"Hi," the well-dressed woman said approaching the badge office at the police station. "I'm here to see Detective Williams."
"ID please," the young female officer behind the glass asked. She looked like she could be fresh from the academy.
Jessica pulled her driver's license and psychiatry ID card from her purse and slid them into the metal tray. After a quick call to the Detective, the woman gave her a temporary badge which she attached to the collar of her off-white blouse. Her favorite blouse.
"Doctor Flemming?" a voice said from behind her. She turned and faced the gruff Detective. "Detective Williams. Thanks for coming down. This way, please."
The detective was older, probably in his late 50's and nearing retirement. She'd never met him before, although she had been called to the station occasionally. He led her through to a locked door that buzzed before he opened it and into the main area of police headquarters.
"What's the issue, Detective?" she asked as they walked.
"We caught a suspect last night for multiple rapes in the area and now he's acting funny." The detective held the door for her and she moved through into another hallway. "I'm told you've had some experience working down here and thought maybe you could help."
"Funny? How so?"
"Well... of course he claims he didn't do it. They all do that. But of all things he says there's a woman in his head that did all this." She was led into a darkened room with what appeared to be one-way glass on one wall. Inside the adjoining room was an older, somewhat frail gentleman, with his hands cuffed to the table top in front of him.
"Normally I'd just say bullshit and let it go, but..." He stopped mid-sentence, giving Jessica a slightly uneasy feeling.
"But?"
"Well... I've actually seen what appears to be two different personalities inside him. I've never seen anything like it in my life. One minute he's some hick, and the next, boom, he's all prim and proper like." They moved over to the glass and looked at him. "Meet Ham Estridge, doc. He's a janitor at a local high school. And wanted for 6 rapes over the past year. I gotta tell ya, the last was with one of the guidance counselors."
She looked at the man. He sat hunched in his chair, lightly sobbing. His body looking too frail to even move, let alone rape a bunch of women. "Multiple personalities are pretty rare in society at large," she said. "Even far rarer for men. Can I talk to him?"
"That's what I was hoping for," the detective smiled. He moved to the door and opened it again, leading her back out into the hall and to the next door down. The detective opened it and, this time, went in first.
"Mr. Estridge, this here is Doctor Flemming. She'd like to talk to you for a little bit." The officer patted the prisoner on the shoulder. Ham raised his head and looked first at the officer and then to her.
"I ain't need no doctor," he said.
"Well I think if you have a woman in your head making you do bad things, then you do," the detective smiled, looking rather amused at the story. He didn't really believe it was real.
"Hi Ham. I just want to talk, ok?" Jessica asked pulling the chair out and sitting down opposite him, the table between them.
"Not that I got no choice or nothin'."
Jessica got out a notebook and a pen, then looked at the detective, telling her with her eyes that he should leave.
"I'll leave you two alone then," he said and slipped out the door. Jessica figured he just moved into the office next door again to watch the proceedings. So much for private conversations, but at least he couldn't directly influence what Ham would tell her.
"Can you tell me what happened? What brought you here?"
Ham looked at her. He looked so tired, so frail. His eyes were red from crying and he played with his fingertips.
"They said I raped some woman."
"They said?"
"I... I didn't do it. It was... it was her. She did it."
"She? Who's she? The woman they say you raped?"
"The woman in my goddamned head, that's who," he said angrily, raising his voice.
"Ok... how did she do it if she's in your head?"
"I dunno... she... she used my body somehow. I was just along for the ride. Sometimes she'd do things while I was blacked out or sumthin'. Other times she let me watch, but I couldn't do nuthin' to stop her. Oh Lord Almighty, I saw her do so many things... so many bad things. But she did 'em... not me. I'd never hurt nobody."
"When did this all start? When did you first notice... her?"
Ham shook his head, obviously thinking about all the events that had happened. "I dunno... a year ago I guess. There was this voice... in my head. It was all sweet like at first. Talking things. Telling me to do things. But I wouldn't do 'em. Then... then I started blacking out like... and... and waking up like in weird places or doing weird... things. It scared the hell outta me."
"Weird things? What kind of weird things?"
Ham hung his head low and sobbed. Jessica felt so very sorry for him and what he was going through. She'd seen people break down like this, many times. Normally she was prepared to handle it. But something about Ham's story made her truly empathize with him.
"She... she made me... do things to myself... and do things to women... I didn't want to. I didn't mean to," he sobbed.
Jessica felt the need to touch him, to hold his hand, to comfort him. She shifted forward in her seat. Her hand slid across the table and the made contact with his fingers and then hand. It felt course in hers and she knew he was a man used to working with his hands day in and day out.
His hand lightly gripped hers as he continued sobbing, his head bowed down.
"Oh, please," he said suddenly, his voice changing to one of defiance and strength and he sat upright looking directly at her. His hands clasped hers firmly. "You're not going to buy this are you?" he asked. "I can't lie. I loved it. I loved every minute with every woman. I loved every delicious lick, every touch... And ummmm" His face contorted in pleasure as if he were in the midst of an orgasm. "I loved every time my dick went into their wet pussies."
Jessica was surprised by the sudden change in behavior. "Ham?" she asked.
"Well... I'm kinda Ham. But, then again, I'm kinda not," he said smiling. It was a cold, calculating smile. One that scared Jessica and she pulled her hands back.
"Aww... I liked holding your hand. It's so soft... so... welcoming," he smiled.
"And you are?" she asked, her heart beating rapidly in fear, disbelief, and fascination.
"My name is Emmanuelle," he said and extended his hand as if to shake hers. "Emmanuelle Brodheim, nice to meet you doctor."
Jessica looked at his hand, but didn't move to shake it. He pulled his hand back after a moment.
"Ham seems to blame you for all of his troubles. Is that true?"
"Troubles? There aren't any troubles, just... fun. I'm just helping him have a little fun in his life. Is that so wrong?" he said, smiling.
