by J. R. Martin
Ivan started at him in disbelief, “What are you saying Doctor Williams? Why am I in the Insane Asylum and why the Insane Asylum for Criminal’s?”
“Because Ivan, you are a criminal. You have committed countless murders.”
With that statement Ivan tried once more to set up in bed. “What do you mean countless murders? For God’s sake doctor, you know I’m a detective with Scotland Yard.”
“I know you once were Ivan. Tell me the last thing you remember.” Doctor Williams said.
“The last thing I remember, I was staked out in the White Chapel District along with two other detectives. We were there in hopes of catching the copycat killer called, Jack the Ripper. He had already killed eleven women. Just like the original murderer. The Commander had put three men to a car and sent ten cars to stake out the White Chapel District until the killer was caught.”
“That’s a fair amount of memory, Ivan. You are making progress.” Doctor Williams said.
“Making progress, I don’t understand.” Ivan said.
“Ivan, that happened over six months ago. You’ve been totally intrinsic for those six months. You’ve known no one, you’ve been deeply buried inside yourself, you’ve recognized nothing, until this morning, when you recognized me.” Doctor Williams said.
****
Ivan was still feeling like he had a strip of gauze over his eyes and could only see dimly. Nothing was clear and he felt like cotton had been stuffed down his throat it was so dry, all thanks to the shot the nurse had given him. But, what Doctor Williams said made no sense to him but it certainly helped him wake up.
It’s not every day that one wakes up from a deep sleep and is told they are a murderer. Especially the murderer he had been chasing for months. He turned once more to look at Doctor Williams and he asked the doctor,
“Are they sure the murderer is me?” He asked.
The doctor looked at him and said, “Yes, Ivan they are certain the killer is you. They’ve run down every detail.”
“I’m the monster that killed all those women in the White Chapel District?” Ivan asked as his voice broke.
“I’m afraid so, Ivan.” Doctor Williams said. “Would you like me to give you another shot so you can sleep?”
Ivan looked at him intently and then he said, “What else did I do while I was out of my mind? Was the killer of Edgar Bost and Gregg Simmons, really Kate Bost, or did I dream all of that?”
“No,” Doctor Williams answered, “all that was true.”
“Did I come here and question Garth Simmons and suspected him as the brains behind the White Chapel district murders?” Ivan asked.
Doctor Williams looked at Ivan and answered. “Yes, Ivan you did. In fact we now know that Garth and you plotted together about all the killings. He told you exactly how to dismember the bodies, what to do with them, how to slash their throats, in fact you were right. He was the mastermind of all these murders. But, no one suspected you, until the subject of the key came up.”
“The key?” Ivan asked.
“Yes, the key that Doctor Hart found at one of the crime scene.”
“Do you mean the key on the keychain that came from Brasserie Videl?” Ivan questioned.
“Yes, I believe that was the key.” Doctor Williams said.
“I had a copy made of that key so I could keep it with me and if a suspected door lock came up I would have the key.” Ivan said, “but,” he continued, “I do remember trying that key in my lock and it fit. I remember how frightened I was that it fit. I was terrified the Commander would find out about it. So I didn’t tell him. But, the Coroner knew I had it, Marsha Hart must have told him.”
“I am not sure about that.” Doctor Williams said. “The Commander has not shared that with me.”
“Don’t you see, Doctor Williams, all this is a set up. I’ve been set up to take the fall on all these crimes. I think the Commander and Doctor Hart, are co-conspirators. I think they are framing me.” Ivan said. “Please doctor, please listen to me.”
The doctor got up and came to the side of Ivan’s bed. Then he injected him with a tranquilizer. Soon Ivan was once again unconscious. Perhaps that was the way he needed to be. The truth was almost more than one could bear when they were sane. Doctor Williams thought.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
When Doctor Williams got back to his office he picked up the phone and called the Commander. When the Commander answered, he said, “Ivan Bennet woke up this afternoon. I just thought you’d want to know that.” The doctor said.
