Chapter 7

Ray Mercer barely had time to settle down into his chair before Charlie Marks knocked on his door.

"Detective… come in. " Mercer gestured towards a chair opposite his desk as Charlie closed the office door behind her and walked over. "What can I do for you?"

She looked the professor over appraisingly while deciding how to begin. "I need to talk to you about Toby. "

Concern played across Ray's face, "Has something happened? Is he alright?"

"He's fine… it's not that." She stood back up and started to pace back and forth around the chair. "I'm trying to tie up loose ends on the Clooney file and was reading through your case file on Toby –"

"You what?" Anger at having his file on Toby accessed filled the older gentleman's voice. "That file is privileged information. You have no right to –"

"It's part of a murder investigation and yes I do have the legal right to review evidence pertaining to the case. I also believe the answers to finding out who sent Clooney and what they were after could be in that file as well." Emotions were running high and the two of them glared at each other.

"Legal right… what about Toby's ethical right to privacy and confidentiality!" After a few beats of silence Ray managed through clenched teeth, "he considers you a friend." Fire seethed in his eyes.

"Toby knows. " Her gaze faltered a bit, and her voice returned to a more neutral tone. "He was at my place earlier and saw the file. He knows I read it and he's OK with it. "

Anxious worry replaced the fire of anger in Mercer's expression. "Did Toby read the file?"

It seemed an odd question to Charlie. Why would Mercer be concerned about Toby reading his own file? Unless… "You're hiding something, aren't you? " Eyes hardened and she came to stand directly in front of the desk where Mercer sat slightly wringing his hands, and refusing to make eye contact.

"Don't be absurd. What could you have possibly found of interest to the Clooney case in Toby's file?" He tried to dismiss her concern and changed the topic.

Alarm bells were going off in the detective's head, but pursuing issues between Dr. Mercer and Toby would have to wait for another day. She needed to learn what she could about the immediate threat. "What can you tell me about Toby's past before he came to you at age five? " There was no immediate response as the doctor seemed to be lost in private memories. "In the early notes there was a number listed for Maya… looked like you had called her and talked with her at some point. The number is disconnected and I can't trace where it once led to." Marks prompted.

"I can't tell you much I'm afraid… that number was just a pay phone and Toby was in such pain with no protection against the voices in his mind that my priority was in helping him cope with his ability. You already know Frank's link in the story I'm sure. Of how Frank brought Toby to me after he nearly drowned." She nodded. "That was the last I saw of him till Frank turned up here in the hospital trying to reach Toby. "

She didn't think he was telling her everything but clearly there were some things Mercer was not going to admit to. "What about Ethan … the man claiming to be Toby's brother… what can you tell me about him? "

"I didn't know he existed till very recently. I'm not thoroughly convinced that this man is Toby's brother." Ray crossed his arms and leaned back.

"Ever meet him?" she tossed back.

"No. Toby came to me about Ethan when he was in the hospital, but the man was gone by the time we returned. " 'Consider yourself fortunate' Charlie thought to herself. "Have *you* met him?" Ray turned the question back to her.

Not wanting to go into detail about what happened the last time Ethan was in town she kept her response vague. "Briefly. He seems to have inherited some of the similar … gifts Toby has. Don't know if he is connected to the people trying to find Toby or if he is just a side puzzle to pursue once the main threat has been identified and eliminated." Figuring she was not going to get anything more productive from Mercer she turned to go.

"Detective …" he called out to stop her and continued as she turned back to face him, "when can I get my file back?"

"It'll be held as evidence till Frank's trial is completed." She could tell he didn't like her answer, but knew nothing he said would get the file back to him sooner. He wanted to protect Toby that was clear, but how he was choosing to do so was questionable to Charlie. Trying once more to get answers she took a step back towards the desk, "I know you are just trying to keep him safe. So am I. But I don't believe keeping information from him is the best way to do that. What are you afraid of Toby finding out? "

"Detective, how much do you really know about Toby?" The question was a challenge obviously meant to imply that Ray knew Toby better and therefore was better suited to decide how to keep him out of harm's way.

"I know he needs answers. " She refused to back down.

"Even if those answers get him killed?" Ray pushed.

"I think that is up to him to decide. He's not a kid anymore." She sighed and sat back down. "Toby's past is catching up to him whether or not you want it to. "

"I didn't deliberately keep anything from him." Ray was looping back to the question Detective Marks had asked a couple of times now. "In the beginning there was too much to be done to help Toby establish barriers in his mind. The pain of so many thoughts was overwhelming, and then over time as he learned to better control his gift the details seemed unimportant -possibly would have done more harm than good. "

"We both are trying to protect him. Tell me what you can." Sympathy mixed with encouragement in her voice.

Olivia stood outside Toby's door. He wasn't home yet and she knew it. She had debated over the contents of the letter in her hand during the entire drive back home from the cabin. Every time she tried to break it off with Toby, he managed to put on that boyish grin and determination that won her back into one more date, or one try. She couldn't afford to continue this and a letter wouldn't give him any way to argue back. She had called the hospital and accepted the promotion offered to her a couple of weeks back. At the time she had not wanted to take the job as it would mean transferring out of the ER, but now that aspect was a perk rather than a drawback.

She bent down and slipped the envelope with Toby's name on it under the door and whispered, "I'm sorry, but it's for the best … for both of us. " Wiping away the tear that threatened to spill down her cheek, she turned and walked away down the hall and out of Toby's life.

The EMS calls had not let up all day, and Toby was exhausted and glad to be home where his mind and body could simply rest. The door swung in and he almost stepped on the envelope waiting on the floor inside. He blinked to clear his vision and picked up the personally delivered note while confusion filled his mind. The writing was familiar, but he had not heard from Olivia since the night of the ER attack. Something in his stomach became very cold and knotted. He tossed the forgotten keys on the table and sank down on the couch to read.

Toby,

Forgive me for not telling you this in person, but I can't risk being drawn in again for one more go.

We've been trying to fix this relationship and hold on to it for almost as long as we have been together. It's not working and we both know it. Yet neither of us completely leaves so we continue this dance.

You and I simply don't go well together, and the added pressure of knowing you can read my thoughts simply is the final breaking point. This goes deeper than this last impasse, and if you are honest you know that too.

I've accepted a position outside of the ER to give us both some space. Take care of yourself Toby. Maybe after some time we can be friends.

Olivia

He stared at the letter in disbelief. She actually called it off. Toby folded the letter and placed it back in the envelope then tossed it aside. His mind reeling from everything going on at once, Toby flipped some music on and lay down on the couch to close his eyes and shut the world out.