Asher tilted his head and appeared bewildered. “Brian? I was referring to our young Dr. Alvord.”
Jacey was slightly surprised then smiled with some embarrassment. “Oh, Maxwell, well, he’s already seeing someone. She’s more his type anyway. I’m not exactly intellectually compatible with him.”
Asher appeared disappointed and almost offended. “My darling,” he announced simply while smiling wryly. “You don’t have to battle wits with a man in order for him to want you. Even men of great intelligence yearn for women of endless beauty.” His irritation with her comment seemed to escalate. “And I certainly hope you’re not implying you’re beneath any man just because he has fancy, little degrees.”
She leaned forward, smiled slyly, and placed her hand on his. “He already has someone--give it up.”
He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it warmly. His smile indicated there was no chance of that. “Not until I’ve found someone suitable to replace me.” Asher laughed softly and stood. “I’d best be going. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
He set his glass on the small table. Asher walked with use of his cane down the steps and toward his jeep. Jacey watched him disappear into his jeep then drive along the old mining road, which was a more direct route to his isolated home. She had a bad feeling. Asher involving himself in anything surrounding the institution frightened her. She wished, just once, he’d be less curious and practice a little self-preservation. Perhaps, in his warped mind, investigating the uncertain was his idea of self-preservation. Why did men have to be so complicated?
†
The small, sterile examination room was dimly lit by a single lightbulb in a surgical ceiling fixture containing several burnt bulbs. Roseanne, still in her nightgown, lie on the metal surgical table. Her body and white nightgown were soaked in sweat and her own urine. Her wrists and ankles were strapped to the table with leather, buckle-style restraints. She struggled in vain against the restraints. Her wrists and ankles were bruised and bloody from over twenty-four hours of struggling to free herself. She had duct tape over her mouth to prevent her from screaming. Despite her obvious exhaustion and injuries beneath the straps, she continued to fight her restraints. She lie motionless a moment while breathing heavily. Roseanne attempted to scream out with frustration and thrashed wildly against her restraints. A metallic ping was heard as her left arm pulled away from the surgical table. She stared at her free, left arm with the restraint still tight around her wrist. She appeared almost stunned then overwhelmingly relieved. Roseanne immediately pulled the tape from her mouth, gasped only a moment, and then worked on unbuckling the restraint from her right wrist. Within seconds, she was sitting up on the table and releasing her restrained ankles. She jumped off the table and nearly collapsed from an entire day of lying still on her back. She clutched the table for support and looked around the small, surgical room. There was a door to the front and one to the back. She hurried to the one toward the front, paused before it, and uncertainly turned the knob. To her surprise, it opened!
Roseanne, in her bare feet, slipped out of the room into what could only be described as a basement. She looked at the odd staircase before her. There was nothing else. Just the small, narrow stone steps. She uncertainly hurried up the nearly dark steps and paused before a strange looking door. She slowly opened the door and peered through the opening. She stared at the basement before her. The area she was within was massive and contained old furniture and various other useless items left in storage from the old institution. Most were covered in dust and thick cobwebs. She uncertainly shut the door behind her and looked back at it. It was actually a secret passageway. The door blended in with the wall. She hurried across the room to an opening. The next room over was more of the same. The basement was a maze! She heard movement, which resembled the sound of someone walking on metal stairs. Roseanne ducked into another storage area and hid behind an old stack of mattresses. She could see the shadow of someone walking past. When she heard the passageway door open and close, she ran out from behind the mattresses and hurried in the direction of possible stairs.
She ran up the metal fire stairs, knowing it would only be a matter of minutes before her abductor discovered she was gone. She ran through the doorway on the first floor and suddenly stopped. Roseanne stared at the familiar first floor hallway of the west wing. Although not the wing she worked in, being it burned to the ground ten years ago, both wings were setup exactly the same. Despite the eeriness of her location, it was familiar! She heard thundering footfalls on the basement stairs. Her abductor must have gotten to the sub-basement faster than she thought. Roseanne ran down the dirty hallway in her bare feet and entered the first doorway she found. She entered the massive, tiled shower room with rows of tile shower stalls with flimsy shower curtains covering the openings. The shower room smelled strong of mildew, possibly due to the dripping water that echoed throughout the room. There was no telling how long the water had been dripping.
