I'm telling the truth but I think you're maybe starting to half believe me which is the most respect I have been paid by a professional here. Maybe we can talk about it in our therapy sessions, but with the tapes off and just you and me?"
"Okay, Candy. We'll do that. But, first let’s get the hell rid off this body."
Candy scanned again and the coast was totally clear. "Where is the furnace?"
"It's about four corridors away then downstairs a few flights. We might get spotted. If we do we're just to say that we're carrying laundry which is so badly soiled with blood and shit from a new inmate who self harms and shit the bed and your helping me because I'm your care worker and we're understaffed on the ward, plus you wanted off the ward for a while so It's a favour for a favour. You got that?”
Candy nodded. They headed throughout the corridors without any problems. There were a couple of security guards but Wanda flashed her I.D and was rewarded each time with a bored smile, before the guard in question returned to his book or porno mag. They made it to the basement stairs and Wanda and Candy laid the dead Cassie on the floor so Wanda could select the correct key.
Then the doors to the basement levels were opened and they again lifted the body which felt slightly heavier and set out for the floor beneath. They walked down the first stair case without incident, but on the second flight down, Candy caught sight of Xcetral and Mephinie leaning against the wall.
Candy wanted to warn Wanda; however the best she could do was cover the psychologist's mouth to prevent further screaming.
“Tell your friend to shut the fuck up or I'll cut out her tongue. We are here to help. Give the body to us and then you can guide us,” said Mephinie.
“Yes, Mephinie here told me of your little problem so we came to help, and also to reveal ourselves to this psychologist. Mephinie did not want anyone but her taking credit for her marvellous work,” said Xcetral, his black featureless features studying Wanda whose eyes darted between the two otherworldly deities.
"So you are real. You took Candy's soul and you killed... Cassie. Are you going to kill... me?"
“Do not flatter yourself young lady. Your life or death has no interest to us. We are here to do us a favour. Unless death is what you seek, but we would rather you lived your life without interruption, your natural course so to speak.”
"Should I feel privileged? Because all I feel is shit scared," replied Wanda, crossing her arms in a bid to stop the trembling.
The furnace blazed hot, yet Xcetral did not bother or flinch at the heat as he Wrenched open the door.
Mephinie picked up the enshrouded body effortlessly and threw it head first into the flames, then Xcetral slammed the door shut.
Mephinie turned towards Candy. “She lives on you know Candy. I wasn't lying about that. She lives as my lover in my world, Arkanaght, residing in my palace. She will live there forever in paradise and pleasure. She has been reborn to a world where she is no longer a woman but has the characteristics of a woman, yet she is a Areseteret. She will find she will develop powers beyond her imagination. Perhaps she will fly in the clouds, perhaps she will throw thunder bolts with her fingers, or perhaps she will read the minds of others as you yourself do. I shall be there to teach her all this for all eternity. But she asked me to pass on her love to you and to give you this.” Mephinie leaned over and kissed Candy full on the mouth, and this time it held warmth and passion and a hint of love and Candy felt herself cum right there and then just from that kiss.
Candy wiped her lips, and hoped nobody could see the redness which had stolen over her cheeks. "I have another favour to ask. I mean a favour. I need you to alert the police of Cassie's disappearance. Like say you've seen her in a bar drinking somewhere, describe what she was wearing etc."
Mephinie sighed and pulled out a glass case with two single gold wires running inside it and a blue and red spark which travelled backwards and forward on the two wires. She spoke into the glass, seeming to speak merely to it, not in one specific place. “Hi, is that police? Yes this is Mrs J Smythe. My complaint? There is a lunatic running around, I think she's escaped from that institution. Yes that's the one. A woman mid thirties, mousy brown hair, can't say for sure the eye colour but she did have a nervous look about her, but for the most part she was as happy as can be. We were drinking in Diviner's Bar, you know it? Yeah, that's the one and she makes herself welcome and tells us how she's just escaped from the mad house... yeah that's right the institution... can anyone corroborate my story, hold on, you don't believe me? I saw this woman. She was mental alright. She said she wanted to kill a policeman and a journalist because she was sick of the bullshit news in the world today, and they were all covering up her claim to the English throne. I know, some people huh. So you think this is of any interest to you. Okay, I'll tell you what... you wait until the alarm has been raised and by tomorrow you'll look like the biggest ass-hole in the department. . . my name, I've already given you my name, Smythe . . . my address yes it's 119 Abbysfield. Yes. Yes. Okay. Good bye,” Mephinie stopped speaking into the glass device and handed it to Xcetral. “There, the stupid fuck says he gets these calls all the time. Corroborate.”
Xcetral took the device and held it approximately where his mouth would be. “Hello is this the police? I'm calling with relation to what I think is an escaped mental patient. No, this is not a crank call. I find that remark very insulting. Listen, she said her name was Cassie Dell and she was drinking in Diviners next to the mad house... that is how you people refer to it? What do I mean you people? Ah... pigs. Oink, Oink. No, I did not know that was a crime to insult a police officer. You'd like to discuss this disappearance further. I live on James Street building 13 flat 5... My name is Douglas... uh... exit. Yes, just like fire exit. Yes it is a strange name, my parents were hippies. I'm sorry; I'm going to end this call just in case your idiocy is catching,” Xcetral ceased to speak and the voice of the policeman died away until it was gone completely.
