The Demon Hunter

6: "You are quite a gambler."

Author's note:

This story is dedicated to my father, but this chapter in particular...

Another guardsman was in earshot range when Lauren was finally escorted to the meeting with Simon. But he had other things on his mind.

"Boston Pops? What the hell am I supposed to do with tickets for the Boston Pops??? I wanted tickets for Boston! You hear me? BOSTON! The band. You know, the tickets for the Boston concert in Chicago you once sold me? And don't give me that 'I thought it was the Chicago concert in Boston' crap!" This discussion was still going on when Lauren entered the room with Simon in it, waiting for her.  Simon reacted to the bits of the phone call that he heard with a smirk.

"Well, I guess Phil's anniversary with his girlfriend will be a bit awkward this year..."

Lauren took her seat opposite him at the blank metal table, putting her notebook and her phone on it in the process. "Well, you seem to be in an exceptionally good mood today," she noticed. And yes, there was something different about Simon this day. He wore the same attire as before, the standard orange prisoner suit with the number on. Like the last time his hands and feet were chained to the chair he was sitting on, rendering him completely immobile. And still he had this warm smile and those bright eyes that seemed to shine when he looked at her.

But there was something she couldn't put her finger on. Until she noticed: He had been shaving off the studs in his face, leaving only a carefully cut goatee. And his brown hair was combed in a neat way. Yesterday he looked like his appearance didn't mean much to him - he hadn't looked awful or anything, but maybe a bit careless. Not this time. This time he had put effort in his looks for the meeting.

She saw something different as well. Something very subtle. Simon looked like he was scared.

He tried to hide this behind his jovial lines and good mood. "Why wouldn't I be? I see that you did listen to me," he answered, nodding at the notebook she had brought with her.

She settled down, prepared everything for what was to come. "Simon, I would like to record this talk for later, if you don't mind..."

He interrupted her. "I do mind." His jovial tone had gone, he sounded cold.

Lauren paused. "OK. Why is this a problem for you?" she inquired curiously.

Simon leaned forward, as far as the chains allowed him to, fixating her with his gaze. "Doctor, what I am about to tell you is not leaving this room. But should you tell anyone else about this, I will deny every single word that I spoke to you. That is why it's a problem for me."

He still thought that she would declare him crazy. That had to be what scared him. She saw the look in his eyes, then she nodded. "Of course, I respect that," she said and put her phone away. "I will only take my own notes on this."

"Good." Simon relaxed visibly. "Now... about the other thing I asked of you..."

She had thought about it. Tried to come up with a way to prove it to him. It looked like he was ready to talk, but there was still some doubt left in him. And she couldn't risk him shutting off when she was so close to learning the truth. And then she had thought about what she had learned of him so far. So in the end she had made a decision. A bold one.

"Guards!" she called. Two seconds later the door opened. It wasn't Joe Sawyer coming in to check on them, but Phil, the other guardsman from the corridor. "Remove the handcuffs from the prisoner, please!"

That request was met with surprised silence. "Excuse me?" Phil asked.

Lauren looked at him with every authority she could bring up. "The handcuffs. Take them off!"