Tom Dayton is Loose Again
Chapter 14
1
The noise in the room was deafening, at least to Tom Dayton. Holding his head in his hands, Tom closed his eyes. Why wouldn't the pain go away? He couldn't take much more of it. Standing up, he began pacing back and forth. What was he going to do? He couldn't keep Eve Whitfield locked up in the room forever.
"You decided to kill her. It was the right decision. Ironside will come after her. You can't keep her alive. She will be able to identify you. Don't you understand why you have the pain in the first place. It is because you don't do as I tell you to do. You have to kill her. Do it now!"
Dayton's face twisted in agony. The pain! The pain! He couldn't stand it. The pain had to stop. He couldn't think. The pain wouldn't let him. "I can't kill her! Don't you understand. Killing is wrong. I won't kill her!"
"Then you will continue to have the pain until you do as you are told. Stop being such a weakling! Why do you think Ironside was able to catch you in the first place? It is because you are such a weakling. Stand up to Ironside. Show him that you will not take anything from him either. Kill Whitfield, and then let's get the hell out of here. Ironside should pay for the way he has treated you!"
"But Ironside has been good to me. He hasn't been hard on me, not like I thought he would be." Tom felt a searing pain in the temples on both sides. Dropping to the floor, he held his head. "Stop it, just stop it. I can't take it anymore!" Dayton began to cry. The pain was so intense.
"When will you learn, Tom? You can't resist me. Why don't you let me take over? I can kill Eve Whitfield for you. You don't have to do it. I will."
"No! I will not allow you to kill her! There has to be another way."
"There is no other way. Either she dies or the pain continues. I assure you it will only get worse."
"I can't do it. I won't kill her!"
"Then let me do it for you. I will take over now."
Eve Whitfield stood at the door of the prison Tom Dayton had created for her. She listened to two different but similar voices. Both were Tom's, but with completely different attitudes. Tom Dayton had a split personality. It would explain why he was calm one minute and a woman hater the next. The chief had been right about him not being cured. Why didn't his doctors see it. The man she was now listening to was not normal. Rational people didn't talk to themselves in a different tone of voice, let alone try to talk themselves into murder.
Eve had to find a way out of where she was. She couldn't shake the feeling she had been here before, she just couldn't remember when or why. Officer Whitfield didn't believe she had much time left. Tom Dayton had flipped. For whatever reason, his alter personality no longer just hated women, it wanted to kill her. If the split personality succeeded in doing so, then there wasn't much doubt, Tom Dayton would go on killing women whether he knew what he was doing or not. She had to find a way to stop him. Waiting around for the chief to find and rescue her simply wasn't an option. The only way out of the situation she found herself in was to act on her own behalf. No one else was going to save her from certain death.
Eve began inspecting the room again. There had to be something she could use in her own defense. The chief always found something. She would have to too. The important thing was she couldn't panic. It would certainly be her downfall. Eve would have to remain calm. If she panicked, she would not think clearly, and she definitely needed a clear head.
As she walked around the room, she scrutinized everything she saw. There just wasn't anything she could use. Like the time the chief was terrorized by Jimmy Chard, everything she could possibly use to defend herself had been removed from the room. She thought back to that time. She and Ed had gone to the opera. Ed didn't care for it. Her fellow officer simply didn't understand opera. If she were to admit it, she had been just as bored as he. They attempted to call the chief, but the phone was busy. He was going to watch the football game, take a bath and go to bed. Neither of them understood why he wasn't answering the phone. Deciding to leave the opera, they stopped for a pizza. Trying the chief again, and unable to reach him, they both had a bad feeling about it. They decided to rush back to the office.
Mark had been at school where his professor held a mock shooting. It was to test the students' recollection of the shooting. He and Mark were in on it. Since Mark was so sure of what he saw, others in the class began to agree with him, despite the fact Mark was deliberately making up what he saw. He remember something he saw in the police parking garage and decided to race back to the chief's office as he sensed he was in danger.
When the three of them arrived at the office, they found the chief had everything under control. Jimmy Chard removed everything he thought the chief could use as a weapon. Ironside found the pool sticks, knives, and even the bullets for his gun removed from his office. Despite Chard's efforts, the chief used his bath water and the electricity against him. Ironside's bath water was running over. Chard forced him at gun point to go in and turn off the water. Earlier Ironside put an electrical wire in the tub. With the combustion of a can of shaving cream the chief had placed in the oven, Chard touched the tub. Ironside pulled the plug on the electricity, but not before Chard was knocked out.
