Pam (14 page)

The first day I was at the library, I discovered the
wondrous
thing called the internet. The second day, message boards and groups. There was also a social network called
MySpace
. Stacy told me about it
;
everyone was on it. She said a new network had started, but it was only open to
c
ollege kids and
she
doubted it would
ever
be more popular than
MySpace
.

The
MySpace
thing was amazing. I found my son on there.
At least I thought it was, then I knew for sure when I met him.

My son.

What an amazing young man he was. So handsome, so smart, I truly felt as if God gave me a gift because of all that I had lost. I would embrace him, treasure him
,
and never let anything happen to him.

Before heading to the library, I stopped at the electronics store and looked at computers. The nice young man there was helpful and told me how to get the internet at my apartment as well.

I
was
elated. I liked the
library
and all, but somehow, it would be better using it at home. Even after I solved the murders of my family.

A part of me felt it as more
of getting proof
. But how? How does one start?

My third day at the
library
felt weird. Different. It seemed as if an extra hush took over the place when I walked in and I felt all eyes staring at me.

It could have been my imagination or my paranoia. I ignored it and walked down to the computer lab.

“
Morning
, Stacy.
Or …” I looked at my watch.
“Afternoon.”

She was timid and squeaked out a ‘hi’, her eyes especially wide.

“You alright?” I asked.

She nodded.

“I’m going to go to number three.”

Again, only another nod.

Something was up with her. The previous two day
s
she
was bright and cheerful. Figuring, I’d ask her later again if everything was
all
right, I made my way to the computer and logged in.

I had just opened up the internet browser when she sat down next to me.

“I’m sorry
,
” Stacy said softly.

“For what?”

She shifted her eyes and then leaned further into me. “I didn’t know what to say.”

“About?”

“Pam … I ….” She paused. “Before I say anything. I just need you to know it was my lack of words and
approach
. I want to help you, I do.”

“What
are you
talking about, Stacy?”

“Are you … are you researching all these unsolved murders …” she dropped her voice even more to a whisper. “To find your children’s real killer.”

My heart sunk and my hands
slipped
from the keyboard.

“Please, don’t get mad at me. I wouldn’t have said anything, but I want to help. Criminal
P
sychology is my major.
I’m
not judging you.”

Slowly
, I looked at her
.
She was sincere. She really was. Her eyes locked with mine. “I’m sorry I lied to you when you first asked.”

“No, that’s fine. I’m sorry if I’m invading your
privacy
right now.”

I shook my head. “It’s fine. And really … another mind on this could really help. My doctor just listens and doesn’t seem to take it in.”

“Was that the man that was here?”

“
Yes
.”

“I watched. He didn’t seem interested in what you showed him. Not to
start
trouble.”

“None started.” It was after I said that, I smiled. Surprising me, Justin walked in the lab. “Justin.”

Stacy turned around.

“Hey.” He walked toward us. “Is there room for one
more?
”

“Yes. Yes.” I stood and hugged him. “Please.
Justin
,
this is Stacy. Stacy works here
,
and
Stacy
,
this is my son, Justin.
Why aren’t you in
school?
”
I
asked
him.

“I skipped today. I never skip
so
I figured it was okay.” He reached for a chair.

“Here
,
take mine.
” Stacy stood. “And it’s nice to meet you. I’m just trying to help your mom.”

“That’s why I’m here,”
Justin
said.

“Oh
,
” I gasped out. “This is wonderful. I’ll have so much help. I copied that entire folder and gave it to Dr. Andrews, but I don’t think he even looked at it again.”

“
We
don’t need h
im.” Justin flung out his hand.

I sat
down
.

Stacy said. “No
,
we don’t
.
Have you found a connection at all to those murders you found?”

“Yes,” I nodded. “Yes, I did. That is where my problem is. It’s a person.” I looked
at
them both. “I think we
just
need to find a way to get her to admit it or find evidence it was her.”

“Who?”
Justin
asked.

“Sharon
,
” I answered.

He groaned. “She sounds like trouble.”

“Who is Sharon?” Stacy asked.

Justin answered. “
She
was my mom’s friend since they were little girls. She
was
the
troublemaker
. She even tried to stop me from seeing my mom.”

Stacy added
,
“
If
we can tie her to all of these without a link to anyone else, that may be all we need. Maybe find an eyewitness who can connect the dots.”

I sat back
,
frustrated. “That’s a problem. Where to begin.”

“It’s a puzzle,” Justin said. “
We’ll
find the pieces. Even if we have to find Sharon and get her to talk.”

