by Julie Cave
"Ella, how are you?" Reverend Lockhart said, his voice warm and clear.
"I really need your help on something," Ella said, on the edge of tears. She swallowed and told herself to relax. "It's about Dad."
"What can I do?" Lockhart asked. He knew all about John Barnett's struggle with his illness, and the subsequent toll it was taking on Ella.
Ella told him the story of her conversation with the stranger at the park about euthanasia. "Ever since then, I can't stop thinking about it. I can't stop thinking that Dad would hate what he's become. Then I feel horribly guilty for even thinking about it. I don't know what to do."
"Ella, I understand. You're probably exhausted and resentful. It's totally normal to start wondering about what life would be like if you didn't have this big burden," said Lockhart gently. "You need help and support. Unfortunately, this stranger at the park caught you at a vulnerable time and poisoned your thoughts."
"Please put this to rest for me," said Ella quietly. "Please tell me what the church thinks about euthanasia."
"We don't support it," said Lockhart gently. "One of our fundamental Christian tenets is the sanctity of human life. Therefore we mustn't condone murder — which euthanasia certainly is — of any sort. A human being has an eternal soul, which sets us apart from animals. All human life is valuable, no matter how sick, disabled, or old that life happens to be."
Ella nodded into the phone, and then realized the reverend wouldn't be able to see her. "Go on."
"Secondly, the Bible is pretty clear about how we should treat human life. In Genesis chapter 9, verses 5 and 6, God says, 'Murder is forbidden, for to kill a person is to kill a living being made in God's image.' There are no qualifications to that statement, you'll notice. God does not say, murder is forbidden except if someone becomes too much of a burden. There is also an example of euthanasia being executed on the battlefield in 2 Samuel, chapter 1, where an injured King Saul asked an Amalekite to kill him. The Amalekite did so, and was subsequently punished by King David. He was not praised for being merciful and putting Saul out of his misery. Instead, King David condemned the Amalekite to death for killing the Lord's anointed one. I think it's pretty clear what God expects of us in relation to this matter."
Ella wiped tears from her cheeks. "Thank you. I knew that it was wrong, but I didn't know why."
"Listen, Ella," said Lockhart. "You are under an enormous amount of pressure and I think you really need to consider obtaining external medical help for your father. There is a limit to how much any person can do by herself."
"I know," said Ella wearily. "How is it that I can think about euthanasia with less guilt than I can about putting Dad into a nursing home?"
"Euthanasia can seem like the easiest way out," said Lockhart. "If you put your father into a home, you still have to visit him and continually deal with the emotions that decision may have brought up. I suppose with euthanasia, it's all over one way or the other."
Ella finished her conversation with Reverend Lockhart and rested her head on the wall next to the phone. The answers were obvious, of course. She had known what Lockhart had told her all along in her heart.
Yet when it was the middle of the night and she found her father staring with bewilderment at the latch on the front door; or when he took his teacup to the kitchen and completely forgot what to do with it, or when he thought that she, his daughter, was in fact his young wife, Ella couldn't help but wonder why God's will sometimes was so hard.
Chapter 7
The afternoon would be spent talking to a eugenics specialist, a professor of global, international, and comparative history at Georgetown University. Again, Samson Cage was content to drive in silence, seeing no particular need for conversation. After a while, the silence began to grate on Dinah and she asked, "How often do you get to work cases by yourself?"
Cage glanced at her and for a moment she thought she saw caution, worry, and anxiety flicker across his face. He said, "All the time."
"I still don't see how your superiors approve that," said Dinah, shaking her head. "At the Bureau, we didn't have a choice."
Cage shrugged. "Like I said, as long as I get results, they leave me alone."
"When was the last time you worked with a partner?" Dinah asked curiously.
Her question did something to Cage. Like a giant roller door, a protective front slammed down over Cage's face and the possibility of any further conversation suddenly ceased. Dinah recognized the stony, flat expression that he usually wore re-appear and his eyes narrow. His silence seemed to be cold. Dinah knew better than to push the issue, and so she stared out the window.
