Short story

Detective Jack Hanlon didn’t see the man jump off the top of the Carbolide Building, but he was close enough to hear it when it happened. He was taking a day off, officially for “personal reasons.” It usually meant that he’d already anticipated being hung over from one of Sabrina’s parties. Even though he and the hotshot FBI investigator Sabrina Johnson were no longer an item, there weren’t any bad feelings between them, and she always managed to put him on the guest list. But it wasn’t for reasons that were personal that he had requested this day off.

He heard the screams while seated at a table of an outdoor pub in downtown Greenview. He didn’t usually show up within the borders of his precinct on his day off, but he was meeting someone. His ex-wife had just hired a new lawyer to revisit the terms of their separation -- this, after three years of being free from her. He, himself, wanted to scream. He didn’t get the chance to talk to his own lawyer, however.

By the time he had made it through the rushing crowds to the dead body in the street, an ambulance and a patrol car had already arrived. He flashed his badge to get himself through the sea of people and eventually to the body.

“What’s the deal here?” he asked one of the medics, a petite blonde with the face and body of a teenager.

“Looks like he fell,” she said. “Or jumped. Or was pushed. Dead on impact. There’s nothing we could have done.”

“Thanks,” he said, noting her name tag: Fiona Walker. “Fiona? That’s a nice name. Are you new?”

She glared at him. “Two months,” she said. “And I was warned about you, Detective Hanlon.”

“Yeah,” he said with a warm smile. “You should be careful. Too much fun can kill a person.”

“See you later, detective.” Fiona winked back.

You bet you will, he said to himself. He got closer to the body. Jack had a reputation of being a tough cop but honest. He was used to seeing dead bodies but the combination of the sound of the man’s skull cracking and the vision of the man’s head split open on the top would linger in his mind for weeks. “Must’ve landed on the back of his head” he said to himself. He fished through the man’s pockets, careful not to move him around too much. There were some notes in his pants pocket, a key ring with one key, and a half-finished roll of mints.

He looked up to see the building where the man came from but he could not distinguish the top out of the grey smog. Greenview, a suburb of Chicago, had once been named for the beauty of its landscapes and the promise of life without pollution. The metropolitan of Chicago had become over-polluted around the year 2015, when Greenview had received a mass exodus from Chicago’s population and the commercial industries. The original habitants of Greenview, ex-suburbanites of Chicago, tried in vain to stop the overflow. Nowadays, Greenview possessed a permanent ring of smog in its skies and seemed destined to the same fate has its neighbor. Carbolide Industries wasn’t the biggest company or even a particularly interesting company and you couldn’t tell if it had played any part in the pollutants. In fact Hanlon couldn’t quite remember what it was they did, something about industrial solvents or something or other.

“If this is a suicide, then my work is done here,” he said into his cell phone to headquarters. He was a little pissed off, having to call there during his vacation, even if it wasn’t a real vacation.

Something about the dead man bothered him. It bothered him to the point where he knew he should be seeing something definitive. Something as obvious as a knife in this guy’s back or a bullet wound in his head and the lack of a note. Although he did report it as a suicide, he knew deep in his gut that this wasn’t. He felt he was missing something. Something crucial and obvious. But though it might have been crucial, it was anything but obvious.

He took an extendable pen-pointer out of his pocket and lifted up the man’s hand with it. Nothing. He’d have to wait for the autopsy. Then it suddenly hit him when he looked at the blood over the man’s shirt. He thought it was weird that a man would commit suicide while he was so sharply dressed with an expensive designer suit and tie.

He took one last look around him hoping to catch a glimpse of someone suspicious within the crowd that had formed. That’s when he saw Lucinda push her away to the front of the crowd and stepping on a few feet along the way. Jack thought she looked good enough to pick in a bar until she opened her mouth revealing the yellow teeth of a chain smoker. Nevertheless, his senses said she saw something but he hoped she was just a curious onlooker. He couldn’t stand a smoker’s breath especially with his queasy stomach still reeling from last night’s party.

“Officer, officer!” Lucinda yelled at a uniformed officer but the policeman kept staring in shock at the body.

“Can I help you Miss?” Jack lunged forward.

Lucinda blushed at the sight of Jack. She was clearly on the hunt for a relationship, and she would gladly settle for Jack.

“I just wanted to tell you that I saw what happened.” She blurted out with her eyes staring at Jack’s broad shoulders.

