Dawn of Eve

by MJ Howson

Flo placed the tabby on the floor, grabbed her reading glasses, and pointed at her computer screen. “Do you remember hearing about that cult in the Berkshires?”

  “Cult?”

  “The one back in 2012?”

  Dr. Cole leaned forward so he could get a closer look at the video display. Without his glasses, he struggled to read the screen. The browser showed an article from the Washington Post titled, FBI Raid Ends in Chaos. He shook his head and said, “No.”

  “They called it Camp Ascension. The leader was convinced the Mayan end of days was for real.”

  “Do you mean the Mayan calendar that ended in December 2012?”

  “That’s the one. It ended on December 21st. Anyway, these parents went with their kids. They were all there to prepare for the apocalypse.”

  “The children from the diary were at this camp?”

  “Mm-hmmm.” Flo tapped her fingernail against the screen. “The FBI botched the raid. It made the one in Waco look like a training session.”

  Dr. Cole stood beside his wife and leaned forward as he tried to read the article. He found the tiny font difficult to see. He turned to his wife and asked, “And you’re sure the kids in the diary are the same ones who were at this camp?”

  Flo sighed and clicked on another tab on her browser. The screen showed Amazon’s website and a book titled Ascension to Madness – Inside the Mind of Andreas Engel, written by Jeffrey Bellows. She scrolled down and pointed to the description. She said, “Charles, Suzie, Tina. Weren’t those the names you told me were in the diary?”

  “I . . . I believe so.”

  “Eve is there too. This guy Jeffrey wrote a book about the cult and what happened before and after the FBI raid.”

  “Do you think you can track him down?”

  “I already did.” Flo glanced at her husband and smiled. “He lives right here in the city.”

  “You’re the best.” Dr. Cole kissed his wife on her cheek. He held back tears as he tried to ignore the lies he’d said earlier. “I’d be lost without you.”

  “I know. I tell you that all the time.”

  “Can you get him on the phone? I need to meet with him as soon as possible.”

  “Why? If that woman’s going crazy–”

  “Flo. You know I don’t like that word.”

  “Sorry. How . . . how are all of these things connected? You said you think Dawn’s becoming psychotic. How will talking to this author help?”

  “It’s Dawn’s belief in the doll and what’s in that diary that has me concerned. I need to know what happened at that camp.” Dr. Cole walked back to his office door. He turned and looked at his wife. “Once you arrange a meeting with that author, try Dawn again. I’m going to want to speak with her after talking with him. I need to understand this connection she has with Eve and the other children.”

  “You got it.”

  Dr. Cole returned to his office, closed the door, and sighed. He walked back to his desk and looked at the open folder with all of his notes from Dawn’s sessions. Dr. Cole went to the file cabinet with the Dawn’s cassette tapes and removed them. He placed the recordings beside her folder and collapsed in his chair. Dr. Cole shook his head as he realized he had a lot of research to do before meeting with this author.

  The desk began to hum, and the Trust plaque resonated. Dr. Cole, his mind awash in confusion, opened his top drawer. The red-cased cell phone vibrated with a notification. It was from Taylor via the SAM app.

  Confirming we are still on for this weekend.

  Dr. Cole frowned as he retrieved the phone from his desk. He stared at the message and then looked up at his office door. He could hear Flo on the phone, presumably with Jeffrey Bellows trying to arrange a meeting. Dr. Cole unlocked the phone and opened the SAM app. He immediately went to Taylor’s profile.

  Taylor’s gallery of pictures was still unlocked. Dr. Cole momentarily scrolled through the images. As he did, he thought back to that nerve-racking meeting he’d had with Taylor at the 10th Avenue bleachers. He recalled how shocked he was by how handsome Taylor was, even with that scar. Dr. Cole went to his messages and replied to Taylor.

  Sorry. I can’t.

  Dr. Cole closed the app and picked up the blue-cased smartphone. The lock screen image of him and his wife made him smile. He went back to the old cracked cellphone and pressed on the SAM app until the icons on the screen all began to jiggle. Dr. Cole tapped the “x” in the corner of the app. The system prompted him to confirm the deletion. Dr. Cole glanced at the Trust plaque and permanently removed the SAM app.