They arrived at the history college campus and as Dinah climbed out of the car, she stared up at the majestic brick buildings and manicured gardens in awe. It was a beautiful university, established by the Jesuits and lovingly maintained since being founded. The history department was located at the Intercultural Center, on the east side of the campus, and Cage set off at a cracking pace.
Dr. Nelson Sharp waited for them in his office and ushered them into modern ergonomic chairs near his desk. Cage squirmed his bulk around, trying to find a comfortable position in his impractical chair. Dr. Sharp didn't look like a college professor. He was tall and lean, with dark hair gelled into a fashionable spike and trendy, square glasses. His office was decorated in the sparse minimalist style, with low, streamlined, eco-friendly furniture, the very latest in gadgetry, and an abstract painting that at one angle disturbed Dinah and at another brightened her.
"Thank you for seeing us on such short notice, Dr. Sharp," began Cage, finally settling into a position that looked distinctly painful.
"I'm happy to help the authorities wherever I can," said Dr. Sharp. "What can I do for you?"
"As I mentioned on the phone, we're interested in eugenics," said Cage. "Let's assume we know nothing about it and we need a crash course."
"I see." Dr. Sharp gathered his thoughts for several moments. "It's a fairly large topic, you realize. The term eugenics was coined in the late 19th century by a cousin of Charles Darwin and describes a philosophy concerning human worth. The term itself means 'well-born.' At the time, Western civilization had previously been dominated by Judeo-Christian influence, which included the premise that human beings are answerable to God, and that all human life is sacred. This had begun to change with the philosophy of naturalism beginning to take off, and certainly changed radically upon the publication of Charles Darwin's Origin of the Species, which, among other things, eliminated the need for God and introduced the concept of the survival of the fittest."
"Sorry to interrupt," said Dinah. "What do you mean by the philosophy of naturalism?"
"The philosophy is concerned with how knowledge is gained," explained Dr. Sharp. "It requires that scientific hypotheses be tested and observed with respect to natural causes and events only. Anything considered supernatural is immediately discounted. The idea of God was already being supplanted by the time Darwin came along."
Dinah nodded. "Sure. Go on."
"Scientists began using this theory of evolution to explain other supposedly scientific ideas, such as the science of social engineering, which we have come to know as eugenics. At the same time, Darwinists argued that human life was no different to animal life, and that death was no longer an enemy but necessary and even beneficial to the progression of the human race. This is, of course, in direct contrast to Christianity."
Dr. Sharp paused and seemed to be thinking. "Of course, I should stress that the devaluing of human life and the change to morality that occurred at the time shouldn't be placed solely on the shoulders of Darwin. There had already been a move toward naturalism amongst scientists and philosophers of the era. However, most of the influential scientists, philosophers, and ethicists of the time relied heavily on Darwin when formulating their social policies, and readily admit to doing so." Dr. Sharp shrugged. "Most of the changes to philosophy and science were happening in Europe.
"At the
same time, America was experiencing great civil unrest. The industrialization of the country saw people leave farms and migrate to cities for the first time in modern history. One of the great problems of industrialization was the lack of adequate housing in the cities and the exploitation of the working classes by the rich. Add to this mix burgeoning immigration from southern and eastern parts of Europe. America experienced great economic fluctuations, the rise of aggressive labor unions, and widespread poverty.
"Society began to experience problems on a large scale, which included criminality, poverty, and civil unrest, and seemed powerless to solve these problems. At the time, charities and churches addressed these problems through education, for example. Since scientific progression was flourishing, society thought that science could be used to solve these new urban problems. As scientists gained a basic understanding of genetics, they began to think that many of society's problems could be explained and treated through genetics. It was thought that undesirable traits such as poverty, criminality, alcoholism, and prostitution were caused by defective genes, passed down through the family lines. A solution for this was eugenics, which can be further classified into positive and negative eugenics. Positive eugenics is the encouragement of the healthy and intelligent to have more children, for example. Negative eugenics discourages so-called undesirables from reproducing through sterilization, abortion, and restricting immigration. In the United States, negative eugenics practices were embraced."
