The Third Ten

by Jacqueline Druga

  “Always the last place you look,” Frank said to Robbie earlier.

  That went through Robbie’s mind.

  The last person. But there were so many ‘last persons’ he’d think would kill Joe, Robbie didn’t know where to start.

  A knock caught his attention.

  “Come in,” Robbie called out.

  Dan from security entered. “Hey, Robbie, what’s going on?”

  “Not much. Just investigating the explosion.”

  “Any luck?”

  Robbie shook his head. “Not with the prints. What’s up?”

  “I’m supposed to work shift tonight, Frank said he’d cover so I could go line dancing.”

  Robbie cocked an eyebrow. “Frank is covering rounds?”

  “Yeah, I got sector thirty.”

  Robbie nodded. “Killer Baby region.”

  “Something about wanting to look for a coyote for Dean anyhow. Plus, I think he misses it.”

  “I bet. Does El know? I know he blew her off for line dancing because of George’s arrival.”

  Dan shrugged. “He’s missing out. But even though Frank claims to be the suave dancer, I can see line dancing not being for him and him looking for a reason to skip.”

  “Ok, I’ll mark it down. Thanks for letting me know.”

  “No problem. You coming?”

  “Tonight?”

  “Yeah,” Dan said.

  “I’ll be there. Not that I’ll dance, but I’ll watch.”

  “Ben from Fabric tightened a bunch of ladies jeans.” He raised his eyebrows a few times. “So the women will be wearing them cowboy tight.”

  Robbie chuckled. “Our women are healthy women Dan. Healthy. You saying they’re squeezing into jeans?”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  “Oh my God.” Robbie laughed. “Should be interesting.”

  “See you there.” Dan turned for the door.

  “Whoa. Dan. Wait.”

  “What’s up?” Dan stopped.

  “If someone were to ask you, who is the last person you’d suspect of killing my father, what person would you say?”

  “Oh my God you don’t think it’s me, do you?”

  “No. No. Besides, your prints cleared.”

  Dan tilted his head.

  “I’m trying to pin point people to check. And you know the age old saying; it’s always the last place you look.”

  “So ... you’re thinking it might be the last person you suspect.”

  “Just a guess.” Robbie shrugged.

  “Well, the last person I’d suspect is a pretty useless guess.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Why would you check his prints?”

  “Why not.”

  Dan laughed. “Frank.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Frank is the last person I’d suspect.”

  Robbie just stared.

  “So that’s useless, did you check Andrea? She would be my second to last.”

  “No I didn’t … wait. Second to last. What about Me, Hal, Jimmy.”

  “Third, fourth fifth. It’s hard. You guys are all Slagels.”

  “Thanks.”

  “See ya.” Dan walked out.

  Robbie sat in silence in his office, rocking back in his chair.

  ‘Always the last place you look.’

  He stared at the screen and the fingerprint program, ‘enter ID of next match’

  He moved forward to the keyboard, rested his hands in a hover and stopped.

  “Frank is the last person I’d suspect.”

  Robbie heard Dan’s voice. His left index finger prepared to press the ‘F’, and he stopped again. “What am I doing?”

  A first Robbie thought to himself it was an insult to his brother to even run the match. Then he went back to the last person suspected.

  Could Frank? Did he even have a motive? Was Robbie wrong for even considering it? The decision to run the prints was not one he wanted to make on his own, so he picked up the phone and made a call.

  <><><><>

  Jimmy whistled. It was one of those two note whistles. If the whistles were words it would have been, “Go, girl”, or “oh, yeah.” Something to that effect.

  He did it when Jenny walked in to Communications.

  Arms extended she turned around showing her entire outfit. Her dark blue denim jeans were so tight; they could have been painted on her. The outer sides of the jeans had a gold fringe which matched the fringe hanging from the arms of her blouse.

  “Go, cowgirl, go,” Jimmy said with a smile.

