Consigning Fate (18 page)

“Even better.”

The door to the examining room opened loudly and Henry stormed out.

“Henry, calm down,” Andrea ordered.

Henry skid to a stop and spun to her. “I can’t. I can’t calm down, Andrea. There were ribbons in my hair. And now I look like an Asian Joan Crawford.” He turned around and stopped before Frank. “Look at me.”

“Henry,” Frank said. “It’s not that bad. I don’t see permanent mark. At least you don’t have that.”

“No?” Henry stepped to Frank. “No. Look at my ears Frank. My ears were pierced. Both of them!”

Andrea interjected. “I removed the diamond studs.”

“But now I have holes in my ears!”

Frank said, “Henry, you’ve always had holes in your ears.”

“My lobes, asshole!” Henry barked.

“Hey!” Andrea yelled. “Respect! Sweet Jesus Henry. They’ll close up in a week.”

“They hurt!”

“Try ice!” Andrea shouted.

With scolding eyes, Henry pointed a finger at Dean. “You. This is all your fault.”

“How?” Dean asked. “How is this my fault?”

“You did this to me. You did this.”

Frank interjected. “Uh, Henry, that’s a negative. Dean was in the cryo and or home all night long. From Ten on. Tracked. Not Dean.”

“Then he set this up to clear his name. Awfully convenient this happens, to me, when I’m insisting on the mutilator being caught.” Henry barged by Frank and Dean. “I want Justice, Frank. Justice!” He stormed down the hall and slammed his hands against the doors in his exit.

Frank whistled. “He’s pissed.”

“Well …” Andrea huffed out. “Usually I am outraged by the attacks, but this time …I’m angry at Henry.”

“Wow,” Dean said surprised. “Why? Because he’s behaving so badly?”

“No,” Andrea replied. “Because there was one pair of size nine, Ben-Tastic, pink and green heels and Henry not only was wearing them, he ruined them in his tantrum. I wanted those size nine shoes!” Andrea huffed again, folded her arms, and turned, mumbling, “I hope his eyebrows don’t grow back. Let’s go, Joe.”

Frank watched Andrea walk away, and then after she slammed her office door, he exhaled loudly and turned.

“Where are you going?” Dean asked.

Frank pointed with his thumb. “To find Danny for those pictures.” He took a step. “You gonna go back to Harry the Killer Fetus?”

“Yeah, I want to talk to Andrea first, while she’s alone.”

Frank gave a ‘go on’ nod and walked away.

Dean, still chuckling, headed to Andrea’s office. He raised his hand to knock, but paused.

“I don’t know,” Andrea said from inside. “I just don’t know, Joe. On one hand, I see Henry’s point, on the other. I wanted those shoes. I know you won’t say anything.”

Dean retracted his knock, if he were going to ask for clinic time off, he’d wait until she was in a better frame of mind.

Robbie covered the lag himself. He wasn’t the happiest camper when he took watch, but that’s what he had to do.

‘No one’s on the schedule for fourteen through eighteen, Robbie,’ Frank told him.

Robbie responded with a sincere apology and told Frank he forgot.

“If the investigation is too much, then I’ll put someone else on it.”

“No.” Robbie said. “I’ll clear my head and work on that when I have time.”

Robbie got defensive at first, barking back at Frank that he was in his shit too much and to quit double checking everything. But after his initial stewing he admitted that Frank had a point. Robbie, though doing his job as head of Security, didn’t have his mind in it. There was a time and place for everything. He had to start putting the investigation out of his mind.

It was tough.

He couldn’t get past the fact that his father’s fingerprints were the one on the bomb, even worse, the ones on the timing device. Which meant, to Robbie, Joe set the bomb.

And that’s where the sense went out the window.

Why would his father build and set a bomb to take his own life. Unless he didn’t intend to die.

Walking back to the office, he paused to watch the construction of the new end unit that would replace Joe’s office.

His mind flashed back to that day. The day the office was destroyed, a frame remained, and Frank carried his father’s dead body.

What went wrong?

With the rounds finished, and the schedule fixed, Robbie returned to his Security office. It was the first time it hit him how much of a mess the small office was.

Boxes of evidence from the investigation, the computer in there for fingerprints.

He had to step over things to get to the desk.

At least he had time to listen to Darrel’s interview again, and try to pick up something he missed before.

Just seated, hand reaching for the tape player, Frank interrupted with a “Robbie” and a single knock before opening the door.

“Hey, Frank.” Robbie looked up.

“Sorry about coming down on you,” Frank said.