The lesson his staff learned was no matter what your tormentor takes from you, you have to make use of what is left. Eve learned that lesson. She couldn't give up. There had to be something in the room she could use against Dayton. Water and electricity, that was how the chief had done it. Why couldn't she use the same thing. Hurrying into the bathroom, she checked to see if she could set up anything like the chief did. There wasn't a bathtub, but there was a sink. Disappointed to find there wasn't an electrical outlet, Eve realized she would not be able to duplicate what the chief did. She would have to find some other way to defend herself from Tom Dayton.
Once again, she checked around the bathroom looking for something, anything she could use to protect herself. Nothing she could see would due. The room was void of anything with the exception of the toilet and the sink. Eve closed her eyes. There absolutely had to be something in the room that she could use against Dayton. The chief would find it, no matter how small. Refusing to give up, she kept checking.
The sink was not set on a cabinet so there was nothing to check there. She looked under the sink anyway. Nothing, absolutely nothing. There was no closet, so nothing to check there either. Eve walked over to the toilet. Lifting the top of the tank, she smiled. If she could only somehow use it, it would make a definite weapon against Dayton. But, it was too big. She couldn't possibly come at Dayton with the entire top. It would be ludicrous to think he wouldn't see it and stop her. She had to find a way to break the cover of the tank down to something manageable. Eve stood there wondering how she would do that without making enough noise that would draw Tom's attention. The first thing she better do was find out if he was still outside her door. Setting the tank cover down, Eve Whitfield headed back into the room. As she walked over to the door, she made as little noise as possible, which wasn't hard since the floor under her was made of cement.
Eve stood with her ear to the door, listening for any movement on the other side. She couldn't hear any. That didn't mean that Tom Dayton wasn't there, just not moving. The man was unhinged. She would have to be careful. The last time he could have killed her. This time she was sure he would if she failed. Eve had to make sure that whatever she did, she was successful this time.
Heading back into the bathroom, she went in and closed the door to muffle the sound of what she was about to do. She had to break the toilet tank top. There was no getting around it, it was going to make noise, and if Tom was out there, he was going to come in to investigate. She walked over to the tank cover and picked it up. Breaking it would not present a problem, since the walls were also made of cement. All she had to do was slam it against the wall, and no doubt it would break. The only problem she foresaw was that it could break into pieces too small for what she needed to rendered Tom Dayton unconscious. That was a chance she would have to take. There wasn't any other way out of her predicament.
Eve stood beside the closed bathroom door and said, "Here goes nothing." She slammed the toilet tank cover against the cement wall, and sure enough it broke into pieces. As quickly as she could, she pushed one piece against the wall for future use, and the rest across the room to give the impression that is where she broke the tank cover. She then ran back and brushed as much of the remaining pieces and dust beside the piece she intended to use. Eve then opened the door and ran into the other room, sitting down on the floor.
She could hear the lock on the door turn. It appeared Dayton had been in the hall after all. He opened the door and came in. "What the hell are you doing in here?"
"Nothing," Eve said, knowing fully well he wasn't going to accept that.
"The hell you are doing nothing!" Dayton looked around the room. Nothing seemed out of order. There wasn't much she could do in the room anyway. The table was the only thing in the room that could have caused the noise, but it looked undisturbed. He walked over to Eve and lifted her to her feet. "I'll ask you again, what did you do?"
Trying to pull her arm from his grip," Eve said again, "Nothing. You must be hearing things, Tom."
"Stop calling me Tom. I am not going to use that little weasel's name. I'll choose a name more fitting when I get out of this god forsaken city." He took another look around the room. Since she hadn't caused the commotion in this room; it had to be the bathroom. He yanked on her arm and pulled her toward the room. "Let's just see what you did."
Eve fought him every step of the way, but Dayton was stronger. She actually could break his grip if she wanted to. She had been through several self-defense classes. Afraid failure to stop him might lead to him becoming so enraged he might kill her, she decided to do nothing until she could use that portion of the broken tank cover against him.
Dayton pulled her into the bathroom. He immediately noticed the broken tank cover next to the sink. He laughed. "Planning to escape by clobbering me with that, huh? Well, I got news for you, it won't work. You should have known I would hear you breaking it. Now, your little ploy is useless. Get over to the other side of the room and don't move. If you do, "I'll kill you. Understand?"
Eve shook her head in the affirmative. She kept her eyes off the bathroom door; not wanting to draw his attention to the piece of the tank cover behind it.
