Author's Note: I'd like to thank phnxgrl, WinnieKirk, superlc529, KenH, and SSTrans for their reviews. SSTrans: Your comment made me laugh because that's what I'm going for. Adam is actually a fun character to write because he is so unlikable. I'm glad to see that my portrayal is keeping with his character. KenH: I think simple dates are sometimes the best. I tried to write fortunes that wouldn't foreshadow anything and could still be used both ways, but that was almost impossible. And yes, I know what's in store, but I'm not going to spoil anything (that wouldn't be fun :). superlc529: The date was fun to write. And thanks, I'm glad you liked the little story. This is not the end of the season yet; there are still two more cases and this case is set in early March. WinnieKirk: Thank you. I'm glad you're liking this story. This chapter starts where the last one ended. Enjoy!
Chapter 36
Jo woke up in the dark. It took a couple minutes for her to remember what happened. The way she'd been sleeping gave her a couple clues. She was leaning against the wall... no, she was in a chair. Her hands were off to her left in a very uncomfortable position. She tried to sit up and rub her eyes, but she was stopped by the handcuffs on her wrists. She moved her hands around and realize that the handcuffs were around something. She was stuck.
A sudden, bright light blinded her. "Good morning, Detective. Did you sleep well?"
"I've been better." Jo straightened up as best she could. "What do you want with me?"
"You are a means to an end, Detective. What is Henry?"
"You know who Henry is. You're the one who was stalking him."
Adam shook his head. "I didn't ask who he is. I asked what he is."
"He's a medical examiner. My friend."
"You're either deliberately not giving me the right answer, or you really don't know."
Jo shook her head. "He's not immortal. I don't care that you have that delusion about yourself, but it's not possible."
"It is possible!" Adam took a deep breath. "You should have discovered that truth down in that ghost station. I killed Henry down there, and yet, he is still alive."
"What are you talking about?" Jo had no idea why Adam had abducted her for this conversation, but she wasn't about to give in.
Adam took another deep breath and let it out. "If you didn't see, if you don't know the truth, then you will soon enough."
"What are you going to do?"
Adam went to the door of Jo's room. "Henry will come. And then I will kill him. And if he brings anyone with him, I will kill them as well. Unlike Henry, anyone he brings won't be coming back to life."
England 1834...
Henry's life was finally getting better. After eighteen years of trying to rebuild, he was getting back on his feet. He'd even managed to get into a medical school. It wasn't the same caliber as the one he'd attended before he'd become immortal, but it was the only way back into the occupation he loved. He was currently at the top of his class, which would help him get a good position at a good hospital. He would be able to use that to rise higher in the world.
Henry was on his way home from his classes now. He was still living in relative squalor, though that was to ensure he could continue to pay for school. Henry walked by the docks, watching the workers struggle with the packages. The last time he'd been on a ship, it had been the Empress of Africa. He wasn't keen on traveling by boat just yet. He knew it was a stupid superstition, but he couldn't quite shake it yet.
"Good night." Henry was struck from behind and knocked out. "Get 'em up. The captain's leaving at first light."
Present day...
Henry hadn't gone to precinct once the crime scene unit arrived. "Abraham! Do we have any lemon juice?!" He hurried down into his laboratory.
"I have a lemon. It's kind of old though. Why?" Abraham came downstairs.
"I need the juice from it." Henry was prepping some equipment.
Abraham grabbed a nearby knife and sliced lemon in half. "What's going on?"
"Adam left a note for me at Jo's house. He used the fortunes from the cookies we had last night. I think there's a hidden message in this blank space."
Abraham finished squeezing the lemon halves. "I see. What else do you need?"
"Nothing right now." Henry dipped a cotton swab in the lemon juice. "I hope this works."
Henry took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and then lightly wiped the swab over the blank spot on the page. At first nothing happened, but Henry wasn't discouraged. He finished coating the page with lemon juice and then held the page above a candle. Several tense moments passed. Just before Henry was about to give up, letters began to appear. They were faint at first, but they quickly darkened until the message was easily legible.
Henry set the page down so he could read it. "Wheels roll over me, water flows under me. I was the first and now I am the one. What am I?"
"What does that mean?"
Henry thought about it. "I need to go to the George Washington Bridge."
"I'm coming too."
"Abraham, I'm supposed to go alone. I can't have anyone with me. Not even you."
"Pops..."
"No!" Henry sighed. "Look, I don't want to go without someone to back me up, but I can't risk Jo's life either."
Abraham nodded. "Okay, okay. Just... be careful. Okay?"
"I will." Henry blew out the candle. "Don't throw out the juice. I may need it later."
Henry arrived at the bridge and immediately started looking around. According to the note, Henry was looking for an ad or note on the bridge somewhere. He walked along the bridge, searching desperately for something that made sense. He was almost into New Jersey when a paper with a picture on it caught his eye. As he got closer, he realized that the picture was of Jo. She was laying on the floor, her hands cuffed, and it appeared she was asleep or dead.
He read the note out loud. "Don't worry, she's not dead, but she will be if you don't use your head. Why's a raven like a writing desk? I don't know, but this tea party is statuesque."
Henry traveled to the Alice in Wonderland statue and found the next note on a trash can. In this picture, Jo was awake. He was glad to see that she didn't appear to be afraid. This note had been title, "Have You Seen Me?" Nothing else was written on the paper. Henry hailed a cab and headed back to the antique shop. He was hoping to get another hidden message that would lead him to Jo or the next clue. He didn't expect what was waiting for him at home.
