Consigning Fate: Beginnings Series Book 23

by Jacqueline Druga

John Matoose stood by the door when Robbie arrived at Darrell’s room. “Have you talked to him?” Robbie asked.

  “Not yet, just to see what he wanted to eat,” John said. “He has no idea how long he was out.”

  “And you asked him nothing?”

  “Just about food,” John said.

  “Thanks.” Robbie opened the door, walked inside and pulled a small recorder from his pocket. “Hey, Darrell.”

  “Robbie.” Darrell sat up. “How are you doing?”

  “Me? I’m fine.” Robbie pulled up a chair. “You mind if I talk to you?”

  “Not at all.”

  “You’re a bit more with it.”

  “I don’t remember much of our last conversation.”

  “There wasn’t much.” With a smile Robbie put the recorder on the tray. “I’m investigating. Let’s start with the last thing you remember.” He pressed the record button. “What’s the last thing you recall?”

  “Opening my eyes while they were carrying me, the office was burned. I think. Not sure.”

  “So back up. Let’s go back before that, OK?”

  “Yes.”

  “Take me from … I don’t know from the time you took duty.”

  “I started at six, and waited for Joe to come out of the trailer. He was late. He did some rounds, talked to the normal people, and then hid in his office.”

  “Hid in his office?” Robbie asked.

  “Well, got on the computer and was doing emails. Cursing Frank, you know.”

  Robbie chuckled. “I know. Did he do anything else? Did he leave, did anyone besides Dean come in?”

  “Nope. He got phone calls and stayed …yes.”

  “Yes?”

  Darrell nodded. “Yes, he did leave. I hated when Joe ran out of the office.”

  “Why?” Robbie asked with a snicker.

  “He wasn’t supposed to know I was following him. Sometimes I thought he did. He’d leave the door open an extra second or two. Going into the office with Joe usually was easy. He grabbed whatever notes were on his door, opened the door, stood there reading, then closed the door.”

  “Giving you time to slip inside.”

  “Exactly.”

  “But he left the office. When? Do you know?”

  “It was right after Dean popped his head in the office…”

  “Whoa. Wait. That was the only time Dean was in there.”

  “He wasn’t really in. He popped his head in. Then he came back.”

  “I’m confused.”

  “Ok,” Darrell exhaled. “I was standing in my typical spot. Wedged between the file cabinet and corner…”

  “Goddamn it, Frank,” Joe shook his head, staring at his computer. “You and you’re homemade chain letters. Delete.” Another shake of his head. “What I should do is write my own. Like if you don’t respond to this you’ll run like a normal person.” Joe chuckled, but stopped. “No. He’ll send it back to me.” An exhale. “OK, back to the serious ones.” He looked up to the light knock on the door. “Yeah.”

  The door opened slightly and Dean poked his head in. “It’s time, Joe.”

  “Now?” Joe looked at his watch.

  “Yep.”

  “This needs to be done.” Joe pointed to the computer. “I have the emails.”

  “They’ll get done.”

  Joe nodded, stood up, walked around his desk, and out.

  “Stop.” Robbie said. “My dad was doing emails. Dean said …”

  “It’s time” Joe commented about getting them done. Dean said they’d get done, and Joe walked out with Dean. He shut the door fast.”

  “So you couldn’t follow?”

  “No I was able to peek out the window. I saw them walk around the building. I was just about the slip out when the door opened again.”

  “How long?”

  “I don’t know. A minute. Two. They stood outside for a spell. I could still see Dean’s back. I couldn’t see Joe. But Joe came back.”

  “With Dean.”

  “Nope. Alone. I remember now thinking he got bad news. Like maybe Frank and Ellen weren’t getting married.”

  “Why would you say that?”

  “He looked tired. Worn. Like he had just been hit with bad news. You know.”

  Robbie swished his mouth side by side, thinking. “I guess.”

  “When someone gets bad news, it shows. That’s why I thought that. Joe looked different. Something changed.”

  “So you have no idea what Dean told him or what they discussed.”