I exhaled. “That scares me.” I sa
w their curious looks. “Because
I rea
lly feel that
a cornered Sharon is a dangerous Sharon. And she doesn’t stop until she gets what she wants.” I opened the folder and removed the article about Richie’s aunt. “This death was no accident. Sharon was the last to see her. I know. I watched her go in the house.”

“Now
you’re pushing the limits
,
” James Hathaway told me before I left my office.

I shook my head, still leaving out details of my case with Pam.

“You are not a detective. Your obligation is to go to the authorities.”

“With what?” I lifted my hands. “Tell me. My suspicions
?
I have no hard core proof. Just a folder
full
of papers that mean nothing. I’ll tell you
,
James
,
when the friend came into my office she was manipulative, cunning
,
and there was just something dark about her.”

“From one meeting.”

“Yes. She said some things to me. Things I need to look into.”

“
What
are you hoping to accomplish?” he asked.

“To get enough to show my patient. To help her.”

“Why don’t you just tell her what you learned from the friend?”

“I can’t.” I replied. “
She said some very hurtful things about Pam.
This is also for me. I don’t want my train of th
ought
being on one place, when something completely different is going on.”

“So you are going to cheat?” he asked. “Go out and play ‘I Spy guy’?”

“In a sense.”

“Why did you call
me
,
then?
Apparently
it isn’t for my advice on what to do.”

I hesitated as I gathered my things. “I
have a bad feeling. This thing
is coming to a head, and I want to cut it off before it becomes deadly.” I moved to my office door.

“Desmond. This is
unethical
. If this
behavior
continues, I
will be
obligated to do something about it.”

“I know.” I reached for my door. “And I promise you. I know when I go too far. I will personally hand everything to you if it gets to that point. But right now, I have to do this.”

My friend, co
-
worker
,
and advisor looked perplexed as I left. I knew he was threatening with his words, but like at the
institution
, when he busted me with my hand in the bag, so to speak, he didn’t turn me in.

Yes, I was obsessive, and I had my own issues, but I
couldn’t sit back and play arm
chair
coach
while things heated up. They were without a doubt heating up. Sharon was back in the picture and she wasn’t going anywhere.

In fact, in my opinion, she was going to show up more often
,
and that was where my concern
lay
.

How bad
,
really, was Sharon?

For Pam’s sake I had to find out more.

Sharon
was
vaguely
mentioned in Pam’s records
.
T
here was more to the story th
a
n a few notations.

My first stop
was
a protective measure. I stopped by the campus library.

After parking my car and
st
e
pping
out, I heard voices.
They weren’t soft
,
either.
I stayed
back because I clearly recognized Pam’s voice.

“W
hy
are you following me?” Pam shouted.
“I’m going to the police.”

“With what? This is a public place.”

Sharon
?
The second voice was
Sharon
? I wanted to look, but I was afraid I would be seen.

“You jumped out at me. Came out of
nowhere
,
” Pam said.

Sharon laughed. “You are so easy to find. I saw your son. He’s darling.”

“Stay away from me and my son
.”

Again, Sharon laughed.

“Everyone is going to know what you did
,
” Pam argued, her voice quivering some. “Everyone. And then you’ll be put away and I’ll never have to deal with you again.”

“Oh, I was
awfully
convenient all those years ago when you needed a pawn. When you were weak and needed someone strong
,
I was there. “

“I never asked you to do those things!” Pam screamed.

Sharon
had this weird maddening and teasing laugh. “Have a good night, Pam. I’m here. I’ll be around. You’re not meant to be free. I am and I’ll do whatever it takes.”

After another taunting laugh, I heard footsteps and darted back. I waited in the shadows until I heard the footsteps fade and car sounds.

At that second, after hearing the exchange, I knew I was doing the
right thing, if not for Pam or me,
but for that little girl who was helping Pam at the library.

I walked
through
the library doors
just as the first row of lights shut off.

“Hello?” A young female voice called out.

“Hello.”

“We’re closed,” she
peeked
around the corner.

It was her, the young lady I had seen with Pam. The one Pam mentioned was named Stacy. “
Stacy
helped me print these up
.
Stacy did this.’

“I’m sorry, I won’t be long.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out my wallet. “
Are you Stacy?”
S
he didn’t answer. “
Here is my medical ID. “

She reached out, keeping her distance
,
and took it. “Oh, Dr. Andrews. You’re Pam’s doctor.
That’s right I remember you. You were here.
”

“Yes
.” I
retrieved
my
identification
and after I placed it back in my wallet, I pulled out a card. “Please, do not mention to Pam that I was here
tonight
. I just want you to have my contact information.”

“Okay. Why?”

“Has … has Pam mentioned the name Sharon to you?”