“What exactly did you see Ma’am?” Jack said without noticing her stare.

“I saw the man jumping from up there.” She pointed to a spot at least thirty floors above them. But it was a point that couldn’t be seen because of the thickness of the smog..

“Where were you when you saw him?”

“On the 28^th floor of the building across the street.”

“Did you see anybody else around him?”

She hesitated before finally answering, “No... he was completely alone.”

The tone of her voice became lower as Jack continued the interrogation. He started to fake his notes only to underline that he did not believe she had actually seen the man jump.

“Did you know the man?”

“A little bit.” She looked like she was lying.

“Thank you for your time,” Jack said to conclude the interview as quickly as possible. “Officer Stone will take your statement.”

Lucinda looked like she wanted to say more, but had nothing else to say. If no one else was going to come forward, Jack was going to be forced to file it as a suicide.

He decided to pursue the investigation and give it one last chance. He knew Sabrina would probably be still sleeping but if there was anything to know about Carbolide Industries, Sabrina Johnson would be the one to know it. He walked away from the scene trying to escape the heavy noise in the area. It took a few rings until he could hear Sabrina at the other end of the phone line.

“Hi Sabrina, are you enjoying the effects of last night’s party as much as I am?” Jack teased.

“I’m not sure I remember anything about last night.” Sabrina answered in a rough voice.

“Good. Then you won’t remember the part where I kissed you.”

“I wouldn’t forget that. As I recall, you were a great kisser.”

Jack tried to hide his embarrassment through laughter.

“I’m sure you didn’t call just to talk about last night.” Sabrina continued, “It’s just not your style.”

“Aren’t you tired of always being right?” Jack answered, “A man jumped or fell off a building this morning. The Carbolide Industries building. It’s funny how I barely even noticed the company before now.”

“Interesting. You want me to check it out for you?”

“Of course.”

“You know I can’t reveal FBI secrets.”

“I understand that, but I’d just like to know if it’s worth pursuing.”

During his conversation with Sabrina, Jack had lost track of his surroundings. He did not notice a tall brunette woman walking behind him. Her motion copied Jack’s walk as if she hesitated in engaging him. Jack continued to charm Sabrina in an attempt to persuade her to give him the information on Carbolide when he abruptly turned around. Suddenly he became face to face with the tall woman lurking behind him.

“Please Sabrina, look it up for me. I have to go now.” Jack hung up before Sabrina could respond.

“Hi.” The tall woman said nervously.

She looked behind her and Lucinda, the woman Jack had just interviewed was a few steps behind her.

“Can I ask you why you’re following me?” Jack said suspiciously.

“The man that just... fell, I mean, just died... are you going to investigate his death?”

Jack looked at the woman and then Lucinda. “It looks like a suicide Miss.”

“My name is Mary. I was just talking with Lucinda here. I worked with Rudy and I’m not sure about a suicide.”

 “What do you mean?” Jack said.

“I don’t really know what I mean.” Mary said with a hint of frustration.

Jack sensed her reluctance to come forward.

“I know this sounds crazy.” She started, “but contrarily to what everyone is saying, it can’t be a suicide.”

Jack winced since he had heard the “sounds crazy” bit a few times in his cop days in Greenview.

“Did somebody push him?”

“No, it wasn’t like that. There was actually no one around him when it happened.” Mary said.

“How do you know that?” Jack said.

“I work at Carbolide and I was sitting with him in a meeting. I acknowledge he was a bit depressed since he is going through a nasty divorce but I don’t think he was suicidal.”

“What makes you say that?”

“He hated his ex-wife. He felt the remorse of a failed marriage more than the breakup itself since he didn’t love her anymore. It was common knowledge for a long time.”

“Maybe that’s what he showed on the outside.” Jack was not convinced.

“He was dressed nice; he had shaved and he didn’t smell like alcohol or looked like he had taken drugs. My guess is the thought of suicide crossed his mind for maybe a second. Then he started to act weird.”

“What do you mean?” Jack asked even though the suit had given him second thoughts about filing it as a jump.

“He got up and left the room without saying a word. I asked him where he was going but he never answered. It’s as if he couldn’t hear me.” Mary answered, “Then he walked away like a zombie to the elevators. He looked pale as a ghost. I wished I would have stopped him somehow.”

“You couldn’t have known he was going to jump.” Jack tried to comfort her when he heard her tears.

“I saw Lucinda talking to you. I thought you could help with this.”

