A Flight of Fantasy (Sarah Woods Mystery 12) (6 page)

When Rita finally returned to the kitchen, I noticed how tired she looked. “Who were you talking to on the phone just now?” she asked.

“My partner Carter. The one you met yesterday at the hotel lounge.”

“I see. So, what did he have to say about all this?”

“He’s shocked, just like me. If we find out that you’re right and Wayne Miller is a part of this group, then that changes things for us. I won’t work for someone like him.”

A panic look crossed her face. “You can’t tell Wayne Miller about this. He’ll contact Dr. Wheeler and warn him for sure.”

“We’re not going to mention any of this for now, at least until we can prove that waynethebrain69 is actually him. It’s not that I don’t believe you, but we have to make sure.”

“And then what? I can’t go to the police because I stole these files and I’m sure there are laws against that. With my luck, Dr. Wheeler will sue me for slander or some horseshit like that.”

“You need to convince your student to come forward,” I said. “Or else other girls might be subject to the same mistreatment. You have to convince her to be strong. Her testimony is imperative.”

“I’m working on it but she’s afraid. I can’t blame her for that.”

“I’d be willing to talk to her,” I said.  “If you think I can help.”

“You’d do that?”

“Of course - but if I’m going to get involved, you need to trust me implicitly and I need to have copies of everything you have found on Dr. Wheeler’s and Wayne’s computers.”

“No problem.” She indicated the stack on the counter. “You can take it all.”

I gathered the sheets, returned them to the folder and then securely tucked the envelope into my purse. “I’ll be in touch sometime tomorrow after we’ve had a chance to look these over.”

She let out a sigh of relief and managed a weak smile. “Thank you for believing me. It actually feels good to talk to someone about this. Get it off my chest. I’ve been so consumed with this, I feel guilty for neglecting my daughter’s needs. I know she senses that I’m not happy.”

“If you don’t mind me asking a personal question, why are you working as an escort?”

Rita closed her eyes and lowered her head. “It’s a long story.”

“I have the time.”

She looked up, opened her eyes, and gave a little shrug. “My ex-husband left us a few years ago. He couldn’t handle the stress of raising a child with special needs. When I was pregnant with Amy, the doctor told us our daughter would have a ninety percent chance of having Down’s Syndrome. We made the decision to love our child no matter what. Unfortunately, Jim didn’t keep his word. He let us down and, not just that, he racked up a fortune on our credit cards, then left me with all of it. He hasn’t paid child support and he hasn’t talked to Amy in over a year. She requires special schooling and I want to give her the best opportunities. I decided I would need to get a second job in order to make it all work.”

“…and having sex with strangers is the only job you could find?”

“It’s the only job I could find that pays well. I make more money as an escort in one week than I do in one month of being a guidance counselor.”

“Don’t you have family who can help out?”

“Not really. My mom is gone and my dad is in a home. My brother and his wife live in Canada and I barely hear from them. My next-door neighbor is retired and she watches Amy whenever I have a client. She’s been a tremendous help and I don’t know what I’d do without her.”

“I admire the sacrifices you’ve made,” I said. “You obviously care very much for your daughter as well as your students.”

“I’m a guidance counselor, so my job is to counsel my students. Most people think all we do is guide them toward future endeavors like college and so forth, but we also have to be in tune to their emotional and psychological behavior. Sometimes it’s hard to connect with teenagers so when one of them opens up and confides in me, I want to be there for her.”

“I understand. You have a strong sense of duty and I admire that but you’ve risked a lot.”

“If I don’t, then who will?” she said.

“I understand. I really do.” I got up and grabbed the files. “I’ll be in touch soon.”

* * *

When we got back to Bridgeport I invited Carter up to my apartment for a beer while we confirmed the truth of Rita’s theory. It didn’t take very long for Carter to prove that
wanynethebrain69
was, in fact, our client, Wayne Miller.

When we read Wayne’s stories about having sex with thirteen-year-old girls, the details seemed so outlandish they read more like science fiction than true life. At least he’d never posted any photos. The fact that anyone would find these stories entertaining made me want to vomit.

