Chapter Thirty-Five
Amelia waited in the hallway as Nancy and Frank talked. Since she didn't hear anything coming from the room other than small talk, Amelia knew her instinct was right in getting them in the same room together. Her phone chirped letting her know a message came in. She looked down and frowned at what she read. Walking to Nancy's door, Amelia cracked it open to hear them laughing softly within. Not wanting to disrupt their time together until it was necessary, she closed the door, making sure it didn't click. Just as Amelia smoothed herself out and crossed the hall, Chief McGinnis and Detective Norris led a group of people down the hall toward her.
"Chief," she said, acting like she didn't know what was going on. "Everything okay?"
"Yes," he answered with a grim face. "We need to see them. Are they awake?"
"Of course," Amelia replied, nodding her head. She looked at some of the people he was with, noticing a woman with a broken nose, smirking. "Just let me talk to them for a moment."
As she entered Nancy's room again, Amelia saw out of the corner of her eye, Carson, Hannah, and the Hardys stepping off the elevator. Closing the door, she knew there may be sparks flying before she returned to the hallway.
Joe followed his parents off the elevator, immediately seeing the spectacle outside Frank's and Nancy's rooms. Along with Chief McGinnis and Detective Norris, there were five other people waiting. His eyes narrowed when he saw Lt. Mitchell among the group. She stood with her arms folded in front of her and a scowl upon her face when she turned toward them.
"Damn, that is one mean looking woman," Laura replied quietly. Joe snickered but soon regained his composure when they stopped feet away from the other group.
"What's going on here?" Carson demanded, turning on his lawyer attitude.
"Just an informal conversation," one of the men said. "I'm…"
"I know who you are Chief Dorwood," Carson snapped. "But what I want to know is why you're here along with District Attorney Don Spencer?"
"Sorry to do this, Carson," the DA replied. "We're here to get some answers."
"That's not informal and you know it," Carson replied, his voice rising. "It's more like an interrogation. I don't think you would have a court reporter with you if it weren't."
"Nothing gets by you, Carson," replied the DA, "Yes, we are here on official business. The mayor is not happy and wants this to be resolved today."
"My father and I want them arrested," Lt. Mitchell suddenly spoke out. Carson eyed her but didn't say a word. "Both of them are a threat and I want justice for what they did!"
"Like you really didn't deserve it!" cried Joe, trying to move toward the woman but his mother held him back.
"Oh, this coming from someone whose ribs were broken by the same person who did this to me!" yelled Mitchell, pointing to her nose. "I warned you not to go with us but you should be doing the same thing I am!"
"That's enough, Mitchell!" yelled Chief Dorwood. She tried to argue with him but he held his hand up, silencing her. "Save it! You'll have your chance!"
Amelia walked out of Nancy's room and Joe realized Frank must be in her room as well. He leaned over to open his brother's door and sure enough, an empty bed greeted him. Joe nudged his dad to show him as the other group filed inside Nancy's room. Carson began to protest to be let in but Amelia held him back.
"I can't let you all in," she replied sternly. "Those two can handle themselves more than you know."
"But don't they need us?" asked Laura. "Or at least a lawyer?"
"They've been fine for the past three hours, if that makes you feel any better," Amelia stated. "No outbursts. No fighting. Just calm and collected. In fact, I heard them laughing not too long ago."
"So they're okay?" Fenton asked, hopeful.
"In a sense," Amelia shrugged. "But unfortunately, they still need time. I may not have heard what they were talking about but I think Nancy and Frank are still sorting things through."
"When can we see them?" asked Carson.
"When they are ready," Amelia vaguely replied. She left them all standing in the hallway and reentered Nancy's room.
The two families didn't know what to do other than wait it out. At first, a small argument broke out inside the room but it soon got quiet. They waited over the course of the next two hours, hearing very little come from the room until a screaming match began. Joe was really surprised when heard Nancy's voice yelling back and within seconds, the door suddenly opened. Lt. Mitchell stormed out of the room, screaming and slammed the door. It echoed up and down the hall as the woman went through the stairwell instead of the elevator. They could still hear her screaming as the door closed.
Chief McGinnis did not know what to expect when he entered Nancy's room. What he didn't expect though was to find both of them alert and ready to talk. Nancy sat up in her bed, hands in her lap. She looked pleasant enough but he could see the hollowness in her eyes as if she hadn't slept or ate in days. Frank sat in the chair next to the bed, his arm still in a sling. He looked tired but seemed to know what was coming as the parade came through.
