Sylvie

Chapter 6 – “Veiled Dreams.”

Slowing to a stop in her old solid black Crown Victoria, Ellie put the car into park and double-checked the address she had been seeking. Reaching over to the passenger seat, Ellie read the address once more.

-1777 Palm Way.-

Nervous to the point where her stomach tightened, Ellie hesitated before she turned the key to shut off the engine.

-You just got your ass handed to you yesterday, now here you are in probably the one place you shouldn’t be.-

While not directly ordered to stay away from this place, Ellie couldn’t shake the feeling that she was somehow breaking the ‘spirit’ of her orders. She could almost hear Deputy Director Powell with her firm voice, “You went over to Tatum Blackwell’s house?!”

-Fuck it, no risk no reward.-

Taking a few deep breaths, Agent Miller regained her composure and pulled the key free from the ignition. Gathering up a few items so she could conduct a proper interview, Ellie took a moment to study the home she’d stopped in front of.

Easy to see that the home was a standard ranch with a wrap-around porch, Ellie raised her eyebrow at the odd white and green siding that alternated the colors. Figuring that most people do strange things, she looked beyond and took in the ivory columns with the matching railing that added a comfy feel to the large wooden porch. Opening her door, Agent Miller started up the pearl white paving stones and just nodded to herself when she noticed that the lawn had just been newly sod.

-In the fall? It can’t take root.-

Wanting to be certain, Ellie reached down and felt the ground and then the seam where the grass square had been pushed onto the other earth. Smacking her hands clear of the dirt, she stood up and walked casually up the stairs to the porch and glanced around. Rocking chairs and tables made up most of the furniture, and upon a glance looked completely normal. Trained to look beyond the normal, Ellie noted that the various items were in pristine condition as though they’d been purchased that day from a showroom floor. Walking over to one of the tables, Ellie brushed her hand over the smooth glass surface and left the only smudge visible behind.

-Either this woman has the best maid in the world, or no one has used this.-

Pushing the odd feeling to the back of her mind, Ellie stepped in front of the door and saw a little plaque on the door that seemed to have a proverb carved into the wood. ‘Dreams lift the mind's veil.’ Pondering the little saying for a couple seconds, Ellie jumped and then screamed when the front door opened.

“Agent Miller.” A soothing and warm southern accent came from the older woman with light brown hair. “Please, come inside. I have been expecting you.”

Bending over and holding her knees until she caught her breath, Ellie shook her head. “Miss Blackwell?” She looked up from her bent position for a second and saw that the women had nodded. “You startled me.” Letting out a sharp sigh, Ellie righted herself and extended her hand. “Agent Ellie Miller. I wasn’t aware that you knew I was coming?” She raised her eyebrow.

Clad in an ivory dress with little teal plumeria imprinted, Tatum took and shook Ellie’s hand. “Some things are easy to figure out, Agent.” She winked and stepped to the side, “Would you care to come inside?” Tatum pointed to the rockers, “Or..we can use these if you’d like.”

Pausing to weigh the options, Ellie finished their handshake and smiled. “It is a touch chilly. Perhaps it is better that we discuss things inside.” Slipping past the older woman, Ellie made her way into the foyer. “Lovely home. I would have expected a fancy attorney like yourself to be in a huge mansion or something.” She pointed behind her. “I didn’t expect you to live in an older suburb.”

Slowly closing the door behind the athletically built agent, Tatum twisted the lock and put up the small chain. “I think these older places have a bit of charm, while not firmly planted in the 1800’s.” Tatum turned with a flair, and her dress caught a small wind to expose her shapely legs. “I’m also getting a touch older, so I thought it would be wise to be closer to town in case I needed medical attention.” She walked to the edge of the foyer where it met a fair-sized dining room. “Wait, before we go any further.” Tatum held up her right hand. “I would prefer if we talked as..friends.” She winked.

Swearing that she saw a brief white light emanate from the hand in her face, Ellie took a small step back and raised one eyebrow. “What do you mean, Miss Blackwell?”

“Humm, a little more resistant than most of your companions.” Tatum nodded in approval, “Oh, what I mean Agent Miller, is that I prefer that this meeting be left off the record.” She waved her hand, “Less formality that way and we can speak freely.” Pausing to point at the bag Ellie held, Tatum wiggled her finger lightly. “Recording devices aren’t necessary.”

Following the finger, Ellie looked over her shoulder and saw a small hook on the wall. “I have notes that I wanted to go over with you, Miss Blackwell.” Ellie patted her bag, “Hanging it up means I might not recall what I wanted to say.”

“Your gun too.” Tatum added. “I’ve seen the lengths to which you will go to pursue a case, Agent. I would prefer not getting shot or having a gun in my face.” She curled her finger and poked toward the hooks again, “It’s the two of us here, your things will be perfectly safe, I assure you.”