“I can ask for an autopsy. We could see if he was drugged but if he looked OK until that moment, I’m not sure we will find anything conclusive.”

Mary shook his hand and thanked him. As she stepped away, Jack saw Lucinda approach him once again. He tried to pretend he didn’t notice, but she headed him off.

“I’m sure you’ll agree that something strange happened, Detective.”

“I’ve seen a lot of strange things, ma’am.”

“I know Detective.” Lucinda answered, “I guess I didn’t tell you the whole story.”

“Something you forgot to add?” Jack said, now quite curious.

“I didn’t really see the man jumped. I just overheard two colleagues of mine when it happened.

“You better tell me everything now.” Jack took out his notebook.

“I’m afraid this started when I eavesdropped on two of my colleagues.” Lucinda said feeling guilty and embarrassed at the same time.

“Their names?” Jack quickly interrupted.

“Frank Brown and Nicky Ferguson. Frank was looking outside his office window when Nicky caught him daydreaming. He said he was observing the other buildings. With the smog, we can’t see down the streets so we are forced to look up at the skies. Since our building is one of the highest, he was looking for activity on the other rooftops.”

“So you never saw the man, in fact, he saw it all.”

“More than that, they were actually talking about how it would be so easy for someone to jump down when it happened.”

“You think they are responsible?” Jack said with an arched eyebrow.

“Frank is a brilliant man and an outstanding employee but you can feel the negative energy when you are with him. Strange things seem to happen when he is around.”

“Negative energy, right. Well, since they saw the whole thing, I’ll have to question them anyway.” Jack sighed.

“Just be careful, Detective.” Lucinda added before she turned away.

Jack quickly pushed the redial button on his cell phone.

“Sorry to bother you again, love. I need you to check two people for me. Their names are Frank Brown and Nicky Ferguson.

Jack seldom took a day off but when he did, he never broke his personal rule of even thinking about work. He cursed himself for breaking the rule for the first time based on an eyewitness that wasn’t originally honest with him. It also didn’t help that the victim was recently separated from his wife. Jack’s personal experience led him to believe that the man’s ego couldn’t take the burden of a failed marriage. Nevertheless, Jack’s sense of righteousness won over his longing for a day off.

It didn’t take long for Jack to find Frank’s office. Whoever he asked for directions knew exactly who Frank Brown was except that no one offered a smile. Jack sensed each person cringe at the mention of Frank’s name. Therefore he expected to find a big man who could fill everyone with fear. Once he stepped inside Frank’s office, he found the opposite. Frank was a small man about five feet five with a thin body and a receding hairline. The only thing scary about this man was that he had one big scar on the side of his head

Jack knocked on Frank’s open door.

“Come in, come in,” Frank said. “I’m only feeding the fish.”

The tank was large: long and narrow. Jack didn’t know much about fish tanks, but he knew it was expensive. The low hum from the water filter was very soothing, and Frank’s appearance as a small man put him at ease.

“I’m Detective Hanlon.” Jack flashed his badge, “I will only take a few minutes out of your busy schedule.”

“You have any pets, Detective?”

“Not at the moment.”

“Neither do I, really. These fish were left here by my predecessor. I’ve never had any pets to speak of. Well, you know there was a cat when I was a kid, but that was run over by a car shortly after we got it.”

 Jack could see that Frank gained comfort from taking care of them. Frank moved from the fish tank to his desk when Jack walked towards him.

“I’m sorry. I’m quite busy right now. I have just received news on a promotion. And I really should be getting up to speed on my new position.”

Frank’s tone of voice was hurried but monotonous, but Jack saw a glimpse of a smile in the corner of Frank’s mouth when he mentioned the word promotion.

“This won’t take long, I assure you.”

Just then, a young woman appeared in the doorway. Her milky blond hair sat on her shoulders, fitting perfectly with her baby blue eyes. She was just over five feet tall and she still looked as if she was in her teenage years. Her pale cheeks had distinct marks of red. Hanlon made a mental note to get her phone number at some point.

“Did you hear about Tom?” she blurted out, flustered.

“Yes I did.” Frank answered. He locked eyes with Jack.

“I’m sorry,” Nicky said. “I didn’t know you had company.”

“I’m Detective Jack Hanlon and you are...?”

“I’m Nicky Ferguson.”

“Exactly the other person I was looking for.” Jack grinned.

“You’re here because of the man who jumped yesterday,” Nicky said somberly.

