Chapter 10:
The mental institution in Vermont had an astonishing similarity with the prison in Illinois. High fences and walls, security cameras, doors with access codes, security pesonnel, an old main building lodging the clinic's administration and the patient's lodges in a wide garden.
Only difference was, that this wasn't about keeping the inmates from the outside world, but keeping the harmful influences of the outside world from the inmates.
Due to this, the institution's head Dr. Patrick Willkins was pretty unhappy, when Jack asked him to allow them, to interview Andrea for an FBI investigation. He really didn't like that idea.
"You see, I don't think this is a good idea. The basic thought of this institution is to shield the patients from the outside world. Most of them are too traumatized to get along with the real world and Andrea's no exception. Although she has made a lot of encouraging progress in the last 4 month. But I don't think she's really prepared for the outside world and definitely not for a police investigation and a questioning! I'm enough worried about the events coming up on her in the next few weeks. We shouldn't put too much pressure on her."
Jack didn't ask the doctor, what he meant with upcoming events, he was too fixed on convincing him.
"Dr. Willkins, this is a very important investigation and right at the moment, we don't have any other possibility, but to question Andrea. I know it's not a good idea. I'm well informed about her mental state and it's clear to me, that it's a burden for her. But there is no other way. I wouldn't be asking you this, if it wouldn't be our only option.
The doctor listened to him intentively. He nodded, it looked as if Jack had convinced him.
"You should talk to Andrea's care staff. Her doctor isn't here today, but you can talk to her nurse. She doesn't have the same authorities and psycholgical knowledge as Andrea's doctor, but she is better informed about Andreas mental state and her progress in the last few weeks, her general health, than I am. If she says it's okay, I'll allow you to interview Andrea."
It wasn't a permission so far, but it was a beginning. And considering the fact, that Jack had thought the suggestion of interviewing Andrea a bad idea, this compromise seemed alright.
The nurse that welcomed them was a woman, about 40 years old, slightly overweight. She had a friendly, round face, grey eyes and shoulderlong brown hair. Dr. Willkins introduced her as Miss Christa Jensen.
"These are agent Malone and agent Spade from the FBI. They would like to talk to Andrea."
Jack disliked something about her reaction. She supressed a jerk with great difficult and needed some seconds to react.
"Alright."
He could hear the slight trembling in her voice; Jack's uneasy felling was growing. He exchanged looks with Sam and saw how her noding slightly. She'd realized it, too.
"I want you to consider carefully if Andrea's stable enough for such a conversation. If not, try to help the agents in any other way possible, you're informed about everything. I'll leave you alone then."
The nurse gave the doctor a nod and afterwards looked at Sam and Jack nervously. Sam was taking the initiative, Jack obviously wasn't much interested in getting a chance for their interview.
"So, do you think, we can talk to her?"
"Well – basically I think that's okay."
"Basically?"
"Yes."
Sam didn't like, that the nurse was so unwilling about talking to them. She obviously was hiding something. Sam tried to react more ofensive.
"So, can we see her."
"No!"
The reaction was more tempered. She caught Jack's curiosity.
"Why not?"
The nurse tried to calm herself. Her outbreak hadn't been planed.
"Well – you could see her.
Sam was impatient.
"But?"
"But she's not here."
"What's that supposed to mean? She's not here?"
"Oh – she was transfered to another institution, temporary."
""What for?"
"Some psychological tests."
She answered rapidly to her questions, almost as if she had learned the answers by heart, as if she knew what they would ask her. The uneasy feeling became a knot in the stomach. Jack tried to disconcert her by asking her some more question. Perhaps she would blab it out and tell them something, she actually didn't want to by accident. But maybe he was just a little paranoid, perhaps she was telling the truth. They would find out.
"Why didn't Dr. Willkins tell us?"
"Oh – I think he doesn't know by now. Probably he hasn't even seen the documents for Andrea's transfer - bureaucracy you know."
She laughed nervously, Jack gave her a false smile, too.
"I understand, but shouldn't he have granted her transfer?"
"No, no. Andrea's doctor has granted it, that's okay."
Another quick answer.
"I thought her doctor's not here?"
"She already gave her okay a few days ago. She knew the transfer was up to come."
Jack's suggestion was aproved, she was entangling herself in her words, she was lying.
"And Andrea's doctor, didn't tell Dr, Willkins, although she knew about the transfer all the time?"
"She had a lot to do!"
Jack didn't want the situation to escalate.
"Can we see the documents?"
He asked softly, the nurse still seemed unwilling.
"As I said, they're still on their way to Dr. Willkins, somewhere in the administration building."
He wouldn't give up so soon. He gave her another friendly smile.
"You surely have a copy, don't you? For the files?"
"I don't know."
"Would you look it up, please?"
The nurse thought about it for a moment, finally she gave in.
"Yeah, sure."
