“What did you find out at the control center, Jack?” said Kate.
“The lieutenant in charge told me the explosion occurred as the police officers approached the barn. None of the cops were hurt, but the structure and all inside it was totally destroyed.” Jack bowed his head for a moment. “A thorough search will be done at morning’s light, but it’s highly improbable Amelia survived.”
With these words Kate began to bawl and collapsed into Jack and Claire’s arms.
CHAPTER 26
“How’s Kate doing?” asked Susan when Jack and Claire arrived at her home.
“Not well. She blames herself for her sister,” said Claire. She and Jack sat down. “She’s staying with her folks.”
“By the way, your office and home are both free of spyware. I had the police check them thoroughly, and they’re both clear,” said Susan. “Kate’s car and apartment had several bugs, but they’ve been cleared.”
Jack and Claire nodded but remained silent a long moment.
“The Rat Poison incident occurred three years ago,” Jack said. “Simon Lagrange escaped and presumably left the country and changed his appearance. He’s now back in town to get revenge.”
“Could he be a patient?” asked Susan. “Someone pretending to have heart symptoms?”
“It could be, I suppose,” said Jack. “But I don’t think so. This guy knows too much about my life and me to be able to get that information—more than a patient who sees me once every few months. My theory is that he’s been working close to me.”
Susan’s narrowed her eyes. “Why doesn’t he just kill you?”
“I don’t know,” said Jack. “It seems he’d rather destroy me professionally by ruining my reputation.”
Claire nodded. “More effective than Rat Poison.”
Susan agreed. “He doesn’t have a way to manufacture Rat Poison. The FBI confiscated the manufacturing facility.”
“Jack, you ruined his career,” said Claire. “He wants to reciprocate. Destroying your reputation would last forever. If he were successful at it, he would simply watch as you suffer. He would find that more fulfilling.”
“I think you’re right on, Claire,” said Jack.
“He used to have endless financial resources,” said Susan. “He probably doesn’t any longer. This is to our advantage.”
Jack nodded. “So he infiltrates my scene and finds out how I do things. He researches how to hurt patients by changing their medications. I think he’s working with me. Around me.”
“Makes sense,” said Susan. “Did you get the list of new employees?”
“Yes,” said Jack. “I obtained a list of all employees hired over the last three years.” He removed a computer printout with several pages from his pocket and placed it on the table. “Removing all the females, that leaves us with seventy-four men on the list. We can also exclude people who are less than thirty. Lagrange has to be in his late fifties or even sixties. I find it hard to believe that any plastic surgery would make him look less than thirty. So we can get rid of the medical students and residents who are in their twenties. Of all the men left on the list, most of them work in areas of the system that I don’t typically have much to do with, like the laboratory, kitchen, laundry, garage, and grounds. That leaves nine people who work with me or I see frequently. We should start there. They are highlighted on this list with yellow marker. Of these, the one Kate and I suspect the most is Cesar Madera. He’s a new janitor who was assigned to the outpatient clinic.”
Susan took the list and scrutinized it carefully. “I’ll talk to Detective Brad Mills and recommend he bring him in for questioning. Any other suspects?”
“There are four doctors I know and see once in a while. They’re not in cardiology, but I imagine they should be looked into also at some point. The others are security personnel and male nurses, one in the emergency department and another in the operating room.”
“OK, we’ll start with the janitor,” said Susan. “Meanwhile, I want you, Claire, and Nick to leave town until the situation clears up. I’ll arrange for police protection around the clock until you are able to depart.”
“OK,” said Claire, looking at Jack, who nodded in agreement.
Jack and Claire left Susan’s home and walked to the Lexus parked outside. The drive home went without a word. By the time they arrived, it was dark out, and a police car and two police officers already loitered about their driveway.
They greeted the officers and went inside the house. They paid and dismissed the babysitter and put Nick to bed. With Trinity, the dog, by his side, Jack locked all doors and windows. From time to time, he looked outside the window to see the police car and officers in the driveway.