“That’s right, but first I’d like to hear what happened to Tom.” Jack looked at Nicky.

“He’s just been told that he has cancer,” Nicky said.

“And you had knowledge of this?” Jack now turned towards Frank.

“The boss just came in and gave me the sad news about Tom,” Frank said. “Thank God we had a succession plan in place for just such an emergency. I’d been waiting for this promotion for a while now, but I never wanted to get it like this.”

“What?” Nicky said.

A young man started to pack boxes in front of Frank’s office.

“Remember when I told you I was afraid he would add Tom’s work to mine?” Frank said to Nicky.

“All those boxes?” Nicky added.

“It’s Tom’s stuff. I’ll be getting his workload but I won’t be having mine anymore. I’m a senior engineer now, and they’re going to find someone else to replace me. The boss doesn’t think Tom will come back.”

Nicky was silent while Jack studied Frank.

“What?” Frank said defensively. “I’m shouldn’t be happy about this? Of course, I’m gaining from his illness, but I’d like to think I earned it. I’m not going to say I didn’t want Tom’s job.”

Jack watched Frank turn away from them for a second.

“Now, Detective,” Frank said calmly, “you said you were here for a reason?”

“I’m here about the man who died yesterday, off that building there.” Jack pointed over to it through the window. The haze tinted it a brownish color, but it was visible. “Some witnesses came forward saying that you actually saw it happen yesterday.”

“Who told you that?” Frank asked.

“Please answer the question.” Jack would never reveal a source, though he was sure they would be able to identify who it was.

Nicky felt uncomfortable as Jack’s eyes continued to scan her. Then Frank lowered his eyes when Jack moved to him.

“Yes,” Nicky said. “We did see him, but he didn’t come from over there on the ledge. He actually was on the platform over there.” She pointed to a portion of the building that cut three quarters away from the top.

“Can you tell me exactlywhat happened?” Jack said.

“We were just chatting about work when this man came out on that platform. He scared the hell out of me.” Nicky explained, “He kept walking closer and closer to the edge until he went over. I thought he was going to stop, but he just kept going.”

“Was he alone?” Jack was writing in his pad, something about Frank not looking at him.

“Yes.”

“Describe to me how he fell. Did he hesitate? Did he jump?”

“It’s just like I said, he went over like in the cartoons. If there was hesitation, it was during his walk to the edge.” Nicky concluded.

“I heard you weren’t really talking about work.” Jack looked directly at Frank.

“What else would we be talking about?” this time Frank responded.

“Something about jumping off the rooftop.”

Nicky shifted nervously her weight from one leg to the other. Jack sensed Nicky’s discomfort so he decided to challenge Frank.

“What about you, sir, would you like to add anything?”

“Not really Detective, it went exactly as Nicky said.” Frank momentarily looked at Jack and went back to staring at his desk when he felt Jack studying him.

“Then it’s all I need for now. Since you’re obviously quite busy I’ll leave you my business card. Feel free to call me if there is anything you’d liked to add.” Jack intentionally gave his business card to Nicky.

“We are indeed quite busy Detective.” Frank said. “I don’t think you’ll be hearing from us since we have nothing else to add. Now have a nice day and be careful when you leave.” Frank pointed at the boxes, “You may trip over there and hurt yourself.”

Jack stared at Frank as he stepped out of the office and never saw the box that the young man had just deposited in the middle of the doorway. Jack tripped on it and fell flat on the carpet. Luckily he put his hands down to absorb his fall. His left hand grazed the carpet leaving a nasty carpet burn on his palm, but nothing serious. He looked back at Frank. Jack expected to see an evil grin on his face, but Frank was still looking down at his desk as if he didn’t notice him falling. Nicky, on the other hand looked stunned.

Jack woke the next day to the chorus of rain bumping on his bedroom window. He pushed a button exposing a flat screen television. The newsperson was complaining about the large amount of rain that had fallen recently. It was no longer news to Jack as he easily saw the patterns of his youth spent in the city of Chicago developing much quicker now in Greenview. In fact he had noticed the moment he had moved to Greenview the absence of birds chirping in the morning sun. He took a glance at the air quality indicator he had positioned next to his bedroom window, wondering why he had spent his day off investigating a man’s plunge to his death. The newsperson proceeded to ask the government to increase funding to terraform the moon before it was too late. Jack thought it would be much easier to clean the Earth instead. He was picking at his breakfast when he heard his cell phone ring. He decided to take it on his flat screen even though he wasn’t completely dressed. A hazel-eyed brunette appeared on the screen.