Sensing a familiar warmth within Tatum’s words, Ellie went and placed her bag and shoulder holster on the pair of hooks. “I can’t place it, Miss Blackwell..but I feel like I’m at my grandmother's house.” Looking back at Tatum, Ellie quickly shook her head to clear the idea that she’d just seen the older woman outlined in a soft white light. “Has to be Sunlight.” Ellie muttered and walked to stand with Tatum. “Where to now?”

“Oh, I think you will like this.” Tatum winked and curled her arm into Ellie’s. “We are going to my sunroom and having Earl Grey.” She paused, “Scones too. I am nothing, if not a good hostess.”

Letting herself get led into the windowed room in the back of the house, Ellie felt the heat of the day and took the seat she was offered. “I could use something to eat, I was in a hurry when I left the apartment.” Ellie paused, “Thank you for seeing me.”

“Anything to assist my federal friends.” Tatum waited for Ellie to scoot closer to the table before pouring the hot water into a pair of cups. Lifting a small lid from a metal container, she handed Ellie a prepackaged teabag. “We have a few minutes before the scones are ready, you arrived earlier than I expected.”

Dipping her tea bag into the steaming water, Ellie stirred the contents with the small spoon provided. “This will be rather difficult without my notes.” She looked down at the brown water, “You gave me a rather cryptic answer when I came in.” Pointing with her thumb behind her, Ellie added, “How did you know I was coming? I didn’t even tell my boss.”

Spooning a small amount of sugar from a bowl between them, Tatum stirred the sweet crystals until they disappeared then sipped her tea. “It wasn’t hard to figure out, Agent.” She blew lightly across the water, “I guessed that your boss wouldn’t let you anywhere near Miss Rivers, so the next logical step is to talk to me.” She paused, “I am very good at reading people, Agent.” She took another sip of her tea, “It was a matter of determining when you would arrive, not that you would.” Holding up her hand politely, Tatum passed the conversation to Ellie, “So, what can I help you with?”

Uncertain where to begin, Ellie mirrored her hostess and added sugar to her own tea then took a breath and reached into her pocket. “Since you are being so kind, I might as well take this and hand it to you until we are done.” Knowing that normally she wouldn’t have bothered mentioning the phone in her pocket recording her encounter, Ellie took the opportunity to delete the conversation that had been recorded. “Like I said before, I feel like I am at my grandma’s place.”

Rubbing her palm lightly, Tatum smiled and reached over and picked up the device. “Quite alright, Agent. We all forget things don’t we?” She patted the phone confidently, “Let’s start over. How can I assist?”

“Angelie Kino.” Thinking about her girlfriend, Ellie quickly blurted out the name. “I..um, following up on her death. I was hoping you could maybe shed light on why she was found at the..” Ellie looked up in thought, “..Crow farm.”

Counting down from three, Tatum pointed to the kitchen when the count hit zero and a little bell started ringing. “Scones.” She mentioned in a light southern drawl. “The mind works better with energy, allow me to think about the name while I get our little meal out of the oven.” With a light curtsey, Tatum disappeared from the sunroom with another twirl from her flowery dress.

Finally alone with her thoughts once more, Ellie looked around the room she occupied. Except for the corners, the room was completely covered in windows which also included the roof. Hanging from well-placed plastic hooks, Ellie noticed black and orange lights that reflected the Halloween season. Plants that Ellie recognized for their medicinal and herbal value sat on little metal shelves so that they absorbed light and heat even in the coldest time of winter.

-So relaxing. I thought this was going to be difficult.-

Laughing to herself after spotting the marijuana plants in the far corner, Ellie quickly came to understand why it seemed Tatum was so friendly and willing to help.

-Helps to be stoned. Man, I wish.-

Sipping on her tea, Ellie recalled the few times in college that she’d gotten high and loved the idea of being that relaxed again.

-Unfortunately, I work for a very uptight agency.-

Something glinted and caught Ellie’s peripheral vision. Facing where the shine had come from, She noticed that it came from a set of rocks that covered the soil for what looked to be an aloe plant. Curiosity got the better of the agent and she set her tea down and walked over to inspect the blue-white rock. No sooner had she reached down to grab a handful, Ellie heard a set of footsteps and turned to face the noise. “Beautiful. I don’t know that I have ever seen something so soothing.” She pointed all over the room. “Again, this place is almost a little heaven from the world.”

Setting the tray of flaky triangle puffs on the table, Tatum walked over and stood beside Ellie. “Kyanite.” She paused and winked one of her hazel eyes, “It is said to promote spiritual and psychic awareness, almost like an awakening.” Taking Ellie’s hand into her own, Tatum gently coaxed her back to the table. “Butter is there beside the scones.” Tatum helped Ellie back to her seat and then sat down as well. “I know the name, but it was from reviewing the criminal case that had been filed.” She buttered her own triangle, “I can’t say that I have ever truly met Angelie.” She shrugged before taking a bite, “Sorry.”

