The Voice - Part 15

“Bobby, listen to what Lance knows. You’ve been working the McClanahan case with him. There might be a tie-in. This Barto character used the alias Roger McClanahan and posed as Peter’s uncle. See what you think.”

Lance passed the information off to Bobby. Bobby looked at Chief. Chief looked at Bobby. Lance looked at them both. “What? What’s going on, guys? What?”

Bobby felt a little smug. “And you’re the lead homicide detective on the McClanahan case, Lance?”

“Yeah. Now, what’s going on?”

“This uh, Alex-Roger guy – he asked you about the disappearance of Jesse Allen that supposedly happened a few years ago, right?”

“Right.”

“He mentioned almost in the same sentence as he mentioned Medford Alley, right?”

“Right.”

Bobby looked at Chief. Chief looked at Bobby. Lance was still confused.

“Lance, this Alex, he’s from the future,” Bobby began. “To him, Jesse’s disappearance was a few years ago because he is in the future. To us, here in the present, it just happened. Medford Alley was his travel vehicle”

“No, no Medford Alley was not his travel vehicle. He came in on Flight 73 from Topeka.”

“His vehicle to his past – our present. Don’t you see? I don’t know why he’s here. He very well may have had something to do with the kid’s disappearance, but even if he didn’t he knows what we don’t know for now.

Remember he asked you if you knew what happened to Jesse, and then connected it to Medford Alley, our time portal. He left the future for our present which is his past. Follow that? Either way, if he did it or didn’t do it, he knows something. Let’s go bring him in. What do you say, Chief?”

“Go get him – and hurry!”

Lance and Bobby ran to the police cruiser and sped off in the direction of the Gables Motel. Rather than pull into the parking lot and tip their hand, they parked on the street around the corner and walked up to room 26. The shades were drawn and so were their weapons. Lance knocked and identified themselves. “Police. Open up!”

There was no response. He knocked again. “Bobby, I’ll stay here. Go ask the manager if he can let us in.” Within minutes, Bobby resurfaced with the manager and a key.”

Lance ordered the manager to stand back in case any violence erupted. That’s when the manager told Lance and Bobby that the occupant, Roger McClanahan, checked out during the night.

“Okay, okay. That’s not we wanted to hear but do you mind if we look around?”

“No, not at all. Just drop the key off at the desk before you leave.”

The search of Alex’s room yielded no evidence. “Bobby meet me at the cruiser. I’m going to check in with Paul Hayes in Topeka. He needs to know what’s going on here. I’ll be right there. Then we’ll head back to let Chief know what’s going on – or what’s not going on.”

Back at Headquarters the three sat down to discuss the situation. After the update, Chief Gordon informed Lance and Bobby that they were to focus on the serial killer, not Barto.

“Okay, he’s gone. We’ll let Topeka deal with him, at least for now. We need to find who’s behind these serial killings. Focus on that!”

“But Chief. Barto is the serial killer,” Lance interjected.

“Then give me evidence – hard, specific evidence. I know how it looks, but there is absolutely nothing solid we can use to arrest him. Get me something solid and we’ll move. Until then, work the evidence you have.”

“Get the rookie, and you three get to work on it. Teach him the ropes, Fisher. I want him to be able to replace you when you retire.”

“Chief, I have several good years ahead of me. There’s plenty of time.”

“Not if you don’t find this killer. Now get to work – both of you.” Chief Gordon walked out leaving Lance and Bobby to figure out the rest.

“Okay Bobby, get your notes, especially the ones on Medford Alley. I’ll go find Chris. We’ll meet you back here in five.”

Bobby left. Lance left. They knew they had their work cut out for them. Within minutes all three were gathered around Lance’s desk going over the case, checking all the details.”

“Okay,” Lance began. “Let’s make a list of everything we know about the case. Bobby, add these to your notes.”

The three looked at each other in silence. “Well, come on. What do we know?”

The rookie spoke. “Well, we know Peter goes to Medford Alley on rainy nights to try to find his attacker.”

“No – no. We know he goes to Medford Alley, but we don’t know why,”

Bobby threw in two cents. “We know that The Voice leads him there, right Lance?”

“No, we don’t know why he goes there, but we know he enters a time portal.”

“Do we? We know he disappears into nothingness, but a time portal, Lance? We don’t know that for a fact.”