The court reporter sat down and took out her machine, ready to type. There were not enough seats in the room so most of the group stood. McGinnis introduced everyone, the court reporter typing away. When he got to Lt. Mitchell, she narrowed her eyes and stared at Nancy, who avoided her uncomfortable gaze. Amelia soon reentered the room and took a spot near the bed.
"Good. Now that we know who everyone is," McGinnis clapped his hands, "we can get started. Nancy, Frank, are you ready?"
"Question," Nancy said, raising her hand. Frank hid a smile behind his hand knowing she was going to be the one to ask a question. "Why are all of you here? I'm a bit confused by this."
"This is a formal interview, Miss Drew," replied DA Spencer. "We wanted to get some answers before we go any further with this investigation."
"Meaning we want to know what you did," sneered Lt. Mitchell, "before we throw both of your asses in jail!"
"Lt. Mitchell!" cried Chief McGinnis. "You are out of line! Dorwood, please control her!"
"What do you mean put us in jail?" demanded Frank, his face getting red. "We didn't know what we were doing!"
"It's okay, Frank," Amelia said calmly. "Some of us know that while others need more answers."
"Do we need a lawyer?" Nancy asked. She looked a little on the scared side but was able to keep herself from breaking down again. Lt. Mitchell scoffed at Nancy and rolled her eyes.
"No, Nancy," replied Nora. "I'm here on the capacity to make sure you have rights even though I can't be your lawyer."
"One more outburst from you, lieutenant," warned the DA, "and you're out of here!"
Mitchell sulked into the corner, glaring at Nancy for the remainder of the interview.
"Now, Miss Drew," Spencer said calmly, keeping up the formality. "Can you tell us everything you remember from the time you were kidnapped from your home three weeks ago?"
Nancy sighed and closed her eyes. She didn't want to be first but knew it was inevitable. She began relaying everything that happened from the moment James walked into her house. Nancy described how at first the doctor was nice but when she tried calling her father, Cox's demeanor changed. It was then that those around her noticed her memories were a little bit vague.
"I…I don't remember much about what happened then," Nancy said in a daze. The others looked at her and waited concerned they were going to lose her. Frank took her hand and she gazed over at him, her eyes glassy. She blinked several times and shook her head as if pulling herself out of trance. "What just happened?"
They all looked around at each other, not knowing what to say. Amelia did not even know what to do.
"Do you remember anything after that point?" Spencer urged gently.
"Dad came into a room and I was sitting in a chair," Nancy said slowly. Her face was starting to scrunch up as she remembered what happened next. "It was like I was watching myself from a two-way mirror, as I…I…"
She burst into tears, sobbing for a few minutes. They all knew what happened without her even finishing the memory.
"When I saw Frank and Joe come in," Nancy finally continued, "that's when I woke up from the nightmare only to find out it was real. What have I done?"
"It's okay, Nancy," replied Amelia, patting her hand. "Do you need a break?"
"No," she answered. Nancy took a moment to compose herself. "I'm fine but there's really not much else I can tell. Everything is very vague and hazy."
"Tell us what you can," Nora urged.
"Okay, um, I don't remember much up until I sat down at a dining room table," Nancy replied. "Dr. Cox and James were there. He let me eat finally that day but told me to stop after only a few bites. I couldn't help myself."
"Who did that?" asked Amelia. She was beginning to understand how Nancy was programmed but needed a little bit of information to confirm her suspicions.
"Dr. Cox," Nancy replied strangely. "He wouldn't let me eat, I rarely slept. At least I think I rarely slept. That's the extent of what I remember he did to me. I do remember you, Amelia. He was so upset with you."
Amelia smiled sadly, knowing that day. Nancy was such a fighter that not even Dr. Cox realized how strong she was. The young woman continued to struggle and Amelia had a feeling that Nancy was going to take longer to heal than Frank.
"I went back into the haze," Nancy continued trying to recall everything. "But when I saw Frank in that room, I woke up again."
"What do you remember about this room?" asked Norris. She described the same room Norris saw on the video and how she was able to get away when Frank told her to go. Her meeting with James and the conversation she had with him and Amelia.
"He told me to have hope," Nancy said. "James was going to get us out of the house but I had to be patient. That's when he gave me back to the doctor. They argued again for a little bit before Maddox took me back upstairs."
"What were they arguing about?" asked Spencer.
"Me, I think," Nancy answered. "James was saying that the plan kept changing and he didn't want me to be hurt. Dr. Cox kept insisting I would be fine. Everything else is difficult to remember up until right before the helicopter crashed."
"What happened on the helicopter, Nancy?"
