To Bo and
Roman’s surprise; Clarice insisted on starting work on solving the case. ‘Come
on... you just got here.’ Roman protested.
‘I’ve nothing
else to do right now; technically I’m on leave. Besides, the sooner we catch
this guy; the quicker your family can breathe easy.’ Clarice said briskly.
Turning to Caroline, she smiled. ‘Thanks for the hospitality, Mrs. Brady. I
haven’t eaten this much in weeks.’
‘The
pleasure’s all mine... Clarice.’ Caroline smiled back but inwardly distressed. So
was Sami, and Brady who now recognised
Clarice as the woman he’d seen with his mother in an old photo; Bo had taken
him aside to explain after he voiced his observation.
‘Please come
again, you’ re always welcome here, alright?’
‘I’ll bear
that in mind. And it was nice meeting you all.’ She nodded at Hope and gathered
Ciara in her arms.
‘I drew a
picture for you but I forgot it at home.’ Ciara said apologetically.
‘Oh that’s
alright love... I’ll stop by later for it, promise.’ Clarice kissed her again,
stroking her hair. Hope couldn't help but smile at the way Ciara had taken to
her so soon. Bo on the other hand was
struggling to quell the feeling of tenderness within him as he watched Ciara
touch Clarice’s face, grinning at her. Again, it was like seeing her with Shawn
Douglas. When they were a family and so happy on the boat... Carly tending to
both of them and spreading love...
Focus
Bo! His head sternly reminded him. That was a long time ago!
Clarice met
his eyes for a second as though aware of his thoughts but then turned away,
going red again. It was a long time since he saw a woman blush and it was oddly
touching. Forcing his eyes away from
her, he turned to Hope instead. ‘Are you coming back to the station with us or
heading home?’
‘I’m going
over to see Justin, to make the necessary arrangements then I’m heading over to
Uncle Mickey’s.’
Clarice saw
the way Bo’s face tightened but he said nothing; instead he stroked Ciara’s
hair. ‘See you later, little one. Clarice, Ro... Let’s go.’
Abe was at his
desk when they arrived back at the station; talking to Dean. He rose on seeing
Clarice with Bo and Roman.
‘Abe...
Clarice here is going to help wrap up this case. Hello Dean.’
‘Sir.’ Dean
inclined his head respectfully before looking at Clarice in a way Bo didn't
like at all, like he was mentally stripping her naked.
‘She is?’ Abe
asked, astonished. Bo and Roman realised they’d neglected to tell Abe about Carly’s
new line of work and the problem they needed to solve.
‘Dean, will
you excuse us please?’
‘Sure sir.’
Giving Clarice another glance Dean left, closing the door behind him.
‘Will you mind
telling me what this is about?’
‘I can explain
Mayor Carver...’
‘Abe.’
‘Alright, Abe.
I offered to help Salem P.D with the case; I know ISA don't normally handle
this sort but since I’ve nothing to do in the meantime...’ she spread her
hands. ‘If you don't mind, that is.’
Bo and Roman
saw the look of sheer amazement on Abe’s face and pitied him; they were still
trying to accept this new Carly. Roman cleared his throat. ‘Clarice wants to
profile the third kidnapper, give us an idea who he could be and there’s a very
strong possibility he’s no stranger to us.’
‘Are you
serious? What made you arrive at that conclusion?’
‘Ciara told me
they blocked her ears with music, obviously this third person didn't want Ciara
to recognise his voice. And since he’s still out there, we have to move fast
before he tries to abduct Ciara again right under our noses.’ She turned to Bo.
‘Can I see the case file, please?’
‘It’s on my
desk. Go on.’
‘Excuse me.’
Clarice saw
Dean at the water dispenser, lighting a cigarette. He nodded at her, smiling.
‘Officer Dean
Hartman, at your service. Are you a transfer, Ms...?’
‘Clarice
Parker and more like a temporary consultant. You’re the officer who found the
hideout. Aren’t you supposed to be resting today?’ she asked, shaking his proffered
hand.