Roseanne ducked into one of the damp shower stalls and pulled the curtain partially closed. She sat on the floor, hugged her knees to her chest, and remained quiet and motionless. If her abductor assumed she ran, he might bypass searching the floor for her and head outside. Keeping hidden and quiet seemed her best option. She rested her head on her knees and listened to the sound of the dripping water. Her eyes slowly closed. An hour later, Roseanne suddenly jerked awake and uncertainly looked around from where she still sat within the tile shower stall behind the plastic curtain. The sound of the dripping water continued. She looked under the plastic curtain and saw the shimmer of light. She appeared curious and slowly pulled the curtain back from where she sat and peered across the shower room. Judging by the small amount of light filtering through the grimy small window near the ceiling, it was nearly sunup. The window had bars outside, so there was no chance escaping that way. She again sat against the shower stall wall and stared at the ceiling. She knew she had been in the shower room for an hour or longer. With morning rapidly approaching, she stood a better chance of getting help.
She gathered up her courage and slowly stood within the shower stall. Voices could be heard in the hallway just outside the shower room. Roseanne became alert then alarmed. As she listened to the jovial voices, it was evident they were the scientists occupying the institution. It was almost impossible that they would have been involved in her abduction, which meant they were the good guys! Roseanne appeared almost relieved and attempted to hold back her sobs of joy. She pulled open the curtain. Light glistened off the scalpel a split second before it slashed firmly across her throat. Roseanne gasped and clutched her bleeding throat. There wasn’t even time to scream. She attempted to clutch the wall as she felt her body sink. She slid down the wall to the tile shower floor in a sitting position and stared up at her attacker. As blood drenched her body, she no longer moved. Her dead eyes remained opened and fixated as if staring at her assailant. The shower room was again silent except for the relentless dripping of water.
Chapter Fifteen
Friday, 6:00 P.M.
The once quiet streets of Stony Ridge were now alive with people from all over the county. All the streets had been blocked off to accommodate the weekend event. Vendors lined the streets with their games and stands of greasy, overpriced food. Monique and Coleen pranced excitedly alongside Jacey, proudly carrying their ribbons from the horse show. Both girls chattered continuously between themselves, recapping the entire horse show. Jacey was glad she hadn’t entered the fun show. They would have shown her up as they had everyone else.
“Have you decided what you want for dinner yet?” Jacey asked with curiosity.
“Pizza,” Monique chanted.
“Hamburgers,” Coleen said.
Jacey gave them each some money. “If I let you on your own for a couple of hours, do you promise to eat something other than ice cream and cotton candy?”
“Yes, of course. There’s always French fries and funnel cake,” Monique teased. “We can play some games too.”<
br />
Jacey rolled her eyes and attempted to hide her smile. “I’d like to use the library computer and type that article for Shelly. I’m sure you’ll find something more exciting to do here.”
“Yeah, we certainly don’t want to go to the library,” Coleen replied.
Monique then pointed up the street just past Town Square and appeared excited. “Look, it’s Professor!”
Both girls waved their ribbons and ran for Professor, who was tall enough that he was easily noticed in a crowd. Jacey followed obediently. The scientists had a stand along the street with a fossil exhibit, rocks, dinosaur bones, and the solar system. Timon even had his telescope set up. Maxwell appeared to be the only one missing from the group. Even Angela was present, though she appeared bored. Doc saw them and approached the inside of their stand.
“Do you like our little exhibit?” Doc asked. “I thought joining the festivities would be to our benefit.”
Jacey nodded with a soft laugh. “When did you put all this together?”
“This morning,” Doc replied. “We noticed the banner across the street yesterday afternoon.”
Timon inched his way closer like a cat stalking a mouse and smiled at Jacey. “Hey, Jacey,” he chirped.
