Chapter 24: Talks and plans
…
"Hi," Dr Loomis said when Danielle entered the therapy room, once again allowed to sit opposite Dr Loomis, not behind the glass. "Dr Stark is on leave so I'm here to help you in the meantime if that's ok?"
"Sure," she said. "No problem. In fact Dr Loomis, I've wanted to say something to you for a while, is that ok?"
"Of course. I'm all ears."
She chuckled. "Shut up," she said, blushing.
Dr Loomis chuckled back. "Oh yes of course, ears."
She took a deep breath. She hated saying things like this, but when she had to she did. In this case, she most certainly did.
"No one can hear us, right?" She asked.
"No," Dr Loomis assured her. "This room and glass are soundproof, even more so than your cell. No one can hear a word, I promise you."
"Thanks. Well…" she took a deep breath. "Dr Loomis, I want to say a very sincere sorry for the way I treated you at the beginning of my time here. I was bitter, scared and to be honest damn disrespectful towards you. I thought at first you'd switched to Dr Stark because I wouldn't engage with you, but now I understand it was purely because you have my best interests at heart. She's been amazing as have you, but I shouldn't have been so rude to you back then and I'm very sorry for it."
"Oh Danielle," she could tell he was smiling as he reached out and grasped her hand. Her affection for him intensified. "Don't be so silly. Of course you were bitter. You'd just attempted suicide following horrendous domestic abuse. Of course you were scared. Also," he squeezed her hand now. "I've had much, much worse, believe me."
"That's not the point," she said. "I was bang out of order and I'm so sorry for it."
"Not that you need this," Dr Loomis squeezed her hand again. "But its ok, I forgive you."
She smiled at him now, she couldn't help it. "Thanks, and I do need to hear that, it means a lot to me."
"In which case you're more than welcome," Dr Loomis gave her hand a final squeeze before releasing it. "Now forget it, it's all in the past."
"I really appreciate that, thank you. But if we're now going in to the here, now and future, my main emotion is anger. I can't believe he still won't leave me alone, even in here. Why? What the hell is he hoping to accomplish? Drive me to suicide a second time?"
"Which we both know he'd fail in doing," Dr Loomis said and she felt herself blushing. "Don't we? Plus, we both know why. Or rather, who you won't do it because of."
Her blush grew hotter. She knew she was bright red and so did Dr Loomis evidently when he quietly chuckled.
"Yes. He'd fail. But it isn't just because of Michael. It's also Charlotte and her family. I adore all of them, including Michael. I've realised I can't give up because of one fucking misogynist. That's what he wants me to do after all. Ok I'll have to be protected from him, but I'll be damned if I'm letting him win!"
"Good for you!" Dr Loomis said and touched her arm. "That's what we want to hear you say! That also sounds more like the Danielle before what happened."
She smiled at him. "Thanks Dr Loomis."
"You're welcome," Dr Loomis said again.
She knew Dr Loomis would've read her profile before she arrived and gained information from people who knew her, from doctors to school teachers. She wondered just how much he knew. As if reading her thoughts, Dr Loomis laughed.
"Don't worry, I just know about your education, a bit about your social life and so on. Not before Adam, however. Except from a couple of your college friends who said you got quieter and quieter as time went on with him."
She pulled a face. "Yeah, I wonder why that was."
"Well at least he's all over with now," Dr Loomis assured her. "You won't be seeing him again; we'll make sure of that. Not just us doctors, however."
She felt herself blushing again, knowing what the doctor was getting at. She couldn't help it.
"I don't know for absolute certain Michael will want to keep in touch with me when I leave here," she said softly.
"I do," Dr Loomis said. "Having seen the way he looks at you, how he watches out for you, I don't think he'll want you to lose touch when you leave. Whether as friends or…" He paused meaningfully. "Otherwise."
"That… That was another thing I wanted to discuss with you," she said. "My… Feelings for Michael."
"Yes I thought as much," Dr Loomis said and she just knew he was smiling. "Well go ahead. We have all the time you need."
"Will it sound…" she hesitated. "Weird if I start gushing about a masked, silent serial killer?"
"Not at all. Love is not a crime, you know. He's still a man. Even if I do think he has some…"
"Supernatural abilities?" she finished the sentence for him. "Yeah, me to. Having read about some of his kills and such, not to mention some of the things he's done since I've known him."
