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Jerome tugged at his collar uncomfortably. He cleared his throat, watching Willow scribbling away. Willow looked up with a creepy smile. "You're a sociopath."
"What?" Jerome wiped the sweat from his forehead, fear erupting in his chest. "N-no I'm not! I'm one of the best con men alive-"
"So you'd say you were a people person?" she interrupted, a certain curiosity to her voice that was almost patronising.
"As much as you are."
"It's my job-"
"Mine too." He smirked at her, Willow shook her head.
"You don't have a personality, Jerome. The way you act is always changing, it changes with whoever you're with. You act the way they want you to act, or don't want you to act. it's entirely dependent on them." Jerome said nothing. And Willow laughed "All you do is smile, you've smiled at least five times since being in this room, Jerome. And do you know why? It's to hide your weaknesses, people can't see you upset, because you have to be strong. And right now, you don't know how to act, because you don't know me. And so your personality doesn't know what to do."
"That's not true." Jerome whispered, he pulled off his blazer, he was so hot. His hair began to plaster to his forehead.
"Okay, how about a word association, I'm going to say a word, you're going to say the first word that comes into your mind."
"Wow, you really are certified," he rolled his eyes sarcastically. He looked around the room, certificated everywhere "Of course, you like the think you're the smartest person in the room. But you may not be in this room, after all..." he gestured around them "Those things hanging on the wall are just pieces of paper,"
Willow smiled gently, cruelly "You're redirecting the hurt you're feeling inside, that I've analysed you so accurately, in such a short time." Jerome opened his mouth to interrupt again, but Willow stopped him "We're doing word association Jerome. Ready?" Jerome nodded.
"Fabian Rutter."
"Worthy." Jerome nodded, he had told her Fabian was his parole officer earlier. She noted something down.
"Law."
"Rules."
"Women?"
Mara. Jerome thought quickly, but then changed his mind, he couldn't say that "Hope." she didn't notice the fluctuation
"Con?"
"Capable."
"Getting caught."
"Oops."
She smiled to herself, writing something else down. "How about...secrets?"
"Private."
She nodded thoughtfully "Tell me Jerome, would you ever confess? You don't seem like someone who would ever confess to any crime." Jerome stiffened in his seat, his arms were now covered in sweat. He couldn't answer her. She laughed "Tell me Jerome, do you know that you're a criminal? Do you know that you relapse all the time, not because you're trying to get out of the situation you're in, but because you can't stop. Like an addict, you can't stop, it's who you are-"
"I'm reformed," Jerome managed, gasping for air. He could feel her, he could literally feel Willow in his mind, her questions echoing around, effecting his entire body.
"No, no you're not, Jerome," she stood up, but he didn't have the strength too "You're a con man. You are a con man and it's all you can be. Just because you've done a few good things, Mr FBI consultant," Jerome gaped, she knew who he was "Just because you've helped a few people, it can't right all the wrong you've done. It's in your blood. You can't stop. You can't change-"
"C-can we stop for a second?" Jerome whispered, he fell off the chair, crumpling onto the ground, gasping for breath "I don't feel very well." He looked up at Willow, and then spotted his glass on the table. "Y-you drugged me..." he whispered, panting, he placed his palms on the ground, trying to gather strength. Willow sat where he had been sitting.
"Now Jerome, I'm gonna ask you some questions, and you're gonna tell me everything. And when you wake up, you won't remember a thing." Jerome groaned, forcing his lips shut, but he could feel his inhibitions slipping away. "I'm ready when you are."
Line Break
"Wow." Jerome sat up, he looked around, startled, mind a whirlwind. He was sitting on the chair, wearing his blazer, and Willow was opposite him, closing her book. "What happened?" he whispered. Willow smiled gently
"We tried a little hyno-therapy, you were walking me through the heist that got you arrested. It just took you a little while to wake up," Jerome stood, shaking his head, he had a head ache and he didn't know why.
"I-I better go," he headed for the door, his footing off slightly, but he was fine. He shook it off, he was just a little rattled.
"Would you like me to call a taxi?"
"No thanks, thank you though, for this...we'll uh...we'll be in touch," and Jerome managed to walk out of the door. Willow smiled.
Line Break
"She did something to me." Jerome stated loudly, walking into the conference room, where Fabian and Mara were talking. They both looked up, alarmed. "I remember talking about trust, and then I woke up, two hours later, and she said that she'd done hypno-therapy, but I've already been trained, I can't be hypnotised, so she must have drugged me."
"She drugged you?" Fabian whispered "Someone get a identifier in here!" he called to the workers below "We can scan what substances are inside you," he clapped Jerome's back "We can get her on drugging you, bring her in, arrest her,"
Mara shook her head "We can't though, otherwise we'll never find where the rest of the two million is," Jerome nodded, licking his lips. Fabian watched him carefully
"Why don't you head back home, Jerome? Get some rest, you look tired," Jerome nodded gratefully.
Line Break
"You don't understand," Jerome groaned, burying his head in his hands, Eddie watched him, acting far too casual for Jerome's liking "What if I told her something? What if I told her something about Joy? Or Mick? Or even confessed to one of my previous crimes?"
"Goodnight Cinderella," Jerome stared at Eddie in utter shock, and Eddie sighed "That's probably what she drugged you with," he explained "It's invisible, tasteless, odourless, she could slip it right into your water." Jerome arched an eyebrow, waiting for how any of this was relevant. "I'm just saying," Eddie scratched his shoulder thoughtfully "If you wanted to remember what you said,"
"What do you mean, Eddie? I don't get it,"
Eddie laughed "Like...if I drink too much wine, the next morning, I wanna see what I've said, I drink more wine," Jerome scoffed, but Eddie ignored him "It does help you remember. You're recreating the setting you brain was in, and you can bring out answers, it's just like reliving it." Jerome nodded
"So...could you get hold of any Goodnight Cinderella then? So we can test it out?"
"No..." Eddie sighed, but then he brightened up "I would have to make it for you!" Jerome's eyes widened in dread, but Eddie was already up, opening a suitcase that he'd been storing in the little chimney, opening it to reveal numerous viles. Jeorme rolled his eyes, letting him get on with it.
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