Dayton kick the largest pieces over to the door. Keeping his gun directed at her, he realized, he would need both hands to remove them. "Alright, since you are the one who made this mess, you are the one who is going to clean it up. Get over here, Officer Whitfield."
Eve did as she was told. She stood in front of Tom Dayton with a look that made it clear she wasn't the least bit scared of him. Scared of the gun, yes, but scared of him personally, no.
"You are going to pick up those pieces and carry them outside this room. If you attempt to escape, I promise I will shoot you dead on the spot. Am I clear?"
Eve told him he was, and then began picking up the pieces of the broken toilet tank cover. She carried the largest ones first and placed them on the other side of the door. Taking her time, the smaller pieces joined the larger ones as she completed the task. Looking up at Dayton, Eve waited for him to order her back into the room. She wasn't about to go there willingly and she wanted to make sure he understood that.
Understand it he did, and he didn't waste time telling her to get back in the room. "There is no escape, Officer Whitfield. Give it up. You are going to die when I decide the time is right."
"Tom, don't do this," Eve said. "We can help you."
With a swiftness she had not been expecting, Dayton grabbed her by the hair. "Don't call me that. I am not Dayton. That sniveling little weasel is no longer in control, I am. You got that, Whitfield?"
"I got it," she said. Eve could wait. Like the chief taught her, you wait for an opportunity to present itself. You don't make a move until you are fairly certain you will be the one that prevails. She could use the self-defense she had been taught, but with no certainty that she would be able to take Dayton down. With the weapon she now had in the next room, she only had to wait until she could use it against him. Eve was determined to get out of the situation alive and unharmed.
Dayton stormed out of the room, leaving her behind. Eve walked back into the bathroom and shut the door. She could hear the main door lock once again. She might not be in control now, though she was confident she would be shortly. Then she would subdue and arrest Tom Dayton. It was only a matter of time.
2
The ticking of the clock on the wall seemed louder than usual, reminding Ironside time was running out. They had to find Eve before Tom Dayton harmed or even killed her. He, along with Ed and Mark had been pouring through Tom Dayton's mental records for hours. Nothing of significance jumped out at any of them.
Ironside damned the doctors for pushing Tom Dayton on him and insisting he be placed in his office as his aid. He never was his aid, Ironside had to admit. He never considered him to be. Mark was his aid. No one was going to take his place until Mark was through school and by his own decision, decided to leave Ironside's office. The detective hoped Mark would pass up the lucrative career as an attorney in favor of becoming a police officer. If he did, Ironside would request a transfer from officer to police detective into his office. Mark already had more experience as a detective than a lot of those who had been on the job for a long time. He saw more cases than any of them did. Sanger may officially be his aid, but Ironside had certainly exposed and used him as a detective over the years. Mark had excellent instincts. He would make a very good detective.
Ironside hoped the skills he already acquired would help them find a clue as to what was really wrong with Tom Dayton. The chief certainly didn't trust the judgment of the doctors who treated him. They couldn't have been more wrong about Dayton's preparedness to return to the real world. Obviously, he still harbored a hatred for women, and Ironside had deliberately place Eve in his cross-hairs. Despite knowing he did, the detective knew it was the right thing to do. He wasn't questioning his judgment; it was the only way to find out if Dayton was actually cured of his hatred of the female gender.
It bothered him that Tom seemed to have headaches all the time. What, if anything, did that mean? Was it simply stress, or was there another reason for that pain? He tried thinking back. When exactly did the headaches manifest?
"Mark, Ed, did either of you notice when Tom seemed to develop a headache, was there anything in particular going on that affected him?" Ironside asked.
"I was wondering that myself," Mark said. "It seems to me every time Eve got stern with him, he reacted like he was developing a headache."
"Yeah, I notice that too. At least I noticed he would rub his temples. That could have been an indication that he had or was getting a headache."
"Has either of you found anything in the medical files about Tom having headaches when in the medical institution?" Ironside asked.
"It wasn't something I was looking for," Ed said. "Maybe we should start from the beginning and check for that."
"What exactly are you getting at, Chief?" Mark said.
"I am wondering if the institution was treating a problem that wasn't really the real problem," Ironside said.
"What do you mean?" Brown dropped what he was doing and turned his attention directly on his boss.
"I am saying that maybe he didn't really have a hatred for women. That it was only a strong woman who by exerting her authority over him caused something in him that could very well be a medical problem and not a mental one."
