James Locker- The Duality of Fate

by Martin Lundqvist

  - That is excellent news; I noticed how worried you were when I drove you home the other day.

  Rebecca Bell

  - Yeah, I was, he is my father after all...

  - You know I was so disappointed when you left for four weeks, it felt a lot like how my dad was during my upbringing

  The Killer:

  - I understand what you are saying. And I missed you a lot as well, but I did tell you that I was going abroad working for four weeks, not much I could do about it.

  Rebecca Bell:

  - Yeah, I know. You work for the government with some secret project and so on. And that's fine I am thrilled by the mystique and games as well, but I just feel that if we are going to have a long-term functional relationship we have to start being open to each other.

  The Killer:

  - Yes, I agree with you. Tell you what; my current project will probably finish in a couple of weeks. And after that, I won't extend it so I will go back to normal less undercover police work. But I just have to warn you. I might be swamped for weeks to come and difficult to get in touch with.

  - But I will make it up to you for sure; look at this I have made reservations for us in a luxury hotel suite tonight.

  Rebecca Bell:

  - Oh, that's amazing. Wait a second your last name is not Pierce?

  The Killer:

  - No that is correct; it’s just a name I use. The background is that I did some research on my ancestors. I found one named Aaron Pierce who was an adventurer in the 19th century, and he lived the most inspiring and exciting life one can imagine. I feel like him when I use his family name, while my family name only makes me feel old, dull and tired.

  Rebecca Bell

  - Hey JP you are not that old! But don't worry I'll keep calling you Pierce as your last name if that what it takes to keep you interesting and attractive.

  The Killer:

  - Thank you, Rebecca. I am planning to change my name soon. So then it won't be any trouble for any of us. But hey let's head back to the city. The luxury suite is waiting for us.

  After saying that, they headed back to the city for a night to remember in the luxury suite.

  5.29 Thomas Anderson and Samantha Robinson goes bowling

  IT WAS SUNDAY THE 1st of September and officially the first day of spring. The season had very little relevance for Samantha Robinson and Thomas Anderson however as they were playing ten pin bowling indoors. The venue they were going to had a great deal giving one free game of bowling for every drink bought. This deal had sometimes led to quite a hangover for Thomas Anderson when he had faced Adam Smith in close edged bowling skirmishes. Since they were very competitive against each other, their bowling battles usually ended with them drinking until closing time just to determine who the best bowler was. With Samantha Robinson it was a bit different for Thomas Anderson, he still wanted to win, but the main point was not winning but only being with her. After two rounds Samantha Robinson's score was 248 VS 224 for Thomas Anderson.

  Samantha Robinson:

  - Oh, Thomas, I am winning; this is not a good weekend for you sports wise.

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Tell me about it. The two replacements we had to get for you and James from the team we eliminated in the first round were not able to pull your weight. We got eliminated in the semi-finals. Adam got spastic and made a fool out of himself.

  Samantha Robinson:

  - Well, I had to get James home, he was unwell.

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Yeah, I know that. Adam, on the other hand, he thinks James is a crybaby and that you let us down by not coming back straight away.

  - But don’t worry about it, he does that sometimes, then he goes home sulking for a while and then everything is fine; he is not the kind of man who carries a grudge for long.

  Samantha Robinson:

  - Okay. What do you think?

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Well, I am disappointed we lost but not disappointed with either of you.

  - I am curious though what lead was you following up on last night? Working a Saturday night does not seem very healthy I prefer if you are not the female version of Michael Fuller.

  Samantha Robinson:

  - Don’t worry I am not.

  - But I got hunch last night that I needed to check out. I thought “What if whoever broke into James Locker’s house replaced his anti-depressants with something else?”

  - Since I know a guy at the forensics lab, it seemed like a good thing to check it out off the books.

  Thomas Anderson:

  - I see. What did you find out?

  Samantha Robinson:

  - Well, he could not determine the contents of the pills as he was not a pharmacologist. He also tried matching the blood from the break-in with the DNA from James Locker's hair. They did not match. But he did find out that James Locker had a terrible cocaine addiction from the concentration of cocaine in his hair. Do you know anything about this?

  This question made Thomas Anderson uneasy. He could lie and say he knew nothing about it. But then he would be lying, and Thomas was somehow hoping that Samantha Robinson was the woman he would be happy with in the long run. If she were that woman, she would not judge him too harshly if he admitted he did cocaine with James Locker and Adam Smith the weekend before. Being honest however was a great leap of faith as he had no idea how she felt in regards to the use of recreational drugs. Thomas Anderson knew Samantha Robinson well enough, however, to know that sitting on the fence. I.E., admitting that he knew about James Locker's cocaine usage and at the same time condemning it would not work with her. She would only see him as a hypocrite, and Thomas knew her well enough to know she hated people who would not stand up for their actions. Hesitantly Thomas decided to tell her about what he knew.

