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Chapter or Story
Legal disclaimer: The recognizable characters of the TV-show 'The Pretender' don't belong to me but to MTM, NBC Television and 20th Century Fox. I just borrowed them. Every other character does belong to me. This story was only written and published for my pleasure and that of other fans. I don't pursue any financial interests whatsoever.
Once again I'd like to thank my beta readers, Nicolette and everyone out there who keeps me going.
Spoilers: Up to season 3.
Author's note: I guess this part of the story requires some kind of warning. This isn't easy since I don't want to give anything away in advance but - *sigh* - here you go. Insights 2 contains one scene in particular that might be thought to be offensive by some people. It deals with thoughts about rape, violence and incest, though there definitely isn't anything graphic. You've been warned, now go on reading!
The story: Miss Parker reveals the secret of Pendleton Heights, stumbling deeper into a family secret than she could have ever wished for...
There's nothing an author loves better than getting feedback - so please let me know what you think about this story!
Insights
Part 2
by Miss Bit
Pendleton Heights, GB
The next day
09:12 am
The dark car slowly rolled up the driveway. Large oaks surrounded the long, winding gravel way, and the sunlight formed interesting patterns on the ground.
Miss Parker saw none of it. She was thinking about the sign she had seen at the driveway. Pendleton Heights was a psychiatric clinic. That alone wasn't enough to worry her, but together with the memory of why this place seemed so familiar to her it was more than enough to alarm her.
The name of this clinic had been used during a conversation between Lyle and their father. She'd happened to hear just the end of it. Their father had been very upset, but Lyle hadn't seemed to take the whole matter seriously at all. Daddy had demanded that something like that would never happen again, and Lyle had been more than ready to give in to him. Though he hadn't promised anything.
Miss Parker wondered how this place could be connected to her brother's dealings and she didn't like any of the possible answers.
She parked the car and walked over to the large building that housed the clinic. From the outside it seemed to be very elegant and somehow didn't match the image Miss Parker had of a psychiatric clinic.
Broad stairs with three steps led to the main entrance which was framed by two huge columns. The big two-door entrance through which you could get inside was wide open and granted a first look into the clinic.
After having entered the house Miss Parker found herself in a gigantic lobby which was furnished elegantly and tastefully. All in all this institution looked more like a hotel than a psychiatric clinic. On the other hand no one would probably ever expect a corrupt research facility behind the Centre's elegant facade.
After a few steps Miss Parker hesitated and stopped. A presentiment had led her here. And now she wondered what to do next.
"Can I be of help?" a friendly voice suddenly asked from somewhere to her left. When she turned to that direction Miss Parker noticed a kind of reception with a middle-aged woman behind the desk, smiling at her inquiringly. Her mind was racing as she walked over to the reception desk.
"Hello", she said, still searching for a plausible explanation for her being there. "My name is Miss Parker. Is this the Pendleton Heights Clinic?" It wasn't a very original question but at least it bought her some time.
The woman behind the counter nodded friendly.
"Yes, it is. I'm Nurse Giffens. May I ask what brought you here?"
"Well, you know", Miss Parker lowered her voice a bit, "this institution has been strongly recommended to me. My brother had this terrible accident when he was a child. Up to now he was taken care of back home in the States but my father and I got the impression that he's not happy there anymore."
Nurse Giffens' face lit up visibly.
"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that", she said compassionately. "And now you've come here all the way from the USA?"
"As I told you, you were recommended to us by friends. I can assure you that there's nothing my father and I wouldn't do for my brother. He's like a big child, the poor guy."
"I'm sure he'd be very happy here with us", the Nurse quickly answered, now apparently scenting a big deal. Parker suppressed a smile.
"It's not a question of money", she let the Nurse know, speaking in a confidential tone.
"Of course not", the woman replied hastily.
"Would it be possible for me to look around a bit?"
"But of course, Miss Parker. Please wait a moment and I'll call someone who can show you around. Mrs. Whitlock, the manager of our institution, unfortunately isn't in today, but our personnel is more than qualified to show you everything."
The Nurse immediately put her words into practice, and less then five minutes later a young woman came down the curved double stairs that led upstairs to the first floor. Slight annoyance was evident in her face and Miss Parker concluded that she wasn't all that thrilled about Giffens' request.
"Ah, Nurse Travis, there you are. This is Miss Parker. She'd like to have a little look around the place. If you'd be so kind to accompany her..."
Giffens' instructions were more of an order than a request. Travis' eyes narrowed for an instant, then she turned to Miss Parker, nodding briefly.
Miss Parker returned the nod, thanked Nurse Giffens for her help and then followed Travis who was already halfway up the stairs.
"At present there are more than fifty patients lodged here, and most of them need to be taken care of 24 hours a day."
Miss Parker barely had any difficulties in finding out the reason for Travis' anger. The Nurse obviously had more important things to do than babysitting a visitor.
"Listen, Nurse, I really don't want to keep you from your work", Miss Parker said gently. Travis shot her a short glance and replied: "That's alright. This won't take too long anyway. Do you plan on lodging a relative here?"
"Yes, maybe. Are there any reasons not to do so?"
This time Travis smiled with amusement.
"No, this house has got an excellent reputation. But that has its price, of course."
Miss Parker had a feeling that the Nurse wasn't talking about money.
"I see", was all she replied.
Travis led her through the first floor. Every now and then Miss Parker felt herself faintly reminded of the Centre but generally the clinic made an outstanding impression. Lastly Travis led her into a large, bright room in which several of the patients were sitting.
"This is the recreation room. A lot of our patients spend almost the whole day here, because here they have the possibility to try out a lot of leisure activities. Besides they can meet other patients and make friends."
All of a sudden Miss Parker had to think of Angelo. He'd certainly like this place. At any rate he'd like it better than the Centre.
Suddenly her attention was drawn to one of the corners of the large room where a young woman was sitting, staring unseeingly at the wall. She didn't seem to notice any of the activities around her. Miss Parker briefly touched Travis' arm.
"Who is that?" she asked, nodding into the young woman's direction. For the first time the expression on the Nurse's face softened.
"Her name is Luca." She hesitated, then looked closer at Miss Parker. "You know, you do look a lot like her."
Travis' words hit her like a blow. Her uneasy feeling returned, much stronger now.
"Yes", was all she could say at first. Then she added: "Why is Luca here?"
The Nurse shook her head sadly.
"To be honest: All we know is that she's been raped. Since Luca was brought here three months ago she hardly spoke a word. The doctors do their very best, but unfortunately to no avail. Something horrible must have happened to Luca."
Miss Parker could clearly see the compassion and the frustration in Travis' face.
"May I talk to her?" she asked, driven by a feeling.
"Why? Do you think she'll talk to you?"
Miss Parker looked at Travis, touching her arm.
"Please, let me try. It can't harm her, can it?"
Travis returned her open gaze and after a while she shook her head, almost unnoticeably.
"I just don't know why, but you do look as if you knew what you're doing. So go and try. But be warned - don't you make it worse."
"Thank you, Nurse. Could I talk to Luca in a place that's a little more quiet?"
Nurse Travis sighed.
"Alright. Follow me, Miss Nightingale."
***
The small room Nurse Travis brought her to was as elegantly furnished as the rest of the clinic, but for some reason it looked more comfortable. After a few minutes Travis returned to the room. Luca was with her and still didn't seem to be taking any notice of her surroundings.
Miss Parker thought for a brief moment.
"Please leave us alone", she then asked. Travis shortly glanced at her. She looked as though she wanted to say something but then thought better of it. Without a word she turned and left the room.
Miss Parker looked undecidedly at the young woman who sat on the soft couch. Her instinct told her that Lyle had something to do with Luca's present state of mind. There now were two ways for her to find out more. Miss Parker decided for the easier one.
"Hello, Luca", she said as softly as she could. Luca didn't show any visible reaction.
"My name is Miss Parker", she added, then she shook her head. "But you can call me Marine." Still no reaction.
"I believe we've got a common acquaintance." She hesitated for a moment because she had no idea how Luca would react to her next words. "His name is Lyle."
For a moment there was sheer horror in Luca's eyes. The young woman uttered a hoarse scream, then lifted her arms before her face in a defensive gesture.
"Be calm, Luca. He's not here. You are safe from him. I'm sorry." Miss Parker did her best to calm Luca down. At any rate she now knew for sure that Lyle was behind it all.
Luca's reaction had made it clear that Miss Parker couldn't proceed like that. So there only was the other way left. She briefly closed her eyes in order to concentrate and to convince herself she was doing the right thing. Up to now she'd always shrunk back from using her new talents.
But this was an emergency. Perhaps she'd be able to help Luca by finding out what had happened to her. Besides she felt at least partly responsible for the state Luca was in because her brother was involved in the matter.
"It's alright, Luca. Relax," she murmured soothingly, sitting down next to her on the couch. By now she knew better what to do. Since her first sim she had worked on her technique, mostly to protect herself from her own reactions.
Slowly she increased her concentration, focusing further and further on Luca, trying to get a feeling for her.
The flaring up of the first strange memory was a shock - just like the first time. With all her self control Miss Parker forced herself not to shut her mind off from it.
Lyle's face appeared before her inner eye, smiling, charming. She sensed that he'd appealed to Luca. But unlike Luca she saw behind the facade, discovering Lyle's calculating dangerousness there.
The next scene unfolded before her. Surprised, she realized that Lyle had courted Luca rather zealously. She couldn't help wondering why.
The more time passed the faster the single memories followed each other. Often they were only fragments, single words, images or scents. Miss Parker sensed Luca's hesitating to remember anything more. She really wanted to spare Luca from this pain but there was no other way.
Bit by bit Miss Parker filtered any disturbing influences out of the stream of memories and impressions. Something entered her mind, getting stronger and stronger, but she couldn't grasp it yet. With a conscious decision she let go of it to get back to it later.
She didn't know how much time had passed when suddenly a veritable flood of memories stormed in on her. Miss Parker tried desperately to put them in some kind of order, at the same time trying to keep her distance, but it was no use. It was already too late, she had already focused too much upon Luca, but only that way she could penetrate to the core of Luca's trauma.
When it finally happened Miss Parker almost lost control. All at once she realized what had drawn her attention earlier. She didn't know why but Luca's memories weren't the only ones she shared. Somehow she had also gained access to Lyle's memories.
The images overpowered her. Only on the brink of her consciousness she realized that Luca withdrew from her and left her alone with the memories.
***
The room was dark. Dark and frightening. She was afraid. This was no longer the man she'd met last month.
He dominated her, he tormented her and he owned her. And no matter how much she wanted to she couldn't defend herself against him. All this wasn't just his fault. She had wanted it as well.
His body rested heavily on her. What he was doing to her had no more to do with sex.
At first she had liked it, but then, all of a sudden, he'd lost control over himself. Part of her knew that this was not the case, that he still was in control of himself. It frightened her all the more.
His breath was going faster. It wasn't her body that aroused him so much, she knew that much. They'd had sex before, but he'd never done anything like that to her.
Faster and faster he thrust into her until he was on the edge of coming. She wanted it to be over, but what she wanted even more was to no longer feel lust.
As he came he cried out her name again, the name of the other woman. Although she didn't want to she climaxed, too.
It took a long time until he finally rolled off her. Slowly, almost casually, his finger traced the line of her jaw. The look in his eyes filled her with deepest horror.
"And now... we'll have some fun together", he announced, and the chill in his eyes belied his gentle tone of voice.
***
Miss Parker tried to escape from the whirl of memories, but she felt another, even worse discovery waiting for her. She observed the following events from Luca's point of view again, but immediately banned them from her memory as well as she could. To her horror she then returned to the events in Lyle's house once more, and this time she shared his point of view.
***
Finally. It wasn't as good as in his imagination but enough to relieve part of the unbearable pressure. This girl even looked a lot like 'her', making it a little better than he had hoped.
She belonged to him, was helplessly at his mercy. And no matter how much she might deny it - she liked it.
Out of their own volition his thoughts returned to 'her'. Immediately his arousal intensified until every other thought had vanished from his mind. In his imagination it was 'her' who moved under him, took in all of him, followed his rhythm.
He could feel himself getting closer to his climax. Sometimes the thought of 'her' was enough... A low moan emerged from somewhere deep within his throat. Almost, he was almost there. He could almost feel 'her' soft skin, 'her' hands trying to pull him deeper inside of 'her', 'her' dark hair on his face... 'her' full lips, pressed on his again and again, 'her' tongue exploring his mouth... he heard 'her' low moaning which aroused him even more...
His climax was incredible. He came again and again, crying out 'her' name. All the time he saw 'her' face in his mind. He had to have 'her', simply had to, even though he knew that he couldn't, that he wasn't allowed to. But laws and bans had never interested him...
***
Miss Parker screamed as she tore herself away from Luca and slid off the couch to the ground. The waves of the orgasm she had shared with Luca and Lyle rippled through her body with undiminished intensity. Tears were streaming down her face. She cried for sympathy for Luca. She cried because the face she had seen in Lyle's memory had been her own.
It was almost impossible for her to regain control. More than anything else in the world she now wished she had never seen these images, had never looked into her twin brother's mind.
Nausea overcame her. She choked a few times, eventually managing to control herself. After an eternity she regained part of her self control. Luca, she had to take care of Luca.
With an effort she got up and pulled herself up on the edge of the couch. Luca had rolled herself into a fetal position. There were tears on her face as well. Unbidden memories of how Lyle had abused Luca after the rape flooded Miss Parker's mind. Miss Parker shoved them away forcibly. She'd have to deal with that later.
"Luca..."
Her voice sounded rough and somehow unreal to her.
In an effort to comfort her she drew the young woman into her arms, waiting for the sobs that wrecked her to subside. After what seemed an eternity to her Miss Parker suddenly heard a voice. Tired, she turned her head. Nurse Travis stood in the doorway, staring at her with an unreadable expression.
"And now you're gonna explain to me what the hell's just happened here, Miss Parker."
***
Langton Cottage
Scofield, GB
05:00 pm
"Marine, what a surprise! I hadn't expected you to return this soon. Hopefully that doesn't mean you're going to return to the USA anytime soon. Please come in."
