Simple Genius

She quickly wheeled herself away, leaving Michelle staring at her food.

After lunch, Michelle took a stroll that carried her by Sandy’s room. As she slowly walked by she glanced in the square cut of Plexiglas in the middle of the woman’s door. Sandy was lying asleep in her private room. Michelle continued on down the hall until she stopped at the locked door to the pharmacy. She glanced through the barred window and saw a short, balding man in a white coat dispensing a prescription. When he looked up and saw her she smiled. He turned his back to her and continued his work.

“Okay, you’re off my Christmas card list,” Michelle said to herself.

“Wandering again?” the voice said.

Michelle turned quickly to see Barry staring at her.

“What else is there to do?” she said.

“I can think of a few things. Your face looks better. Getting those killer cheekbones back.”

“Thanks,” she said curtly.

“I saw you talking to Sandy at lunch today,” he remarked.

“Nice lady.”

“I’d watch out for her.”

“Oh, you know her well?”

“Let’s just say I know people like her. They can be trouble. You don’t want to get into trouble, right?”

“I never go looking for trouble,” she lied.

“Good girl,” he said condescendingly. “Look, if you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Anything like what?”

He seemed both surprised and amused by her question.

“Anything means anything.” Barry looked around and moved closer to her. “I mean I know it gets damn lonely in here for a hot babe like you.”

“It never gets that lonely,” she said walking off. Sandy had definitely been right about that book’s cover.

Later that afternoon Horatio Barnes sat down across from Michelle.

“No tape recorder today?” she observed.

He tapped his head. “I took my vitamins today, so I’ve got it all up here. By the way, I talked to your brother.”

Michelle sat forward, her look suddenly anxious. “How much did you tell him?”

“Just enough to let him follow along.”

“Did you tell him about the bar?”

“Why would I tell him you went to a bar to get a drink and accidentally got in a fight with the Incredible Hulk.”

“Stop screwing with me. Did you tell him?”

“I was actually more interested in what he had to say about you.” He flipped back through his notebook. “He said you were a dynamo, with limitless energy and a drive that put everyone in the family to shame. A walking, talking tornado was his description. I’m sure he meant it with great affection. ”

“Bill has been known to exaggerate.”

“I think he was entirely accurate. But he also said something else interesting.”

“What was that?”

“Care to guess?”

“Look, who the hell’s playing games now. Just tell me!”

“He said that when you were little you were as neat as a pin. Everything in its place. They used to make fun of you. But then, bam, complete personality change.”

“What’s the big deal? I grew out of it. Now I’m a slob.”

“You’re right; it does happen, but not usually overnight at age six. If you’d been a teenager I wouldn’t blink an eye. There’s a chromosome that goes haywire when you turn thirteen. It commands you to live in filth while withstanding all threats by parents to clean up your act. I’m just wondering what the reason was in your case because it happened long before that chromosome ordinarily flips out.”

“It was a long time ago. Who cares?”

“For our purposes the lapse of time doesn’t really matter. What does matter is what was going on in your head at that time.”

“You know, we’ve never really even talked about my relationship with a man who killed a bunch of people. I’m not a shrink, but don’t you think that might be relevant as to why I’m so screwed up?”

“Okay, let’s talk about him.”

Michelle sat back and kneaded her fists into her thighs. “There’s not a lot to tell really. He was good-looking and kind, an accomplished artist and an amazing athlete with an interesting background. He made me feel good about myself. He was in a bad marriage and was trying to make the best of it.” She added sarcastically, “In fact his only negative was he just happened to be a mass murderer.”

“And you can’t believe that you were so easily duped by such a man?”

“It had never happened to me before?”

“But also consider that serial killers are notorious for being great deceivers; it’s part of the psychological makeup that makes them who they are, and allows them to prey on their victims with such success. Ted Bundy is usually held up as the poster boy of that theory.”

“Wow thanks, that makes me feel so much better.”

“And because of that one incident you just chuck years of professional success and sound instincts? Do you think that’s reasonable?”

“I don’t care if it’s reasonable, it’s how I feel.”

“Do you think you loved him?”

She pondered this. “I think maybe I could have, given time. And every time I think that, I want to slit my wrists. The bastard tried to kill me and would’ve if Sean hadn’t been there.”

“Sean to the rescue. For which you were no doubt very grateful.”

“Of course I was.”

“I understand that while you were having your relationship, Sean was also seeing someone?”