Hanson stepped out of his car. "Henry, we need to talk. I know you found something at Jo's house. What was it?"
Earlier...
Hanson returned to the precinct and reported to Lieutenant Reece. "She was taken, Lou. And Henry's stalker is the one who did it."
Reece leaned back in her chair. "He made quick work of escaping and getting to her house. Wasn't he transferred to Attica?"
"He was, but he'd been brought back to Rikers so he'd be close for his preliminary hearings this week."
"What happened at the crime scene?"
"When we arrived, Henry found a note addressed to him." Hanson handed her the note. "'Adam' thinks this is all a game. And Jo's being dragged into it."
"Why is he involving her?"
"Henry and Jo are dating. Maybe 'Adam' feels that she is getting in the way."
"Speaking of Doctor Morgan, where is he?"
"I... don't know. Abraham left when the crime scene unit arrived. Maybe Henry forgot something in the car and had to go get it?"
"Well, figure out where he is and get him back here. I don't want to lose him too."
"Copy that." Hanson went back to his desk and called the antique store.
Abraham answered. "Hello?"
"Abraham, it's Hanson. I'm looking for Henry."
"Oh, he just stepped out."
"Where was he headed?"
Abraham paused. "I'm... not sure."
"Abraham, if he's trying to find Jo on his own, he could get himself killed. Jo was taken by a very dangerous man. Do you want him to get killed because you hid something from me?"
Abraham sighed. "I can't."
"Did Adam leave a second note?"
"There was a note. But it said that if Henry didn't go alone, Jo would be killed. I'm trying to help prevent her death."
"Even if it gets Henry killed?"
Abraham took a long breath. "If it saves her life, Henry would give his without a second thought. I'm sorry, Detective. I won't betray Henry."
Hanson set his phone back in the cradle. "I'll find him myself." He went into the tech center. "I need to find Henry Morgan."
"Phone number?"
"He doesn't have one." The analyst looked up at Hanson with a strange look on his face. "Yeah, he's a bit weird. All I know is that he started at Abe's Antiques on Suffolk and Stanton."
The tech went back two hours and started playing the footage back at double speed. Just 20 minutes in, Henry hurried into the shop. 10 minutes later, he hurried out and hailed a cab. The tech snagged the cab number and used that to track the cab to the George Washington Bridge. Henry got out of the cab and walked down the bridge until he had almost crossed into New Jersey before he stopped and grabbed something from the barrier.
It looked to be a paper. Whatever was written on it had Henry rushing back to the cab. This time they caught up to the cab in real time as it left Central Park. Hanson had the tech go back when he saw that the cab was empty. The analyst complied and they found Henry as he got out of the cab and entered the park just a few minutes earlier. Not long after Henry walked out of the camera's view, the cab pulled away. Hanson rocked back on his heels and thought.
"Okay, keep searching for him. I'm going to his house. Let me know when you find him and where he is." Hanson left the precinct.
Half an hour later, Hanson's car was parked in front of Abe's Antiques. The analysts had called and let him know that Henry had gotten into another cab. The next call said the trajectory was roughly in the direction of the shop. Hanson had decided to stay at store and was now sitting outside, wondering if he should go in and talk to Abraham or wait for Henry out here. Just as Hanson decided to talk to Abraham, Henry's cab pulled up.
Hanson stepped out of his car. "Henry we need to talk. I know you found something at Jo's house. What was it?"
Henry walked up to the detective. "I can't talk about that."
"Henry, Jo's life is in danger. Your stalker has her."
"You think I don't know that?" Henry sighed to calm himself. "That's why I'm doing this alone."
"Show it to me."
Henry led Hanson inside and down to his laboratory. "I'll show you the first note. But you have to understand, I know how dangerous Adam is." He handed Hanson the note.
"Are these fortune cookie papers?"
"Yes. Jo and I had Chinese food last night. Those are the fortunes that we had."
Hanson did a double-take. "He used your fortunes to write a message. So what you're saying is: he's back, there isn't much time, he wants you to go alone, and you're just going to play right into his hands?."
"If I don't, he will kill her. Detective, I can't have you following me or going with me. If he finds out I'm not playing his game by his rules, he will kill her. I can't let that happen."
"Even if it gets you killed?"
"My life doesn't matter!" Henry took a deep breath. "My life doesn't matter. I'm trying to save Jo. Please, let me."
"How am I going to help?"
"I don't know."
"Henry..."
"Detective, I need to follow Adam's trail. Perhaps you should follow the forensic evidence."
Hanson sighed. "I hope you know what you're doing, Henry."
"So do I."
Hanson left and Henry finally got to work on the note he found at the statue. Abraham had covered the lemon juice, so Henry took off the plastic and dipped a new cotton swab in the juice. He rubbed it on the note and then held it above a flame to reveal the hidden message. Once again, a riddle was revealed.
Where this goes up just to fall
And never bounce up again
People can stand four stories tall
Or celebrate inside a pen.
Henry figured out that he was to go to Times Square. He was starting to get tired of these riddles, but he had to find Jo. Henry looked at the picture on the note. I'm coming for you, Jo. Hang in there.
A/N: For those of you wondering, the crime of kidnapping someone to work on a ship was called shanghaiing.