"You mean like something in the brain?" Mark asked.
"Exactly," Ironside answered. "The limbic system contains interconnected structures located deep in the brain. It is the part of the brain that controls behavioral and emotional responses."
"So, what are you saying, Chief?" Ed asked.
"I am saying there might be a reason for his behavior. It might be something he can't control. It could be a medical problem."
"Okay, so let's say you are right," Ed said. "If emotional responses such as anger are triggered by that section of his brain, then what could cause it to trigger abnormally?"
"Obviously, in Tom's case, he can't handle taking orders from a woman due to his perceived hatred of them," Ironside surmised. "It could mean he has a brain tumor."
"How can we know that without a MRI of his brain?" Mark said.
"We can't. Which is why we have to find him. His doctors may have been going about his treatment completely wrong. This could be medical, rather then mental. No amount of mental treatment in the world would do any good if Tom has a brain tumor."
"You think that is the problem?" Mark asked.
"Hell, I don't know. I'm not a doctor. The only way we are going to find out is to find Tom, stop him from harming Eve, and get him into a hospital."
"Chief, look at this." Ed Brown handed the detective a paper from the medical portion of Tom's report. "One of the doctors who examined him suggested he should have a MRI to rule out any kind of medical problem that could be causing Tom's violent behavior."
Ironside took the paper from Brown and began reading it. When he finished, he growled, "I swear I have to figure out everything for them, and I am not even a doctor."
"Why didn't they go through with the MRI of his brain?" Mark wondered.
"According to what it says there, Doctor Guisinger insisted that it was a mental problem from the time he was young. His sister was overbearing and Guisinger says in the report that it is the root of his hatred for women," Ed said.
"In part, Ed, he is right. However, if, and that is a big if, Tom has a brain tumor, that treatment of him when he was young could trigger the behavior because of the brain tumor."
"I would suggest we do something about finding him and fast," Ed said.
"But where do we look?" Mark said. "He has been in that mental institution for a while now. He wouldn't have anywhere to take her except his sister's home or the mental institution."
Ironside turned his head quickly toward Sanger. "What did you say?"
"I said the only two places he would think to take her would be his sister's or the mental institution. He hasn't been anywhere else since."
"I'll make a detective out of you yet, Mark. That is an excellent deduction. However, there is another place he might take her," Ironside suggested.
"The library where he worked," Ed said.
"What about the hospital where he originally worked?" Mark asked.
"We are going to need search warrants. None of the people in those places are going to allow us to search their facilities without them." Ironside began gathering up Tom Dayton's file and putting it back in order. "Ed, get on the phone and call Judge Herman Thatcher. Tell him I want to see him on a matter of extreme urgency and importance."
Brown grabbed the nearest phone and dialed the downstairs desk. "Patch me through to Judge Thatcher."
"Mark, you come with me. We are going over to the Judge's chambers. Ed, you get over to the mental institution. Mark and I will join you as soon as we get the search warrants." Ironside was up the ramp. Mark had to run to catch up with him.
3
The quiet was getting to Eve Whitfield. Where was she? She couldn't get it out of her mind she had been here before. Every time she looked around, the area looked familiar. Where had Dayton taken her? If only she could remember why it all looked like she had seen it before, she could somehow find a way to use it against Dayton.
Dayton had completely lost it. Eve believed he now had a split personality. She saw it before in others. It appeared the violent part of his personality had taken over the more docile one. She wondered if there was a way she could reach the real Tom Dayton. When that part of him was in charge, he was always very mild mannered. He only seem to become violent when the other personality took over. The headaches had to be the reason for the switch. Whenever he felt a headache coming on, Tom changed. He became more aggressive and violent.
Eve had to find a way to reach the real Tom Dayton. The other side of him would be impossible to reason with. That part of him was a murderer. Eve could never forget that, not even for a second. If she pushed him too hard, she could very well be his next victim. Somehow, she had to find a way to reach him.
Whitfield went over to the door. Using the palm of her hand, she beat on the door. "Tom, are you out there?" She heard the lock release. Eve stepped back in order to allow the door to open.
Tom Dayton stepped into the room. "What do you want?"
"I thought we could talk for a minute," she said.
"I have nothing to say to you, Whitfield, and stop calling me Tom."
"Alright, what would you prefer I call you?" Eve asked.
Tom frowned. He hadn't thought about it. What name should he use? Before choosing a name, he would have to think about it. One thing was for sure, he was not going to go by that sniveling little weasel's name. Tom Dayton had no backbone. He wanted nothing to do with him. "Don't call me anything right now. What do you want?"
