On the Prowl chapter 6 (standard:mystery, 9755 words)
Author: Sarah Spenser	Added: Jun 22 2006	Views/Reads: 3061/2158	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
This chapter takes place after Francie phones Allie! Read and find out what happens in this riviting plot twisting chapter.

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

to go on." "I know, honey. That's all she told me. Then there was a 
struggle. Eagle grabbed her and then the line went dead. She said the 
front yard was small and it had pine trees." "That could be anywhere." 
"Aren't you going to be a little more encouraging than that? Connor, 
we're talking about Francie's life here! Can't you narrow down all the 
houses that have pine trees in the front yards and search for her?" 
"Allie that's ridiculous! On what grounds?" "I don't know! What the 
hell do I know! You're the cop! Do something!" "You think this is my 
fault don't you?" he asked angrily. "I don't think anything is your 
fault, Connor! But you're not even making an effort!" "The man's a 
psychopath, Allison! He doesn't want any cops! What can I tell you?" 
"So you're going to go along with him?" "What other choice do I have?" 
"You're right," she said beginning to sob. "I'm sorry, I guess I'm not 
thinking straight. Francie's life is at stake here." Connor put his arm 
around her and gently stroked her hair. "It's going to be all right, 
Allie. I love you, and we'll get through this together. If you could 
only get a number." "Wait! Does this place trace calls? Can they see 
who the last call was to this room?" "I don't know. I'll check." Just 
as Connor got up to call the station, the phone rang. "Answer it, maybe 
it's her." Connor said giving Allie a reassuring smile. "Hello?" 
"Allison, it's 4 AM, do you know where your daughter is?" Eagle was 
using the same voice distorting equipment that he had on previous 
occasions. "Where is she? What did you do with her? Is she all right?" 
"I'm not telling you!" "Listen you bast ..." "Temper, Allison, just 
keep your cool. I have a riddle for you." "A riddle?" "Listen up, here 
it is. Francie gives pine trees as a clue, of that you should take 
heed, think of the number two, and hurry with your speed, on to the 
road you will go, searching far and wide, the fate of your daughter you 
will not know, for that is locked inside." Then the connection was 
broken. "Damn!" "What is it, Allie?" "Another clue!" Allison relayed 
the clue to Connor who wrote it down. "Are you sure it was him?" "Why 
are you second guessing me, Connor?" "I don't know, sweetness. Maybe 
because I'm just tired of his games." "We all are." "I'm going to take 
this down to the station, I'll call if there's any news." "Wait, can't 
I come with you?" "No, Allie, you need to rest. They gave you a mild 
sedative. I'll call if there's any news. I'll be back later." She 
watched him leave as an empty feeling filled her heart. Was Francie 
still alive? 

Devon could tell something was off at breakfast. Allison was unusually
quiet. He surveyed her vacant tired expression from over his coffee 
cup. "What's wrong, sugar plumb?" he said gruffly handing the syrup for 
her pancakes. "Eagle called last night. He second-guessed me! He stood 
there and just second-guess me! Francie called too and he was like well 
was that really her? Like I don't know my child's voice!" she choked 
back a sob. "Who are you talking about? Connor?" "Yeah. I love him, 
Devon I really do. But he's so unsure of me." "You only got locked in 
here because you went a little crazy in your mind. Anyone who's been 
through what you have is bound to lose it sometime. Hey, at least you 
didn't set fire to anything." He said with a laugh. "Listen, Allie, I 
don't think Connor appreciates you." "Don't call me Allie." "Why not?" 
"That's Connor's pet name for me." "I appreciate you. I ... I love 
you." He said softly drawing her close.  He drew her into a passionate 
kiss and gently caressed her luxurious shoulder-length dark brown hair. 
"Devon, I'm married." "So, he doesn't have to know! It's none of his 
business." "I'm not doing this." Allison got up and quickly left the 
cafeteria. Devon searched for her most of the morning and finally found 
her sitting on a bench overlooking the garden. "I've been looking all 
over for you." "You have? Why?" "I wanted to say I'm sorry, babe. I'm 
sorry about what went down this morning." "I'm married, Devon." "I 
know, I can change that though." "Devon I ..." "Relax, dumpling, I'm 
just kidding. Listen, what's say you and me blow this joint?" "What do 
you mean?" "I mean you and me are going to make a break for it." "Devon 
I don't think ..." "Shh, leave all the details to me, Allison. By 
tomorrow night, you and I will be home free!" "Okay, what should I do?" 
"You know when they make the evening rounds? They give you the 
sedative?" "Yeah." "Don't swallow it. Don't take anything, just pretend 
to be asleep. I'll come get you at around 1 AM. Then we will sneak 
quietly passed the rooms, and into the storage closet." "The storage 
closet?" her eyes narrowed as she thought of it. "There's an air vent 
that goes straight to the roof. We will climb out, I'll help you down 
and then I'll walk you home." "Devon ..." "Are you in this with me, 
Allison?" "I don't know ... uh ..." visions of Francie filled her mind, 
she knew that Devon was her only ticket to freedom and for that she was 
grateful. What neither of them knew was that psychiatrist Scott Locrin 
was watching. He had heard their entire conversation and intended to do 
something about it. 

Scott was a man in his late fifties with thinning brown hair, a mustache
and haunting green eyes. He was a self-made man and had worked long and 
hard to obtain his degree and pay off student lones. But there was 
something else about Scott that made him even more special. He had 
cerebral palsy due to his early delivery, but no one who knew him ever 
thought of him as disabled. His determination made accomplishing any 
task possible. He slowly began to wheel away from Allison and Devon and 
head back to his office. He made a mental note to speak to Allison 
before the end of the day. Scott's mind was like a steel trap, he was 
an avid reader who retained everything. He was also blessed with a 
phenomenal memory. Nothing got passed him, Scott was known as one of 
the most dedicated psychiatrists on the ward and had an ongoing rivalry 
with Harrigan Grayner. 