"I don't know!" she cried, crying again.
"I think we need to move on or take a breather," Amelia stated. She gave Nancy a glass of water and the young woman downed it quickly, in between sobs. The other people in the room were troubled by what Nancy told them, except for Lt. Mitchell. She stood in the corner, shaking her head disbelieving.
"You're right, Amelia," replied McGinnis. "Unless you are okay to continue, Frank, we can take a break."
"No," answered Frank. "I'm ready. I want to get it over with."
"Okay," McGinnis shrugged.
"We all know why you came here and what happened in the days after Nancy's kidnapping," Spencer replied. "What I would like to know is your perspective of the events after the raid on the first house, Frank."
"I'm not sure what I can help you with on that," Frank said. "I woke up days later with a massive headache and no memory of what happened."
"Well, do you remember Maddox taking you?" Norris asked.
"Yes, I think so," Frank stated. "He told me that he was a friend of Nancy's. I didn't know him at the time but with the state of mind I had at that moment, I would have believed him to be the Easter Bunny. I mostly remember him from the house. He had taken a liking to Nancy and I didn't like it."
"Do you remember anything else in particular?" Spencer asked.
"Yeah, pain," Frank said darkly. "Lots of pain. And Nancy. I vaguely remember seeing my father step in front of…you, Detective Norris. I fought it hard, whatever Cox did to me but like Nancy said, I felt like I was watching myself through a mirror until Dad…Dr. Cox wanted me to shoot. He was practically screaming in my ear to do it."
"Wait, he was communicating with you the whole time?" McGinnis asked, interested.
"Yes, he had me wear an ear bud," Frank replied. "He kept saying something over and over again. The programming kept kicking in but I shifted my hand slightly so I wouldn't kill Dad."
Frank stopped and looked down at his hand. He couldn't bear thinking about what he did to his father. Norris gently nudged him to continue.
"I saw Nancy in the hangar and we waited for Dr. Cox," Frank said slowly. Nancy looked at him, tears flowing. He knew she didn't remember any of it. Frank told the story of Dr. Cox telling James everything and how James escaped. The conversation with James and how he fully woke up.
"So that brings us to the helicopter," replied Spencer. "I want to know what went on and why it crashed."
Frank told the story from the moment the helicopter took off. Norris pursed his lips as he heard Frank admit he pushed Maddox off, confirming his own suspicions.
"Was James on the helicopter?" Spencer asked.
"Yes," Frank confirmed. "But I didn't let it be known. That was when the doctor shot me in the shoulder and the pilot was killed. We fought over his gun and shot out the main rotor. That's how it crashed."
"Who killed Dr. Cox?" asked Spencer. Frank and Nancy looked at each other but didn't say a word. The others waited to hear which one would confess.
"I did," Nancy replied in a small voice, her head down. She couldn't look up at the shocked faces in front of her. "He…he was going to kill Frank and I didn't want that to happen. It's what drove me out of the haze. I picked up Frank's gun and shot the doctor in the back."
The group stood in silence, too shocked at the revelation to say anything. They could tell it was hard for her to admit as she sobbed. Only Lt. Mitchell didn't believe the story.
"You two are good," she said, breaking the silence. "Coming up with this cockamamie bull story to get off on assaulting a police officer and you all believe them, hook, line and sinker. Well, I don't! I want justice for what she did to me and the men I was with! I saw what she did in that room! I saw everything and you heard both of them confess to killing two people! What are you going to do about that, Mr. Spencer? Are you going to charge them with murder too?"
"No, I'm not, lieutenant," Spencer stated loudly. "In fact, with all the evidence now and video to prove what Mr. Hardy and Miss Drew both said, I would be laughed at if I did charge them with anything! You need to get off your high horse, Miss Mitchell, before you get into more trouble than you bargained for!"
"How dare you speak to me like that!" she cried. "My father will have your heads for this!"
"Get out," said Nancy so softly, they almost didn't hear her. She still stared at her bed.
"What did you say to me?" asked Mitchell.
"I said," yelled Nancy, looking up at the lieutenant, fury in her eyes, "Get out! Is that loud enough for you to hear?"
The woman stared at her, wide-eyed, her mouth moving though nothing came out. The others in the room stood awkwardly, not knowing what to say themselves. Detective Norris, however, grinned ear to ear, sharing a look with Amelia, who also smirked. They knew the lieutenant deserved it.
"Fine!" screamed Mitchell, throwing her hands up. She stormed out the door. "This isn't over!"
"Yeah," muttered Norris, "it is."