Comfortably seated and enjoying the food given, Ellie lightly waved off the answer. “It was a long shot.” She took a few sips of the Earl Gray, “Let me share what I do know, Miss Blackwell.” Ellie felt her mind clear for a moment as she visualized Angelie’s hand against her cheek. “I know she was doing something she called important at the Crow farm.” She snapped her fingers, “It was you saying awakening..” Ellie looked over at the blue rocks again, “..that made me recall her saying something very similar. Have any idea what that could have meant?”

“I am sure she thought it was important, Agent Miller.” Tatum thoughtfully remarked, “I can tell you with complete certainty that I didn’t get into the business that went on up on the farm.” Sighing lightly, Tatum daintily sipped more of her tea, “Perhaps you are looking for your answers in the wrong place, Agent.” Setting the cup back into its saucer, Tatum stood up and walked to a window and pointed to a maple tree that had lost most of its leaves for the season. “You can see that the tree had the leaves, they are surrounding it, right?” Tatum looked and saw Ellie nod, “That was the easy part. Autumn has come and the tree is going to hibernate.” She paused, “It took looking beyond the obvious to determine how the leaves turn orange and gold.” Folding her arms over her chest, Tatum grinned. “Look beyond what and investigate why.”

Convinced by the length and way she’d structured the answer that wasn’t an answer, Ellie felt for the first time that she’d been ‘lawyered’ by Tatum. “You are quick as a ferret, Miss Blackwell.” Ellie quipped and got up out of the chair to stand toe to toe with Tatum. “My question wasn’t about what went on up there.” Briefly pausing, Ellie half-smiled. “I asked you what it meant to be awake or awakened.” Pointing her finger at Tatum, Ellie doubled down on her line of questioning. “I suspect you know exactly what went on at that farm.” She folded her arms to match Tatum, “I did a little background check on you before I came here.” Confident that she had an angle, Ellie pressed. “I was shocked to see that there was no information on you until 1984. Nothing. It was like you didn’t exist.” Watching for a reaction, Ellie was a little disappointed when Tatum’s face remained calm. “Alright, Let’s go on.” Picking up a couple of the kyanite rocks and juggling them in her hand, Agent Miller probed further. “I found it odd that someone named Tatum wouldn’t be known.” She pointed to the barren tree, “So I did a basic search through birth records for girls named Tatum born from 1930 to present.” Ellie pointed to a few leaves that were well beyond where they should have landed. “It turns out that Tatum is a pretty rare name in this area. I found exactly six birth certificates with the name.” Scratching the side of her mouth for a moment, Ellie finished up. “Oddly, when you correlate that to the owner of the farm, Denise Crow, one name lined up to be about the same age. Tatum Brakwell.” She chuckled, “Brakwell, Blackwell? Not a very good alias.” Ellie peered into Tatum's gentle hazel eyes. “You might not have participated in what happened at that farm, but I suspect you know exactly what went on up there. It is why you worked so hard to destroy the evidence and break the cases.”

“Have a seat Agent Miller.” Tatum’s southern voice came out a little more stern. Waiting until her guest resumed her seat, Tatum once more pointed to the scones. “Good.” Tatum sat down and leaned back in her chair. “Yes, awakened is an important thing.” She paused and waited until Ellie started eating once again. “Accept that there are things that I can and can’t tell you for your own safety.” Tatum saw the confusion cross through Ellie’s brown eyes, “What she told you was not a lie, furthermore her awakening was a planned event so her unique skills as a soldier could be employed.” Tatum paused for a sip of tea, “Whatever you are thinking, Agent Miller, Captain Kino was not the enemy.” Reaching across the table to pick up the few kyanite rocks Ellie had picked up, Tatum almost hissed her next few words. “The enemy is far far more cunning.”

Expecting more of a fight from her hostess, Ellie did the best she could to hide the shock that flowed in her mind. “So that is all I am going to get about the subject of being awakened?” Blinking and looking away from Tatum after she’d affirmed the question, Agent Miller finished her buttery biscuit, “Let’s assume for a moment that I ignore the things I dug up on you, since to be honest it doesn’t make any sense.”

“Alright. Go on.” Tatum smiled.

Switching her inquiry from the obvious target of the farm, Ellie tapped on her chin for a moment. “The terrorist attack on Petersburg, the same night that Angelie died.” Ellie paused, “I know for a fact she was there.”

“Alright.” Tatum kept smiling and then raised her eyebrows, “Curious. What makes you think it was a terrorist attack?”

Having seen the evidence collected from Homeland Security and how they defined it, Ellie frowned. “They blew up four trucks to intentionally stop EMS from reaching the people being attacked. I don’t like admitting that Angelie was there, and in fact attacked the people coming out. They destroyed the place, that’s what terrorists do. Fear and confusion.”