"So this is where the laws for sterilization came from?" Dinah interjected.
"That is correct, as well as marriage laws forbidding the union of inter-racial couples." Dr. Sharp took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.
"So these undesirables were also categorized by race?" Dinah asked.
"Yes, among other things. For example, marriage between African-Americans and white Americans was invalid in 28 states by the early 1900s. The same discrimination applied for marriages between Native Americans and white Americans. With regard to immigration, in 1882 the Chinese were the first specific race to be excluded from immigration. In 1924, the Immigration Restriction Act managed to reduce the number of immigrants down to about 20 percent of the years preceding, and vastly reduced the number of immigrants allowed from southern and eastern Europe, who were said to be intellectually and morally defective. But defectives or undesirables were also categorized by things, such as intelligence or promiscuity."
Dinah shook her head. "I had no idea this even happened."
Dr. Sharp nodded. "Most people don't. We look back on that period and wonder what they were thinking. But at the time, it was considered to be good scientific practice."
"So when did eugenics cease to be considered good scientific practice?" Cage asked.
Dr. Sharp smiled. "In short — the Holocaust."
Dinah was aghast.
"Actually, that's just my opinion," said Dr. Sharp. "Society changed a great deal anyway. A greater understanding of genetics led scientists to realize that behavior is not genetic. But we do know that Hitler and Nazism drew heavily on eugenics to justify their atrocities."
Cage's cell phone rang and he stood to answer it. He spoke quietly, and then said to Dinah, "We have to go."
Dr. Sharp stood to shake their hands. "Do you mind if we come back to talk to you some more?" Detective Cage asked. "It seems I have much to learn about this subject."
Dr. Sharp nodded. "No problem. You know where to find me — it's summer, and my class load is light."
As they left the professor's office, Dinah said, "Where are we going?"
"Medical examiner's office," replied Cage. "Benjamin Steffan's autopsy."
****
The killer cruised in his van, which still bore the markings of the Drug Response Team. He was again well stocked with coffee, sandwiches, and blankets, but really they were just props. He wanted to find Ashleigh, his designated next victim.
He parked in the same place as last night and waited. He hated waiting. He was used to stalking, controlling, and manipulating, not sitting around, waiting.
As with last night, the homeless began to emerge from the long, late-evening shadows. The killer went through the motions, handing out sandwiches, coffee, and smiles as though he actually cared. All the while, he scanned the crowds, searching for Ashleigh.
After some time had passed, he began to doubt himself. Perhaps she was too flighty after all. Perhaps he hadn't given her a good enough reason to come back. Who knew?
Then, he saw her. He felt a secret thrill, knowing he'd picked the right prey. She edged forward, like a frightened gazelle seeking a drink at a water hole, while he, a predator, waited in the shadows. He bestowed upon her a beaming smile.
"Ashleigh! I'm so glad to see you," he said warmly. He handed her a packet of sandwiches. "How are you?"
She shrugged. "I'm surviving. I'm looking for a job. Then I hope I can find somewhere to live. That's pretty much all my plans at the moment."
"Can your family really offer no help?" the killer asked. It was crucial he understood her social genesis; it was the crux of the message he was trying to send.
She looked at the ground. "I have more ex-boyfriends that you can count on two hands, but none of them want to help me."
"What about your parents?"
"Never knew my dad," she said. "I believe he left Mom right after I was born." She offered a brief, sad smile. "I was probably too much for him to handle, right?"
It was interesting, reflected the killer, how children could carry the sins of their parents on their shoulders and never quite understand why none of it was their own fault.
"We moved around a lot," continued Ashleigh. "Mom worked minimum wage and was always looking for a man to save her." She shook her head. "Hard to meet a man like that in a sleazy motel or cheap diner."
