Chapter 10
Woody stopped when he heard Jordan crying on the other side of the door. "Damn," he swore to himself. "Damn, damn, damn. That went really well Hoyt, really well. Let's see how much we can hurt her this time." He turned and nearly knocked on the door, when something stopped him. He could still hear Jordan crying, but now he wondered why. She said she had changed and so had he. But how much? He reached out and stroked the door. "I'll be back, Jo," he said to himself, "but first I've got to find out a few things."
His next stop was Nigel's apartment. Nigel wasn't there. So Woody went to the morgue. He found Dr. Townsend doing that voodoo he does so well.....working with the computer programs.
"Helloooo Woody," said the lanky doctor. "Nice to see you again, even if it's under these conditions." Woody wasn't sure if Nigel was referring to Jordan or the Summer Rapist.
"Spill it Nige, what do you know?"
"Well, the MO's the same, and so are the markings, but we're having a hard time matching the DNA profile. You see...."
"Not the case, Dr. Townsend, the girl. What's wrong with Jordan?" Woody said, interrupting Nigel's lecture.
"Oh, well that's bloody easy to answer," said Nigel with a smile. "You are."
Woody stared at him blankly. "You want to give me a little more on that?"
"For the last three years, while you have been off doing whatever it was you were doing on that farm in North Carolina, our girl has been here, trying to cope the best way she knew how. No mum, no dad, no Woody. So she threw herself into her work. She hasn't missed a day in three years, works every holiday, and never takes vacation. She's now the AME. She also works several nights a week at The Pogue. Her work is flawless, as is her dress, her cooking, and her apartment. She has become the model of responsibility and maturity. In short, she has become as near as perfect as she can get.
"But when you go after one goal, you loose other things in the pursuit. Jordan has given up a lot. She doesn't get enough sleep, you have to just about nail her feet to the floor to get her to slow down and eat, and she never goes out. While we have a very professional and nearly perfect Jordan in our midst now, the fun-loving, mischievous Jordan that you fell in love with is long gone, Woody, my friend."
Woody continued to stare at Nigel. "And you're saying I'm responsible for this?"
"The very person who is responsible."
"And you know this for sure?"
"Yes," said the doctor, nodding.
"Why?"
"It's simple, actually. Don't see why you can't see it. After you walked out on her that night, for whatever reason it was, Jordan collapsed. For a while she cursed you, but since then she has literally lived for the minute she would see you again."
"But she just kicked me out of her apartment..." Woody began.
Nigel held up a hand. "Hold on a minute. While waiting for you to possibly return to her life, she decided somewhere along the way that you wanted perfection. So that is the audience she played to. She kicked you out, eh?"
Woody nodded.
"What was the first thing you said to the lady?"
"I don't remember exactly. She looked so tired and worn out....and thin. That's what I talked to her about because I was concerned."
"Then that's the reason she kicked you out. She thinks she still isn't good enough for you. You were still finding flaws."
Woody digested this information for a few minutes. "What do I do now?" he asked Nigel.
"Sweet Nancy, I have no idea," replied Nigel, turning back to the computer. "But I'd let the lady lead the next dance."
Woody stopped when he heard Jordan crying on the other side of the door. "Damn," he swore to himself. "Damn, damn, damn. That went really well Hoyt, really well. Let's see how much we can hurt her this time." He turned and nearly knocked on the door, when something stopped him. He could still hear Jordan crying, but now he wondered why. She said she had changed and so had he. But how much? He reached out and stroked the door. "I'll be back, Jo," he said to himself, "but first I've got to find out a few things."
His next stop was Nigel's apartment. Nigel wasn't there. So Woody went to the morgue. He found Dr. Townsend doing that voodoo he does so well.....working with the computer programs.
"Helloooo Woody," said the lanky doctor. "Nice to see you again, even if it's under these conditions." Woody wasn't sure if Nigel was referring to Jordan or the Summer Rapist.
"Spill it Nige, what do you know?"
"Well, the MO's the same, and so are the markings, but we're having a hard time matching the DNA profile. You see...."
"Not the case, Dr. Townsend, the girl. What's wrong with Jordan?" Woody said, interrupting Nigel's lecture.
"Oh, well that's bloody easy to answer," said Nigel with a smile. "You are."
Woody stared at him blankly. "You want to give me a little more on that?"
"For the last three years, while you have been off doing whatever it was you were doing on that farm in North Carolina, our girl has been here, trying to cope the best way she knew how. No mum, no dad, no Woody. So she threw herself into her work. She hasn't missed a day in three years, works every holiday, and never takes vacation. She's now the AME. She also works several nights a week at The Pogue. Her work is flawless, as is her dress, her cooking, and her apartment. She has become the model of responsibility and maturity. In short, she has become as near as perfect as she can get.
"But when you go after one goal, you loose other things in the pursuit. Jordan has given up a lot. She doesn't get enough sleep, you have to just about nail her feet to the floor to get her to slow down and eat, and she never goes out. While we have a very professional and nearly perfect Jordan in our midst now, the fun-loving, mischievous Jordan that you fell in love with is long gone, Woody, my friend."
Woody continued to stare at Nigel. "And you're saying I'm responsible for this?"
"The very person who is responsible."
"And you know this for sure?"
"Yes," said the doctor, nodding.
"Why?"
"It's simple, actually. Don't see why you can't see it. After you walked out on her that night, for whatever reason it was, Jordan collapsed. For a while she cursed you, but since then she has literally lived for the minute she would see you again."
"But she just kicked me out of her apartment..." Woody began.
Nigel held up a hand. "Hold on a minute. While waiting for you to possibly return to her life, she decided somewhere along the way that you wanted perfection. So that is the audience she played to. She kicked you out, eh?"
Woody nodded.
"What was the first thing you said to the lady?"
"I don't remember exactly. She looked so tired and worn out....and thin. That's what I talked to her about because I was concerned."
"Then that's the reason she kicked you out. She thinks she still isn't good enough for you. You were still finding flaws."
Woody digested this information for a few minutes. "What do I do now?" he asked Nigel.
"Sweet Nancy, I have no idea," replied Nigel, turning back to the computer. "But I'd let the lady lead the next dance."