An Apple for Zoë ~ The Forsaken (17 page)

"So Charlie got word to the A.B. to keep him quiet about killing Shorty?" asked James. Cherney shook his head no. "No, Charlie didn't give a shit at that point. He was already on death row for Tate/LaBianca, so it didn't matter if the Hinman murder or killing of Shorty were added to his sentence. You could only kill Charlie once. No, this is where it gets weird. He told me, Charlie had said something to him that he could never tell anyone," said Cherney pausing. "He didn't come here to kill you, Tom. He came to kill Miss Summers."

Summers and James both looked bewildered. "What are you talking about? Why would he be after Miss Summers?"

"He told you that? That he came here to kill me?" asked Summers. Cherney nodded.
 

"Just exactly when did Manson tell Clem to murder Miss Summers?" inquired James as he watched Cherney crush out another cigarette and then slowly look up to them both.

"1972."

CHAPTER NINETEEN

1972

"I wasn't even alive in 1972," claimed Summers.

"I told you it was weird," remarked Cherney.
 

James stood up and tried to put it all together. "So let me get this straight, Doc. You're telling me everything that's happened in the last 48 hours all leads back to Charles Manson?"

"No I'm not saying that at all. What I am saying is the guy in the room with the two-way glass told me Charlie ordered him to kill Miss Summers."

"Thirteen years before I was born?"

"I didn't say any of it made any sense."

Summers stood up and slammed her notebook down. "I want to talk to him." James tried to calm her. "That may not be such a good idea. If he told Doc here he's on some kind of weird mission from Charlie to kill you then maybe part of his plan is to get you into the same room, close enough to fulfill Charlie's prophecy."

"I don't care, Tom. I want to talk to him and if you don't let me I can have 20 more agents here inside of half an hour and we will take over this case," commanded Summers.
 

James could see the determination in her eyes. "Okay, but you're not going in there alone. I want you to vest up and give me your sidearm," ordered James. He could see Summers did not like the idea of going inside unarmed. "It's not negotiable Ashton. Don't worry, I'm going to be standing right next to you and believe me if Clem makes any kind of sudden moves, they will be his last."

James, Summers and Dr. Cherney headed into the interview room. The moment Ashton stepped inside Clem began to laugh and point his handcuffed hands at her.

"I'm special agent Ashton Summers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, it's my understanding you have communicated to Dr. Cherney you were instructed by Charles Manson in 1972 to kill me. Is that correct?" she asked as Clem stared glassy eyed at her. He grinned and began to rock his body back and forth and nodded yes.

"Do you mind telling me how this is possible, since I wasn't born yet?" The three of them watched Clem scribble onto Summers yellow legal pad the answer.
 
"Charlie knows everything."

"Charlie's in prison, Clem. He's been there since 1970," said James as Clem turned ignoring his comment. Cherney interjected, "Clem, why would Charlie want Miss Summers dead?"
 

Clem quickly scribbled again on the pad of paper. "Only the sow knows why."
 

Cherney turned his head sideways as he read Clem's scrawl. "The sow? What the hell does that mean?" asked Cherney, his temper beginning to flare. He jerked Clem's chair around to face him, "You think you're real fucking funny don't you asshole! It's not enough you spin this hippie bullshit on everyone, but then you have to insult Miss Summers on top of it all!" James pulled the angry doctor away from Clem, while Summers continued to try and find out exactly why Charles Manson wanted her dead.

"Clem, never mind that. Look at me. Tell me why. If you don't tell me, you're going to rot in prison for trying to kill a federal officer and no one will ever know. Now is your chance to be heard and believed. If you don't take it now, everyone from here on out will think you're just crazy old Clem. The old burnt out hippie, who is still following Charles Manson like some psychedelic pied piper."
 
Clem looked directly into Summers eyes. She had his complete and undivided attention. "Come on Clem, tell me, I'm listening, why does he want me dead?"

