by E. Clay
Monet interjected.
“Where I come from we have a haunted library. We call her the Grey Lady.”
I was at the end of my tether.
“Just in case nobody noticed, we are having a real conversation about ghosts and spirits. Monet, how about we find a ghost-free B&B, somewhere else?”
“No, we are staying right here. I’m not going.”
Jenny sensed an imminent conflict so she excused herself and returned to the front desk.
“Honey, you said you saw a ghost. I think that’s a sign and not a good one.”
“Clay, I have just one regret. I regret not hearing her song all the way to the end.”
I walked to the window and poked my head behind the curtains, the wind was howling. I saw the headstones below and quickly looked away. I didn’t want to see Lady Margaret. I know I would have handled it differently if it were me. I would’ve run like hell. This was no longer about ghosts and spirits it was about maintaining my sanity at all costs. If ghosts were real then they knew better than to visit me. Maybe that’s why my dad never came to visit because he knew I couldn’t handle it.
The room warmed up and the smell of perfume dissipated. That night Monet slept like a baby while I slept with one eye open praying not see Lady Margaret.
NINETEEN
* * *
Virtual Crime Scene
My eyes finally closed about 5am. I was awakened by a hand laid across my chest. It was Monet, she was half-asleep. I looked under the duvet and her mocha-colored thighs caught my attention. I wanted her. I rolled the duvet back and positioned myself between her legs. Monet opened her eyes and raised her sheer nightgown above her waist. Finally! I was just hoping that Lady Margaret wouldn’t haunt us during sex. I really wasn’t in the mood for one of her recitals.
Monet and I made passionate love off and on until checkout. I was glad Lady Margaret behaved.
Stonehenge was a little disappointing. The large boulder formation was roped off and in the middle of nowhere. We took a few pictures and headed back after about fifteen minutes of viewing. On the way back we passed the George Hotel, I was so glad to see it in my rear view mirror. I’d heard ghost stories before but never from anyone so close to me, until now. I would never mention it again. It was too disturbing and it challenged my faith.
After little sleep the night before I found myself nodding off at the wheel. Monet slept the entire way home.
Gabby, the little girl next door, waited for us near the driveway. I opened the front door for Monet and addressed my little friend.
“I bet I know what you want. Hmm, your bouncy ball is in my backyard and you want it back, right?” I said, on one knee.
Gabby grabbed me by the hand and took me to her front door.
“My daddy’s looking for you. I think it’s important.”
Carl stuck his head outside his upstairs bedroom. He spotted me and he was at the front door in a flash.
“Clay, we’ve got a break. Anna agreed to let you see her. And not a moment too soon; the Press is breathing down our necks. We need this to work. Whatever resources you need, just say the word. We’ll make it happen.”
This was the opportunity I’d dreamed of for the last 20 years. I knew there would never be a more important session than this. Not only would I help someone but maybe I could save lives. I started to get nervous. It was all or nothing and nothing was unacceptable.
I managed to overcome my anxiety and committed to Carl.
“Carl, I can do it. When do you want me? I’m on your time.”
“The mayor will be chuffed. I’ll call him now and confirm. I can arrange for Anna to meet you at Scotland Yard in three hours.”
I was expecting Carl to say later in the week, I guess he was desperate. Apparently, Anna moved in with her older sister and decided to go through with it against her father’s wishes.
I found Monet on the computer in my study checking emails. She wanted to come along, but she wasn’t supposed to know in the first place. She understood.
I quickly showered and met Carl outside.
“Clay, a patrol vehicle has been dispatched; it should be here in a few minutes.”
“Cool, you’re coming too, right?”
“I’ll meet you down there. I’ve gotta stop by the Cambridge precinct first.”
A black van with tinted windows pulled into my drive. Carl gave me a pep talk before I took off for a 90-minute drive to Central London.
“I think I can speak on behalf of the Metropolitan Police Force when I say this... thank you. Let’s get this son-of-a-bitch.”
For the first time in my practice, doubt reared its ugly head.
What if she resists?
What if she can’t relax?
What if she can’t overcome the effects of the drug that blocked her memory that night?
I always imagined Scotland Yard being tucked away in a secure location. Nope, it was in downtown London with a large revolving gray sign that read Scotland Yard.
I was escorted past three cipher-locked entrances, the last had biometrics security. I was issued a yellow visitor’s badge that read Escort Required. I was greeted by a big burly police sergeant outside the debriefing room.
“So, you must be the psychic everyone’s talking about?”
“No, I’m a hypnotist, not a psychic.”
The cop shrugged his shoulders.
“Same difference.”
At least three other police officers also thought I was a psychic. I’d heard rumors that some British police precincts employed psychics to assist in their investigations, but I didn’t know for sure.
A young detective sat by me and spoke to me. He was super-friendly, not like some of the officers I’d already met.
“The guys have been talking about this all week. I think the mayor is coming down. This isn’t normal protocol; the big guy had to brief the mayor on this one. Good luck, mate.”