Clasping her hands in front of her mouth and shaking her head side to side, Tatum took a minute before speaking. “The government couldn’t prove any of it. Let’s have a small review. You claimed the trucks were blown up. That is incorrect. They were potable water trucks, with the air let out of the tires and set on fire. Tried as they might, the government couldn’t link a single person to the four trucks.” She shrugged. “Might want to check your facts before making assumptions.” Tatum flipped one of the kyanite stones through her fingers, “You said Angelie attacked the place, I take it to mean you are talking about Phantasmagoria.” Delighted to see Ellie nod and grab another pastry, Tatum disclosed more. “When was the last time that a terrorist attack spared innocent people? Left the building that was supposedly attacked in one piece? I mean minimal damage. A single hole in the roof and a couple doors.” Fluidly waving her hands as though weaving a tale, she kept going. “The building is pretty much all windows. All that was found was a bunch of bones and water.”

“Strange.” Agent Miller closed her eyes and used her limited eidetic memory to recall what she’d seen while studying the files Sarah had provided. When Ellie recalled most of the conversation as well as the grainy images, she took the time to look beyond Angelie leading a group into Phantasmagoria. “You’re right. I remember the windows being in place from the images I have seen.” She opened her eyes and sighed, “Very strange.”

Sliding her chair back and standing up, Tatum walked over to Ellie and leaned close. “Now you are asking why, or at least wondering why. Keep asking the strange questions, and you’ll get strange answers.” Swapping to the other ear Tatum whispered, “Not all strange things are necessarily wrong. Kinda fits your new assignment, right?” Speaking more soothingly than she’d done before, Tatum gripped the kyanite and added, “You are so close Ellie. Closer than you think, which could be the kiss of death.” Tatum purred lightly, “Feel free to take a few scones with you. Today will be a good day for you, may fortune shine on your discoveries. Carry love on your shoulder today, Angelie is with you, Ellie.” Tatum took a step back and tossed the two rocks back where they were then touched Ellie on the nose. “Boop.”

Discovering a new love for the triangle treat, Ellie looked up at Tatum as she blinked away a few thoughts of Angelie. “Do you mind if I take a few more? I have a feeling that today will be long and productive, so I might not have time to eat.”

“Feel free, Agent Miller.” Tatum pointed back through the house, "Be sure to pick up your things before you leave.” She paused, “You have been a lovely guest, come by anytime you’d like.” Tatum laughed, “Next time you bring the wine. I am getting bored with tea.” She winked.

Driving her oversized cruiser black government police cruiser, Agent Miller made her way to the small Petersburg police station. Twisting her dark gray blazer from the hanger in the backseat, Ellie quickly shimmied into the garment and affixed her FBI badge to the small front pocket. Reviewing the list of things she wanted to follow up on in her head, Ellie slipped her leather satchel over her shoulder and headed to the main entrance.

Greeted by an older sergeant, Ellie walked up and presented her badge and inquired about the records office. Once she’d signed the visitors log, the kind officer pointed her straight down a hallway painted pea green. Walking the old and musty-smelling concrete hallway, Ellie made a few rights as instructed and saw the old wooden sign that combined both the clerk of court and city records in the same space. Crossing the open doorway, Ellie felt like she’d stepped a little back in time due to the simple way that the main desk was organized with a small pencil sign-in sheet and a paper number system. Following the common sense instructions, Ellie had finished signing her name when an older man came around from a small cubicle that didn’t fit with the rest of the office's decor.

“Good afternoon.” He waved his hand dismissively. “No need to take the number.” He laughed, “It isn’t exactly overflowing. I think we’ve been on number one hundred twenty-five for a good six weeks now.”

Content to leave the number in place, Ellie let out a light chuckle. “I won’t be the one to break the streak.” Handing the gentleman her badge, Ellie introduced herself. “Special Agent Ellie Miller.” She waited for the balding man to nod and hand back her credentials, “I was hoping to get a look at the records for a couple of cases.” She spotted the man’s little name badge, “Can you help me out, Noah?”

“It would be my pleasure, Agent Miller.” Noah stepped closer to the desk and watched Ellie scribble a few case numbers on a piece of paper from memory. “I don’t think I have ever seen anyone do that. You must have a photographic memory.”

Handing the slip of paper to Noah, Ellie brushed her red hair from her eyes. “I don’t know about that. I guess I remember it from studying the federal files.”

Poking lightly at the three strings of letters and numbers, Noah laughed. “Oh, I know these. You are in luck, Agent Miller.” He paused, “We keep most of the archival items with the library, secure in the basement.” Handing back Ellie her small note, Noah beamed with pride. “These were scheduled for pickup tomorrow evening.” He winked, “Let me get your badge number in the system and I will let you back to look at the boxes.”

“Boxes?” Ellie inquired. “I was hoping for the interviews and possibly some water sample results.” Curious as to why Noah didn’t take down the number before, Ellie passed her badge back to him. “I honestly thought you were going to take down the number before.”