“Wayne is the kind of guy who probably never had a date in high school,” I said. “Think about it. I know how cruel girls can be in high school. The constant rejection and teasing probably left him with deep-rooted scars. Maybe these stories he writes are pure fantasy. Maybe even therapeutic in a sick sort of way. An opportunity to release his demons without resorting to violence.”

“I see what you’re getting at,” Carter said, “but this kind of mentality could turn violent under certain circumstances. I can tell you one thing, I wouldn’t want him hanging around young girls.”

“Well, that’s what makes Dr. Wheeler so scary. He’s around kids all day long. He knows how their brains work and he can manipulate them. Just like he did with Reece’s student, Allison.”

Carter took a few minutes to think it over. “Tell you what. Why don’t we give Wayne the chance to explain himself? We owe him that much. Maybe he’ll be willing to testify against Dr. Wheeler if this thing ever goes to court.”

“Okay,” I said. “Let’s see if he’ll meet us tomorrow morning.”

Chapter 15

Tuesday, October 20th

The next morning, we showed up at Wayne’s house early before he was heading to work. Wayne offered us coffee but we both declined.

Carter cleared his throat nervously as the three of us sat down at his kitchen table. “Wayne, what can you tell us about a blog called
Teenager Revealed?”

Wayne looked up from his coffee cup and blinked. “I beg your pardon?”

“Your user name is
waynethebrain69,”
Carter continued. “And you regularly post stories on the site. We’ve read a few of them. Quite an imagination you have. Is there any truth to them?”

All the color vanished from Wayne’s face. He clearly did not know how to respond as he just sat there, blinking at us like we were completely off our rockers. Finally, he licked his lips and said, “This is all a big misunderstanding.”

“Okay,” Carter said, nonchalantly. “Then why don’t you tell us?”

Wayne rubbed his temples as he made a pained face, like this was the Spanish Inquisition. “I’ll admit, I may have posted a few stories but I never actually did those things I wrote about. I made it up. All in my head. Just a stupid fantasy that I would never act upon.”

“What about the photos of the young girl?” I interjected. “You made comments about the girl. You are an active participant. Are you a pedophile, Wayne?”

“No,” Wayne shook his head back and forth. “The girl was fully developed. I figured she was at least eighteen years old.”

“Lots of girls are fully developed at fourteen years old,” I said, “and besides, Dr. Wheeler made the comment that she was fourteen on the blog, which she is. So regardless of the fact that you thought she was older, doesn’t excuse your actions.”

“Dr. Wheeler?” he said, shaking his head. “I don’t know him.”

“His username is
Docmeister12,”
I replied. “The usernames are designs with a special encryption code so that they are virtually untraceable but Reece has a contact who was able to break through that code. It’s high tech stuff and I’m not familiar with how it all works: however, we have the proof.”

The recognition flashed in his eyes. “Wait, so the guy is actually a doctor?”

“He happens to be a child therapist living a few towns from here. He convinced one of his patients to pose nude, as some sort of trust therapy bullshit. She’s a troubled girl and he knew he could take advantage of her. And then he shared her picture.”

Wayne regarded me with a wounded look. “That has nothing to do with me. I’m not some kind of sick pervert. The stories I write are pure fantasy and entertainment. If I had known the girl was under-age, I would have reported him.”

“Well, it’s not too late,” I added. “As a matter of fact, we could use your help. Reece is going to the police with this today.”

“Why should I help her now?” Wayne’s tone began to change and I sensed his patience was beginning to unravel. “Why doesn’t she mind her own damned business?”

I shook my head and tried to reason with him. “What matters right now is this: if you’re willing to help us nail Dr. Wheeler, I’m sure the police will go easy on you, for your cooperation.”

“But I haven’t done anything wrong. I never had sex with any under-aged girls and I never took any pictures. Why do I need to get involved? This is not what I hired you guys for. I thought I was your client.”

“You are,” Carter said. “However, you neglected to tell us in the beginning that you’ve been posting comments on a blog that encourages sex with young girls. Are you telling us it just slipped your mind?”

“Freedom of speech,” Wayne said. “It’s not a crime and that’s all I did. I didn’t break any laws.”