Connor worked on the riddle for hours neglecting his other cases, but he
couldn't make sense of it either. He knew that Allison was working on 
it too. His thoughts turned to her again as he brought her picture to 
his mind. He wondered if committing her was the right thing to do. Ruth 
and Grayner both thought it was the right thing, although if truth be 
told, Grayner had convinced Connor. Last night, Allie seemed lucid, 
groggy but very lucid. He was surprised how coherent she was after 
being given so many sedatives. She was a strong willed person and that 
was one of the things that Connor loved about her. If she loved you, 
she loved you unconditionally and didn't ask you to change, or expect 
anything from you but your love. Connor stopped for lunch and headed 
over to the psych ward. When he arrived, Devon was sitting outside on a 
bench overlooking the courtyard. "Hey man, how's it going?" Devon asked 
innocently knowing damn well it was Connor. "Fine, how about you?" "All 
right for being in this joint, my friend. What are you here for?" "Oh, 
I'm just visiting my wife, Allison." "Allison Cassidy?" Devon asked 
incredulously. "Yes, that's her she's ... beautiful, gentle, determined 
..." Connor's voice trailed off as images of Allie filled his mind. "So 
you're Connor?" "That's right." Connor said eyeing Devon suspiciously. 
As a detective, he always went on his hunches and used his instincts. 
All his antennae were up signaling that something was wrong. He didn't 
know why he didn't like Devon, he just didn't. He couldn't put his 
finger on it, but there was something unsavory about this man. "I'm 
Devon Drucker." "Nice to meet you. I have to see Allison." "You should 
pay more attention to her, Detective." "What do you know about it?" 
"Only what she told me. Oh, and we did share a steamy kiss this 
morning." "What steamy kiss?" Connor was about to lace into Devon but 
stopped himself. He knew Allie better than this man did, and she 
wouldn't do anything like that. "Never mind, Allie wouldn't do anything 
like that." Connor turned and walked away. Scott was coming out of 
Allison's room just as Connor arrived. "I'm glad you came by. I wasn't 
expecting you until later." Allison said with a smile. "I'm glad to see 
you, Allie." "Me too. Did you figure out the riddle?" her smile was so 
beautiful, her features so captivating, he found himself falling in 
love with her all over again. "No not yet. Did you?" "No, I would've 
called you. Nothing new on the search?" "No, sweetness." "Connor, I 
have something to tell you. Come sit over here." He knew her tone of 
voice meant something was up and took the chair closest to her bed. She 
sat on the edge of the bed and gazed into his eyes. "I've been hanging 
with a man named Devon Drucker. He's in here for arson. It's a 
completely harmless friendship. We have breakfast every morning. He's 
one of the few around here who understands me, Connor. Well, this 
morning, he pulled me into a long passionate kiss. I didn't kiss him 
back, I swear. But I wanted you to know." "What the hell are you 
thinking? Do you have any brain cells? This guy's an arsonist and 
you're following him like he's your pal? Are you nuts, Allie?" "Calm 
down!" "Calm down? Have you lost it completely?" "I'm in here because 
you committed me! It says it right here in your letter!" "Because you 
had no idea what year it was. It didn't give me pleasure. I haven't 
been the same since you left. I miss you, Allison. I lay awake at night 
and wish that you were in my arms. I wish that I was holding you, 
touching you, feeling your hair against my shoulder. Falling asleep 
with you in my arms. Don't you think .." Allison kissed him long and 
hard to silence him. He returned her kiss with a passionate one of his 
own and they began to caress each other. Allison's hands reached up to 
Connor's shirt. After massaging his shoulders, she delicately 
unbuttoned his shirt, kissing the places it revealed. 

Connor was seized by passion and started unbuttoning Allie's blouse
kissing the places the buttons revealed as he flung it and her bra to 
the floor. Connor repeated the process all over Allie's body until her 
clothes were off. Once his clothes were off, Connor swept Allie into 
his arms and gently placed her in bed. He climbed in beside her and 
stared into her beautiful blue eyes. She and her beauty once again 
captivated him. Connor murmured his love for her as he delicately made 
love to her. She told him she loved him between passionate kisses. She 
enjoyed the closeness they had lost, and loved being near him again. He 
smelled of fancy cologne and after-shave. Allie's scent was 
intoxicating, the same vanilla scented perfume and her hair smelled of 
lilac shampoo. He thought she was the most incredible woman he had ever 
seen, and Connor felt his heart skip a beat as he looked at her. He was 
falling in love with her all over again. He slowly got out of bed and 
began to dress. Allison opened her eyes sleepily and looked at him. 
"Where are you going?" Connor kissed her firmly on the mouth. "I'm 
sorry, Allie, but I have to get back to the station." "What time is 
it?" "Time for me to get going." He said with a laugh. Allie glanced at 
the clock, it was nearly 2 in the afternoon. Connor kissed her again 
and quickly left her room. Allie watched him go, delighted at the 
thought that she would soon be free. "One more night, my love, and I'll 
feel you next to me, fall asleep in your arms, and be yours again. One 
more night, and I'll be free." 