Recognizing the confusion on Agent Miller’s face, Noah waved his hand to get Ellie to put away the badge. “I wasn’t clear. My apologies.” Hunched over and typing furiously on his keyboard Noah punched in her credentials, “I had the number in my head, I just needed to get it in the computer.”

Concluding that the incident between herself and Noah was all due to stress, Ellie conceded, “Oh, that’s fine. I get inquisitive.” She laughed to lighten the mood, “I guess it comes with the territory.”

Roughly a minute later Noah pressed a small button and the door that led further back in the office popped open. “All set Agent Miller. You have clearance for everything.” Waiting for Ellie to come through the door, Noah made his way through the small maze of office spaces and reached a room with a red metal door. “I know this might seem strange given that the rest of the city looks run down.” He pointed to the hand-sized pad to the left of the door. “Press your hand and it will read your palmprint and fingerprint that you have on file.” Serving as a witness, Noah watched when Ellie pressed her hand to the pad. “There are about twenty-five boxes in there. When the case was active, there was just so much to process that the district attorney wanted a simple way to organize all of it.” Noting that the security system locked three of Ellie’s prints, Noah guessed he had a few more seconds. “He decided to use the KISS method and the colors are literally marked with green, yellow and red.”

When the identification pad lit up and the door unlocked, Ellie stopped for a few seconds. “I take it red denotes things that have been rejected, yellow questionable and green means the city can use what’s in it.”

“How did you know that?” Noah scratched what little hair he had. “I didn’t have the chance to..” He paused when she pointed at the red box labeled ‘Stricken’. “Ah, it was more that you beat me to the punch.” Turning to leave, Noah looked at his watch. “I will be here a little late this evening, so let’s call it about 5:30?”

Glancing at the clock in the evidence room, Ellie noted that she had about two hours. “Assuming that I can make sense of the mess here, that should be sufficient. Thank you, Noah.” Ellie watched the man wave and walk away.

Opting to use the overhead lighting rather than just the dim red light, Ellie flicked the switch and waited a few seconds while the fluorescent lights blinked then bathed the room in their soft white light. A cursory glance over the boxes didn’t give Ellie any indication of what was in them and she knew that it was done on purpose to confuse the opposing side by burying important files in other things that mean virtually nothing.

-Discovery is the polite way of telling someone to fuck themselves.-

Ellie muttered to herself and picked a yellow box labeled ‘Misc reports’ and pulled the top free. Breathing a sigh of relief, Ellie was happy to see that the folders within the box were clearly labeled and even had full names rather than shorthand references. Thumbing through the files slow enough to make sure that she wasn’t overlooking anything important, Ellie reached the middle and stopped when she saw ‘Clorox’ written on a label.

-What the hell? That is bleach. I got it, this is clean. Wait, that is too easy, Tatum would have caught that easily.-

Going with her hunch rather than the skeptical thoughts, Ellie plucked the file from the box and began scanning the paperwork within. Minutes after she’d started her browsing, Ellie knew that there was no secret signal to her within the boxes. Designed to be as useless as possible to any other attorney, Ellie concluded that the layout was set much like searching the internet without a specific topic and getting lots of junk in the return.

-An exercise in futility. Don’t give the opposition anything.-

Deep within the letters of request from the state asking for various maps and city plans, Ellie found a set of black and white photocopies of what appeared to be the sewage and water lines that surrounded Phantasmagoria. Slipping the odd paperwork from the metal clip that held the documents, Ellie spread the grainy images out and lined them up to what she’d seen from pictures that Deputy Director Powell showed her.

-Wait a second. The trucks…-

Ellie quickly looked down in her leather satchel and double-checked herself to be certain.

-I’ll be damned. The trucks are right at access points to the water line. Angelie, what the heck were you all doing?-

Once she’d committed the images to memory, Ellie read further and found that the trucks were all standard tankers and held a little over six thousand gallons a piece. Combined with the short interview with Tatum, Ellie rubbed her chin while mulling over mild confusion.

-Water. Tatum said water. All they found was water. If I am right about twenty-four thousand gallons of water.-

Catching herself staring mindlessly at the few bullet points that she’d scribbled into her personal notebook, Ellie noted that hours had passed as she had tried to make sense of the various interviews and studies that revolved around the case. Leaning back in the chair and stretching her arms, Ellie sighed as she was no closer to the answers than she really started with. Looking down at her notes and seeing a few little pencil dots around where she’d been tapping, Ellie sighed again.

-Salt water. Why salt water? Where did they get it? The beach is roughly two hours away and it would have been noticeable to just have four trucks from Petersburg just grabbing up sea water.-

Sensing that her time was about up, Ellie began placing everything back under the big clip when she spotted something she’d not considered before. Before her the plans for Phantasmagoria were staring her back in the face.

-How the hell did I miss this?-

Without quite knowing why, Ellie quickly snapped a few pictures of the blueprints before she organized the myriad of paper back the way it was when she found it. Gathering all of her gear, Ellie left the secure room and made her way back to the front desk. “Noah, Thanks for letting me have time back there. If I wanted to come back tomorrow, how much time would I have?”

