F. Thomas Taylor
F. Thomas Taylor
Attorney-at-Law
Sandy took a picture of the document. She continued the search. Then she found another letter addressed to her husband, and read it.
Dear Commandant Jaydan Casimir:
At your request, we have dismissed charges against Sandra Menendez for embezzlement. She will be released at twelve noon on Wednesday, June 13.
Yours Truly,
H.P. Wilcox
H.P. Wilcox
Warden, Joliet Prison
Once again, Sandy took a picture of the document, and searched some more. From the same file folder she found an even more shocking letter.
Dear Commandant Jaydan Casimir:
We are pleased to report to you that Fernando Menendez has signed the divorce papers that Sandra Menendez served on her husband. The signing was at the urging of Sandra Menendez herself. Judge Brier Thompson has accepted the papers, and announced the marriage dissolved. You are now free to take Miss Sandra Montgomery as your wife. Congratulations, sir.
Yours Truly,
Hector Ortiz
Hector Ortiz
Attorney-at-Law
Sandy began crying as she took the picture.
She found several more letters similar to this. One was a letter from Dr. Grifton, informing Mr. Martinez that a brain probe treatment was successful. Other letters indicated various problems with the procedure.
There could be no doubt now in Sandy’s mind that she went through the brain probe treatment. Her memories of a good life with Fernando Menendez were erased from her mind, and replaced by false memories of falling in love with Jaydan Casimir, and agreeing to marry him. What do I do now? Confront Jay or run away?
She went back upstairs after she carefully replaced everything and relocked the drawers. She then replaced the keys in Jay’s pocket and climbed into bed.
“Where’d you go, dear?” Jay asked.
Sandy was startled. “I was having trouble sleeping and took the sedative you got for me.”
“What did you need my keys for?”
“What?”
“I heard a little jangling like keys.”
“It was just some change I found in the bathroom. I just put it in the change drawer.”
A couple hours later Jay woke up, worried, and walked downstairs into the study. He stood over the desk, looking down, and stared. He was frowning.
The next morning there was no mention of keys, and Jay went to work as usual. Sandy put the plan she came up with into action. She knew she had to work fast.
She took the bus to their bank and withdrew twenty-five thousand dollars, and then took another ten grand from her credit card. Then she took a cab to Mercy Psychiatric Institute, where she asked to see Dr. Schmidt.
“May I get your name please?” the secretary asked.
“My name is Sandra Casimir, the wife of Commandant Jaydan Casimir.”
The secretary called his boss.
“Go right in Mrs. Casimir.”
She knocked and entered Dr. Schmidt’s office.
“Hello, Mrs. Casimir. Please take a seat,” he said cheerfully. “What can I do for you?”
“Dr. Schmidt I’d like to know more about who I was?”
“Who you were?” Dr. Schmidt asked as if he was expecting the punchline.
“You know I went through the procedure, right?”
“Procedure, Mrs. Casimir?”
“Please don’t patronize me. About a month ago I started having strange dreams. Initially, they were nightmares of being in some sort of clinic with a lot of wires, something on my head, and a stick that caused enormous pain. One more thing—a name: Fernando.”
“Your husband told me about some strange dreams, but they are not that uncommon. Are you still taking the sedative I prescribed for you? You didn’t stop taking it did you?”
“I never did take it.”
“Mrs. Casimir—”
“Please don’t interrupt me. Allow me to continue.” She paused, and Casimir motioned for her to carry on.
“Thank you. What I was about to say was that I was beginning to have flashbacks.”
“Flashbacks, Mrs. Casimir? Could you explain?”
“It’s hard to explain. Something would flash in my mind. Maybe something in my dream I had forgotten. Anyway, I had this one flashback of a signature on some document that I know now was a divorce paper. The signature read ‘Fernando Menendez’. There appeared to be tear stains. I just remembered that now. Anyway, I had a last name and I did some research at the library and—”
“Why are you telling me this, Mrs. Casimir?”
“The treatment doesn’t work, and you know it,” she said sharply. “I’ve seen copies of letters in my husband’s desk. You’re being sued, right?”
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Casimir, but I’m not at liberty to discuss this, and, being rather busy, I’m afraid I’ll have to end this conversation.”
He got up to thank her for coming, but Sandy didn’t move. “Sit down, doctor. We have more to discuss.”
Dr. Schmidt was taken aback. Sandy was very serious, and she wasn’t about to move.
“Please, Mrs. Casimir. I cannot talk about this. My lawyer said so.” Still, Sandy refused to move.
“Sit, Doctor.”
Dr. Schmidt did so, and motioned for Sandy to continue.
“They’re going to shut down the Institute and arrest you. They’ll go after Dr. Grifton as well. You may not want to discuss this with me, but you must. You know I’m right.”
“Who do you mean by ‘they’, Mrs. Casimir?”
“The people who fund the project. I don’t know the specifics. I don’t know who they are, but I saw the name of someone who appeared to be behind this project. His name is Alberto Martinez.”
Dr. Schmidt went ashen, and a look of surprise came over his face, which he quickly tried to hide. Sandy took notice, and continued like a prosecutor.
“I believe the purpose is to change the behavior and character of people into whatever this Martinez guy wants. I believe they can change political dissidents, who are perceived as a danger to the nation, into good American Party enthusiasts.”
Dr. Schmidt looked downcast. He had no idea she could know so much, realizing she had been right about everything.
“I also know that, at the request of my husband, I was removed from jail and given the treatment. I don’t truly understand why I was in jail, but I underwent treatment to remove pleasant memories of my original husband, Fernando Menendez, and convinced him to divorce me. Today, however, I have only bits and pieces of a life with him. Those bits and pieces, Dr. Schmidt, were of a loving man. Now, does that square with what you know?—AND DON’T PATRONIZE ME. I want the truth, and I’m not going home to Commandant Casimir. I want out of here. I want to go to New America.”
Dr. Schmidt looked down again, frowning. Then he nodded in agreement. “All you have said is true, but getting out of here is impossible. They’ll catch us, and then things will be worse.”
“I have an idea. There is a woman, Pamela Piper, who has been taking persecuted people to New America. I don’t know anything about her except she can get people out of the United States for a fee of twenty-five thousand dollars, and I think, with your help, we can find her.” She paused and looked at Schmidt.
“She is the sister of Redd Piper,” he said. “He’s the founder of New America. I’m sorry, but I don’t know where she is.”
“Please, Dr. Schmidt. You know more than you’re admitting. Tell me what you know about her. Any information could help us get in contact with her.”