  “Nope.”

  “Then what happened?”

  “He sat down at the computer. He typed. Took calls. Then Dean returned. This time he didn’t knock.”

  ‘So you think my father knew he was coming back.”

  “Oh, without a doubt,” Darrell said. “Dean asked how it was going. Joe told him good. He was almost done. Then Dean started to say something.”

  “What did he say?” Robbie asked.

  “I didn’t understand it. He said something to the effect of, ‘We have an agreement. This new arrangement.”

  Robbie nodded.

  “Do you understand that?”

  “In a way. Dean had just received Richie as an unexpected roommate. Then what happened.”

  “Joe told him it was an iffy situation. Dean looked dejected and stood up.”

  “That simple.”

  “Yeah, it was weird. He turned to the door, and then he stepped to the file cabinet before he left. I thought he saw me.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, it looked as if he looked right at me. But I don’t remember anything else.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “That was the last thing I recall. Dean reaching to the file cabinet.”

  “Well, the explosion knocked you out. Usually with being knocked unconscious, you lose the last ten minutes.”

  Darrell nodded.

  “You were next to the cabinet. Was there anything there?”

  “Nope.”

  “Did Dean carry anything in with him?”

  “No. He walked like Dean, hands in his pockets. Nothing in his hand.”

  “And that was it.”

  “Until I opened my eyes outside.”

  Robbie exhaled. “Thanks, Darrell.” He shut off the tape player. “If I have any more questions.”

  “Stop by. And I’ll see if I remember anything else.”

  “Thanks.” Robbie gave a squeeze to Darrell’s arm, and lifted the recorder. He left the room staring at it.

  “Anything?” John asked.

  “Nothing that makes sense.”

  “Pieces aren’t fitting?”

  “Not yet. But I’m not done.” Robbie showed John the recorder, gave a ‘thanks’ smile, and walked on.

  CHAPTER SIX

  “I don’t get it,” Henry said.

  “What?” Danny asked. “Why the power supply keeps going out.”

  “No. I know why. I expect it. I don’t know why we can’t invent a new type of circuit breaker for up here.”

  “We’ll work on it.”

  “Yeah. Pliers.”

  Danny handed him the tool. “So what don’t you get?”

  “My hair.”

  “Actually, Henry you are getting hair.”

  Across the quantum lab, Jason lifted his eyes above his book, snickered, and shook his head.

  Henry looked at him, and then returned to Danny. “I know and I’m grateful it’s growing back.”

  “You’re lucky it didn’t grow back gray.”

  “Could it?” Henry asked.

  “Hell yeah. I had an uncle, same age as you.” Danny crouched down by where Henry worked. “Shaved his head on a bet. Grew back gray.”

  “Fuck.”

  “So be happy.”

  “It’s not growing right.”

  “It’s growing in. Get it cut.”

  “Cut!” Henry barked. “I want hair. Not lose it. But then again, I’m thinking of just shaving
it.”

  “May I?” Jason spoke. “You don’t look well bald. Besides the fact that every time anyone sees you they are gonna see a victim.”

  “That’s true,” Henry said. “Anyhow, Danny, any suggestions?”

  “Just keep conditioning it, combing it, training it. Don’t let it go a moment without attention. Another month Henry it’ll be ready for a shape.”

  “You think?” Henry sighed. “At least there's finally gonna be some justification in this.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Frank said he’s gonna put more pressure on the serial mutilator case.”

  Jason snickered.

  “What, Jason? What?” Henry slammed the tool.

  “First don’t give me attitude in my lab. I am permitted to snicker at anything I please. Second, who cares Henry? Frank has much more important things to worry about than your lost hair.”

  “Easy for you to say. What about Hap and his sweet cheeks tattoo.”

  “He boosts it.” Jason said.

  “OK, how about Forrest and his missing toenails.”

  “They grew back.”

  Henry huffed. “It was a crime Jason. A crime punishable by something.”