Looking up from his desk and overtop of his glasses, the bald man laughed. “No time at all, as I understand it.” He paused and put down his pen where he’d been writing. “The truck is scheduled to be here at about 6am, so I have to be here early to open.” He stood up and looked down the hallway, “You made sure the door was locked? Since I have to be here so early, I would really like to get the hell out of here and get something to eat.” Taking a small chance, Noah stared hopeful at Ellie. “Care to join me? I will pay of course.”

Overcome by a sudden sneeze before she could respond, Ellie frantically dug in her bag to find a tissue when she felt a handkerchief make its way into her hand. “Th-Thank you.” She stuttered and blushed a heavy red. Taking a minute to collect herself, Ellie smiled. “Oh boy, I didn’t expect that, I apologize.” Watching as Noah tucked the hanky back in his pocket, Ellie finally answered him. “Dinner sounds lovely. I haven’t had anything but scones and tea all day, so I could use something substantial.” She laughed and winked, “I am not a dainty eater, be prepared to pay for real food my friend.”

Chuckling to himself, Noah nodded with an obvious pleased look on his distinguished face. “I will keep that in mind.” Pulling a sheet of printer paper from a small tray, He scrawled out a small map and an address and explained what was on the page. “We are here, the police and municipal complex. If you are familiar with the Martin Luther King Bridge that connects Petersburg to Colonial Heights then this will be simple.”

“I am. I got turned around on the way here and ended up by some old train station.” Elle replied.

Circling the building Ellie had just referred to, Noah tapped the pen on the paper. “Even better. That is a restaurant. It's called ‘The Station’ of all things.” He slid the paper over to Ellie. “Not a very original name, I agree. However, it does have very good food.” He looked around and half frowned, “I have a few more things to close up here, I will meet you there in say twenty minutes?”

“It might take me that long to get there, so that’s fine.” Ellie looked over the handwritten map and committed the street names to memory. “Thank you, it will be good to have a little company other than my thoughts.”

Relieved that her day had come to an end, Ellie drove herself to the restaurant with the map without any fanfare. Noting that she had roughly another five or ten minutes before meeting Noah, Ellie took a couple seconds to type out a text to her boss indicating that she was trying to follow leads concerning the trucks and water used.

-That should do it, no need to mention Tatum.-

Almost to the minute, Noah pulled into the parking space beside Ellie’s huge FBI cruiser. A little rumble from her stomach coaxed her from her car. “Fancy meeting you here.” Ellie lightly offered and waited for Noah to open the door.

“I think whoever you are tailing in that thing will see you coming a mile away.” Noah joked and pointed to Ellie’s car. “Someone in Virginia Beach doesn’t like you much.” Escorting Ellie to the host stand he politely waited for the young woman to return.

“Hey there, Noah. Your usual table?” The hostess inquired and grabbed a couple menus. “Hello there, Ma’am.”

Patting his own little bag hanging from his side, Noah shook his head and smiled at the hostess. “Not tonight, it is gonna be a long one, I think.” He saw an odd look cross Ellie’s face before he softly declared, “One of the six tops, I need a long table.”

The hostess started walking towards the rear of the restaurant laughing. “Ma’am, You are in for a long evening. I have seen that bag before, and I still don’t get what he means half the time.” She stopped in front of a wide table. “Noah, this is the best I can offer right now.” She waved her hand and looked across the room, “We are getting busy and need the bigger tables just in case.” She laid down the menus. “Plus you both need room for plates. You should be able to spread out regardless.”

“Should I be worried?” Elle posed with a light chuckle.

“No.” Noah prompted and pulled out Ellie’s chair for her. “Let’s get situated first.” He looked to the Hostess, “Thanks Susan, You just made me look like a crazy man.” Noah winked, “Can you tell Terry that I would love a rum and cola?”

Unwrapping her flatware from the blue cloth, Ellie placed the napkin on her lap and smiled. “Look at you with all the girls taking care of you. The hostess and the server.”

Happy that Ellie was seemingly relaxed, Noah slipped his bag off his shoulder and onto the table. “Well, Terry is a guy.” He chuckled, “So I don’t know that I want him for anything else besides fun conversation.”

Joining his light moment, Ellie closed her eyes and nodded while adding in her laughter. “Look at what assuming does, right?” She looked at her menu and first scanned the healthy options for chicken salads, before her gaze lifted and she patted Noah’s bag. “I am guessing that this isn’t a normal date.” Ellie flipped the one-page menu over and browsed the main entrees and settled on a blackened chicken pasta and then looked again at Noah.

“Only if I had known.” Noah nervously added, “I mean I can put this stuff in the car and we just sit here and chat.” He pulled his utensils out, “I thought I could help you out since those boxes are a mess.” He looked around carefully at the other patrons before focusing on Ellie once more. “It’s been months since anyone has been interested in that case.” He reached into his satchel and pulled out an expanding folder and untwisted the black string keeping it closed. “I am sort of an amateur sleuth.”

