The Man in White- Pt. 7
From this point onwards time seemed to roll forward into a blurry mess. The clues that seemed to dance about joyfully fell into place, as the three of us and the police made sense of everything. Several times we broke out into arguments. A whole host of theories were put forward but they lacked something. There seemed to be something missing, till a copper showed up with the ledger and Louise's notes. Louise was not there, having already made her escape into the night. Seems someone tipped her off that the police were coming for her.
With the ledger all the clues and hints shuffled into order. Several civil servants showed up in the middle of the night. Along with a whole host of bankers and men of finance. By about three in the morning, we'd come to a conclusion and made a decision.
The police had one last job to do and they couldn't think of anyone better for the job then me.
I can hear footsteps. I motion to Laura and John. They nod and shuffle into the corners of the office.
Sitting on a swivel chair I rotate round, with my back to the door. As I hear someone enter, I swivel back round and smile.
"Evening Governor." No obvious reaction from him. It seems he was expecting me.
"Mr. Lavell? Care to explain what you are doing in my office, before I call security?"
"Go ahead. You won't get any response. We've cut the wires to the alarm system. I don't particularly want to be disturbed. I think you and I should have a little chat." I'm lying about the wires. Security is on our side.
"About what?"
"Murder. Corruption. Fraud. I'm gonna tell you a story. I want to see how you finish it. For many years now a corrupt leader has been smuggling funds out of office. Massive amounts in fact. He does it in such a way that it is unnoticeable. But he gets too greedy and his theft attracts the attention of a higher power."
"If you are suggesting that I am a thief..."
"I am doing no such thing. I suggest you let me finish. Now then this higher power sends one of it's agents in to find out what's going on. Sadly the agent can only get a glimpse of what's going on. No matter how hard he researches, there is something missing from everything he finds."
"It is just his luck then that he meets a clerk that serves the leader. The clerk has some vague suspicion that something is not right. He delves a little and finds our agent. Together they try and work out what is going on. Sadly, the story ends for them here."
"Another man however who was also in contact with the agent works out what is going on and hides. He works out that the leader has freed some monster which was meant to be incarcerated and is using it to do his bidding."
"Sadly the monster eventually gets him. But the trouble with monsters is they are uncontrollable."
"5 people Governor. People not involved in this sordid affair. I hope you have an explanation for when the police catch up with you."
I've broken through his poker face.
"The police know nothing! And they won't believe you, because you see things that aren't there!"
"Oh yes! I’d forgotten that part of the story! That's the part where you hire me, because of my condition, to mask the actions of your killer!" I'm angry now, I push back the chair and yell "I wouldn't bother denying it. I've already found out how you threatened my doctor into giving him my medical details and then threatened him to feed my a line about my condition. And then you make him replace my medicine with hallucinogenics!"
"Then all you had to do was hire me! You knew I wouldn't believe the evidence in front of me! And that the police wouldn't believe- because the man in white is not meant to exist. And then you dope me just to make me think I'm going insane."
"I was your cover. My investigation was what protected the murderer. If it wasn't for the fact that he lies dead in a police morgue I probably wouldn't believe it myself."
"You're right. But you won't get out of here alive." At this he pulls a pistol out of his coat and points it towards me. John and Laura step forward and draw their pistols aiming directly at the governors head.
"I believe I will. And even I don't the police have just heard a confession from you over the intercom."
In response he jumps backwards through the door and shoots. I duck and drawing my own pistol give chase. He disappears out of the office corridor and up the escape to the roof.
Damn. No escape for him. But no easy way to approach without being shot at. I am about to open the door when a thought occurs to me. As I open it I jump to one side. A bullet drives through the air where I would've been standing.
I climb the stairs carefully and peak over the roof. He's standing there pistol drawn waiting. How the the hell am I supposed to approach this? I see John come up and watch the situation carefully. His logical face passes over him as he looks at the Governor, the roof and the material below the roof. He seems to come to a conclusion and disappears back down the stairs.
A few seconds later a pistol shot rings out and the Governor is screaming, clutching his arse. He's dropped his gun. That's all the distraction I need. Getting a run up I tackle him to the ground.
There is not much else to say. A few months afterwards the police finally got a conviction, after much arguing with the Governor's lawyer. I've ruffled a few feathers it seems. I've got a death threat through my door.
I have yet to see the man in white again. I suspect that once a hallucination becomes reality it cannot be revert back. However I did see something strange...
As I was walking through the city streets, I happened to the howl of a harmonica. Turning around I see Bill playing his harmonica.
I begin to wonder if I'm hallucinating, but instead I sit down, pull out my own harmonica and start playing.
The End
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