Chapter77 Mind Games

"That's totally preposterous! The idea alone lacks any forethought whatsoever. To be total honest with you, Deputy; I'm shocked that an experienced medium such as your niece would even succumb to such a notion." "So, she's totally off base with her plan; and, I'm right for planning on breaking my promise to her." "Well of course you are, Mike! Why in the tar nations would you even promise her a plum loco thing like that anyway?" "First of all, Lloyd; I made that promise before I even knew what she wanted me to do. How the hell was I supposed to know she would come up with some crazed off the wall request like that? Besides, I had no intention of doing it…I couldn't." "What do you think, Professor; that doesn't sound like Ms. Cindy to me? She's always seemed like a level-headed gal…why the sudden fool hardiness?" "Well Sheriff…Deputy…I think I may know what's happening here." The deputy sits down. "What's going on, Professor?" "I believe that our spirit is manipulating your niece's mind, Deputy?" "Manipulating her mind?" "Yes. We're dealing with an extremely malevolent entity here, gentlemen. Remember when we were discussing the idea of projection, and, I mentioned how spirits will sometimes go as far as to manipulate peoples' minds into believing to see what they want them to see? I believe this is what's happening with your niece; but, on a more intense level." "More intense level?" "Deputy, your niece has great psychic ability; she's probably the most receptive medium that I've ever had the privilege of working with. And; this can be a disadvantage for her." "How's that, Professor?" The sheriff inquires. "Psychics like the Deputy's niece accomplish what they do based on their ability to make a connection between themselves and the spirits involved. Once a connection's established it becomes a proportionate equation." "Proportionate equation?" "Yes, Deputy; the more connected the psychic's with the spirit, the more susceptible the psychic becomes to being influenced by that spirit. Your niece has experienced a great amount of contact with these presences; just look at everything they've allowed her to view. Once that portal's opened between the living and the dead, the spirits can manipulate what their living contacts see, hear, feel… and think. And, the more malevolent the entity is; the more manipulation will be experienced. There's no sound reasoning behind thinking that by killing one-self would guarantee you the ability to contact a specific spirit; and, your niece of all people should know that. I believe this spirit's convincing your niece that's what's needed to be done; and, making her think it's her own idea." "So, what do you reckon we do, Professor?" "Nothing." "Nothing?" "Exactly. The deputy doesn't kill her if and when she asks. Luckily for us, Ms. Lidestrom still believes that she can't kill herself for this to work…that someone else needs to do the deed." The deputy's concerned. "And; what if this spirit brainwashes her into thinking that it will still work, even if she kills herself?" "Then, Deputy; we might have a problem. Let's just hope it doesn't come to that." "Amen to that, Professor." The sheriff continues, "Anyway, on a totally different subject; I found out something real interesting about our phony Ms. Mary from New Hampshire that just may help us tie good ol' Senator Jackie boy to this whole conspiracy thing going on here." The deputy leans in and rests his forearm on the sheriff's desk. "Are you serious, Lloyd; you think we got something on him?" "I'm about as serious as a heart attack, Mike. I do believe this may incriminate the good Senator with at least part of this here monkey business. And, Professor; it also explains why Beth and Anna swore it was Mary as a grown up." The professor starts wiping his glasses off. "Do tell, Sheriff." "I was talking with her husband…who by the way has about as much admiration for our beloved Senator as you do Mike…and, he filled me in on some pretty darn interesting history. For starters, the reason for the strong resemblance is that they were family. Franny Johnson…aka Mary Johnson…was a second cousin of Mary's." "No shit." "Ah, but it gets better. According to her husband; Senator Jackie boy convinced Franny to pose as Mary whenever people looked into the history of this house. Apparently, we weren't the first ones to question what happened that night; and, were conned into believing that Mary Howell survived that night." "Fuck me!" "Not even with all the wine in Italy and France together, Mike. But, anyhow; here's the clincher. The Johnson's were going through some tough financial times back in the early eighties; which caused Franny to work out an arrangement with ol' Jackie boy. Despite her husband opposing the idea, Franny not agreed only to pretend to be Mary; but, to have plastic surgery done to make her look like a computer-enhanced rendition of what Mary might have looked like as an adult. The Senator picked up the bill for the operation; and, put an additional fifty-thousand in their account." "So, we got him! Hot damn!" The elated deputy smacks his hand down on the desk. "Excuse me, gentleman;" the professor feels the need to point out, "but, all you seem to have is Senator Steinman paying for an operation and convincing a family member of Mary Howell's to pretend to be her. The question remains, can you possibly show a relationship with that to anything else; like how that ties in with the murders?" "Well, I reckon at this point we can't; but, it's a start, Professor…and, a hell of a lot more than what we had the other day." The sheriff replies. Just then the phone rings. "Beaver Ridge Police Department, Sheriff Faulkner here; how can I help you? Corporal Nyce, how you doing today? …Good to hear it. So, what's on your mind? …Oh, the results are back already? That was sure…Uh huh…What? Are they sure? …Holy armadillo shit! Can they've made a mistake? …No. I reckon not. Alrighty then, thanks for the info, Bill…Yeah, you take care too now. Good bye." The sheriff hangs up the phone and leans back in his chair, putting his feet up on the desk, while placing both hands behind his neck. He stares up at the ceiling without saying a word. Deputy Hopkins asks, "What is it, Lloyd?" The sheriff looks at the deputy and professor. "That was Corporal Nyce…they got the autopsy results back on that skeleton we found out at Miller's Lake. You boys ain't gonna believe this." "Let me guess…it's not Mary Howell's skeleton." "Not unless Mary Howell was a four-year-old boy when she died."