“Oh here we go with the sleuth stuff.” A tall and lanky man with a light tan and short hair combed to the left, set a drink on the table. “Terry, your humble server.” He patted Noah on the back, “This guy. Don’t listen to a word he says, you will be in about six different conspiracies before you know it.”

Accustomed to the way that guys treated each other and acted silly in front of women, Ellie took the moment to be a little more casual and play with Terry. “I mean we did meet on hottie-bald-detectives-dot-com, so I was expecting something fun.” She winked.

Terry walked over to Ellie, laughing as he did so. “Noah, she’s gonna keep you on your toes my friend.” He paused, “What can I get you to drink, miss?”

Sensing a bit of a serious mood coming, Ellie didn’t want to diminish her faculties and opted for a normal diet soda. “I would love to order now if you don’t mind Terry.” Ellie’s stomach growled and she pointed to the chicken pasta. “I know it’s not listed, but I would prefer broccoli rather than the salad.”

“No problem.” Terry wrote down the older on an old white pad of paper, “Noah, the same as you always get?” He watched his friend nod and keep digging through his file. “Miss, don’t let him bore you to death.” Terry added, “If you need anything just flag me down, alright?” Satisfied with the quick nod Ellie gave him, Terry excused himself.

Downing half of his mixed drink at once, Noah pulled a few newspapers free. “I know this isn’t quite the internet, but I like the paper itself. Hard to retract these days. Online articles can be manipulated in seconds. What you read five minutes ago isn't there.” He shrugged and showed Ellie an article outlined in red. “The Cross Killer, are you familiar?”

Scanning the article briefly, Ellie handed the paper back to Noah. “Vaguely. The FBI hasn’t been called in to look at the case yet since it is local, and hasn't crossed state lines yet.”

“Take a look at the date, Agent Miller.” Noah finished his drink and waved for Terry. “One more, Terry. I need a bit of courage here.”

Terry hustled over and laughed, “She’s a cute one buddy, you’re gonna need it.” He set Ellie’s diet drink on the table and left.

Folding the flimsy paper over on its natural crease, with the headline glaring, ‘The Siege of Petersburg ends’. Pulling her eyes from the sensational tagline, Ellie looked at Noah. “This is the day after the attack.”

“Right.” Noah proclaimed while poking at the page. “The killer’s first victim right outside.” He pointed to the huge bay window and the river beyond. “Page two since the nation was looking at Petersburg like a terrorist attack.” He shrugged, “I thought it was crazy timing.”

Enjoying the bubbles from the soda as she drank, Ellie thought about what to say. “What, eleven more since then?” She closed her eyes and thought about the number. “Yes, about one a month until..this month.” She sputtered slowly.

“How about that?” Noah pulled free the other articles on the days where the killer struck. “A couple extra so far for Halloween. Always on a crucifix, but killed differently.” He pointed to the most recent killing, “The killer waited until the police arrived and put a bullet in the woman’s head.”

Once Terry dropped off Noah’s second drink, He continued. “I can’t say with a hundred percent certainty, but I think whatever happened on that farm triggered this killer. Perhaps the killer is associated with the farm.” He pulled out a printed-out copy of an article, “This is from Virginia Beach. Five deaths that were never solved, associated with a missing news woman…Wendy Richards. That’s her name I think.” He handed Ellie the printout, “Due to the timing of the murders, perhaps it's revenge for killing the farm?”

“What links Richards to the farm, Noah?” Ellie questioned and looked at the little article. “There were six deaths. Two of her news crew, Two from an ambulance, a police officer and a student.” She handed Noah back the article and smiled. “It’s there on the page.” She chuckled.

Noah smiled and held up his finger. “Just a second, I can give you a tiny link.” Shuffling through more of his folder, Noah sighed when he found what he was looking for. “It’s weak, so this was never looked into.” He handed Ellie a map with ping marks on it. “This is the tracker on the news van. The station keeps tabs for mileage and such. Also protects the crew in case they are lost or like in this case, something happens.” He pointed to the stops. “If you look there, one stop was to that farm.”

Unused to the level of detail from someone without training caught Ellie a little off-guard. “How did you get the information on the van?”

Pleased with himself, Noah smiled widely at Ellie. “Channel Fourteen News isn’t private broadcasting, so everything they do is subject to public record.” He shrugged, “I just put in a request to see the travel logs and they sent it to me.” Swapping pages, he displayed the current wanted picture for Wendy, “I double-checked too, that was her van. No one looked into the news van after they took fingerprints in Virginia Beach, where they found her crew washed up on shore.” Watching as Terry dropped off their dinner, Noah waited until Terry refilled her drink and left the table before he pointed out a final detail. “I am a little nosey and went down there saying I was trying to help locate Wendy Richards, and asked who dropped off the van.” He paused, “They told me a guy with patchy skin dropped it off, and happened to be picked up by a large guy in a powder blue Chevy Bel Aire.”