“Well yes, thank you. What does he remember?” The Commander asked.
“He remembers the night he was on stake out. He knows the two detectives were with him. That’s about it. He remembers nothing of the last six months. He was very surprised that he was in the insane asylum and he immediately said he was being framed.”
“Oh, really, who did he think framed him?”
“You and the Coroner, Dr. Hart.” Doctor Williams answered.
“This breaks my heart, doctor. I loved that young man. You know he was a good detective. I worked with him on a vast amount of things. He also was good at comforting people. It seemed it came to him, normally to be kind.” The Commander said.
“Well, I shall continue to doctor him. I haven’t told him the really bad news yet. I thought I would wait until he’s stronger.” Doctor Williams said.
“I think that would be better doctor.” The Commander agreed.
After the Commander hung up the phone he sit and thought about Ivan Bennet and the many hours he had worked with him.
I never once suspected that he was in anyway responsible for the White Chapel Murders. I knew he almost had a nervous breakdown when his wife was killed, but I never thought he could somehow have gone insane because of that. I knew he was fighting depression and constantly trying to overcome the grief he so deeply felt. I thought that continuing to work would help him. Maybe, if I had just insisted that he go on to a psychiatrist and get help none of this would have happened. But, he was so dead set against doing that and I didn’t want to push him. I guess I should have.
The Commander picked up the phone and called the Coroner. When Marsha got on the phone with him he relayed the story Doctor Williams had told him. She was as heartbroken as he was, “I thought a great deal of Ivan.” She said,
“Of all the people in the world that I might suspect to be a killer, Detective Ivan Bennet was the last one.”
“I agree with you, Marsha.” The Commander said. Then Marsha asked him a question that literally made goose bumps come up on his arms. She said,
“Commander, do you think someone might be framing him?”
“I’m working on that as we speak. If the phone call I’m waiting on comes back as I think it will, I know who’s doing this.” The Commander said.
“I’m just very hurt by all the things they say he’s done. I’m a pretty good judge of character and he certainly had me fooled.” Marsha said.
“Yeah, I agree.” The Commander said. But, I can tell you this, I’m not going to just take Doctor Williams word for that and certainly not going to take just any doctor’s word for it. I intend to keep looking.”
“I’m so glad to hear you say that.” The Coroner said. “I will keep searching as well, but Commander.”
“Yes,” he answered.
“Don’t let Williams tell him yet, that he murdered his wife. I know he loved her more than life itself. The state of mind Ivan’s in, if he tells him I’m afraid Ivan’s mind will totally snap and he will recess to a place so dark and so far away in his mind that he can never come back. Just don’t let him tell Ivan, just yet.” Marsha Hart said.
“I thought about that too. I’m going to go and tell Doctor Williams that right now. I agree with you.”
As the Commander prepared to go to the hospital, his phone rang and it was the call he had been waiting on. It was from Interpol, in Paris, France.
When he reached the hospital, the Commander parked
out front and walked the short distance to the entry. He asked the receptionist if Doctor Williams was in and she said,
“I believe he’s making rounds.
“Do you have any idea what floor he’s on?” The Commander asked.
“Yes, sir, I believe the fifth.”
“Thank you.” The Commander said and when the elevator doors opened he punched the number five on the elevator buttons.
As he stepped off the elevator he walked quickly to the room where he knew Ivan was. He paused for a few minutes outside the door and he could hear Doctor Williams talking.
“Ivan, I have more tragic, tragic news to tell you. As you know part of getting better is accepting all the things that you are responsible for?”
The Commander heard Ivan reply, “yes.”
Before Doctor Williams could tell Ivan that he killed his wife the Commander knocked on the door with his fist. It was so loud and so fierce Doctor Williams immediately came to see who was knocking. When he unlocked the door, the Commander pushed it open and came in with Doctor Williams objecting.
“Sir, I cannot protect you against this man. He thinks you are setting him up.”
“But, doctor you know I’m not, don’t you?” The Commander asked.