  “Then we should have the punishment fit the crime. If they catch the mutilator we’ll tattoo him and have him bald. How’s that?”

  Danny nodded. “Henry, in a way. Jason is right. This is kind of silly. I think the mutilator whoever it was, was just trying to stir up some excitement in Beginnings.”

  “I think the mutilator is Dean,” Henry said. “Funny how the mutilations stopped the moment they started tracking him...”

  Danny nodded. “Maybe the real mutilator wanted it to look like Dean so he stopped when he found out they were tracking Dean. It could be anyone, Henry.”

  “I think it’s a sick scientist,” Henry said. “Experiments. There are no boundaries in place for experiments. It could be Jason.”

  Jason peered up. “Could be. But then again, I think you want it to be Dean.”

  Danny semi nodded. “I think so too, Henry. You really don’t like him.”

  Jason snapped his finger. “Oh, maybe you are the mutilator, Henry. Setting up Dean. Makes sense to me. Really. You scratched Dean the same day Dean was found knocked out. Would make sense to me that you knocked Dean out.”

  Henry rolled his eyes.

  “I’ll make you a deal,” Jason said. “Whoever comes before me as the mutilator? If the evidence is there. I will let you shave their head. OK?”

  Henry grunted. “Fine. I hope it’s Dean.”

  “It’s not, Dean,” Jason said. “Trust me.”

  “I hope it’s Dean.”

  Danny laughed. Jason, he just shook his head and returned to reading.

  <><><><>

  Frank had been trying to track down Ellen. He got a hold of Dean who was starting dinner early. Ellen wanted to finish up to go line dancing.

  But she was in the cryo checking on something and that was where Frank and George journeyed.

  En route, they ran into Lars. Lars was cordial, not overly friendly.

  “Have you seen Ellen?” Lars asked.

  “Actually,” Frank replied. “I’m heading there now.”

  “With George?” Lars asked.

  “Yeah, time to iron things out.”

  “You realize she didn’t attend the meeting. She hasn’t a clue. In fact, she saw him and Dean had her convinced it was a figment of her imagination. Wouldn’t even let me explain.”

  “Fuckin’ Dean.”

  “Hmm. Yes. Just giving you a heads up.”

  “Thanks.” Frank smiled, and with George began to walk on.

  “Maybe we should ease into this,” George suggested.

  “I got it covered. Just walk in behind me.” Frank nodded.

  When they arrived at the cryo lab, the door was ajar and Ellen’s bad choice in country music played loudly. Frank peeked in. She was trying to dance while she held some lifeless animal.

  “El,” he walked in first. “I told you before. Lock this door. You never know who will walk in.”

  Ellen turned, the bunny flopped in her hand and her eyes widened.

  “What?” Frank asked.

  Ellen pointed with the hand that held the dead animal.

  “What, El?”

  “Him.” Ellen pointed.

  Frank looked behind him and then back. “Who?”

  “You don’t see him?” Ellen asked.

  “What are you talking about?”

  After a short peeping scream, the bunny dropped to the ground and Ellen, after blurting ‘Excuse me I have to get to Containment’, ran from the lab.

  Frank laughed and faced George. “Sorry. I had to.”

  <><><><>

  Play. Stop. Play. Stop.

  Robbie felt like Jimmy. He listened to his interview with Darrell at least ten times, but came up with nothing. Nothing clicked. It didn’t make sense.

  What were Dean and his father up to? It was quite possible that the ‘real’ Dean stopped by, and then went to nap. The time frame would match up, possibly. Real Dean stopped by, clone showed up second. This would make sense as to why his father was ready for him.

  Perhaps real Dean said he’d be back.

  Whatever the case, Clone Dean didn’t carry the thermos in the room. Was it already there?

  Fingerprints.

  Robbie had just about finished, unsuccessfully, searching a match of Beginnings prints. He even pulled Johnny’s prints because Johnny was back in the area. No match.

  He had about forty to go.

  It was tedious and took too long.

  “Always the last place you look,” Frank said to Robbie earlier.

