PART SEVEN

Nigel stumbled out of the bathroom, holding a wet cloth to his mouth. With everything he had seen and experienced at the morgue, nothing had prepared him for the images that came from the disc. First Christine then the other women, Elizabeth, both slowly and brutally abused. As he had watched, horror growing, he found himself suddenly running to the bathroom and retching over the sink until his sides hurt.

Slowly, with his legs threatening to buckle under his weight, Nigel moved back toward the computer but stopped suddenly as a phone rang. It was the one that had been carefully packed in the box Mrs. Whitmore had given to him.

"What!" He growled as he angrily brought the phone to his ear. "You sonofabitch!"

"Did you like my production?" The voice sounded like his own.

"Who are you!" Nigel began pacing as he spoke. "Why are you doing this?"

"Who am I?" There was heavy sarcasm in the voice. "You should know me Townsend. You should remember me."

"What are you talking about?"

"We had a pact. Don't you remember? Never to forget each other?" The hatred in the voice dripped. "But why would I expect you to remember me…"

"You're insane!"

"If I'm insane, it is all your doing Townsend." There was a short pause. "Keep the phone close. I'll contact you soon."

"Wait!"

"Oh, check your mail…there are some interesting jpegs I want you to see. They might jog your memory." And with that, the connection was severed.

Nigel stared at the phone, wanting to throw it across the room, but knowing it was probably the only means of contact he would have with this killer. After a moment he rushed again to the computer and pulled up his email account. With a few keystrokes, he found the files and began to open them. One was filled with old pictures; men standing around, smiling and playing around in uniform. Nigel stared at each face and realized he was one of those men. As he began to open the second file, his home phone rang, causing him to jump.

"Townsend." He spoke quietly as he began opening the second file. "Dr. Macy, I…." He stopped and listened, as the new pictures appeared one by one on the screen. "Yes, I know about Elizabeth." He paced as he talked. "No, I don't want to tell you how I know…" as the files began to open, Nigel hung up the phone without thinking. There on the screen were newspaper clippings and a series of photographs that seemed to be of someone's recovery from surgery. "What the hell?" He whispered as he looked at each picture closely. One by one, he could see a face being reconstructed. "My God." He whispered as he sat suddenly. "I thought you were dead." The final picture could have been his own had it not been for one light blue eye. "What have you done?" He jumped as someone began banging on his door.

"Nigel! Open up man, I know you're in there." It was Woody. "Come on, don't make me break the door down."

"Just a moment Woody." Nigel turned the monitor off quickly and walked to the door. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door. Woody and Bug rushed in. "What's going on?"

"Where is she you sonofabitch!" Bug growled as he began moving around the apartment. "Where is she!"

"Where is who?" Nigel felt fear once again begin to creep into his being. "Bug where's Lily? Why isn't she with you, she shouldn't be alone."

"You tell me!" The shorter man grabbed Nigel by his shirt in anger. "You tell me where Lily is and what you did to her!"

"I don't…."

"Nigel, where have you been for the last hour?" Woody asked as he moved Bug away. "Come on man, where…"

"Right here! I came straight home from the morgue." Nigel looked horrified. "Why?"

"Because Bug claims you came Lily's and hit him…."

"And when I woke up, Lily was gone!" Bug raged. "You knocked me out and took Lily!"

"I swear Woody, it wasn't me." Nigel moved quickly to the computer, switching on the monitor. "Look…" He pointed at the various pictures filling the screen. "It's all there. The sick bastard sent me everything. Pictures, newspaper clippings." He grew somber. "He even sent me a video of him torturing Christina and Liz."

"Nigel…" Woody started.

"JUST LOOK!" Nigel bellowed causing both men to jump slightly. "That's all I'm asking you to do." His voice lowered slightly. "Please Woody." He sighed in relief as the two men slowly moved toward the computer. "It's all there." He took several steps back and watched as the two bent over the monitor. "It wasn't me." He whispered as he abruptly made a decision. "I'm sorry Woody." Before the man could turn, Nigel moved quickly, knocking him unconscious. Carefully he caught Woody and placed him on the floor gently.

"What are you doing?" Bug took a step back in shock as Nigel bent over the detective's body, taking his keys and gun. "Nigel?"

"I'm going to find Lily." He ran his hands through his hair nervously. "I have to find Lily."

"I'm going with you." Bug said sternly as he glanced at Woody.

"No." Nigel's words were sharp. "Bug, you stay here with Woody, tell him I needed his car."

"But…"

"Bug, I can take you down before you could even move. Don't make me do it." There was darkness in Nigel's voice that Bug had never heard. "You just stay here and see to Woody."

"I can't just…"

"BUG! I mean it. Just stay here." He moved toward the door but stopped suddenly. "I'll bring her back Bug, I swear." Then Nigel was gone.