Ivan was looking at the two men through a haze of drug induced cobwebs. If the Commander was guilty of setting him up, why would he come here, force his way in and look as if he was ready to knock Doctor Williams out? None of this made sense to Ivan. He continued to watch and listen.
“I have no idea what you are talking about.” Doctor Williams said.
“Doctor you manipulate people’s minds and their thoughts every day. That’s what you do. But, I got a telegram followed by a phone call, this morning from Interpol, in Paris. They answered back about a question I asked them. The question was, ‘when the administrator of the Hospital for the Mentally Insane, a Mr. Garret Harrison, worked in Paris, did he have correspondence with any hospital in the United States?’
“What’s that got to do with me?” Doctor Williams asked.
“The hospital here in the US was this hospital, doctor. And, the doctor who he always talked to was you, Doctor Williams. I think you had a part in bringing Harrison from Paris, here.” The Commander said.
“So, what if I did?” Williams asked.
“You wanted him here, because you and he have worked together before. You knew if you could get him over here, this hospital would be yours to run as you pleased, with no outsiders looking over your shoulder.” The Commander said.
“And pray tell, why would I want to do that?” Doctor Williams asked.
“Because, doctor, you love Grace Simmons, and you knew her maniac brother was a patient here. You knew if you had full run of this hospital you could do as you pleased with Garth Simmons. By doing that you would make his sister very happy with you. Being the smart doctor that you are, you also knew that Grace was as sick mentally, as Garth and you knew you were going to have to cover up the murders they committed and are still committing.
You looked around and decided the best defense is a good offense, so you would make friends with Scotland Yard and the detective who screamed the loudest that Garth Simmons was behind all the White Chapel District Murders. That’s when the three of you concocted the plan to frame Ivan Bennet for the murders of the prostitutes in the White Chapel District. The three of you, are the insane ones.
You, Grace and Garth Simmons and Garett Harrison, are under arrest for the murders of eleven prostitutes and for setting up the murder of Eve Bennet, detective Bennet’s wife. That was Garth’s idea. He thought perhaps Detective Bennet would have a total mental breakdown, if his wife was murdered in front of him. Unfortunately, you almost succeeded.”
The Commander looked over at Ivan and he was crying. Tears were streaming down his face and he didn’t try to stop them. He let them flow freely. They were tears of relief. His turmoil of not knowing who killed his beloved Eve, was at last, over.
When Grace, Doctor Williams and Garett Harrison, were hauled off to be locked away in jail, Garth’s room was put off limits until they could decide what they needed to do with him, the Commander put his arms around Ivan and just held him and let him cry.
Finally, Ivan looked at the Commander and said, “How can I ever thank you.”
The Commander said, “you don’t have to thank me, Detective. Don’t you remember the day I told you I was your friend, all you had to do was ask and I would help you through the battle you were fighting, anytime and anyplace?”
“Yes, sir, but how did you figure out who it was?” Ivan asked.
“I’ve spent a lot of time over the years studying people. I may not be a psychiatrist, but I am a good judge of character. I met your heart, Ivan. I knew there was no way, sane or insane that you could have killed your wife. That’s when my suspicions turned toward the doctor.”
“That’s good detective work.” Ivan said.
“Yeah, stick with me kid, I’ll teach you all I know. By the way Ivan, do you know who lived in your apartment before you?
“No,” Ivan said, wondering what that had to do with anything.
“Well, Dr. Dennis Williams did. And that my dear Sherlock solves the mystery of the elusive key. That was just one more thing they used to make you think you were going out of your mind.” The Commander said, as he slapped Ivan on the shoulder and they walked out of the Hospital for the Criminally Insane.
Upstairs in room 501, Garth Simmons was beating his head on the floor. The lunatic murderer and his accomplices had been exposed and captured, thanks to Detective Ivan Bennet, of Scotland Yard, and his good friend, Commander Alex Sanders.
If you listened closely you could hear Simmons swearing, “We will meet again, Detective, you are not through with me.”
