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51.
Linsey drove in her own Lexus to the San Diego Police substation at the bottom of a canyon near the Park Boulevard side of Balboa Park. She entered the park grounds—of one of the world's largest urban parks, with the large San Diego Zoo adjacent—from Park Boulevard onto Presidents' Way and turned right on the access road behind one of the large parking lots. The access road spiraled down amid enormous yellow eucalyptus trees. The trees, which sat on the hillsides above, had yard-thick trunks with peeling bark. Huge growns of fine leaves hung down all around, making shade. Linsey drove down to find the parking lot deserted except for one or two police cars. The buildings were quiet at this time of day—probably locked up, or maybe with one or two administrative staff inside while the uniformed and detective agents were all out on patrol.
Linsey drove in a circle in the empty lot while fine leaf debris swirled up. Where was Cleve? He'd called earlier and asked her to meet him here. Her phone chirped, the readout said it was Jack, and she opened. "Hi, honey."
He sounded breathless. "Linsey, the kid was right."
"Huh?"
"The tubes in the neck, the mushroom smell…" He was gasping for air and trying to talk at the same time.
"Where are you, Jack?"
"In the middle of the street, outside Jimmy Mendez' aunt's house where I was before. Uncle Ernie showed up…or the mushroom person who was Uncle Ernie at one time."
"Jack, have you lost your mind?"
"Honey, no time for jokes. This is real. You gotta believe me because the proof is right there in that house. Cops on the way."
"I'll be right over."
"Wait. You said Cleve wanted you to meet him?"
"Yes. He's not here."
"Make sure he's okay. Stay there a while in case he shows up. I hope nothing has happened to him."
"If you say so."
"Check him out carefully first, to make sure he's not another Uncle Ernie. I don't know how they do it, but this guy has the neighbor lady in his embrace and he's got that tube going down her neck right there in the kitchen, just like Jimmy said."
"His memories must be jogging loose," Linsey said. "What on earth are we dealing with?"
"I haven't heard of any flying saucers or UFOs, so it must be of this earth."
"Hang in there, Jack, and I'll call you in 15 minutes."
"Right."
She made one last turn and parked the car behind the small complex of structures at the far end of the parking lot, housing the substation. She got out of the car and made sure her gun was ready and her cell phone was ready if she needed to call for help.
A few minutes later, a green luxury sedan came rolling down the access road. She hid behind the building and peeked. Tourist lost? Cleve in a new car? What gives? Behind the wheel was the beautiful social worker, Annette Lewis. Huh?
Annette pulled over and parked under a shady tree. She had a phone to her ear and appeared to be writing something. Linsey observed. When Annette put the phone away, Linsey searched her pockets and found the social worker's business card. She phoned and watched Annette pick up.
"Miss Lewis?"
"It's Mrs. Lewis. Who's calling?"
"Sorry. It's Linsey Simon. Lieutenant Simon? We met at Jimmy Mendez' Aunt Nellie's house?"
"Oh yes, how are you?"
"I'm fine. Just thought I'd touch base and see what' shaking."
"Not much is shaking, Lieutenant. I've been doing a little investigating of my own, trying to determine what part of Jimmy's hysteria is fantasy and what part might represent some form of real abuse."
"That's what Agent Cleve Bartlett and I were wondering too, after we left the other day. So where are you now?"
"I'm in Balboa Park, waiting for Officer Bartlett to show up."
"Oh?" Linsey felt suspicion growing. If she was married, and Cleve had asked Linsey to meet him here, what kind of odd triangle would this make?
"I called the Harbor Police this morning to see if I could interview both you and Cleve. They said you are working for some task force downtown and they'd get a message to you. They said Cleve told them he was going to leave the Harbor Police jurisdiction to drive here and take care of something personal. I thought I might catch him here and ask him a few questions. Oops."
"Oops?" As she echoed Annette's little exclamation, she understood: Cleve's Harbor Police patrol car was just then nosing down the winding access road. Leafy debris from the Brazilian peppers and eucalyptus trees rained down on the dusty hood of the black and white.
Cleve stopped in the middle of the parking lot as if looking—for me, Linsey thought. Something made her stay put, rather than step out to wave to him as she wanted very much to do.
Annette stepped out of her car and waved to Cleve instead.
Linsey watched as Cleve's head leaned out a bit. The two talked. He pulled over and parked parallel to her car. He got out and walked toward her, even as she walked under the shade of that big tree. Linsey squinted and wished she had binoculars, but she could see plainly what happened next.
Annette and Cleve stepped close to each other. She was just saying something with a pleasant smile. Cleve opened his mouth inot an 'o' shape and breathed black air in her face. Her expression changed and she grew limp. Linsey's heart nearly stopped a beat or two. She realized with an icy shower of hurt feelings and fright that Cleve had meant for Linsey to show up so he could do this to her. Cleve quickly stepped in to catch Annette. As she grew limp in his arms, he did a half turn, almost a dance step, and bit her neck. He held her tightly to him, and a black tube slid from his mouth into her neck.
Linsey repelled backwards, revulsed and grief stricken. It was not the grossness or the horror of it. It was the fact that her friend was dead. She knew it. Someone must have gotten to him earlier, but from her perspective, seeing this was like seeing him actually get killed in front of her.
Leaving her car where it was, and keeping the building and trees between her and that horrid vision, she scrambled up the dark hillside until she emerged in full sunlight on the green lawn by Presidents' Way. There, she fumbled for her cell phone and pressed the pre-dial for Jack while running to find the nearest police officer.
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