The Bear Trap

by Grant Pies

  “Accenture issued the following statement, ‘It is with great sadness that we announce William H. Blair, President and Chief Executive Officer of Accenture, died today in Chicago, IL, due to unexpectedly severe complications from a recent illness. The entire Accenture family mourns this loss. His contributions to the scientific community will forever shape the world of medicine and biotechnology. William was a larger-than-life figure who brought his remarkable passion, experience and energy in science and wellness to Accenture.’”

  The same stories repeated over and over, like a lie that if told enough would become the truth. It was just as Blair said, actors reading lines.

  “In other news, Rose Bishop returns home today from Midtown Hospital. Missing for more than two months, police arrested a man, Dennis Orcheck, for her abduction. After a brief stay at Midtown, Rose is reunited with her parents, Claire and Robert Bishop. Dennis Orcheck, who later took his own life while in custody, was a teacher at St. Mary of the Lake Catholic School. Police say they never gave up hope that Rose would be found alive.”

  The screen cut to the Chicago Police Chief at a press conference. “We don’t give up on victims here in Chicago, especially young girls. Our specialized task force handles nothing else but missing persons cases, like Rose Bishop’s case.”

  Then the screen went back to the reporter. “Although Rose has been returned safely, newly appointed lead detective on the case, Mark Ward, says the case is far from closed, and he has not ruled out that there were other suspects involved in Rose’s disappearance.”

  “Just enough truth to sell the story, huh?” Sam said. His face was still bruised, but the swelling had gone down. Carter could tell it was painful for him to grip his cigarette between his lips, but it didn’t stop him.

  “Just enough truth,” Carter repeated and stared at the TV. He still had sutures in his forehead and stomach, still walked with a slight limp, and his nose was broken. “But Ward’s not letting this go. Once he gets all the evidence together, he’s taking it to the FBI.”

  “Not his superiors at the CPD,” Sam chuckled.

  Smiling, Carter said, “Nah, I think this has made Ward about as jaded as you could get. I’d be shocked if he stayed there once he’s done with this case.” He checked his watch, and wondered if Rose wasn’t feeling up to meeting them today. “Maybe we should just see ourselves out.”

  “C’mon. They invited us here. This is the fun part of the job.” Sam inhaled on his cigarette. “You think it’ll work? Taking it to the FBI?” Sam asked and blew a puff of smoke in the air.

  “I hope. With your testimony, mine, Rose, Brian, and John, plus all the records Ward’s getting together, it’ll be enough to take down Accenture for good. It’s just going to take time.”

  “And Rose?” Sam said quietly, looking around the Bishops’ living room.

  “According to Olivia, the serum is working. She said they probably won’t even need all the vials we took.”

  “Olivia, huh? You’re on a first name basis?”

  Shaking his head slowly, Carter said, “Yes, Sam, Olivia and I are on a first name basis.”

  “That’s good. I’m happy for you, maybe she’ll loosen you up. You’re an okay friend, but a real son of a bitch for a boss.”

  “Partner. I’m a real son of a bitch for a partner.”

  Sam grinned and nodded slightly. Taking a drag on his cigarette, he said, “Maybe we can make it ‘Carter and Murphy Investigations’?”

  “You’re already looking to change the name? C’mon!”

  “I was letting you keep your name first.”

  “Oh thanks!” Carter rolled his eyes.

  Claire came into the living room, her arm wrapped around Rose and a cigarette stuck between her fingers.

  “Sorry to keep you waiting,” she said.

  “Oh, that’s okay,” Carter stood. “Hi Rose.”

  This was the first time he had seen her awake. It had taken her two days to come out of her medically induced coma. Olivia had administered the MIDAS serum in secret, monitoring her organ function levels after each injection. As far as she could tell, her body had returned to normal, but she kept the remaining serums in case there were issues in the future.

  “Hi.” Rose smiled at Carter. Her voice was soft, quiet, and made her seem younger than she had looked in her pictures. Rose’s skin was pale and her right eye misshaped and melting. She looked down or away every few seconds.

  Carter held his hand out to her. She gripped it, but it was weak.

  “Go on and give him a hug, sweetie,” Claire encouraged. “This is the man that saved your life.”

  Rose wrapped her arms around Carter, and he returned the gesture. “Thank you,” she said as she let go of him.

  He couldn’t help but let a smile stretch across his face. “You’re welcome.”

  Sam winced as Rose squeezed his bruised body and cracked ribs, but he didn’t stop her. He hugged Rose back and smiled.

  “Thank you both,” Claire said. “I don’t know how to ever repay you. If it wasn’t for you … well, I don’t want to think about what would have happened to Rose.”

  Carter had explained to Claire as best he could what Blair had done to her daughter. He simplified it by saying Blair had a rare blood type that matched with Rose. Claire was interested, but mostly just wanted to get her daughter better and get back to a normal life.

  “I’m glad we could help,” Carter said. “Where’s Robert?”

  “Oh … he, um, left a couple days ago. Moved out.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, I told him I wanted a clean start … for me … for us.” Rose and Claire looked at each other and nodded. “I figured I had predicted a bad future long enough. It’s time to make a good one.” She smiled at Carter. “But Robert will be by later today after work to visit with Rose. He wanted me to tell you both he was very grateful for what you’ve done.”

  Carter nodded and smiled. “Well, I’m sure there’s a lot you need to get to,” he said to Rose, “rest, catch up with friends. Will you be going back to St. Mary’s soon?”

