Piper

II. (b)Theory 2: The Lombroso's Effect

"While we may not be able to control all that happens to us, we can control what happens inside us." - Ben Franklin

As the two gentlemen entered Dr. Everett's waiting room, a state of confusion awaited them.

The desk drawers behind the appointment desk were left open and papers were strewn about. The magazines that were once arranged in the magazine rack were scattered all over the place, and the chairs were turned around to face each other as if they were attacking each other. And astonishingly enough, Nolan's secretary was found on the floor with her hands tied behind her back.

Nolan crouched down to sit next to Vera, despite the pain he felt in his left arm. He was worried he'd never see her again, especially after Piper's spirit mentioned that she took her away.

With that thought in mind, he motioned for David to retrieve the scissors on the desk, and cut the plastic hand ties Vera still had on.

"Vera, you're back! What happened?"

Instead of a response, Vera mumbled as if she lost her voice. She also pointed to David for some odd reason that Nolan was curious about.

He believed she never met him before, but then again that was impossible as Vera knew everyone at work. At least that's what he thought. But no matter what, Nolan thought that a simple re-introduction would help.

"Do you remember Dr. David Hadley, Vera? He's the psychologist who works downstairs."

Vera looked straight into David's eyes instead as if he was the bad guy in a story.

"There's something different about her Everett. Something quirky that I don't like."

David noticed how frail Vera looked as if she hadn't eaten for days, as he touched his stubble. Although he was skeptical about her, the middle-aged woman remained confused as he tried to pat her on the back. 

It was written in her brown eyes, pure evil, as if the devil took over it and gave up on her.

And she was reticent, someone who seemed to prefer seclusion as she moved to the back corner with her face hidden between her knees. There was something terribly wrong here and he couldn't understand why Nolan couldn't see the difference.

"Nonsense, I'm sure she's just tongue-tied right now after going through a traumatic event, whatever that might be."

David nodded and patted Nolan's back.

"I'm not so sure about that, Everett. I'm gonna leave now. If you want I can drive you home later. Just meet me downstairs. And Nolan ..."

Turning toward his colleague, the doctor turned his head to face him.

"Yes?"

"Stay safe bud. I got your back if you need me."

Nolan smiled as he saluted his friend.

Thus, David left Nolan alone with a Vera look-alike.

Looking inside his office, Nolan surveyed his room for his prized possession. He hoped David didn't figure out what he was up to when they cleaned up the mess that the previous earthquake made.

The camera was still on his desk and it was untouched. Nolan knew the negatives that were stored inside were valuable and wanted to show them to Joanne as proof that Piper was real. The imaginary spirit was not a figure of Janneth's imagination.

As promised by the store owner, the camera functioned on its own, as a mechanical button triggered on its own. The red flash was still on, and he could tell that negatives were developed. Nolan smiled and had his aha moment.

For the records, he wrote something for his boss to read for he knew Mitchell would never believe him if Nolan told the truth. Thus, the psychologist hatched a plan and wrote that Miss Hudson's pain was purely psychological.

He explained that Janneth might have a criminal behavior based on personality - an inborn personality disorder such as schizophrenia.

Known as Lombroso's theory of anthropological criminology, it essentially states that criminality was inherited. Logically, he knew that Janneth could not have made this mess so on her own, so Nolan's assumptions were on Piper.

He went outside to gather his belongings expecting to see a disgruntled person but noticed that Vera was gone. Moreover, his waiting room was cleaned up and well organized as if there wasn't anything wrong with it in the first place. It puzzled him as if he and David were tricked to see the unknown.

Then Nolan saw a note left on the side table that was written in chicken scratch.

It read:

Dr, go to Heavenly tomorrow ... Janneth will run away from the rehab center! U must Go!