It was 11 PM when she arrived at his room. Devon was lying on his bed
watching TV. He was surprised when there was a knock at his door. "Come 
in," he called thinking it was a nurse. "damn nurses, what the hell do 
they want now?" he muttered under his breath. The door opened and 
Allison entered. "Hi, I came as soon as I could get away." "How'd you 
fool them?" he asked smiling flirtatiously at her. "I stuck some 
pillows under the sheets. But it won't be long before they catch on. So 
I really have to get back." She said sitting in the chair by his bed. 
"All right, here's the final plan. We'll sneak out tomorrow night 
around 1. I'll come get you. Now remember, Allison, don't swallow 
anything. I can't have you groggy on the roof." "I won't, I promise." 
"Okay, don't say anything about this to anyone." "Devon, your plan's 
safe with me." "Okay, see you tomorrow morning over coffee." Allison 
got up and quietly slipped back in to her room. She climbed into bed 
and thought of Connor as she drifted off to sleep. 

Connor couldn't sleep that night, he kept staring at the clock. He
patted the spot Allie usually occupied next to him and frowned. He 
missed her, the nights were the hardest. He missed waking up next to 
her, kissing her and holding her in his arms. His mind wandered once 
again to committing her. Was committing her really the right thing to 
do? He had wrestled with this question but hadn't come up with any 
answers. He looked at the riddle again. But he still couldn't make 
sense of it. He made a mental note to call Dr. Grayner tomorrow 
morning. He would try to get Allie released to him. It was apparent 
after they made love yesterday that she didn't belong there. She was 
totally aware of what year it was, other than thinking Grayner had 
Francie she was normal. Connor vowed to get her back as he closed his 
eyes and slipped into sleep. 

Allison was up early the next morning. She glanced at the riddle again
and tried to figure it out. She was still in the same place, the yard 
and the pine trees still got to her, and Francie's fate being locked 
inside made her shiver. Was 2 significant? Did the 2 mean 2 pine trees? 
Or was that the number of the house? What did he mean by hurry with 
your speed? She became more frustrated and threw the riddle across the 
room. Allison climbed out of bed and retrieved it staring at it again. 
Her determination to get out of Fallwood's psych ward grew as her heart 
ached for Francie. "I'm coming, sweetheart. Mommy's coming, just hang 
on a little longer." Allison whispered fingering the riddle. 

The anticipation grew as evening dawned. Allison hid the excitement she
felt and tried to be as patient as possible as Melanie entered her 
room. Melanie gave Allison her sedative as usual. She took it from 
Melanie's hand and popped it into her mouth. "Oh, I forgot to get you 
some water to take that with." Melanie said apologetically. "That's all 
right, Melanie. I can do that." Allison walked into the bathroom and 
quickly spit out the sedative. She filled a cup with water and quickly 
drank some. When she emerged, she felt tired and walked unsteadily to 
the bed. "These take effect fast. You should fall asleep soon." "I'm 
sure I will. You have a good night, Melanie." "You too, Allison." She 
watched as Melanie left the room, relishing that it was her last night 
here. In a few hours, she would be home free. 

Devon crept slowly along the corridor. Most of the nurses were dozing at
the nurses' station. Nights were usually quiet with very little to do. 
He reached Allison's room in record time. It had only taken him about 3 
minutes to traverse across the wing to where Allison was. He opened the 
door and stepped inside. He closed the door quietly behind him and 
glanced at Allison. She was asleep, he cursed under his breath as he 
made his way over to the bed and shook her. "Allison, wake up! Break 
out time!" she opened her eyes and stared at him. "Already?" "Yeah, 
sweet cheeks, right now. Come on. You didn't take anything did you?" 
"No, Devon. I was just tired." "Well, you'll have plenty of time to 
rest once we get out of here. Come on!" Allison got out of bed and 
followed Devon down the long hall to the storage closet. 

Ever so gently, he lifted the grating off the air vent and climbed
through. He was standing on a thin ledge that allowed access to the 
roof. He helped Allison climb up and hoisted her on to the roof. 
"Allison, whatever you do, don't look down." "I'll try not to!" she 
said feeling shaky. Devon took her in his arms and slowly began to 
scale the roof. He used every ounce of strength he had to keep from 
dropping her. When they reached the second story he placed her hands on 
the building. "Come on, you can do this." "Why ..." "Shh, I'm losing my 
grip on you, Allison. Come on, babe. You can do this." Allison grabbed 
on to the building for dear life and slowly descended to the ground. 
Once on solid ground again, she and Devon took off for the woods. 

By the time they reached her house, they were both exhausted. Devon was
out of breath and stopped to rest. "Are you all right?" Allison asked 
with concern. "Sure, I'm fine. I'm just glad to be out of that 
hellhole! I haven't broken out in a while, I'm out of practice." 
"Thanks, Devon. I'll never forget this." "I won't either. You're one 
special lady, Allison. Good luck with finding Francie." "Thanks." "Are 
you sure you're going to be all right from here?" "I'm fine, Devon. 
Thanks." He watched as she searched for the key hidden in the 
flowerbed. Once she found it, she turned it in the lock. The door 
opened easily and she slipped inside. Devon left then, glad to be out 
of the psych ward once and for all. 

Allison was glad to be home again. She looked around finding the house
unchanged. Scarlet's cage was still in the same place and she whispered 
hello as she slowly ascended the stairs. Connor was asleep, she changed 
into her nightgown and climbed into bed beside him. Feeling her in his 
arms, Connor instinctively drew her close. Allison rested her head on 
his chest listening to his heartbeat. She was at peace and soon fell 
into a restful sleep. 