Miss Parker gladly followed his invitation and went into the comfortable living room. There she sat down on the couch, waiting until Charles had taken a seat as well.
"Charley, I'd like to ask a favor of you", she then said.
"Of course. What is it?"
"I thought of reviving the past a bit."
The major straightened with interest, and Miss Parker suppressed a smile.
"In what way?"
"You surely know Pendleton Heights, the psychiatric clinic situated nearby?" When he nodded she went on. "Well, with your help I'd like to get someone out of there as soon as possible."
***
Pendleton Heights, GB
The next day
11:31 am
"It's been a long time since I've last done something like this", Charles murmured as he got out of the car and looked at the large clinic building. Miss Parker smiled at him reassuringly.
"It's really nice of you to help me, Charley."
He looked at her, grinning widely.
"Believe me, it's my pleasure. I only hope that I'm not too much out of practice."
Together they went up the three steps to the entrance. The big entrance hall was deserted, only Nurse Travis stood at the reception desk and looked up as the two of them entered the hospital.
"So you've really returned", Travis stated. "I hadn't really expected you to."
Miss Parker slightly cocked her head.
"I promised you I'd come back and explain everything to you, and I do keep my promises. This is Charles, an old friend of my family."
Charles extended his hand to her and Travis took it.
"Pleased to meet you", Charles said.
"Charles, this is Nurse Travis. I hope she'll help us once I've told her a thing or two about the backgrounds of all this", Miss Parker added. The expression on Travis' face was all doubt but she didn't say anything. The major on the other hand smiled, and Miss Parker thought that he suddenly looked extremely charming.
"Is there a place here where we can talk in private?" she asked Nurse Travis. The Nurse thought briefly, then nodded.
"For our patients' security most of the rooms here are being monitored, but I know a room that will suit us. Follow me."
At first she went to a small room situated right under the broad stairs leading up to the first floor. The door was ajar and Travis stuck her head into the room.
"Hey, Shirley, could you please have an eye on the reception for a while? I've gotta take care of some visitors."
"Sure, Jess. But don't stay away for too long, okay?"
"Thanks, Shirley."
Without a further word Travis turned again, getting on her way to the first floor. Miss Parker and Charles followed her in silence, exchanging a brief glance every now and then. At the top of the stairs Travis turned right, walking down a long corridor until she stopped in front of a small, massive looking door. After a short search in one of the pockets of her uniform she pulled out a bunch of keys. She unlocked the door, inviting Miss Parker and Charles in. Then she followed them, locking the door behind them.
"I don't want any of the patients to come in here accidentally. In that case I'd have a lot to explain", Travis said. Once again the Nurse took the lead.
Miss Parker looked around curiously. They now were in an old staircase which obviously hadn't been used very often lately. Unlike the other rooms in the hospital this one had windows which hadn't any grating. On the other hand these windows were too small for most people to escape through them.
Quietly she followed Travis another three stairs up, always aware of Charles' reassuring presence. At the top of the last stairs they once again stood in front of a locked door, and once again Travis opened it for them. Behind it was a small room which had to be a part of the attic. But although the staircase had seemed to be deserted this room looked like it was used at least every now and then.
Two worn armchairs and three old chairs were grouped around a rickety looking table. There was a large, round window in one of the walls. The glass of the window was almost blind with dust and dirt, but it let just enough light in to make the room look comfortable. Still Miss Parker thought that she could easily do without coming here at night.
Travis sat down on one of the chairs, offering a seat to Miss Parker and Charles, too. Miss Parker chose one of the armchairs whereas Charles remained standing, trying to take a look out of the window.
"Must be a marvelous view from up here", he said dryly. Nurse Travis chuckled.
"We don't come here frequently enough to keep the place tidy. But from time to time it's quite nice to hide from everything down there."
She tore her gaze away from Charles to look curiously at Miss Parker instead.
"I'm all ears", she said encouragingly. Miss Parker smiled slightly.
"Do you want to hear the short version or the long one?"
***
Half an hour later Nurse Travis pursed her lips, staring thoughtfully at the small table. When she looked up again the expression on her face was unreadable.
"This story really qualifies you for a treatment in our clinic", she then said.
"But it is true", Charles intervened for the first time. Travis only shot him a short glance.
"At any rate it sounds crazy enough to be true."
Travis slowly shook her head. Miss Parker looked her in the eyes, realizing that not only was the Nurse ready to believe them - she already did. She only needed a little more time to take in all of the information.
"You didn't tell me everything."
"No, just the most important things. The details aren't important now, but I'll fill you in on them later if you want me to."
The hint of a smile tugged at the corners of Travis' mouth.
"No, I don't think so." While she ran one of her hands through her short brown hair, Travis leaned back a bit. There was worry evident in her green eyes. "So you think your brother's responsible for Luca's present state of mind?"
Miss Parker sighed uneasily and then nodded, almost reluctantly.
"I'm afraid so, yes. But Luca's reaction hardly left any doubt about that."
"What are you going to do now?" Travis wanted to know after a short pause.
After a short glance at Charles Miss Parker leaned a bit forward in her armchair.
"I'd like to take Luca with me to the USA. A friend of mine, Sydney, could take care of her there. He is a psychiatrist and knows more about my brother's sick psyche than any doctor here. Perhaps he will be able to help Luca."
Again there was doubt coloring Travis' expression.
"And this Sydney... he's working for the Centre as well?"
"Yes, but that is of no importance at all. First of all he is loyal to his patients and definitely not to the Centre."
"Don't you agree with me that it might be dangerous for Luca to get her this close to your brother again? And it's not just the psychological effects on Luca I'm talking about."
"Your worry is certainly justified", Miss Parker admitted. "But I can protect Luca. Lyle will never get near her again, that much is for sure."
Travis slowly shook her head, apparently undecided.
"Hm, I don't know. By your own account this guy's more than dangerous. Are you really sure you can guarantee for Luca's safety?"
"Nurse Travis, there is no such thing as absolute safety. But I'll do whatever I can to help and protect Luca. I owe her that."
Charles left his place at the window, kneeling down next to Miss Parker's armchair. He put his hand on her arm.
"You're in no way responsible for your brother's deeds", he stated firmly, looking at her for a long time. Then he addressed Travis, a warm smile in his eyes. "You can trust Miss Parker."
The Nurse thought for a long while, then smiled hesitantly and, as it seemed, almost against her will.
"I do, even if it's crazy. But I simply can't risk Luca's life just like that, you see? The girl went straight through hell and she's got no one to look after her - except for me."
"So why don't you just accompany us then?" Miss Parker suggested, grateful for Charles's being near and his support.
Travis gave the idea a thought.
"That's not so easy... But probably the two of you have already worked out a plan, haven't you?"
Miss Parker and Charles exchanged a knowing smile, and Travis shook her head with amusement.
"Well, then let's hear it."
"Alright, it goes like this", Charles began. "First we'll have to..."
***
Pendleton Heights, GB
The next day
04:04 pm
Miss Parker walked up the short stairs leading to the clinic's entrance with Charles right behind her. They were both glad that Nurse Travis had consented to help them with their plan. Otherwise they would have had to work out another plan, thus losing precious time.
"Ready?" Miss Parker asked softly.
Charles shot her a short glance, smiling slightly.
"Sure. After all we're not dealing with the Centre here." He blinked and Miss Parker returned his smile.
"Then let's go."
Together they entered the large entrance hall. Apart from a Nurse behind the reception desk there was no one there, just as it had been on their previous visits. Nurse Travis had told them that this was part of the clinic's concept: The patients shouldn't feel like they were kept a watch on all the time. Because of that there was nursing staff only on the upper two floors, having an eye on the patients' well-being. All of the other rooms, including the main entrance hall, were monitored by a very modern surveillance system.
That was why they had decided to slightly alter the first plan. Since it would have been tremendously more difficult to get Luca out in some secret way, they had opted to take her with them in public. Miss Parker had taken care of all necessary formalities, and now everything depended on Charles's acting skills.
"Good afternoon. Is there anything I can do for you?" the Nurse at the reception desk greeted them.
"Hello", Miss Parker replied. "Yes, there is. This is Dr. Stephens, and my name is Miss Parker. We'd like to talk to Mrs. Whitlock."
"Of course. May I ask on which matter?"
"It's about one of your patients. Could you please ask Mrs. Whitlock if she can spare some time for us?"
"Please wait a moment."
The Nurse picked up the receiver of the telephone that sat on the desk. A few minutes later an elderly, elegantly dressed woman came down the stairs to the entrance hall. Miss Parker took an inconspicuous look at the clinic's manager. An aura of authority and self-confidence surrounded her. Before Mrs. Whitlock came within earshot Charles inclined his head towards Miss Parker.
"No problem", he whispered. "I'll twist her round my little finger."
"Good afternoon, my name is Cornelia Whitlock. I am the manager of this clinic. How can I be of help to you?"
The smile that she presented to them looked a bit too affected in Miss Parker's eyes and she decided to be careful with this woman. After they had introduced themselves, Miss Parker came straight to the point. She wanted to get the whole matter over with as quickly as possible. This wasn't the first time that she pretended to be someone else, but up to now she had never relied on her skills alone.
"Mrs. Whitlock, the first time I came to your institution a few days ago I made an outstanding discovery. You could almost say that I was terribly lucky - if only the circumstances weren't so tragic."
"I'm afraid I'm not quite sure what you mean...", Mrs. Whitlock said, slightly raising her brows.
"If you don't mind I'll go far afield. A few months ago, back home in the States, a horrible thing happened to a family who is close friends with mine. One of their daughters disappeared without leaving a trace, and in spite of an intensive search for her she was nowhere to be found. At first her parents believed that she might have been kidnapped, but when they hadn't received any claim for ransom in weeks the police dropped that possibility. A short while later the official powers declared that the girl must have run away and they stopped all active efforts to find her. Although her parents didn't give up on her and engaged several private investigators the girl could not be found." Miss Parker paused for a short moment, scrutinizing the clinic's manager with a penetrating glance. "When I looked around this place a few days ago, I happened to notice a girl that could have been her twin. To put aside all doubts without raising her parents' hopes I have made some inquiries."
Mrs. Whitlock had raised her eyebrows even further, and now she lifted a hand to interrupt Miss Parker.
"Well, Miss Parker, that all sounds a little bit..."
'Far-fetched?' Miss Parker thought.
"I know how this must sound to you, Mrs. Whitlock", she said aloud, "and I don't expect you to rely on my word only. That is why Dr. Stephens is accompanying me. He is the legal counsel of the girl's family, and he will be able to clear up the identity of this particular patient beyond all doubt."
Charles cleared his throat.
"Indeed I will. The documents I brought with me will underpin everything. Maybe we could continue this conversation somewhere more quiet..."
He reached for the woman's arm who seemed to be taken by surprise a bit and let her lead him to her office. Miss Parker glanced after them, then turned when she heard the sound of soft steps behind her. Jessica Travis joined her, coming from the Nurses' recreation room.
"How did it go?" she asked curiously.
"Mrs. Whitlock doesn't have the faintest chance", Miss Parker answered with a delicate smile. "What about you, did everything work out?"
Travis nodded contentedly.
"Yes. The boss wasn't thrilled about me wanting to take a vacation on such short notice, but he had no choice. It was the first time in over four years that I wanted to have some time off."
"Four years without a vacation?" Miss Parker asked with some surprise. Nurse Travis laughed softly.
"Now don't you look at me so horrified, Miss Parker. The shifts here are spread very comfortably, because there's enough personnel. We are entitled to several days off each month. The work here can be very strenuous, and the clinic's management is grateful for every Nurse who holds out here for longer than a year. I have accumulated more than nine months worth of vacation."
'Sounds somehow familiar', Miss Parker thought. 'Since Jarod's escape I haven't been on vacation either.'
"I'd say it was about time, then."
"You're telling me! Do you think it'll take much longer?"
"No, I guess not. The documents speak for themselves, and Charles promised to be extra charming."
Actually it didn't take much longer until Charles and Mrs. Whitlock returned. The triumphant expression on Charles' face said everything, and Miss Parker felt as if a heavy load was lifted off her mind. Now she could take Luca with her to the States, and with a little luck Sydney would be able to help her.
***
Langton Cottage
Scofield, GB
07:07 pm
"Hello, Marine. Please come in."
There was joy as well as grief in his voice. Miss Parker knew the reason for both; she was feeling quite the same.
"Hello, Charley", she replied before she entered his house. Without saying a word she followed him into the living room and sat down on the couch.
"When will you leave?"
"Our flight will leave tomorrow morning, about three o'clock. Nurse Travis has already taken Luca to London. I will meet them later at our hotel."
"So that's our goodbye", Charles sighed. "I am glad that you came back once more."
"You didn't think I would sneak away without saying goodbye, did you?" Miss Parker teased with mock reproach in her voice. But then she became serious again. "There is one more thing I'll have to tell you, Charley."
He looked at her attentively.
"Probably you've already found that out for yourself, but I wanted to be sure. I believe that the Centre is on your heels, hard on your heels. The fact that I was able to locate you confirms this assumption. You should be... careful."
"You were right. I did know that. Still I thank you for the warning, Marine. But there's something you should know as well... You've been only able to find me because I wanted you to", he said with a wink.
Miss Parker looked at him completely surprised for a second or two, then she laughed softly.
"Now I really do believe that Jarod's your son", she managed to utter. Charles grinned, then he rose and walked over to a chest which stood next to the fireside. He took something out of it. When he turned to face her Miss Parker noticed that he was holding a file and an envelope in his hand. He handed her the envelope.
"What is that?"
"A little souvenir for you. Open it once you're back home. There are some photographs in there - so that you will be able to picture your past again."
Miss Parker stared down on the envelope, nodding pensively.
"Thank you, Charley", she said with warmth.
"You're welcome, Marine. I only wish I could have done more for you. Uhm, I'd like to ask a favor of you."
"Of course, no matter what."
"You better watch out, an answer like that can get you into big trouble", Charles replied with amusement, but sobered up immediately. "These are some pieces of information for Jarod. I want you to take this file with you - so that I can be sure that he will really get it."
She hesitated only for an instant.
"Alright. I will make sure that he gets it. And that's a promise."
"Thank you very much, Marine. This is really important to me."
