by BJ Wingate
Jessica and Tony drove out to the institute, but Alyson hadn’t been back since the day she had not been allowed to visit her mother. Jessica did go in and asked Mary if she had any idea where Alyson might go if not home, but the woman had no idea. Did she even care about her only daughter? Jessica seriously doubted it. They continued to drive around until almost six pm then Tony took Jessica back to her car at the station and went home himself.
Forty
Alyson Harding sat on a park bench and watched as night fell across the world. She looked up at the stars and sighed. Yesterday she had cleaned her mother's home then gone driving. She had no idea where she had gone. For part of the time at least she wasn’t even aware of time passing. This morning she had awoken behind the wheel of her car still wearing what she had had on the day before. She had had another dream of a man coming at her, her own hand reaching out to slice his throat, blood spurting and covering her. She had awoken on a stifled scream, with tears running down her cheeks.
For the hundredth time, Alyson wondered if she had been the one killing people. Was she capable of it? She had never thought so. Sitting on that bench she cried again quietly, rocking back and forth as a child would. She glanced around at the darkening park. No one was there. Just her. She started to get up and walk to her car but something held her back. She closed her eyes and hung her head.
* * *
Vanessa opened her eyes, swiped her hands over her cheeks, and stood up. She walked to the car, got in, and drove away. At the storage unit, she drove through the front gate, pulled up in front of the unit she rented, and went inside. She sat at the table and stared at her reflection in the mirror. That bartender Joe had been nice. She thought she would like to see him again, maybe when he got off work. Sighing, she shook her head and simply sat there. She didn’t put on a wig or change clothes or anything. Just sat and hung her head. Men. You couldn’t trust them. Not one. Her mother never learned that. But she had by watching it all. She had seen her mother beaten, sworn at, abused and she kept going after the next man and the next. Would she ever learn? Probably not. But Vanessa wasn’t her mother. She would never be her mother or even vaguely like her. Never. She picked up a burner phone that was sitting on the table in front of her, dialed a number she had memorized some time ago, and waited for the woman at the other end to answer.
“Jessica Roberts.” The voice on the other end said.
Vanessa smiled. “Hello, Jessica. I believe you have been looking for me.”
* * *
Half an hour after that phone call, several police cars as well as Jessica and Tony descended on the storage facility. As Jessica approached the unit she had been directed to, it opened, and a woman stood inside. Brown hair was pulled back and up in a ponytail. Light makeup accented her features, but the clothes were still dull and didn’t quite accent the woman within. Vanessa walked out slowly hands up and smiled as Jessica started reading her the Miranda rights and put handcuffs on her.
* * *
Things seemed to explode after that. The media got wind that the Slicer had been captured and was a woman. Women's rights people wanted to make sure she was treated humanely. Men called for her execution. And through it all, Vanessa aka Alyson Harding remained calm. She held the persona for two days as she talked to police and to the psychologist who was assigned to her before Alyson once more emerged.
Alyson woke up in a grey room with a woman sitting across from her. Her hands were cuffed to the table.
The woman tilted her head as she looked at Alyson. “Vanessa? What’s wrong?”
Alyson blinked. “Vanessa? Who is Vanessa? My name is Alyson. Who are you? Where are we? What is going on?” She sounded scared but not angry.
The woman watched Alyson quietly. “Calm down. My name is Ava Tucker. I’m a psychologist for the police force. What do you remember last?”
Alyson blinked. “What do I remember?” She thought for a minute. “I … I was sitting on a park bench as it got dark. I was thinking of going home to try and get some sleep but … I don’t think I did. Then I was here, and you were calling me Vanessa. Who is Vanessa?”
The doctor nodded. “Alyson, I want you to remain calm as I tell you this. You are Vanessa. I was talking to her when you suddenly appeared.”
Alyson looked at her hands and the table in front of her. “Is … Jessica here? That detective? Could I talk to her please?”
