FanStory.com - Spirited Justice chap 15by Begin Again

"He was until the detective side of him outweighed the romance side. He went for the conviction, and she shot him down."

"He lost to her in court? He's always so thorough."

"He hadn't meant to find some evidence in her apartment, but when he did, she said he did an illegal search. It never would have worked, anyhow. They're both too hardheaded. He needs someone sweet and kind, the opposite of him."

Eleanor laughed. "So, they say. Is that why the two of you butt heads so much? Hardheaded?"

"Hey, I'm trying to respect my elders, but —" Danni's eyes narrowed, ready for combat.

"Okay, Danni, you win. Where is Matthew anyhow?"

"He's talking to Klaus one more time. He still thinks he's good for Beckett's murder?"

"And Hilda? Has she seen her brother yet?"

"No, not yet. I put her in the conference room, and the poor girl fell asleep. She'd had a rough morning."

"I think I'll check on her." Eleanor moved to leave.

"Yeah, I've got to get back to these old pageant files and see if there might be anything to give us a clue."

*****

Eleanor silently slipped into the conference room in case Hilda was sleeping, but to her surprise, she found the young woman staring out the window.

"Are you okay, Hilda?"

She turned to face Eleanor, wiping at her tear-stained eyes. "I guess so."

"Looks like you've been crying. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really. I can't believe I let my guard down with Johan like I did. I don't want to think about what might have happened if you hadn't found me when you did."

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Hilda. You missed your family and home, and Klaus wasn't there. Johan knew exactly what to do and say. He's quite the charmer."

"I told the detective how Johan asked so many questions about my research. It terrifies me to know that he might have forced me to give it to him."

"Tell me, Hilda, is your work about finding a cure for cancer?"

"Yes and no. It is about a cure, but there's much more to it than that. Of course, it's not just my work. There's an entire team that has put their lives into the study. Each person or group has been researching different components. I was chosen to present our newest findings."

"I don't have a scientific mind, but can you give me a quick summary of your presentation?"

"I'm not to speak to anyone about it until the big reveal, but I know there wouldn't even be a presentation without you."

"If you're uncomfortable, I don't want you to tell me any trade secrets."

"No, it's okay. Our research is about reprogramming cells and reversing diseases at the genetic level. It could be used for unimaginable harm if it fell into the wrong hands."

Eleanor nodded. Hilda's words jogged a memory of Jose, Johan, and the other men at the airport — different men with different lifestyles that didn't fit together. "Someone could either use it for the good of others and make a tremendous amount of money, or they could bury it."

"But who would want to bury it, Eleanor? Just imagine how many lives that could be saved."

"True, but it would do considerable damage to the pharmaceutical companies. They wouldn't be able to sell their drugs at outrageous prices. They would lose millions if not billions."

"But — if the research develops into what we think the possibilities are, it would be a blessing for people worldwide."

"It would, but some people only think of lining their pockets. Your research and other studies threaten their greed."

"That's what my professor said when the first girl was murdered and her papers went missing. He said he believed someone wanted to prevent the discovery. Of course, her study hadn't been as advanced, but it was a start."

"Someone was murdered? Was this in your country or somewhere else?"

"I thought you knew. Her name was Lila. She was Sophia's aunt."

"Our Sophia? Your friend?" Another puzzle piece fell into place for Eleanor.

"Yes, she was part of the first pageant. It was quite the scandal, but then they charged her father with the murder, and it all seemed to be forgotten."

"Her father?" Eleanor's mind buzzed as she sorted the information Hilda had given her. "I wonder if there could be a connection between the two incidents? Is Lila's father in prison?"

"Yes, but Sophia says he swears he's innocent. The weird part of it was Arthur Beckett was his attorney."

"Beckett? The man who was murdered recently?" Now, Eleanor's mind was racing. Could this be a break in the case? She needed to talk to Lila's father and see what he had to say about his daughter's death.

"Eleanor —" Hilda walked over to her new-found friend. "Eleanor — are you alright?"

"What?" Eleanor blinked. "Sorry. When you get my age, the train of thought jumps the tracks now and then. Guess I was lost for a moment."

"It's okay." Hilda smiled and asked, "Do you think I'll get to see Klaus soon?"

"Of course, dear. Why don't I go and check with Danni? Maybe she can bring you a snack or something else if you want."

"I'm not hungry. I just want to see my brother."

"Of course you do. I'll go and check."

Eleanor left the room, made a quick stop with Danni, and then left the building—her destination was Joliet State Prison.

*****

The prison loomed against the night sky, a cold stone and steel fortress. Coiled razor wire topped the tall, unyielding walls, glinting under the moonlight. The surrounding landscape was barren, except for an occasional car on the nearby highway. A lone watchtower stood vigil at the corner of the compound, its searchlight sweeping slowly across the perimeter. The entire setting screamed isolation.

Inside Cell Block C, two guards sat around a scarred desk, and another slouched in a corner, half-heartedly watching the television. A deck of cards lay on the desk, well-worn from countless games played to pass the endless hours of the night shift.

As the two men shared friendly banter over who was winning, the third one yawned, stretching lazily before glancing at the clock on the wall.

"I'm gonna make my rounds. You two try not to cheat while I'm gone." He pushed himself up from the chair, grabbed his flashlight, and headed down the corridor. His heavy boots echoed off the concrete floor as he moved through the dimly lit hall, pausing now and then to peer into specific cells.

Meanwhile, in a dark cell at the end of the row, Eleanor appeared beside Thomas Whitaker's bed. She observed her surroundings — a shelf serving as a desk, littered with papers and a law book, a metal toilet, and another cot with Thomas's cellmate snoring like a chainsaw.
She leaned over and whispered, "Thomas — wake up."

