"Okay Jason, here is the disk with the scene on it. Play it so that he knows you have proof," Lucas said. "And here is the mini-disk recorder. Put it in your pocket so you catch his confession, and make sure he incriminates someone named Lawrence."
"Right. Got it."
Lucas and Jason sat in the back of the car that Ellie had rented, going over the last of the details. This was a crucial part of his plan, and it had to go exactly as he wanted it or the whole thing would be a wash.
"Don't be shocked if I show up Jason," Ellie said, looking at them in the rearview mirror. "Just keep your cool. I think that perhaps a 'ghost' might help his answers along."
"It would scare the hell out of me," Jason replied. "It would be like 'The Tell Tale Heart,' only worse."
"You ready man?" Lucas asked.
"Yep. Don't worry Lucas, it's under control," Jason said with a mischievous grin.
Lucas nodded and Jason stepped out of the car. He'd taken great care to not dress like Lucas, understanding from their conversations that the reason Jason was doing this was so that Lucas couldn't be recognized.
Lucas watched him walk into the building, and then sighed heavily. "Good luck man."
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Jason stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the 4th floor. Lucas had done his homework. The doctor saw few patients now, and by this time he was through and working on records. After having talked to Ellie, his desire to see this man go down had intensified, as had his desire to see everyone else involved fall. What they'd done wasn't right. This would be the easiest acting job of his life.
As he exited the elevator, he looked up and down the hallway. There was no one to be seen. "Perfect," Jason whispered.
Stepping across the hall, he entered the office and shut the door quietly. From Lucas' research, he knew that the nurse would also be gone by this time. He walked up to the counter and rang the bell, then turned on the mini-disk recorder. Almost immediately, a short, heavyset man appeared.
"Can I help you?" he asked.
"Are you Dr. Greenfield?"
"Yes, and you are?"
"I have some questions for you. Do you have time to speak with me?"
The doctor looked at him, puzzled. "Yes, come on around son." Jason steeled himself and walked behind the counter. "Come into my office."
Jason walked in as the doctor shut the door. "You look familiar young man, don't I know you?"
"No," Jason replied.
"Alright then, have a seat. What can I do for you?"
"I want to ask you about one of your patients from about 17 years ago. Her name was Ellie Wolenczak."
The doctor's face betrayed no sign of recognition. "Yes, I remember her. Terrible mistake the nurses made. Tragic."
Jason looked at him coolly. "Yes, you're right. Tragic. You were hired by her husband, were you not? A Lawrence Wolenczak?"
Dr. Greenfield nodded. "I was."
"I see," Jason replied, eyeing the mini-disk player. "Can I show you something?"
"Certainly," he replied.
Jason stood and walked to the player. He slid the disk in and cued it to the point Lucas had told him about, and let it play. He stepped back and watched as this was the first time he was seeing it. The scene started, the two people, one he recognized as Ellie, sleeping; the baby near her. The close up of the bottle of morphine, the doctor pumping it into her IV. Jason fought the urge to hit the man sitting there. After it was finished, Jason calmly took the disk out and put it back into his pocket.
"That was you, wasn't it?" Jason said.
Dr. Greenfield looked at him, his face pale. "Where did you get that?"
"Where I got it is not your concern. The point is that I have it. Now, is that you or isn't it?"
"What are you going to do with it?"
"Just answer the question!" Jason shouted, slamming his hand on the desk.
The doctor jumped. "Yes, yes it was me."
"Why? Why did you do that? What did she do to deserve it? What did her child do to deserve losing a mother?"
"Are you him?"
"No, I'm not her child, though I'm sure he'd be interested to know the truth."
"I don't know what she did. I was paid to do it, her husband, Lawrence, paid me to kill her. He said she was a danger to the child. I was a struggling young doctor then. He said he'd set me up with a practice…"
"Did he?"
"Yes…"
"So, the loss of one life set you up for the rest of yours did it?" Dr. Greenfield didn't answer. "Let me make sure I am clear on this. You murdered this young woman by giving her an overdose of morphine; because her husband, Lawrence Wolenczak, paid you to do it and told you that she was a danger to her new child. Is that right?"
"Yes, you saw it. I admit that I did it. I've carried that around with me for almost 18 years, now I can finally get it off my chest."
Jason nodded. "Thank you Doctor. That's all the information I needed." Jason opened the door to the office and walked out, back around the corner and out the door, leaving Dr. Greenfield to ponder his past.
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Lucas waited impatiently in the car. "Why haven't you gone in there yet?" he asked Ellie.
"He's doing just fine on his own. He doesn't need me to show up. Calm down Lucas."
Lucas tapped his fingers on his legs, fidgeting. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea, maybe he should have just done this part himself. He leaned his head back against the seat and shut his eyes, saying a little prayer. He jerked his head up when he heard the car door open and saw Jason climb into the back seat. Lucas looked at him expectantly.
Jason's face was giving nothing away, and he just looked calmly at Lucas for a moment, before breaking out into a wide grin, pulling out the recorder and pressing play, filling the car with the sound of the doctor's confession.
Lucas grinned in return and the two boys high-fived each other. "You have so earned that trip to the SeaQuest dude."
"That's all the thanks I need," Jason replied.
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Lucas looked around the hotel room one last time to make sure he'd gotten everything. Ellie was waiting for him downstairs. He'd had a late night last night, making copies of the disks of the doctor's confession and of the video clip of Ellie's murder. Jason had stayed as long as he could to help, then he'd had to go home because he'd had an early call this morning.
Satisfied that he'd gotten everything, he scooped up the pile of manila envelopes and left the room. Once he reached the front desk, he turned in his key, and handed the envelopes to the front desk clerk.
"Could you mail these for me?" he asked.
"Certainly sir," she said, taking them from him. "Have a safe trip."
"Thanks, I will." He turned and walked out to the car, where Ellie was waiting. He put his bag into the back seat and then got in the car.
"Ready to go home Lucas?"
"Home one or home two?"
She laughed. "Home one, the underwater home."
He chuckled. "Yeah, I'm ready," he replied, reaching across the console and taking her hand. "I'm not going to see you much anymore, am I?"
"No sweetie, you'll see me as much as you ever did. I'd never abandon you that way. But you have a lot coming your way. A new friend will be coming into your life soon." He gave her a questioning look. "That's all I'll tell you, so don't ask!"
He smiled and rolled his eyes, and she started the car and headed for the port. In what seemed like no time, they were there, back to where he and Ellie had first hailed the cab. He stepped out of the car, as did Ellie. She walked around to stand in front of him.
"Bye baby, have a good trip and don't get into too much trouble," she said softly, hugging him tight.
He responded in kind, wrapping his arms tightly around her and inhaling the scent of her. He missed her so much when she was gone. "Bye Mom, thanks for everything. Thanks for the opportunity to know you, to know my father, to know my grandparents."
She kissed his cheek, and he felt her tears. He pulled away from her and wiped them away. He kissed her back, and then picked up his bag and headed for the elevator.
"Lucas!" he heard her call out.
"Yeah?" he asked, turning around.
"I love you," she said simply.
He smiled at her. "I know. I love you too."
She smiled, waved and blew him a kiss. He stepped into the elevator and took it down. Boarding the launch, he sat down and sighed. He was glad to be going home, he missed everyone. This had been quite an experience, and he'd never forget it. He'd gained a family, a new friend and new experiences.
The launch pulled away. He was finally going home.