"Exactly," Dr Loomis agreed. "But to answer your question, no I don't think it's weird at all. In fact, I welcome it. Considering as you'll probably know, I've thought of Michael Myers as "evil incarnate for the last thirty-five years."
Now she couldn't help but grin. "Yeah, I saw that when I Googled him once." She drew quotation marks with her fingers. "I met this 6 year old child with this blank, expressionless face and the blackest eyes. The devil's eyes."
Dr Loomis chuckled. "Wow," he said, sounding impressed. "I had no idea my words would become so famous. But there you are then. So show me I'm wrong. Even if Michael's doing a damn good job of doing that for himself. That, Miss Hayward is all because of you. So tell me. How do you feel about Michael Myers?"
"You already know, don't you?" she was aware she was blushing again. "I can tell by the tone of your voice."
"Perhaps," Dr Loomis said, definitely sounding amused now. "But I'd like to hear it from you. How, exactly, do you feel about Michael Myers/"?
"Damn shrinks," but she was grinning. "Always want to probe inside our deepest thoughts and secrets. No wonder I always have a headache at the end of these sessions!"
"Ah, I know." Dr Loomis gave a dramatic sigh. "Isn't it annoying?"
She couldn't help but laugh at this. "Very, Dr Loomis!" She took a moment to compose her thoughts and then, finally started talking out loud about the feelings she'd harboured for the last few weeks, but which felt like forever.
…
By the time he arrived home hours later, Adam was tired, but ready to make his plans. His client had had a lot of little jobs which needed doing, some of which he'd only thought of while Adam was there. Lucky for him. Lucky for Adam too, considering he'd been paid a shit load for it. A day's work well done. Now he had enough money to get a real report on his property. Damn it he wanted one. They'd been silent for too long, since the text last night. That was too long as far as Adam was concerned. He was paying enough, he wanted answers.
But in the meantime, he had plans to make. Admittedly some of which would probably cost money, but Adam didn't care. It'd be worth every dime when they came to fruition. Although it was still relatively early, he ordered food from his favourite take away and once it had arrived, he sat down with his laptop and instead of loading up porn as he usually did, began work on his plans. The rest of the day was his now, so he had all the time he needed to make sure they would work, and that he got everything absolutely right. That was vital if he was to succeed.
…
"Well, I think… I think I love him. I've felt like this for the last few weeks. At first, I told myself that getting close to a man again was a huge mistake, let alone a masked, silent serial killer! And I was simply grateful to Michael for the help he gave me. When I first started feeling something a couple of months ago, I thought it was purely because he was the first man who'd been kind to me in the ways he had since I got here. So I was really confused. But I did want to make sure that it wasn't just because he and I were both locked up here and I wasn't just… using him if you like to get through everything. At first, I was genuinely happy to think I had a friend, a killer friend if you will," Dr Loomis chuckled. "And kept shouting at myself not to let a man too close. But then I found myself thinking, you can't love a killer, and that was when I knew I had to start facing it, the possibility I might be starting to do just that. But little things he's done for me over the last couple of weeks, yes like letting me touch his ears, holding me close at night and so on made it harder and harder for me to deny.
Believe me, while I was on my own at night I had a lot of time to think about it and always came back to the same conclusion. I was falling in love with and then realised I love Michael Myers. I wanted… Want to be with him. But I don't know how to tell him and also if truth be told, I'm a little nervous to do so. I know as well as anyone he won't have experienced love before either. Not even fake love like I did at first, before Adam showed his true colours I mean. So I want to make absolutely certain that Michael knows I'm not tricking or messing around with either him, or his emotions. I don't have a death wish."
Dr Loomis had listened in silence up to this point, but now he spoke. "Not that I believe for a second Michael would ever actually hurt you, but I do understand where you're coming from there."
"He might have done once," she argued. "I bet when he first saw me he thought about it. What a ridiculously easy kill I would've been if he'd got the chance. Totally blind, not able to see him coming, I'd be handed to him on a damn plate!"
The Psychiatrist appeared to consider her words for a moment. "Fair point," he said. "Which is one reason I was so angry with Joanne the first time you crossed Michael's line. I don't know if she told you, but I lost my temper. That, for me, is very rare indeed."
"No, she didn't, but I'm not surprised. I'm amazed he didn't try to kill me to be honest."
