"I set Alexis up with the VCR in the lounge and asked Alex not to let
anyone go in there for a while," Mark told the group as he joined everyone
in the pathology lab.
"Well, while you were doing that we figured out the connection between Parks, Snape, and Fitzpatrick," Amanda said. "Apparently, they're all related."
"What?"
"Yeah, Parks and Fitzpatrick are brothers," Lt. Sloan informed him.
"And Snape is Fitzpatrick's son," Dr. Travis added.
"Why the name changes?" Dr. Sloan inquired.
"Parks did it because he was a lawyer and didn't want to be associated with a killer," Amanda answered.
"I said it was because his first name was Peter and he wanted to be Peter Parker, but since that's a licensed name he took the next best thing," Jesse said. Mark looked at his friend. "It's the medication. The painkillers are great, but than I can't think straight."
"I didn't think you ever did," Steve retorted.
"Okay, so now Snape," Mark said.
"That's just about the same as Parks," Steve told him. "No association with a killer made it easier to become an officer. I guess there was no thorough background check."
"Parks and Snape both have motive."
"Parks was at his office all night," Steve told his father, "which can be confirmed by not only security cameras, but by the visiting security guards who work in the building. He never left his office and the tapes are real."
"Snape has no alibi except for being on patrol," Jesse said. "He was also the first officer on the scene."
"Okay, let's see if I have this straight," Dr. Sloan started. "Snape wants revenge on Bradford for putting his father on death row." He paused a moment. "Why now?"
"I knew you were going to ask that," Dr. Bentley replied. "The anniversary. The day and time is the same as the day and time Fitzpatrick was sentenced except the sentencing happened in the afternoon."
"Can't exactly commit murder in broad daylight without having lots of witnesses," Steve commented. "It's been ten years since it happened," Amanda added.
"Now it makes sense why Bradford called Parks so late at night because he possibly had an inkling of an idea of what was about to occur," Mark said. "And Bradford told 911 it was Nicholas Fitzpatrick since it was his son." The older man got up and walked around. "Snape stole the knife from Parks office to throw the police off so he'd have a chance to get away."
"Why didn't he kill me and Alexis?" Jesse asked. Steve stood up as well realizing where his father was going with everything.
"He didn't have time," Steve interjected. "Both Bradford and Alexis had called 911 and they'd be contacting the closest police to the scene." He pulled out his cell phone. "I better get an APB out on Snape or Fitzpatrick or whatever his name is." The Sloan walked out of the lab as Alex walked a dazed Alexis in. Jesse went over to her and took her hand.
"Alex, what happened?" Dr. Travis inquired. "Alexis, follow my finger." He put one finger up and slowly moved it back and forth in front of her eyes.
"She, uh, started to wander around," Alex told him. "I don't know what she saw on that tape, but it either spooked her or something else entirely."
"Thanks, Alex," Jesse said. The blonde haired intern nodded and left. "Alexis, honey, say something." She looked into his caring blue eyes with her own unsure green eyes.
"He wasn't my father," the actress whispered.
"Maybe you should sit down," Mark said as he rolled a chair next to her. Alexis sat down and Jesse knelt down next to her.
"What do you mean he wasn't your father?" Jesse asked. "Was he your step- father? Foster father? I don't understand."
"He wasn't anything," she explained. "Just a man who took me in after my mother died giving birth to me." She swallowed as tears began to form in her eyes. "Her name was Lucy Morgan. She wasn't even supposed to be able to have children because of some condition she had. My mother met this man who was the most wonderful man she ever met and they spent a little time together in the spring of 1979. He left her because of some emergency and never saw him again. She had me on Dec. 13, 1979 and named me with last breath she had." Alexis began to sob and fell onto the floor into Jesse's arms.
"It's okay," he said as stroked her hair. "She had a wonderful daughter."
"Do you know who your real father is?" Amanda asked coming over. Jesse gave the pathologist a look. "Sorry, but it could be important."
"It's Steve," Alexis answered as she looked up. The three friends' faces formed looks of surprise and shock. "There was also a note in the envelope with the tape." She dug it out of her front jean pocket and handed it to Mark than went back to letting Jesse hold her. The older man put on his glasses than unfolded the paper and began to read.
"You know if what you say is true, Alexis, Steve is probably never going to let you go out with Jesse again," Amanda said. "I don't think he wants his best friend to go out with his daughter." Dr. Travis gave the woman another look. "Oh, come on, Jess, you see how Steve is. He's a very possessive guy."
"You knew Carol?" Alexis looked over at Mark, bit her lip and nodded. He sat in the chair she'd slid off of.