He gave her the file, too and watched her packing both items into her bag. Eventually she looked up at him.
"What will you do know, Charley?"
"Oh, I will move on, increasing the distance between me and the Centre again. That shouldn't be too difficult - fortunately these guys have become quite careless in the last few years."
"Will you ever return to the States?"
Charles shrugged his shoulders.
"I'd love to, as soon as it is safe again. Until then I'll prefer to stay abroad."
Miss Parker nodded sadly and rose.
"I see. But don't give up hope. Maybe you'll be able to return much earlier than you can imagine right now."
He looked at her attentively, then his lips slowly formed a smile.
"You're up to something, Marine", he assumed.
"Might be", she admitted. "But it's merely an idea. I will have to give it some more thought."
"Hm, now I'm curious."
"Just be patient, Charley. You will learn everything about it all in good time, I'm sure of that."
She looked at the watch that was hanging at the wall over the fireplace. Charles followed her gaze.
"It's time", he then said. "If you don't leave anytime soon, you won't be back in London on time."
He reached for her hand, and Miss Parker recalled the moment when she had met him in Scofield for the first time. Just a few days ago she hadn't even been able to remember the fact that she knew him. Still their parting was hard on her now.
"Would you please do me another favor?" Charles asked. Miss Parker nodded silently.
"I want you to give Jarod something else from me. Take your time over that one until you'll both be ready."
Before Miss Parker had any chance to ask him what he meant he embraced her and hugged her tightly. She understood.
"Take good care of yourself, Marine."
"I will, Charley", she promised, blinking back her tears. "I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you, too, but I'm sure we'll met again anytime soon."
Charles made a few steps backwards, smiling sadly.
"Goodbye, Charley. Thank you for everything."
"There's nothing you've got to thank me for. See you soon, Marine."
He accompanied her to her car and glanced after her for a long while after she'd left.
"I will always have an eye on you", he murmured softly to himself, before he went back to his house in order to prepare his removal.
***
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
The next day
06:49 am
A shudder ran through her body when Miss Parker recognized the outlines of the Centre in the headlights of her car. More than four weeks had passed since she'd left this place. Returning here was astonishingly hard on her.
But her working routine immediately took hold of her and she parked her car quite automatically. Before she got out of the car she allowed herself a resigned sigh, then she gathered her energy and got on the way to her office.
Miss Parker knew that there were a few confrontations in store for her, but she looked forward to most of them. Just one or two of them were a major headache for her.
The main entrance hall lay deserted in the twilight of dawn. None of the Centre's employees came here that early - unless their presence was imperative.
"Miss Parker?"
Without having to turn she knew whom the sonorous voice belonged to.
"Sam."
Only now did she turn, scrutinizing her sweeper with an uninterested look.
"Did you catch Jarod in the meantime?"
There was the faintest hint of a smile on Sam's usually motionless face.
"No. As far as I know nobody has heard of him in more than four weeks."
"Now that's a surprise. I guess it's about time for me to take matters in my own hands again."
Sam's only answer was a barely noticeable nod.
She went on but turned once more before she reached the elevators.
"I'm looking for my brother. Do you know where he is?"
"Sublevel 2."
Miss Parker snapped her fingers contentedly.
"A precise answer. Just the way I like it. Be at the ready, Sam. Hunting season has just begun again."
Without waiting for an answer she entered one of the elevators, pressing the button for sublevel 2. It was a short ride. Too short to contain the anger that was rising within her when she thought of Lyle. But basically that wasn't so bad at all. As long as she was angry at him she could at least not feel compassion for him.
This feeling for him was still confusing her. Everything she was supposed to feel for him was hatred and maybe disgust. Still she couldn't help feeling sorry for him. After all Raines had made him the monster he was now.
When the elevator door opened, she took a deep breath, reminded herself of her anger and entered the long, empty corridor. While walking down the hall she tried to recall what kind of research was done on SL 2. A few years ago there had been experiments with twins down here in which Sydney had been involved as well. But as far as Miss Parker knew these tests had been stopped after Jarod's escape.
Presumably Raines was now using this sublevel. Miss Parker frowned. In the last few years he had claimed more and more space within the Centre. Why hadn't she noticed that earlier? 'Probably because I didn't care about it', she thought. It was time for someone to put a stop to Raines' dealings. But at first she had to take care of Lyle.
Eventually she found him in one of the rooms which used to be labs in the past. Apparently he'd retreated to this place in order to... Miss Parker shook her head vehemently. The last thing she wanted to know was what he was doing down here. The sight of him was enough to rekindle her anger. Some of Luca's memories flashed before her inner eye. Without thinking about it for a second she walked straightly in his direction.
He looked up, astonished, when he heard the sound of her steps. His mouth twisted into the most repelling smile she could imagine.
"Hello, Sis. So you're here..." Lyle never finished his sentence, since she'd reached him, slapping him on the face with all her strength. Her hand hurt from the powerful blow but she didn't even notice it at that moment.
Immediately there was a dangerous anger flashing up in Lyle's eyes but she gave him no chance to recover.
"Hey, have you gone out of your mind?" he shouted furiously.
"Shut up, you perverted bastard", she hissed back, grabbed him by the collar and shoved him with his back against the wall. Then she rammed her elbow against his throat, hard enough to cut his breath off for a while, so that she could keep him under control. "You will listen to me closely now. I know what you have done. From this day on I will be your worst nightmare. If any of my friends feels threatened by you - you'll die. Same goes should I ever see you near my house. Think just one wrong thing and I'll know it. And should you ever try to repeat these things you've done to Luca, you'll die as well. But in that case you'll die very slowly. Got me?"
While uttering her threat against him she watched him closely. Though he tried to look unimpressed she could still see something flashing in his eyes for a moment - she really hoped it was fear. When he made no move to answer her she increased the pressure of her arm against his throat until he finally nodded.
"Good. And if you doubt that I meant what I just said... Tommy Tanaka and his family still have a bone to pick with you. It would give me great pleasure to hand you over to them personally and make sure that they won't settle for just one finger this time. I'd rather see you dead today than tomorrow."
Once again she increased the pressure against his throat, then released him abruptly. Lyle sank down, breathing in short pants. Miss Parker turned and walked to the door.
"You'd better leave Daddy out of this. At the moment he's gotta take care of more important things - he'd probably take hardly any interest in our sibling rivalry", she said on her way out.
Not until she had entered the elevator and the door had closed behind her did she take a deep breath. She felt an urgent need to wash her hands.
***
Sydney's office
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
07:59 am
A soft knock startled Sydney out of his work. He couldn't help wondering who on earth might want to talk to him this early. Maybe Broots had finally heard something of Miss Parker...
"Come in", he said, looking expectantly at the door. He could hardly believe his eyes when he saw Miss Parker enter his office. Only Jarod walking in the door could have surprised him more.
"Miss Parker!"
Hastily he jumped to his feet to get over to her.
"Hello, Sydney", she said with considerable warmth. Without further thinking about it Sydney pulled her in an embrace, hugging her tightly. She returned the embrace, much to his amazement. Their reunion seemed to make her as happy as himself.
"We've all missed you a lot", he murmured deeply moved, enjoying this moment a little longer. Then he let go of her, peering at her closely.
"I missed you, too", she replied, and in her eyes he could see that she really meant it. Confused, he shook his head.
"You look wonderful, Miss Parker. Your absence seems to have done you a lot of good. Where on earth have you been? We were worried that something might have happened to you."
Miss Parker put her hand on his shoulder.
"I was in England. I'm really sorry but I couldn't take the risk to contact you." She sighed softly. "It's a long story. But actually I've come here because my father wants to talk to us. Strictly speaking he only wanted to see me, but I'd like to ask you to accompany me."
Sydney couldn't help it - suddenly he had the feeling not to talk to the grown up Miss Parker but to the lovable little girl that he'd somehow always seen in her. He knew how absurd that was, but he was sure that she had changed somehow. And not to her disadvantage.
He briefly touched her hand.
"Let us go, Miss Parker."
***
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
08:23 am
Sydney was still trying to get some sense into the latest events while he was following Miss Parker to her father's office. Not only had she suddenly reappeared after over a month's absence she also seemed completely changed. He guessed that it might have something to do with the simulation, but he didn't know exactly what.
She entered the office and he followed her, eager to see what would happen next. Mr. Parker looked up when they came in, a mixture of impatience and anger coloring his features.
"So you're back again", he said without any greeting and without deigning to look at Sydney. Miss Parker's only visible reaction was an amused smile that only lasted for a split second before her expression turned blank again.
"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you anything before I left, Daddy. But I'm sure you've done very well without me. By the way, where's Brigitte?"
She briefly looked around, one eyebrow raised questioningly. An expression of displeasure crossed Mr. Parker's face.
"She is busy. Preparing the wedding."
The remark had apparently been designed to hurt Miss Parker but she only nodded compassionately. Sydney felt a mixture of confusion about Miss Parker's reaction and anger at how her father treated her. Mr. Parker had difficulties in hiding his surprise as well.
"If there's anything I can do...", Miss Parker offered but there was only casual interest in her voice. Gradually Sydney began to understand. She was trying to beat her father at his own game - and she was doing quite well. Mr. Parker frowned.
"I'm sure Brigitte is coping very well", he declared.
"Alright. So why did you want to see me, Daddy?"
"Because of Jarod, of course. The Tower expects to see some success anytime soon - and so do I. Your absence cost the Centre a whole month."
"I'm sorry, but I think I have to contradict you here", Sydney intervened. "As your daughter said we were able to follow Jarod's trace - even without her."
She looked at him with a warm smile. Sydney caught his breath. Unlike her usual smile this one wasn't merely limited to her lips but also reached her eyes. He couldn't recall the last time when this had been the case. It made her look exactly like her mother for a moment, made her emanate the very same warmth. But there was also something else, something that was uniquely Miss Parker and that he'd never seen before. It was something he couldn't resist and that made him return her smile with deeply felt warmth.
She turned back to her father and her smile faded to the same cold version he'd always used to present to her. Realization dawned in Mr. Parker's eyes. Suddenly he glanced at his daughter with the same possessive look that had caused Catherine so much suffering. His whole attitude changed. He had recognized the profound emotions that used to fascinate him so much in his wife but which he'd never been able to understand.
"Why don't you tell me everything about your journey, Angel?" he asked.
Miss Parker shook her head in regret.
"I've got an important appointment with the Tower that can't be postponed."
"Well, maybe we can talk about it tonight."
"Sure. I'll call you. Was that it?", she replied matter-of-factly.
"Yes, I think so."
"Good. Let's go, Syd. Jarod won't wait for us."
Without a further word she turned and walked to the door. Sydney took a long look at Mr. Parker, then he followed her. He really had to talk to her as soon as possible.
"Miss Parker", he shouted and she stopped. Then she turned to face him. Once again she smiled with genuine warmth, and once again she touched something deep within him. Even if he'd wanted to he couldn't have resisted this smile.
"We'll talk later, Sydney, okay? This appointment with the Tower is really important. Why don't you drive me home after I'm finished here? I have no desire to drive myself after the long flight. Besides there is something I'd like you to help me with."
He nodded, unable to turn her down.
"Alright, Miss Parker. Just say the word when you're ready to go."
Her smile deepened.
"Thank you, Sydney."
She turned and got on her way to the elevators. Sydney glanced pensively after her for a long time.
***
Tech room
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
02:34 pm
When she entered the tech room Miss Parker suppressed an amused smile. Everything was as usual, and yet she noticed many things for the first time. Broots sat highly concentrated in front of his computer, but his relaxed posture told her that he wasn't dealing with Centre-related matters. Sydney was skimming through a file, but his thoughts seemed to be miles away.
He didn't look up until she passed him on her way over to Broots.
"Hello, Broots", she said softly. "Did you miss me?"
She put one of her hands on his shoulder but immediately pulled it back when the technician winced at her touch, shaking her head almost unnoticeably. Not that she couldn't understand his reaction.
"Mi... Miss Parker", he stammered. "Uh... You're back?"
Deliberately she refrained from answering with a sarcastic remark.
"Yes, I am. Is there anything you want to tell me?"
"Uhm, no, I don't think so", he managed to utter.
"Must have been a very dull month", she muttered under her breath. Then, a little louder, she asked: "How's Debbie?"
Broots, who had heard this question once too often from Raines during the last month, reacted in an unusual intense way.
"My daughter has absolutely nothing to do with my work here at the Centre, do you understand? I won't allow..."
Miss Parker knew immediately what he was referring to.
"Broots", she interrupted him gently, "read it from my lips. How. Is. Debbie?"
Confused, he looked up at her, the first time since she had entered the room.
"Oh", he said, slowly realizing what she had meant, "you really want to know how she is. She's fine. She... has asked about you."
"Really? I'd really like to see her again soon. Tell her I missed her."
"I will", Broots assured her and stared at her as if he were seeing her for the first time. This time she allowed herself a little smile and then turned to face Sydney, who looked at her with a grin.
"Ready to go?" was all he said.
She nodded.
"Let's go. See you tomorrow, Broots."
"Uhm, yes. See you tomorrow."
On her way out she could hear Broots ask Sydney something. Sydney laughed softly and answered: "Oh, you can count on that, Mr. Broots."
In the car Miss Parker waited eagerly how long it would take for Sydney to give in to his curiosity. She didn't have to wait very long.
"You're probably not going to tell me what you've done in England", he said noncommittally.
"Would you be very surprised if I were going to tell you?" she asked him with some amusement.
He shot her a quick glance, then looked back at the street.
"Indeed I would be."
"Well, I'll tell you anyway. But not now."
Sydney chuckled softly.
"Alright, I think I'll wait then", he replied. "Then let's talk about something else. I've noticed that you have, ever since you've arrived, made no mention of Jarod at all. Is there a reason for that?"
"Yes, there is. During the last few weeks I had a lot of time to rethink my attitude towards him. He now occupies a different place in my life. But before you ask me which", she said and raised her hands in a defensive gesture, "I haven't even found that out for myself, yet."
He shook his hand.
"Miss Parker, you're surprising me", he admitted.
This time she was the one to laugh softly.
