The Next Ten: Beginnings Series Books 11 - 20

by Jacqueline Druga

  “You’re lost.” Frank nodded. “That’s cry worthy. Anything else?”

  “I’m afraid I’m not good enough.”

  “Good one. Lack of self confidence. Any …”

  “Frank.” Ellen hated to do it, but she chuckled out his name. “Why are you playing guidance counselor?”

  “You need me to. Any other reasons you want to cry?”

  “Dean …”

  “Ah,” Frank closed his mouth and nodded. “The pregnancy.”

  “Frank!” Ellen yelled. “Quit bringing it up.”

  “It’s true.”

  “I know!”

  “So it makes you want to cry.”

  “No!” Ellen shouted.

  “It makes me want to cry.”

  “What!”

  Frank shuddered. “The thought of Dean and Margaret conceiving …”

  “Thank you for that.”

  “You know what? This is so great.” Frank smiled. “Purely speaking from a selfish stand point …” He inched to her. “Do you know how good I look? I have never been with anyone else. You know, I should be your hero.”

  Slowly, Ellen shook her head. “Stop it. You know you are.” She folded her arms and turned her back to him.

  Frank grinned.

  “So Counselor Slagel, since you pulling out of me the reasons I want to cry, are you gonna give me solutions too?”

  “I can try. I’m Frank. I have the answers. I’m a vat.” He walked up to her from behind and wrapped his arms around her. His chin rested on the top of her head. “Dean’s not worth it.”

  “But …”

  “Not the pregnancy thing. It’s the hiding things and taking control of your patient.”

  “You’re reading my mind.”

  “Can’t help it,” Frank continued. “He over stepped his boundaries. He moved things forward without your consent.”

  “He delivered a death sentence to Elliott.”

  “Key word, El. He. He. Dean did, not you. You’re Elliott’s doctor.”

  “But I haven’t …”

  “You’ll have that. So, you’ll look at the tests. You’ll sit down, examine the newest results, and make your own decision.”

  “You’re reading my mind again.”

  “Sorry,” Frank said, “but you will.”

  “And what …”

  “Does that still mean a death sentence?”

  “Frank, quit reading my mind,” Ellen said. “But you’re right. Even if I see in the results that Dean has a basis for his cold and callous diagnosis, that doesn’t mean it’s a death sentence.”

  “I remember that Elliott was given a death sentence before and that he should have been beat by this. Why didn’t he?”

  “The treatments.”

  Frank shrugged. “I don’t know about that. Wasn’t he pretty far advanced when you diagnosed him? That came before any Dean’s high tech treatments, right.”

  “You’re right but Elliott didn’t know he was sick.”

  “Let me tell you something, El. The mind is a very strong tool.”

  “Yeah, it is but he knows so now it’s in his mind. If Dean’s treatments won’t work, I'm afraid I don’t have the knowledge to invent another treatment.”

  “Yes, you do.”

  Ellen laughed. “Right. Medical …”

  “Who says it has to be a medical treatment?”

  Ellen’s whole body paused. “Psychological? Are you saying to convince him …”

  “Mind over matter, El.”

  “How?” she asked.

  “You know what?” Frank kissed the top of her head. “You’re a brilliant woman. You’ll figure it out. I have faith in you but first things first, right. Before you go that route, what do you have to do?”

  “Go over the newest results.”

  “Then?”

  “Then undo Dean’s damage to Elliott, no matter what those results.”

  “You got it.” Frank held her tighter. “Still feel like crying?”

  “No, I feel like fighting, fighting to make Elliot well and to make Dean see he’s not always right.”

  “That’s my girl.”

  “I also feel like staying here, like this, for just a bit more.”

  “That is not a problem.”

  Inhaling, Ellen pulled Frank’s arms even more strongly around her. “You were right. You did have the answers. You made me feel so much better. Only you can do that, you know.”

  “You know why?”

  Ellen chuckled. “You’re … you’re Frank.”

  After an airy laugh, Frank brought this voice to her ear, kissed her then whispered, “I am.”

  ****

  Joe held the tattoo wand in his hand. “Admittedly, I haven’t a clue about these.”