He looked again at the fire exit sign on the wall and shuddered.
Candy looked at Wanda. “Do you believe me now?”
Wanda shrugged. “I don't know what to believe. If I should trust my eyes then your two friends just walked though solid steel meshed window.”
Candy was about to argue Wanda's use on the word friend, when the words sank in and she turned her head towards empty space.
“So what do we do now?” asked Candy.
“I don't know about you but I'm taking some Valium. You want some Valium?” said Wanda, pulling out a small pill bottle.
Then the psychologist burst into tears.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
THE ALARM IS RAISED AND A LOT OF QUESTIONS ASKED
Detective Malone was ready to go home for the day when the call came through.
He had been working night shift; he wanted to make some extra money for his yearly trip away. He wasn't sure where he was going this year. Last year had been Scotland. What a hell hole that had been. He had only stayed a day and a half before finding a cheap flight back to the U.S.A, his plane landing in Florida, where he had stayed the remainder of his vacation.
Wearily he lifted the receiver. It turned out his replacement for the day shift had called in sick and wouldn't be able to make it.
"Jesus, David. Can't one of the lower detectives handle it? I'm knackered. I just want to go home, drink a fifth of bourbon and hit the sack for a good ten hours." Detective Malone, whose first name was James sighed. He knew what was coming next.
"You're the best homicide has to offer. How about you give this a couple of hours of your time then you can go home and drink all the bourbon you want and you can turn up for your shift later on four hours later than usual? What ‘ya say, huh? Come on James. We need ya here."
"So some loony has escaped from their bin and you want the best homicide has to offer to find her? Which basically means I'll be patrolling the streets with an eye out for a woman dressed in a blue gown jabbering on about aliens and the second co
ming of Christ. Man, have you seen this city? If she goes to the right part she'll pass for fucking normal."
"No, an APB has been put out on the woman. We have about thirty uniforms searching the area. This one is a murderer, Jamie, and a psychotic one at that. Who knows what she's capable of? We need to try and find out how she got out in the first place."
Shit, they know I'm going to say yes. The bastards know I don't want to but they really don't give a crap Malone old boy. They need your expertise and they ain't gonna let up till they get it.
"Okay, I'm in. Just don't bother me for twelve hours after this, and I'm putting in two hours, max. I mean it. Even if the president has been assassinated or your daughter has been gang raped by a transsexual with a twelve foot dick and his gang of performing monkeys, don't call me!"
"Jesus, Malone that last remark was a bit uncalled for-"
"-Fuck the remark and tell me where I've to go and what to do before I change my mind."
Two minutes later and Malone was flooring the accelerator as fast as it would go.
He didn't give a shit about being stopped.
Perk of the job.
After another moments thought he took out the small magnetic siren and driving with one hand stuck his left arm out the window and planted it on the roof.
Satisfied he turned it on full blast. It was some ungodly time in the early hours of the morning and he felt others should share in his misery, if only briefly. With any luck at least one off the fuckers wouldn't be able to get back to sleep.
He arrived at the gates of the institution and shut of the siren then reached for his badge which he showed to the security guard who immediately put through a call and ushered Malone through after raising the bar electronically.
Could smash through that fucker at twenty for fucks sake. If this is the security then no wonder the bitch escaped.
Moments later and he changed his mind. A first fence which was at least a hundred foot high and surrounded by sharp barbed wire at the top enclosed another fence, this one electrical by the sign on it – 40000 VOLTS DANGER KEEP AWAY - Then another fence about a three feet back from this one again one hundred feet high, the electric one had only been about sixty, you would have to have climbed it and if you used wire cutters on it you were in for a nasty surprise. Yes, this place was well secured. He had been wrong. So how had the mad bitch escaped?
Anyway he was here to see a Fortune McKenna; the big chief was away visiting another loony bin in the next city over and couldn't be here. Alone with this McKenna, there was the clinical psychologist who had found the body missing and the patient who had helped her search the premises before sounding the alarm.
He parked his car, a dusty ford and walked his way to the front door and rang the bell. A woman answered and he explained his presence to her and showed his Identification.
Presently he was being escorted to Fortune's office and before the woman had a chance to knock he walked straight in. Candy was already sitting in a chair with Wanda at her side in another chair. Fortune looked up.
"Don't you know it's polite to knock?" said Fortune.
"I know, but I don't, see, cause cops ain't polite. We're after the truth and if you open a door unexpected you catch people off guard and maybe hear something they don't want you to hear. But if it's really got your back up you can always make a complaint. We could even discuss the matter outside later on if you prefer? Take a walk in the grounds and clear the air?"
Fortune paled slightly at this but regained his composure bit by bit.
"Hey Detective Malone. Didn't think I'd be seeing you again in a hurry."
"Holy smoke, It's Candy the cop killer. So what's your involvement in all this?"
