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Authors: Robert Stanek
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anything, ever. I promise.”
“Him?”
She glared. “Either way, you’re here about WIH-2. Either way, I have nothing to say. Leave, please leave.”
“You’re worried about May and Jessica, aren’t you?”
“Just get out of here.” She broke into tears. “Tell him I wouldn’t talk.”
“I’m not leaving until I get what I came for.”
There was sudden terror in her eyes. Her whole body started to tremble. She slapped her hands onto the desk. “I can’t take
it. Take my thumbs if you’re going to. I don’t want to conduct anymore. I can’t hear the music, only the pain. Take them,
tell him I didn’t talk.”
Scott wasn’t sure if he should leave, embrace her, or just stand there. He put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m not here to hurt
you, Helen. I’m not working for anyone that’s going to hurt you. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
She buried her face in his chest and continued sobbing. He embraced her awkwardly. She started kissing his cheek, pushed his
hands to her breasts, then whispered in his ear, “Make me feel. I need to feel.”
He put her at arm’s length and gripped her elbows. “That’s not what you need.”
She started crying again.
“I saw a Hilton on the way into town. I’ll check in. When you’re ready to talk, call.”
“Don’t leave. I don’t care who you’re working for, don’t leave me here alone.” She sucked at the air nervously. “Where’s May?
If May was here everything would be all right.”
Scott led Helen to the couch. He sat in an adjacent chair. “If you want me to stay, I need some answers. For starters, why
did Jessica go to Miami and what did she bring back with her?”
“Jessica didn’t come back from Miami.”
Scott stood and started for the door. “When you’re ready to tell the truth, call me.”
“But that’s the truth.”
“And I suppose the wig and the attaché case in the other room are yours?”
“Wig?”
Scott opened the door. “The truth, when you’re ready, call.”
He walked out and closed the door behind him. He waited by the curb, pretending to fumble through his pockets for car keys.
Eventually the door opened and Helen emerged. She held the wig in her hand.
“Jessica never wore this,” she said, “but I don’t suppose you’d understand why.”
“Try me.”
“Jessica’s blonde.”
Scott shot back, “Strawberry blonde since the day she was born, I know.”
“Then what is this stuck to the hair tape?”
Scott spun around. “Black hair in the wig? That still doesn’t mean…” Scott’s voice trailed off. “You’ve never seen the case
before?”
“Never.”
Scott walked with Helen back into the reception area of J. Wellmen & Associates. “Tell me everything, everything you know.”
Helen’s voice trembled as she said, “Jessica’s alive, I know it.”
Scott repeated, “Tell me everything.”
Chapter 6
Miami, Florida Monday, 3 January
Traffic on the Julia Tuttle Causeway was moderate, which wasn’t surprising since it was almost 8 p.m. Still, Miami on a Monday
night could hardly be called sleepy. East across Biscayne Bay lay Miami Beach and its five-star hotels, the type Jessica Wellmen
preferred. “Life in the exclusive lane is where Jessica believes she belongs,” Helen explained. Scott pretended to understand,
but there was nothing in a five-star hotel that you couldn’t find elsewhere for half the price.
Scott and Helen had danced in circles for hours, him digging for the truth, and her evading it. “Who is he and why are you
so afraid of him?” he asked.
“A client,” she answered.
“A client that threatened to cut off your thumbs?”
“Not the first time.”
“All right, when was the first time you saw him?”
“Almost a year ago now.”
“What is WIH-2?”
“Has to do with some gizmo Jessica made a test port for.”
“A test port?”
“A box that checks a prototype gizmo.”
“What about the money?”
“What
“Him?”
She glared. “Either way, you’re here about WIH-2. Either way, I have nothing to say. Leave, please leave.”
“You’re worried about May and Jessica, aren’t you?”
“Just get out of here.” She broke into tears. “Tell him I wouldn’t talk.”
“I’m not leaving until I get what I came for.”
There was sudden terror in her eyes. Her whole body started to tremble. She slapped her hands onto the desk. “I can’t take
it. Take my thumbs if you’re going to. I don’t want to conduct anymore. I can’t hear the music, only the pain. Take them,
tell him I didn’t talk.”
Scott wasn’t sure if he should leave, embrace her, or just stand there. He put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m not here to hurt
you, Helen. I’m not working for anyone that’s going to hurt you. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
She buried her face in his chest and continued sobbing. He embraced her awkwardly. She started kissing his cheek, pushed his
hands to her breasts, then whispered in his ear, “Make me feel. I need to feel.”
He put her at arm’s length and gripped her elbows. “That’s not what you need.”
She started crying again.
“I saw a Hilton on the way into town. I’ll check in. When you’re ready to talk, call.”
“Don’t leave. I don’t care who you’re working for, don’t leave me here alone.” She sucked at the air nervously. “Where’s May?
If May was here everything would be all right.”
Scott led Helen to the couch. He sat in an adjacent chair. “If you want me to stay, I need some answers. For starters, why
did Jessica go to Miami and what did she bring back with her?”
“Jessica didn’t come back from Miami.”
Scott stood and started for the door. “When you’re ready to tell the truth, call me.”
“But that’s the truth.”
“And I suppose the wig and the attaché case in the other room are yours?”
“Wig?”
Scott opened the door. “The truth, when you’re ready, call.”
He walked out and closed the door behind him. He waited by the curb, pretending to fumble through his pockets for car keys.
Eventually the door opened and Helen emerged. She held the wig in her hand.
“Jessica never wore this,” she said, “but I don’t suppose you’d understand why.”
“Try me.”
“Jessica’s blonde.”
Scott shot back, “Strawberry blonde since the day she was born, I know.”
“Then what is this stuck to the hair tape?”
Scott spun around. “Black hair in the wig? That still doesn’t mean…” Scott’s voice trailed off. “You’ve never seen the case
before?”
“Never.”
Scott walked with Helen back into the reception area of J. Wellmen & Associates. “Tell me everything, everything you know.”
Helen’s voice trembled as she said, “Jessica’s alive, I know it.”
Scott repeated, “Tell me everything.”
Chapter 6
Miami, Florida Monday, 3 January
Traffic on the Julia Tuttle Causeway was moderate, which wasn’t surprising since it was almost 8 p.m. Still, Miami on a Monday
night could hardly be called sleepy. East across Biscayne Bay lay Miami Beach and its five-star hotels, the type Jessica Wellmen
preferred. “Life in the exclusive lane is where Jessica believes she belongs,” Helen explained. Scott pretended to understand,
but there was nothing in a five-star hotel that you couldn’t find elsewhere for half the price.
Scott and Helen had danced in circles for hours, him digging for the truth, and her evading it. “Who is he and why are you
so afraid of him?” he asked.
“A client,” she answered.
“A client that threatened to cut off your thumbs?”
“Not the first time.”
“All right, when was the first time you saw him?”
“Almost a year ago now.”
“What is WIH-2?”
“Has to do with some gizmo Jessica made a test port for.”
“A test port?”
“A box that checks a prototype gizmo.”
“What about the money?”
“What
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