‘Oh, I got
sort of antsy lying in that lonely apartment. And...’ he looked pensive, ‘I
felt so guilty at how I messed things up, I could’ve have gotten Ciara
killed...’
‘Now, now...’
Clarice said briskly, ‘She’s safe and I’m sure Bo doesn't blame you so cheer
up. Still, you need to rest that arm of yours.’
‘It’s really
nothing.’ He rubbed it gingerly. ‘If there’s anything I can do to help you, let
me know.’
‘I appreciate
that, thanks.’ No thanks... she
thought. What he did was reprehensible; it was just divine intervention that led
Ciara to her in the first place otherwise things could have ended tragically
last night. ‘See you later.’ She made her way to Bo’s office.
Dean crushed
the lit cigarette, his smile fading. Damn it! They’ve brought in an ISA agent
and the bitch’s already figured out why Ciara’s ears had been blocked. He had
to get the money and skip town before they caught up on him. He already hated
Clarice Parker as much as he hated Hope Brady; she must have slept her way up
to the position she now held at the ISA- obviously depriving some poor bastard
of it.
But
she’s a lot prettier though... He thought with
some regret. If he wasn't so anxious to leave town he might have asked her out,
give his colleagues and the stuck up Commissioner something to think about.
::::::::::::::::::::
Abe listened
to Bo’s narrative in silence. ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’
‘Join the club
of disbelief.’ Roman said drily.
‘We’re still
waiting for Shane to give us answers, and I for one can’t wait to hear them.’
Bo said.
‘How do you
propose to help her get her memory back? Have her see a psychiatrist?’
‘Let’s first
find out what caused her to lose it before we come up with a solution. In the
meantime, we need a reason to keep her in Salem for a while.’
‘Does Hope
know about this?’
‘No, not yet
at least.’
‘It’s going to
be a sticky situation Bo, you never told Hope about Carly; she’s not going to
be thrilled about this.’
‘Carly has no
memory of me or anyone here, not even Salem itself. You want me to just let her
go and allow her live a lie for the rest of her life? Lord knows what Lawrence
did to her to make her this way in the first place!’ Bo said angrily. ‘And I’m
more than capable of handling my wife; even she can’t think an amnesiac will be
a threat to our marriage.’
‘Calm down
Bo... I wasn't trying to insinuate anything and if I did, I apologise. Of
course Carly needs to get her real life back and I too would like to know what
Shane has to say. So... she can’t remember anything? Nothing at all?’
‘Nothing,
zilch.’ Roman replied. ‘And Frankie’s away so we can’t ask him what happened.’
Abe frowned,
trying to think of possible answers. ‘Lawrence Alamain’s hardly low- profile;
if Carly was involved in a terrible accident that caused her amnesia, it
would’ve been reported in the news a long time ago or Frankie would’ve told you
about it. I just don't understand all this.’
Abe’s words
made Bo’s suspicion about Lawrence being the cause mount several notches
higher.
‘In the
meantime,’ Abe went on, ‘Carly can help with the case if she wants to and if
there’s anything I can do to help to jog her memory; just let me know.’
‘Thanks, Abe.’
Bo said gratefully. ‘But for now, she’s Clarice,
not Carly.’ As he spoke, Officer Davidson poked her head at the door.
‘Sorry to
intrude sir; but you have a video call.’
The three men
hurried to Bo’s office immediately.
Meanwhile,
Clarice was going through the case file thoroughly at Hope’s desk. Kyle Hobbes
had been convicted of sex offences but outside Salem, Bo and Hope never
arrested him for any crime otherwise she would have ruled his motive for
kidnapping Ciara to be revenge. The woman found burnt to a crisp with him had
been his sister, Brenda and she had been a local; working as a waitress in a
bar in the lower part of Salem. Hmmm... I
can start from there, she thought, getting up.
‘Excuse me,
where’s Commissioner Brady?’ she asked a passing uniformed officer on her way
out.