Just as I was starting to get settled, the idea of the ‘Big Boss’ overseeing my session with Anna really made me nervous. My hands wouldn’t stay still. I was shaking like a leaf.
Anna was running late. I had almost hoped she wouldn’t show, I was that nervous.
After a ninety-minute wait, I observed a tiny blonde woman being escorted by two uniformed officers. She barely looked twenty years old. She had a vacant stare with no expression. I could tell she was emotionally wounded. I knew it was Anna.
I had to get over my nervousness about meeting the big boss. We couldn’t start without him. I said a silent prayer for confidence.
“ATTENTION ON DECK!” shouted a policeman posted at the entrance.
Everyone snapped to attention including me. I felt like I was back in the Marine Corps. My heart was pounding even harder by this time. I didn’t know how I could pull this off, being as nervous as I was. I was so close to calling the whole thing off.
A police officer introduced me to the big boss.
“Mr. Thompson, this is the Chief Superintendent. He will observe the debriefing.”
“Carl?” I said.
Carl stood there looking stellar in his dress uniform with stars on his collar. I would never have guessed after all these years that Carl was the head honcho of such an elite unit. All of my nervousness and anxiety went away. I was back in control.
“Clay, I told you I’d meet you here. Are you ready?” Carl asked as he removed his dress cover from his head.
The staff found it strange that I was on a first name basis with the big boss. Carl never let on that he was so high up the chain of command.
Carl escorted me into the debriefing room. The room was sterile white with the obligatory one-way mirror. A table was placed in the middle of the room and there were two seats lined against the wall.
Carl briefed me on the sequence of events and identified the two men who entered the room.
I wasn’t expecting anyone to observe so closely inside the room. The professor-looking old man was a sketch artist and he sat ne
xt to the forensic profiler. A large black police officer stood at the door at attention.
There was a red light above the door. It started to flash.
Anna walked in hesitantly, wringing her hands in fear of the unknown. I wanted to help her but I knew it would be a challenge.
She stood behind the chair across the table from me.
“Anna, my name is Clay. Please, have a seat.”
She sat. Anna was an emotional train wreck. I hoped she could hold it together.
“Anna, can I offer you something to drink?”
“Uh, can I have a shandy3, please?”
I motioned to the one-way mirror.
“Can we get Anna a shandy, please?”
I needed to establish rapport and I was on my way. The black policeman standing post was given the order to fetch the shandy. He wasn’t happy.
Anna seemed to relax just a tiny bit after she sipped her lemonade shandy.
“Anna, do you know why you are here?” I asked, with my hands clasped on the table.
“Yes. It’s about that night. You want to ask me some questions.”
After a few minutes I realized that Anna wasn’t told she was going to be hypnotized. She expected to be interviewed. What I thought would be a curve ball was actually a blessing in disguise. If she had known I was going to hypnotize her she may have had her defenses up. This was perfect. You can’t resist what you don’t see coming. I would induce her with a rapid induction.
Anna had a Help for Heroes bracelet on her right wrist. It was in memory of her uncle who died in Afghanistan. That was my opening. She opened up and gave me a heroic account of how her beloved uncle died while trying to rescue a private from a burning, overturned truck. Being a retired Marine I was genuinely empathetic to her story. I could feel her defenses lowering and our trust building.
“Anna, may I see your bracelet, please?”
I gently examined her wrist. Then I gripped it tightly. Anna’s eyes exploded with fear. With a quick jerky motion I gave the command.
“S L E E P N O W!”
She slumped over the desk.
The sketch artist looked over to the profiler who was taking notes. They didn’t know what to make of it. The officer posted at the door blurted out.
“Crikey4!”
“Anna, your body is asleep but your mind is active. I want you to focus on the sound of my voice and allow it to relax you even more than are now. You can sit up now.”
Anna raised up. Her eyelids fluttered exposing only the whites of her eyes.
“Anna, you recently met a man, a very bad man. Do you know who he is?”
Anna nodded yes. She was too deep in trance to speak. I had to ease her trance state to allow her to verbalize her responses.
“I will count from five to one. When I reach one you will be slightly more alert and more responsive to my questions. Five, four, three, two and one!”
It worked. Her verbal responses were almost zombie-like, but I could understand her.
“Anna, can you go back to that night?”
“No.”
Damn.
“Okay, no problem, I understand. We have the entire event on videotape. All I want you to do is answer a few questions while you watch the tape. You will not relive it, I only need you to observe it from a safe distance, okay?”
Anna’s rapid eye movement increased. I could tell she hit the play button in her mind. Within minutes tears started streaming onto her blouse.
“Anna, where are you?”
“I’m in my car with Matthew. I’m nervous.”
“Who’s Matthew?”
“He’s the new guy in the dorms. He asked me out.”
Anna gave us a treasure trove of information. She didn’t know his last name but she was able to provide a detailed description. The sketch artist was frantically trying to keep up with the pace. Matthew was average height, 20ish, ginger hair and had freckles. By the time Anna was finished with her description I could picture him in my mind.