"I'm even surprising myself. You were right, you know. The simulation has really changed a lot in my life. I'm only beginning to understand what is happening, but maybe you can help me with it."
"My pleasure, Miss Parker", he assured her with determination, his emotions clearly audible in his voice though he tried no to let them show.
She briefly touched his arm, then suddenly her cell phone rang. Miss Parker pulled it out of her pocket, then activated the connection.
"Hello?" she asked calmly.
"What have you done to my father?"
Jarod's voice contained an aggressive tone that would have provoked her to a sharp retort in the past, but now she remained calm. His worry for his father was more than comprehensible to her.
"Hello, Jarod", she replied gently. She'd missed their conversations on the phone more than she'd care to admit.
"What have you done to my father?" he repeated, louder this time and with a warning edge to his voice. Miss Parker sighed.
"He's just fine", she answered and suddenly felt very tired. The constant quarreling with Jarod didn't only seem to be useless all at once, it also was extremely strenuous. She'd had enough of that, but she knew that it had always been her own fault. Hopefully it wasn't too late to change it.
"I don't believe you", he said agitatedly. "If you have..."
"Jarod, listen to me. Your father is perfectly well." Something occurred to her that would surely convince him. "I swear it by my mother's grave."
Next to her Sydney took a clearly audible breath, but he didn't say anything. Miss Parker was grateful for him restraining himself.
"Do you really mean that?" Jarod eventually asked after a long pause. He seemed to have calmed down a bit.
"Of course I do. You know how much my mother means to me."
"So you didn't go to England because of my father?"
"I went there to find out some more things about my mother. I didn't find the man who killed her, but I found a very good friend. Does that answer your question?"
"Yes, but..."
"Good", she interrupted him. "See you, Jarod."
She didn't wait for his answer and ended their conversation. The things she wanted to tell him couldn't be said on the phone. She needed to talk to him in person.
Sydney was looking at the street.
"Why did he ask you about his father?"
"I guess he knows why I've been gone for so long."
"So you've met his father?"
His voice revealed nothing but interest but it was clear to her how much this subject stirred him up.
"Mhm", she murmured and tried in vain to stifle a yawn.
"We can talk about this later", Sydney offered.
"I'd really rather do that", she admitted with some relief. "Thank you for being so patient."
"Comes with my profession", he reminded her, smiling slightly.
"Now that you talk about it... Do you recall me asking for your help before we left?"
"Of course. What can I do?"
Miss Parker sighed heavily. This subject caused her some grief.
"I'll show you once we've reached my house."
She fell silent for the short rest of the way until they drove up the driveway to Miss Parker's house.
"Home, sweet home", she said with a faint smile. After they had both got out of the car she turned towards Sydney. "We'll have to be very quiet so that we won't frighten my guest."
Sydney raised a brow inquiringly but nodded. He followed her into the house.
Nurse Travis was sitting in the living room and looked at them with a smile.
"Hello, Miss Parker."
"Hello, Nurse Travis. Did everything go well?"
"Oh, yes. Don't you worry."
Miss Parker nodded with relief.
"Sydney, I'd like you to meet Nurse Travis. She was a big help to me back in England." She smiled and then addressed the Nurse. "And this is my friend Sydney, the psychiatrist whom I told you about."
They shook hands, and then Travis stretched herself out.
"Since you're here now I can go and catch up some sleep. Promise to call me whenever you need my help, okay?"
"Alright. Thanks for everything", Miss Parker said with warmth.
"My pleasure", Travis assured her with a wink. "See you, Doctor."
"Bye, Miss Travis", Sydney replied and seemed to have accepted that he was getting one surprise after the other today.
"Have a seat, Syd", Miss Parker offered. "Do you want something to drink?"
"I'd rather have some answers", he said frankly.
"Don't be too sure about that. This isn't a pleasant matter. I'll need your help as a psychiatrist - or a friend of mine that is."
She sighed and briefly shut her eyes.
"It's a long, ugly story but Luca should tell you most of it herself."
"Who is Luca?"
"A young woman whom I've happened to met in England. Let's simply hold my new talents responsible for that. However, Luca fell a victim to Lyle's abnormal behavior. He and my father hid her in England to hush everything up."
Sydney looked at her, compassion evident in his eyes.
"Why did you bring her here?"
"They weren't able to do anything for her there. I hoped that maybe you could help Luca. I don't like the fact that she's so close to Lyle again but I saw no other way. Will you talk to her?"
He nodded.
"Is there anything else I should know?" he asked gently.
Miss Parker breathed out audibly.
"Lyle has raped her. I don't know much more than that", she replied after a moment. She couldn't talk to him about her role in the matter, not yet. First she had to begin to get over it on her own. Probably he would guess it soon anyway and then she would talk to him.
"Alright." He settled for her answer for now, even if he guessed that there was more to the matter.
"Thanks", she said simply, then she went to the guest room where Luca was sleeping. She approached the sleeping young woman carefully and touched her gently at the shoulder in order not to startle her.
"Luca", she whispered.
The young woman immediately opened her eyes, looking around agitatedly, but calmed down when she recognized Miss Parker. Miss Parker forced herself to smile gently though she was ragingly mad at Lyle. Despite the fact that she had shared Luca's memories she still knew only a fraction of the pain Lyle had inflicted upon her and that was still filling her with unutterably terror.
"There's a friend of mine here who wants to talk to you. Do you remember? I've told you about Sydney."
Luca nodded hesitantly and then took Miss Parker's extended hand. Slowly Luca followed her into the living room where Sydney was still waiting.
Miss Parker introduced them to each other and made sure that Luca could cope. Only when she was sure that everything was alright did she leave the room. She went to the bathroom, then put on her pajamas and made a short stop at her kitchen. There she turned off her cell phone and put it on the kitchen table. After that she took a brief look into the living room, indicating to Sydney that he should call her in case of any problem. Then, finally, she went to her bedroom and let herself fall down on her bed.
It only took a few seconds for her to fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.
***
Jarod had entered Miss Parker's house through the backdoor. Their conversation had been most unsatisfactory and he had come for some more answers. Although he wondered why Sydney and a strange woman were sitting in Miss Parker's living room he ignored this discovery for now and kept on searching for Miss Parker.
He finally found her in her bedroom. All his plans dissolved as he saw her sleeping in her bed. She was clearly exhausted but he hadn't seen such a peaceful expression on her face since they'd both been children. Jarod watched her, deeply fascinated, and decided to delay his search for answers for a little while.
Without thinking about it he approached her bed until there was no more than a meter between them. Jarod felt a strange mixture of regret and longing. Both emotions seemed to be characteristic for the relationship between him and Miss Parker but he could well remember the time when that had been different. They used to be friends and Jarod wished they could get back to that sometime. And maybe there was more between them, something of which he thought that she could sometimes feel it as well even though she would never admit to it.
With a soundless sigh Jarod turned away from the sleeping Miss Parker. This wishful thinking was useless - it only ever caused him trouble. And still he was not willing to give it up.
As quietly as he had entered her house he now left it again. He would find his answers, but not tonight. Tonight belonged to his dreams and hopes.
***
The first thing Sydney had noticed about Luca was her outward resemblance to Miss Parker. This had left him with an uneasy feeling, but he had driven it away to focus all of his attention on his patient.
Now that he knew at least part of the story the feeling returned, stronger than before and no longer as easy to ignore.
Sydney stifled a yawn and took a quick look at the watch. It was almost four in the morning. Luca sat opposite of him on the couch. She seemed tired as well but also a lot calmer than when they had started to talk as Sydney noticed contentedly.
Markedly slow, so that he wouldn't startle Luca, he got up and went over to the couch.
"You must be tired, Luca. Come on, I'll bring you back to the guest room", he said gently. Luca looked at him with those big dark eyes of hers for a few seconds, then nodded almost unnoticeably. Sydney couldn't help wondering if the young woman was ever going to smile again. Although she was strong Lyle had almost destroyed her. With a conscious effort he drove the thought away to deal with it later when he would analyze their conversation.
He carefully saw to it that he didn't get too close to Luca so that she wouldn't feel threatened by him. Lyle had taken the control away from her and because of that she now needed the feeling that she was always in control of the situation.
Sydney accompanied her to the guest room and struggled for a reassuring smile.
"Miss Parker and I are always around. If anything is wrong just call us. We'll come to see you in the morning. And now you should try to get some sleep, Luca. Sleep well."
Again the only answer he got from the young woman was a nod before she entered the room and left the door ajar. After hesitating for a brief moment Sydney went on until he reached Miss Parker's bedroom. He wanted to cast a look at her to make sure that everything was alright with her. Apparently she played a role in that matter as well, but he hadn't figured out yet what kind of role. Though he had a faint idea...
The bedroom door was ajar, and Sydney looked into the room. Miss Parker was sound asleep but to tell from the expression on her face she was dreaming. For a long while Sydney simply stood there and watched her, then he eventually returned to the living room. There he sank onto the couch. Although he was tired he didn't fall asleep.
There were too many things that he couldn't get out of his head. His thoughts returned to the drive from the Centre to Miss Parker's house, especially to Jarod's call. At last Jarod's strange behavior during the last days before Miss Parker's return made sense to him. Sydney was still hesitating to analyze his feelings regarding Jarod's father.
It had never been a question to him that he would help Jarod to find his family. Yet it was troubling him to think of Jarod's father. He refused to hold jealousy responsible for that - such a feeling would have been more than ridiculous. Sydney sighed. There still was the possibility to talk to Jarod about it. But as things were at the moment Sydney presumed that talking to Miss Parker would be the better choice for him. After all she had met Jarod's father. 'It would probably really be the best to talk to her first', he thought. 'That will give me the chance to clarify a few other things with her as well.'
He leaned back, closed his eyes and tried to get as comfortable on the couch as possible. Slowly all of his conscious thoughts began to fade as his weariness finally got the better of him. Only the nagging restlessness remained, causing him a troubled sleep.
***
Miss Parker's house
431 Mountain Spring Road
Blue Cove, Delaware
The next morning
08:13 am
"Miss Parker?"
The voice was soft and sounded a trifle worried. Miss Parker slowly opened her eyes. Sydney was standing beside her bed, looking at her with a gentle smile.
"Good morning, Syd", she murmured and his smile deepened immediately.
"Good morning, Miss Parker", he replied gently. "I'm sorry that I had to wake you up but if we don't get on our way to the Centre anytime soon that could draw uninvited attention to us."
She sat up in bed and looked at him, warmth shimmering in her eyes.
"You're right, Sydney." Suddenly she remembered something. "How is Luca?" she asked him worriedly.
He touched her shoulder in a reassuring gesture.
"She is as well as can be expected under the circumstances. We've been talking for the whole night. Right now she is in the guest room, probably sleeping." Apparently there was something else he wanted to say but he thought better of it.
"What is wrong?" she asked him gently.
"I don't know all of the details yet", he began hesitantly, "but I think we should talk about this matter soon."
She saw the worry and the warmth in his eyes and nodded.
"We will do that. I promise. And now... what about having breakfast before we leave?"
Sydney chuckled, causing her to frown at him questioningly.
"I still have to get used to your being so caring", he hastily explained to her. Miss Parker returned his smile.
"You'd better hurry that up", she said while getting up and putting on her bathrobe.
"Oh, I guess I'm almost done with it, Miss Parker."
"Good. Before I forget it... Please feel free to use the bathroom. I'll have to get a cup of coffee first."
Sydney seemed somewhat relieved, and Miss Parker suppressed a smile. Obviously he hadn't wanted to ask her about that. She glanced after him until he'd vanished into the bathroom, then she threw a brief look into the guest room. Luca lay in bed and was sound asleep, a relaxed expression on her face.
Next Miss Parker went to the kitchen. She made some coffee, then she picked up her cell phone from the table, turning it back on. A blinking signal on the display indicated that she had got several messages. Before she got any chance to take a look at them Sydney entered the kitchen. Miss Parker put the phone back on the table and raised her brows in surprise.
"Now that was fast."
He smiled.
"The last years taught me to get ready as quickly as possible after a sudden call in the middle of the night", he explained with a grin.
She shook her head.
"Sydney, not once have you been ready as quickly as that in all this time", she replied with amusement evident in her voice. "But I guess that way you've always given Jarod a fair start."
"You can't prove that."
Sydney was still grinning. Without a word she handed him a cup of coffee.
"Thank you."
Miss Parker nodded, then took a sip of her coffee.
"Ah, that's good. Now let's see if I can beat your time."
She went to the bathroom, giving herself a nice hot shower. After that she went back to her bedroom and got dressed. In personal best time she was back in the kitchen. When Sydney saw her he raised his hands in a gesture of mock resignation.
"Okay, you win. Would you like to have a toast?"
"Love to. I didn't know I had something left to eat here at all."
"Maybe Nurse Travis has bought a few things."
"Mhm", she made pensively, once again picking up her cell phone. There were two messages from her father, one from Broots and three from Raines. She pulled a face.
"Everything alright?"
"Yes, but apparently Raines is quite impatient. Besides I forgot to call Daddy back yesterday evening."
"Did you really *forget* it?" Sydney inquired.
Miss Parker looked up and met his searching glance.
"Must run in the family", she said softly.
Sydney slightly cocked his head.
"I don't think so."
She smiled.
"Good to know that."
Miss Parker got up in a graceful movement.
"We'd better be leaving now. Nurse Travis should be back any minute now - we should wait until she has arrived."
***
Outside Miss Parker's house
A few minutes later
"Sydney, I'd like to ask a favor of you."
He shot her a surprised glance. She was sitting behind the wheel, rummaging through her brief-case, until she finally drew out a single file. Silent, she handed it over to him.
"What is it?"
She smiled enigmatically.
"A piece of Jarod's past that I have found in England. I want you to give it to him the next time you see him."
For a moment he didn't know what to say.
"Why don't you give him that yourself?"
Miss Parker sighed.
"Because I'm afraid that he won't accept it if it comes from me. I have promised that he'll get it. Please, Sydney."
He nodded, though he didn't think her reasoning to be quite conclusive.
"Alright, Miss Parker. But there is something you should know... My contact with Jarod hasn't been very... close during the last few weeks."
When she looked at him he saw compassion in her eyes.