  “You like?” She giggled. “I get my hat later.”

  “I so want to go line dancing just to watch you wiggle.”

  She snickered seductively. “I feel sexy.”

  “You are sexy.”

  “Makes me want to mount you like a horse.”

  “Ride me cowboy, ride me.”

  Jimmy bit his bottom lip. “Let’s fool around.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Jenny, come on. No one will come in.”

  She shook her head. “That’s not it. I had to lay on the bed, jump up and down, and really suck in to get my body into these jeans. I’m afraid I won’t get them back on, and … taking them off may be a bit weird, too.”

  Jimmy gave a thumbs up. “Totally understand.”

  “Rain check?”

  “You bet.”

  “Your phone is buzzing.” Jenny pointed.

  Jimmy looked. “Shit. I turned off the ringer when you came in.” He lifted the phone. “Hey, Robbie.”

  “I’ve been calling. Where are you?” Robbie asked.

  “Working. I turned off the phone. It was very intricate. What’s up?”

  “Can you stop by my office when you’re done? I really needed some brotherly advice.”

  This caused Jimmy to sit straight up. “Brotherly advice? Absolutely. I’ll be there very shortly.”

  “Thanks Jimmy.”

  ‘No problem.” Jimmy hung up.

  Jenny smiled. “That is so wonderful that Robbie is going to you for big brother advice.”

  “Well, you know with Frank as leader and such.” Jimmy shrugged.

  “Wonder what the problem is,” Jenny said.

  “I don’t know, but I’m sure I can give that advice he needs.” With confidence, Jimmy inhaled then bit his lip again with an ornery look as he cased Jenny up and down.

  <><><><>

  His friend dropped it off to make Roy laugh. But Roy actually liked it. He couldn’t believe the luxury item made at Fabrics. A long feathery object. Pink, soft, fluffy. It was ingenious.

  His friend gave him the luxury item along with the news that the investigation into the mutilations was going into gear again.

  “Why would they do that?” Roy asked.

  His friend just gave a shake of the head.

  “I thought since the mutilations stopped, they would just forget about it,” Roy said. “After all, they weren’t that bad. And they are tracking Dean.”

  His friend informed him, ‘exactly’. It looked like Dean was doing them; they tracked Dean with his knowledge and the mutilations stopped.

  “So a mutilation is needed to clear Dean,” Roy said. “One that would take place when they knew where Dean was.”

  His friend nodded.

  “Is there a revolution?” Roy asked. “Is that why? History shows a revolution amongst Beginnings’ people. Not long. Not deadly. And history didn’t say why. Do you suppose this is it?”

  “I doubt it,” the friend said. “I hear this one is all Henry.”

  Roy bit his lip and gave a huff. “I really haven’t determined whether or not I like Henry.”

  “Don’t feel bad, you’re original isn’t too crazy about him, either.”

  Roy thanked his friend for the info and the gift. After his friend had left, Roy put aside making fun of the luxury item and decided to enjoy it. He stood before the mirror, wrapping it around his head, pulling it across his neck, smiling.


  He thought of Dean.

  The thought vanished with a feel of feathers.

  When the mutilation investigation popped into his mind, he rubbed the feathers and softness over his face.

  But somewhere between enjoying the feel and flinging the object around his neck, something clicked. Roy got an idea.

  <><><><>

  “You are such an asshole!” Ellen blasted at Frank, just after he told her that George was in town.

  “El, in my defense …”

  “There is no defense here, Frank. God!” She rubbed her eyes.

  “You didn’t come to the meeting.”

  “Had I known it was important, I would have.”

  “Uh, babe. Fuck. We set up the whole town square, what the fuck did you think we were discussing, fall fuckin fashions.”

  Ellen raised her eyes over her fingers tips.

  Frank shook his head.

  “Where is he?” Ellen asked.

  Frank pointed to the door of her office.

  Her eyes bulged; she mouthed the words, “What does he want?”