"We were living in Seattle while she was. I met her in the hospital she worked at after getting hurt on the set of a movie," Alexis explained. "We hit it off and became friends. Even after I moved here in 1995 to film movies. I." Her voice started to break, "I even went to the wedding. I was going to meet her at BBQ Bob's for the party, but my schedule was hectic. When I heard about what I happened I wanted to meet her family, but I couldn't." She shifted her gaze away from Mark's. "I wanted to forget about it all. It just was a coincidence that I met all of you after I started to date Jesse. I didn't want to say anything. There was just so much pain and I didn't want to bring it all up." Dr. Sloan got up and walked out of the pathology lab. "Oh, Jesse, this is so bad." She fell back into his arms and began crying again. Amanda followed her friend out into the hall.
"Are you okay, Mark?" He looked at her with reddish eyes.
"I think so, Amanda," he answered. "I'm just so surprised, confused, and happy. I was wondering why Alexis looked so familiar and now I know. She's looks like her aunt." He sighed. "She's my granddaughter, Amanda."
"We aren't even positive she is, Mark," Dr. Bentley replied.
"I know she is," Dr. Sloan responded as he began to smile. "I can feel it. When I look at her I see Katherine and I remember all the wonderful times I had with her."
"We should still run a blood test to be positive," Amanda said.
"You're right, sweetheart," Mark replied. "I'm just getting ahead of myself."
"You always do." The two shared a small hug. Jesse came out of the lab.
"Steve just called," he told his friends. "They have a lead on Snape."
"I guess this means you and Alexis can spend a little time alone," Amanda replied. "I've noticed how much of a hard time you've had trying to get even a little intimate." She glanced at her older friend.
"What? It's my house." Mark chuckled. "Alright, Jesse, you can go, but you have to take care of Alexis. She's very important to me."
"I know how you feel," Jesse replied. "I think Alexis is the one."
"Ahh, I sense a marriage proposal approaching," Amanda commented.
"Well, I hope you can wait a little while on that, Jess," Dr. Sloan told him. "We need to do the blood test than tell Steve."
"Oh, that second part is going to help me so much," Dr. Travis retorted.
"Cross that bridge when you need to," Mark said. "Let's take this one step at a time."
"Okay," Jesse agreed hesitantly. "I'll wait."
"Thank you."
"Well, while you were doing that we figured out the connection between Parks, Snape, and Fitzpatrick," Amanda said. "Apparently, they're all related."
"What?"
"Yeah, Parks and Fitzpatrick are brothers," Lt. Sloan informed him.
"And Snape is Fitzpatrick's son," Dr. Travis added.
"Why the name changes?" Dr. Sloan inquired.
"Parks did it because he was a lawyer and didn't want to be associated with a killer," Amanda answered.
"I said it was because his first name was Peter and he wanted to be Peter Parker, but since that's a licensed name he took the next best thing," Jesse said. Mark looked at his friend. "It's the medication. The painkillers are great, but than I can't think straight."
"I didn't think you ever did," Steve retorted.
"Okay, so now Snape," Mark said.
"That's just about the same as Parks," Steve told him. "No association with a killer made it easier to become an officer. I guess there was no thorough background check."
"Parks and Snape both have motive."
"Parks was at his office all night," Steve told his father, "which can be confirmed by not only security cameras, but by the visiting security guards who work in the building. He never left his office and the tapes are real."
"Snape has no alibi except for being on patrol," Jesse said. "He was also the first officer on the scene."
"Okay, let's see if I have this straight," Dr. Sloan started. "Snape wants revenge on Bradford for putting his father on death row." He paused a moment. "Why now?"
"I knew you were going to ask that," Dr. Bentley replied. "The anniversary. The day and time is the same as the day and time Fitzpatrick was sentenced except the sentencing happened in the afternoon."
"Can't exactly commit murder in broad daylight without having lots of witnesses," Steve commented. "It's been ten years since it happened," Amanda added.
"Now it makes sense why Bradford called Parks so late at night because he possibly had an inkling of an idea of what was about to occur," Mark said. "And Bradford told 911 it was Nicholas Fitzpatrick since it was his son." The older man got up and walked around. "Snape stole the knife from Parks office to throw the police off so he'd have a chance to get away."
"Why didn't he kill me and Alexis?" Jesse asked. Steve stood up as well realizing where his father was going with everything.