"I'm really sorry to hear that, Syd. But I'm sure that'll change soon. Still you are the right person to give him this file."
Sydney nodded. He was always ready to help Miss Parker - he'd always been.
Once again I'd like to thank my beta readers, Nicolette and everyone out there who keeps me going.
Spoilers: Up to season 3.
Author's note: I guess this part of the story requires some kind of warning. This isn't easy since I don't want to give anything away in advance but - *sigh* - here you go. Insights 2 contains one scene in particular that might be thought to be offensive by some people. It deals with thoughts about rape, violence and incest, though there definitely isn't anything graphic. You've been warned, now go on reading!
The story: Miss Parker reveals the secret of Pendleton Heights, stumbling deeper into a family secret than she could have ever wished for...
There's nothing an author loves better than getting feedback - so please let me know what you think about this story!
Part 2
by Miss Bit
Pendleton Heights, GB
The next day
09:12 am
The dark car slowly rolled up the driveway. Large oaks surrounded the long, winding gravel way, and the sunlight formed interesting patterns on the ground.
Miss Parker saw none of it. She was thinking about the sign she had seen at the driveway. Pendleton Heights was a psychiatric clinic. That alone wasn't enough to worry her, but together with the memory of why this place seemed so familiar to her it was more than enough to alarm her.
The name of this clinic had been used during a conversation between Lyle and their father. She'd happened to hear just the end of it. Their father had been very upset, but Lyle hadn't seemed to take the whole matter seriously at all. Daddy had demanded that something like that would never happen again, and Lyle had been more than ready to give in to him. Though he hadn't promised anything.
Miss Parker wondered how this place could be connected to her brother's dealings and she didn't like any of the possible answers.
She parked the car and walked over to the large building that housed the clinic. From the outside it seemed to be very elegant and somehow didn't match the image Miss Parker had of a psychiatric clinic.
Broad stairs with three steps led to the main entrance which was framed by two huge columns. The big two-door entrance through which you could get inside was wide open and granted a first look into the clinic.
After having entered the house Miss Parker found herself in a gigantic lobby which was furnished elegantly and tastefully. All in all this institution looked more like a hotel than a psychiatric clinic. On the other hand no one would probably ever expect a corrupt research facility behind the Centre's elegant facade.
After a few steps Miss Parker hesitated and stopped. A presentiment had led her here. And now she wondered what to do next.
"Can I be of help?" a friendly voice suddenly asked from somewhere to her left. When she turned to that direction Miss Parker noticed a kind of reception with a middle-aged woman behind the desk, smiling at her inquiringly. Her mind was racing as she walked over to the reception desk.
"Hello", she said, still searching for a plausible explanation for her being there. "My name is Miss Parker. Is this the Pendleton Heights Clinic?" It wasn't a very original question but at least it bought her some time.
The woman behind the counter nodded friendly.
"Yes, it is. I'm Nurse Giffens. May I ask what brought you here?"
"Well, you know", Miss Parker lowered her voice a bit, "this institution has been strongly recommended to me. My brother had this terrible accident when he was a child. Up to now he was taken care of back home in the States but my father and I got the impression that he's not happy there anymore."
Nurse Giffens' face lit up visibly.
"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that", she said compassionately. "And now you've come here all the way from the USA?"
"As I told you, you were recommended to us by friends. I can assure you that there's nothing my father and I wouldn't do for my brother. He's like a big child, the poor guy."
"I'm sure he'd be very happy here with us", the Nurse quickly answered, now apparently scenting a big deal. Parker suppressed a smile.
"It's not a question of money", she let the Nurse know, speaking in a confidential tone.
"Of course not", the woman replied hastily.
"Would it be possible for me to look around a bit?"
"But of course, Miss Parker. Please wait a moment and I'll call someone who can show you around. Mrs. Whitlock, the manager of our institution, unfortunately isn't in today, but our personnel is more than qualified to show you everything."
The Nurse immediately put her words into practice, and less then five minutes later a young woman came down the curved double stairs that led upstairs to the first floor. Slight annoyance was evident in her face and Miss Parker concluded that she wasn't all that thrilled about Giffens' request.
"Ah, Nurse Travis, there you are. This is Miss Parker. She'd like to have a little look around the place. If you'd be so kind to accompany her..."
Giffens' instructions were more of an order than a request. Travis' eyes narrowed for an instant, then she turned to Miss Parker, nodding briefly.
Miss Parker returned the nod, thanked Nurse Giffens for her help and then followed Travis who was already halfway up the stairs.
"At present there are more than fifty patients lodged here, and most of them need to be taken care of 24 hours a day."
Miss Parker barely had any difficulties in finding out the reason for Travis' anger. The Nurse obviously had more important things to do than babysitting a visitor.
"Listen, Nurse, I really don't want to keep you from your work", Miss Parker said gently. Travis shot her a short glance and replied: "That's alright. This won't take too long anyway. Do you plan on lodging a relative here?"
"Yes, maybe. Are there any reasons not to do so?"
This time Travis smiled with amusement.
"No, this house has got an excellent reputation. But that has its price, of course."
Miss Parker had a feeling that the Nurse wasn't talking about money.
"I see", was all she replied.
Travis led her through the first floor. Every now and then Miss Parker felt herself faintly reminded of the Centre but generally the clinic made an outstanding impression. Lastly Travis led her into a large, bright room in which several of the patients were sitting.
"This is the recreation room. A lot of our patients spend almost the whole day here, because here they have the possibility to try out a lot of leisure activities. Besides they can meet other patients and make friends."
All of a sudden Miss Parker had to think of Angelo. He'd certainly like this place. At any rate he'd like it better than the Centre.
Suddenly her attention was drawn to one of the corners of the large room where a young woman was sitting, staring unseeingly at the wall. She didn't seem to notice any of the activities around her. Miss Parker briefly touched Travis' arm.
"Who is that?" she asked, nodding into the young woman's direction. For the first time the expression on the Nurse's face softened.
"Her name is Luca." She hesitated, then looked closer at Miss Parker. "You know, you do look a lot like her."
Travis' words hit her like a blow. Her uneasy feeling returned, much stronger now.
"Yes", was all she could say at first. Then she added: "Why is Luca here?"
The Nurse shook her head sadly.
"To be honest: All we know is that she's been raped. Since Luca was brought here three months ago she hardly spoke a word. The doctors do their very best, but unfortunately to no avail. Something horrible must have happened to Luca."
Miss Parker could clearly see the compassion and the frustration in Travis' face.
"May I talk to her?" she asked, driven by a feeling.
"Why? Do you think she'll talk to you?"
Miss Parker looked at Travis, touching her arm.
"Please, let me try. It can't harm her, can it?"
Travis returned her open gaze and after a while she shook her head, almost unnoticeably.
"I just don't know why, but you do look as if you knew what you're doing. So go and try. But be warned - don't you make it worse."
"Thank you, Nurse. Could I talk to Luca in a place that's a little more quiet?"
Nurse Travis sighed.
"Alright. Follow me, Miss Nightingale."
***
The small room Nurse Travis brought her to was as elegantly furnished as the rest of the clinic, but for some reason it looked more comfortable. After a few minutes Travis returned to the room. Luca was with her and still didn't seem to be taking any notice of her surroundings.
Miss Parker thought for a brief moment.
"Please leave us alone", she then asked. Travis shortly glanced at her. She looked as though she wanted to say something but then thought better of it. Without a word she turned and left the room.
Miss Parker looked undecidedly at the young woman who sat on the soft couch. Her instinct told her that Lyle had something to do with Luca's present state of mind. There now were two ways for her to find out more. Miss Parker decided for the easier one.
"Hello, Luca", she said as softly as she could. Luca didn't show any visible reaction.
"My name is Miss Parker", she added, then she shook her head. "But you can call me Marine." Still no reaction.
"I believe we've got a common acquaintance." She hesitated for a moment because she had no idea how Luca would react to her next words. "His name is Lyle."
For a moment there was sheer horror in Luca's eyes. The young woman uttered a hoarse scream, then lifted her arms before her face in a defensive gesture.
"Be calm, Luca. He's not here. You are safe from him. I'm sorry." Miss Parker did her best to calm Luca down. At any rate she now knew for sure that Lyle was behind it all.
Luca's reaction had made it clear that Miss Parker couldn't proceed like that. So there only was the other way left. She briefly closed her eyes in order to concentrate and to convince herself she was doing the right thing. Up to now she'd always shrunk back from using her new talents.
But this was an emergency. Perhaps she'd be able to help Luca by finding out what had happened to her. Besides she felt at least partly responsible for the state Luca was in because her brother was involved in the matter.
"It's alright, Luca. Relax," she murmured soothingly, sitting down next to her on the couch. By now she knew better what to do. Since her first sim she had worked on her technique, mostly to protect herself from her own reactions.
Slowly she increased her concentration, focusing further and further on Luca, trying to get a feeling for her.
The flaring up of the first strange memory was a shock - just like the first time. With all her self control Miss Parker forced herself not to shut her mind off from it.
Lyle's face appeared before her inner eye, smiling, charming. She sensed that he'd appealed to Luca. But unlike Luca she saw behind the facade, discovering Lyle's calculating dangerousness there.
The next scene unfolded before her. Surprised, she realized that Lyle had courted Luca rather zealously. She couldn't help wondering why.
The more time passed the faster the single memories followed each other. Often they were only fragments, single words, images or scents. Miss Parker sensed Luca's hesitating to remember anything more. She really wanted to spare Luca from this pain but there was no other way.
Bit by bit Miss Parker filtered any disturbing influences out of the stream of memories and impressions. Something entered her mind, getting stronger and stronger, but she couldn't grasp it yet. With a conscious decision she let go of it to get back to it later.
She didn't know how much time had passed when suddenly a veritable flood of memories stormed in on her. Miss Parker tried desperately to put them in some kind of order, at the same time trying to keep her distance, but it was no use. It was already too late, she had already focused too much upon Luca, but only that way she could penetrate to the core of Luca's trauma.
When it finally happened Miss Parker almost lost control. All at once she realized what had drawn her attention earlier. She didn't know why but Luca's memories weren't the only ones she shared. Somehow she had also gained access to Lyle's memories.
The images overpowered her. Only on the brink of her consciousness she realized that Luca withdrew from her and left her alone with the memories.
***
The room was dark. Dark and frightening. She was afraid. This was no longer the man she'd met last month.
He dominated her, he tormented her and he owned her. And no matter how much she wanted to she couldn't defend herself against him. All this wasn't just his fault. She had wanted it as well.
His body rested heavily on her. What he was doing to her had no more to do with sex.
At first she had liked it, but then, all of a sudden, he'd lost control over himself. Part of her knew that this was not the case, that he still was in control of himself. It frightened her all the more.
His breath was going faster. It wasn't her body that aroused him so much, she knew that much. They'd had sex before, but he'd never done anything like that to her.
Faster and faster he thrust into her until he was on the edge of coming. She wanted it to be over, but what she wanted even more was to no longer feel lust.
As he came he cried out her name again, the name of the other woman. Although she didn't want to she climaxed, too.
It took a long time until he finally rolled off her. Slowly, almost casually, his finger traced the line of her jaw. The look in his eyes filled her with deepest horror.
"And now... we'll have some fun together", he announced, and the chill in his eyes belied his gentle tone of voice.
***
Miss Parker tried to escape from the whirl of memories, but she felt another, even worse discovery waiting for her. She observed the following events from Luca's point of view again, but immediately banned them from her memory as well as she could. To her horror she then returned to the events in Lyle's house once more, and this time she shared his point of view.
***
Finally. It wasn't as good as in his imagination but enough to relieve part of the unbearable pressure. This girl even looked a lot like 'her', making it a little better than he had hoped.
She belonged to him, was helplessly at his mercy. And no matter how much she might deny it - she liked it.
Out of their own volition his thoughts returned to 'her'. Immediately his arousal intensified until every other thought had vanished from his mind. In his imagination it was 'her' who moved under him, took in all of him, followed his rhythm.
He could feel himself getting closer to his climax. Sometimes the thought of 'her' was enough... A low moan emerged from somewhere deep within his throat. Almost, he was almost there. He could almost feel 'her' soft skin, 'her' hands trying to pull him deeper inside of 'her', 'her' dark hair on his face... 'her' full lips, pressed on his again and again, 'her' tongue exploring his mouth... he heard 'her' low moaning which aroused him even more...
His climax was incredible. He came again and again, crying out 'her' name. All the time he saw 'her' face in his mind. He had to have 'her', simply had to, even though he knew that he couldn't, that he wasn't allowed to. But laws and bans had never interested him...
***
Miss Parker screamed as she tore herself away from Luca and slid off the couch to the ground. The waves of the orgasm she had shared with Luca and Lyle rippled through her body with undiminished intensity. Tears were streaming down her face. She cried for sympathy for Luca. She cried because the face she had seen in Lyle's memory had been her own.
It was almost impossible for her to regain control. More than anything else in the world she now wished she had never seen these images, had never looked into her twin brother's mind.
Nausea overcame her. She choked a few times, eventually managing to control herself. After an eternity she regained part of her self control. Luca, she had to take care of Luca.
With an effort she got up and pulled herself up on the edge of the couch. Luca had rolled herself into a fetal position. There were tears on her face as well. Unbidden memories of how Lyle had abused Luca after the rape flooded Miss Parker's mind. Miss Parker shoved them away forcibly. She'd have to deal with that later.
"Luca..."
Her voice sounded rough and somehow unreal to her.
In an effort to comfort her she drew the young woman into her arms, waiting for the sobs that wrecked her to subside. After what seemed an eternity to her Miss Parker suddenly heard a voice. Tired, she turned her head. Nurse Travis stood in the doorway, staring at her with an unreadable expression.
"And now you're gonna explain to me what the hell's just happened here, Miss Parker."
***
Langton Cottage
Scofield, GB
05:00 pm
"Marine, what a surprise! I hadn't expected you to return this soon. Hopefully that doesn't mean you're going to return to the USA anytime soon. Please come in."
Miss Parker gladly followed his invitation and went into the comfortable living room. There she sat down on the couch, waiting until Charles had taken a seat as well.
"Charley, I'd like to ask a favor of you", she then said.