The session was going great. I was ready to terminate but the sketch artist had one request.
His request would open the gates of hell.
The sketch artist rose from his chair and stood next to Anna. He placed his sketch directly in front of her face. I never saw it coming.
“Is this the man?” he asked.
Anna’s pupils dilated in horror. She went berserk. She flipped the table with Hulk-like strength. I fell out of my chair and papers went flying. Anna dug her nails into the face of the sketch artist and took his pen and stabbed him in the face over and over in a frenzy. Blood spattered all over me and her. I thought he was going to lose an eye. Anna’s rage was accentuated by exorcist-like screams. The red light flashed over the door and the black policeman and another burly officer rushed in and tackled Anna to the ground. They couldn’t keep her pinned down. She hurled both men against the wall like rag dolls. My first impression was that she had become possessed or something, but it was probably adrenaline kicking in. I was still dazed from when the table slammed into my face. I thought my nose was broken. Anna locked her eyes on the forensic profiler who was in shock. He couldn’t move. Anna’s hands were covered in blood and she approach the defenseless man. The siren sounded and a lone police officer walked in with his stun gun drawn. He pointed it towards Anna’s back.
I panicked.
“Wait! Please wait!” I shouted to the policeman.
By this time Anna had raised her bloody pen ready to strike her victim.
“Anna! S L E E P N O W!” I commanded from the floor.
Anna collapsed.
The police officer fired his taser anyway. Anna’s sudden fall caused the officer to miss. He tased the profiler instead, causing him to dance around in his own urine.
I felt sorry for the staff but my heart was focused on Anna. This was an absolute cluster fuck. I rose to my feet and walked over to Anna lying on the floor. She was blood-soaked. Paramedics rushed in and treated the sketch artist and profiler. The police officers were groaning on the floor in agony. One had been bitten.
I had one last suggestion for Anna. A suggestion that went against my training and my better judgment. But these were desperate times.
I kneeled over Anna and put my hand on her head.
“Anna, you will never remember the events of this night or the night that brought you here. When you wake up you will think you are here for something else. Your state of mind is restored to its natural state. One, two, three, four and five! Awaken now!”
Anna’s eyes slowly opened. She was groggy but coherent. She looked around and observed her surroundings.
“What happened?” she asked.
“There was a prisoner who nearly escaped. He attacked a few officers and blood splattered everywhere. It’s okay now, he’s back in custody. Do you know why you are here?”
“Of course. It’s about the hit-and-run I witnessed a while back.”
“Yes, but we have the driver in custody now.”
“Oh, great. I guess you don’t really need me then.”
Anna was a completely different person. She was in control and seemingly unaffected by her past.
Carl stood near the front door, he wanted to speak with me in private. I knew this wouldn’t be pleasant. By wiping Anna’s memory I tampered with a virtual crime scene.
I followed Carl in to a private office. He slammed the door shut behind me. He was furious.
“Clay, what the fuck was that? I’ve got one officer en route to hospital and Charlie bloody pissed himself.”
“Carl, what you saw was a success. Our mission was to identify the perpetrator and we did that. His name is Matthew and he’s a student at Anna’s university.”
Carl calmed down a lot and even thanked me at the end.
I was driven home in a police car after I signed a nondisclosure form. I was still edgy, but I was comforted in knowing Anna would get her life back.
I wouldn’t rest until Matthew was in police custod
y.
3 Beverage: beer mixed with a soft drink
4 British expression of surprise
TWENTY
* * *
Phone Sex
2:00am
The drive home was somber. Before I knew it I was opening my front door and waving goodbye to the officer. The session with Anna wiped me out. I wanted to go upstairs get undressed and curl up to Monet and sleep. My furry feline friend was atop of the stairs wanting to be fed. I quietly tiptoed throughout the house to avoid awakening Monet. I opened the bedroom door and found Monet wide awake and somewhat flat. Something was bothering her. I sat on the bed next to her. She turned on the night light.
“Clay, you have dark circles under your eyes. What happened?”
“Honey, I really can’t talk about it. But she went into trance and we got a description. Hopefully it’s him.”
Monet massaged my shoulders and helped me undress. “Jo stopped by. She wanted you to see her before she left,” Monet commented.
“Where did she go?”
“Jo had another date and she wanted you to see the new Jo.”
“Another date?”
“I think she’s making up for lost time, babe. She had a brunch date this morning and now she’s off to see the show Wicked with some guy she met online.”
I was a little concerned for my friend whom I considered a sister.
“She’s gotta be careful. There are some nutters out there,” I replied.
Monet followed me into the bathroom and sat on the hamper while I showered. I could barely hear her over the running water. I stood in the shower and decompressed.
“Clay, we don’t have any secrets do we?”
I turned the shower off. I knew something was percolating.
“No, I tell you everything. I have nothing to hide. Why?”
My mind was searching for answers. I couldn’t think of anything. What did she find while I was out?
I stepped out the shower and Monet helped dry me off.
“I wasn’t snooping, but while I was on your computer I found something.”
