up and pointed an accusing finger directly at Atwell. She screamed, “This trial is unfair. That bastard used mind control on the entire jury. I know he did and I can prove it. Look at him! He is smiling; he knows what he did to me! No one with mind control ability should be allowed in the courtroom!”
Fred thought, what a strange, ironic turn of events. A murderer, who used mind control to force innocent men to commit murder, now declares mind control unfair.
Donna’s rampage was broadcasted by all the major networks. In that instant, many Americans became convinced that mind control was in fact a reality. It appeared that enough of Sarasota’s voters believed in it to support the DA’s case, and to reelect him to another term.
Epilogue
Two years after the successful conclusion to the mass murder cases, Dan retired from his position as the Sarasota station chief.
Based on Fred’s highly creative solution to the most significant murder cas
es ever experienced in the city of Sarasota, he was selected to replace Dan upon his retirement. Jim, with Fred’s strong backing, was promoted to lieutenant.
Since all charges against him had been dropped in his attempted murder of Fred, Paul was able to retain his position as a sergeant in the Sarasota police force. He has no chance for a future promotion.
Dan, Fred and Jim meet once a week to go deep sea fishing, rain or shine.
Maureen and Fred still have their yearly anniversaries at Barneys and they still “enjoy” a good cup of coffee to celebrate the event. The Saturday night poker games finally resumed, with Dan added as the new fourth player.
Donna whiles away her life sentence by completing complex New York Times crossword puzzles. At times she attempts to use mind control to get the prison guards to release her. They just laugh. Marv Atwell disappeared for the final time after Donna’s sentencing, whereabouts unknown.
Exactly two years after Donna Lang was sent to prison, the New York Times reported the massive failure of two North Korean Guided Missile tests. The Korean tests were intended to demonstrate their version of Star Wars, that offense-guided missiles launched into outer space could be effectively destroyed through the employment of precision defensive missiles. US Navy Ships observing the tests were positioned close to the launch area, but no intercepting US missiles had been fired. In a subsequent news conference, the recently appointed CEO of AU took full credit for the defeat of the North Korean system, but would not identify the methodology his company used to destroy the Korean missiles. The defense department refused to support the CEO’s claim.
In the middle of Fred’s dresser is a glass encased miniature paranormal device. Fred looks at it every day before he goes to work.
Mind Switch Page 39