Lynn woke earlier than usual. She perked some coffee and sat down to
watch the morning news. She planned to go visit Allison at lunchtime. 
She felt bad for her, Lynn still had no idea how Allison had lost it so 
completely, but she wanted to be there to support her. It was rare that 
Lyn wasn't working the morning shift, but her boss had given her a few 
days off after she had worked for three weeks in a row. The stress was 
starting to get to her, and he was afraid that Lynn would crack. As 
Lynn turned on the TV, her jaw dropped. "Here is Karla Kantar with the 
top stories at this hour." The camera panned to Karla a pretty blond 
woman in her late thirties. Her emerald eyes seemed to sparkle as she 
looked into the camera. "Our top story involves a local reporter. 
Instead of covering the news, she is the news. Last night Allison Shure 
Cassidy and Devon Drucker escaped from Fallwood General's Psychiatric 
Unit. Mr. Drucker is considered armed and dangerous, there is a 
$100,000 reward for any information that leads to the capture of these 
two fugitives." Lynn tuned out the rest of the story. She was in shock 
and couldn't believe her ears. She picked up the phone and dialed. 

Connor woke to the sound of his alarm clock. Without opening his eyes,
he sleepily reached to turn it off. As he started to move, he felt a 
pressure on his chest. He opened his eyes and glanced around. He was 
shocked when he saw her there. But there she was, Allison was asleep in 
his arms. Connor moved quietly and turned off the alarm. He was glad in 
a way that she was by his side once again, but he knew that her escape 
from the psych ward wasn't good. Connor got out of bed and tiptoed into 
the kitchen. As he was putting on the coffee pot, the phone rang. He 
grabbed it quickly so it wouldn't wake Allie. He didn't know how she 
had gotten there, but he was going to find out. "Hello?" "Connor, have 
you seen the morning news? Allison escaped! Where is she? We have to 
search for her." "Lynn," "Connor, we have to search for her! What if 
Devon has her and ..." "Lynn, calm down. Allie's with me." "With you? 
Is she all right? How'd she break out?" "She's fine, she's sleeping 
right now. I woke up this morning and found her asleep in my arms. How 
she got in is a mystery to me." "Did you hear anything strange last 
night?" "No, not a thing." "Well, Connor there's a $100,000 reward for 
any information that leads to her capture!" "Lynn, calm down. I'll 
handle it. When Allie wakes up, we'll talk about this." "She has to go 
back, Connor." "I know. I know. Calm down. I'll have her call you all 
right?" "Okay, thanks. I'll be at the station. Maybe you should call 
first. Just to make it look like I don't know where she is either. I 
don't want anyone to know that I've been talking to her. Then they 
might arrest her." "Okay, I'll call you." Connor hung up and took his 
cup of coffee into the bedroom. Allison seemed peaceful, more peaceful 
than she had been in a long time. He turned on the TV and lowered the 
volume. Allison's picture was all over the news and her escape was the 
lead story on every channel. Connor watched the coverage as he drank 
his coffee and stared at Allie. He wondered how she had gotten in. 
Scarlet was usually vigilant about intruders, he must've recognized 
that it was Allison. Connor set down his coffee cup and planted a 
gentle kiss on Allison's lips. "Allison?" he whispered shaking her 
gently. "Hmm?" "Allie?" she opened her eyes sleepily and looked at him. 
"I love you. I've dreamed of this day." She said smiling. "Connor, I've 
dreamed of waking up and having you beside me." "Allie ..." "Shh, it's 
going to be all right. I'll search for Francie with you." "Allie ..." 
"Shut up and kiss me." She said planting a firm passionate kiss on his 
lips. He kissed her back and then reluctantly pulled away. "What's 
wrong? I want to make love to you, Connor. I love you! I broke out for 
you! I need you!" "Allie, we have to talk." "Can't I even have a cup of 
coffee before you start yelling at me?" "I'm not going to yell at you." 
"No, you're going to lecture me." "Allison! ..." "Never mind. This 
should be a special day! I'm free! I'm free!" Connor went to the 
kitchen and fixed her a cup of coffee. He came back into the bedroom 
and sat next to her on the edge of the bed. "Allie, do you have any 
idea how much trouble you've caused? How did you get in here? What 
possessed you to do something like this?" "I have to find Francie, 
Connor. I have to, I missed you, when we were searching before I was 
committed to that hellhole, you're the only thing that kept me going. I 
love you, my love! I didn't mean any harm. I didn't hurt anyone I 
swear." "Explain it to me? How'd it happen?" He stroked her luxurious 
hair and tried not to get side tracked. "Devon offered to help me break 
out. I took him up on it. We planned the break for last night at around 
1. We both faked out the nurses and pretended to take our sedatives. At 
1, Devon came for me, we went into the storage closet and climbed on to 
the roof. There was an air vent in the closet that led to the roof. He 
helped me scale the building and then he walked me home." "Then what 
did you do?" "I found the key we keep hidden in the flower bed for 
emergencies, I used it. I came in and went upstairs. I slipped into my 
nightgown, climbed into bed beside you and fell asleep." "Where's 
Devon?" "I don't know." "Don't try to protect him, Allie. Where is he?" 
"I don't know! He walked me home and then he disappeared." "Okay, I 
believe you." "Why wouldn't you? I've never lied to you." "I know, I 
don't mean that. I just mean that this was Devon's plan that he 
suckered you into." "I wanted to get out of there, Connor! You have no 
idea what that place is really like!" she held back tears as she spoke. 
"I'm sorry." He said softly. But you do know you have to go back." "No! 
I'm not going back there! I just broke out!" "You're going to be a 
fugitive for the rest of your life, Allison. No one's going to give 
Francie back to a mother who broke out of the psych ward." "How dare 
you!" she shouted trying to hold back tears. "I'm telling you the 
truth. You did the wrong thing. Why didn't you just let Grayner release 
you?" "You mean the Eagle? He drugged  me, Connor! He has her! I know 
it! That place was a living hell! You have no idea!" "Calm down." "Calm 
down? You just told me I have to go back to hell on Earth and you want 
me to calm down? I don't think so." "Allison, just for a little while. 
Have Grayner release you to me." "I'm not a child you know? I don't 
need anyone to take care of me!" "Be realistic, they're not going to 
release you under your own recognizance. Your only shot is me. You know 
me, Allie. I would never hurt you. Then we can search for Francie 
together." "Okay, but promise you won't leave me there. You'll stay 
right with me." "I promise." She kissed him passionately. They realized 
they couldn't stop and Connor began to take off her nightgown. Just as 
she was about to make love to him, the doorbell rang. "Who could that 
be?" Allison asked suspiciously. "Stay here." Connor closed the bedroom 
door and went downstairs. Scarlet squawked as the doorbell peeled 
again. Connor opened the door quite perplexed. "Connor, we have a 
warrant to search your house." Bob said curtly handing Connor the 
warrant. "For what?" "Don't make this harder than it already is. We 
need to search for Allison. She escaped from the psych ward last 
night." "I know, but she's not here." "We just want to have a look 
around anyway." Bob said signaling the other officers to follow. Connor 
knew they didn't have much time. 