‘He’s in his
office with Commander Brady; but I think they’re in the middle of something
important.’
‘Oh.’
‘Is there
anything I can do for you, Ms. Parker?’
‘I need a car,
preferably unmarked; the Commissioner gave me authority to continue with this
kidnapping case. I’m heading over the other side of town.’
‘No problem
ma’am, I’m sure we can get you one and if you want like one of our officers to
go with you...’
‘That won’t be
necessary, but thanks.’
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bo,
Roman and Abe were clustered round Bo’s computer; listening closely to Shane’s report.
‘It
took a long time tracing Carly’s life before she joined the NYPD but I finally
found it, through some old newspaper and police reports. Some fishermen found
her washed up on the beach in some town in Italy, severely beaten and almost
dead; she was in a coma for weeks. All she had with her was a key, a credit
card and two passports tucked in her stocking. The police found a piece of
paper in one of the passports- name and address of a Mr Emil Standish.’
‘Who
was he?’ asked Bo, already shaking with rage at the mental image of Carly lying
critically injured and helpless in some hospital.
‘A
lawyer. The police tracked him down in New York; apparently he’s an old friend
of her father’s. I called him and he told me the whole story. Carly contacted
him three months after she and Lawrence left Salem- Lawrence had been abusing
her and she’d tried to escape him several times. She decided it was too
dangerous to go back to Salem because he’d threatened to kill you and Shawn
Douglas if she dared. So her other option was to go to New York and live under
a new identity.’
‘Clarice
Parker.’ Roman guessed.
‘That’s
right, and a new identity for Nicky too; she wasn't about to leave him behind. Emil
was to arrange for the necessary papers and passports for both of them and
transfer her share of the money left to her and Frankie under the name Clarice
Parker to various banks in the States. He registered her new name and sent her
the passports and a safety deposit key.’
‘What
was in the safety deposit box?’ asked Abe.
‘Most
of the paperwork she needed, plus the ones she needed to access her accounts-
and a key to an apartment he’d leased on her behalf; everything to start her
new life. They’d arranged to meet her and Nicky at the airport but when she
didn't show, he guessed something went wrong.’
‘Lawrence
somehow found out what she was planning... probably caught her trying to leave
with Nicky and... And attacked her.’ Bo said in a tight voice.
‘Attacked is right Bo; broken bones and a
severe head injury, the doctors weren’t sure she would ever come out of the
coma. Emil stayed with her the whole time and when she woke up she couldn't
tell anyone who she was or what has happened to her, the doctors diagnosed
severe retrograde amnesia. Emil had her go through therapy but it didn't
work; the psychiatrists drove her too hard and she kept having nightmares. So
Emil cancelled the therapy, told her she’d survived a terrible accident
instead. Before you ask, he didn't tell her about Nicky because he was afraid
she would try and get him back and end up dead for good. After she recovered,
Emil took her to New York with him. A year after, she joined the NYPD, was
there for five years before applying to the FBI. The rest you know.’
‘Oh
my God...’ Bo whispered. Carly beaten up and left for dead... why, why did he
let her go? He should’ve tried harder, convinced her to stay and mend their
relationship; instead he had given her up to that monster who wasn't fit to be
around decent women!
‘Thanks
a lot Shane, you have no idea how we appreciate this.’ he said at last.
‘No
problem. What are you going to do about her now? I asked around and she’s been
a valuable asset to the agency.’
‘Maybe
but she needs to remember who she is and get her life back, her real life. Is
there anything else you haven’t told us?’
‘Umm,
yes- Emil contacted Frankie after he brought her to New York but explained it
was best he didn't have contact with her in case Lawrence found out she was
still alive. Frankie wasn't happy about it but he went along with it and had
Emil keep an eye on her the whole time... let him know she was okay and
everything.’
‘But
why didn't he ever tell me about this?’ Bo cried, furiously. ‘The last time he
was here, he didn't say a word... how could he keep it to himself? I had the
right to know what happened to Carly!’