"He didn't have time," Steve interjected. "Both Bradford and Alexis had called 911 and they'd be contacting the closest police to the scene." He pulled out his cell phone. "I better get an APB out on Snape or Fitzpatrick or whatever his name is." The Sloan walked out of the lab as Alex walked a dazed Alexis in. Jesse went over to her and took her hand.
"Alex, what happened?" Dr. Travis inquired. "Alexis, follow my finger." He put one finger up and slowly moved it back and forth in front of her eyes.
"She, uh, started to wander around," Alex told him. "I don't know what she saw on that tape, but it either spooked her or something else entirely."
"Thanks, Alex," Jesse said. The blonde haired intern nodded and left. "Alexis, honey, say something." She looked into his caring blue eyes with her own unsure green eyes.
"He wasn't my father," the actress whispered.
"Maybe you should sit down," Mark said as he rolled a chair next to her. Alexis sat down and Jesse knelt down next to her.
"What do you mean he wasn't your father?" Jesse asked. "Was he your step- father? Foster father? I don't understand."
"He wasn't anything," she explained. "Just a man who took me in after my mother died giving birth to me." She swallowed as tears began to form in her eyes. "Her name was Lucy Morgan. She wasn't even supposed to be able to have children because of some condition she had. My mother met this man who was the most wonderful man she ever met and they spent a little time together in the spring of 1979. He left her because of some emergency and never saw him again. She had me on Dec. 13, 1979 and named me with last breath she had." Alexis began to sob and fell onto the floor into Jesse's arms.
"It's okay," he said as stroked her hair. "She had a wonderful daughter."
"Do you know who your real father is?" Amanda asked coming over. Jesse gave the pathologist a look. "Sorry, but it could be important."
"It's Steve," Alexis answered as she looked up. The three friends' faces formed looks of surprise and shock. "There was also a note in the envelope with the tape." She dug it out of her front jean pocket and handed it to Mark than went back to letting Jesse hold her. The older man put on his glasses than unfolded the paper and began to read.
"You know if what you say is true, Alexis, Steve is probably never going to let you go out with Jesse again," Amanda said. "I don't think he wants his best friend to go out with his daughter." Dr. Travis gave the woman another look. "Oh, come on, Jess, you see how Steve is. He's a very possessive guy."
"You knew Carol?" Alexis looked over at Mark, bit her lip and nodded. He sat in the chair she'd slid off of.
"We were living in Seattle while she was. I met her in the hospital she worked at after getting hurt on the set of a movie," Alexis explained. "We hit it off and became friends. Even after I moved here in 1995 to film movies. I." Her voice started to break, "I even went to the wedding. I was going to meet her at BBQ Bob's for the party, but my schedule was hectic. When I heard about what I happened I wanted to meet her family, but I couldn't." She shifted her gaze away from Mark's. "I wanted to forget about it all. It just was a coincidence that I met all of you after I started to date Jesse. I didn't want to say anything. There was just so much pain and I didn't want to bring it all up." Dr. Sloan got up and walked out of the pathology lab. "Oh, Jesse, this is so bad." She fell back into his arms and began crying again. Amanda followed her friend out into the hall.
"Are you okay, Mark?" He looked at her with reddish eyes.
"I think so, Amanda," he answered. "I'm just so surprised, confused, and happy. I was wondering why Alexis looked so familiar and now I know. She's looks like her aunt." He sighed. "She's my granddaughter, Amanda."
"We aren't even positive she is, Mark," Dr. Bentley replied.
"I know she is," Dr. Sloan responded as he began to smile. "I can feel it. When I look at her I see Katherine and I remember all the wonderful times I had with her."
"We should still run a blood test to be positive," Amanda said.
"You're right, sweetheart," Mark replied. "I'm just getting ahead of myself."
"You always do." The two shared a small hug. Jesse came out of the lab.
"Steve just called," he told his friends. "They have a lead on Snape."
"I guess this means you and Alexis can spend a little time alone," Amanda replied. "I've noticed how much of a hard time you've had trying to get even a little intimate." She glanced at her older friend.
"What? It's my house." Mark chuckled. "Alright, Jesse, you can go, but you have to take care of Alexis. She's very important to me."
"I know how you feel," Jesse replied. "I think Alexis is the one."
"Ahh, I sense a marriage proposal approaching," Amanda commented.
"Well, I hope you can wait a little while on that, Jess," Dr. Sloan told him. "We need to do the blood test than tell Steve."
"Oh, that second part is going to help me so much," Dr. Travis retorted.
"Cross that bridge when you need to," Mark said. "Let's take this one step at a time."
"Okay," Jesse agreed hesitantly. "I'll wait."
"Thank you."