The doctor nodded and stood up to leave the room even as the door opened, and Jessica walked in. She had been in the adjacent room listening of course.
“Hello Alyson,” Jessica said softly.
Alyson looked up at Jessica. “Is it true? Did I kill someone?”
Jessica glanced at Ava and the doctor nodded. “I’m afraid so Alyson.”
Tears ran down Alyson’s cheeks quietly. “Did you catch me?”
Jessica shook her head. “Yes and no. You … you called and told me where you were. You gave yourself up.”
Alyson nodded. “What will happen now?”
Jessica sighed. “You will have to stand trial, but we will try to get you some help. Doctor Tucker is the first step for that.?
Alyson nodded. “Thank you. For everything.”
* * *
Alyson/Vanessa stood trial and it was deemed that due to her split personality she had not been totally in control of her actions and therefore would not be given the death penalty. Instead, she was sentenced to an institute for the criminally insane to receive help and hopefully be rehabilitated.
Jessica Roberts and her partner would continue to work together on many other cases.
Hello and thank you for reading my book. I sincerely hope you enjoyed it and that you will check out the other books I have written so far which are listed below.
I hope you leave me a nice review if you truly enjoyed it. I am also looking to build a mailing list and if you wish to be included so you can find out what new and interesting books I write, please send me an email to [email protected] and I will do my best to keep you updated about upcoming books and stories.
Again, thank you for reading this book and I look forward to corresponding with you.
More books by BJ Wingate:
Carnival Chaos.
Rebecca Whitlock is an ordinary woman working in the business field and looking to advance her career when she witnesses a murder. Desperation and fear have her running for her life with no idea where she might end up. A small setback lands her an opportunity to hide out in a carnival where she hopes the bad guys won’t find her, but she can’t hide from the handsome carnival owner. Does she even want to?
Blake Cavanaugh, tall, dark and handsome, inherited Cavanaugh’s Carnival when his father died in a supposed accident. An ex-cop who can practically smell danger, he meets up with Rebecca and senses she is in trouble. She may be calling herself Anna, but he knows in his heart that she is lying. He can tell she is running from someone or something, but who or what he has yet to learn. He must keep her close to protect her, but does he dare? Would he be protecting her only to put himself in danger? Or is it just his heart that he fears to lose.
Second Chance Love.
April Summers’ wedding day was anything but happy. A cheating ex-fiancé has her going on their honeymoon alone. Ready to give up on love, the trip winds up being a turning point in her life. Depressed and unhappy, she meets the inn owner’s ruggedly handsome nephew and sparks begin to fly.
Joshua Long was hurt by his first fiancé a long time ago and has given up on ever finding the right woman for him. At least until he meets April Summers. Suddenly all he can think of is her and he finds himself smiling when he does.
Can their second chance at love work? Or will her vengeful ex-fiancé put an end to their budding romance.
Driving for Love.
Andrea Moore needs a second job to make ends meet. Driving for CarCall, a new pick-up service is perfect for her. It allows her to drive when she wants and where and she makes good money at it. She expected
a few snags like snobbish riders and so on. What she didn't expect was for love to fall into her lap. And after a failed attempt with her ex, she is skeptical. Can this one be the one for her? It's anyone's guess. Robert W. Chaney, entrepreneur, womanizer or so it seems, and a confirmed bachelor. Until he takes a ride and sees hazel eyes in the rear-view mirror of the car. Can he take a chance? Does he even dare?
Hermit’s Rescue.
Sarah McVey is a modern woman working to keep her head above water in the business world. Taking a day, or rather a night, off to rest and just have fun, she runs afoul of some bad people and almost lives to regret it. In the process she meets up with a rather enigmatic man who steps in when he is needed. Mathew Hardecker was an up-and-coming architect who found he couldn’t deal with the world anymore and simply stepped away from it all. His sorrow over a deceased wife leaves him pained and broken. Can two such people come together to make the world better for them both? Or is this another disaster in the making.