"Did you have any brothers or sisters?" the killer asked.
"Nope, just me and Mom — and whatever boyfriend she had at the time."
"Where is your mom now?"
Ashleigh shrugged. "When I was 16, the boyfriend she had at the time didn't like me, so they asked me to leave. I haven't seen her since."
It was just another wretched tale of family discontent, pain, and hopelessness. The killer was willing to bet that Ashleigh's mother had lived with a similar level of disdain and neglect in her own childhood. And so the cycle continued.
"Do you have any children?" the killer asked.
"No, thank goodness," said Ashleigh, then she added quickly: "Not because I don't want children. I'm just glad I haven't subjected a child to this life."
"Did you finish high school?" he inquired.
"No, once I got kicked out, I had to find a job." Ashleigh stopped to devour a sandwich.
"Listen, I have an idea," said the killer. "The way out of poverty is education, you know. You could create a much better life for yourself."
Ashleigh laughed harshly. "Sure. I'm just going to send myself to Harvard."
The killer smiled. "What if I can get you into a shelter while you get your high school equivalency? Then you could work part time and enroll in some courses at community college. It's not exactly Harvard, but it would be a big step up for you."
Ashleigh stared at him. "You could do that?"
"I sure could. Would you be interested?"
Ashleigh seemed to be choking back tears. "Yes …I'm interested! I just …don't know why you would do that for me."
He smiled again. "I told you, Ashleigh. I don't do this for me; I do it to help people." Ashleigh didn't notice the lie, but the killer was a seasoned and talented liar. "I want to help you succeed, if that's what you want."
Ashleigh sniffed and rubbed her eyes. "Nobody has ever been this nice to me before. I don't know what to say."
"Here is what I need you to do," said the killer. "Gather together your things and be back here at the same time tomorrow evening. I should have a place in the shelter ready for you by then. Okay?"
Ashleigh nodded, a smile lighti
ng up her otherwise weary face, and she briefly touched his arm. "How can I thank you? This is the most amazing thing anyone has ever done for me."
Tomorrow night I'll get all the thanks I need.
"If you can pull yourself out of this situation and live a better life, then I'll be happy," he told her.
He watched her walk away, a little extra bounce in her step. Then he congratulated himself on such an intricately devised plan.
It just goes to show, he told himself as he packed up the van, what superior intelligence, breeding, and genetics meant: the difference between a comfortable middle-class existence and a poverty-stricken, hopeless life on the street.
****
The medical examiner's office was quiet; most of the staff had gone home. Only Dr. Gene Schlabach remained, finalizing the autopsy of Benjamin Steffan. He greeted Dinah and Samson Cage quietly, as the two investigators looked over the body.
Dinah looked at the body very carefully. Again, there was very little evidence of external trauma or violence — no wounds, bruising, or blood. Benjamin Steffan had not been a big man in life, but in death he looked frail and shrunken, almost child-like. Silently, Dinah and Cage pulled the plastic protective wear over their clothes while Dr. Schlabach finished making notes in the file.
"What did you discover, Dr. Schlabach?" Cage finally asked.
Dr. Schlabach stood over the body in seeming reverence. "The victim was on a high concentration of psychotropic drugs," he replied. "Without reading his medical history, I would presume he was being treated for schizophrenia or some other severe mental illness. No evidence of alcohol or other drugs in his system. No recent trauma is evident. As you can see, no visible injury or marks on the body. I doubt it took much to subdue him."
"We believe the killer built some relationship with him, so there would have been a level of trust between killer and victim," said Detective Cage.
"I see," said Dr. Schlabach. "That would certainly be a contributing factor. I should also mention that the psychotropic drugs would have caused some side effects in the victim, which may have increased his vulnerability. It's difficult for me to say, because I didn't examine the victim in life, but some of the common side effects include muscle spasms and a slowing down of movement and speech. His reaction time to external stimuli may have been slower than yours or mine. Again, this would have made subduing the victim easier for the killer."