  Rose looked away at the mention of St. Mary’s and shook her head. “I think I need a fresh start at school too.”

  “We’ve started looking into other schools,” Claire said.

  “Good,” Carter said. “Good. Dr. Abbott told me you’ve taken quite the interest in medicine?”

  “She’s great!” Rose said, a wide smile stretched over her face.

  “Yeah, she is.”

  “She taught me all sorts of things in the hospital. About genetics and DNA.”

  “Tell ‘em about the lettuce.” Claire nudged her daughter.

  “Mom…” Rose looked away.

  “What? I thought it was interesting.” She said, then looked at Carter and Sam. “What was it? We share eighty percent of our DNA—”

  “Mom, you’re screwing it up.” Rose interrupted. “It’s fifty percent.” Rose looked back at Sam and Carter. “We share fifty percent of the same DNA with a cabbage. Not lettuce.” Rose looked at her mom and chuckled. Her cheeks glowed a pinkish hue. Everyone else smiled and laughed.

  “I didn’t know that,” Carter said. “That’s good to know.”

  “Rose is thinking of medical school,” Claire said. A proud parent bragging. Rose shook her head awkwardly and started to protest.

  “That’s great!” Carter said. “You’d make a wonderful doctor.”

  “Do you think Dr. Abbott would help me study if I signed up for chemistry next year?” Rose asked.

  “She’s a very helpful person, so yeah, I think she’d be willing to help you out.”

  There was a brief silence, then Rose asked Claire, “Is it okay if I go get ready? Mike is coming over soon.” Claire nodded.

  “Thank you,” Rose said to both men and hugged them again.

  Before she made it up the stairs, Carter called out, “Mike’s a good kid.” Rose stopped and turned around on the stairs. “He’s a good friend to keep. Whe
n you see him, tell him he really helped us out. We may not have figured everything out if it weren’t for him. Will you tell him that?” Rose nodded and made her way up the stairs.

  Claire saw the two men out. She stood in the doorway and held her mouth straight, pinching her lips tight together, like she was holding something back. Her eyes were red and teary. “Thank you,” she managed to say without crying. “You gave me back my daughter. You gave me back my life.”

  After their goodbyes, Claire shut the door. They stood on the front porch with their backs turned to the dilapidated house. Carter breathed in the cool air. Sam took a long deep drag from his cigarette.

  “So,” Sam said. “Back to work?”

  “I was thinking of taking a break. Thought you would be okay with that. Give your body a chance to get back to … well, whatever is normal for you.”

  “Ha ha,” Sam laughed mockingly. “Well, I kinda need the work. I’m behind on my rent.”

  “How behind?”

  “Two months.”

  “Two months! And they haven’t evicted you?”

  “No, no, they have.” Sam stepped off the porch and held his arms out. “I’m officially homeless.” He tossed his cigarette on the ground and stomped it out. “That’s why I was trying to stay in the hospital a few extra days… Well, that, and the pain meds.”

  “So, where’re you staying?” Carter regretted the question immediately after it left his mouth.

  “Well…” Sam smiled.

  “What? No.” Carter shook his head. “Nope.”

  “Come on, help a friend out. Help a partner out.”

  “No!”

  “I was going to ask if I could sleep at the office.” Carter shot Sam a stern look. “I mean before, you know, the fire. Sorry, is that still a touchy subject?”

  “Yeah. It’s only been like a week.” Carter yanked the passenger door of Sam’s car open.

  “Okay, okay, sorry. So, I can’t sleep at the office, my place is out, hospital is out… C’mon, you won’t even know I’m there.” Sam climbed in the driver’s side and started the car.

  Carter clenched his teeth and shook his head. “Ugh,” he muttered.

  “I didn’t want to do this, but I did save your life. The van and the sperm bank … remember?”

  “And I saved your life! We’re even!”

  “C’mon…” Sam pleaded.

  Carter sighed and lowered his head. “Well, you can’t smoke.”

  “No smoking. Promise.”

  “Like, no smoking. Not blowing the smoke out the window. No. Smoking.”

  “Got it.”

  “And you clean up after yourself, you know, dishes, laundry, all that shit.”

  “Not a problem. Thanks man. You won’t regret this.”

  “I sort of already do,” Carter said.

  “So you gonna tell me what’s in the cooler?” Sam pointed his cigarette at the cooler in the backseat.

  “Here, it’s just up here.” Carter pointed at a house up ahead. Sam slowed and parked. “This is something I needed to do … a delivery I had to make.” He looked back at the cooler and lifted the lid just a bit. Inside, covered by a layer of ice, were the vials of Envarsus from the warehouse where he killed Jake Dawson.

  “Delivery?” Sam asked.

  “I’ll be right back.”

  Carter walked to the front door with the cooler in his hand. Through the window next to the front door a woman was in the kitchen preparing food. He sat the cooler down in front of the door and reached in his pocket, pulling out the family photo he found in Jake Dawson’s desk. Along with the picture, he placed a note on top of the cooler. It read: Time is the only currency that matters. Spend it wisely. He knocked on the door and walked back to the car.

  “You ready?” Sam asked.

  “Yeah, I’m ready.”

  As Sam drove away, Carter saw Elizabeth’s mom open her front door. It hadn’t rained for days. Carter knew the rain and darkness would return eventually, but for now the sun was out, and the air was crisp. He’d seen enough darkness to last a long time. He didn’t know what would come in the future, but he knew today belonged to the light. And that was all he could ask for.