A Twisted Web - Benoit Blanc

Eleven - Car Chase (Catch Me if You Can!)

"So what's the cheese?"

Blanc strode up to Elliot as soon as they arrived at the crime scene. Smoke poured out from the windows of the Norfolk County Medical Examiner building. There didn't appear to be too much damage from the outside, but judging by all the smoke, the inside was most likely toast. 

Blanc had offered for Flora to tag along - she wasn't sure why - but had agreed. She also wasn't sure why she had done that either. 

"Elliot! We gotta go! We gotta go!" Blanc suddenly shouted, charging back towards the car. 

Wait, Flora recognized that blue car as it sped away - Marta. What was she doing here?

She didn't have much time to ponder for Blanc was hastily ushering her back into the car - they had barely climbed into the back seat before Trooper Wagner stepped on it, flying off after Marta's little blue car. 

A couple of other police cars had also joined the chase, all with lights and sirens going. 

As they pulled alongside Marta, they realized she wasn't alone: someone was in the passenger seat. 

"Hey, that's my brother." What the hell was Ransom doing here? Had he and Marta remained together since they had driven off yesterday morning? What was going on? 

Blanc tried calling Marta's cellphone, but she refused to pick up. 

Instead, she suddenly slammed on the breaks, making the police car fly right past them, before she turned down the side road. The police lost time in having to turn around to follow her. 

The chase took them off the highway and back into town, down narrow streets and alleyways.

Which was where they finally caught up to them. 

Both Marta and Ransom emerged from the car, hands raised in the air. 

"That was the dumbest car chase of all time," said Elliot. "Put your hands down."

Both dropped their hands, Marta looking guilty and Ransom hard to read. 

"I spoke to Wanetta Thrombey, Greatnana," Blanc explained. "Night of the party she saw someone climbing the trellis to the third floor." 

"Mr. Drysdale, let's go," ordered Elliot. "Pat him down."

"Wait, what's going on?" stepped-in Flora as the officers escorted her brother over to their car. 

"'Ransom came back' she said," Blanc explained. "I don't know what he came back to do, but, we'll find out." Then he turned to Elliot and Wagner who were loading Ransom into the back of their car.  "Ms. Drysdale and I will drive with Marta, we'll meet you at the police station." The officers agreed and everyone got into their separate cars.

"I want a full run down on everything he said to you," Blanc requested to Marta.  "And I'll catch you up on where we're at."

Marta nodded but looked extremely uncomfortable. 

The drive started out in silence, until Blanc began talking. "A strange case from the start. A case with a hole in the middle - a donut. I'm just talking through my process here, let me know if this is boring," he told the ladies.  

"No, not at all, do what you've got to do," Flora told him, and so he continued.  

"I can feel the noose tightening. The family is truly desperate... And yet, a donut.  One central piece still missing..." 

"Do you mind if I stop for a second?" Marta suddenly requested, breaking into Blanc's musings. "I need to pick something up. It'll be very quick."

"Sure."

Marta rounded a corner and pulled to a stop in front of a laundromat.  "It will only take a minute," she promised, and disappeared inside the building. 

Flora sat in silence. She couldn't get her mind off of the police taking Ransom, and what Greatnana had said about him coming back.  It was unlike Ransom not to make a scene  in front of the family, so why had he been sneaking around?  

"'The thought of you stays brrright!'" 

Flora jumped as Blanc's voice filled the car. He had put headphones in and was listening to music on his phone now, singing along.  "'Sometimes I stand in the middle of the floor!"

Some of the sirens droning in the distance were growing louder, and when she looked in the rearview mirror she saw an ambulance flying down the street towards them.  It parked behind them in front of the laundromat building. She reached up and patted Blanc's shoulder to get his attention - he was still singing, unable to hear the sirens from the music blasting in his ears.

 "Not going left! Not going-' oh lord!"

Finally, she got his attention, and they raced into the building along with the medical personnel. Inside they found Marta performing CPR on someone. 

Flora gasped at the figure on the floor.  "Fran! What happened to her?"

"She was heavily drugged," Marta explained, stepping aside to let the emergency responders take over. 

The trio followed the ambulance to the hospital, awaiting any update on Fran's state.  Blanc called Elliot to let him know that they wouldn't be meeting them at the police station. 

"All right my friend, thank you for the update. I'll bring her in once we get word that the housekeeper is stable, it's still touch and go."

"Listen, this is over, people are getting hurt," Marta told him. "So I'm going to tell you the truth. The full truth."

"Young Ransom just told Lieutenant Elliot everything."

"Good. I hope he didn't cover for me. Did he tell you the real truth about me switching the-"

"Yeah."

"And the disguise bit?"

"Yes."

"And the whole blackmail-"

"Mmm hmm."

"Well then.  I have to tell the Thrombeys myself, I feel like I owe that to them."

"Tell us what?" asked Flora, returning from where she had been speaking with the receptionist at the front desk.  

"How's Fran?" Marta asked.

"Still not so good.  What do you mean tell us yourself, Marta? Tell us what?"

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Blanc protested.

"I have to do it, I need to do it," Marta insisted. "I gave the doctors my number so they'll call if anything changes with Fran."

"Very well. I'll round up the Thrombeys at the house along with a police escort."

"For the arrest after." Marta nodded.

"Okay, now you're scaring me," cut in Flora.

"You can tell us the whole story on the way over - I don't want anymore surprises."

Flora was growing more and more concerned.  "Marta, what the hell is going on?"

Marta finally met her eyes, on the verge of tears.   "Oh Flora - I'm so sorry."

(Haha, that scene of Blanc sitting in the car singing is my favourite! ;) The big reveal is soon to come!

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :))