Page 75 of Backdraft
A short while later, my room was full of people. The doctor came in to check my arm and then left. After the doc, a nurse came in. All this happened while the detective was setting up the laptop on the bed table.
I held my breath and stared at the screen, waiting for the video. A window popped open with a movie playing. It was a video of the nurses’ station where Taylor said he had seen the guy. I squinted and looked closer. It was hard to see him on the other side of the desk area. The man was sort of in a shadow, and I told them that.
"How about this then." The officer reached over, punched a couple keys on the keyboard, and a still image took up the whole screen. I gasped.
"My God. It's him." Icy fingers raced down my spine. “But it’s not possible.”
"Who is it?" The officer asked.
"He looks like the serial arsonist I caught a few years ago. It's hard to tell for sure, but the similarities are there." I pointed at the screen with my baby finger and then looked up at the officer. "How can that be though? He's in jail?"
"Yes, he's in our jail."
I shook my head and grimaced when my neck protested the movement. "No, no, he's in jail in Chicago."
The detective looked confused and took out his notebook "What’s the name of the guy you say is in jail?"
"Benjamin Clark." I pointed at the screen. "That’s him!"
"He didn’t identify himself as Benjamin Clark," the detective advised me, and I was confused.
"Well, how can that be? He is almost identical to—" My mouth fell open, and I looked at the cop and then Taylor. That’s it! The elusive bit of information I couldn’t grasp earlier. "They’re twins."
Silence filled the room and we all looked at each other.
The officer wrote in his notebook and then looked at me. "It's not something we considered, but now I think we should. If they’re twins … I'll also have someone check Benjamin Clark's status as well. If we can tie them together in some way?—"
“It’s not an if. I know they are twins…oh.” I pressed my fingers to my temple. My head was starting to hurt.
“Okay, I think that’s enough, everyone should leave,” Taylor said. “Drea, needs rest." Taylor put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed gently.
He turned to the cop. "Do you have enough to go on? Can you come back later if needed?”
“He nodded. "Yes. You take care, Ms. Trask. We’ll let you know what we find out.” The officer held up his notebook and left.
I blinked and looked at Taylor, squinting against the pain. "I-I can't. I have to…!" I grimaced.
"Look at me, Drea." Taylor gently tilted my chin up with his fingers and looked into my eyes.
"See any life in there?" I asked him with a forced smile.
"Oh, yeah, lots of life. Lots of beautiful life. But you may have overdone it today."
I closed my eyes and rested my head on the pillows, not minding when Taylor fussed over me.
"Would you mind turning out the lights and closing the blinds? It hurts," I asked in a soft voice, unable to put any oomph into it.
I sighed and let myself sink into the multiple pillows I now had on my bed. I wasn't moving much with my arm still wrapped, and I hadn't been able to bring myself to watch when the nurse changed the dressing.
Taylor sat in the chair, and I looked at him. "You don't have to stay."
"I know. But I am. You sleep," he assured me.
I nodded slowly and sighed. Knowing Taylor was standing guard over me allowed me to let myself fade to black.
I felt much better today than yesterday. I was still tired with a vague headache around the eyes and the base of my skull, but I was able to stay awake longer and focus a little better.
If I kept my head in a certain position, it eased the ache. I gave up trying to hold a book. It was a no-win situation. My Bluetooth headphones were a treat though. The soft music I played helped me relax.
