The Memory Therapist - ONC 2020

Chapter Eleven

After an hour, I get the go ahead from Phil to call the detective. He picks up immediately, his voice sounding strained. "Detective Maison." 

"Charles, my client just left. I can start browsing for the memory now if you want to come -" 

"I'm on my way," he announces before the line goes dead. 

I sigh in irritation before I focus back onto my screen while Phil walks me through the technical aspects of the dark web and how I can find this specific memory. He's already wiped my computer of any evidence that the memory was already stored there, so even if the detective examines my computer he shouldn't find anything amiss. Besides all of the violent memories stored on it anyways. 

"And you'll take it down before I download it with him?" I suddenly feel rushed to get all the details of the plan before Charles arrives - which could be any moment with how quickly he hung up on me. The fact that I am not the mastermind behind the plan frustrates me, but this is a moment of crisis. If I had more time I could figure it out myself. I always have. 

"Yes - he won't be able to review the memory for any details for the case." I'm lucky that I have a psycho like Phil on my side and not investigating the crimes.

"Thank you, Phil. You are my guardian angel!" For added affect, I kiss him on the cheek. A blush creeps up on his face and he smiles widely. I can't bring myself to let our lips connect again - I only want to use that as the ultimate reward. Give it for nothing and he will expect even more for something. I'd like to not see him naked if I can help it. 

"Do you want me to stay?" 

"I appreciate that, but I think it would look odd if my technician knows more about the dark web than I do. Considering I am the one who finds the memories to use." He only nods, getting out of my chair and exiting my office. 

I barely have a chance to sit down before Charles comes storming into my office. If I didn't need him to trust me I would have snapped at his rudeness. Instead I jest, "were you just sitting outside my office waiting for my call?" 

"I was in the area." He's tense and I worry what other leads he was following without my knowledge. I can't be certain of anything anymore since finding out that Phil is psychotic and I never suspected it. 

"Pull up a chair and we can start our search." He follows my instructions but his demeanor is nothing like I have witnessed before. I know better than to ask if he's okay though - there's no need for me to snap his tension and have it directed at me. 

"How do we even search something like this?" His eyes seem wild, his mouth in a permanent frown, his jaw and hands clenched. I can tell that he's skeptical that this will even work, but I can sense that he needs it to. That just means that none of these other leads lead him anywhere. 

"Honestly... I've no idea. I've never looked for a specific memory before. Sure, I have looked for certain criteria to show my patients, but I've never been looking for one memory in particular. I think we should just start how I normally search -" 

"Okay," he states before I can finish. I hold my tongue. I am not liking this side of the detective. He is going to be hard to control if he stays in this mood for the whole investigation. 

His agitation just takes away any doubt that I am doing the wrong thing to confirm a serial killer. I can only hope that once he gets some headway he will go back to being easy to manipulate. I won't be able to control a loose cannon. 

Without explaining to him what I am doing, I open the web browser and enter the dark web seamlessly, even though Phil just showed me this aspect moments ago. It wouldn't do well if I fumbled my way through this when I supposedly did this all the time.