  Thirty Six

  Sean

  Jacob stared at the cellphone resting in his palm. He tried to ignore the stares of the train riders sitting around him. Were they staring at his scarred face? His muscular body crammed into his tracksuit? Were they wondering how he could stay warm dressed so thinly? An elderly woman stopped in front of him and stared at the backpack flopped on the seat beside him. He paid her no attention and scrolled through his phone. She soon walked away.

  The notifications seemed endless. Messages from gym clients. Alerts from the SAM app. A text from Lisa at work appeared, asking if he could swap shifts this weekend. Jacob scrolled back to the SAM notifications. The message from Daniel canceling jumped out at him. He flipped the phone face down against his thigh and closed his eyes. Part of him wasn’t surprised. Still, though, it was yet another in an endless list of dead ends.

  The PATH train came to a halt, and Jacob exited to the Grove Street station. With his backpack flung over his shoulder, he began the short walk home. His tracksuit did little to keep the chilly wind from reaching his body. Jacob jogged the final block home to generate a bit of heat. He stepped into the apartment, relieved to find it toasty and warm this evening. He went to his bedroom, passing Sean’s closed bedroom door. Jacob tossed his backpack into the closet beside his duffel bag. He kicked off his running shoes and flung his jacket onto his bed, keeping his jogging pants and tank top on.

  Jacob went to the kitchen and opened the fridge. His stomach growled as he scanned the sparsely stocked shelves–butter, cream cheese, milk. It was nothing but a dairy farm. He decided to check to see if Sean was planning to get takeout.

  Jacob opened Sean’s bedroom door to find his roommate sitting upright against the pillows along the bed’s headboard. The television was off, and Sean had an iPad propped in his lap.

  “It’s a Friday night,” Jacob said as he flopped beside Sean. “Shouldn’t you be playing video games?” He snatched the iPad from Sean’s grip. “What’s this?”

  “Give it back.” Sean tried to wrestle the tablet free. “It’s none of your business.”

  Jacob briefly studied the screen. The website showed a directory of nurses. He looked at Sean and asked, “Is this a work thing?”

  Sean pried the iPad away and said, “It’s for my uncle.” He flipped the tablet’s cover closed and tossed it on his nightstand. “Talk about me being home on a Friday night. It’s becoming a regular thing for you.”

  “Tell me about it. Everything’s falling apart. I just had another new client bail on me.”

  “What about your old lady?”

  Jacob frowned at Sean’s recurring dig against Dawn. He said, “We’re still trying to figure things out.”

  “Did she dump you?”

  “No.”

  “Did you dump her?”

  “No. But I’m close.” Jacob sighed and rubbed his eyes. Sean’s bedroom was drafty. He ran his hands along his arms to try and warm them. “She’s not the same person I met a year ago. All she talks about is wanting a family. And that doll comes first. Constantly. It’s always that fucking doll.” Jacob ran his fingers across his eyes and shook his head. “There are days I think I should just end it, you know? I’ve just invested so much in her. In us.”

  “If you dump her, you’ll have more money for other things. You know, like the rent?”

  “Huh?” Jacob glanced over at Sean beside him. “I thought I paid you for t
his month.”

  “You gave me half.”

  “Is next month okay? I’ve got new gym clients lined up for January. December’s always slow for me. Especially this close to Christmas.”

  “Sure. Gym clients.” Sean chuckled and shook his head.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Nothing.” Sean picked up his iPad, flipped the cover back, and returned to browsing the website from earlier. “Speaking of rent, the lease is up February 1st. I didn’t renew.”

  “What?” Jacob sat there stunned. “That’s less than a month and a half away. When the hell were you going to tell me?”

  “I just did.”

  “What the fuck, Sean?”

  “Relax. I negotiated an extra one-month extension. We’ve got until the end of February before we have to leave.”

  “Oh. Okay.” Jacob shook his head, somewhat relieved to hear about the extra month but still rather shocked about the lease ending. “So, where should we move to? Is there something else close by you were thinking of?”