Both girls flocked around Professor and showed him their ribbons. He seemed impressed with their wins.
“Had I known you were in the show, I would’ve slipped away from the exhibit to watch it,” Professor announced cheerfully to both girls.
“Would you like it if I won you a teddy bear?” Timon asked Jacey with a childlike smile.
Brian practically jumped the table, nearly dumping the fossils, placed his arm around Jacey, and smirked at Timon.
“If it’s a teddy bear she wants, I’d have better luck winning it than you.”
Monique and Coleen bounced around Professor like lovesick schoolgirls. “Come on, Professor. You can hang out with us tonight.”
“Sounds like fun,” Professor announced cheerfully as they pulled him away from the stand.
Maxwell returned carrying a box of drinks and snacks for the entire group. Timon and Brian nearly tackled him for the goodies he carried. Sheriff Monroe approached the scientists’ stand, eyed their exhibits, and gave a general nod.
“How’s our town been treating you?” Sheriff Monroe asked pleasantly.
“Mostly everyone has been friendly,” Doc announced with a hint of reserve.
Monroe snorted a soft laugh with apparent understanding. “It’s okay, we share the same headache,” he replied. “I’m sorry if my deputy caused you any grief with yesterday’s search of the institution. It was bound to happen eventually. We’re trying to keep our headache from turning into a migraine.”
“I’m sure it’ll die down,” Doc replied while maintaining his good humor. “We’re not building monsters in the basement.”
“Speak for yourself,” Timon teased and immediately received several annoyed looks. He rolled his eyes. “No sense of humor.”
“If there’s any trouble,” Monroe announced, “just give us a shout. We’ll handle Jill and her followers.”
“Thank you, Sheriff,” Doc announced.
Sheriff Monroe grinned at Jacey, gave her a polite nod, and continued his patrol of the fair.
Doc looked at the others and appeared more cheerful than he had. “Why don’t the rest of you go out and enjoy yourselves at the fair,” he announced. “I’ll take care of the exhibit. I want to watch the unveiling of the new town statue at dusk anyway.” He nodded toward the large, canvas-covered statue practically in front of their stand.
“Thanks, Doc,” Brian announced cheerfully then looked at Jacey. “I’ll escort Jacey.”
Timon clung to her right arm and glared at Brian. “Why don’t you go join the rest of the pigs at the farm exhibit,” Timon snorted. “I saw Jacey first.”
“I saw her first--the day we arrived in town,” Brian snapped. “Find your own date.”
“Now you two just behave,” Doc said firmly. “If you don’t stop fighting over the young lady, I’ll take her away; then neither of you will have her.”
Jacey laughed softly to Doc’s scolding remarks. Both men became sheepish.
“Honestly,” Jacey announced with an embarrassed smile, “I have some research to do at the library.”
“And miss the town fair?” Timon gasped playfully then smiled. “At least allow me to buy you a snow cone.”
Jacey could hear part of the conversation between Maxwell and Angela at the stand just behind her.
“Are you sure you wouldn’t like to walk around the fair?” Maxwell asked Angela. “We could play some carnival games and win cheap prizes.”
“Quite childish, don’t you think?” Angela snapped coldly with obvious disinterest in the entire spectacle.
Jacey half turned and noted the embarrassed look on Maxwell’s face and the way Angela was glaring at her. Jacey then realized that Angela was actually upset by the way Timon and Brian were fussing over her.
“Come on, Jacey,” Brian whined with a teasing smile and practically pulled her into his arms. “Let’s go play some games and have some fun.”
Jacey was slightly surprised by Brain’s embrace. She gently pulled away from him and backed up several steps. She attempted to smile, though she was losing patience with him.
“I really need to finish that article for the paper,” Jacey announced firmly. “It’s due Monday morning.” Jacey backed up another step and bumped into Maxwell. She spun nervously and forced a tiny smile. “Oh, I’m sorry.”
“I’ll help you with your research,” Maxwell said softly. He then forced a tiny smile. “Research is my life.”