Shane
looked uncomfortable. ‘Well, the thing is... according to Emil; Frankie blames
you for what happened to Carly. He felt if you hadn’t let Lawrence take her
away, she wouldn’t have suffered all that time or be in her present
situation... he was very bitter about it...’
‘That’s
ridiculous!’ Abe exclaimed incredulously. ‘How can Frankie think that about
Bo?’
Bo
pressed his hand against his face. Frankie
was within his rights to blame him because it was true... he had let her go,
without much of a struggle... without making an effort!
‘Frankie
can’t mean it, Bo didn't want to let her go but Lawrence confused her.’ Roman
protested.
‘Just
stop, Roman.’ Bo’s voice was quiet. ‘We can argue about this till we’re blue in
the face. The only thing now is help Clarice become Carly again, I owe her that
much.’ His face was emotional but resolute. ‘And I know just how to keep her
here for a long time.’
:::::::::
‘Can
I help you, ma’am?’ the young bartender behind the counter asked, eyeing
Clarice appreciatively. Clarice held up her still valid FBI badge which served
as her official cover identity and his smile faded somewhat.
‘I’m
Special Agent Clarice Parker, FBI. I’m investigating one the waitresses who
used to work here, Brenda Hobbes.’
‘This
morning paper said she was killed in a fire.’ The young man said warily.
‘Yes.
Brenda was involved in the kidnapping of a little girl and we’re still looking
into it. When she was here, did she have anyone come round her to visit her?’
‘Alan,
that’s the owner of this place, doesn’t like the waitresses having visitors;
they won’t get on with their work, see. But there was a guy who started coming
round here some months ago, would chat with her right here on the sly.’
‘You
ever caught his name?’
‘Kyle.
She told me he was her brother when I teased her about playing the field.’
‘Playing
the field?’
‘Yeah...
she already had a boyfriend... I saw him once when I dropped by her place to
return her mp3 player.’
‘Do
you remember how he looked like... or his name?
‘No...’
he shook his head apologetically. ‘I didn't get a good look at him; I gave her
the player at the door.’
Disappointed,
Clarice nodded. ‘Thanks for your time.’
‘I’m
sorry I couldn't help you more, ma’am. Would you like a drink on the house?’
Clarice
smiled, shaking her head. ‘Not on duty but thank you.’
She
turned to go but then the bartender stopped her. ‘Hang on, Agent Parker. I just
remembered... the guy was a cop.’
‘A
cop?’ Clarice asked in surprise. ‘Are you sure?’
‘He
was in uniform, yeah. He lifted his arm to light a cigarette and I saw Salem
PD’s crest up his sleeve. His Zippo lighter wouldn’t go on; he kept opening and
shutting it... I couldn't stand that damned noise.’
‘Thanks
again.’
Brenda
involved with a police officer... It
proved her theory; the third captor was someone Ciara had seen before... one of
Bo’s men. What will he, Roman and Hope say about this? How will they even begin
to fish the culprit out?
As
she walked to the car, she went over what Ciara had told her... she’d heard
nothing but a clicking sound the whole time. Hang on...
He lifted his arm to
light a cigarette and I saw Salem PD’s crest up his sleeve. His Zippo lighter
wouldn’t go on; he kept opening and shutting it... I couldn't stand that damned
noise...
A lighter? What that
what Ciara heard? Clarice got into the
car, thinking hard, going over it all. A weird clicking sound...
She
stopped cold, gripping the steering wheel.
She’d found him
outside Abe’s door, lighting a cigarette, not with a match but a lighter, and
opening and shutting it rapidly; click, click, click....
He went to the
kidnapper’s hideout without telling Bo... because he had wanted to get there
before his accomplices could finger him... he killed them and set the place on
fire after realising Ciara had escaped.
‘Dean
Hartman!’ she exclaimed, her head spinning in shock. He was the third kidnapper!
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