  “To make amends. I’ll get him.”

  Ellen shook her head.

  “El.” Frank stepped to the door.

  She reached out, grabbed air and had to change the expression when George stepped in.

  “Oh my God,” Ellen whispered.

  George smiled. “I’ve been called that before. Quite the compliment coming from you.”

  “Actually …” Frank said. “When she worked for your campaign she used to tell people. Hadley is a God.”

  “I remember that.”

  “Yeah, but that was …” Ellen paused. “That was before everything went down. I’m sure you aren’t putting me at the top of your favorite list.”

  “I want to make amends, Ellen” George held out his hand. “Like Frank and I discussed. The things that occurred. Death, deviation. They were all part of war. A war that is no longer stands between the Society and Beginnings.”

  Ellen upped her chin. “My husband is still the leader.”

  “Undoubtedly,” George said. “Actually, it feels really good to be back.”

  Frank interjected. “El, actually, you are really vital to this.”

  “Because I’m the first lady?”

  “Um … uh, yeah, sure, but also …” Frank lifted a finger. “Because if people see you and George making amends then they will trust this new alliance between us. They’ll say, ‘wow, we have come a long way. Look at Ellen and George.”

  George added. “Our unification means a lot to this pending war.”

  “Our meaning you and me?” Ellen asked.

  George nodded. “Yes. We unify. People see it. We’ll all start getting along. We are symbolic. I believe that. It has to start now. With us. The unity.”

  “What about you two? I would think people seeing you two …”

  Frank shook his head. “We’re leaders. People expect that. That aren’t expecting you two.”

  “Unify.” Ellen said.

  “And babe,” Frank stepped to her. “We need to unify this country.”

  Ellen looked down at George’s hand and shook it. “I guess we have a lot of work to do. I need you to know something George.” She held on to his hand, paused and a different Ellen spoke. Her words were soft and cracked with emotions. Almost as if a switch was flipped... “I am sorry, I am really, really sorry about what I did to Bev. I feel remorse, guilt, and you need to know, it was an accident. I swear to you. I swear.”

  Frank’s eyebrow cocked. Ellen’s eyes were glossed over.

  Ellen continued. “I’m not a killer. I’m not. Any punishment I received for that in this life, or will get in the next, I deserved. I can’t tell you how this affected me. I just need you to know I hated myself for it.”

  George solemnly nodded. “I see that.” He gripped her hand. “Ok. Let’s agree not to talk about anything bad you and I, Beginnings or the Society have done.”

  “Agreed.”

  “If we do, we aren’t allowed to get mad.”

  “Agreed,” Ellen said.

  “And I think making an appearance together, tonight; out at line dancing is the way to start.”

  Ellen hesitated, and then she genuinely smiled. “Agreed.”

  <><><><>

  “Hey, Robbie, you wanted to see me?” Jimmy opened Robbie’s door, and smiled at his brother.

  “I need some advice, man.” Robbie stood up.

  “That’s why I’m here.”

  “Ok. Sit.’ Robbie held out his hand.

  Jimmy took a seat across from him.

  “I’m working on this investigation.”

  “Dad’s death?”

  Robbie nodded. “We are led to believe that the person was from Beginnings.”

  “Where are we getting that from?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, I mean, I went through that video tape over and over. It says nothing in the message from the future that someone from Beginnings killed Dad. If you’re getting your info from Bob Smith or Fort, you really can’t. The most viable means of information is the video.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because the video is in here.” Jimmy pointed to his temple. “The future, past, whatever, could have changed for Fort and Smith, but they aren’t gonna know. Obviously, the video message hasn’t changed, so that is the future we must go by.”

  Robbie sat back.

  “By the look on your face, I am going to assume, that didn’t help.

  “Well …” Robbie crinkled his brow. “I was just going through an elimination process of prints in Beginnings.”

  “Sounds right.”

  “But am I right to eliminate people and not match them simply because they don’t seem like viable suspects.”