Allison stood motionless at the top of the stairs out of sight. She
could hear the conversation and knew she didn't have much time. She 
knew if they found her, it was back to the psych ward. Allison wracked 
her brain thinking of a good place to hide. The basement would be good, 
but she couldn't get there. She had an idea, the officers were 
concentrating their search downstairs. Allison took the towels out of 
the linen closet and squeezed into the tiny space. Then ever so 
quietly, she placed the towels back. She crouched down as low as she 
could. The door was ajar and she could hear the officers' footsteps as 
they made their way up the stairs. They searched all the rooms and one 
of them stooped down to inspect the linen closet. Allison took in a 
breath and held it for as long as she could. She was afraid that he 
would find her, but he didn't. All he saw was the towels. He quickly 
moved on to search Allie and Connor's bedroom. Bob was downstairs 
keeping connor away from any part of the house. He cringed as he 
thought that one of the officers would emerge with Allison. He was 
surprised when they left without finding anything. He closed and locked 
the door behind them wracking his brain as to where Allie could have 
gone. He walked upstairs and passed the linen closet. Allie knew his 
walk, and even though she couldn't see him, she knew it was Connor. 
"Connor!" he turned when he heard her voice and looked in disbelief. 
"You're in there?" "Can you give me a hand?" Connor lifted the towels 
away and Allie gratefully stepped out. "Thanks for not giving me up." 
"I love you, Allie. I want us to go to the psych ward together." 
"Okay." Allie dressed and was ready within half an hour. The only thing 
that made her calmer about returning to the psych ward was the fact 
that Connor had promised that he wouldn't leave her side. 

