“Tell me why you are threatening our daughter and I will tell you about Adis.” I thought it was a fair trade, and he did pause to consider it.
“I didn’t know you or your beautiful wife and children even existed until you were drawn into poor Maggie’s plight. You received a lot of attention. I’m not jealous, mind you. Take it while you can get it, I say. But to answer your question, I really didn’t choose Mia.” I flinched when I heard her name in his voice. “My muse did. Now, I’m not some nut that receives messages from Greek goddesses, or even my neighbor’s dog. My muse is simply inspiration, an unconscious burst of creativity. A vision of what is possible. I found a picture of Mia on the Internet and suddenly I could see her as a part of an idea that needed exploration. Call it an experiment. When I am ready, Maggie Dale will be the first and Mia will be the last.” He stopped speaking and my powers of speech had abandoned me. “Are you still there? I’m sorry, but that must have been hard to hear. If it makes you feel any better, I am certain that what we discover and create will exceed anything I have accomplished before. A true masterpiece, something that will change mankind. It will take your breath away.”
I knew what it was like to have your breath taken away. I was struggling to breathe. “How many pieces?” I finally asked.
“Good question! I’m not really sure yet; I’ve got some details that need ironing out, but I’m guessing no more than six.” He paused, and I was grateful for it. “Now, before the police arrive and I am forced to get back into character, please tell me about Adis.”
“He isn’t human.” I saw no point in lying, and although I wasn’t quite certain what Adis was, I knew he didn’t fit the generally accepted definition of human.
“Excellent!” Mr. Sicko seemed genuinely excited. “Does he know about me?”
“He knows what you’ve done, and what you’re going to do.”
“Wonderful, wonderful. I’m tingling all over with anticipation. He really knows what I’m going to do? I can’t believe it! I’ll let you in on a secret: even I don’t know the exact specifics. I wish there was a way I could meet him. I would wager that he could appreciate my work. Has he told you whether he is going to try and stop me?”
“No.” I turned to find that Tom had led two APD officers into our kitchen. Nearly a year later I don’t know why I choose that moment to start lying to Mr. Sicko, but I think maybe it had to do with the sudden appearance of the cops. I can’t explain why it was all right for Mr. Sicko to know the truth of Adis but not the police.
“Oh, dear, your tone suggests that the police have arrived.” I felt the familiar weight of a hand on my shoulder. Tom had also let Adis in. “Pity that we will have to cut this short. Don’t bother trying to track my position, I’ll just tell you now. Leah will recognize the address; I am at 4509 Madison trail, and Jim Lee’s cell service is AT&T. They will confirm it. I’ll just leave his phone on.” I heard him put the phone down and then suddenly pick it up. “My goodness, I almost forgot my message. Are you ready, are they listening?”
“Yes, you are on a speaker phone,” I said.
“Good, good. Let me apologize in advance for my dramatics, but I can’t help myself. Sometimes an audience is required for my work to reach its fullest potential.” Once again Mr. Sicko struck me as odd. “Now, write this down.” He waited a beat. “Two.” The phone was put down a second time, and for a couple of seconds I could hear receding footsteps and then there was nothing but silence.
I looked over to Leah and she was white as a sheet. She backed into the sink and steadied herself with both hands. I was as confused with her reaction as I was with Mr. Sicko’s message. “Amber Lee is eight years old,” she said, and suddenly I understood.
By the time I put my phone down, both cops were on theirs in our dining room as the three remaining adults stared and waited for confirmation. Cop #1 walked back into the kitchen. “As best that we can tell right now he was telling the truth. The call is coming from the Sidewinder subdivision.”
It took almost ten more minutes before Cop #2 confirmed the worst. Kim and Jim Lee were found sitting in their front porch swing, both dead from some unknown cause. Neither had a mark on them. Their daughter, Amber, was missing.
Chapter Twelve
The Unyielding Future Page 11