High Priestess

3.4

April 20, 1978

Lindsey was stressed beyond belief as he paced the halls of his lawyer and best friend, John McVie's office. John opened the door to let the person that was currently meeting with him out and then when John saw Lindsey and the look on his face.

"Mate what the fuck is wrong?" John inquires.

"I really need your help." Lindsey looks at him pleading, panic filling his eyes. 

"With what?" 

"I'm in love with a woman. Her name is Stephanie Nicks-Fleetwood. She um, she's married to Mick Fleetwood, but the problem is...is that her marriage was a contract marriage. She married him so she could get some help jump-starting her own business because he's rich, he has money and business expertise because he's the head of Fleetwood Recording you know...And She loves me too and we've been having an affair since January...But John, the Paparazzi caught us, and then she just disappeared. I've heard one story that claims she had a drug-induced freakout and fell down the stairs and went to rehab and then to visit her family. I also heard that she admitted the affair to Mick and was sent to a facility to recover and refocus on her adoring husband and herself...which I know that one is a crock of shit, but John no one, not her co-workers, or her friends have heard from her in two months, and then I was able to get out of their maid that she was taken by ambulance to Crossley Medical Center after She and Mick got into an argument about the affair and I'm...just I'm worried about her. Mick's bad John, he's really bad. He um, he runs an illegal drug trade business, he hosts these wild parties with girls that he pays under the table to have sex with his clients...John, I'm just, I'm..." Lindsey rambles and he can see that John's trying to make sense of what he's saying, and frustrated tears fall down his cheeks.

"Okay so wait, your girlfriend is married to a drug mule and you think he beat her and locked her in a mental institution...because you know what Crossley is right?" John crosses his arms.

"No what's Crossley?" 

"Crossley started out as a mental hospital and then within a matter of months it changed to a rehab facility and then two months later it became an actual hospital, and it was an actual hospital for about five years before it became a treatment center. Meaning it's an actual hospital, a mental hospital, and a rehab facility. It's been under investigation so many times for mistreatment. It's been fine since a new Doctor, Joe Walsh, or Wash something like that started but it's been through a lot. It's totally logical that she would've been sent there, but given what you told me...I'm not sure why she was sent there." John sighs sitting at his desk.

"So what do we do?" 

"Lindsey I can't do anything, I can't have the detectives investigate them without a warrant and there's no way that I'm going to be able to get a warrant by what you just said. 

"You've gotta do something John." He shakes his head.

"Well, my wife is a private investigator..." He trails off.

"Would Christine help!" He gasps.

"I mean she's done it before." John shrugs.

"Call her...call her right now," Lindsey demands.

John just rolls his eyes and picks up his phone before dialing the number. 

***

When Christine walks into the room she looks between the two men and places her hands on her hips.

"Why the fuck am I here?" 

"Here love, have a smoke." John holds out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. 

"So do you care to tell me what I'm doing, I have a lot of work I have to get done." She sighs puffing on the cigarette. 

John relays the story to Christine and she gives a look of abhor. "Lindsey I don't...Mick Fleetwood is crazy. His ex-wife Jenny had me investigate him years ago. He had been cheating on her with one of the maids and she wanted proof so I got her proof. He's cruel, he was cruel to Jenny-beat her constantly-and he was cruel to his staff. I mean she was one of my best friends. We came over from England together. She went back after their divorce John and I stayed here." 

"So you know how scared I am for her. Please Chris you've gotta do something." Lindsey begs.

"We need a plan, we have to do this stealthily because if we don't Mick WILL find out, and then it's not going to be good for any of us." Christine shakes her head.

"Annie Shackvie," John states after a moment, causing both Lindsey and Christine to raise eyebrows at him. 

"Your middle name is Anne. Your last name is Mcvie, you used to work at the chicken shack in England therefore, Annie Shackvie, you can go in undercover under that name." John explains.

"So I'm going into Crossley then...how are we going to get me into Crossley?" Christine questions. 

"Do you have that disposable number thingy with you?" John asks.

Christine just digs in her purse and hands it to John who dials a number.

"Hello, can I speak to Dr. Joe Walsh...Yes Hi, Dr. Walsh?...wonderful my name is John Henshaw I'm a nursing student recruiter at Cedars-Sinai...I have a nursing student who's interested in working at a treatment facility. She wants to experience everything, not just general medicine. She's not flourishing here and I'd hate to sabotage her career before it even begins so I was wondering if you had room to take her under her wing and train her, let her experience the facility....She's a hard worker and a fast learner. She's not squeamish in the slightest...Wonderful, her name is Annie Shackvie I'll have her files sent over to you tomorrow morning and she'll report to work at the Crossley center Monday Morning." John hangs up the phone.

"You're welcome." He smiles.

"Right, now get out of that chair I have to forge up some files." Christine rolls her eyes as John and Lindsey laugh. 

The trio worked in the smoke-filled room to the wee hours of the morning trying to forge a plan and at the end of the night, though Lindsey was still terrified for Stevie there was a slight glimmer of hope.