Eve took a step toward him. "I thought I would apologize for what happened in Chief Ironside's office that time the chief tricked you into admitting you attacked the woman librarian. I want you to know I didn't know he was going to do that. It came as a surprise to me that he was being so hard on me. He did it on purpose to bring out the side of you that hates women. That way you would confess the attack on that woman. Ed was in on it as well, but I wasn't, Tom."
He could feel the pull from Tom Dayton. Damn him! He still had not given up control. He put his hands on his head. The expression on his face changed. When he looked up, the look of hatred was gone. "Are you telling me the truth, Officer Whitfield, or is this another one of your tricks so you can clobber me with something?"
"No tricks, Tom. I mean it. I didn't have anything to do with what the Chief and Ed did to you that day."
Dayton looked down. "They locked me up. I didn't belong there."
"I am beginning to see that. But, Tom, you must see that you need some help."
"Help! I don't need any help! This is another one of your tricks!"
"No, Tom, it is not. I want to help you. By taking me, you are in trouble with the law. I want to help you get out of it. You must stop the other personality from taking you over. He is the one doing this. You are not a violent person. That personality that takes over is the one causing you to do these things. Can't you see it?" Eve could see him softening. Then his face twisted in painful agony.
"No, do you think I am stupid, Whitfield. Dayton is finished. I am in charge. You are trying to help him take over. I won't allow it. I will stop him from ever coming out again. You are going to die just as soon as I can figure out what to do with your body and make arrangements to travel to Mexico. Ironside will never find me down there. Do you hear me? You are finished, and Ironside is going to pay for making me stay in that damn institution with Dayton. I had to take over to convince those stupid doctors that Dayton was fine."
"Tom, I know you are in there. Fight him. I know you can do it. Remember, I was ordered by the Chief to treat you that way to see if you were cured, but it is not you doing those terrible things. Its him."
"Shut up, Whitfield." Dayton crossed over and backhanded Eve. She fell to the floor basically unharmed, though her cheek stung from the blow. She watched as Dayton stormed out of the room, locking the door behind him.
All was not lost. She realized now she could get through to Tom. Her only course of action was to keep trying. She would use the piece of the tank cover as a last resort. She wanted to help Tom, not kill him. If she could only bring him out long enough to convince him to return to the chief's office, they could find out what was really wrong and help him.
4
"Hello, Robert. What is so urgent that you had to see me right away?" Judge Herman Thatcher asked.
Ironside shook his hand. "You are aware Tom Dayton was assigned to my office?"
"I heard. I have a pretty good idea you were not happy about it. If you are here to try to get the decision reverse, save your breath. I think it was an excellent idea. You would have a positive effect on Mr Dayton."
"Herman, Dayton has been sneaking out of my office at night. At first we thought he was responsible for killing those women."
"I thought Frank Vincent was killed in the process of being arrested for those murders."
Ironside nodded. "He was. We were able to prove he was the killer, and was trying to frame Tom Dayton in the process."
"So what is the problem then?" Thatcher asked.
"Dayton has disappeared along with my policewoman," Ironside told him.
"Disappeared. You mean he has kidnapped her?"
"That is exactly what I mean. I don't think he is entirely responsible for what he is doing," Ironside revealed.
Judge Thatcher lowered his chin and squinted. "What do you mean?"
"I think his problem is medical, not mental."
"Huh, and what do you base your diagnosis on, Dr Ironside?"
"It fits, Herman. Severe headaches bring on his behavior, and one of his doctors recommended a MRI to rule out any medical cause. Dr Guisinger wouldn't allow it to be done."
"Alright, so what is it you want from me?"
"Dayton had to have taken Eve somewhere. I don't believe Tom would hurt her unless the headaches become more than he can bear. If that part of his personality takes over, I believe he could kill her. I have to stop him."
"Are you saying he has a split personality, Robert?"
"Hell, I don't know. I am not a doctor, but I strongly believe his problem is medical not mental."
"You still have not told me what it is you want," Thatcher pointed out.
"I want search warrants for three places I believe he might take her." Ironside stared into the eyes of the man who held Eve's life in his hands, whether he knew it or not.
"And those are?"
"The library and the hospital where he use to work, as well as the institution where he was treated."
"That seems reasonable. Alright, Robert, you've got your search warrants. I hope you find Eve unharmed."