  Robbie reached and took it as he stood before Joe’s desk. “I got a short lesson. It works like a pen.”

  “How many did he throw out?” Joe asked.

  “Bentley can’t recall.” After seeing Hal reach for the tool, Robbie handed it to him and continued. “He said Danny brought a ton of them. We are right in our thinking that we could conceivably compare handwriting. But …” Robbie shrugged. “We’ll have to compare tattoo to tattoo.”

  Joe grumbled. “Meaning tattoo writing will be different. So in order to get a good handwriting match up, we have to have people to get tattooed.”

  Frank raised his hand. “I’ll do it.”

  Joe glanced up. “You’re gonna get ‘Sweet Cheeks’ tattooed on you?”

  Robbie interjected, “Or something that uses the exact same letters.”

  Frank nodded. “I’ll come up with something. Mix the letters up and spell something else.”

  “What the hell are you gonna spell with those letters, Frank?” Joe barked.

  Frank pointed to his temple. “I’ll figure out something.”

  Hal had to question. “Robbie, did Bentley say how long it would take to write those two words on someone?”

  “Yeah,” Robbie answered. “Bentley said an experienced tattoo artist would take about thirty minutes. Someone who didn’t know what they were doing could take up to an hour. It’s more complex than a magic marker.”

  Joe nodded. “So either way, we’re looking at a good time frame. Hap was out which tells me that the possibility of him being conked is slim.”

  Hal added, “He would have woken up if he wasn’t under a drug.”

  “Frank?” Joe asked. “That’s your front.”

  Frank answered, “Dean said that they didn’t test for a chloroform type of drug because to the best of his knowledge, they don’t have one.”

  Quickly, Joe looked at Robbie when he heard the mumbling Robbie did when he sat down. “What was that?”

  Frank gasped. “Oh, you think?”

  Robbie bobbed his head. “It’s a possibility.”

  Joe disagreed. “Nah, Robbie, if I heard what I think I heard, no.”

  Robbie titled his head. “Just a thought.”

  Frank winked. “A good one.”

  “Hello!’ Hal called out. “I’m here. What are we talking about?”

  Robbie responded. “When Frank said Dean didn’t know of a chloroform type drug, I just said, unless Dean is the culprit.”

  “Dean?” Hal chuckled. “Dean the mutilator. Good Lord, what is his motive?”

  Robbie answered, “Science.”

  Hal rolled his eyes. “Mutilate people in the name of science, I don’t buy it.”

  “Boredom?” Frank guessed.

  “Yeah, Frank,” Hal said sarcastically, “Our brilliant scientist is bored and goes out and mutilates people. I firmly believe he has plenty to keep him occupied without seeking something.”

  Joe held up a halting hand. “Let’s move back to Dean as a scientist. Frank, is he able to run tests on the blood?”

  “He said he tested the blood for everything that Beginnings has drug wise,” Frank answered. “But …” He nodded with a wink, reached into his chest pocket and pulled out a h
andkerchief. Obviously, the cloth contained something and Frank laid it on his father’s desk.

  Joe looked at it then back up to Frank. “What’s this?”

  “Swabs.”

  “Swabs?” Joe asked.

  “Swabs.” Frank opened the handkerchief and exposed two swabs. “You said if Dean couldn’t run tests on the blood for an inhalant to get a nasal swab. Dean agreed with that.”

  “Chancing a migraine,” Joe said, “why do you have the swabs?”

  “Because you said to get a nasal swab. I got a nasal swab from Hap.”

  Robbie laughed.

  Hal groaned.

  Joe choked. “Frank.” Joe remained calm. “Shouldn’t Dean have these swabs?”

  “He will when I give them to him.”

  “Who took the nasal swab, Frank?” Joe asked.

  “Me.”

  “Oh my God.” Joe held up his hand. “You stuck a swab up an eighty year old man’s nostril.”

  “Yeah and it wasn’t easy either. I had to hold him down and as you can see, he squirmed.” Frank pointed down. ‘There’s some blood on the swab. I don’t think I hit his brain. Andrea’s checking it out.”

