by Pawan Verma
Here we go. Jessica took one final deep breath, then reached down and scooped up a large rock buried under the snow. She took a quick look around and only after seeing busy city streets lined with drivers not paying her any attention, she lunged forward, throwing the rock at the nearest window as hard as she could. The glass shattered into thousands of little pieces. Instinctively, she lurched backwards to protect herself from injury. Then she waited quietly for a few moments for the sound of an alarm.
Nothing. That meant a silent alarm. She couldn’t imagine that the office would keep the building so unsecured in a city plagued with recent crime waves. Quickly, she took a few steps back, ran forward, and jumped upwards. Her gloved fingers barely caught hold of the bottom edge of the windowsill. She used her strength to slowly lift herself up towards the window, silently thanking the self-defense instructor who had prepared her to never allow another man to do her harm.
It took about twenty seconds, but Jessica managed to lift herself up over the window sill and down into the office. Her feet landed on the floor with a thud. She’d successfully managed to break into the office building. That meant she could add another felony to the list of crimes and human rights violations she’d committed in the last seventy-two hours.
Remaining crouched, Jessica reached towards her police belt and removed her flashlight. She’d only brought the essentials, leaving her gun and badge behind in case she was caught. As if that would make her actions look any less disturbing.
Jessica scanned the room with the flashlight and suddenly realized she’d made a serious miscalculation. There was no telling how long it would take to search the office for the information she sought. And already she could hear the approaching sirens, or was that paranoia?
Jessica remained motionless, straining her ears for any sound of danger. She could have sworn she’d heard something from inside the building. But there was no reason to think anyone was still working this late. Certainly, she had to be the only intruder.
Jessica moved through the room quickly without turning on the light switch. Cardboard boxes lined rows of shelves. The room seemed far colder than it should be. Storage room. She moved out into the hallway, shining the flashlight at the walls to guide her through the building. The place was structured like a maze and it took another ten minutes of searching frantically through the dark before she finally managed to find Doctor Chapman’s office.
The door was locked. And she didn’t have a key. She did, however, have a lock pick set and a great deal of determination. Another few minutes passed before she gained entry. Finally, she walked inside the doctor’s office for the second time of the week.
Once inside, Jessica shut the door and switched on the lights. The light was brighter than she’d expected and she squinted until her eyes adjusted. Time was running out. Shouldn’t the cops have shown up by now? She’d never considered herself to be very lucky.
Jessica hurried around to Chapman’s desk and began flinging open unlocked drawers and cabinets. Frantically, desperately, she searched through what seemed like dozens of pages of paperwork but found nothing pertinent to her investigation. She scanned as many files and papers as she could, knowing the moment she attempted to switch on the computer, the situation would go from bad to worse.
Jessica wiped sweat from her forehead and took yet another deep breath. The illegal search had proven futile. And it was too risky to stay any longer. A burst of energy combined with anger exploded through her veins and she picked a cushioned chair off the floor and brought it high over her head. The thought of diminishing the entire office was both delightful and terrifying.
Abruptly, Jessica stopped and replaced the chair in its position. She hadn’t considered looking through her own records for anything that could point her in the right direction. Overwhelmed with new inspiration, she resumed her search, searching again through drawers and cabinets for written notes on the patients under Chapman’s care. Finally, she found a red binder with her name taped to the side of the notebook. She flipped the notebook binder open and scanned its contents.
It didn’t take long before she found what she was looking for. A half-written psychological evaluation, roughly fifteen pages in length. Patrick Brenner’s name seemed to jump right off the pages as she scanned the document.
Jessica flinched, sensing movement behind her. She turned, instinctively reaching for her sidearm though she knew it wasn’t there, and probably never would be again.
“Cops’ll be here soon. Did you lose your sense of time?” Doctor Sarah Chapman asked.
Jessica swallowed hard. A long time had passed since she’d been caught red-handed. There was a word that perfectly described the wave of emotions rocking her body.
Reality.
Chapter Eight : Special Agent Jessica Galloway
Reality was really beginning to kick fantasy’s butt. The longer Jessica stood in front of Doctor Sarah Chapman, the more she wanted to escape into a dream. Maybe she’d transform into a heroic adventure character, knock the good doctor down, and run far away to safety.
It wasn’t happening.
“Doctor Chapman,” Jessica said nervously, feeling like a scared kid returning home from school with an expulsion notice.
“You broke in here. Why?”
“Why are you here, Doctor? I never heard you come in.”
Doctor Chapman raised an eyebrow. “I think you and I need to talk, Jessica. There are things you should know.”
“Okay,” Jessica said, taking a small step forward. “What’s going on? Is this about…”
Jessica’s voice trailed. What was she asking about anyway? Irene Brenner’s murder had barely been publicized, and it was unlikely that the doctor would have much interest in the case.
“To answer your question, yes, this has everything to do with the case you’re working.”
“Talk to me, Doctor. Do you know a man named Patrick Brenner?”
“Yes, I know him,” the doctor said with a nod.
Now Jessica was beginning to get upset. There was the lack of answers, the running around in circles the last few days, and the fact that she’d committed a crime punishable by up to five years in prison and it could all amount to nothing.