"Thank you, Herman." Ironside turned his chair around to leave.
"At least you only asked for search warrants for where he worked. I was expecting you to tear the city apart."
Ironside turned his chair back to the judge. "If I don't find her in one of those places, it just might come to that." He turned his chair around and left the judge's chambers.
5
Ed Brown waited inside the doctor's office for his boss to arrive. Although he hadn't intended to tell Dr Guisinger why he was there, the doctor insisted on knowing. When Ed told him what Chief Ironside had planned, Guisinger became very upset.
"This is ridiculous, Sergeant Brown. Tom Dayton didn't bring Officer Whitfield back here. There are cameras all over the building and the grounds. He couldn't have gotten her in here without us knowing."
"You may be right, but the Chief thinks there is a possibility, and if there is, he is going to check it out."
"I will not permit it. I will not have this place swarming with police upsetting the patients here. It could affect some of them to the point of reversing everything we have accomplished with them. No sir! You can tell the chief to forget it. I am not going to allow it."
"You won't have a choice, Doctor. The chief is in the process of getting a search warrant right now," Ed informed him.
There was a knock on the door. A nurse opened it and came in. "Doctor, Chief Ironside has arrived with several police officers. He wants to see you."
"Send him in," he said angrily.
She opened the door and Ironside wheeled his chair in. Moving over to the desk, he placed a search warrant there. "That is a legal search warrant. We believe there is a chance Tom Dayton may have brought Eve Whitfield here, and is hiding her on the grounds."
"That's ridiculous, Robert. We have cameras all over . . . "
Ironside interrupted him. "I am well aware of that as is Tom Dayton. I have no doubt he knows how to get around them. Now, if you don't mind, we will get started."
"I do mind," the doctor stepped around his desk and blocked Ironside's chair.
"Doctor, that is a search warrant issued by Judge Herman Thatcher. If you don't step aside, I will have Sergeant Brown arrest you for interfering with the execution of a legally obtained search warrant."
Frustrated, the doctor complained. "What makes you think he would bring her here? I would think that would be the first place he would realize you would look. It would be the most logical."
"That is exactly why I am here," Ironside said.
Ed noticed a look of recognition on his boss's face. "What is it, Chief?"
Mark stepped into the room from where he was standing in the hall. "I know what it is. This is not the most logical place for him to hold her."
"He would take her to the last place he thinks we would look," Ironside said.
"You mean this institution. I would think it would be the last place since it would be the most logical. He would think we wouldn't look here for that very reason." Ed said.
"No, the last place he thinks I would look is right back at police headquarters, Ed."
"Exactly what I was thinking," Mark said. "What are we waiting for?"
"Ed, send the officers back to headquarters. Let's go!"
When they arrived, Ironside ordered every available officer to search the entire building.
6
Eve had to do something. She couldn't shake the feeling that time was running out. It was getting harder to reach the real Tom Dayton. She didn't like dealing with the alternate personality. It was the violent side of Dayton, and there seemed to be no reasoning with him. That side of him was just plain crazy.
She walked back into the bathroom, reached behind the door and picked up the piece of the tank cover. Not really wanting to use it, it was beginning to look like the only option left to her. Every time she thought she was reaching Dayton, the violent part of his personality took over. If it became necessary to use the only defense left to her, there would be no choice but to hit him hard enough to stop him completely. That could mean killing him, which was distasteful to her. Eve always knew that killing a fellow human being could be the only way for an officer to handle a dangerous situation. Yet, something told her that the real Tom Dayton was not a killer.
With the piece of the tank cover in her hand, she went to the door. Listening, she was unable to detect any sign that Dayton was on the other side, but only for a moment. Dayton began talking . . . to himself. He was arguing with his violent personality.
"You must kill her. If you do it, then you and I will become one again."
"No, I will not kill her. You only want me to because it will make you stronger. You want to end my existence," Tom shouted.
"I only want what is best for both of us. She represents a threat to us. Can't you see that?"
"No, I think she really wants to help me," Dayton pleaded with his alter ego.
"You really are a fool if you believe that! Kill her now, or I will do it for you!"
Listening to the exchange between Tom Dayton and the violent personality that was threatening to overtake him, Eve knew her time had run out. She had no choice but to act. "Tom, are you out there? Let's talk. I'll talk to both of you. Maybe we can come to some agreement. I could help both of you."
She heard the key turn in the door, and it soon opened. The milder, meeker Tom Dayton greeted her. "He wants me to kill you, Officer Whitfield."