Camera bulbs flashed and reporters thrust microphones at her as she
entered the psych ward. Apparently an entire news crew was camped out 
on the lawn. It had been turned into a virtual newsroom with several 
news teams from numerous networks camped out. Grayner ushered Allison 
and Connor into his office and closed the door. He tried to keep his 
tone under control as he spoke. "Why did you do this?" "I ..." "Can you 
think of a good answer?" "I just want to find my daughter, Dr. 
Grayner." "You're in here because you go back and forth in time, 
Allison. I'm only trying to help you and you're fighting me." "I'm 
sorry. But please, if you could release me to Connor that would be 
great." "Wait a second, you think after the stunt you pulled this 
morning I'm going to release you? Not a chance! Where's your partner in 
crime Devon?" "I don't know!" "Don't play dumb with me! I'm not buying 
that line." "I honestly don't know!" Allison shouted trying to remain 
as calm as possible. "You know, and you're not telling. Where is he? 
Are you denying that you broke out together?" "No, sir." She said 
softly looking at her hands. "But you are denying his whereabouts?" 
"I'm not denying anything. Yes, we broke out together, and yes it was 
preplanned. But I have no idea where he is!" "Dr. Grayner, I would like 
you to release Allison to me. Maybe she could continue her treatment as 
an outpatient." Connor suggested trying to defuse the situation. "Mr. 
Cassidy, your wife is a very dangerous woman. She had enough 
forethought and mental capacity to break out of this unit. She also has 
enough spunk or gumption to withhold information from me." "But she 
doesn't know where Devon is!" "I'm not buying that. Allison, your 
little stunt has left me no choice. I'm remanding you to a mandatory 
30-day stay here. After which you will be evaluated by me and my 
staff." "That's crazy! Connor, do something! Do something! You promised 
..." she began to sob and Connor thought she was going to lose it 
again. "Calm down, Allie. I'll talk to him." "But ..." "Shh, why don't 
you wait outside for me." "I don't trust her!" Grayner barked. "You 
won't go anywhere will you, sweetness?" "No, I'll wait." "Okay, just 
give me five minutes alone with the kind doctor." Allison exited the 
room and sat on a chair in the hall. "Are you nuts, Mr. Cassidy? Have 
you completely lost your mind? I can't release your wife after what she 
pulled." "But you have to understand why she did it." "Oh, now you're 
trying to justify her actions? What happened to the worried and 
concerned husband?" "I am worried and concerned not that it's any 
business of yours! Other than thinking that you're the Eagle Allison is 
completely lucid isn't that right?" "Well, I uh ..." "Isn't that right, 
doctor?" "Yes." Grayner conceded frowning at Connor. "Then why not 
release her to me. It won't benefit you to have an unwilling patient. 
She will break out again with or without Devon's help. You and I both 
know that." "She can't break out if she's on sedatives and restraints." 
Grayner said coldly. "Listen, Dr. Grayner, I don't know where you got 
your degree from, but you certainly have no compassion. You're a cold 
fish! What kind of monster are you?" "I don't like your tone, Mr. 
Cassidy! I will do what I think is best for Allison. I don't care if 
you like it or not!" "Listen here, you bastard! Allie's not a piece of 
property or someone you can manipulate or control! She's right! She 
kept trying to tell me that you were over medicating her and I didn't 
believe her. You're cold, cold and heartless. I don't know how I 
could've been foolish enough to trust you. I'm getting her released." 
Connor got up and stormed out of Grayner's office. Allie was waiting 
for him as she promised. "Am I free?" "I don't know. I just had it out 
with Grayner. You're right, Allie. I'm sorry I didn't believe you." 
"You know he's the Eagle?" "No, I meant about him drugging you. He told 
me that he was going to remand you here for a 30-day period and drug 
you up with sedatives and restraints. I can't let that happen." "What 
are we going to do, Connor?" "Relax. Follow me." Connor escorted Allie 
down the hall to Scott Locrin's office. Scott was in a session with a 
client when there was a knock on the door. Scott ignored it, Connor 
read the sign that said "In Session" and glanced at his watch. He sat 
with Allie to wait out the hour. It was almost 10 AM so Connor assumed 
they would be finishing soon. He was right, five minutes later, the 
door opened and a man emerged. Scott came out into the hallway to bid 
his patient goodbye and then glanced at Connor. "Allison, what brings 
you here?" "Can we talk to you, Dr. Locrin?" Allison asked timidly. 
"Sure, step in here." Scott went into his office and waited for Allison 
and Connor to follow. Allison sat across from Scott remembering their 
previous conversation. "Allison, you did it didn't you?" "Yes, Scott. 
You probably knew that already." "I did. I just wanted to see if you 
owned up to it. Did Devon help you?" "He did." "Where is he now?" "I 
honestly don't know." "Okay, how can I help you?" Connor spoke up then. 
He sensed that Allison was too exhausted mentally and physically and 
interceded. "Well, Dr. Locrin ..." "Call me Scott." "Okay, Scott, we 
have a problem. Allie and I went to see Dr. Grayner this morning. She 
told him that what she did was wrong and owned up to her mistake. I 
thought that maybe he would release Allie to me and continue her 
treatment as an outpatient. He said no and told her that she would need 
to stay here for 30 days. After that, he and his staff would evaluate 
her. Then he said that he would control her by drugging her and 
restraining her. I gave him a piece of my mind. Is there anything you 
can do for us?" "Well, this is rare, Grayner is a good man sometimes. 
But I'll keep my personal opinion of the man to myself. In certain 
instances if the patient has proven that he or she is stable enough to 
be released into the community, and the doctor disagrees, we have a 
competency hearing." "What's that?" Allison inquired nervously folding 
and unfolding her hands. Little beads of perspiration began to form on 
her forehead and she felt clammy. "Well, it's a hearing where a 
psychiatrist like me asks the patient questions in front of our 
executive board to determine whether they can be released back into the 
community. Allison, would you be willing to do that?" "Sure." "Okay, 
I'll set one up for later this week. Let me call you, Connor." "Okay, 
thanks a lot. What about Allie's release? Does she have to stay here?" 
"I'll override Grayner's orders for now. I'm granting you temporary 
release on the basis that you will be released to Connor and not leave 
town. Is that all right with you, Allison?" "Sure, fine. Thanks, 
Scott!" Connor watched as Allison's face broke into a broad smile. She 
was finally going to be free. "Okay, wait a few minutes while I have my 
secretary Midge type this up." 

Once home, Allison continued to work on the riddle. But the still made
no sense to her. She was desperate to figure it out, but she couldn't 
piece it together. The doorbell rang, bringing her back to the present. 
Connor opened the door and Lynn entered. "You're free! Oh, Allison, 
that's wonderful!" They shared a sisterly hug and Lynn sat across from 
her. "Connor did it all." "You did some of it. Breaking out was a risky 
thing to do." "I know. I'm sorry about that. But I have to search for 
Francie." "I know. Any word from Eagle?" "No, we haven't heard 
anything." "I'm sorry." The phone rang then interrupting their 
conversation. "Hello?" "Hi, Allison. It's Doug. How are you?" "I'm 
fine, Doug. How are you?" "Fine, I heard about your escape from the 
psych ward. Are you okay?" "I'm fine." "Allison, I have something to 
tell you. This isn't easy for me. But ... I uh ... I can't have you 
work here anymore." "You're firing me?" "Oh, please understand, it's 
not that. It's just that well ... you're character has been called into 
question and ..." "I can't believe this! I've been working for you 
since I was 22 years old and now you're firing me?" "Oh, Allison, 
please understand ..." "Understand what?" "Understand that once you're 
more stable you can apply for a job here again." "Again? Can't you just 
get someone to fill in for me until we find Francie?" "That's not a 
temporary position. That's more of an indefinite position." "Well, I 
can't help that." "I'm sorry, Allison. If there's anything I can do let 
me know." She listened as the connection was broken. "Are you okay?" 
Lynn asked seeing the pain in Allison's eyes. "No, but I guess I'm out 
of a job." 

Allison thought about Doug's phone call all that night. She couldn't
sleep, she loved her work, and who would hire her now? Her reputation 
and character was on the line. She knew that the psych ward hadn't 
helped matters, and neither had her escape. She descended the stairs 
and turned on the light in the living room. She looked at the riddle 
again. She wondered if the 2 was significant. She thought about houses 
that had pine trees. On a hunch, she typed in 2 Pine Tree Street into 
google. She got several matches but only one in her area. The add read: 


Luxurious home for sale: two bedrooms, two baths, spacious kitchen, deck
and living room. Also has a room for entertaining and a full finished 
basement. Click to see a photo of the front of the house. 