"If you want the truth, so was I at the time. But I have thought about it since, as I'm sure you have and come to the conclusion that it may have in fact, been your blindness that saved you. Your vulnerability… Got to him somehow."
She nodded. "I won't lie, I've wondered the very same thing ever since it happened. But then I told myself it was simply because we were surrounded by guards and that was why he hadn't at least tried. But then as time went on and he started… Looking out for me, I began to reconsider things. Like the time he wrote me that letter stating I was sending him mixed signals. I genuinely hadn't meant to, but I was scared back then and if truth be told, didn't trust men or even myself. I think that's one reason I spoke to you the way I did." She turned her head away in shame, but Dr Loomis touched her arm again and she looked back at him and smiled.
"Then when Jefferson made that remark about looking at my tits or whatever it was he actually said, and Michael tried to strangle him that first time, then actually did the second after Jefferson sexually assaulted me, I found myself wondering, why does Michael Myers give two shits what anyone says or does to me? But it seems he did. He smashed Jefferson's skull in to a pulp against his own cell bars after the assault for fuck sake! You can't get much more violent than that! Not to mention he didn't actually touch me. God knows what Michael might have done if he had!"
I then heard about what happened with Michael, Rick and Derek Chancer when Chancer tried to strangle Rick. How Michael knocked chancer out then carried Rick to the ambulance single handed. Still in his chains and all! Joanne told me the story a few days later and I think I know why she did. Because Michael was changing and it was apparently because of me. I'm not stupid, Dr Loomis. I can read the signs as well as anyone else. The Michael Myers you knew before, would not have helped Rick or done any of the other things he's done. But I still struggled at first to believe that was my doing."
"And now?" Dr Loomis asked.
She blushed. "Now, I am finding myself having to accept that it just might be because of me. The way he's protecting me and anyone I trust…" She paused. "The little things he's doing for me, I can't look at it any other way anymore."
"I'll tell you something else," Dr Loomis said. "He also apologised to Ryan for the attempt on his life and told him it would never happen again. He has also communicated to Rick that both he and Joanne are also forever safe from his need to kill. Now if that isn't because of you then I don't know what is. They were working here long before you came here."
She let out a low whistle. "Wow. That's…"
But she couldn't find the word to finish her sentence. Dr Loomis gave a quiet, "hmm," indicating to her he understood exactly what she was struggling to say.
"I want to tell him," Danielle said at last, after a few moments comfortable silence between doctor and patient. "I want to tell him how I feel and how serious I am. Even if he stays here for the rest of his life, I want to be with him, Dr Loomis. I'd visit him whenever I could and not go near any other man in that way. This is not just a… Smith's Grove fling if you like, it's real. I'll owe him for the rest of my life and I think he's stolen my heart. The only reason I say think is because it's only ever been done once and that turned out to be fake. But this? I think this is real. Unless Michael Myers is a better actor than I'd ever suspected, of course."
…
46:
…
Dr Loomis chuckled. "I know what you're saying and to be honest, I doubt that. The things he's done since getting close to you are too many just to be that of someone pretending something."
"That's what I thought too. Which is why I want him to know, somehow. I know you guys won't be able to provide a private romantic meal for two or anything like that, too many security risks with knives, candles and so on. They and Michael don't mix. I get that. But is there anything at all you can do? I want it to be special in some way if and when I tell him. I only say if because I don't know if I'll have the nerve!" she realised she was blushing again and didn't try to stop it.
"I want it to be special partly for myself I can't lie, considering how little romance I've had in my life, but also for Michael. To show him I mean business, if you will. That I'm not lying to him and mean every word I say."
"Hmm." Dr Loomis said, obviously thinking. "Ok, leave it with me, I'll see what I can do. While we're on the subject of you starting to trust a few men again, I heard about your date joke to Jack."
"Oh no…" she began, turning redder. Dr Loomis chuckled.
"No that was a good thing. Jack said the same. It showed all of us that you are getting there. When you first arrived, there's no way you'd have said that, is there?"
"Not a chance!" she said without hesitation.
"There you are then. I rest my case. Dr Stark heard it too of course as you were on the radio to her at the time and she said the same as Jack. That was a big step for you and well done for it. All three of us are proud of you. I'm sure a certain man named Michael Myers would be too if you told him."