"I know, Tom, I heard, but you will not do it. You are not a killer," Eve said calmly, despite being more scared than she had ever been.
"Kill her, you fool!"
Eve held the tank cover piece in her hand, concealing it from Dayton. "Don't listen to him, Tom. I am going to help you. You have nothing to fear from me or Chief Ironside. He wants to help you too."
"Liar! Don't listen to her! Both of them will lock you up! Kill her!"
Dayton's face kept changing from docile to murderous, depending on which personality was talking. Eve was convinced she could reach the real Tom Dayton. He really didn't want to harm her, she was certain of it. "He wants you to kill me because you would lose control forever. Don't let him do it. Fight him, Tom!" She kept using his name, hoping it would resonate with Dayton, and help keep his alter ego at bay.
While Eve continued to try to reach Tom Dayton, Robert Ironside's police force had been unable to find Eve and Tom. The only place left was the basement. The chief turned his chair around and backed into the elevator that would take him and his officers to the basement floor. More police officers were taking the stairs to join in the search. In the elevator with Ironside was Sergeant Ed Brown, Lieutenant Carl Reese, and Officer Duffy. The doors opened and the detectives were met by more uniformed police officers.
Quietly, Ironside ordered them to spread out. They had to be down here. He was positive he was right. There wasn't any part of the building left to search. The area they were in was used mostly for storage and hardly ever frequented by anyone in the building. Ironside's acute hearing forced him to turn his head to the right. He heard voices; he was sure of it. "Ed," he whispered.
"I heard it, Chief. That's Dayton alright."
"Remember, I want Dayton alive if possible, but if Eve's life is in danger, all bets are off," Ironside told him.
"Got it." Ed motioned for Carl and Duffy to join him. They went on ahead as Ironside wheeled his chair after them. He heard someone come up on him. Turning his chair quickly, he relaxed when he saw it was Mark Sanger. "I thought I told you to stay upstairs."
"You did. But I couldn't. Eve is my friend too."
Ironside couldn't fault him for that. He reached in the side of his wheelchair and removed the gun he stashed there. Handing it to Mark, the detective said, "You know how to use it." It left the chief without a weapon, although he wasn't concerned. He knew Mark would make sure nothing happened to him. Besides, wheeling his chair and using the gun at the same time put him somewhat at a disadvantage.
Ed, Carl, and Duffy arrived at the door. They could hear Eve pleading with Dayton. Ironside and Mark caught up with them.
"That's it! If you won't kill her I will." Dayton raised the gun and pointed it at Eve.
Ed, Carl, and Duffy burst into the room with guns drawn. All three leveled there guns at Tom Dayton. When Eve saw it, she shouted, "No! Don't shoot him!"
Ironside trusted Eve's instincts. "Hold your fire!"
Dayton turned and looked at the officers. He was too late. Well, Ironside was going to lose his policewoman. He would have the satisfaction of killing her in front of him.
"Tom, you are not a killer. We just want to help you. Give me the gun, Tom. Don't let him make you into a killer."
"Don't listen to her. Can't you see they are here to kill us!"
"He wants to take over, Tom, and he will if you do what he wants," Eve told him.
Ironside hoped to hell he was right in allowing Eve to try to talk him down. He wanted to trust her instincts, but his instincts were telling him to have his officers open fire.
"Tom, listen to me. I promise I will do everything I can to help you. I'll prove it." She threw the piece of the toilet tank cover to the floor. "I was going to use that on him, not you. I don't want to hurt you. I realized if I used it on him, then you could be hurt, even killed. Please, Tom, put the gun down. Be stronger then he is. We will help you to banish him forever."
"Don't be a fool! She will help them lock you up!"
Ironside decided this was the time to intervene. "Tom, I have your file from the institution. I don't think your problem is mental. One of the doctors suspected you might have a tumor. It is what is allowing him to try to take over you. Officer Whitfield just saved your life. My officers would have shot you to protect her. She stopped them."
Dayton's face kept changing back and forth as the real Tom Dayton fought for control. "You'll help me?"
"Yes, Tom," Eve said.
"We'll all help you, Tom," Ironside said. We have an ambulance standing by to take you to the hospital. The doctors will run some tests. We'll find out what is wrong."
"See, Tom, I told you Chief Ironside and I would help you. You don't have to hate or fear me," Eve said.