The whole time Lance and Bobby were discussing, Chris was thinking. He gave voice to his thoughts. “Guys, let’s face it! We don’t know anything for sure. Let’s go back over the case and see if we forgot anything, or maybe look for a new perspective.”

Bobby couldn’t resist. “Hey Fisher, the kid’s going to be ready before you know it, and you’re going to be looking for a new job.” Lance poked Bobby hard in the side.

After what seemed hours Lance stumbled upon a note that needed following up - Peter’s visit to Doctor Kepler. “Hey look, guys. We need to follow up on this; Peter’s evaluation by Doctor Kepler. I’m not sure how we missed this. I doubt it will give us anything new to go on, but we need to follow up on everything. Maybe the ol' Doc was able to get some information from Peter. Rookie, you’re coming with me. Bobby, keep at it. Let me know if you find anything of importance.”

Lance and Chris ran for the cruiser and set out to Doctor Kepler’s office. “Rookie, you’re going to learn some things today. Pay attention. This will pay off big for you some day.” Within minutes they entered the building only to be stopped by Kepler’s receptionist.

“Uh yes, I’m Detective Lance Fisher – Homicide. This is Officer Chris Shields. We need to speak with the doctor, please. It’s involving the serial killings here in Lafayette.”

“I’m sorry. The doctor is busy. He can’t take any visitors right now.”

“Oh, so he’s with a client?”

“No, but he is involved in research at the moment. I have strict orders not to disturb him. Wait! Wait! You can’t go in there.”

Lance headed for Doctor Kepler’s office with Chris close behind. The door flung open just in time to hear the receptionist speak on the intercom. “Sir, there are two police officers here to see you.” To which Doctor Kepler replied, “No kidding. Thank you very much, Janet.”

“And what might I do for Lafayette’s finest men in blue?”

“Doc, we need to see Peter McClanahan’s evaluation report.”

“Oh so sorry, men. I can't do that. You see, he’s protected by doctor-patient privilege. Everything Peter has shared is extremely confidential and must remain that way. I’m not permitted to release that information to anyone.”

“You could release it to Peter’s mother, right” Peter signed giving you permission to release all information to Mrs. McClanahan.”

“That is true detective. But there’s one problem with that. Mrs. McClanahan released me from Peter’s care.”

“And why was that?”

“Óh, no you don’t. You’ll get no information from me.”

“Doc, if Margie McClanahan released you from Peter’s care, you’re really under no obligation to protect Peter’s privacy.”

Chris was very attentive as he watched Lance in action. “Now Doc, we can do this one of two ways. This is a murder investigation. It is highly probable that your patient has some knowledge helpful to the case. You can either let us see the report, or we can get a search warrant. Choice two is a lot harder and more time consuming for both of us.”

Doctor Kepler stood and walked toward the window. As he passed the file cabinet, Shields eyes fell on a file folder lying on top. The folder tab read Medford Alley. He looked Lance’s way, and nodded in the direction of the cabinet.

Kepler stood with his arms crossed as he looked down from his seventh story window to the pavement below. Then he spoke, expecting an argument.

“You gentlemen will have to do what you must, and I must do what I must.”

Lance apologetically spoke. “Doctor, we both know a search warrant would never be granted. Thank you for your time.”

Lance headed for the door with Shields in tow. Back in the cruiser the questions began. “So Lance, why didn’t you distract him? I could’ve grabbed the folder and we could be gone.”

“Rookie, let me remind you, we didn’t come here looking for a folder on Medford Alley. We came to get Peter’s evaluation report. Point number two Rookie, what are your thoughts on why a doctor would have a report on Medford Alley? Kepler deals with people, not places. Why would he have a folder on Medford Alley?

“He knows something, and we’re going to find out what it is.” Tonight we break in.”

“Whoa, Lance! Isn’t that just a bit illegal? It would have been much simpler if you just distracted the Doc, and I could have grabbed the folder.”

“Rookie, isn’t that just a bit illegal – theft of privileged material?”

“Tonight we go in, make copies of the files we need, put everything back the way we found it – and he’ll never know that we were there. No thieving, we’re clean. Get it!”

“Not exactly, but whatever we have to do to solve this case.”

“Okay. 10:00 tonight. Be here.”