“Good morning Sabrina,” Jack said.

Sabrina stared at Jack’s naked chest. For a moment Jack saw that she was imagining them both naked in bed again.

“That’s interesting research you made me do yesterday,.” she said with a serious frown.

“You got something on Carbolide Industries?” he said chewing a piece of toast.

“No I couldn’t find anything suspicious on them but we have an interesting file on Frank Brown.”

Jack watched her lips moved while he ate. He had almost forgotten how luscious they were and how much he enjoyed them on his skin. “How come?”

“His parents died in a car accident when he was quite young. They were coming from the amusement park when the car slid and slammed in a light post killing his parents instantly, yet, according to the report, Frank didn’t have scratch. Witnesses said that they saw the family leaving the park in a tantrum when Frank refused to obey his parents and that the car had no apparent reason to skid. The weather was perfect, his father wasn’t speeding either.” Sue sounded overly excited and Jack loved to see her passionate.

“But I gather the police file is closed?” Jack was always embarrassed when he thought the police did not do a thorough investigation, even though it wasn’t his fault.

“That’s the beauty of it. There isn’t a police report.”

“Then how did you get this?”

“The FBI started a file on him recently after a couple of employees from Carbolide approached us. We talked to several people about his past. Listen to this: after his parents died, a well-off uncle raised him until he was eighteen. Then he cut him off completely. Problem was, this uncle didn’t have any kids.”

“So the uncle dies and leaves him everything?” Jack interrupted.

“You catch on fast.”

“But you have no proof of foul play, right?” Jack shook his head.

“The guy has indeed never been arrested. The people from Carbolide became anxious about him when he kept benefiting from tragedies.” Sabrina concluded.

Jack replayed in his mind the scene were he bumped his knee after Frank’s statement.

“I can’t get him to fit with the man that died though. You must think he’s involved if you had me investigate him.” Sabrina added.

“He’s just an eyewitness. I wanted to check his credibility. I think I need to see his reaction if I bring up the death of his family. It’s nice of you to share this with me Sabrina.” Jack winked.

“You know this is all confidential.”

“So you want me to nail him for you.” Jack sighed.

“One more thing Jack, I also saw something in his medical records. Family doctor said he wouldn’t live very long. They discovered some sort of tumor or growth in his brain. They tried removing it several times but apparently it keeps coming back.”

Jack played over Sabrina’s information in his mind while he drove back to Carbolide. He often felt frustrated over his ex-wife and his on-and-off relationship with Sabrina, but he was glad he had his health. He couldn’t imagine how he could live with a brain growth that couldn’t be removed. He remembered the way to Frank’s office and was determined to bypass the building’s security and the receptionist so he could once again surprise Frank of his visit. He almost made it all the way there until Lucinda saw Jack hurrying by.

“Detective Hanlon.” Lucinda yelled.

Jack cringed when he heard his name aloud. He stopped in his tracks and turned to see Lucinda staring at him wide eye like a school girl with a crush. Suddenly Jack noticed the somber mood around him. Except for Lucinda, everyone on the floor was moping around.

“Hi Lucinda.” Jack hesitated hoping he remembered her name properly.

“Discovered anything on Frank Brown yet?” Lucinda was quick to the point.

“What’s going on?” Jack asked leaving Lucinda’s question unanswered.

“What do you mean?” Lucinda was focusing only on Jack.

“There was more action than this yesterday when I visited.”

“You didn’t hear? Tom Askins is terribly ill. They say he doesn’t have long to live.”

“I remember Frank saying something about Tom.” Jack said to himself.

“We’re just getting over Sylvia.”

“Who’s this Sylvia?” Jack said.

“Oh, I thought you knew. Sylvia had Frank’s office before him. She was killed in a car accident. Those are Sylvia’s fish in there.”

 

Jack found Frank in his office. Nicky was there, too, looking pale and sick.

“Mr. Brown,” Jack said, “I’d like to speak to you alone this time.”

Nicky stood between Jack and Frank as if she were a barrier between them.

“Could you people please leave him alone?” Nicky said with an emotional voice.

“Please, Miss Ferguson.”

“Just because he benefits from this...? What are you going to do, accuse him of giving Tom cancer?”

Nicky coming to Frank’s defense caught Jack by surprise.

