Final Challenge (7 page)

  The
re was a faint ray of light when
the maitre came over to greet them and told them ho
w much he
w
as glad to see them again at his
restaurant. It was Susan who
recalled aloud the first time they had gone there. She remembered everything, including some details that Marvin had long forgotten. Or perhaps, as a woman she was, her eye could capture strokes that passed
completely
unnoticed to him. Marvin took the opportunity t
o take out of darkness some
glad mome
nts that they had shared
there,
some anecdotes that allowed ease the tension between them. Then, leaning on the power given by the heat of a few glasses of wine, began to extol her virtues, until the point Susan began to feel embarrassed, to finally make a statement of intent.
He took her hand, while looking into her eyes.

- Not sure how much I appreciate that you accepted this invitation. I needed so much moments like these, I've missed you so much ...

Susan withdrew her hand sharply, placing n
apkin on her lap as an excuse. She t
ried to find the right words, which it took her a long time. You could see that Marvin had got that she felt uncomfortable in such situation, she really was not prepared for that.

- I do not want that you mislead yourself. I also wanted to talk to you with some ... tranquility, I recognize that we never have a chance.

- Well ... well ... on ... speak you first ...

Marvin was aware about the seriousness of the situation, he was waiting that Susan gave him an option for reconciliation, but at heart he feared that her words were just the opposite. Susan began to talk.

- I don’
t know how to tell it without being uncomfortable, but I must do it - she decided to look into his eyes - Marvin, I think, for the sake of Billy and ours, we must
make a determination. We can’
t go on like this for long.

- What ... pretend ... tell me?

- Marvin ... I would like that we plan a separation by mutual agreement.

At these words the world fell on him, so much so that his pulse began to tremble and with an uncontrolled movement threw a glass of wine, spilling its contents all over the table. The maitre
came
inmediately doing a sign to two waiters that came to remove the glass and change the tablecloth. Marvin was pale, unresponsive. Susan then tried to soften the contents of her potion.

- I know it is not at all ... pleasant for either of the two, but I see no other possibility.

Marvin tried to recompose himself, drawing strength from where he hadn't. He took her hand again.

- Whether, if any. Let me show you that all was a bad nightmare. I
t
will not happen again.
I promise.

Before he had finished the sentence, Susan abruptly withdrew his hand again.

- The problem is I will not can to trust you again, that's the real problem.
Did not you realize that I would
be suffering c
ontinually thinking that you could
again to ... - Susan said -

- Susan, if you love somebody then you must take some risks. Be brave. Please I beg you. Give me another chance. It will not happen again. I'll devote the rest of my life to make you happy.

- It sounds so good ... but I have fear of my hopes and then falling back into the abyss. Do you remember? It happened to me once.

- Susan, I have to ask you a question, just one. But I want
that you look into your inner
before answering it.

- Agreed. Forward
...

- Susan ... you ... Do you love me? Tell me, do you still love me?
...

   Susan looked down trying to avoid the gaze of Marvin who, trying to give Susan the time needed to respond, took the opportunity to make a sign to the maitre to ask the account
.

- Marvin ... that question i
s more complicated than it looks like
...

- Well, the answer is more important than you can imagine.

  Susan began to get excited about. Tried to speak but was completely impossible. On the third attempt succeeded.

- Yes ... though I hu
rt, I still love you. We can’t manage
our feelings, I wish I could. But even so, our head has to be able to take those decisions which suit us.

- Or, put another way, although you love me
, you have decided that you can’
t follow by my side, that our lives must
not follow the same path. True,
right? ...

   Then i
t was Susan who gently took Marvin's hand into hers and look into his eyes.

- True, my love - she said -

  Marvin closed his eyes, pressing her hands against his, and turned his head up, with a gesture of resignation. His nightmare had finally come true. It was too late to win back the love of his life.
He had lost
definitely
what he loved most.

XIII

  
Not difficult to interpret why the boss had called the
m. They assumed it would be to
claim them definite
ly the damn report. They didn’t
know how to incorporate the Sheridan episode to it, much less how to justify such poor results. Upon entering, with his usual coolness, and without any greeting, asked explanations about the meeting with Sheridan. Marvin explained the event with all kinds of details, while the boss did ostensibly gestures of being in complete disagreement with the version that he was listening. Or, more accurately, he looked like he was listening but was more concerned that Marvin concluded to download on them all his acc
umulated anger, so that, when Marvin ended, he got up
from his seat, rested his
hands abruptly on table and
looked them in an intimidating way, smugly and contempt. Before he start talking concluded his studied ritual beating his fist on the table.