“So does that mean you’re not going to help us?” I said.

Wayne shook his head. “Look, if my superiors found out that I was involved in this mess, I’d be fired on the spot. My job is everything to me. You can’t ask me to risk everything just because I happened to come across some photos on the Internet.”

He abruptly stood up from the chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m sorry I can’t help you with this matter.”

“Are you sure you want to play it like this?” Carter warned. “If you don’t deal with this now, it might come back to bite you later.”

Wayne pointed to his watch. “If you don’t mind, I really have to leave for work.”

“Fine,” Carter said flatly. “I guess our business with you is officially done.”

Back at the car, I couldn’t help but feel discouraged and mightily pissed. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised but I really thought Wayne might help out and do the right thing. He’s just a selfish coward, apparently.”

Carter shrugged. “In his mind, he’s done nothing wrong so why should he sacrifice his livelihood?”

“We can’t prove that he hasn’t done anything wrong. Maybe he has done the things he’s written about. Maybe he’s a superb liar.”

“Let’s not worry about Wayne anymore. At some point he’ll have to face the music. Right now, we have a bigger fish to fry, which is Dr. Wheeler. What time do you have to be at the high school?”

“Ten o’clock. I hope I can convince Allison to press charges but it sounds like she won’t be an easy sell. Poor girl has been through enough already. I don’t look forward to pressuring her.”

“Do her parents have a clue what’s going on?”

“According to Rita, they both have issues with drug and alcohol abuse and, therefore, are emotionally unavailable for their daughter. I wish I could show up at their home and knock some sense into them.”

“Even if Allison had a close, trusting relationship with her parents, it doesn’t mean she would have shared her ordeal with them. Teenagers are funny that way.”

* * *

When we got to the high school, Carter offered to stay in the car while I went in to talk with Rita and Allison alone. He surmised that a male presence might be a bad idea and I agreed.

“I have no idea how long I’ll be in there,” I said.

“As long as it takes.” Carter checked the time. “Just keep in mind that we need to act fast. I can’t guarantee that Wayne won’t contact Dr. Wheeler and give him a heads up. If Allison intends on contacting the police, we should make it swift.”

“I’ll do my best.”

Upon entering the main double doors, I was shocked to find that I had to go through a security checkpoint, much like that at an airport. I even had to watch as an armed security guard riffled through my purse looking for weapons. What was this world coming to when kids, teachers and staff feared for their lives every single day coming to school? When I was in high school, bringing a joint was the worst offence imaginable. I had never heard of a kid bringing a gun to school back then. Maybe a pocketknife or a firecracker, just to show off; but a semi-automatic weapon? My, how times have changed.

I got through security just fine. Good thing I left my gun in the car, otherwise, Carter might have had to bail me out of jail. I would then be placed on the no fly list and probably sent to a maximum-security prison for the rest of my life.

Once I had signed my name in at the principal’s office, I was given directions to Rita’s office located in the basement of the building. She was waiting for me when I knocked on her door.

“Thanks for coming,” she said, gesturing to a wooden chair by her desk. The room was dark and stank of mildew. “I know this isn’t the most luxurious office,” she said, as if reading my mind. “But the budget doesn’t allow for upgrades.”

“It’s fine,” I said, waving a hand around. “At least it’s warm and cozy.”

Rita had done her best to make the space as uplifting as possible. She had painted the cement walls a soothing bisque beige with colorful paintings to hide the fact that it was cement, I guessed.

“Does Allison have any idea that you asked me to talk to her?”

Rita gave an apprehensive shake of her head. “No and I hope she’s not going to be upset with me. I just don’t know what else to do short of contacting her parents and the police behind her back. I don’t like breaking promises or breaking trust.”

“You’re the adult,” I said. “You have to do what’s best for her.”

“Which is why I asked you to come and talk to her.”

Just then, a knock made Rita jump. She quickly opened the door and put her arm around the girl as she walked in. I assumed this had to be Allison but I waited for Rita to make introductions.

The girl gave me a peculiar look but said nothing as she dumped her backpack on the floor near the empty chair. Her long dark hair looked like silk as it cascaded over her shoulder. She wore faded jeans, torn around the knees, as was the current style for teenagers. She wore a pink hoodie that was two sizes too big.