She could hear her doctor's smile. She smiled back at him, feeling much more at ease now she'd finally got all this of her chest. It looked like she might have a chance to tell Michael Myers how she felt after all. I love a killer. But if she did, would she be able to say it the right way without her nerves and still slightly present fears of men getting the better of her? And if so, how would he react if she did? But she knew two things for certain as she finally left the therapy room at the end of her session. She was doing so if she got the chance and as for his reaction, only time would tell.
…
Three hours later, Adam looked up from his laptop's screen, a satisfied smirk on his face. Stage one was done, perfect. He remembered running his plan past Derek Chancer, still not quite able to believe who he was talking to.
"Make sure you use words you normally wouldn't," Chancer had said. "Like, abuse." Adam had gritted his teeth.
"I know I know," Chancer continued. "But think about it Mr. Dawson! If you don't, it'll be blatantly obvious she didn't really say it. You have to make it look as realistic and authentic as you can. Even if it takes hours. If you really want this to succeed, it'll take time."
As much as Adam hated it, he knew Chancer was right. "Alright, alright," he said reluctantly. "Does your iPod have an Email option? I could send it to you after it's done, see what you think?"
"I don't think that's a good idea. Given the fact they're still watching me and suspicious that my iPod is a damn sight more than an iPod. Use your own judgement, trust yourself. I'm sorry, I can't help you with that. That could get me caught faster than you could post it."
Adam sighed. He knew the other man was right, even if he didn't like it. It was certainly logic he couldn't argue with. "Fine, I get it. Sorry, I didn't think."
"That," Chancer said, a slight sneer in his voice. "Is obvious."
Adam opened his mouth, and then closed it again. Arguing with Derek Chancer was not a good idea. Not when he'd just asked to meet him hours previously. He didn't want that first meeting to be the last of his life.
Now, he re-read what he'd written for what felt like the hundredth time. It looked ok to him, as realistic as he could make it. Now, there was only one more thing he had to do to get this first stage of his plan's ball rolling. He opened his laptop's online store and purchased the app he'd need for this. He'd thought about how much money this plan might cost him, so far it was just the small price for the programme and the cost of a first class postage stamp. So far, so good.
…
Danielle sat in her cell as night drew in, waiting for Michael to return. It appeared the killer had taken a walk. If she was honest, that suited her just fine. Because it gave her time to get her crazily wandering thoughts in order. She'd already decided she wasn't going to tell him here, like this. Dr Loomis had told her to leave it with him, so she'd do just that, see what the doctor came up with.
She found herself thinking back to the rest of her session with Dr Loomis. It'd lasted three hours in total and by the end, she had felt considerably better. She may have meant what she'd said to Dr Loomis, she sometimes left the sessions with a headache, but this one she'd left feeling happy and like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Perhaps, because, it had.
…
"Can I ask you Dr Loomis, what did you find out from my college friends?"
"Ah! Now do you really want me to be the one to divulge their deepest, darkest secrets?"
She laughed. "Come on, spill!"
Dr Loomis chuckled with her. "Just that you were very outgoing with a love of music. It was your number one joy in life wasn't it?"
She grinned. "Yeah. To tell you the truth…" She wasn't quite sure why she wanted to tell Dr Loomis this, possibly because it was a good ice breaker? A piece of humour? But she'd started now so she had to finish. She wasn't the type to stop mid-sentence. "You know the band in the eighties tears for fears?"
"Yes," Dr Loomis said.
"They're my favourite band. Always have been. But my friends used to tease me and say I should make my own band based off them and call it either…" She blushed. "Cheers for ears, or here to ears!"
Dr Loomis burst out laughing. She could tell he was genuinely amused. She couldn't help but join him.
"Very good," Dr Loomis said. "I like that a lot."
She smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, so did I."
"Did?" Dr Loomis asked, of course immediately noting her past tense.
She sighed. "The friend who started it, Ruby, has turned her back on me. She's the friend I told Jack about. I'm guessing he didn't tell you? I appreciate him keeping my confidence. Anyway, she told me I should've listened to her regarding Adam and I didn't, so… She said I deserved what I got."
"I'm sorry," Dr Loomis said.
She shrugged. "It hurt at first," she admitted. "But now I know who the ones are who really care about me. They're the ones who've kept in touch with me. Charlotte, Sophie and the rest. They've called and texted me almost daily while I've been here."
"Well that's good. It is indeed true then when they say your true friends are the ones who stand by you when you're in trouble or difficulty?"