“I know you’re scared, Claire.” said Jack.
“I’m petrified,” said Claire. “I’m worried about you and me but most especially about Nick’s safety.”
“Me, too,” said Jack. He petted Trinity, who sat at his side. “We’ll get through this. I promise.” As if she understood every word, the dog licked Jack’s hand and then curled up in a ball at his feet.
“Trinity’s so good at warning us if anyone comes close to the house,” said Claire. “I feel safer with her around.”
“Yes, she is,” said Jack, scratching behind the dog’s ears. “It’s funny how she doesn’t bark at the cops. She knows we’re OK with them being out there. But I just know she’ll bark if anyone else tries to come in.”
The couple read for about two hours, barely speaking throughout the entire time. They got ready for bed, kissed, got between the sheets, and turned off the lights. Trinity curled up next to Jack’s slippers.
Outside the house on the driveway, one of the officers returned from a walk around the home and entered the police car. A light illuminated his sleepy but awake partner, who nodded. Silent words elucidated that all was clear and quiet, and both cops sat back comfortably, their eyes scanning the surroundings.
• • •
A mysterious figure loomed outside in the dark, his back to a windowless wall. The man approached the structure unnoticed under the cloak of night. He glanced in all directions. Confident that being discovered would lead to indubitable tragedy, the perpetrator moved unhurriedly. Cautiously. This side of the building was in total darkness, aiding his progress and to some extent soothing his frayed nerves. He reached the corner, where the moonlight provided slight illumination. Before turning the corner, he froze, spying in all directions, ensuring that he would not be surprised by a patrolling sentinel or nocturnal passerby. He held his breath for a long moment and then crouched and inched forward again. Right above his head, he touched a cold object—a metal plate.
• • •
Jack awoke, a low-grade dog growl percolating at his bedside. It was 2:10 in the morning.
“What is it, girl?” he asked rhetorically.
Claire stirred and then slowly sat up in bed, the cobwebs in her mind unraveling. “Did you hear something?”
“No. Trinity growled. I’m going to check it out,” Jack said, putting on his slippers.
“I’ll come with you. Are the cops still out there?”
“Yes.” He looked out the window. Trinity was calm now and wagged her tail. A cold, wet tongue lapped Jack’s hand once and then ceased. Jack and Claire slowly exited the master bedroom, followed by Trinity. They tiptoed toward the next room. Peeking in, they saw little Nick sleeping peacefully. They trudged downstairs toward the kitchen.
A sudden scratching sound caused them to stop in their tracks aghast and hold their breaths, their eyes keenly moving toward the clamor. The obscure noise hit them like a thousand gallons of icy water, freezing their every muscle fiber. Jack reflexively tensed, his fists clenched. The scraping sound they had heard was duplicated once and then again. The noise was reproduced as a tree branch brushed gently on the kitchen window near them, buffeted
by small gusts of wind. With a nervous smile, Claire gave a loud, quivering sigh of relief. The two exhaled. They looked around the house and peeked again at the police officers. All seemed well and peaceful. Convinced they were not in imminent danger, Jack and Claire returned to their bed and soon were deeply asleep.
• • •
Approximately twelve miles due southwest from their bedroom, the man looked up to see what the metal plate he touched was. It was a sign, a placard that read Hangar M-11. Above it, another read Evansville Airport. Assured he was at the right place, he continued his slow procession toward the front entrance. He carried a medium-sized bag with him containing his instruments. Making sure no one was watching, he used a lockpick to open the access door and entered the hangar. He used a flashlight to illuminate Jack Norris’s airplane. On its tail, the Beechcraft Bonanza proudly displayed the aircraft’s identifier: 98GK. Alone in the dark, the man climbed on the right wing and opened the door into the cockpit. He looked in all directions and then entered.