“Allison, I want you to meet a dear friend of mine,” Rita said, giving me a wink. “Her name is Sarah Woods and she’s a private detective.”

Allison gave a slight half smile. “Really? That’s cool.”

I extended my hand and she accepted it without hesitation. “Nice to meet you,” I said.

“I’m not in trouble, am I?” she said, releasing my hand and turning to look at Rita inquisitively.

“No,” Rita replied with a chuckle. “No, I just asked Sarah if she’d offer us some advice.”

Allison plopped down into her seat and shrugged. “Advice about what?”

Rita motioned for me to sit down next to the girl. She then immediately dragged her own chair from behind her desk, so that the three of us were arranged in a semicircle. “Allison, this has to do with Dr. Wheeler. I know you asked me to keep it a secret but Sarah has had some similar experiences.”

Rita gave me a tight-lipped smile and I knew she expected me to make up some kind of story. I had not prepared for this and so found myself on edge and a little ill-equipped to face this struggling teenager. If this was Rita’s plan all along, would have been nice is she clued me in beforehand. I allowed myself one deep breath and put on a brave face as I leaned toward Allison. “That’s right,” I said in a soft voice. “Long time ago when I was your age, I had a teacher. We’ll call him Mr. Smith. He used to make me feel very uncomfortable. I was scared to tell anyone because Mr. Smith was so popular among the students. I felt like nobody would believe me if I spoke up. Anyway, I never said anything. Then, years later after I graduated and left town, I found out that Mr. Smith had abused two other girls after me. You see, people like Mr. Smith and Dr. Wheeler won’t stop unless someone stops them. That’s just the way it is.”

Allison turned to look at Rita, her expression hard to read. When she set her eyes on my face again, I could see tears in her eyes. “But, Dr. Wheeler never touches me. He only took pictures that one time.”

“Yes,” I said, feeling grateful for small victories. “But he asked you to remove all your clothes and pose while he took photos of you.”

“Yeah, but he never touched me.”

“That doesn’t matter,” I said. “He still took advantage of you. What he did was wrong, you realize that, right? Even if you liked it, it’s still wrong.”

“I didn’t like it. I told him I didn’t want to do it. He said he’d stop seeing me as a patient if I didn’t do what he asked.”

I decided to speak from my heart and hope that it would resonate with her. “Allison, here’s the thing. I don’t know you very well but I do know that you’re barely fourteen years old. I also know that you’ve had some troubles at home. I want you to know something about me. I wish I had told someone about my experience when I was abused. I’ll always regret that. Now, as an adult, I have no tolerance for people like Dr. Wheeler and Mr. Smith. You know why? Because they think they don’t have to abide by any rules. They think that you and I are weak and stupid; but, we’re not weak and we’re not stupid and we have the strength to stand up to the people who don’t respect us.”

Allison remained quiet for a while as she wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her sweatshirt. I wondered if she believed my story to be true. I didn’t take any pride in fooling this girl with a bogus story about my past, but I figured it didn’t matter as long as she got the message.

Finally, when she looked up into my eyes, there was a slight smile. “Did Mr. Smith ever go to jail for what he did to you?”

“Yes he did, eventually.”

“Did you have to testify to a judge? Did you have to explain what he did to you?”

I swallowed hard. “Yes. I’ll admit it was hard but I got through it and you know what? After I did that, I wasn’t afraid anymore. I felt liberated because all I had to do was tell the truth.”

Allison looked down at her lip as she picked at her fingernail. “I don’t really want to get Dr. Wheeler in trouble.”

I couldn’t say I was all that surprised by her statement. Dr. Wheeler was not an ugly man. He had given Allison special attention and part of her probably liked it. How confusing it must be.

“Your situation is a little different from mine,” I said. “If Dr. Wheeler never actually touched you inappropriately then he might not go to jail. He should still be punished for what he did However because, I can tell you, he has either done this before or he will do it again. Especially if he thinks he can get away with it.”

“But he told me I was photogenic. He said I could be a model.”