She smiled at him. "Yeah."
"Your friends, teachers and so on also mentioned you're…" Dr Loomis laughed. "Well one said warped sense of humour, another twisted. About how you can make jokes about your blindness very easily. Or at least you could, before…"
"Adam." She finished. "Yeah, I did. I guess deep down it was a coping mechanism. Sure I had days when I just wanted to cry about being unable to see, but most of the time it was fine."
"I'm sure you did," Dr Loomis said sympathetically. She didn't take it as patronising as she may have done previously, not from him.
"Thanks," she said with a genuine and sincere smile at him. "Adam made me really feel my blindness, if you know what I mean. At first he was all nice about it, but then as time went on, he started using it against me, if you will. Accusing me of not matching his clothes correctly by colour and so on. How I hadn't washed them properly. Or there was egg shell in his food which I had to cook; you get the drift."
"I'm sorry," Dr Loomis said again. "I don't know how he dared accuse you of incorrect colours. They're impossible for you to deal with that's just…"
She got the impression the doctor was truly angered by this. Now it was her to reach out and touch his arm. "If you want my advice," Dr Loomis said quietly. "Don't tell Michael about that. Especially the colours part. Not unless…"
This time, she didn't finish the sentence for him. She didn't need to. They both knew what he hadn't said. Unless you are really trying to get him killed.
…
Graham Williamson slammed the door of his little council flat behind him and headed straight for his small bedroom. He was tired and wanted sleep. He checked his watch and with relief, realised he was in time for the start of his curfew. The metal teeth of the tag cutting in to his ankle was a Dr Stark reminder of it. It was also the deterrent he needed never to commit crime again. Unlike most criminals, he'd decided to take the chance the courts had given him seriously. He should never have got involved in the first place. Just petty stuff, helping to burgle a house, shop theft and so on, but it had been a huge mistake. As soon as the tag came off in three months, he was completely turning over a new leaf and leaving the criminal world behind.
He'd just got in to bed minutes later when his phone rang. He hated sleeping with the tag on, but knew he wouldn't have too much longer with it and would never wear one again. His criminal life was over. Picking up his phone, he looked down at the display and sighed. It was Adam.
Graham hadn't seen Adam Dawson for at least a year. He'd of course seen his well-publicised domestic abuse trial and it didn't make him any keener to be in his company. Graham might not want to settle down with a woman and agreed they were great for sex, but that was as far as his feelings towards them went. Otherwise, he respected the female sex. He wasn't like his… Former friend? Acquaintance? Who took it entirely to the next level? Graham didn't condone violence against women. He might not want to settle down with one, but that didn't mean they should be hurt, hated and belittled at every turn. Adam Dawson was nothing more or less than an outright misogynist. When this had become clear to Graham, he'd cut ties with him. So former friend was probably the most accurate word to use to describe him.
Graham hadn't told Adam his views of what he was doing, but was pretty sure he'd made them clear by his actions. Actions speak louder than words after all. He'd stopped hanging out with him, meeting him for drinks and the rest. By the sounds of it he wasn't the only one. Quite a few men had. Not all men were damn fucking misogynists. He'd previously wondered if Dawson was mentally ill in some way. But his actions towards a totally blind woman had disproved that. As far as Graham was concerned, Adam Dawson was just a pure evil individual.
So why the hell was he calling him now? Surely Graham had made it pretty clear he wanted him out of his life. Graham had even gone as far as to delete Adam's number. But clearly, it hadn't been done the other way round. He knew it was Adam because he remembered his number. For a second, he considered ignoring the call but in spite of everything, his curiosity got the better of him. Sighing, he answered.
…
Adam really didn't want to make these next two phone calls, but he knew he had to. They were essential to his plans. He closed the document he'd been working on for the last three hours and opened the second. He glanced down it critically and then nodded. It was all perfect and ready to go, as long as his chess pieces moved in the way he needed to control them to do. That was all these people were to him as far as he was concerned, chess pieces on a board.
He'd considered only putting part one of his plan in to action, but he'd since decided that to make his point properly and completely, he needed both parts to be accomplished. He would set part one in motion first, but he needed to at least know part two would be possible at a later date, within the next couple of days if all went well. Picking up his phone, he dialled the first of the two numbers.
"We have no more news to tell you Mr. Dawson," said the child's voice on the other end of his phone, "we told you we'd call you when we did. You calling too much could be dangerous."