He stirred, his eyes fluttering open. At the sight of someone standing in the cell, he jolted upright, rubbing his eyes. "Who —"

Eleanor pressed a finger to her lips. "Shh — not so loud."

Nearby, the guard paused to check a lock, then moved closer to Thomas's cells. The prisoner stiffened, his words catching in his throat.

Eleanor smiled and whispered, "Stay still. Let him pass."

The guard stopped at the cell door and let his flashlight move around the room. Satisfied with what he saw, he grunted, "Get some sleep, Whitaker." He moved the beam of his flashlight over Thomas one last time and then continued down the hall.

Amazed, Thomas hissed, "He didn't see you. How's that possible? Am I dreaming?"

"I assure you, it's not a dream." Eleanor's voice was calm but insistent. "You need to keep your voice down and listen."

Thomas stammered, "You're — not the devil, are you?"

"No, though some might have characterized me as such. Besides, would the devil offer to help you?"

"If — if he wanted my soul."

"Well, I don't want your soul, just your story."

"Wow, lady, I don't know how you got out of my head and into this hole I am in, but you sure are whipping up some black magic." He rubbed his eyes again, hoping to make it all go away. He opened his mouth to shout, but something in Eleanor's steady gaze stopped him. He looked over at his cellmate, who was fast asleep. "How come he doesn't know you are here?"

"Because I'm here to help you, not him." Eleanor needed him to focus on what she came there to learn.

Thomas scoffed, his twisted grin taunting. "That's what my lawyer said, too. You can see where that landed me."

"Are you referring to Arthur Beckett?"

"Who else? Did that piece of slime send you here?"

"Beckett is dead." Eleanor let that thought settle in Thomas's head before continuing, "By any chance, do you know anything about his death?"

"Lady, I don't believe any of this is happening, but for the sake of humoring myself, I'll tell you how happy it makes me to hear the news. As for killing him, have you noticed I'm locked inside these walls? They don't just let the residents take a leave of absence. He deserved it, but why would I kill him?"

"Because he put you here."

"Did you miss the part about he was my lawyer?"

"I understood, but my guess is he framed you and continued to blackmail you to keep you silent."

"For a figment of my imagination, you seem to know a lot."

"Not enough. I need to know your story."

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because I'm the only chance you've got of getting out of this place."

Thomas hesitated and then sighed. "What the heck! It's one heck of a dream, so I might as well take advantage of it."

"It's not a dream, but if it helps you to think that, then fine. Just tell me your story."

"Beckett — he's the one who set me up. But no one would believe it. I didn't kill my daughter. I loved her. I swear I didn't do it."

Eleanor's voice was soothing, "I know you didn't, Thomas." She reached out and patted his arm. "Start from the beginning. How did you meet Beckett?"

Thomas took a deep breath and exhaled. "It was in a bar. We were both trying to drown our sorrows with the whiskey. Two drunks from two entirely different walks of life. He asked if he could join me, and by the way he was tossing them down, I thought, what the heck, it was his money, and he didn't seem to mind."

"So the two of you drank, and Beckett kept the rounds coming?"

"Yeah. He was a real braggart. Telling me about all the money he had hidden in offshore accounts and how he fooled his wife into thinking he was broke. After a while, he moved on to the power he had over women, even the ones he worked with.

Eleanor's thoughts rolled off her tongue, "Naomi?"

"Might have been, but I don't know for sure. His excitement grew when he started bragging about the beautiful women in the pageant and how he had them under his thumb." Thomas stopped and buried his face in his hands.

"I understand, Thomas. Did Beckett mention a particular name that upset you?"

A sob escaped his lips as he lifted his eyes to meet Eleanor. "He was bragging about Lila. I couldn't believe it. My flesh and blood. She couldn't be mixed up with a man like him. I refused to believe it."

"What happened next, Thomas?"

"I followed Lila every night. I was sure I'd been wrong to suspect it was her, but I saw them together. I didn't mean to spy. I just needed to know what was going on. I stood outside, watching through the curtains. At first, they were kissing, but then —" Thomas started to choke on his words. "Lila — my sweet baby — started to struggle."

Eleanor spoke softly, trying to keep him talking, "You tried to help her, didn't you?"

"I wanted to, but — I got sick. I vomited in the bushes. That's when someone hit me from behind. When I woke up, Lila was dead. Her blood was on my clothing. They said it was me — that I killed her."

"But you didn't."

Thomas reacted bitterly, pounding his fist against the bed. "No. Beckett's the one who framed me. He took Lila's research papers and left me to rot in here. He even visited me, taunting me with the comforts he could offer — if I kept quiet."

"He blackmailed you into silence."

"Yes. He made it clear no one would believe me. I was a grieving father, supposedly driven mad by jealousy. But Beckett — he's the real devil."

Eleanor leaned in, sensing there was more to the story. "There's something else, isn't there? Someone else was involved."

Thomas's eyes shot to Eleanor's face." "How do you know?"

"Call it intuition. Tell me, Thomas. Who else was there?"

"Beckett had a cleaner — someone to take care of his dirty work. I don't know who, but I know he was there that night. He's the one who finished what Beckett started."

"I wonder if this cleaner also ended Beckett's life?"

"Does it matter? No one will ever believe me."

"We'll see about that, Thomas. I believe you. Your story deserves to be heard. The truth will come out." Eleanor moved away from the bed into the shadows. "I've got to go now, but trust me, I'll be back."

Eleanor's aura shimmered in the darkness as she faded away, leaving Thomas wondering if it had been a dream but praying it wasn't.