Clem slowly reached out for the pen and legal pad without removing his gaze from her. Her eyes held his. She knew if she looked at the pad he might stop and never tell her. "That's right Clem, it's okay tell me. I'll believe you."

As Clem began to write a loud shout came from outside the interview room. "Open that fucking door right now!" demanded a firm male voice. Summers, James and Cherney all looked towards the door in unison as it flew open. Clem began to write faster.
 

A tall, scruffy looking man stood holding a weather-beaten leather brief case in his hand. He looked wildly at the three of them. "Are you fucking kidding me? You assholes are interrogating my client without his attorney present? Do you seriously
want
to just give millions of taxpayer dollars away? Get the fuck out of here!" he commanded. Cherney stepped up. "Hold on a second. Your client has not only committed murder this morning, but also attempted to murder three law enforcement officials—one of them being a Federal Agent," shouted Cherney as he got back into the attorneys face.
 

"Back off!" shouted the attorney, shoving Cherney away.
 

James and Summers stepped in. "Your Clem's attorney?" asked James. "My name is Rolan Chessman and
his
name is Steve Grogan
not
Clem. Get your facts straight."
 

Captain Shelton stepped into the doorframe of the interview room. Her solid figure and calm voice brought the volatility of the room back to a professional tone. "Mr. Chessman, tend to your client and lose the vulgar language while you're in my department, as for the rest of you, I want all of you out here right now," she said quietly, stepping back into the main room.
 

James, Summers and Cherney filed out like scolded children. She pulled a finger to the three of them. As they walked to her the four of them formed what appeared to be a huddle. The Captain's demeanor changed instantly. "You guys get anything out of him?"
 

"A lot of hippie nonsense Cap," chimed Cherney. "He didn't want to talk to us, just Agent Summers," said James. Summers seemed confused by the whole change in the Captain's attitude but then realized it was all a front for the sake of Chessman. Shelton gave Summers a look that asked for information. "So Miss Summers? What did he write down?"
 

"Shit. I left it in there," she suddenly remembered. Turning back toward the interview room, Summers noticed Clem was turned away from Chessman.
 

"Well you can't get it now or Chessman will have us all by the balls for sure," said Shelton. James smirked at her comment.
 
The Captain was a real team player he thought. Summers continued watching Clem and Chessman. She saw Clem tear the sheet of paper he had been writing on away from the pad. He then tried to hide it away as she noticed Chessman was making no effort at all to speak with Clem.

"Tom, something is wrong," she said. James didn't hear as his attention was with Shelton and Cherney.

"Well regardless Cap, we have to find out why Clem took such a risk trying to kill Agent Summers," said James as his attention was turned to Cherney who kept searching his pockets. "Doc? What the hell is the matter with you?"

"I can't find my lighter."
 

The howl and screech of flammable combustion pierced the ears of everyone in the room as Clem's body slammed against the window of interview room one. The soundproof room muffled his tongue-less screams. James and Summers saw fire engulf the interview room, consuming Chessman and Clem. "Jesus! Grab an extinguisher!" screamed James as he ran for the interview room door. He jerked and pushed on the door. "Who has the key?"
 
Cherney ran to the glass and could see a chair shoved up under the doorknob wedging it shut. Through the glass he could feel the intense heat trying to get out. Cherney backed away in shock as he watched Chessman dance around the room burning and flailing his flaming arms like a toy marionette. Clem pressed his disfigured face against the bulletproof glass. His eyes were wild with fear.

"Why the hell isn't the sprinkler system coming on?" shouted Cherney. Shelton ran to the fire alarm and pulled it. The bell began to ring but no water came.

Summers picked up a chair to try and smash through the glass as Clem placed his hand against the glass with the rapidly burning yellow legal paper inside it. Summers dropped the chair as she moved up close to read what the burning paper said. Disintegrating in front of her was the only clue that would tell her why Manson had ordered Clem to kill her. Agent Summers, shook her head as the paper burned away into black ashes. Captain Shelton stood behind Summers watching the bizarre tragedy play out in her very own police headquarters.
 