Jacey looked at Maxwell with some surprise and smiled more naturally. “You’ll help me?”
He nodded. Angela’s eyes narrowed sharply.
“Thank you, Maxwell. I’d really appreciate any help you could offer.”
Angela linked onto Maxwell’s arm, apparently surprising him, and smiled sweetly. “I’d like to visit this library myself.”
“Libraries?” Brian scoffed with a frown. “I’d rather play with fire ants. You three enjoy yourselves.” He playfully smacked Timon on the chest. “Let’s see who can be the first to dunk the mayor.”
Timon eagerly left with him.
Chapter Sixteen
The archives was located in the basement of the library. Despite the extensive lights, the basement remained dingy in appearance. There were aisles of bookshelves containing old books, magazines, and racks of newspapers. An older desktop computer was located in the back of the archives surrounded by bookshelves. Jacey sat behind the computer as she looked up several articles and printed the ones that interested her while Maxwell and Angela wandered around the shelves of old newspapers.
“Most libraries won’t allow you in their archives,” Maxwell remarked to Jacey from several aisles away.
“As a part-time employee,” she announced simply, “I’m entitled to full access of their property.”
The two scientists returned to the cluttered room she occupied. Jacey removed several folded papers from her pocket and straightened them out on the table. Angela peered over her shoulder and burst out laughing.
“Are those your notes?” Angela asked with a smile that mocked her.
Jacey turned back to the computer and avoided looking at the snobbish woman she’d come to loathe. “I never said I was very organized,” she muttered and began her healthy dislike for the woman all over again. She wondered if Angela just felt she was beneath her, or did it have something to do with the other scientists taking an interest in her. Maybe it was just Maxwell’s attention that bothered her.
“I guess not,” Angela laughed.
Maxwell removed the papers from the printer and scanned through the printed articles from archived newspapers. “All this happened in this town?”
“In a matter of three days,” Jacey replied without looking at him. “This town took a bad situation and made it into som
ething even worse.”
“Persecution of the innocent, curses, and legends back from the dead,” Maxwell commented with a soft snort. “I heard Asher speak of his turmoil.”
Jacey sighed gently. “He would know too. He was a victim ten years ago and every day since.”
Maxwell removed a hi-lighter from the desk and began hi-lighting parts of the article.
“I don’t suppose there are any science magazines in this place,” Angela huffed while folding her arms across her chest as she looked around.
“The next room over,” Jacey replied dryly without looking at the woman.
Angela walked away without further comment. Maxwell sat on the edge of the desk and sifted through the small stack of papers. He hi-lighted several more items.
“Do you believe your friend killed Hal Burgess?” Maxwell asked softly and interrupted the silence.
Jacey stopped typing and looked at Maxwell with surprise. “I certainly don’t,” she remarked curtly.
“I didn’t mean to offend you,” he said gently.
She sighed softly and looked back at the computer. “None taken,” she said sadly. “I’m just getting a little tired of listening to people put Asher down.”
“And not being able to defend him,” Maxwell stated gently. “I’ve gathered that you try to keep your friendship with him a secret.”
“It’s his request,” she said timidly and frowned while staring at the computer monitor. “He doesn’t want the town to alienate me as well.”
“Maybe he just needs to make some new friends,” Maxwell said simply. “Tomorrow night is the formal party at the institution. It’s supposed to be celebrating the new foundation, but they’re generally for public relations and grants. I’m sure Brian’s already invited you, but I thought that maybe you’d like to bring Asher. He’d probably enjoy socializing with that crowd. He seemed to enjoy scientific talk the other night.”
Jacey spun in her chair and looked at him with surprise. “Do you mean it?” she asked excitedly. Her enthusiasm didn’t even have anything to do with Asher’s request to be invited to the institution. “I’m sure he’d love the opportunity to talk with people who don’t know or care about his reputation here in town.” She couldn’t contain her smile. She was suddenly very happy. “He’ll be thrilled to hear. He can be my date.”
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