The mental institution in Vermont had an astonishing similarity with the prison in Illinois. High fences and walls, security cameras, doors with access codes, security pesonnel, an old main building lodging the clinic's administration and the patient's lodges in a wide garden.
Only difference was, that this wasn't about keeping the inmates from the outside world, but keeping the harmful influences of the outside world from the inmates.
Due to this, the institution's head Dr. Patrick Willkins was pretty unhappy, when Jack asked him to allow them, to interview Andrea for an FBI investigation. He really didn't like that idea.
"You see, I don't think this is a good idea. The basic thought of this institution is to shield the patients from the outside world. Most of them are too traumatized to get along with the real world and Andrea's no exception. Although she has made a lot of encouraging progress in the last 4 month. But I don't think she's really prepared for the outside world and definitely not for a police investigation and a questioning! I'm enough worried about the events coming up on her in the next few weeks. We shouldn't put too much pressure on her."
Jack didn't ask the doctor, what he meant with upcoming events, he was too fixed on convincing him.
"Dr. Willkins, this is a very important investigation and right at the moment, we don't have any other possibility, but to question Andrea. I know it's not a good idea. I'm well informed about her mental state and it's clear to me, that it's a burden for her. But there is no other way. I wouldn't be asking you this, if it wouldn't be our only option.
The doctor listened to him intentively. He nodded, it looked as if Jack had convinced him.
"You should talk to Andrea's care staff. Her doctor isn't here today, but you can talk to her nurse. She doesn't have the same authorities and psycholgical knowledge as Andrea's doctor, but she is better informed about Andreas mental state and her progress in the last few weeks, her general health, than I am. If she says it's okay, I'll allow you to interview Andrea."
It wasn't a permission so far, but it was a beginning. And considering the fact, that Jack had thought the suggestion of interviewing Andrea a bad idea, this compromise seemed alright.
The nurse that welcomed them was a woman, about 40 years old, slightly overweight. She had a friendly, round face, grey eyes and shoulderlong brown hair. Dr. Willkins introduced her as Miss Christa Jensen.
"These are agent Malone and agent Spade from the FBI. They would like to talk to Andrea."
Jack disliked something about her reaction. She supressed a jerk with great difficult and needed some seconds to react.
"Alright."
He could hear the slight trembling in her voice; Jack's uneasy felling was growing. He exchanged looks with Sam and saw how her noding slightly. She'd realized it, too.
"I want you to consider carefully if Andrea's stable enough for such a conversation. If not, try to help the agents in any other way possible, you're informed about everything. I'll leave you alone then."
The nurse gave the doctor a nod and afterwards looked at Sam and Jack nervously. Sam was taking the initiative, Jack obviously wasn't much interested in getting a chance for their interview.
"So, do you think, we can talk to her?"
"Well – basically I think that's okay."
"Basically?"
"Yes."
Sam didn't like, that the nurse was so unwilling about talking to them. She obviously was hiding something. Sam tried to react more ofensive.
"So, can we see her."
"No!"
The reaction was more tempered. She caught Jack's curiosity.
"Why not?"
The nurse tried to calm herself. Her outbreak hadn't been planed.
"Well – you could see her.
Sam was impatient.
"But?"
"But she's not here."
"What's that supposed to mean? She's not here?"
"Oh – she was transfered to another institution, temporary."
""What for?"
"Some psychological tests."
She answered rapidly to her questions, almost as if she had learned the answers by heart, as if she knew what they would ask her. The uneasy feeling became a knot in the stomach. Jack tried to disconcert her by asking her some more question. Perhaps she would blab it out and tell them something, she actually didn't want to by accident. But maybe he was just a little paranoid, perhaps she was telling the truth. They would find out.
"Why didn't Dr. Willkins tell us?"
"Oh – I think he doesn't know by now. Probably he hasn't even seen the documents for Andrea's transfer - bureaucracy you know."
She laughed nervously, Jack gave her a false smile, too.
"I understand, but shouldn't he have granted her transfer?"
"No, no. Andrea's doctor has granted it, that's okay."
Another quick answer.
"I thought her doctor's not here?"
"She already gave her okay a few days ago. She knew the transfer was up to come."
Jack's suggestion was aproved, she was entangling herself in her words, she was lying.
"And Andrea's doctor, didn't tell Dr, Willkins, although she knew about the transfer all the time?"
"She had a lot to do!"
Jack didn't want the situation to escalate.
"Can we see the documents?"
He asked softly, the nurse still seemed unwilling.
"As I said, they're still on their way to Dr. Willkins, somewhere in the administration building."
He wouldn't give up so soon. He gave her another friendly smile.
"You surely have a copy, don't you? For the files?"
"I don't know."
"Would you look it up, please?"
The nurse thought about it for a moment, finally she gave in.
"Yeah, sure."