“That can’t be.” Grace said, more confused than ever.
“I’m afraid it’s so.” Agent Anders pulled up a chair close to the bed and sat down. “You mentioned a Connor. Who is this Connor?”
“Connor Sloan. He was the Secret Service agent assigned to my protection detail.”
“Just a minute.” He said, as he checked the Secret Service records for the name.
“He’s dead now.” She said sadly. “Mason had him killed.”
“We have no record of a Connor Sloan in the Secret Service.” Anders announced.
“Of course you do. He’s been on my detail for months.”
“No, mam. Roderico Gomez was your assigned Agent, until he was killed during the attack at the convention. Agent Susan Guthrie was assigned the next day, but you asked to have her replaced. And then Agent Albert Waters was assigned immediately thereafter. There is no record of a Sloan.”
“But he was there! He helped me! He helped me find out what Mason was up to. About the relocation camps, and the executions.”
“Mam, you’ve got to slow down and explain what you are talking about.”
“The air bases were being set up as relocation camps. Mason was going to implement martial law and have the army round up all the Muslims...and Connor helped me to figure it out. He knew all about it.”
“There is no Connor Sloan, mam. I just told you that.”
“What is today’s date?” She asked suddenly.
“August 11th.”
“It can’t be! It’s the last week of October!”
“No, mam. It’s August.”
“Oh my God! What’s happening?” She collapsed into hysterics and began sobbing uncontrollably. “It’s October! Why are you doing this to me?” After a few minutes of trying to calm her down, Anders finally gave up and called in the Doctor. He gave her a sedative which knocked her out for the rest of the day. Anders went back to his office to review the recordings he had taken of her interview, and to discuss them with his lead investigator, Andrea Wilkerson. A ten year veteran, Andrea was as tough as they come, but she also had an innate ability to see through the fodder that investigations often collected, and apply a laser focus on the important details. What the Alexander woman had said was mostly just confusion. He was unsure if there were any facts he could confirm, other than she had shot her husband. As soon as he arrived back at the office, he called her in.
“Wilkerson. Thanks for coming. Have a seat.” She sat down and crossed her legs.
“What you got, Anders?”
“The Alexander woman finally woke up.”
“Did you get anything?”
“Did I? Check this out.” He sent her the entire interview and waited while she watched it.
“Who is this Sloan character?”
“No idea. But definitely not Secret Service.”
“And what’s the deal with her timeline? Why does she think it’s October?”
“Again, I have no idea.”
“Has anybody checked the surveillance at her hotel? She’s was there right after the convention was bombed and up until she left for the debate, right?”
“Right...but what’s that going to prove?”
“Well, if she was fine at the convention, and then a few days later she’s nuts...something had to happen.”
“Good point. Get on it.”
“Aye, Aye, Captain.” She tossed him a small salute as she left.
“This is one crazy ass case.” Anders muttered to himself. He watched the interview again and realized it sounded even crazier the second time through. Wilkerson messaged him. She said something strange had indeed happened on the surveillance video.
“Hey, Anders.” She said when she arrived back at his office. “Mrs. Alexander was hanging around in her suite, waiting for her new agent to show up. You know, Agent Waters? She got a cup of tea, and sprawled out on the couch in the living area. You know, just relaxing like. Then she put some device on her head, and in a few seconds, she was out like a light. So she takes this fifteen minute power nap, and when she wakes up, her entire mood has changed. You can see it in the way she moves, and the expression on her face. And then when Agent Waters arrived, she rushes over and removes her gun from the wall safe, and then hid it from Waters.
“Could you see any reason she would have gotten her gun?”
“Nope. Notta. But the after Waters checks the suite, she spends the rest of the day building that holster for her gun.”
“So whatever happened, she already knew she was going to kill him, before Waters ever arrived.”
“Looks like it.”
“What could have happened to her?” He wondered out loud. Maybe once Mason Alexander was fully recovered, he might be able to shed more light on why his wife had tried to kill him. With the election still several months away, his Doctors thought he would make a full recovery by the big day. It was a good thing he had been wearing body armor. Anders intended to vote for him. And besides, he liked the guy. What a shame that his wife went nuts.