Allison clicked and stopped cold. She saw 2 pine trees in the front
yard. Allie ran upstairs and shook Connor hard. "Connor! Wake up!" 
"What's wrong?" he asked looking sleepily. "Wake up! I found it!" "What 
did you find? It's four in the morning, Allie. Calm don." "I found the 
house that Francie's in. I think so. Look a this!" she turned on the 
light and handed him a print out of the front yard. "I'll be damned!" 
"What are you going to do?" "I'm going to check it out." "You can't go 
alone! Get Bryan to go with you." "Allie, I don't need any back-up." 
"Of course you do, Connor. I don't want anything happening to you!" 
"Allison ..." "I'll come with you!" "No, don't even think about it. You 
haven't had your competency hearing yet. You could blow your freedom. 
Don't do that. I'll call you if I find anything." "Promise you'll call 
Bryan?" "Okay, I'll call Bryan." Bryan Sutten was a rookie cop Connor 
had worked with several years earlier. He had now moved up the latter 
to the Cold Case Unit. He respected Bryan and phoned him as he followed 
Allie's specific directions. 

Eagle woke early the next morning. He fed Cassie and checked on Francie.
Even though he disliked the dog, she provided good protection and the 
likelihood that someone would come by the house was almost nil. Francie 
was still asleep in the closet. He knew they had to move locations. He 
had been here too long. He scribbled a note and left it on the kitchen 
table. Then he opened the closet door and shook Francie hard. "Wake up, 
little girl!" "Where are you taking me?" "To a new home!" "No! no! 
you're a bad man!" "I know! And you're stuck with me!" He held his gun 
on her as she got out of the closet. "Francie, just exactly as I say 
and you won't get hurt." In a flash, they were gone. 

Connor arrived with Bryan a short time later. Bryan's dark brown hair
framed his face quite nicely and was accentuated by his hazel eyes. 
Bryan followed Connor into the house. He called Francie's name, but got 
no response. Then he saw it, the note on the kitchen table. It was  
addressed to Allison and signed Eagle. A handwriting sample that was a 
clue. "If you can read this, you're close! Close, Allison but no cigar. 
Your daughter's fate is in my hands, of this I am sure, Look beyond 
this house you see, and then there will be more, In a flowery place, Or 
meadow of green, Look for the treasure you seek, your princess, your 
queen. 

Connor cursed as he read the note, Bryan called his attention outside
for a second. "Did you find anything?" "Yeah this." Connor said showing 
Bryan the note. They called the forensics team, and while they waited, 
they discovered Cassie tied outside. "Look at her. She's beautiful." 
Bryan said as Cassie licked his hand. "Do you know where Francie is, 
sweetie?" Connor asked softly. Cassie pulled until Connor untied her. 
She dashed in to the house and searched frantically. Connor followed 
her in, attempting to stop her. It was a crime scene and the team had 
to dust for prints. Cassie went straight to the closet and emerged with 
one of Francie's sketches in her mouth. "What is it?" Connor took the 
sketch and wiped it off. "That's Francie's writing! It's her drawing!" 
Connor exclaimed. He called Allie who was thrilled. 

But their joy was short-lived. The writing sample couldn't be compared
to anything on file since the police didn't have a sample of Eagle's 
handwriting. But Francie's sketch was something. It depicted the front 
yard just as she had described to Allie. There was no further word from 
Eagle, Allison paced the floor nervously at night, but tonight was 
especially nerve wracking. It was one week later, and her competency 
hearing was tomorrow. Connor had stayed up with her for a while, but 
dozed off a little while ago. Allie paced and petted Scarlet. By 
morning, she was a bundle of nerves and when Grayner walked into the 
room, she froze. "It's okay, Allie." Connor said holding her hand 
tighter. "Connor, I'm scared." "Don't be scared, sweetness. All you 
have to do is get up there and tell the truth." "I will." When the case 
was introduced, Harrigan Grayner got up and began to present. "I began 
seeing Allison Cassidy about a month ago. Her husband, Connor, 
committed her. Allison was experiencing what is known as lacunar 
amnesia, which can occur after a traumatic event. In this state, the 
patient can remember past and present events, but not the traumatic 
event in question. Let me explain. A man calling himself The Eagle 
kidnapped Allison's daughter Francie. When he phoned to say that he had 
killed Francie, Allison's mind couldn't process that. She suffered from 
lacunar amnesia, she was able to remember her wedding day, Francie's 
birth but not her kidnapping. Then, Allison slipped back in time, and 
lost approximately 6 years of her life. When Mr. Cassidy called my 
colleague Ruth Roper, he told her that Allison thought it was their 
wedding night and had no idea who Francie was." "Was she in this 
condition when she entered the psych ward?" "Kind of." "Can you 
elaborate?" one of the board members Mae Ladamare asked. "Well, she was 
slipping in and out of time, although her condition seemed to have 
improved somewhat. But it was clear that Allison was unstable. Her 
first act was attacking me. She screamed at me and told me that I had 
her daughter. I don't have her daughter, and knew that this was 
delusional thinking on her part. So I asked her husband to commit her." 
"Did you have any sessions with Allison?" "Yes, when she would let me 
in the room. She thought I was The Eagle and this delusion never went 
away." "Other than that was she lucid?" "For the most part. She 
insisted her daughter was alive, and that was about it. Other than that 
she was normal. I thought she was making some progress until she 
escaped from the psych ward." "Do you think that Allison Cassidy is a 
good release candidate?" "No, I disagree with Dr. Locrin on this." "All 
right, thank you, Dr. Grayner. I would like to ask Allison Cassidy to 
step up here, please." Allison nervously got up and stepped up to the 
podium. Connor was in the front row as were Lynn, Thelma and Clint. 
Grayner's eyes bore into Allison's and she shivered just looking at 
him. "Mrs. Cassidy, is what Dr. Grayner stated true?" "Some of it is." 
"Okay, what's not true?" "I did break out of the psych ward. But I only 
did it to find my daughter. What the good doctor didn't tell you is 
that he was overmedicating me. Every time I would ask about Francie or 
want to see my husband, he would tell me I was crazy." "Then what 
happened?" "He would pump me full of sedatives and I'd be knocked out 
for a while." 