“Frank is a good guy that sometimes thinks things that he regrets.” She continued, “Tell him Frank, tell him about me and my husband.”

Frank was silent.

“Sam and I have been trying to have a baby for years. Frank was completely supportive.”

“Let me guess,” Jack said sarcastically, “he gave you a few words of encouragement. He told you it would happen soon.”

“And the next day I was pregnant.” Nicky said, half-happy, half-astonished. “I’m due in April.”

“Congratulations. Tell her about your parents, Frank,” Jack said. “Or how about your uncle?”

Frank’s eyes widened. “Been doing some research, Detective?”

“That’s what I do.”

“Don’t believe everything you read.”

“Frank? What’s going on?” Nicky asked.

“Frank here has been the beneficiary of a lot of accidents his entire life. Isn’t that right, Frank?”

“Some people are just born lucky.”

“So your family getting killed in a car accident was good luck for you, then?”

Frank went pale. “I knew this day would come,” he said.

Jack was momentarily confused until he saw Frank staring at a knife-shaped letter opener on his desk. Frank lunged forward, grabbing Nicky by the arm with one hand and a knife-shaped letter opener with the other. Jack tried to wrestle away the letter opener, but Frank was stronger than he looked, and he shoved Jack backwards, where he stumbled and fell onto his back.

Jack looked up to see that Frank had the letter opener to Nicky’s throat.

“You’re right Nicky,” Frank said with tears in his eyes. “I never meant to do it. Any of it. They should have let me stay and ride the roller coaster just one more time. Just one more time... It was all I wanted.”

“Then you started to be difficult to handle.” Jack added while slowly stepping towards him.

“I was just a kid. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. But my parents had to punish me, didn’t they?” Frank was now whining.

“Just like any parents would do, Frank.” Jack said, “Because they loved you.”

“I know they did.” Frank answered with tears streaming over his cheeks, “I am so sorry, Nicky.”

“What did you do to them?” Jack pushed for the confession.

“You don’t understand how it is living like this.” Frank blurted.

“Living like what?” Jack said.

“Don’t you understand? I was mad at them. I didn’t want to go home yet. Do you know what it’s like when you think of something and it happens? Can you even imagine? You couldn’t have had a baby without me, Nicky.”

“What are you talking about?” Nicky said. “You had nothing to do with this.”

“I just think of things and they happen.” Frank answered. “I have no control over it. It doesn’t always happen, but I have to live with the burden of the consequences when it does.”

Jack was very close to Frank now. He saw Frank close his eyes for a second. Jack guessed from the pain in Frank’s face that he was struggling with a vision of slashing Nicky’s throat.

“Keep away from me or I’ll...” Frank said, suddenly realizing that Jack was too close. He added pressure to Nicky’s throat.

“Put that knife down before you hurt her.” Jack said but Frank did not budge. “Nicky is your friend Frank. I know you love her. Don’t ever kill a friend, Frank. None of us have enough friends in this world.”

Frank shook his head from right to left, like he was trying to make his vision of Nicky dying disappear.

Frank closed his eyes again. “Did you ever think of something bad, Nicky, and it actually happens?”

But Nicky was too scared of the knife to reply. Suddenly, Jack somehow sensed that a vision was coming to Frank. Jack saw the image that Frank had in his mind. It was going to happen, and there was nothing he could do about it. Frank abruptly loosed his hold on Nicky and pushed her into Jack’s arms, both of them now on the floor.

“It’s going to stop now.” Frank screamed, “I can’t go on hurting people and having to restrain myself from my imagination and there is only one way to prevent this from happening again. I have one warning for you detective. Somebody did this to me. Someone condemned me to live this way... Someone who probably condemned other people just like me. ”

Jack wanted to ask him what he meant but he never got a chance. He knew what Frank was going to do because he had seen it already. In one sliding motion, Frank did exactly what his mind imagined, and he slit his own throat.

 

There was never any proof that Frank was responsible for anyone’s death, except his own. Jack asked for autopsy, just in case they would find some suspicious. They had found nothing, not even the tumor that Sabrina had mentioned. Frank’s confession of his thoughts coming to reality would remain a mystery.

Five months later, Nicky was happily giving birth to her child. It was a perfect labor process with a beautiful seven pound baby boy. She decided to name it Frank in honor of her deceased friend. What she did not suspect was a small growth attached to her baby’s brain.

James Fink

Author of Robot Soul www.robotsoulthebook.com

2006 Copyright