  “Frank!” Joe snapped. “Why in the world wouldn’t you get a medical professional to get the culture?”

  “Excuse me?” Frank asked.

  “Culture. Culture. Swab.”

  Frank blinked.

  “Frank!” Joe yelled. “Why were you the one to stick the swab up Hap’s nose?”

  “You said,” Frank came back.

  “I did not.”

  “Ya-ha, Dad, you said,” Frank argued.

  Hal interjected, “Father, in Frank’s defense, which rarely happens from me, you did say for him to get the nasal swab.”

  “Oh my God.” Joe covered his face with his hand. “All right. All right.” He wrapped up the swabs. “Take these to Dean and …” Joe paused. “On second thought, give these to Ellen to test for a foreign substance.”

  “Got it.” Frank took them back and placed them in his pocket.

  Hal spoke up, “With the implication of Dean being the mutilator …” He paused to snicker. “May I just give my opinion? I have a theory on who I think is doing this, or rather some of us can say, ‘what’ is doing this.”

  Frank’s eyes widened. “Hal, oh my God, I think we’re thinking on the same level.”

  “Dear God, don’t tell me that. Are you reading my mind?”

  “No,” Frank shook his head. “You said ‘what’.”

  Hal nodded. “What.”

  Robbie’s whispered out, “ah, yeah, a ‘what’.”

  Joe tossed up his hands. “Can I have a clue?”

  Hal spoke, “Think about this. Frank said he spotted the culprit wearing all black but let’s look at the crimes. These aren’t killing crimes. They are mutilations and not even dangerous mutilations. They are scarings and markings as if the person that is doing this has a grudge against the victims.”

  Frank snapped his fingers. “It’s not a grudge in them doing something wrong but a grudge in them having looks.”

  Hal smiled. “Exactly, we are on the same wavelength. This individual may be angry because he has no hair therefore he strikes out against Josephine as a symbolization.”

  “No normal fingernails …” Frank said. “Forrest is the symbol for all nails.”

  “Normal skin is missing,” Hal said, “so why not mark Hap’s skin?”

  Robbie interjected, “Which would mean teeth could be a next thing followed by eyes and nose.”

  Joe nodded. “I see where you boys are going with this. I see the motive but what is the means? Come on.”

  Hal offered his suggestion, “He can maneuver in the dark very well.”

  “Oh!” Frank commented loudly. “That’s right. Thanks Hal for helping to confirm my suspicion,”

  Hal grinned arrogantly, “Not a problem, Frank. The only problem I have with this whole theory is the act of violence. I can’t see the individual committing this act of violence.”

  Frank fluttered his lips. “Oh, I can, based purely on history.”

  Hal was shocked. “History?”

  Joe had to ask. “Frank, when has Christopher Columbus ever had a history of violence?”

  “Which one?” Frank asked.

  “Which one what?” Joe retorted.

  “Which Christopher Columbus?”

  “Which one do you think?”

  “I wouldn’t ask if I knew,” Frank said. “Is it our Chris with no skin or the history Christopher …”

  “Frank …” Joe tried to stop him.

  “Because our Christopher may have tendencies …”

  “Frank.”

  “But we don’t know. However, I think Christopher …”

  “Frank!”

  Frank continued, “Columbus the Explorer sucker punched the queen but I’m not sure.”

  “Frank!” Joe yelled the loudest. “Why in the world would we even consider Christopher Columbus the Explorer a suspect in this case? He’s dead! In fact, he died hundreds of years ago.”

  “We have a time machine,” Frank said.

  Joe was lost. “Why would he even be an option?”

  Frank laughed. “Why is skinless Chris an option?”

  Sarcastically Joe sneered, “Uh, maybe because you and Hal rattled off a list of reasons.”

  “No we didn’t,” Frank said. “I was talking about the killer babies. Wait. Toddlers. That’s right. They grew.” He folded his arms.

  Silence.

  Joe lifted a finger to Hal then glared at Robbie to get him to stop laughing. “Frank.” Joe spoke calmly. “Why … why would you think the killer babies …”

  “Toddlers.”

  “I stand corrected. Why could you think they did this?”