“No. No problem. You were right. My mind wasn’t on the ball. I’ll be better.”

“I know. So, what are you doing right now?”

“Finding some time to work on this investigation.”

Frank snorted a laugh and looked around. “This place is a mess.”

“It’s a big investigation. But like I said, I will make time for it. Schedule it. Plan it.”

“One problem you may have is everything is right here,” Frank said. “It’s staring you in the face. Unorganized. Why don’t you move everything in the investigation somewhere else? Think about it. If it’s out of sight, you won’t feel so compelled to work on the puzzle. Having to go to it will make you work by the time slots.”

Robbie nodded. “That’s a great plan, you have any suggestions where?”

“Yeah, actually,” Frank said. “What about the old tube lab next to the quantum lab. You can use that. It’s empty and there’s room.”

“That’s a great idea. I think I’ll pack everything up and go there.”

Frank winked. “See, two minds are better than one.”

Robbie dazed off with Frank’s words. Two minds were better than one. Maybe it was time for Robbie to get help in the matter. Two minds thinking about the same thing.

“Robbie?”

“Huh?”

“Can you?”

“Can I what?”

“Be there in ten minutes?” Frank asked. “You weren’t listening, were you?”

“No. Sorry.”

“Hal’s on his way in. I want to have a quick meeting, me, you, Ryder, Matoose.”

“About?”

“The clone and Dean. Won’t take long.”

Robbie nodded. “I’ll be there. After, though, I’m gonna move the investigation stuff to the lab.”

“Sounds good. See you in my office.”

When the door shut, Robbie lifted the tape player again. He decided against it, knowing full well if he dove into it, he wouldn’t want to come out of it in time to meet in Frank’s office.

So for the ten minutes he had to wait, he decided to prepare all the evidence to go.

<><><><>

Despite the fact that they were all different in their own ways, the Slagel men had one major thing in common. They were all hardheaded.

George learned that while dealing with Jimmy.

He never met anyone so analytical. The satellite and scan system book was his baby.

George stopped by to see if he could help, to watch, Jimmy accepted, but then anything George suggested, Jimmy denied. He had his own way of doing things.

Page by page. Line by line.

Telling George, “When this works, it will work with us knowing all the how’s and whys, and knowing it inside and out because I learned every page.”

Two hours with Jimmy was break inducing, especially with Jenny Matoose calling every ten minutes.

Frank had a lot on his plate and scheduled the first war strategy meeting for the next morning. Which gave George another day in Beginnings.

He checked in with Stewart, learning that Callahan was making major progress, that was good.

He didn’t expect to return to Quantico soon, but also didn’t expect to be gone long.

He made a mental note to speak to Frank about Mike, as well.

But while he was in Beginnings, there were a few things he was welcome to do to stay busy. He could work in Containment or help out Jimmy. Jimmy and the satellite was the most appealing, until he actually spent time with him.

Containment would be next.

But until then, he was going to relax. George also had a strange desire to go to Bowman and see that town during the day. Really take it in. When he was there, it was night, and only got to see Hoi-Hoi on the Range.

His curiosity about the town was piqued when he stopped at the bakery, grabbed a latte, and engaged in some ‘catch up;’ conversation with Gemma.

She told him all about Bowman, or as she called it, Hoi Town. She even told him the early show at the Dan-a-Plex was showing El Dorado with John Wayne.

The Dan-Tram left in an hour to go to Bowman, George planned to be on it.

After the coffee shop, he went to the Joe Park.

He chuckled at the mid-day walkers, he strolled the maze like, and small path as if it were a massive trail.

He paused to look at the Joe board and the updates there. Nothing new. Just as he looked at the wall center of the park, he saw Ellen enter the park.

She set a coffee cup on the wall that surrounded the flag and then she sat down.

He walked over to her. “Afternoon, Ellen.”

“Oh, hey, George.”

“Taking lunch?”

She lifted a sandwich and showed him. “Want half?”

“Um … you know what? Do you mind?”

“Not at all. I wouldn’t offer.”

He sat down next to her, and accepted the sandwich. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I heard you were helping out Jimmy.”

“Trying.”

“You won’t get very far. Once a Slagel is set in his ways and knows what he wants to do, there’s no changing his mind.”

“I figured that one out,” George said. “I thought Jimmy would be different.”

“He is. But not that much.”

“Thank you for a great time last night,” George said.

“You are the cool dancer.” Ellen smiled. “It was nice. Topped off with Andrea and Margaret being arrested.”

“Have you spoken to Andrea?” George asked.

