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Chapter 30
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Lewis decided the first business of the day was to check on James. He wanted to know if he regained his sight. But, today was the first day with his new "partner", PC Bell, so he had a lot of paper work to finish before he could go to the hospital. Lewis did not mind Bell, he just did not like the breaking in period.
He and Hathaway were perfect. Both men knew what the other was thinking when they were on a case. They could look at one another and knew what needed to be done next. Now, Lewis was stuck training a new partner, a kid too young to know anything about life. He felt he was getting too old to break-in new partners. Lewis hoped this partnership would be a the shortest one in history.
Bell and Lewis were finally able to go to the hospital after lunch. When they arrived the men saw nurse Peters and student nurse Miss Montgomery walking outside the hospital with Mindy.
Lewis noticed his temporary partner had perked up and was puffing his chest out when he saw the young nurse. Bell reminded him of a bantam rooster strutting around the barn yard. He could not help but smile at the young man.
"Morning, Nurse Peters, Miss Montgomery," Lewis greeted the nurses. "How's James?"
"Well, we're looking for him right now," Faye hesitated to say.
"Where's he at?" Bell asked before Lewis could.
"I had an orderly take him outside, but we can't find them," she explained.
Lewis had a bad feeling nagging him. "Bell, call..."
"All ready called for backup," Bell informed. "Can you tell me what this orderly looks like?" He asked the nurses.
"Where have you looked?" Lewis questioned. He was scanning the area for any signs of James.
"We've looked in the hospital park where they were suppose to be," Peters offered. "I've called the fourth floor and they've not seen him. The orderly is tall. Fair skin. He wore a ball cap so I could not see his hair."
"Do you know the orderly's name?" Bell asked.
"No, I've never seen this man before," the nurse replied.
Bell handed her a picture of Fitzroy, "Did the orderly that had Sargent Hathaway look like this man?" Lewis was impressed with Bell's quick and professional detective work. He was a natural.
Nurse Peters and Montgomery looked at the photograph, "Could be, but I can't swear."
Mindy pulled hard on her lead and barked toward the city park across the street. She pulled and clawed toward the street. Yulissa Montgomery held the barking dog back.
PC Bell and Lewis looked at each other, without a word Lewis grabbed the leash and Bell, Lewis and Mindy raced across the street dodging traffic toward the park. Yulissa and Faye followed the trio a little more cautiously.
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"No James, I've been thinking of ways to make you pay for killing Cynthia," Fitzroy took a small knife from his pocket and toyed with the blade. "It's your fault she's dead, James. I liked Cynthia. I liked her a lot. We were planning on spending the rest of our lives together, until you showed up." He held the knife to James' face.
James' breath caught in his throat when he felt the cold sharp blade against his cheek. He could feel the metal digging into his face. Fitzroy played with the knife on James' face drawing blood.
"There, I think that makes you look better," he told James. "When I'm done, the ladies will not even give you a second look." He roughly removed the collar around James' neck and held the bloody knife to his throat.
"Maybe I will end it quickly for you. Naaaa, I want to play longer, James," the sadistic voice whispered into James' ear. "Yes, James, oh yes!" His voice was deep with passion as he slowly pulled the blade across James' throat. Deep enough to bleed, but not to kill.
James felt blood dripping from his face and neck wounds. He held his breath waiting for the final stab, but Fitzroy kept playing his games. "Kill me, you bastard," James grunted through clinched teeth. "What are you waiting for?"
"No!" Fitzroy yelled as he pulled the knife quickly from James. "You don't tell me what to do. I know what needs to be done. I know what I need to do. Cynthia told me what to do."
James was confused, "I told you. You killed Cynthia. She can't tell you to do anything."
"Oh, but you're wrong, as usual. She talks to me all the time," Jimmy held the knife to his forehead. "Cynthia talks to me all the time. And guess who else talks to me?" He waited for James to answer. "I said guess!" He stabbed the knife into James' thigh.
"AGGHHH!" James yelled when he felt the sharp blade sink into his right leg. "YOU BASTARD!" He rolled his head back trying to catch his breath. Sharp burning pain shot through his leg, causing his whole body to shake. He grabbed the knife with his hand.
"I SAID TO GUESS?" Fitzroy twisted the knife out, cutting James' hand. He held the blood dripping blade to James' mouth. "Tell me or I'll cut your tongue out!"
"Glasgow!" he hissed through the pain. "You killed Glasgow and now he's talking to you. You kill me then I get to talk to you, too." James clinched his teeth tightly trying to push the pain away.
Fitzroy jumped away from James and paced around. "No. No, I don't want that," Fitzroy put his hands up to his head to massage his temples. "If I kill you, then you and Cynthia would get back together. She'll always be talking to you and never to me." The sick man paced.
"I got it," he triumphantly held the knife high above his head and slowly pointed the bloody blade toward James. "I'll make you suffer everyday. Then you'll remember me everyday. You'll never forget what you made me do to Cynthia, to Glasgow and to you." He walked slowly toward James aiming the knife.
James could not see the knife, but he could see Fitzroy approaching. He could see he had something in his hand. James pushed back into the wheelchair trying to stay away from the crazed mad man. He closed his eye not wanting to see anymore.
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Mindy pulled and raced toward a tall row of hedges. Lewis could hear shouting, but he could not tell the direction the angry voices were coming from. He let the dog lead the way, hoping she knew where to go.
They weaved through the thick hedgerow and squeezed through an opening. Lewis and Bell stopped when they saw a man waving a knife toward James. Lewis signal to Bell, however Bell was all ready sending a text message to Chief Innocent and MacGim.
Mindy hunched down and quietly waited. She kept her eyes on the man with the knife. She knew he was bad, she knew she needed to help her friend. Lewis dropped the leash allowing Mindy to crawl slowly forward waiting for the right moment to attack.
Lewis quietly stepped closer to James. He could see the knife was now held against James' face.
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Fitzroy grabbed James' face roughly. "Open your eyes. I want you to see this coming," Fitzroy yelled. "I want you to remember this day, everyday for the rest of your miserable life."
"I'm blind, you bastard," James snapped back.
Fitzroy released his grip, "What?" He waved his hands in front of James' eyes. "You mean to tell me you can't see?" James nodded his head, afraid to speak. "Ha ha ha ha ha! So, I'm too late for your eyes. Humm, how about your ears? Maybe your tongue?" Fitzroy approached James holding the blade firmly in his right hand.
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"James! James!," Lewis held his partner's face. "James open your eyes." He called to his friend.
James waited for Fitzroy to inflict more pain. He held his breath waiting, not know what was to come. He could feel the man's hands on his face, he could hear him yelling.
"JAMES!" Lewis shouted. "Open your bloody eyes, man. Come on, it's me! James, it's me Lewis." He gently slapped James' face with the open palm of his hand.
"What!" Disbelieving, James slowly opened his eyes. He could see a fuzzy shadow, but he could not tell who was the shadow.
"James, it's me, Robbie. Robbie Lewis. You're all right, James," relieved to see the man finally recognizing him, Lewis cradled James' head in his arms.
"Sir?" James spoke around Lewis' clutching arms. "Sir, what happened?"
"Get him back to the hospital," Nurse Peters ordered nurse Montgomery.
"Go with her," Lewis pulled Bell away from Fitzroy. "I'll take care of him."
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