"It was me who noticed Cassie missing first. Her and I had become... eh... close, and I wondered where she'd gone. So I went investigating. When I couldn't find her I asked Wanda here to help me search."
"So you're in a psychiatric institution and you have numerous security guards, yet the two of you decide to go on a little adventure yourselves?"
Wanda sighed and tried to fix a look of annoyance on her face. "I didn't want to have to say this in front of Candy but this is the first time since she's been in the hospital that she'd felt any concern for another human being. I felt that it was progress and to deny her the chance of helping finding her friend may set us back months of work, make her feel that her concern didn't matter and that the emotions which that concern was based on also didn't matter. Can you see where I am coming from? And I'm sorry to have to speak so analytically about you here today, Candy."
"Wanda, I didn't think you cared," said Candy smiling.
Malone fixed them both with his shrewdest stare. There was something being unsaid here. Had these women helped this Cassandra woman escape? And if so how? However his thoughts were interrupted when a large orderly barged into the room. The man was sweating profusely, and had also entered the room without knocking.
Fortune was about to pick him up on this but the orderly got the first word. "I need to get word to the professor urgently."
"The professor is away on urgent business and won't be back until tomorrow. What appears to be the problem?"
"The police station across town has had calls from people claiming to have been in the presence of a mad woman who is running wild in the city. She introduced herself to one of them as Cassie, although that was as much as the desk Sergeant got as he said the informant was pretty hostile.”
"Do these people have names?" asked Malone, suddenly on the jump.
"Yes apparently one is a Mrs J Smythe from Abbysfield. The other a Mr Douglas Exit from James Street."
"Did they leave precise addresses? And who the hell is called Exit?"
"Yes, I have them written down here. I was also to tell you that the one named Exit was raised by hippies and made some anti-establishment remarks."
The orderly handed over a sweaty piece of paper which Malone studied for a moment then took out his police band radio and called in to control.
"Control, this is Detective inspector Malone. I need a squad car with two uniforms to meet me at the city's mental facility. What do you mean which one? It only has one. It's name? Hold on? McKenna what you call this hell factory you run here?"
"It is no such thing and I am insulted by your suggestion that..."
"Okay, my apologies, now what's the name of this dump?"
"It's called the Rosenhan Trust Mental Hospital and I must say-"
"Okay write this down first. Rosenhan... trust … mental... hospital... what? Who is Rosenhan and why should we trust him? No, that's the fucking name of the place... I know I said write this first... I don't care how it sounded; just get here A.S.A. fucking P okay!” Malone switched off his radio and tried to make sense of it all. "Take me to her room."
Cassie's room was as Candy and Wanda had left it. Fresh bed clothes on the covers, the mattress turned over to hide the splotches of blood. They had considered switching mattresses somehow with the one in Candy's room but had not as of yet had the chance. Malone poked about at the books on the table, the water jug and the toothbrush by the sink. He opened her wardrobe and found the top shelf newly stacked with sheets, courtesy of Wanda and the few clothes Cassie had brought with her, hanging from plastic hangers; a blue sequinned dress, a white woollen jumper with a black stripe around it, and a faded pair of jeans hung underneath an extra small purple t-shirt.
Malone sighed. There should be something here; something!
He glanced at the floor.
And there on the tile was the tiniest drop of blood. "I think we got a Crime scene."
The room was cordoned off with the usual yellow and black tape and forensics had been called in but nothing had really been revealed. There was no indication why the blood was there. Apparently the woman had been spotted by members of the public so for the time being the case was still being treated as a missing persons – albeit the person missing from an institution which dealt with criminal offende
rs. A uniformed officer had been placed on guard duty outside the room and Malone was now riding in his beat up Ford behind the squad car, which contained the two uniformed officers he had requested accompany him to the scene.
They took a left and made it to the first of the addresses on the list, which was 119 Abbysfield. If he had thought his own property bad then this made it look like a fucking palace. It had overgrown grass and the windows were covered with a thick dust which made it impossible to gage what the interior of the house was like.
The squad car made a stop outside the front gate and he pulled in behind them. The two cops he was working with today he considered good cops. He had worked with them before and he had no doubt that they would both rise high in their chosen profession.
One was a male called Dale Bargeman. He was tall, nearly six two and had the build of a professional wrestler. Malone wouldn't like to tangle with him, but he knew that in the end if it came to it he'd beat Bargemen in a fight.
The second officer was a woman. Her name was Siuna McKenzie. Her folks had immigrated to the good old USA when she was only a baby and she had grown up here. Her parents still spoke with the Scottish tongue but Siuna's accent was pure bred American.
The last job Malone had worked with her on had been a drug bust.
They had been undercover and their cover had been blown when one of the dealers recognised the third member of their party, a veteran undercover officer who had arrested an associate of his and he had first seen giving evidence at said associates trial. Surprisingly it was the veteran who had hesitated with his gun and he had taken a bullet in the stomach for his troubles.
Siuna however hadn't frozen; she had calmly pulled her gun and pumped two rounds quickly and efficiently into the each of the dealers present who were now all armed and ready to shoot their way out. She had been awarded a medal for bravery and only had another year before she was to start training for the FBI.
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