CHAPTER 27
It was 5:37 a.m. Kate woke up for no reason, her mind in a fog. Dazed, she staggered toward the kitchen. Being back home on the farm with her parents had given her much-needed relief. Finally, she had been able to settle down and eventually even fall asleep for a couple of hours.
She walked to the kitchen and poured a glass of water from the sink. She scratched her head and massaged her aching temples. Outside the kitchen window, Kate spied the moon, competing with the waking sun for provider of illumination of the backyard and the farm beyond. The serenity of the farm was beginning to heal her. She smiled at her face reflected on the windowpane.
Suddenly, her heart dropped to her stomach. She gasped and dropped her glass, her trembling hands covering her mouth. Right outside the window, she beheld a man’s face staring back at her. At first, she couldn’t place the image. After a split second of absolute panic, Kate realized she had seen this face before. This man was the new janitor at the office, Cesar Madera. Kate picked up a cordless phone lying on a nearby table and tried to dial 911, but her hands shook with pulsing adrenaline, making the task impossible. Outside the window, Cesar remained still and calm.
Fumbling with the phone but with an eye on the prowler, Kate now realized there was a child standing next to Cesar. A young girl of about ten. Maybe twelve. No, older. They were holding hands. The child’s face remained hidden by darkness. The child moved slowly toward the window, gently persuaded by Cesar. Her skin, Kate could now appreciate, was much lighter than his, making it unlikely she was his daughter. Kate’s mind raced, quickly trying to make some sense out of this senseless situation. She stood aghast, paralyzed by fear. As the child stepped forward, her face became illuminated. Kate’s demeanor changed, her scowl softening and then morphing to a big grin. Kate realized the girl was Amelia. Her sister hadn’t perished in the blaze of fire after all. Amelia was alive.
Kate dropped the cordless phone and rushed to the glass sliding door leading to the backyard, tears of joy flowing down her face.
As Kate struggled with the door lock, she realized Cesar held up a badge. It was an FBI badge, now held at Kate’s eye level. She was finally able to release the latch and slide the door open. Kate and Amelia embraced for a long moment, both weeping joyful tears.
“Sit down,” said Kate to Cesar. “I have to go get my parents.” Kate and Amelia ran up the stairs to the master bedroom.
• • •
Cesar sat down at the kitchen table. Soon the girls returned to the kitchen with their parents.
“Hello, my name is Cesar Madera. I’m an FBI agent. I was assigned to protect Dr. Jack Norris. I—”
“You saved our little girl!” said Barbara. “How can we ever thank you?”
Bill shook Cesar’s hand. “You must be starved. Both of you. We’ll make you breakfast.”
“We’ve been hiding all day and have not been able to eat anything,” said Cesar. Amelia nodded her head. “I lost my cell phone in the fire, so I had no way to communicate with my people. We didn’t know who to trust.”
“Yes. I’m very hungry,” said Amelia.
Barbara, Bill, and Kate began the food preparation, while Amelia and Cesar sat at the table.
“Start from the beginning,” said Kate, looking at her sister. “How did that man get you?”
“The man found me at the mall when I was looking for Mom’s cell phone. He told me he turned the phone in to mall security. He took me to a deserted back room. He put me to sleep with a rag over my face. I woke up in the barn, where you came to see me.” Amelia looked at her parents and then back at Kate. “I removed that nail from the post in the barn, remember?”
Kate nodded. “Good thing you were able to do it.”
“Last night Cesar came and rescued me.”
Kate took Amelia’s trembling hands in hers. “You’re OK now, Amelia. It’s all over.” Kate’s eyes found Cesar’s gaze. “How did you happen to be in the vicinity of the barn when it exploded?”