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Well, Sammy, you might not like this, but I will tell you anyway.

  - Last weekend when we were out drinking we all used significant amounts of cocaine. I am not proud of it, but I am not going to lie about it either.

  - I have never seen James as a cocaine addict though as I don’t see myself as an addict just because I have an occasional line.

  Samantha Robinson:

  - Goddammit, Thomas! You are a member of the police. You should always try to uphold the law to the best of your abilities even in the case where you don't agree with it. I can see why you think the persecution of drug users is wrong but in that case, you should find another employer where your usage is not an as severe breach of the values of your workplace.

  Thomas Anderson:

  - I don’t know what to say Sammy other that I am sorry and I don’t want to lie about who I am to you.

  Samantha Robinson:

  - That's alright Thomas. On a personal level, I am not angry with you. Your occasional usage of cocaine is nothing that has affected my life negatively this far, and hopefully; it won't happen in the future. I am just saying you can't be a police officer and break the law even if the law is stupid. So I guess what I am saying is that for everyone's sake you'll have to make a choice; not between me and the cocaine but between your career in the force and the cocaine.

  - If you choose the cocaine and find yourself another job, I have no objections... as long as you do it in moderation of course. You see I don't want to be together with a Michael Fuller either.

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Wow, Samantha. You do make a lot of sense; I have never thought about it that way.

  - But anyway moving back to James, I have only done coke with him once, and never really seen him as an addict. But I must admit I have done it several times with Adam though.

  Samantha Robinson:

  - Oh well, at least you are not lying to me. But funny thing none of us saw James as a cocaine addict and still the tests indicate he is.

  Thomas Anderson:

  - I guess it only shows one can never truly know another person.

  - While on the topic I also did some resear
ch on James’ life today, it’s a bit funny how big part he has in our lives.

  Samantha Robinson

  - Well, we have a lot of other things in common I reckon. Things that is more fun and uplifting to me. But anyway tell me what you found out?

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Well you know the date James spoke about last night.

  - I rechecked her profile, and there was something that did not make sense with the pictures. So I used a photo editor to reverse the changes made to the picture to get the original image. Look at the picture from the site compared to the original.

  Samantha Robinson:

  - I must admit the pictures are different, but I can't see where you a going with this?

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Well now compare the original picture with this picture from James’ Facebook.

  Samantha Robinson:

  - It's the same woman, but I am still not following.

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Okay, I tell you. James went on a "date" from an online dating page with his ex-girlfriend he has not seen or heard from in nine months. At least he thinks he went on a date with her. What's important to us is if he made the profile himself in which case he has completely lost it or if someone is trying to break him down mentally. In both instances, we need to find out as quickly as possible, and I will talk to him about it tomorrow first thing in the morning.

  Samantha Robinson:

  - I guess that would be a good idea. Oh boy, this is the strangest case I have ever had.

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Well from the bright side, you are only 23 years old; continue with your career in the police, and you will face a lot of strange cases.

  - But hey let’s leave. No point in sitting in a venue without drinking and I want to have a clear head at work tomorrow.

  Samantha Robinson:

  - Oh, I see. Does that mean you'll go to sleep early tonight?

  Thomas Anderson:

  - I am not THAT dedicated!

  They both smiled and then left for Samantha Robinson's place not intending for an early night's sleep.

  5.30 A Cinderella story

  THE KILLER WAS LYING awake in bed. He wished he could fall asleep but he could not. He was too fearful for what might happen if he stayed. It was 2 AM, and in one hour he would transform. Filled with uncontrolled rage which was a force he had a hard time controlling. That would be okay if it were someone else, but Rebecca was not to see this side of him. For starters, he did not want her to see his darker sides, but most all because he genuinely feared to hurt her. She was the last person in the world the killer would ever want to injure, and if The Killer indeed did, he might as well end his own life. But he was not going to because he knew how he would remedy his rage that peaked a 3 AM; by eliminating the source to it. Every night for nine months he had that same vision in front of him at that time of the evening, the sight of James Locker doing horrible things to Emily Luong for claiming that she was unfaithful. He could not bring Emily Luong back, but he could bring her to peace by killing the monster that killed her. That monster was James Locker. But there was no meaning in killing James Locker without him knowing why, but anyway it had to be done soon!

  The Killer left Rebecca a note explaining that he had to work and that he had left money for the room service they had consumed during the night. It certainly did not feel right to leave her money like she was some prostitute, but it was a far better solution than just leaving her with the bill. He left the hotel and drove home. In two days this would all be over, with James Locker dead and Michael Fuller in custody with ample evidence against him. That if something was an encouraging thought.

