“My dream changed.”

“So now you want to talk about your dream, Detective Harper?”

“Listen, Doc. Debra’s saying ‘Why don’t you help her.’ Don’t you see? It’s changed . . . or maybe it was always that . . . or . . . . I don’t know. . . I thought she meant, Kelly . . . So I did, but she still comes . . . it must be Tamra . . . I—-“

“You're rambling, Detective.” The psychiatrist peered at him from over her silver-rimmed glasses. 

“My recurring nightmare. It changed. Debra is saying ‘Help her. Why don’t you help her?’ What does that mean?”

“Are you certain it changed?” 

Morgan raised his hands in exasperation. “I’ve been having the same dream nearly every damn night for two years. Of course I’m certain.”  

After some scribbling, she asked, “The dreams are coming from your own subconscious mind, Detective. What has changed in you?”  

Morgan grimaced while his shoulders slumped. “Well, first off, I’m no longer a detective. They suspended me.”

“For the money theft we discussed before?” She flipped through her notes.  

“No. They found Jennifer Collins dead several days ago.” 

“The first prostitute? The one you were seeing for over a year?”

“Yes, but she wasn’t the first. The first was a girl named Amy Henderson. I paid her for sex one time. But I noticed a lot of needle marks on both of her arms, so I moved on to Jennifer."

“You didn’t tell me about Amy Henderson, did you?” Doctor Parker was searching through her notebook. “How does this relate?” 

“They also found Amy dead. Looks like the same killer. Internal Affairs thinks I did it.” Morgan sighed. 

“Did you?” The doctor seemed tense, but her blank facial expression never changed. “Did you do it?” 

“Wait. It gets much worse. I slept with a friend’s wife, a woman named Vicki. Someone killed her too.” Morgan watched Doctor Parker for any expression. There was none. “After IA accused me, I went on a bender and spent the evening with another prostitute. I blacked out and, in the morning, found her dead outside of my car.”

“Are you telling me that I am sitting here with a serial killer?” 

Stoic. How’s she staying so calm? This woman’s a stone-cold professional. “No . . . okay, honestly I don’t know. Could I have blacked out and killed them all? I don’t remember blacking out more than once. I’m so confused right now.” Morgan put his head in his hands. 

“I’ve been seeing you for over a year now. I don’t believe you’re a murderer. A sex addict and an alcoholic yes, but not a murderer.” She paused. “So the real question is, who hates you bad enough to set you up like this?”

“Nobody hates me that bad.” Morgan frowned. “At least, not that I know of.”

“Are we going to discuss what happened to your face?”

“Oh, I got into a fight with a 2x4 and lost.” He shrugged.  

“I can see why you’re so frazzled and, truthfully, aside from the bruises, you look like hell.” She wrote several things in her journal.

“Honestly, Doc, the thing that freaks me out most is that I slept with Tam.” 

“Tamra, your sister-in-law? The twin?” She thumbed back a couple of pages. “Says here you claimed she was off limits.”

“It just happened.” He shrugged again. “I’m so damn attracted to her."

“Sex never just happens. It’s a conscious decision.” She flipped forward a page. “What about, Kelly? You said last time you had feelings for her.”

“Oh, that’s over. I got her off the streets and in school. She’s living a normal life now.” He smiled at the thought.  

“What a change.” She stared at him. “That doesn’t seem like something a killer would do. Are you worried about her safety?”

“Not really.” Morgan thought for a moment. “She’s out of the game. And I told her to lay low for a bit. I think Kelly should be okay if she stays off the streets.”

“Okay, so you had a busy week. When do you think they’ll arrest you?”

“Probably any day now. It’s only a matter of time before they get their tests back and find some incriminating DNA. I could be in a cell as soon as tomorrow. Any suggestions?”

“Of course, but first, what are you planning on doing?”

“I really don’t know. My head’s a mess. Things are coming at me from all sides. I can’t even think straight.” He grimaced in frustration. 

The doctor thought for a moment. “Don’t you think it would be wise to face these charges with a clear head?”  

“Yes. What’re you suggesting?” Morgan stared at her anxiously.  

Doctor Parker set her journal aside. “Why are you on their timeline?”

“What do you mean?”

“You told me you have plenty of money. Why not leave? Go on vacation.”

“Vacation? At a time like this?”

“Why not? You said yourself you may be in jail in a few days. Go somewhere far away and exotic. Spend some of that insurance money. Have a good time. Clear your head. Come back in thirty days ready to face whatever you need to face.”

“That does sound good.”  

“So do it. But I did say clear your head. You know what that means?”

“No booze?” Hope that’s all.

“Yes, no booze.” 

Oh good, that’s it. 

“Or sex, Detective. Also shut off your cellphone. Take time for yourself.”

“Seriously?” Guess that wasn’t all. I mean, no booze, fine. But no sex? 

“Are you telling me you can’t go without booze or sex for thirty days?”

“Of course I can.” He frowned. I don’t think I can. “Just doesn’t sound like much of a vacation. Sounds more like the Brady Bunch episode when they went to Hawaii. Besides, taking off doesn’t seem to be very doctor-like advice. Especially when the police department is footing the bill.”

“I had a son who would have been around your age. He took his own life with his Service gun. He would’ve had twenty years on the force this month.” She sighed, her eyes moistening. “Now I’m looking at a patient who is in a fog and teetering on the edge of utter destruction. My patient.” She reached over and patted him on the knee. “You need to clear your head if you have a chance of surviving this and of properly facing your future. Don’t you want that for yourself, Morgan? A future?”

She had never called him by his first name before. 

I nearly shot myself. Something needs to change. “Yes.” 

“Good. Then what’s stopping you?”

“Well, I was told not to leave town.“

“Since when do you do what you’re told?” For the first time in more than a year her expression changed. Morgan could swear the good doctor had a very slight smirk on her face. 

Detective Morgan Harper cracked a smile. 
 

Character/Suspect List: 

Homicide Detective Morgan Harper - The heavily faulted main character who never recovered from the suicide of his wife.  

Kelly Pierson - a young, new to the game, prostitute who is frequented by Detective Morgan. 

Tamra Burns- a crime scene technician who is Debra's identical twin.

Internal Affairs Officer Brian Anderson - Investigating Morgan Harper.

Homicide Detective Hutch Kelly - Morgan’s partner. 

Captain Howitz - Morgan’s boss who runs the Homicide Unit. 

Ronny Tate - Street cop who can't stand Morgan.

Darrin Belzar - Religious by-the-book street cop. 

Paco Sanchez - A local pimp and street thug.

Hugo Chavez - Paco's thug/bodyguard.

Doctor Millison Parker - Morgan’s psychiatrist.

Mac Yung- Aggressive reporter. 

Ted 'Teddy' Norton - Morgan's old academy training officer. 

Steve Vance - Vicki's husband.

Vicki Vance - An old friend of Morgan and Debra’s. Murdered in her bar by the killer. 

Beth Mackie - A murdered prostitute. 

Jennifer Collins - The first victim prostitute. 

Amy Henderson - The second victim prostitute.

Debra Harper - Morgan’s deceased wife who committed suicide.