- You guys are idiots! Although he seemed to be crazy
, you should have convinced him!

  Hanson thought that for once perhaps the boss might have some reason, but he also would have liked to know how he or anyone would have reacted in place. Sheridan had not given them a chance. However, his evil ways and derogatory gestures were misplaced, so he decided to intervene.

- What options did we have? Handcuff him? Take
him to a psychiatric holding him
against his will?

- It’s
assumed that
you are
elite agents of the FBI, not cheap thugs paid by the Mafia! You should have had more than enough resources to retain that guy or at least a little more patience.

  Marvin took over in the dialectical debate.

- We tried, believe
me. But this m
an was insane, paranoid. We got
the impression that he knew absolutely nothing about it.

   The boss
sat down so parsimonious. Then leaned his chair back and noticeably sighed while staring them, before speaking.

-
         
And that we will never know!

   Marvin and Hanson were shocked, looking to the boss. Those words promised more than a surprise. Hanson finally decided to throw the question that hung in the air.

- What do you mean? ...

- He was found dead this morning, floating in the harbor. Was stabbed and thrown into the water - said the boss down his tone of voice - He had no documentation, but found in his pocket a paper with the name of the agent Marvin and rendezvous at the park written in pen.

   Marvin and Hanson remained undaunted, unable to utter a word and merely exchanging expressive looks. On the one hand had been like fools in front of his boss, something he had long been waiting for. On the other hand, it meant a turning point in a case apparently of little relevance that probably others in their place would have closed long ago.
When, without a word, they got up
crestfallen trying to leave, were aware of the factor that had more weight. And is
that the boss was not willing
that they leave without prior pass them the bill.

 
- Hey, wait, I'm not finished yet!,
-
Loudly upbraided them.

  Marvin and
Hanson turned to him. The boss
took his time, he looked at them as he were to forgive their lives.

- I should retire you from this case. I
t
is too large for you. You are a disaster.

  He paused, expecting a desperate reaction by the tw
o agents, that they looked for
a contrived excuse, that they implored him forgiveness. He loved to feel the spotlight, becoming both a prosecutor and judge, see the prisoners humiliated at his feet before execute them or grant a last wish, one last chance.  But there was no response by the other side, so he decided to give them directly an ultimatum. The only reason for he allowed them to continue was letting them to ravel more and more in that strange case and remove them after they had done the dirtiest work.  So he killed two birds with one stone: he will get to depose the agents forever and then he'll pass a properly matured case to two of h
is trusted men. But he overlaid
it so that it seemed I was doing a favor.

- Okay. You have three days, only three, to make some sense. And when I say "something", I mean something tangible, a definitive track, not pipe dreams. I do this out of respect for your effort, not to your ability.
You may retire.

  Marvin and Hanson leaved with the feeling of hav
ing tied the rope around their
neck
s
with the drawer below beside the executioner about to get up to hit it a
kick. And, knowing the boss
,
they knew that they needed something more than luck to break the impasse. They hadn't mentioned the issue of vaccines for fear that the boss ended by laughing at them and finally withdraw them from the case. Only they had the faint hope that the track opened with Sheridan's death did not lead them to a dead end.

They went to the morgue without a word between them. At first it was a routine, because little or no importance could have that Sheridan had received four or forty stab wounds, the way he had been killed was not important. The only chance laid in the connection (if existed) between the madman and the two dead scientists. When the officer opened the tank and Sheridan's body was found covered by a sheet, Hanson uncovered it without any conviction.

- And no one has claimed the body? - Marvin asked, addressing the officer.

- Not until now, no. We are aw
aiting before doing an autopsy
- he said the official -

- He did not wear any identification?

-
None, absolutely none. We didn’
t know his identity. Apparently he lived alone, I guess you know, because the only personal data were taken by y
our department the other day,
when apparently this guy called you.

- Yeah
... I think
so
.

  Meanwhile Hanson was absorbed examining the body. Marvin always had greatly disliked that subject, so brazenly that he delegated such issues on Hanson. This one does was not flattered by examining the bodies, but since he had made
friends with the coroner had been accustomed to see them like mannequins
, and had to admit that if the
forensic
expert
of the department had detective syndrome, he had
caught some how the pas
sion for that profession. Hanson
interrupted
the
conversation
o
f Marvin
with the officer, to make him an observation.

- Have you noticed? ... - he said pointing to the left shoulder of the victim -