“That is a very specific car, Noah. What made the person recall it, did you happen to ask?” Ellie asked between bites of pasta.

Shuffling the pages once more, Noah tilted the grainy picture so Ellie could see it. “I did. It was also on video.” He pointed to the tailfins, “A 1955 Chevy? Most people would recall an older car like that.” He flipped out another piece of paper. “That happened to be the only Bel Air with the same color and year still registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles, belonging to Denise Crow.” He placed the pile of paperwork beside Ellie and took a bite of his cheeseburger. “I would call that a connection.”

Pushing her wide bowl to the side, Ellie went over the stack once again and followed the trail presented. “How do the six prior murders line up with the subsequent twelve?” Leaning over to grab another bite of chicken, Ellie covered her mouth briefly as she tried to chew fast. “Are there any behaviors that match what the police collected in Virginia Beach?”

“Unfortunately not that I can tell, Agent Miller.” Noah sipped on his rum and cola, “That doesn’t mean there isn’t a connection, It is more likely that the information is confidential and hasn’t been released.” Taking a couple potato wedges, Noah bit into them and wiggled his finger a moment. Digging into his bag again, He pulled out a layout plan to Phantasmagoria. “This is the floor plan, a generic one that they handed out to customers so they wouldn’t get lost.” Noah pointed to a room on the third floor, “That was where they found the skull, covered in water.”

“Salt water?” Ellie probed.

Excitement washed over Noah’s face. “That’s right, but here is the interesting part. It’s not ocean water.” Noah’s fingers found what he needed almost immediately. “The ratio is way off. Ocean water is a little over three percent.” Noah handed Ellie the sheet and took a bite of his burger.

“Is this right? About one percent?” Ellie looked up moderately confused. “I found one report saying it was salt water, but nothing beyond that. I assumed the trucks carried it from the beach or something.” She laughed and took more of her pasta down. “I just hadn’t figured out the finer details.”

“Are you a religious person, Agent Miller?” Waiting until Ellie shook her head, Noah lowered his voice and quickly explained his question. “I was when I was younger. I learned all sorts of things as an altar boy.” He pointed to the paper. “I suspect that is holy water. We used salt to purify normal water with a blessing.”

Ellie sat back in her chair and crossed her arms, “Holy water? Why use that?” She asked herself and Noah while rubbing her bottom lip lightly. “This is getting strange, Noah. Holy water is effectively useless.” She paused, “Harmless.”

Finishing off his mixed drink, Noah nodded in agreement with Ellie. “You are right. Harmless to us, Agent Miller.” Once again looking at the quickly filling diner, Noah pulled out a small junk news article. “I know this is hardly evidence and they make up things all for shock value, but this seemed to click. Especially when you add the trucks.” He handed the tabloid to Ellie and shrugged, “When you look at the water lines, you see these trucks were where they needed to be in order to set off the sprinkler system.”

Puzzle pieces locked in place for Ellie and she closed her eyes in disbelief. “I can’t believe I didn’t suspect the sprinkler system. That is how it got in there, huh?” Twirling food onto her fork, Ellie looked down at the shady paper. “Really? Noah, this is a bit much.” Turning the image up to Noah, she laughed. “You can see the actors' plastic fangs falling out in the picture.”

“I said it gave me the idea, not that the image was real.” Reaching over and taking back his fake news, Noah tucked it away and pointed to the layout of Phantasmagoria again. “Now they found bones all over, but none of them were as old as the skull upstairs.” Noah quickly finished off his sandwich, “Let me give you this card.” He reached into his bag and handed Ellie a small card. “Professor Charles Sheppard. He’s a forensic anthropologist.” Taking down a couple more potatoes, Noah lightly slapped the salt from his hands and handed Ellie another small document. “I know you won’t believe it, but the skull is about eight hundred years old.” Noah smiled and added, “There are three listed owners of Phantasmagoria. Two can’t be found, the last owns a bar in Colonial Heights.”

“I know this name, Sylvie Miakoda. She was partly interviewed after the attack.” Agent Miller studied the document and then stared blankly at Noah. “This can’t be true, I mean…” Ellie stopped while looking at a set of dates that went back beyond 1900. “The same name?”

Holding his finger to his lips, Noah waved his other hand so Ellie would lower her voice. “This is where all my friends think I am crazy.” Glancing around once more, he whispered. “I have seen the headstones myself. I mean it is possible that the mother’s all passed down the same name.” He shrugged, “But when you add it all together, it seems very peculiar, doesn’t it?”

Lost in thought, Ellie stared at the little card Noah handed her. “If this thing about the skull pans out, then I will agree that it is strange.” Ellie finished her dinner and thanked Noah for his hospitality while one word echoed in her head.

-Vampires?-