Stacy sighed out. “Oh, yeah. She has. The woman sounds sick. And Pam thinks she did some things. Bad things.”

“I do, too. I’m not saying anything to Pam yet. But my reason for being here is to let you
know
Sharon has been showing up a lot lately, and she may come here to talk to you.”

“She’s not
gonna
try to kill me
,
is she?”

“No. No
.
Just get information out of you. You have a security
guard here, anyhow, so you’re safe. Just … when you see her
,
t
ry to remain calm, try not to react, tell her what she wants to hear, even if it’s a lie, and then call me right away.”

“Don’t react, okay.
She must easily be set off.
” Stacy nodded. “I’m a criminal psychology major.”

“Oh, wonderful,” I reached out and tapped her on the arm. “This will be great practice for you.”

“Wait
,
”
s
he called out as I walked away. “What if she
doesn’t
introduce
herself?
”

“You’ll know who she is.”

Stacy nodded. “Yeah, that was a dumb question. Who else would come to ask about Pam?”

I smiled. “Lock up. And thank you, have a good night.”

Stop one was done, on to the next one
,
and it was a drive.

Richard Perkins, Senior, had owned the house
for nearly thirty years
,
and the address was easy to find. I had it written on a
P
ost
-
it and tucked it inside the folder of papers that Pam had dropped off.

The lights were on in the modest two
-
story home. It was just after eight thirty
;
I debated
approaching
the door. Then I saw him step outside and sit on the front porch.

It had to be him. Richie’s father.

A man in his
sixties
drank
from a bottle
of beer an
d
stood when he saw me walk up the path to his home.

“
Can
I help you?” he asked
,
h
is voice rough and raspy
.

“Yes, I’m looking for Richard Perkins.”

“Why?”

“My name is Desmond Andrews. I am a private psychiatrist and I also work with state patients.”

“Why is a psychiatrist at my
house?
”

“Then you are Richard.” I stepped closer.

“Rich,”
h
e corrected. “And yes.”

“A patient of mine is Pam Dewar.”

All expression
dropped
from
his face
,
and
Rich
chugged that beer.

“
You know
you have a grandson. Right?”

“
Yep
.” He drank more
of his
beer. “But I have never met him. Richie and I had a falling out over some things that happened and he
found
out about.”

“I see.”

“I don’t
really
want to discuss Pam. Why are you here?
Do you want
me to meet my
grandson?
”

“That is up to you
,
and I’m here because of Sharon.”

“Christ.” He
huffed out
. “Excuse me. I want another. You?”

“No
,
I’m good.”

He went back in the house
as
I stood there wondering why he wouldn’t let me in. Then again, I was a
stranger
. He
returned
and I immediately asked him, “So I take
it you know about Sharon.”

“Who doesn’t? Anyone that knew Pam knew Sharon.
When
Sharon showed up it was bad news. Bad, bad, news. We tried. Lord knows
we
tried to get Pam away from
Sharon
. Make
her
go away. But nothing worked. She was attached to her. She’d leave the picture for a spell. But I think now, Pam just hid that Sharon
w
as still around to keep us all quiet. After a while, we just accepted Sharon. N
o
matter how much she disrupted our lives.”

“Did it happen a
lot?
”

“Yeah. And always when we didn’t want her around. She
was a bad girl
,
i
f you get my drift.
Richie was the only one understanding about her. Then again, we all knew Richie called upon Sharon to do things his wife wouldn’t
.
So
,
of course, he didn’t want his wife to lose her.
”

“Obviously you know Pam’s been acquitted. She originally was looking for Sharon.”

“Hope she doesn’t find her.” Rich hit his beer again.

“Not the case.”

That cause
d
Rich to choke on his beer. “She’s back.”

“Yep.”

“That ain’t good.
”

“I agree.” I paused. “Sharon came to see me. She … told me things
,
and that’s why I’m here.”

He grumbled a ‘hmm’. “Sharon spells trouble. You can spot her a mile away. All dolled up all the time. Sharon showed up one night at my house. Things … things happened.” He tilted his head with closed eyes. “And I let it get the best of me. I justified it. If that makes sense.”

I nodded.

“But I was wrong. Dead wrong.”

I had a card ready and I handed it out to him. “Here is my card. Call me if you need me and if Sharon shows up.”

“You think she will?” He looked surprised.

“Yeah. I do. Be ready. And thank you for your time.” I turned and stopped. I was going to ask him another question, perhaps his feeling about what Pam thought in regards to Sharon being the killer. That teetered on a breach of confidentiality and I decided against it. I got enough information, information I needed to build my case on Sharon.