“You expect me to believe that it’s a coincidence? That a killer just happened to be seeing the same head shrink as me?”
Sarah retreated a step and Jessica realized she’d raised her voice a bit too loudly. “There are a lot of things you need to know about Patrick Brenner, even though I’m not really allowed to tell you…” the doctor’s voice trailed and her eyes began darting around the room as if she were desperately searching for an escape.
“What is it, Sarah?” Jessica repeated, even louder. “What is it about Brenner that I need to know?”
The doctor hesitated and for the first time since she’d independently chosen to take Irene Brenner’s case, the truth about her ex-husband that had eluded her for so long began to emerge. Patrick Brenner was a lot more dangerous than she’d thought, and a lot more deranged as well. The doctor’s eyes told the same story.
Jessica raised her hands in surrender and walked calmly towards the shaken doctor. “Look, can we go for a ride some place and talk? I promise I can sort out the whole window thing in a few days.”
Sarah didn’t answer. Abruptly, she turned her head to the right and stared down the office building’s long hallway. To Jessica’s dismay, she heard the heavy, official sounds of city police officers walking in their direction. They’d been summoned by the silent alarm. Or maybe someone had witnessed the break-in. Perhaps it was Sarah herself who had contacted police prior to coming to the office. For all Jessica knew, the whole “I have something to tell you” speech was just a stall tactic.
If so, the ruse had worked.
Sarah stepped away as the full figures of three tall, tough, angry looking police officers walked into the building. The two Jessica recognized wore standard issue uniforms. The third, however, she’d never seen before
. He wore a sharp navy blue suit against a matching necktie and white dress shirt. He also wore black, wire-rimmed eyeglasses. And he wore a dark sports coat.
Maybe an Internal Affairs investigator?
“Detective Galloway,” the suit said. “I’m Supervisory Special Agent Fred Donahue. I need you to come with me.”
Jessica’s eyes widened. Agent? Why would the Federal Bureau of Investigation be sending its agents to a break-in? Then the harsh reality kicked in. The FBI was likely involved because its star witness, Andrew Hoffman had disappeared and the Bureau still had plans to work him. Or worse, something bad had happened to Andrew and Fred Donahue wanted to bring her in to share the terrible news before advising her of her rights and beginning an investigation.
Any minute she’d be that good woman turned bad, a pathetic sight sitting in a courtroom wearing an orange jumpsuit, handcuffs, and leg irons.
“Detective Galloway, we need to go. Now.”
One of the officers stepped forward but Jessica raised her hands again in surrender. “You don’t need to handcuff me. I’m coming.”
Reluctantly, Jessica joined the two police officers and the federal agent in the hall. Doctor Sarah Chapman was nowhere to be found. Maybe she’d disappeared. Jessica was beginning to think she wasn’t the only one around with mental health problems. Everyone seemed to be acting weird, as if they weren’t who they said they were. Or if they had a hidden agenda of some kind and needed to keep information from her.
Quieting her inner worrier once again, Jessica grudgingly allowed her new law enforcement friends to escort her down the hallway and back outside into the cold. The strong winds she’d felt earlier that day were stronger than ever. Jessica felt a burning sensation in her fingers even though she’d worn gloves.
At least a half an hour had passed since she’d first shattered the back window with a rock and dropped inside the building, so the time was around nine o’clock. Jessica wondered when, if ever, the night would ever end.
She wished Andrew was here.
The tables had turned. Detective Jessica Galloway no longer felt like she had the right to call herself a police officer. A patriot fighting for justice and a fair life maybe, but a homicide cop? No, even she had to admit she’d crossed too many lines.
Jessica sat quietly in an interview room—not an interrogation room—back at the precinct. The room was dimly lit, but comfortable and warm. If not for the late hour, she wouldn’t mind being here so much. At the very least, maybe she could find some answers. But all she wanted to do was rest, recharge her batteries, and find a killer.
And of course reunite with the man she loved.
She sighed and wondered what she would say to the other members of the Homicide Division when they learned the truth about some of the things she’d done. Lieutenant Mann had yet to show his face. Then again, he was probably sick of hearing her name or even knowing she existed.
Since Agent Donahue had dropped her off, she’d sat and waited in the interview room for what seemed like an hour. She was beginning to think no one was coming. A disgusted, disgruntled colleague had come in about twenty minutes and sat a cup of coffee in front of her before walking away without saying a word. Jessica didn’t like coffee. But Donahue entered the room moments later and Jessica found herself downing the sugarless, cream-less, caffeine-filled beverage as quickly as she could.
“Detective Galloway, good to see you again. Another cup of coffee?”
Jessica didn’t respond.
“Okay, so before we get going, I guess I should tell you that your days in Homicide are coming to an end. I spoke with Lieutenant Mann and the commissioner. Internal Affairs will interview you eventually. What do you think they’re going to find?”
Again, Jessica didn’t speak. She wanted to know about Andrew, and whether something terrible had happened to him.
“They’re going to find a pattern of rogue, corrupt behavior from a detective you and I both know isn’t fit to do this job.”