“I’ve been following Dr. Norris for several weeks,” said Cesar. “We know there’s a man in town trying to hurt him. We don’t know who the man is yet.” Bill brought a cup of hot coffee, and Cesar nodded. He sipped from the mug. “I arranged to have a janitorial job at the clinic as a cover. I followed Dr. Norris when he met you at the sports complex and later when you went to show him where Amelia was. Realizing the potential for danger when the police team approached the cabin, I infiltrated the barn and removed Amelia. Fortunately, just before the explosion.”
The aroma of breakfast food soon permeated the kitchen, and in no time, a feast of warmed muffins, eggs, bacon, and toast was ready for consumption.
“Do you think you accidentally set off the explosion?” said Kate.
“I don’t think so, but I can’t be sure. We were already outside the cabin several feet. The explosion came by surprise.” Cesar began to eat. “I guess I could have tripped something up that took several minutes to detonate.”
Kate creased her forehead. “I would guess that typically when you trip something like that, the explosion would come right away, wouldn’t it?”
Cesar nodded as he chewed on his breakfast. “Yup.”
“That means the mysterious man was there to manually detonate the bomb,” speculated Kate. “He got there late.”
Cesar swallowed and sipped his coffee. “I’d like to arrange for you and your family to be relocated for some time.”
“If you think that’s necessary,” said Bill.
“Until this whole thing clears up,” said Cesar. “They obviously—”
“They?” asked Kate. “Is there more than one?”
“I don’t really know for sure,” Cesar said. “Given the complexity of the situation, it’s very likely.”
Kate nodded.
“Whoever’s behind all this knows where you live and has been spying on you.”
“He bugged my apartment and car,” said Kate. “The police debugged me.”
“We’ll check your home and car, too, Bill.”
Bill looked at Barbara, and they both nodded.
“Whatever you need to do,” said Barbara.
“Will Nixon come back again for us, Cesar?” said Amelia, her voice soft and nervous.
“He might,” said Cesar. “But I won’t let him take you or hurt you or your family.”
When stomachs were full, Cesar gave the Fannings his business card with his contact information. He called the local FBI headquarters, and soon a motorcade of several unmarked vehicles arrived on the farm. The Fannings got ready and packed up some necessities. They locked up their home and departed with the law enforcers.
“So what’s our next step?” asked Kate. “How do we catch this madman?”
CHAPTER 28
Present Time
“I’m going to fly my family out of town today,” said Jac
k to Susan on the phone as the car pulled out of the garage, airport bound. “I’ll return and join you and the police in figuring this out.”
As Jack and Susan conversed on the phone, Claire made a resentful face. She was against Jack returning to Evansville until it was all over and Lagrange was behind bars—better yet, six feet under. But she knew there was no way to convince her husband otherwise. He was stubborn, and truthfully, if he stayed with her and away from the action, he would go berserk and drive her crazy. She was starting to accept the idea, although she knew being away from him would be nerve-racking.
“So what are you going to do when you come back home?” asked Claire.
“First, I want to spend some time consoling Kate and her family. I promise to call you several times every day to give you briefings and get your opinion on things. Remember to use the disposable cell phones so there’s no chance of Lagrange finding us somehow by triangulating our mobile signals. He may or may not be able to do that, but I don’t want to take any chances. He’s pretty cunning.”
“Got it!” said Claire. “My own cell phone is off and will remain off for the duration.”
“I’ll keep my throwaway on all the time, and all communications with you and Susan will be through it. I’ll turn my own cell phone on as soon as I get home.”
The ride to the airport took approximately twenty minutes, and soon they would fly to safety somewhere out of town. The exact destination was yet to be determined, and as such, Jack planned on filing his flight plan with the FAA from the airplane. On arrival at the airport, the Norrises entered Jack’s plane after the airport crew helped him pull the aircraft out of private hangar M-11. After the pretaxi check of the plane, he obtained permission from the Evansville Tower controller to taxi to the appropriate runway.
“Niner-eight-Golf-Kilo, cleared for takeoff runway one-eight,” radioed the air traffic controller.
Jack gunned the engine, and soon the aircraft became airborne.
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