"What did the paper say?" said Shelton as she tried to shake Summers into focus. Summers turned to her and whispered. "It said, 'Because you're family.'

CHAPTER TWENTY

 
Family

The cool breeze of the Pacific Ocean blew through Thomas James' salt and pepper hair. Driving with the window down the wind was comfortable and relaxing. Summers sat in the front passenger seat of his Crown Victoria. It was a typical generic detective's car for most law enforcement agencies. In San Francisco it was of course becoming politically incorrect to drive one. She was certain before the end of the year everyone would be driving a hybrid.
 

Summers watched the city as it passed her window. The rows and rows of 19
^th
century Victorian houses were squeezed together like sardines in a can. It was for lack of a better term, stereotypical.
 

"It's nothing like Hollywood," she said to herself as she turned and noticed Inspector James was deep in thought. His driving was deliberate and focused. She wondered what he was thinking about. Was it the chance his captain was taking by letting them take this course of action in the case? Was it the phone call she had made to her field director in Los Angeles that had made this trip possible? Or was it the fact that in less than 20 minutes they would be at the gates of San Quentin Prison arranging an interview with Charles Manson?
 

"Do you think he really will talk to us?" she asked breaking his intense concentration. James mulled over her question, collecting his thoughts.
 

"It's anyone's guess, Miss Summers," he said.

"Ashton."

"Sorry?"

"Call me Ashton, there's no need to be so formal," she smiled. James smiled back and nodded his acceptance of her offer. He then drifted back into his focused thinking and began to wonder if Charlie would talk to them.
 

"You really do have a lot on your mind, don't you?"

"What? Oh I'm sorry, I do yes. Forgive me the last 24 hours have been intense to say the least. I mean, if someone told me last week I would be going to interview Charles Manson, I would have laughed. Now it's no surprise to me at all. I mean it actually seems to be the only thing that does make any sense at the moment."

Summers sympathized and forced a fake smile. Her thoughts reflected back to the conversation she had with her field director, Paige Collins.

"You have to break the seal on the records Paige. If I was adopted I need to know."

"Summers, even the bureau has to be careful when we go slipping between the cracks. Getting background information is one thing, but when it involves sealed adoption records that's most likely going to involve a judge."

"Paige, this guy told us he was ordered to kill me by Charles Manson back in 1972. Do you know how insane that is?"

"I do and I understand Agent Summers. Listen I will handle things on this end. Luckily the L.A. Bureau was involved in the Manson case so I shouldn't have too much trouble getting you some answers. But I need you to listen to me closely Ashton. You need to keep silent about the case your working on here in Hollywood. There have been some new developments. I can't tell you about them right now. But I can confirm the San Francisco case is connected. Whatever you do, do not tell Inspector James anything...at least not yet," said Collins, ending the call.
 

Summers looked back over to James as she remembered her director's orders. She wondered what exactly the new developments were.
 

"What exactly do you expect to find out from Manson?" asked James. Now it was Summers turn to be snapped back into the present.

"I'm sorry Tom, my mind was wandering."

"Considering what happened this morning, I'm really not the least bit surprised," he said.
 

The two of them sat silently as James made his way through the vast maze of city streets. Each stoplight was either another hill or a one-way street. Both James and Summers wondered about each other and how they came to be here together in this moment. Summers broke the silence once again. "Tom, what happened to you inside The Aleris?"

James felt his blood chill as he thought about being dragged through the hotel by a dead man.
Was it a bad dream? Did I pass out and simply hallucinate?
He wondered.
But I saw those three men
...he tried to shake it from his mind.
They were crucified upside down, each one with a letter carved
...his thoughts were broken by his car radio.

"Inspector James, call coming in from Captain Shelton are you able to receive?" asked the dispatcher.
 
James took the handset and clicked an answer. "James here, yes I'm able to receive, go ahead."

"Tommy? You there?"

"Yes Cap, I'm here."