"Of course. What is it?"
"I thought of reviving the past a bit."
The major straightened with interest, and Miss Parker suppressed a smile.
"In what way?"
"You surely know Pendleton Heights, the psychiatric clinic situated nearby?" When he nodded she went on. "Well, with your help I'd like to get someone out of there as soon as possible."
***
Pendleton Heights, GB
The next day
11:31 am
"It's been a long time since I've last done something like this", Charles murmured as he got out of the car and looked at the large clinic building. Miss Parker smiled at him reassuringly.
"It's really nice of you to help me, Charley."
He looked at her, grinning widely.
"Believe me, it's my pleasure. I only hope that I'm not too much out of practice."
Together they went up the three steps to the entrance. The big entrance hall was deserted, only Nurse Travis stood at the reception desk and looked up as the two of them entered the hospital.
"So you've really returned", Travis stated. "I hadn't really expected you to."
Miss Parker slightly cocked her head.
"I promised you I'd come back and explain everything to you, and I do keep my promises. This is Charles, an old friend of my family."
Charles extended his hand to her and Travis took it.
"Pleased to meet you", Charles said.
"Charles, this is Nurse Travis. I hope she'll help us once I've told her a thing or two about the backgrounds of all this", Miss Parker added. The expression on Travis' face was all doubt but she didn't say anything. The major on the other hand smiled, and Miss Parker thought that he suddenly looked extremely charming.
"Is there a place here where we can talk in private?" she asked Nurse Travis. The Nurse thought briefly, then nodded.
"For our patients' security most of the rooms here are being monitored, but I know a room that will suit us. Follow me."
At first she went to a small room situated right under the broad stairs leading up to the first floor. The door was ajar and Travis stuck her head into the room.
"Hey, Shirley, could you please have an eye on the reception for a while? I've gotta take care of some visitors."
"Sure, Jess. But don't stay away for too long, okay?"
"Thanks, Shirley."
Without a further word Travis turned again, getting on her way to the first floor. Miss Parker and Charles followed her in silence, exchanging a brief glance every now and then. At the top of the stairs Travis turned right, walking down a long corridor until she stopped in front of a small, massive looking door. After a short search in one of the pockets of her uniform she pulled out a bunch of keys. She unlocked the door, inviting Miss Parker and Charles in. Then she followed them, locking the door behind them.
"I don't want any of the patients to come in here accidentally. In that case I'd have a lot to explain", Travis said. Once again the Nurse took the lead.
Miss Parker looked around curiously. They now were in an old staircase which obviously hadn't been used very often lately. Unlike the other rooms in the hospital this one had windows which hadn't any grating. On the other hand these windows were too small for most people to escape through them.
Quietly she followed Travis another three stairs up, always aware of Charles' reassuring presence. At the top of the last stairs they once again stood in front of a locked door, and once again Travis opened it for them. Behind it was a small room which had to be a part of the attic. But although the staircase had seemed to be deserted this room looked like it was used at least every now and then.
Two worn armchairs and three old chairs were grouped around a rickety looking table. There was a large, round window in one of the walls. The glass of the window was almost blind with dust and dirt, but it let just enough light in to make the room look comfortable. Still Miss Parker thought that she could easily do without coming here at night.
Travis sat down on one of the chairs, offering a seat to Miss Parker and Charles, too. Miss Parker chose one of the armchairs whereas Charles remained standing, trying to take a look out of the window.
"Must be a marvelous view from up here", he said dryly. Nurse Travis chuckled.
"We don't come here frequently enough to keep the place tidy. But from time to time it's quite nice to hide from everything down there."
She tore her gaze away from Charles to look curiously at Miss Parker instead.
"I'm all ears", she said encouragingly. Miss Parker smiled slightly.
"Do you want to hear the short version or the long one?"
***
Half an hour later Nurse Travis pursed her lips, staring thoughtfully at the small table. When she looked up again the expression on her face was unreadable.
"This story really qualifies you for a treatment in our clinic", she then said.
"But it is true", Charles intervened for the first time. Travis only shot him a short glance.
"At any rate it sounds crazy enough to be true."
Travis slowly shook her head. Miss Parker looked her in the eyes, realizing that not only was the Nurse ready to believe them - she already did. She only needed a little more time to take in all of the information.
"You didn't tell me everything."
"No, just the most important things. The details aren't important now, but I'll fill you in on them later if you want me to."
The hint of a smile tugged at the corners of Travis' mouth.
"No, I don't think so." While she ran one of her hands through her short brown hair, Travis leaned back a bit. There was worry evident in her green eyes. "So you think your brother's responsible for Luca's present state of mind?"
Miss Parker sighed uneasily and then nodded, almost reluctantly.
"I'm afraid so, yes. But Luca's reaction hardly left any doubt about that."
"What are you going to do now?" Travis wanted to know after a short pause.
After a short glance at Charles Miss Parker leaned a bit forward in her armchair.
"I'd like to take Luca with me to the USA. A friend of mine, Sydney, could take care of her there. He is a psychiatrist and knows more about my brother's sick psyche than any doctor here. Perhaps he will be able to help Luca."
Again there was doubt coloring Travis' expression.
"And this Sydney... he's working for the Centre as well?"
"Yes, but that is of no importance at all. First of all he is loyal to his patients and definitely not to the Centre."
"Don't you agree with me that it might be dangerous for Luca to get her this close to your brother again? And it's not just the psychological effects on Luca I'm talking about."
"Your worry is certainly justified", Miss Parker admitted. "But I can protect Luca. Lyle will never get near her again, that much is for sure."
Travis slowly shook her head, apparently undecided.
"Hm, I don't know. By your own account this guy's more than dangerous. Are you really sure you can guarantee for Luca's safety?"
"Nurse Travis, there is no such thing as absolute safety. But I'll do whatever I can to help and protect Luca. I owe her that."
Charles left his place at the window, kneeling down next to Miss Parker's armchair. He put his hand on her arm.
"You're in no way responsible for your brother's deeds", he stated firmly, looking at her for a long time. Then he addressed Travis, a warm smile in his eyes. "You can trust Miss Parker."
The Nurse thought for a long while, then smiled hesitantly and, as it seemed, almost against her will.
"I do, even if it's crazy. But I simply can't risk Luca's life just like that, you see? The girl went straight through hell and she's got no one to look after her - except for me."
"So why don't you just accompany us then?" Miss Parker suggested, grateful for Charles's being near and his support.
Travis gave the idea a thought.
"That's not so easy... But probably the two of you have already worked out a plan, haven't you?"
Miss Parker and Charles exchanged a knowing smile, and Travis shook her head with amusement.
"Well, then let's hear it."
"Alright, it goes like this", Charles began. "First we'll have to..."
***
Pendleton Heights, GB
The next day
04:04 pm
Miss Parker walked up the short stairs leading to the clinic's entrance with Charles right behind her. They were both glad that Nurse Travis had consented to help them with their plan. Otherwise they would have had to work out another plan, thus losing precious time.
"Ready?" Miss Parker asked softly.
Charles shot her a short glance, smiling slightly.
"Sure. After all we're not dealing with the Centre here." He blinked and Miss Parker returned his smile.
"Then let's go."
Together they entered the large entrance hall. Apart from a Nurse behind the reception desk there was no one there, just as it had been on their previous visits. Nurse Travis had told them that this was part of the clinic's concept: The patients shouldn't feel like they were kept a watch on all the time. Because of that there was nursing staff only on the upper two floors, having an eye on the patients' well-being. All of the other rooms, including the main entrance hall, were monitored by a very modern surveillance system.
That was why they had decided to slightly alter the first plan. Since it would have been tremendously more difficult to get Luca out in some secret way, they had opted to take her with them in public. Miss Parker had taken care of all necessary formalities, and now everything depended on Charles's acting skills.
"Good afternoon. Is there anything I can do for you?" the Nurse at the reception desk greeted them.
"Hello", Miss Parker replied. "Yes, there is. This is Dr. Stephens, and my name is Miss Parker. We'd like to talk to Mrs. Whitlock."
"Of course. May I ask on which matter?"
"It's about one of your patients. Could you please ask Mrs. Whitlock if she can spare some time for us?"
"Please wait a moment."
The Nurse picked up the receiver of the telephone that sat on the desk. A few minutes later an elderly, elegantly dressed woman came down the stairs to the entrance hall. Miss Parker took an inconspicuous look at the clinic's manager. An aura of authority and self-confidence surrounded her. Before Mrs. Whitlock came within earshot Charles inclined his head towards Miss Parker.
"No problem", he whispered. "I'll twist her round my little finger."
"Good afternoon, my name is Cornelia Whitlock. I am the manager of this clinic. How can I be of help to you?"
The smile that she presented to them looked a bit too affected in Miss Parker's eyes and she decided to be careful with this woman. After they had introduced themselves, Miss Parker came straight to the point. She wanted to get the whole matter over with as quickly as possible. This wasn't the first time that she pretended to be someone else, but up to now she had never relied on her skills alone.
"Mrs. Whitlock, the first time I came to your institution a few days ago I made an outstanding discovery. You could almost say that I was terribly lucky - if only the circumstances weren't so tragic."
"I'm afraid I'm not quite sure what you mean...", Mrs. Whitlock said, slightly raising her brows.
"If you don't mind I'll go far afield. A few months ago, back home in the States, a horrible thing happened to a family who is close friends with mine. One of their daughters disappeared without leaving a trace, and in spite of an intensive search for her she was nowhere to be found. At first her parents believed that she might have been kidnapped, but when they hadn't received any claim for ransom in weeks the police dropped that possibility. A short while later the official powers declared that the girl must have run away and they stopped all active efforts to find her. Although her parents didn't give up on her and engaged several private investigators the girl could not be found." Miss Parker paused for a short moment, scrutinizing the clinic's manager with a penetrating glance. "When I looked around this place a few days ago, I happened to notice a girl that could have been her twin. To put aside all doubts without raising her parents' hopes I have made some inquiries."
Mrs. Whitlock had raised her eyebrows even further, and now she lifted a hand to interrupt Miss Parker.
"Well, Miss Parker, that all sounds a little bit..."
'Far-fetched?' Miss Parker thought.
"I know how this must sound to you, Mrs. Whitlock", she said aloud, "and I don't expect you to rely on my word only. That is why Dr. Stephens is accompanying me. He is the legal counsel of the girl's family, and he will be able to clear up the identity of this particular patient beyond all doubt."
Charles cleared his throat.
"Indeed I will. The documents I brought with me will underpin everything. Maybe we could continue this conversation somewhere more quiet..."
He reached for the woman's arm who seemed to be taken by surprise a bit and let her lead him to her office. Miss Parker glanced after them, then turned when she heard the sound of soft steps behind her. Jessica Travis joined her, coming from the Nurses' recreation room.
"How did it go?" she asked curiously.
"Mrs. Whitlock doesn't have the faintest chance", Miss Parker answered with a delicate smile. "What about you, did everything work out?"
Travis nodded contentedly.
"Yes. The boss wasn't thrilled about me wanting to take a vacation on such short notice, but he had no choice. It was the first time in over four years that I wanted to have some time off."
"Four years without a vacation?" Miss Parker asked with some surprise. Nurse Travis laughed softly.
"Now don't you look at me so horrified, Miss Parker. The shifts here are spread very comfortably, because there's enough personnel. We are entitled to several days off each month. The work here can be very strenuous, and the clinic's management is grateful for every Nurse who holds out here for longer than a year. I have accumulated more than nine months worth of vacation."
'Sounds somehow familiar', Miss Parker thought. 'Since Jarod's escape I haven't been on vacation either.'
"I'd say it was about time, then."
"You're telling me! Do you think it'll take much longer?"
"No, I guess not. The documents speak for themselves, and Charles promised to be extra charming."
Actually it didn't take much longer until Charles and Mrs. Whitlock returned. The triumphant expression on Charles' face said everything, and Miss Parker felt as if a heavy load was lifted off her mind. Now she could take Luca with her to the States, and with a little luck Sydney would be able to help her.
***
Langton Cottage
Scofield, GB
07:07 pm
"Hello, Marine. Please come in."
There was joy as well as grief in his voice. Miss Parker knew the reason for both; she was feeling quite the same.
"Hello, Charley", she replied before she entered his house. Without saying a word she followed him into the living room and sat down on the couch.
"When will you leave?"
"Our flight will leave tomorrow morning, about three o'clock. Nurse Travis has already taken Luca to London. I will meet them later at our hotel."
"So that's our goodbye", Charles sighed. "I am glad that you came back once more."
"You didn't think I would sneak away without saying goodbye, did you?" Miss Parker teased with mock reproach in her voice. But then she became serious again. "There is one more thing I'll have to tell you, Charley."
He looked at her attentively.
"Probably you've already found that out for yourself, but I wanted to be sure. I believe that the Centre is on your heels, hard on your heels. The fact that I was able to locate you confirms this assumption. You should be... careful."
"You were right. I did know that. Still I thank you for the warning, Marine. But there's something you should know as well... You've been only able to find me because I wanted you to", he said with a wink.
Miss Parker looked at him completely surprised for a second or two, then she laughed softly.
"Now I really do believe that Jarod's your son", she managed to utter. Charles grinned, then he rose and walked over to a chest which stood next to the fireside. He took something out of it. When he turned to face her Miss Parker noticed that he was holding a file and an envelope in his hand. He handed her the envelope.
"What is that?"
"A little souvenir for you. Open it once you're back home. There are some photographs in there - so that you will be able to picture your past again."
Miss Parker stared down on the envelope, nodding pensively.
"Thank you, Charley", she said with warmth.
"You're welcome, Marine. I only wish I could have done more for you. Uhm, I'd like to ask a favor of you."
"Of course, no matter what."
"You better watch out, an answer like that can get you into big trouble", Charles replied with amusement, but sobered up immediately. "These are some pieces of information for Jarod. I want you to take this file with you - so that I can be sure that he will really get it."
She hesitated only for an instant.
"Alright. I will make sure that he gets it. And that's a promise."
"Thank you very much, Marine. This is really important to me."
He gave her the file, too and watched her packing both items into her bag. Eventually she looked up at him.
"What will you do know, Charley?"