"It's nothing to do with that," Adam snapped. "I'm not stupid sonny. I know all too well how dangerous it could be. You haven't been in court for the last fucking week! No, listen. This is something else I need you to do for me. I'll pay whatever it costs, but this has to be done."
"Hmm," said the boy's voice, sounding more amused than anything. Adam felt his temper rise even further if that was possible. "No promises Mr. Dawson, but I'll listen at least."
Jesus! Adam was glad they weren't face to face, or he would, quite possibly, punch the little twat. Even if it turned out to be a huge bloke using voice changing software after all. "Fine!" He snarled. "Then just fucking listen!"
"Of course Mr. Dawson, but you know that'll cost you too, right? A dollar a minute? So it might be a good thing, for your bank account at least, if you start talking."
"Why the God damn little… Adam forced himself not to retaliate and clamped down on his anger. He knew that alright but this was urgent.
"I need you to make me a fake ID," he said. "I have the guy's picture and know someone who looks very similar to him. They don't sound anything alike and normally that'd worry me given she's totally blind and knows voices better than most, but she hasn't seen him for years and I highly doubt she'd remember his voice that well. His name's Alex Sparks, whose picture I have. They used to go to school together. I need my fake Sparks to get in to that nut house and give the bitch a message from me."
"You know of course how big a risk that is? If you're doing it just for your own kicks Mr. Dawson, I highly advise against it."
"That's my decision!" Adam snapped back.
"Of course it is," said the voice. "But I think it's a really stupid idea."
"I don't give a fuck what you think. I'm paying you so you'll do as I say!"
"Ok," said the boy. "Whatever you say."
Adam knew the little shit didn't give two hoots whether he was arrested, so Adam wasn't even sure why the idiot was trying to advise him in the first place. What was it to him? Probably some kind of issue for the criminal underworld. Well tough fucking shit!
"Can you do it?" He asked without preamble. "I can send you the picture, but I need to know if it's possible. To make it in to a fake ID I mean."
"Of course it's possible, Mr. Dawson. But it'll cost you and we'll need at least a day to do it."
Adam had expected that and in all honesty that was fine with him, it gave him a chance to implement part one of his plan. Get rid of the protection, then stir in the fear. Perfect. Adam licked his lips as if it was indeed something delicious he could taste on his tongue.
"Fine." He said again. "Can I have an Email address to send the pic to?"
"Yes. We also need the guy's date of birth and full name at the very least. Despite what you may think, Smith's Grove aren't stupid, they do check ID's. That's the least information you need. The more you can get, the better."
"Yeah whatever," Adam said. "Just do it!"
The voice passed him the Email address and then disconnected. Adam knew he'd now have at least another ten dollar bill, but God it'd be worth it. But now for this next call. This one was going to be a lot trickier and more complicated. Not only because of who would he be speaking to, but all the underlying issues between them. But damn it he'd help. If he knew what was good for him anyway. Adam had friends who wouldn't hesitate to finish him off if he didn't. If he didn't need him for his looks, Adam wouldn't go anywhere near him. But none of his friends could do it. They were all too tall, and muscular men. Only he would fit the part. He'd do it, because his life depended on it.
"Hello Adam," Graham Williamson said. He sounded tired. "Listen man, I was just about to…"
"I don't care if you were just about to fuck a whore," Adam snarled. "You'll listen to me Williamson or you'll regret it. I know full well you've turned your back on me after the trial, secretly love bitches I suppose. But you will hear me out, or be very sorry indeed."
"Why… What do you mean?" Graham stammered and Adam smirked. The little guy was always a fucking coward. At five-four, he was very short for a man and Adam had often teased him at school, as he'd spent his whole life small. But now, it worked to Adam's advantage. Sparks was only a few feet taller and he knew only too well things like that couldn't be seen in those ID cards.
"You know damn fucking well what I mean. I have friends, Williamson. True, real friends." He emphasised the last three words, so the other man could be left in no doubt what he was talking about, or who he was referring to. "Friends who'll beat you to a fucking pulp if you don't do as I say." Adam had always suspected Graham was scared of him at school and being so small, didn't dare argue with any of the other boys. This was only confirmed when he spoke again. His voice was shaking for one thing.
"What do you want from me?"