  “We just said,” Frank explained. “A grudge. They have no hair.”

  “Frank!”

  “What!”

  “The killer babies …”

  “Toddlers! Frank screamed.

  “I don’t give a rat’s ass if they’re teenagers!” Joe screamed.

  “We’d have problems,” Frank muttered. “They could…”

  “Asshole!” Joe shut him up. “Before I have an aneurism, before I reach across this desk and hit you, I will say this one more time. There is no way, no how, the killer toddlers came in here and pulled off Forrest’s toenails, shaved Josephine’s eyebrows, and wrote … wrote mind you, ‘Sweet Cheeks’ with a tattoo rod on Hap’s chest.”

  Frank tilted his head “It could happen.”

  “It could not!” Joe yelled. “Explain to me how you can even think this.”

  “Fine, but you explain to me. If it isn’t a killer toddler then who else, aside from myself, can run fifty-five miles an hour. Huh? Huh? Answer me that.”

  “What are you talking about?” Joe asked aggravated.

  “I was there,” Frank defended. “I saw. I tried to chase this person. They’re small and nimble and slip through the trees easier than me. So they ran and not only did they zip by me at an incredible speed, I chased them for half an hour and still couldn’t catch them.”

  Robbie, Hal, and Joe looked at Frank shocked.

  Joe was puzzled, “What? They ran faster than you.”

  “Now, keep in mind,” Frank said “I couldn’t get top speed. I can’t dart through the trees and woods that fast but I still probably was going about forty miles an hour.”

  A response of some sort was in order whether it be a question or statement. However, neither Joe, Hal, nor Robbie could say anything. They were too stunned in the aftermath of Frank’s revelation.

  ***

  “So this is how my father lays down the law,” Jimmy said as he stood with Jenny and looked at the ‘Joe Board’.

  “Sometimes.” Jenny shrugged. “Sometimes he has meetings. It depends what all is going on. Since he’s involved in the mutilator case, I suppose this is minor.”

  “How did you know he posted this?” J
immy pointed to Joe’s note.

  “Oh, the amount of people pausing at the board told me something new was posted. The board is very ingenious.”

  “It’s kind of strange.” Jimmy scratched his head. “So you think there’ll be problems with Jess coming back.”

  “I don’t know. I hope not.”

  “Me too. Jess is a great guy. He’s not a spy.”

  “He’s so fortunate to have a friend like you,” Jenny told him.

  “I’m fortunate to have you hanging around me so much. I’m not boring you, am I?”

  Jenny chuckled. “Heavens no. It’s hectic now and until they find a place for you to work, I’m happy to be the one showing you around. Besides,” she sighed, “today I need the company.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “It’s Valentine’s day, Jimmy. John is with Jason, hoping to save the world from this meteor.”

  “Do you and John usually do something special?”

  “Not really. We usually just go to the Hall but this is the first Valentine’s Day that we have Bowman and all its amenities,” Jenny said. “I was hoping to do something. I suppose preparing for a large rock hurtling to Earth takes precedence.” Again she sighed. “Did you pick a number for tonight’s chance at the Dating Game?”

  “Yeah.” Jimmy reached into his pants pocket and pulled out the ball. “But the chances of me winning are slim.”

  “You never know.”

  “I like a sure thing.” He winked. “Say, uh, Jenny. I know I’m not John and probably a poor substitute at best but what do you think about me giving up my chance at the Dating Game and you and I spend tonight together, buddy to buddy.”

  “Why Jimmy Slagel …” Jenny smiled. “Are you asking me out on a friendship date?”

  “I’d be honored if you’d say yes.”

  “Then I am honored to accept.”

  Jimmy extended his arm and Jenny latched on. “Where to now, my lady?

  Jenny only giggled in a school girl fashion.

  Joe paused with Frank as they passed the park. “Stop it, Frank.”

  “Oh, my God. What is he doing?”

  “He’s being friendly.”

  “Oh my God.”

  “Oh my God, my ass. Let’s go into the clinic. Hal and Robbie are waiting.”

  “Am I the only one who thinks this is odd?” Frank opened the door for Joe. “Jimmy is talking to Jenny.”