Dayton stood there for a moment as his alter ego kept attempting to take control, but he was losing. Dayton turned the gun around and handed it to Eve Whitfield. She walked over to him and put her arm around him. "Now, let's get you to the hospital and find out what is wrong."
Ironside breathed a sigh of relief. Afterwards he looked at his policewoman with pride.
7
One week later, Chief Ironside and his staff waited in the waiting room for the doctor to come in and update them. Tom Dayton had undergone surgery. The doctor refused to allow them in to see him until Dayton requested to see Ironside and Whitfield.
Ironside turned his chair around as the doctor entered the room. "Hello, Chief Ironside. I am letting you see Mr Dayton against my better judgment. However, since he refused any further treatment until he has seen you and particularly Miss Whitfield, I have decided to allow it."
"How is he?" Ed asked.
"Doing quite well actually." He turned to Ironside. "You haven't considered giving up police work and becoming a doctor, have you? You were right on. Mr Dayton had a brain tumor in the section of the brain that controls behavior. Fortunately, it was benign. We were able to remove it and release the pressure. He is showing no signs of the violent behavior, nor will he. The reason for what appeared to be a split personality was because Mr Dayton's real personality was fighting the behavior in his brain that was threatening to take over. He remembers what happened and is very upset by it. A couple times he was so upset we had to sedate him. Please try to keep from upsetting him further."
"Will he be alright?" Ironside asked.
"I am confident he will make a full and complete recovery. The violent behavior disappeared when the tumor was removed."
Eve looked down at her boss and smiled. "Thank God."
"No, thank you," Ironside said, taking her hand and kissing it.
"Right this way. Please don't keep him long. He needs rest."
They followed the doctor to Tom's room. Dayton smiled when they entered. "I don't know how to thank all of you." He looked over at Eve. "Especially you."
Eve went over to the side of his bed and took his hand. "It was you that did it. You didn't let that part of your personality take over. You won."
He smiled. "Thanks to you. I have been trying to understand why I hated women and it all doesn't make sense. You were so kind. I can't even find the words to tell you how much it meant to me." He looked over at Chief Ironside. "And you trusted me. I am sorry I let you down, Chief."
"You didn't let me down, Tom. None of it was your fault. The doctors have removed the tumor and say you will make a complete recovery. I simply decided that Officer Whitfield could handle it. I knew you would come to the conclusion she was not a person to be hated."
"Well, I appreciate that." He looked at Ed Brown. "Sergeant, I can't tell you how sorry I am for what I did to your fiancé. If I could turn back the clock." He stopped as he became very emotional.
"It wasn't your fault. I know it is hard to live with, but you must move on and remember, that really wasn't you who did it," Ed said.
"Mark, I think you were the kindest to me of all at the office. Thank you."
"My pleasure," Sanger said.
With tears in his eyes, Dayton said, "Well, I guess I will move back in with my sister until I can figure out what to do with my life. At least now I don't hate or resent her anymore."
"No you won't. You have a job. You are working for me, remember?" Ironside said.
"I don't understand. You would still want me in your office?" Tom said.
"Not permanently. But, you are going to need a job and a place to stay for a while. The institution is going to pay for your schooling. It is the least they can do for keeping you locked up and not finding the real problem. You might consider going into counseling for people who are recovering from brain tumors such as yours."
With tears in his eyes, Dayton waited until he could get control of his emotions. "Eve said you would help me. I don't understand why you would after what I did. I accept and will consider your suggestion. Thank you," he said and then looked up at Eve, "especially you. I can't believe for the life of me why I hated you so." He took a closer look. "You know, you really are a very beautiful woman."
Ironside grunted. "Well if anyone had any doubt that he is cured, that is proof of it. He appreciates a beautiful woman like all men do."
The doctor entered the room. "That's it. Everyone out."
"Get some rest, Tom, we'll visit again," Eve told him.
After saying their goodbyes, Ironside and his staff left Tom Dayton to recover. Outside the room, Ironside stopped his chair and looked up at his pretty policewoman. "Did I tell you I am proud of you?"
"No," she said with a slight smile.
"Well, I am. You handled that situation like a pro."
"Why thank you, Chief Ironside."
Ironside chuckled. "It's a working day, so let's get back to the office. The commissioner has another case he wants us to look into."
"So what's new?" Ed said.
"Everything, Sergeant." He looked back at Tom Dayton's room. "Just everything."
The End
*I do not own the Ironside characters. They were created by Collier Young. All other characters were created in my mind to tell this story. Thank you for reading, and special thanks to all those who reviewed.
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