Jessica gritted her teeth in anger. Still, she said nothing.
“And once they do that,” Donahue continued, “they’ll take your badge and pension, kick you off the force, and the short career of Detective Jessica Galloway will be nothing but a piece of history.”
Finally, Jessica spoke. “Are you going somewhere with this Agent Donahue? Or are you just going to sit here and state the obvious?”
“It depends,” Donahue said, relaxing in his seat and taking a few sips of his own coffee. “Can you leave this job and the idea of being an officer of the law behind for a little while?”
Now the anger was too much to contain. “Are you serious?” she asked through clenched teeth. “Being a cop meant more to me than— “
“Your boyfriend.” Donahue reached forward and thumbed through the stack of paperwork he’d brought into the room. “Ah, let’s see. Here we go. Andrew Hoffman. We know you’ve been in contact with him.”
“So?”
“So he’s a federal witness. You communicating with him the way you have been makes you guilty of obstructing with a federal investigation.”
“Ohhh, I see,” Jessica said sarcastically. “So you’re not here to state the obvious, you’re just here to charge me with another crime.”
“No, I’m not Galloway. We don’t want to put you in jail, we want you to help us with our investigation.”
Jessica was stunned but she wasn’t going for it. The only thing that was important to her was leaving the precinct and resuming her chase for Patrick Brenner, especially since she now had a new lead. Still, she wanted to hear more.
“Are you talking about the drug investigation?”
Agent Donahue raised an eyebrow. “Drug investigation?”
“Yeah. Andrew testified at this trial against a bunch of thugs.”
“Did he tell you about it?”
“He would never lie to me.”
“He would if he had to.”
“Then tell me the truth. What was really going on?”
Once again, Agent Donahue sat back in his seat. He removed his eye glasses and rubbed his eyes. “Well, I have some good news to share with you, Detective. We’ve been investigating Patrick Brenner for several years.”
Jessica’s eyes widened. Now it made perfect sense. She knew all along there had been something way off about Brenner, ever since the day she’d first run into the alcoholic following Irene’s first domestic abuse complaint. But a federal investigation? Even that was a stretch for Jessica’s imagination.
“What was Brenner caught up in?” she asked.
Agent Donahue rapped his knuckles on the table. “Go home and get some sleep. Meet me at the Bureau headquarters first thing tomorrow morning and we’ll talk further.”
Chapter Nine : Paradise Regained
Jessica woke up around six the next morning. Lying in the bed, she reflected on the happenings of the previous day. She was still confused about her status. A rogue cop? She asked herself. But then, why FBI should ask for her help? And why her help? The more she brooded over it, the more confused she got. Hopefully, I will have the answers today, she said to herself.
She got up from her bed and carried out her usual routine. Since technically she was no longer a cop she opted to wear her hair down so that it hung past her shoulders. She avoided the delicate makeup touch she usually added. Without a badge and gun, she grabbed a Taser and a can of mace for protection. Then she left the house and headed for the FBI’s Baltimore field office, roughly twenty minutes from her home.
Jessica rubbed her eyes as she drove. She’d barely managed to get more than a few hours of sleep last night, having spent all night sweating and over thinking. She jerked her head to focus on the road. But, details of what had happened over the last twenty-four hours, kept flooding her mind intermittently. The FBI investigation and the thought of working for the agency was intriguing. Doctor Sarah Chapman’s actions back at the office, from her suspicious appearance to her sudden disappearance didn’t s
it right with her. And then there was Brenner. Who exactly was he and what had he done?
Jessica pulled into the FBI field office, parked, got out, and walked towards the main entrance. She’d never thought she’d see the day where she’d get a chance to walk through the building, let alone work for the agency. The building seemed much larger than it did on television and in pictures. Once inside, Jessica could see why the Bureau’s elite agents walked around cockily with their sharply pressed suits and arrogant swagger.
The main lobby was brightly lit, warm, and cozy. There were no agents walking around, nor were there any other visitors in the room. Jessica walked up to the front desk and spoke with a young female agent who looked as if she were having the best day of her life. She was smiling even before Jessica approached.
“Good morning,” the agent said. The woman was about a head shorter than Jessica was, with startling beach blonde hair. “How can I help you ma’am?”
Jessica told the agent that she had an appointment scheduled with Agent Donahue that morning. The woman behind the main desk nodded, made a phone call, and then instructed Jessica to take a seat. Donahue walked through sliding glass doors before she had the chance.
“Glad to see you made it Miss Galloway. Follow me to my office.”
Jessica silently marveled at the interior of the FBI building as she walked down the hallway with Agent Donahue. The conference rooms, offices, floors, and walls were all well-shined. Jessica couldn’t help but wonder if she’d just walked into the cleanest building she’d ever entered.
Donahue turned down a corridor and opened the first door on the right with a swipe of a key card. He opened the door and invited Jessica inside.
“Take a seat, Jessica. We have a lot to discuss.”
Yes, we do, Jessica thought as she walked into the supervisory special agent’s office and took a seat across his desk. The longer this journey continued, the more intrigued she found herself. Still, she longed to know the real truth, to take action instead of waiting for things to naturally fall into place.