  5.31 Thomas Anderson warns James Locker for Vanessa Ward

  IT WAS MONDAY MORNING the 2nd of September 2013. James Locker was rewriting a report on their progress to Barry Itch who had complained about some of the other reports. James Locker had not been able to come up with any reasons why he should not be rewriting the report. After all, he wrote it poorly, and the trail to the Killer was cold although he hoped they would get some clues when John Dean came back to the office today so they could unlock the video files. Looking in retrospect James Locker was upset with the fact that they had not requested new copies from the building management on Friday and then worked with them on Saturday but his laziness had been in the way, and apparently in the other group members' way as well since no-one had suggested it. Thomas Anderson walked into James Locker's office and closed the door behind him.

  James Locker:

  - Hey, Thomas, good morning. What's on your mind?

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Well don’t take this the wrong way, but I am worried about you.

  - To be short, did you meet this Vanessa woman from the dating site last Saturday?

  James Locker:

  - What kind of question is that?

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Just answer honestly, and I explain you in a second.

  James Locker:

  - Well, to be honest, I did not. I went to the beach where we were supposed to meet up. But she never came. So I felt despondent and had the picnic myself daydreaming of a better life.

  - I did not mean to lie to you; I just did not want to look like a fool.

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Well, that's great. You see Vanessa does not exist!

  - You see the picture she was using was photo edited. But I recovered the original image. Can you see who it is?

  James Locker:

  - Oh my god it's Emily.

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Indeed. So tell me, James. Has your obsession with your ex-girlfriend gone so far so you are creating a fake profile for her so you can imagine chatting with her?

  James Locker:

  - That notion is absurd. Of course, I did not!

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Very well. Would you like me to find out who did it? It might lead us to the person who broke into your house whom most likely is the Killer.

  James Locker:

  - Yes, of course, it's a scary thought that all of this would be about me, but I have thought about it myself.

  - I suppose you need my login and password for the site so you can backtrace the messages from Vanessa?

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Yes. That would be preferred as I don’t fancy the concept of hacking the dating site account of my friend and boss.

  James Locker:

  - Yeah, you better stay away from that stuff. Oh well my username is JamesLocker81, and my password is emilyluong

  Thomas Anderson:

  - That would have been easy to hack!

  - Oh well, I will get back to you with an estimate of who is behind the "Vanessa" account this afternoon.

  After Thomas Anderson had left the room, James Locker took a few deep breaths to calm his nerves. He was afraid as it now seemed obvious to him that whoever was behind these murders also had him in his sights. But why was this the case and how was James connected to all of this? He could not come up with any answers, but he hoped Thomas Anderson would figure something out before it was too late.

  5.32 John Dean gets taken off the case

  JOHN DEAN WAS SITTING at his desk frustrated and anxious. He knew that he was on the brink of losing everything and that he was powerless to do anything about it. For starters, his decision to take money from Michael Fuller would probably backfire as it was highly likely that he would get in trouble once they realised that he had been covering up the fact that Michael Fuller had been at the crime scenes which they would recognise once they had a proper viewing of the video files. For sure there might be a chance that they believed his explanation that he had missed seeing Michael Fuller in the videos. But even if they somehow trusted him, there were no guarantees that Michael Fuller would not rat him out once they questioned him about what he was doing at the crime scenes hours before the murders. John Dean was considering his options. Stalling the investigation even more by deleting th
e video files would not do him any good as they would just go to the security companies directly and ask for new copies. Besides John Dean was unsure how he would delete the files without being noticed by the log that registered all changes done to the case file. Anyway, stalling would not do any good as he had spoken to Michael Fuller, who had left the hospital during the Sunday and was "celebrating" the fact that he had survived his car crash without any serious injuries. Apparently Michael Fuller had given up his pursuit to find and apprehend Antonio DiMaestro as he finally had realised that there were better things to do with life than wild goose chasing ghosts from the past. John Dean had explained to him that they would probably come by his house and question him as soon as they realised his connection to the crime scenes.

  Apart from his professional problems John Dean was also facing personal challenges. He had seen another woman last night, and his wife who was supposed to a double shift on Sunday had apparently come back early from work, so he had not been home when she got home. He had had a hard time explaining why he was not home until 2 AM and now in retrospect, John wondered if he should not have come out clean instead of denying it and making up a story. Officially John Dean had been celebrating with Michael Fuller that the latter had come out of the hospital without any severe damages from his car crash-induced concussion. His wife had told him that he was out of his mind who first took two days off to be with his daughter, and then leaving her with his sister to go out drinking on the weekend. She had not bought it at all and John Dean was frankly worried that this would be the final factor that would lead to a divorce, which even if it might be for the best still would be a callous thing to go through.