“Briefly,” she replied. “She’s not angry about it. She’s Ok. She even said she tried to talk to Margaret. Says Margaret is ….” Ellen winked. “Jealous of everyone.”

“Really?” George whistled. “That surprises me. She doesn’t act it. There’s nothing more that I want than to make amends with her. I want things good before I head back.”

“I can understand that. You still love her.”

“Very much,” George said. “We had a lifetime together. That has to mean something. She has to feel something besides contempt.”

“She does.”

“I just don’t know what to do.”

“If I can help, let me know.”

George nodded.

“So, did you speak to her at all?” Ellen asked.

“I went to the jail, as Hal suggested. Even put on that I was the one who bailed her out.”

“She didn’t buy it.”

George shook his head. “Nope. Stormed right by me, even hit me in the gut.”

“That’s love.”

“Third grade love.”

Ellen snickered, then her smile dropped. “Speaking of love.”

George looked up mid bite. Margaret was at the Joe Board.

Ellen whispered. “She’s watching you.”

George leaned into Ellen. “I know.”

Ellen laughed.

Margaret folded her arms, tapped her foot, looked over her shoulder, and then walked to them.

Ellen nudged George. “Here she comes.”

Margaret stood before them. Seemingly holding a stance of authority a she blocked out the sun, becoming a partial shadow.

“Margaret,” George said. “You look lovely.”

“Fuck off George.”

Ellen giggled.

“And you.” Margaret pointed.

“Me?” Ellen asked. “What?”

“Oh, don’t give me the sweet and innocent thing. I know your reputation. I found out. And I thought we were friends. Ha! All of it an act for the day you could pay me back about Dean. Thank you, Ellen, thank you very much.” With that said, Margaret spun and stormed off.

Ellen was puzzled. After a pondering moment, she shrugged and bit her sandwich. “That was weird.”

“I can’t believe it,” George murmured.

“Excuse me?”

He turned to face her. “You said if there was anything you could do to help me get her back, right?”

“Absolutely.”

“Ellen, there is. There is something you can do. If you don’t want to help me, you don’t have to. But it may just work.”

“I don’t know what I can do now. She’s not liking me much at this moment.”

“Exactly.”

“Huh?”

George smiled. “She think you’re trying to get me.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Margaret is jealous all right, of you. Of you and me.”

“I’m sorry, George. I know that doesn’t help.”

“Quite the contrary, Ellen. I know Margaret. I know here well.” George grinned. “And now I have a plan.”

<><><><>

“Did you get everything you needed?” Frank asked Hal as he and Elliott entered his office.

“The list was long,” Hal stated. ‘But I know there is going to be hell to pay.” He took a seat.

“Over what?” Frank asked.

“Over the fact that the last pair of size nine Ben-Tastic shoes are gone.”

“Ask Henry.”

“Ask Henry?”

Frank nodded. “He was wearing them. Long story.”

The door opened and Robbie along with John Matoose walked in.

“Gentlemen.” Frank held out his hand. “Have a seat. Please. I won’t keep you long.”

John closed the door and was the last to join the table.

Frank stood, walking around the table as he spoke. “Now us five are the only ones who know there is a clone in Beginnings. A clone of Dean.”

“What about Danny?” Elliott asked. “I thought he knew.”

Frank shook his head. “No, he has no idea. And I want it to be kept that way. Just us five. We’re gonna draw him out. And I think tomorrow is as good a day as any.”

John asked. “Once we draw him out, then what?”

“We know he was there at the time of the explosion,” Frank said. “We also know his fingerprints weren’t anywhere on the device. An unidentified set of prints. I think drawing out the clone is the best bet. Get on his good side; get to know what he knows. Because he is well aware of the circumstances of my father’s death.”

“So do we treat him like the clone?” John asked.

“Nope.” Frank shook his head. “Treat him like Dean. Make him think we think he’s Dean. He’ll eventually slip up. And we’ll be able to get some answers regarding my father’s death, who was responsible and why.”

Elliott stated, “It’s obvious why.”

Everyone looked at him.

Elliott continued. “It wasn’t against Joe. It had something to do with the future. Joe couldn’t be in that future. The reason is obvious. Dean lived. Dean was supposed to die in that warehouse. What did Dean do? He cured Joe. Had Dean died, not only wouldn’t we have the clone, but Joe would have passed away from his illness. So … therefore, Joe was not supposed to be in the future. Just my theory.”

“That …” Robbie said. “Is a really good theory. It is.”

Elliott shrugged. “There’s no other reason to kill Joe. Unless our killer ends up having something against him.”