  “We?” Sean laughed and closed his iPad cover. “I’m moving into the city so I can take care of my uncle.”

  “Your uncle?” Jacob stared at Sean in confusion. “Why?”

  “Jesus, Jacob. Could you even pretend to care about my problems?”

  “What?”

  “You really don’t remember, do you?”

  Jacob leaned back and rested his head against the wall, allowing the frame of the headboard to rub against his neck. He closed his eyes and tried to recall what Sean had told him about his uncle. All Jacob could think about was his weekend client schedule and what to do about Dawn.

  “He can’t take care of himself anymore,” Sean said. He waved his iPad briefly. “I’m trying to find a live-in nurse to take care of him.”

  “But you’re a nurse. Can’t you do it?”

  “I’d rather have someone trained to deal with his Alzheimer’s. Someone not emotionally attached like me.”

  “Oh.” Jacob frowned, still confused. “Then why are you moving into the city?”

  “I’m moving into his place. I want to be there for him. I can help the live-in nurse and coordinate his care. He signed over his healthcare control to me.”

  “Oh.” Jacob turned to face Sean. He felt overwhelmed by the information he was hearing. “So you and a nurse are going to move into your uncle’s place?”

  “Yup. I’m still going to have my job at Mt. Sinai. The nurse will be there for him full time. And he wants me there. They say it’s good to have a close family member around. It helps them to deal with the memory loss.”

  “Shouldn’t he just go into some sort of assisted living place?”

  “I tried to talk him into that, but he refused. He wants to be in his own apartment. Besides, having his things and belongings around him will help, too.”

  “I guess that makes sense.” Jacob forced a supportive smile to form as he pieced things together. “So, um, will you be paying for the nurse? That sounds expensive.”

  “No. My uncle will.” Sean, visibly taken aback, frowned and asked, “What kind of question is that? And why do you care?”

  “I’m just trying to understand.” Jacob felt both confused and angry. “You just chewed me out for not remembering about your uncle. Now you’re mad that I’m asking questions?”

  “Sorry.” Sean crossed his legs and grabbed a Star Wars throw blanket from the end of his bed. He wrapped it around his shoulders and lowered his head. “My uncle isn’t hurting for cash.” Sean sighed, refusing to look at Jacob. “I don’t really like to talk about it but, he . . . um . . . he . . . founded Stone Investments.” He finally turned and looked at Jacob. “Have you heard of them?”

  Jacob stared at Sean, half-buried beneath his dorky blanket. Having run in many high-end circles and chatted with elite patrons at the bar, Jacob was very familiar with that company. Stone Investments was a boutique investment firm that catered to the ultra-wealthy. To even be considered for representation, clients had to fall into the top one percent earners worldwide. And even then, Stone Investments would be picky.

  “You’re related to that Stone?” Jacob asked.

  Sean nodded silently.

  “You’re telling me little geeky Sean Stone sitting beside me wrapped up in this dumb blanket is connected to Stone Investments?” Jacob was stunned. His astonishment quickly switched to curiosity. “Is your dad a co-founder?”

  “No. It’s my uncle’s company.”

  Jacob looked at Sean in amazement. How on earth could this meek nurse be related to one of the wealthiest men in the world? It’s always the quiet ones, Jacob said to himself. He leaned closer to Sean and asked, “How big is his apartment?”

  “Why?” Sean asked, his voice tinted with distrust.

  “Won’t it get crowded with the three of you in there? You said the nurse will live there too, right?”

  “It won’t be crowded.” Sean’s eyes glazed over as he scratched his head. “I think it’s got at least five bedrooms. Maybe six. I can’t remember.”

  “Wow.” Jacob’s mind riffled through the buildings in Manhattan that had apartments that large. “Where does he live?”

  “432 Park Avenue.”

  It took a lot to impress Jacob. Although he’d never been inside 432 Park Avenue, he was well aware of its reputation. The square ninety-six-story tower included multiple full-floor penthouse suites. Jacob assumed Sean’s uncle’s place had to be in one of those eight-figure residences. He suppressed his state of shock and let Sean continue.