"Oh, I will move on, increasing the distance between me and the Centre again. That shouldn't be too difficult - fortunately these guys have become quite careless in the last few years."
"Will you ever return to the States?"
Charles shrugged his shoulders.
"I'd love to, as soon as it is safe again. Until then I'll prefer to stay abroad."
Miss Parker nodded sadly and rose.
"I see. But don't give up hope. Maybe you'll be able to return much earlier than you can imagine right now."
He looked at her attentively, then his lips slowly formed a smile.
"You're up to something, Marine", he assumed.
"Might be", she admitted. "But it's merely an idea. I will have to give it some more thought."
"Hm, now I'm curious."
"Just be patient, Charley. You will learn everything about it all in good time, I'm sure of that."
She looked at the watch that was hanging at the wall over the fireplace. Charles followed her gaze.
"It's time", he then said. "If you don't leave anytime soon, you won't be back in London on time."
He reached for her hand, and Miss Parker recalled the moment when she had met him in Scofield for the first time. Just a few days ago she hadn't even been able to remember the fact that she knew him. Still their parting was hard on her now.
"Would you please do me another favor?" Charles asked. Miss Parker nodded silently.
"I want you to give Jarod something else from me. Take your time over that one until you'll both be ready."
Before Miss Parker had any chance to ask him what he meant he embraced her and hugged her tightly. She understood.
"Take good care of yourself, Marine."
"I will, Charley", she promised, blinking back her tears. "I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you, too, but I'm sure we'll met again anytime soon."
Charles made a few steps backwards, smiling sadly.
"Goodbye, Charley. Thank you for everything."
"There's nothing you've got to thank me for. See you soon, Marine."
He accompanied her to her car and glanced after her for a long while after she'd left.
"I will always have an eye on you", he murmured softly to himself, before he went back to his house in order to prepare his removal.
***
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
The next day
06:49 am
A shudder ran through her body when Miss Parker recognized the outlines of the Centre in the headlights of her car. More than four weeks had passed since she'd left this place. Returning here was astonishingly hard on her.
But her working routine immediately took hold of her and she parked her car quite automatically. Before she got out of the car she allowed herself a resigned sigh, then she gathered her energy and got on the way to her office.
Miss Parker knew that there were a few confrontations in store for her, but she looked forward to most of them. Just one or two of them were a major headache for her.
The main entrance hall lay deserted in the twilight of dawn. None of the Centre's employees came here that early - unless their presence was imperative.
"Miss Parker?"
Without having to turn she knew whom the sonorous voice belonged to.
"Sam."
Only now did she turn, scrutinizing her sweeper with an uninterested look.
"Did you catch Jarod in the meantime?"
There was the faintest hint of a smile on Sam's usually motionless face.
"No. As far as I know nobody has heard of him in more than four weeks."
"Now that's a surprise. I guess it's about time for me to take matters in my own hands again."
Sam's only answer was a barely noticeable nod.
She went on but turned once more before she reached the elevators.
"I'm looking for my brother. Do you know where he is?"
"Sublevel 2."
Miss Parker snapped her fingers contentedly.
"A precise answer. Just the way I like it. Be at the ready, Sam. Hunting season has just begun again."
Without waiting for an answer she entered one of the elevators, pressing the button for sublevel 2. It was a short ride. Too short to contain the anger that was rising within her when she thought of Lyle. But basically that wasn't so bad at all. As long as she was angry at him she could at least not feel compassion for him.
This feeling for him was still confusing her. Everything she was supposed to feel for him was hatred and maybe disgust. Still she couldn't help feeling sorry for him. After all Raines had made him the monster he was now.
When the elevator door opened, she took a deep breath, reminded herself of her anger and entered the long, empty corridor. While walking down the hall she tried to recall what kind of research was done on SL 2. A few years ago there had been experiments with twins down here in which Sydney had been involved as well. But as far as Miss Parker knew these tests had been stopped after Jarod's escape.
Presumably Raines was now using this sublevel. Miss Parker frowned. In the last few years he had claimed more and more space within the Centre. Why hadn't she noticed that earlier? 'Probably because I didn't care about it', she thought. It was time for someone to put a stop to Raines' dealings. But at first she had to take care of Lyle.
Eventually she found him in one of the rooms which used to be labs in the past. Apparently he'd retreated to this place in order to... Miss Parker shook her head vehemently. The last thing she wanted to know was what he was doing down here. The sight of him was enough to rekindle her anger. Some of Luca's memories flashed before her inner eye. Without thinking about it for a second she walked straightly in his direction.
He looked up, astonished, when he heard the sound of her steps. His mouth twisted into the most repelling smile she could imagine.
"Hello, Sis. So you're here..." Lyle never finished his sentence, since she'd reached him, slapping him on the face with all her strength. Her hand hurt from the powerful blow but she didn't even notice it at that moment.
Immediately there was a dangerous anger flashing up in Lyle's eyes but she gave him no chance to recover.
"Hey, have you gone out of your mind?" he shouted furiously.
"Shut up, you perverted bastard", she hissed back, grabbed him by the collar and shoved him with his back against the wall. Then she rammed her elbow against his throat, hard enough to cut his breath off for a while, so that she could keep him under control. "You will listen to me closely now. I know what you have done. From this day on I will be your worst nightmare. If any of my friends feels threatened by you - you'll die. Same goes should I ever see you near my house. Think just one wrong thing and I'll know it. And should you ever try to repeat these things you've done to Luca, you'll die as well. But in that case you'll die very slowly. Got me?"
While uttering her threat against him she watched him closely. Though he tried to look unimpressed she could still see something flashing in his eyes for a moment - she really hoped it was fear. When he made no move to answer her she increased the pressure of her arm against his throat until he finally nodded.
"Good. And if you doubt that I meant what I just said... Tommy Tanaka and his family still have a bone to pick with you. It would give me great pleasure to hand you over to them personally and make sure that they won't settle for just one finger this time. I'd rather see you dead today than tomorrow."
Once again she increased the pressure against his throat, then released him abruptly. Lyle sank down, breathing in short pants. Miss Parker turned and walked to the door.
"You'd better leave Daddy out of this. At the moment he's gotta take care of more important things - he'd probably take hardly any interest in our sibling rivalry", she said on her way out.
Not until she had entered the elevator and the door had closed behind her did she take a deep breath. She felt an urgent need to wash her hands.
***
Sydney's office
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
07:59 am
A soft knock startled Sydney out of his work. He couldn't help wondering who on earth might want to talk to him this early. Maybe Broots had finally heard something of Miss Parker...
"Come in", he said, looking expectantly at the door. He could hardly believe his eyes when he saw Miss Parker enter his office. Only Jarod walking in the door could have surprised him more.
"Miss Parker!"
Hastily he jumped to his feet to get over to her.
"Hello, Sydney", she said with considerable warmth. Without further thinking about it Sydney pulled her in an embrace, hugging her tightly. She returned the embrace, much to his amazement. Their reunion seemed to make her as happy as himself.
"We've all missed you a lot", he murmured deeply moved, enjoying this moment a little longer. Then he let go of her, peering at her closely.
"I missed you, too", she replied, and in her eyes he could see that she really meant it. Confused, he shook his head.
"You look wonderful, Miss Parker. Your absence seems to have done you a lot of good. Where on earth have you been? We were worried that something might have happened to you."
Miss Parker put her hand on his shoulder.
"I was in England. I'm really sorry but I couldn't take the risk to contact you." She sighed softly. "It's a long story. But actually I've come here because my father wants to talk to us. Strictly speaking he only wanted to see me, but I'd like to ask you to accompany me."
Sydney couldn't help it - suddenly he had the feeling not to talk to the grown up Miss Parker but to the lovable little girl that he'd somehow always seen in her. He knew how absurd that was, but he was sure that she had changed somehow. And not to her disadvantage.
He briefly touched her hand.
"Let us go, Miss Parker."
***
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
08:23 am
Sydney was still trying to get some sense into the latest events while he was following Miss Parker to her father's office. Not only had she suddenly reappeared after over a month's absence she also seemed completely changed. He guessed that it might have something to do with the simulation, but he didn't know exactly what.
She entered the office and he followed her, eager to see what would happen next. Mr. Parker looked up when they came in, a mixture of impatience and anger coloring his features.
"So you're back again", he said without any greeting and without deigning to look at Sydney. Miss Parker's only visible reaction was an amused smile that only lasted for a split second before her expression turned blank again.
"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you anything before I left, Daddy. But I'm sure you've done very well without me. By the way, where's Brigitte?"
She briefly looked around, one eyebrow raised questioningly. An expression of displeasure crossed Mr. Parker's face.
"She is busy. Preparing the wedding."
The remark had apparently been designed to hurt Miss Parker but she only nodded compassionately. Sydney felt a mixture of confusion about Miss Parker's reaction and anger at how her father treated her. Mr. Parker had difficulties in hiding his surprise as well.
"If there's anything I can do...", Miss Parker offered but there was only casual interest in her voice. Gradually Sydney began to understand. She was trying to beat her father at his own game - and she was doing quite well. Mr. Parker frowned.
"I'm sure Brigitte is coping very well", he declared.
"Alright. So why did you want to see me, Daddy?"
"Because of Jarod, of course. The Tower expects to see some success anytime soon - and so do I. Your absence cost the Centre a whole month."
"I'm sorry, but I think I have to contradict you here", Sydney intervened. "As your daughter said we were able to follow Jarod's trace - even without her."
She looked at him with a warm smile. Sydney caught his breath. Unlike her usual smile this one wasn't merely limited to her lips but also reached her eyes. He couldn't recall the last time when this had been the case. It made her look exactly like her mother for a moment, made her emanate the very same warmth. But there was also something else, something that was uniquely Miss Parker and that he'd never seen before. It was something he couldn't resist and that made him return her smile with deeply felt warmth.
She turned back to her father and her smile faded to the same cold version he'd always used to present to her. Realization dawned in Mr. Parker's eyes. Suddenly he glanced at his daughter with the same possessive look that had caused Catherine so much suffering. His whole attitude changed. He had recognized the profound emotions that used to fascinate him so much in his wife but which he'd never been able to understand.
"Why don't you tell me everything about your journey, Angel?" he asked.
Miss Parker shook her head in regret.
"I've got an important appointment with the Tower that can't be postponed."
"Well, maybe we can talk about it tonight."
"Sure. I'll call you. Was that it?", she replied matter-of-factly.
"Yes, I think so."
"Good. Let's go, Syd. Jarod won't wait for us."
Without a further word she turned and walked to the door. Sydney took a long look at Mr. Parker, then he followed her. He really had to talk to her as soon as possible.
"Miss Parker", he shouted and she stopped. Then she turned to face him. Once again she smiled with genuine warmth, and once again she touched something deep within him. Even if he'd wanted to he couldn't have resisted this smile.
"We'll talk later, Sydney, okay? This appointment with the Tower is really important. Why don't you drive me home after I'm finished here? I have no desire to drive myself after the long flight. Besides there is something I'd like you to help me with."
He nodded, unable to turn her down.
"Alright, Miss Parker. Just say the word when you're ready to go."
Her smile deepened.
"Thank you, Sydney."
She turned and got on her way to the elevators. Sydney glanced pensively after her for a long time.
***
Tech room
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
02:34 pm
When she entered the tech room Miss Parker suppressed an amused smile. Everything was as usual, and yet she noticed many things for the first time. Broots sat highly concentrated in front of his computer, but his relaxed posture told her that he wasn't dealing with Centre-related matters. Sydney was skimming through a file, but his thoughts seemed to be miles away.
He didn't look up until she passed him on her way over to Broots.
"Hello, Broots", she said softly. "Did you miss me?"
She put one of her hands on his shoulder but immediately pulled it back when the technician winced at her touch, shaking her head almost unnoticeably. Not that she couldn't understand his reaction.
"Mi... Miss Parker", he stammered. "Uh... You're back?"
Deliberately she refrained from answering with a sarcastic remark.
"Yes, I am. Is there anything you want to tell me?"
"Uhm, no, I don't think so", he managed to utter.
"Must have been a very dull month", she muttered under her breath. Then, a little louder, she asked: "How's Debbie?"
Broots, who had heard this question once too often from Raines during the last month, reacted in an unusual intense way.
"My daughter has absolutely nothing to do with my work here at the Centre, do you understand? I won't allow..."
Miss Parker knew immediately what he was referring to.
"Broots", she interrupted him gently, "read it from my lips. How. Is. Debbie?"
Confused, he looked up at her, the first time since she had entered the room.
"Oh", he said, slowly realizing what she had meant, "you really want to know how she is. She's fine. She... has asked about you."
"Really? I'd really like to see her again soon. Tell her I missed her."
"I will", Broots assured her and stared at her as if he were seeing her for the first time. This time she allowed herself a little smile and then turned to face Sydney, who looked at her with a grin.
"Ready to go?" was all he said.
She nodded.
"Let's go. See you tomorrow, Broots."
"Uhm, yes. See you tomorrow."
On her way out she could hear Broots ask Sydney something. Sydney laughed softly and answered: "Oh, you can count on that, Mr. Broots."
In the car Miss Parker waited eagerly how long it would take for Sydney to give in to his curiosity. She didn't have to wait very long.
"You're probably not going to tell me what you've done in England", he said noncommittally.
"Would you be very surprised if I were going to tell you?" she asked him with some amusement.
He shot her a quick glance, then looked back at the street.
"Indeed I would be."
"Well, I'll tell you anyway. But not now."
Sydney chuckled softly.
"Alright, I think I'll wait then", he replied. "Then let's talk about something else. I've noticed that you have, ever since you've arrived, made no mention of Jarod at all. Is there a reason for that?"
"Yes, there is. During the last few weeks I had a lot of time to rethink my attitude towards him. He now occupies a different place in my life. But before you ask me which", she said and raised her hands in a defensive gesture, "I haven't even found that out for myself, yet."
He shook his hand.
"Miss Parker, you're surprising me", he admitted.
This time she was the one to laugh softly.
"I'm even surprising myself. You were right, you know. The simulation has really changed a lot in my life. I'm only beginning to understand what is happening, but maybe you can help me with it."
"My pleasure, Miss Parker", he assured her with determination, his emotions clearly audible in his voice though he tried no to let them show.