  That went through Robbie’s mind.

  The last person. But there were so many ‘last persons’ he’d think would kill Joe, Robbie didn’t know where to start.

  A knock caught his attention.

  “Come in,” Robbie called out.

  Dan from security entered. “Hey, Robbie, what’s going on?”

  “Not much. Just investigating the explosion.”

  “Any luck?”

  Robbie shook his head. “Not with the prints. What’s up?”

  “I’m supposed to work shift tonight, Frank said he’d cover so I could go line dancing.”

  Robbie cocked an eyebrow. “Frank is covering rounds?”

  “Yeah, I got sector thirty.”

  Robbie nodded. “Killer Baby region.”

  “Something about wanting to look for a coyote for Dean anyhow. Plus, I think he misses it.”

  “I bet. Does El know? I know he blew her off for line dancing because of George’s arrival.”

  Dan shrugged. “He’s missing out. But even though Frank claims to be the suave dancer, I can see line dancing not being for him and him looking for a reason to skip.”

  “Ok, I’ll mark it down. Thanks for letting me know.”

  “No problem. You coming?”

  “Tonight?”

  “Yeah,” Dan said.

  “I’ll be there. Not that I’ll dance, but I’ll watch.”

  “Ben from Fabric tightened a bunch of ladies jeans.” He raised his eyebrows a few times. “So the women will be wearing them cowboy tight.”

  Robbie chuckled. “Our women are healthy women Dan. Healthy. You saying they’re squeezing into jeans?”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  “Oh my God.” Robbie laughed. “Should be interesting.”

  “See you there.” Dan turned for the door.

  “Whoa. Dan. Wait.”

  “What’s up?” Dan stopped.

  “If someone were to ask you, who is the last person you’d suspect of killing my father, what person would you say?”

  “Oh my God you don’t think it’s me, do you?”

  “No. No. Besides, your prints cleared.”

  Dan tilted his head.

  “I’m trying to pin point people to check. And you know the age old saying; it’s
always the last place you look.”

  “So ... you’re thinking it might be the last person you suspect.”

  “Just a guess.” Robbie shrugged.

  “Well, the last person I’d suspect is a pretty useless guess.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Why would you check his prints?”

  “Why not.”

  Dan laughed. “Frank.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Frank is the last person I’d suspect.”

  Robbie just stared.

  “So that’s useless, did you check Andrea? She would be my second to last.”

  “No I didn’t … wait. Second to last. What about Me, Hal, Jimmy.”

  “Third, fourth fifth. It’s hard. You guys are all Slagels.”

  “Thanks.”

  “See ya.” Dan walked out.

  Robbie sat in silence in his office, rocking back in his chair.

  ‘Always the last place you look.’

  He stared at the screen and the fingerprint program, ‘enter ID of next match’

  He moved forward to the keyboard, rested his hands in a hover and stopped.

  “Frank is the last person I’d suspect.”

  Robbie heard Dan’s voice. His left index finger prepared to press the ‘F’, and he stopped again. “What am I doing?”

  A first Robbie thought to himself it was an insult to his brother to even run the match. Then he went back to the last person suspected.

  Could Frank? Did he even have a motive? Was Robbie wrong for even considering it? The decision to run the prints was not one he wanted to make on his own, so he picked up the phone and made a call.

  <><><><>

  Jimmy whistled. It was one of those two note whistles. If the whistles were words it would have been, “Go, girl”, or “oh, yeah.” Something to that effect.

  He did it when Jenny walked in to Communications.

  Arms extended she turned around showing her entire outfit. Her dark blue denim jeans were so tight; they could have been painted on her. The outer sides of the jeans had a gold fringe which matched the fringe hanging from the arms of her blouse.

  “Go, cowgirl, go,” Jimmy said with a smile.

  “You like?” She giggled. “I get my hat later.”

  “I so want to go line dancing just to watch you wiggle.”

  She snickered seductively. “I feel sexy.”

  “You are sexy.”

  “Makes me want to mount you like a horse.”