  “It’s hard to take in,” Sean said. “My mind’s kind of all over the place.” Sean let his blanket slide from his shoulders. He leaned back against the pillows and sighed. “Part of me is looking forward to being there with him, you know? He doesn’t have anyone else. I . . . I just worry what it’s going to be like, watching his memories slowly disappear. I mean, it’s already started. It’s just going to continue to get worse.”

  Jacob stared at the television on the bureau across from the bed. All he could wonder was why Sean owned such a small TV. His uncle had to be in the top one percent of the one percent earners. Why hadn’t Sean asked him for a giant high-end TV? Why has Sean been living in such simplicity all of this time? And why did Sean need Jacob as a roommate if his uncle could have bought him an entire apartment building?

  “When, uh, when will you move?” Jacob asked.

  “I’m going to move a few things over this weekend, so I can be with him for Christmas. But don’t worry. Like I said, I extended the lease until the end of February. I’ll probably go back and forth between the two places and move the rest little by little.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  “Will you stay here in Jersey?”

  “What?”

  “For your next apartment.”

  “Oh. Uh, I . . . I really don’t know. I’m still just taking this all in.”

  “You’ve got a couple of months to figure it out.” Sean leaned forward and went back to his iPad. “I’m sure a guy like you has lots of connections.”

  “Yeah.” Jacob slowly pulled the blanket from Sean and draped part of it over his cold shoulder. “Hey, Sean, if your uncle’s place is as big as you say it is, do you think that maybe, well, there’d be room for me?”

  “What?” Sean yanked the blanket back. “No. Why would you ask that?”

  “Well, we’ve been good roommates.”

  “Good roommates?” Sean shook his head and rolled his eyes. “You’re always late with the rent, and I have to do everything around here.”

  “Like I said, it’s perfect.” Jacob tossed his head back and laughed.

  Sean curled up in a ball beneath his blanket and looked away, obviously not the least bit amused.

  “Hey, I was only joking,” Jacob said.

  “My uncle’s got Alzheimer’s, Jacob. There’s nothing to laugh about.”

  Jacob slid against Sean and put his arm around him. He could feel Sean try to wi
ggle away, but he pulled him closer. Sean resisted for a bit but eventually relaxed and allowed himself to fall against Jacob.

  “I didn’t mean to upset you,” Jacob said. He gave Sean a gentle kiss on his head. “You’ve really been the best roommate I’ve ever had. I mean that.”

  “Thanks.”

  “I still don’t know why some guy hasn’t scooped you up yet. You’re a total catch.”

  Jacob waited for some type of response from Sean, hoping the compliment would help smooth things over. Sean kept his face buried in his iPad as he studied the list of nurses.

  “I’ll figure something out,” Jacob said. “Don’t worry about me. I always land on my feet.”

  “I know you do.”

  Jacob ran his fingers through Sean’s hair before sliding away to the edge of the bed. He stood up and stretched his arms above his head. This afternoon’s gym workout had been a brutal one. He groaned as he twisted his body.

  “Did you feel like maybe grabbing a pizza?” Sean asked as he looked up from his tablet. “We could watch a movie.”

  “Not tonight. I need to go find a new place to live.”

  Jacob left Sean’s room and closed the door behind him. He went to his bedroom and grabbed his phone. His mind raced as he tried to think of who to call. Sean had just given him two months to find a new place to live. Part of him wanted to punch the wall. Instead, Jacob sat down on his bed and unlocked his phone. He sent a text to Dawn.

  Hey, up for dinner?

  The thought of moving in the middle of winter made Jacob sick. He didn’t care about the furniture. Everything in the living room and kitchen belonged to Sean. Jacob coveted his clothing, posters, and jewelry. The furniture in his bedroom could be trashed. Jacob had no desire to get a place of his own. That would be too much responsibility and too expensive. He had to keep all of his options open, including the less desirable ones. Dawn replied back.

  Sorry, not hungry.

  “Not hungry?” Jacob said aloud. “What kind of answer is that?”

  I’d really like to see you tonight.

  Dawn’s reply was quick and to the point.