Adam knew Graham had dabbled in petty crime; he'd heard it through the grape vine. But he also knew the little twat would never tell him about it. He also would bet on Graham wanting to put it behind him and was regretting his mistake. Hell he'd probably been persuaded, in inverted commas, by taller men to do it in the first place.
"I want you to go in to a secure location with a fake ID, and pass a message on for me."
"Why me?"
"I'm coming to that you fucking dwarf! Because you look like the man whose ID I'm using. Remember Alex Sparks, Williamson?"
"Alex… Alex Sparks? I don't look anything like him."
"Yes you fucking do, don't try and worm your way out of this! He's only a few inches taller than you. So listen up or else. You're going in to Smith's Grove Asylum with his ID and you're going to pass on a message to my blind, nutty ex."
"Um," Graham said and to Adam's anger, he almost sounded defiant now. "Think again Adam. I don't sound anything like Sparks. Danielle will be the first to realise that within seconds, duh! Voices are her way of looking! Surely you know that?"
"Fuck she will! She hasn't seen, yes fucking seen, and Sparks for years. There's no way she'll remember his voice well enough to realise it's not him!"
"I think you're under estimating her," Graham said quietly. "Badly, actually. I think you're very, very wrong about that."
"Well that's irrelevant to you," Adam snarled. "This is my decision and you'll do it, or else."
"Or else what?" Williamson asked, anger flaring up now. "There's no fucking way I'm going to go in there and trick her for your sick games, Dawson! What you did to her was fucking horrific! I saw the whole trial, you know! Her and Charlotte Avery! You deserved everything you got and I could tell that judge wanted nothing more than to lock you up and throw away the key! I wish she fucking had! I hate you for the way you treat women! They deserve respect, certainly more than you give them, asshole! That's why I turned my back on you! You're a fucking evil misogynist and I'll be damned if I'll help feed your fucking sexual kicks! Get someone else to do it, because I sure as fuck am not!"
It took Adam a few seconds to speak following Graham's rant. Anger was surging through him. The God damn fucking… Adam was tempted to get his friends to beat the dwarf up just for his daring to speak against him. No one spoke out against Adam Dawson, no fucking one! Man or woman! He took a breath and forced himself to calm down.
"That," he said very quietly, his voice dangerous. "Is where you're wrong, Williamson. You will do it, or you'll lose your sorry excuse for a life. I know people, Williamson. People who'd gladly kill you at the drop of a hat. Remember Ray? Tony? Much taller than you for a start and who hate your fucking guts? Oh they remember you, Graham. They'd be more than happy to see you bleeding out on the floor! You know, originally I was going to offer you money for this. But now? You can forget all about that! If you want to keep your life, whatever little there is of it with your so-called criminal exploits, oh yes I know all about that, then you'll God Damn do this?"
"I don't want your fucking dirty money," Graham snapped. "But I'm not doing it! No fucking way!"
Adam faked sadness. "Then I hope you've got your funeral prepared Williamson, you'll need it."
…
Graham Williamson hardly slept that night. This time however, it had nothing to do with the metal teeth of the ankle cuff from his tag digging in to his flesh. No, it had everything to do with that evil prick Dawson and the phone call he'd just taken. He had no doubt Dawson would carry out his threats without hesitation, or get someone else to do so on his behalf. If he could treat a blind woman the way he had without a care in the world for her wellbeing, then Graham was such an easy target it was almost laughable.
He knew he had to do something to appease Dawson, at least until the son of a bitch was arrested for good that was, but to go in and trick a totally blind woman? Graham didn't have the stomach, conscience, or morals for that. So he'd have to think of something which could get him in to Smith's Grove, yes he'd take the fake ID if he had to, and he could then warn the doctors of what Adam had actually said.
He smiled a little to himself. Oh the irony! From petty crime to being the Good Samaritan… But he knew which option he preferred. He wouldn't have got in to crime at all if he hadn't been forced by two much taller and stronger men than he. And that was only because he'd been able to fit through a window due to his height.
Sighing, Graham looked at his clock. It was 2AM. But at least now he had an idea of what he was going to do. Take the ID, get in to Smith's Grove, though part of him hoped the ID check failed and he was escorted out, and then tell someone what Adam had said. Not her though. He was determined on that. She'd been through enough because of that bastard Dawson, and he wasn't going to add any more to it. Satisfied, he at last managed to close his eyes. But it was still a long time before he actually fell asleep.