"Were you coherent during those times?" "No,  I was more like
unconscious." "Is it true that you  escaped from the psych ward with 
Devon Drucker?" "Yes." "Is it true that you went to Dr. Scott Locrin 
and asked him to override Dr. Grayner's request for the 30 day waiting 
period?" "Yes." "Why, Allison?" "Because  I think that Dr. Grayner is 
being unfair. I know that my daughter is alive. I can't explain it, but 
a mother knows these things. I know that Francie is alive somewhere. 
I'm not a danger to the community. I would never hurt anyone. I could 
never do anything to anyone. All I want is my daughter back." "Mrs. 
Cassidy, did your husband accompany you to the readmission to the psych 
ward?" "Yes." "May we hear from him?" Connor stepped forward and they 
asked him several questions about Allie's mental health, status and so 
forth. Scott also testified, an hour later, the board was ready to 
render their verdict. "It is this board's finding in the case of 
Allison Cassidy versus Dr. Harrigan Grayner that Allison Cassidy be 
released to her husband Connor. Mrs. Cassidy is not permitted to leave 
town for a period of one year and she must continue outpatient services 
with Harrigan Grayner." The gavel banged and Allison exited the room on 
Connor's arm. 

Allison was ecstatic about winning her fight for freedom. When she
arrived home, Lynn, Clint and Thelma had a party waiting. They 
celebrated by toasting her success and to finding Francie. Allison was 
smiling, the only thing that could've hade her happier was finding 
their daughter. Lynn, Thelma and Clint were also proud of her. While 
they were having appetizers, the phone rang. It was the animal shelter 
saying that no one had come to claim Cassie. She was Allie and Connor's 
if they wanted her. Connor went to pick up Cassie while the rest of the 
gang enjoyed themselves. Everyone loved  Cassie, she seemed to 
gravitate towards Allison. The black Lab was working her charm on them 
and within an instant, she had a new loving home. 

Exhausted by their long day, Allison and Connor went to bed early.
Allison slept peacefully until the nightmare invaded her dreams. 
Grayner was running after Francie, he had a sharp object in his hand, 
like a knife. She was screaming for Allison to help her. Allison had 
been tied to a chair and gagged, and was powerless to stop this madman 
from hurting her little girl. Suddenly, Allison woke with a start. She 
sat bolt upright and looked around. It took her a moment to process 
that it was a dream. Connor was asleep beside her, she had to ask 
Grayner one more time. She thought at their next session, but something 
was spurring her on. Quietly, Allie got out of bed and slipped 
downstairs. She opened the phonebook and found Harrigan Grayner's 
address. She scribbled a note to Connor, dressed quickly, and grabbed 
the keys to the rental car. As she drove to Grayner's, she hoped he 
would have the answer she was looking for. 

Connor woke up several minutes later, he was thirsty, he moved quietly
not to wake Allison, when he didn't feel her next to him, he opened his 
eyes. "Allie?" no answer, Cassie came in to the room then confused. 
"What's wrong, Cassie?" she looked at him as if to say "Would you love 
to know?" Connor called Allie's name again, but still no answer. He 
padded downstairs and spotted her note on the kitchen table. 

Dear Connor, 

I was awakened by a nightmare about Francie and The Eagle. I'm going to
see Grayner, to ask once and for all where Francie is. I will be back, 
hopefully before you wake up. I love you, my love. Love, Allie 

Connor cursed as he read the note. Frantically, he searched for his coat
and car keys. He had to see where Grayner lived. Before leaving the 
house, Connor searched through the phonebook for Harrigan's address. As 
he sped there, he prayed that Allison's pleas would go in vain. Grayner 
already thought she was crazy, this would just confirm it. As a 
detective, Connor always worked on hunches and instincts. There was 
definitely something about Grayner that wasn't right, Allie was right 
about that. But he just wasn't sure what. When he pulled into the 
driveway, he spotted Allie's car. He ran up the steps and flew up the 
walk. He was about to pound on the door, when it opened. Apparently, it 
had been left ajar. Connor turned on the foyer light and called out. 
"Allie? Dr. Grayner? Is anyone home?" no response. "Allie?" still no 
answer, Connor stepped further inside into the living room and began to 
turn on some lights. He couldn't figure out what was going on, but he 
wanted answers. Then, he spotted her, sitting in the corner of the 
living room motionless. Had Grayner drugged her? Connor now believed 
all the things Allison had related about Grayner. "Allison?" no 
response. Connor went over to her and tapped her on the shoulder. 
"Allie? Can you hear me?" "Connor?" she said softly. "Allie, what 
happened here?" "I didn't do this, I didn't! he was like that!" she 
began to sob uncontrollably. "Who's like that? Where?" "Look, in the 
corner." She said pointing to the left hand corner of the room. Connor 
took out his flashlight and gun and headed over. What he saw shocked 
him, Grayner was lying in a pool of blood with a gunshot wound to the 
chest. Connor called an ambulance and then tried to comfort Allie. He 
noticed then that she was cradling a gun in her arms. There was blood 
everywhere, and Connor wondered where the gun came from. Certainly not 
from Allie. As the minutes ticked by, Connor applied pressure and gauze 
to Harrigan's wounds. He glanced back at Allison who was dazed and 
confused. What happened? How was Harrigan Grayner shot? 


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