The Psychopath Maker

Chapter Eighteen

    Seven days after being dragged in the gym like a bag of used soccer balls, Benny still nursed some mental scars. He decided the best thing for him to do was to keep a low profile, become wallpaper like he was before. A beautiful girl with a pretty smile was all it took for him to do something against his better judgment. Nope, not again, Isabeth Ovien wasn't going to get him to do anything else without running it by his brain first; especially not now, as he sat in front of Sheriff Washington's desk.

     A visit to Kyren County Police department, seven miles from campus was not a part of his regular routine. Twenty minutes before his last class ended he was called to the Headmaster's office. He had no clue for what since the boy's gym didn't have cameras like the main gym. Benny remained his normal state of being as he waited for the Headmaster to disclose the meaning of his presence, which was placid and wary. Two things he'd been since he got out of the asylum. No more was he talkative and lively. He was reformed into a less trusting, skeptical creature. So, when the Headmaster informed him the sheriff wanted to speak with him, he started formulating non-criminating responses to whatever might be asked of him.

     Benny sat up ramrod straight as Sheriff Washington jaunted towards him in his tan Kyren Sheriffs' Department uniform, his cowboy boots clunking against the linoleum. His black hair was too shiny and his skin too smooth, Benny knew this man was not from around here. Most of the Sheriffs, it was four in total for the wide stretch of land Kyren encompassed, were over forty with stray-like hair and sunburnt wrinkled skin.

     Sheriff Washington held his brown tie as he sat down, "I'm going to make this quick." He pushed back the keyboard so he could prop his arm on the desk. "I have a few questions about Dr. John Fulton."

      "Questions?" Benny scooted to the edge of his chair faking concern. "Questions about what?"

      "His disappearance." Sheriff Washington said digging a legal pad from under a mound of folders. "Now—" Benny erased the wide-eyed look off his face before Sheriff Washington faced him. "I talked to a..." He looked down at the pad for clarification, "Dr. Weiss and she said you were the last person to see Dr. Fulton two Sundays ago."

     Benny tilted his head to the side narrowing his eyes, "I don't know if that's accurate. I mean...he could have seen a number of people that day. He has other patients you know, ones that are..." Benny scratched his neck thinking of the best way to put it. "Bat shit crazy."

     Sheriff Washington flicked his eyes over Benny. Benny could feel him trying to judge his demeanor for guilt. "Are they?"

      Benny frowned, knowing that was a baiting question. "How do you know Dr. Fulton's missing?" He decided to answer a question with a question instead.

     Sheriff Washington sat back in his chair with a knowing grin that made Benny want to roll his eyes but he fought the urge. Washington tapped his mouth before speaking. "An orderly found a wedding ring in the parking lot and turned it into the hospital's front office as lost. See it had an inscription on it...JF and JF with an infinity sign in the middle." He stood up a little fishing a key out of his pocket. "It didn't make sense to me until I called his wife." He stuck the key in the middle desk drawer, twisted it and the drawer opened. "Her name's June...Fulton." He smiled to himself as he dug in the drawer. Benny swallowed hard, his Adam's apple slowly sinking and sloth-climbed back up. "And she told me John wears his wedding band on a chain." He pulled a plastic bag out of the drawer with the word evidence in bold. "So, my team and I searched the parking lot and low and behold I found the chain." He laid the bag out on the desk and waited for Benny to react.

     Benny glanced down at the bag. He stopped tapping his foot, twisting his face with confusion. "Okay."

     Sheriff Washington cleared his throat snatching back the bag, "The chain clasp is broken. You were the last one to see him. Dr. Fulton is missing. Are you following, Mr. Lemen."

      Benny's jaw dropped, "Someone kidnapped...Dr. Fulton."

     A burly man rushed to Washington's desk, "A body's been found at the Academy. Come with me!" He ordered Washington before storming off.

      Benny leaped from the chair. "Whose body?" His words hit the men's backs.