  “Have you gone through the viable suspects?” Jimmy asked.

  “Jimmy,” Robbie snickered his name. “Who would want to kill Dad?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “The most likely suspect is someone we don’t know.”

  “Which is why the killer is never caught.”

  “I can’t accept that,” Robbie said. “I think the killer wasn’t caught because whoever investigated missed the least obvious.”

  “The person you’d least expect.”

  “Exactly. We’re thinking it’s someone we don’t know, and perhaps in the process we’re overlooking the real killer.”

  “According to Fort, although I say we shouldn’t. But according to his future, Frank died. What if Frank still died in the message Jason sent. Only he left that part out because it wasn’t important to the outcome. But if Frank died, you wouldn’t be on the investigation.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Frank forced you into it. He made you.”

  Robbie nodded. “That’s true. My gut tells me the person that set that explosion is someone we know.”

  “Then go with your gut.”

  “Run everyone’s prints?”

  “Yep.” Jimmy nodded.

  “Even if we don’t think they’re the killer.”

  “Yep.”

  “Even if it’s Frank’s prints.”

  Jimmy stopped nodding.

  “Jim?”

  “Why would you say that? I mean … unless.”

  Robbie looked up.

  “Robbie, this is ridiculous.”

  “I know.”

  “So what’s the problem?” Jimmy asked. “You know Frank didn’t kill Dad.”

  “He of all people would be the least suspect, yet.”

  “Oh my God.” Jimmy ejected from the seat. “Do not tell me you suspect our brother.”

  “I’m not saying that.”

  “Then what are you saying?”

  “If I run his prints, is it saying I suspect him?”

  “Yes.” Jimmy nodded adamantly.

  “But you just said run everyone’s prints.”

  “I know what I said. But come on …�
��

  “So you’re in the same dilemma I am.”

  “No. no!” Jimmy flung out his hand.

  “What if I ran Josephine’s?”

  “Waste of resources.”

  “Why?” Robbie asked.

  “You know she didn’t kill Dad.”

  “How?”

  “Because she’s Josephine. And you know Frank didn’t kill Dad.”

  “And that … big brother is the attitude that in the future, sent the investigation into an ‘unsolved’ status.”

  “Because someone with common sense said someone didn’t do it?” Jimmy asked.

  “Because they didn’t check the person who did it because everyone believed they didn’t.”

  With a growl, Jimmy scratched his head. “Frank doesn’t count.”

  “Why?”

  “You’re wrong.” Jimmy pointed. “If you believe he did it …”

  “I didn’t say that, Jimmy. I just said, if I ran his prints, would that make me suspecting him.”

  “And I say yes. There are certain people whose prints you don’t run; Frank is one of those people.”

  “But if we had a computer that ran an automated match then the computer would automatically run Frank’s against what we have.”

  “Yeah, but a computer doesn’t have feelings. It doesn’t have blood ties. It doesn’t have that inkling of sense that tells it that this person did not kill his father. Why waste time? Resources when the energy could be put to better use. If you want to run his prints, then you run them with reason.”

  “But I don’t need a reason to run anyone else.”

  “Yes, you do.”

  “You just said…”

  “Fuck it. You want to run his prints. You want to run anyone’s prints. Come up with one reason that makes it viable. Give me one reason why Frank should have his prints run.”

  “Frank saves everyone.” Robbie said coldly.

  “OK.”

  “He didn’t save Dad. He didn’t Jimmy. He never misses his hero moment, he never does. When Frank rushes in to save the day, Frank saves the day. Not this time. He didn’t do it. He failed. He failed to save our father.”

  “And that makes him the killer?”

  “It makes me want to run his prints and …” Robbie paused.

  Jimmy saw it and felt it. Robbie’s face and the coolness against his back. He turned around.

  Hal stood there, then Hal slammed the door.

  Robbie swallowed. “Hal.”