She briefly touched his arm, then suddenly her cell phone rang. Miss Parker pulled it out of her pocket, then activated the connection.
"Hello?" she asked calmly.
"What have you done to my father?"
Jarod's voice contained an aggressive tone that would have provoked her to a sharp retort in the past, but now she remained calm. His worry for his father was more than comprehensible to her.
"Hello, Jarod", she replied gently. She'd missed their conversations on the phone more than she'd care to admit.
"What have you done to my father?" he repeated, louder this time and with a warning edge to his voice. Miss Parker sighed.
"He's just fine", she answered and suddenly felt very tired. The constant quarreling with Jarod didn't only seem to be useless all at once, it also was extremely strenuous. She'd had enough of that, but she knew that it had always been her own fault. Hopefully it wasn't too late to change it.
"I don't believe you", he said agitatedly. "If you have..."
"Jarod, listen to me. Your father is perfectly well." Something occurred to her that would surely convince him. "I swear it by my mother's grave."
Next to her Sydney took a clearly audible breath, but he didn't say anything. Miss Parker was grateful for him restraining himself.
"Do you really mean that?" Jarod eventually asked after a long pause. He seemed to have calmed down a bit.
"Of course I do. You know how much my mother means to me."
"So you didn't go to England because of my father?"
"I went there to find out some more things about my mother. I didn't find the man who killed her, but I found a very good friend. Does that answer your question?"
"Yes, but..."
"Good", she interrupted him. "See you, Jarod."
She didn't wait for his answer and ended their conversation. The things she wanted to tell him couldn't be said on the phone. She needed to talk to him in person.
Sydney was looking at the street.
"Why did he ask you about his father?"
"I guess he knows why I've been gone for so long."
"So you've met his father?"
His voice revealed nothing but interest but it was clear to her how much this subject stirred him up.
"Mhm", she murmured and tried in vain to stifle a yawn.
"We can talk about this later", Sydney offered.
"I'd really rather do that", she admitted with some relief. "Thank you for being so patient."
"Comes with my profession", he reminded her, smiling slightly.
"Now that you talk about it... Do you recall me asking for your help before we left?"
"Of course. What can I do?"
Miss Parker sighed heavily. This subject caused her some grief.
"I'll show you once we've reached my house."
She fell silent for the short rest of the way until they drove up the driveway to Miss Parker's house.
"Home, sweet home", she said with a faint smile. After they had both got out of the car she turned towards Sydney. "We'll have to be very quiet so that we won't frighten my guest."
Sydney raised a brow inquiringly but nodded. He followed her into the house.
Nurse Travis was sitting in the living room and looked at them with a smile.
"Hello, Miss Parker."
"Hello, Nurse Travis. Did everything go well?"
"Oh, yes. Don't you worry."
Miss Parker nodded with relief.
"Sydney, I'd like you to meet Nurse Travis. She was a big help to me back in England." She smiled and then addressed the Nurse. "And this is my friend Sydney, the psychiatrist whom I told you about."
They shook hands, and then Travis stretched herself out.
"Since you're here now I can go and catch up some sleep. Promise to call me whenever you need my help, okay?"
"Alright. Thanks for everything", Miss Parker said with warmth.
"My pleasure", Travis assured her with a wink. "See you, Doctor."
"Bye, Miss Travis", Sydney replied and seemed to have accepted that he was getting one surprise after the other today.
"Have a seat, Syd", Miss Parker offered. "Do you want something to drink?"
"I'd rather have some answers", he said frankly.
"Don't be too sure about that. This isn't a pleasant matter. I'll need your help as a psychiatrist - or a friend of mine that is."
She sighed and briefly shut her eyes.
"It's a long, ugly story but Luca should tell you most of it herself."
"Who is Luca?"
"A young woman whom I've happened to met in England. Let's simply hold my new talents responsible for that. However, Luca fell a victim to Lyle's abnormal behavior. He and my father hid her in England to hush everything up."
Sydney looked at her, compassion evident in his eyes.
"Why did you bring her here?"
"They weren't able to do anything for her there. I hoped that maybe you could help Luca. I don't like the fact that she's so close to Lyle again but I saw no other way. Will you talk to her?"
He nodded.
"Is there anything else I should know?" he asked gently.
Miss Parker breathed out audibly.
"Lyle has raped her. I don't know much more than that", she replied after a moment. She couldn't talk to him about her role in the matter, not yet. First she had to begin to get over it on her own. Probably he would guess it soon anyway and then she would talk to him.
"Alright." He settled for her answer for now, even if he guessed that there was more to the matter.
"Thanks", she said simply, then she went to the guest room where Luca was sleeping. She approached the sleeping young woman carefully and touched her gently at the shoulder in order not to startle her.
"Luca", she whispered.
The young woman immediately opened her eyes, looking around agitatedly, but calmed down when she recognized Miss Parker. Miss Parker forced herself to smile gently though she was ragingly mad at Lyle. Despite the fact that she had shared Luca's memories she still knew only a fraction of the pain Lyle had inflicted upon her and that was still filling her with unutterably terror.
"There's a friend of mine here who wants to talk to you. Do you remember? I've told you about Sydney."
Luca nodded hesitantly and then took Miss Parker's extended hand. Slowly Luca followed her into the living room where Sydney was still waiting.
Miss Parker introduced them to each other and made sure that Luca could cope. Only when she was sure that everything was alright did she leave the room. She went to the bathroom, then put on her pajamas and made a short stop at her kitchen. There she turned off her cell phone and put it on the kitchen table. After that she took a brief look into the living room, indicating to Sydney that he should call her in case of any problem. Then, finally, she went to her bedroom and let herself fall down on her bed.
It only took a few seconds for her to fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.
***
Jarod had entered Miss Parker's house through the backdoor. Their conversation had been most unsatisfactory and he had come for some more answers. Although he wondered why Sydney and a strange woman were sitting in Miss Parker's living room he ignored this discovery for now and kept on searching for Miss Parker.
He finally found her in her bedroom. All his plans dissolved as he saw her sleeping in her bed. She was clearly exhausted but he hadn't seen such a peaceful expression on her face since they'd both been children. Jarod watched her, deeply fascinated, and decided to delay his search for answers for a little while.
Without thinking about it he approached her bed until there was no more than a meter between them. Jarod felt a strange mixture of regret and longing. Both emotions seemed to be characteristic for the relationship between him and Miss Parker but he could well remember the time when that had been different. They used to be friends and Jarod wished they could get back to that sometime. And maybe there was more between them, something of which he thought that she could sometimes feel it as well even though she would never admit to it.
With a soundless sigh Jarod turned away from the sleeping Miss Parker. This wishful thinking was useless - it only ever caused him trouble. And still he was not willing to give it up.
As quietly as he had entered her house he now left it again. He would find his answers, but not tonight. Tonight belonged to his dreams and hopes.
***
The first thing Sydney had noticed about Luca was her outward resemblance to Miss Parker. This had left him with an uneasy feeling, but he had driven it away to focus all of his attention on his patient.
Now that he knew at least part of the story the feeling returned, stronger than before and no longer as easy to ignore.
Sydney stifled a yawn and took a quick look at the watch. It was almost four in the morning. Luca sat opposite of him on the couch. She seemed tired as well but also a lot calmer than when they had started to talk as Sydney noticed contentedly.
Markedly slow, so that he wouldn't startle Luca, he got up and went over to the couch.
"You must be tired, Luca. Come on, I'll bring you back to the guest room", he said gently. Luca looked at him with those big dark eyes of hers for a few seconds, then nodded almost unnoticeably. Sydney couldn't help wondering if the young woman was ever going to smile again. Although she was strong Lyle had almost destroyed her. With a conscious effort he drove the thought away to deal with it later when he would analyze their conversation.
He carefully saw to it that he didn't get too close to Luca so that she wouldn't feel threatened by him. Lyle had taken the control away from her and because of that she now needed the feeling that she was always in control of the situation.
Sydney accompanied her to the guest room and struggled for a reassuring smile.
"Miss Parker and I are always around. If anything is wrong just call us. We'll come to see you in the morning. And now you should try to get some sleep, Luca. Sleep well."
Again the only answer he got from the young woman was a nod before she entered the room and left the door ajar. After hesitating for a brief moment Sydney went on until he reached Miss Parker's bedroom. He wanted to cast a look at her to make sure that everything was alright with her. Apparently she played a role in that matter as well, but he hadn't figured out yet what kind of role. Though he had a faint idea...
The bedroom door was ajar, and Sydney looked into the room. Miss Parker was sound asleep but to tell from the expression on her face she was dreaming. For a long while Sydney simply stood there and watched her, then he eventually returned to the living room. There he sank onto the couch. Although he was tired he didn't fall asleep.
There were too many things that he couldn't get out of his head. His thoughts returned to the drive from the Centre to Miss Parker's house, especially to Jarod's call. At last Jarod's strange behavior during the last days before Miss Parker's return made sense to him. Sydney was still hesitating to analyze his feelings regarding Jarod's father.
It had never been a question to him that he would help Jarod to find his family. Yet it was troubling him to think of Jarod's father. He refused to hold jealousy responsible for that - such a feeling would have been more than ridiculous. Sydney sighed. There still was the possibility to talk to Jarod about it. But as things were at the moment Sydney presumed that talking to Miss Parker would be the better choice for him. After all she had met Jarod's father. 'It would probably really be the best to talk to her first', he thought. 'That will give me the chance to clarify a few other things with her as well.'
He leaned back, closed his eyes and tried to get as comfortable on the couch as possible. Slowly all of his conscious thoughts began to fade as his weariness finally got the better of him. Only the nagging restlessness remained, causing him a troubled sleep.
***
Miss Parker's house
431 Mountain Spring Road
Blue Cove, Delaware
The next morning
08:13 am
"Miss Parker?"
The voice was soft and sounded a trifle worried. Miss Parker slowly opened her eyes. Sydney was standing beside her bed, looking at her with a gentle smile.
"Good morning, Syd", she murmured and his smile deepened immediately.
"Good morning, Miss Parker", he replied gently. "I'm sorry that I had to wake you up but if we don't get on our way to the Centre anytime soon that could draw uninvited attention to us."
She sat up in bed and looked at him, warmth shimmering in her eyes.
"You're right, Sydney." Suddenly she remembered something. "How is Luca?" she asked him worriedly.
He touched her shoulder in a reassuring gesture.
"She is as well as can be expected under the circumstances. We've been talking for the whole night. Right now she is in the guest room, probably sleeping." Apparently there was something else he wanted to say but he thought better of it.
"What is wrong?" she asked him gently.
"I don't know all of the details yet", he began hesitantly, "but I think we should talk about this matter soon."
She saw the worry and the warmth in his eyes and nodded.
"We will do that. I promise. And now... what about having breakfast before we leave?"
Sydney chuckled, causing her to frown at him questioningly.
"I still have to get used to your being so caring", he hastily explained to her. Miss Parker returned his smile.
"You'd better hurry that up", she said while getting up and putting on her bathrobe.
"Oh, I guess I'm almost done with it, Miss Parker."
"Good. Before I forget it... Please feel free to use the bathroom. I'll have to get a cup of coffee first."
Sydney seemed somewhat relieved, and Miss Parker suppressed a smile. Obviously he hadn't wanted to ask her about that. She glanced after him until he'd vanished into the bathroom, then she threw a brief look into the guest room. Luca lay in bed and was sound asleep, a relaxed expression on her face.
Next Miss Parker went to the kitchen. She made some coffee, then she picked up her cell phone from the table, turning it back on. A blinking signal on the display indicated that she had got several messages. Before she got any chance to take a look at them Sydney entered the kitchen. Miss Parker put the phone back on the table and raised her brows in surprise.
"Now that was fast."
He smiled.
"The last years taught me to get ready as quickly as possible after a sudden call in the middle of the night", he explained with a grin.
She shook her head.
"Sydney, not once have you been ready as quickly as that in all this time", she replied with amusement evident in her voice. "But I guess that way you've always given Jarod a fair start."
"You can't prove that."
Sydney was still grinning. Without a word she handed him a cup of coffee.
"Thank you."
Miss Parker nodded, then took a sip of her coffee.
"Ah, that's good. Now let's see if I can beat your time."
She went to the bathroom, giving herself a nice hot shower. After that she went back to her bedroom and got dressed. In personal best time she was back in the kitchen. When Sydney saw her he raised his hands in a gesture of mock resignation.
"Okay, you win. Would you like to have a toast?"
"Love to. I didn't know I had something left to eat here at all."
"Maybe Nurse Travis has bought a few things."
"Mhm", she made pensively, once again picking up her cell phone. There were two messages from her father, one from Broots and three from Raines. She pulled a face.
"Everything alright?"
"Yes, but apparently Raines is quite impatient. Besides I forgot to call Daddy back yesterday evening."
"Did you really *forget* it?" Sydney inquired.
Miss Parker looked up and met his searching glance.
"Must run in the family", she said softly.
Sydney slightly cocked his head.
"I don't think so."
She smiled.
"Good to know that."
Miss Parker got up in a graceful movement.
"We'd better be leaving now. Nurse Travis should be back any minute now - we should wait until she has arrived."
***
Outside Miss Parker's house
A few minutes later
"Sydney, I'd like to ask a favor of you."
He shot her a surprised glance. She was sitting behind the wheel, rummaging through her brief-case, until she finally drew out a single file. Silent, she handed it over to him.
"What is it?"
She smiled enigmatically.
"A piece of Jarod's past that I have found in England. I want you to give it to him the next time you see him."
For a moment he didn't know what to say.
"Why don't you give him that yourself?"
Miss Parker sighed.
"Because I'm afraid that he won't accept it if it comes from me. I have promised that he'll get it. Please, Sydney."
He nodded, though he didn't think her reasoning to be quite conclusive.
"Alright, Miss Parker. But there is something you should know... My contact with Jarod hasn't been very... close during the last few weeks."
When she looked at him he saw compassion in her eyes.
"I'm really sorry to hear that, Syd. But I'm sure that'll change soon. Still you are the right person to give him this file."
Sydney nodded. He was always ready to help Miss Parker - he'd always been.
