NOSH 4: Aspirations of the Amorous
So here's four which takes place after Zoe's encounter in Silent Hill in an FBI office. Read on to see what happens. Five will be next. Thanks for your patience.
Kileka
Present Day – FBI Office 30 Miles South of Silent Hill, West Virginia
Roger
"Zoe, would you like to stop and take a break?" I ask the dry-throated, weary girl across the table from me. Her dark, tired eyes look up at me. The offer is more for Judi and I's sake than hers. Judi had left numerous times during the more grisly scenes, presumably because they made her sick. I continue with my offer, "We can stop for a little while. I can get you something to eat and a soda if you would like." I hope the niceties will bring her back to reality. She had spent the entire eight hour interrogation slumped over, looking miserable, telling her story in a whisper. I had been taking notes on maps that I had requested when she started talking about specific locations within Silent Hill. Short, glasses-wearing Judi had been changing tapes on the voice recorder. Apparently, the FBI office here in West Virginia is too damn cheap to upgrade to a digital one. I had to be transferred here from the office in D.C. to deal with this case.
Zoe speaks, still in a whisper, "Yes, a break would be nice. And just some water, please." I let out a heavy sigh, glad she consented to the pause in the interrogation. I get up and Judi stops the tape. I can leave her in the interrogation room without cuffing her. She had been completely compliant. The crazy ones usually were until you found their crazy trigger, the thing that turned them into violent, gibbering psychos. This girl was found unconscious in the burnt-out hollow of a church. A worker at a gas station on the nearby highway reported seeing smoke coming from the town. The local fire department sent responders to ensure the fire didn't spread. At least one unidentified burnt corpse was found in the church with her. Local officials were looking for any others. Considering the town had been abandoned for decades and she was the only living thing there, naturally the girl was brought in for questioning regarding the burnt corpse. The local law enforcement sent her to the nearest medical facility for treatment, she had no smoke in her lungs but had signs of being shot, sexual assault and numerous abrasions. Her vehicle was found on the southern road out of the town. When questioned, she talked only of monsters in the town. Apparently, she confessed to killing two people, though she never specified who or gave any details. That's when the local FBI office got called and in turn called me for my special victims experience. My preliminary research revealed Silent Hill was burnt up by mine fires which are still lit under the town. They likely caused the church fire. There were several superstitions regarding the town, that is was haunted or once run by cults. There was a report involving a local cop, Cybil Bennett, who died mysteriously after supposedly following a tourist into the town. That report was vague, only mentioning that her body was found in an amusement park with a single gunshot wound.
I readjust my button-down and put my tie back on before I leave the room. I check the time on my practical watch. It reads 1:45 in the afternoon. 'Damn, we've been interrogating since seven this morning.' As I step out, I peer at the overdressed Director of the local office, Don Mesiliere. He glares at me, displeased at the interruption. I mentally flick him off as I watch Judi scurry toward the ladies room. The guy is a jerk, who thinks he's some king because he's Director. I just remind myself I don't work for him. I wade through the overcrowded offices, where agents like me are coordinating other details of my investigation or investigations similar to mine. I pitch pleasant hellos in their direction as I make my way through the office. They all respond with heys or how are yous in passing. Their assistants shuffle around them, trying to obey their bosses overwhelming commands. Cubicles line the busy room, cutting up the stale white walls and boring grey carpet. Halogen lights give the strewn paperwork and files a bluish hue, making it the only other color in the room. I dodge several busy people on my way to the employee break room. This office is awful busy for being in the middle of nowhere. The dull roar of the office dies when I enter the break room. A single table stands opposite a sink, cupboard and refrigerator. This room also shares the gray color tones of the other room. A lovely young assistant by the name of Cynthia is in the room stirring a cup of coffee for herself. Upon seeing her I say, "Good afternoon Cynthia."
I think she's surprised I knew her name as she stiffens. "Good afternoon Agent Collins. How is that Silent Hill case coming along?"
I knew I couldn't go into specifics with her but a general answer is fine. "It's been difficult to work with the witnesses."
Her eyes were pretty, a deep aqua color. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. I hear you came from D.C. How is it there?"
I lean on the counter next to her. "Too many tourists and too many politicians. But the FBI office there is huge and always insanely busy. Do you live around here?"
She takes a sip out of the Styrofoam cup. "I couldn't deal with all that craziness. I do in fact."
I admire those eyes again as I say, "Do you like it here?"
Another sip. "Yeah. I hate all the ghost stories though."
"I would too."
She checks her watch. "Oh, I got to get going. It was nice talking to you, Agent Collins."
I slip in, "Yeah. You too Cynthia," as she leaves the room. She was a sweet gal, independent and stable. No sign of any traumatic experiences with her.
I open the fridge and snatch one of the Vanilla Cokes I had bought on the way to work. I crack it open and take a long swallow, allowing the sweet bubbly to wash my dry throat and fizz in my belly. I know better than to eat, that girl isn't done and something tells me the worst is to come. 'She can cook up some depraved shit, that one.' While in thought, my front pocket vibrates. I fumble the iphone out of my pocket and touch the answer key on the screen. "This is Special Agent Collins."
The suave voice of my wife's divorce lawyer says, "Roger, this is Lydia Mortarse again."
'Fuck. This is the third time this week.'
She continues, "Vanessa wanted me to tell you that you are welcome to keep the Cadillac."
'Damn right, I can keep it. I paid for it.' It's another ploy to convince me to let Vanessa keep the house that I paid for too. I don't know why, Vanessa made plenty of money sucking cocks of the CEOs of a large bank chain. I actually think she made more than I did. I just had to put her name on the house and the car. Keeping my voice steady, "Mrs. Mortarse, I am keeping the car and the house. I'm sticking with the original cash offer. All other discussions will have to be made in the presence of my lawyer and when I'm back in D.C." Vanessa was a doll of a gal, six years younger than me but couldn't handle my demanding work and lack of desire to have kids at 38. 'I wouldn't have married the bitch if I had known she was going to try to take everything I own in the divorce.'
Mrs. Mortarse paused, "Very well, Roger. I'll see you at the next consultation." She hung up.
'I hate how the venomous snake used my first name. It's about time that bitch gave up hounding me.' My lawyer was going to have a heyday with her when he found out she had been calling me. I open the fridge and grab a bottle of water for the crazy before heading out into the office again. 'Maybe I should check on Judi.'
__________
Judi
As soon as me and Agent Collins leave the interrogation room, I bolt for the ladies room. I pass Director Mesiliere but he is too busy glaring at Agent Collins. After eight hours checking tapes and many bathroom breaks to puke up my breakfast, I look like hell. I need to make sure I look presentable. This is only my second week here so I have to make a good impression. My last job, while it never made me lose my breakfast, basically placed me as a personal slave to a fat, greasy CEO of a financial company. The CEO canned me for being too old and because I wouldn't do sexual favors for him. It was just wrong. This job is much better, other than that sicko in the interrogation room. Her descriptions of the monsters and the sex, it's too much for me.
I pass a couple storage rooms and more exhausted assistants. I empathize with them, knowing how demanding the Agents could be. Collins is handsome and has been very good with the interrogation so far. The Director is insulting about his demands. He brazenly called me an idiot when I jammed the printer on accident once. The Director is the my-shit-doesn't-stink kind of person. I put on perfume like I normally would the first day at the job.
After shaking my hand, he commented, "My dear, what is that retched smell coming from you?" He wrinkled his nose. Mind you, I buy my perfume from Avon.
I stumbled over my words, "Perfume, s-sir."