1
On Sunday, February 5, 1984, Kate Murphy was reading the paper at the breakfast table while Brian picked away at a bowl of cereal. He tried a few times to get a conversation started, but Kate kept insisting that she was busy reading and they could talk later. Brian turned his attentions elsewhere, reading the information on the corn flakes box. When there was nothing left on the box to hold his interest, he began to scan the front page of the newspaper his mother was holding in front of her face. He haphazardly scanned the headlines, barely paying attention to what they said. In the lower left corner he happened to catch the word “reincarnation” in a headline over a tiny, one-column article. He looked closer and read the words “Child sues Boston schools; claims reincarnation”.
Brian’s heartbeat stepped up a notch. For a brief moment he almost said something to his mother, but he suddenly realized that he shouldn’t. Instead, he waited until breakfast was finished and then took the paper to his room when he was sure his mother was finished reading it.
The article was continued on page five of the newspaper, and it turned out to be quite detailed. Brian read it word for word, and his excitement level increased with each paragraph. It explained the NCRC’s involvement on behalf of Donald Perry who just turned seven in early January. It went on to explain how Donald was thrown out of school because he professed to be reincarnated, and that the NCRC believed this was a violation of Donald’s civil rights.
Brian was in shock. He knew at once that he was reading about one of the six. All sorts of thoughts raced through his mind, and he found himself weeping from the overwhelming realization that he had found someone just like himself. He knew he had to make contact with Donald Perry, but he had to figure out exactly how he would do it. One thing he knew for sure was that it was time to tell Elmer, Susan and Kate a tiny bit more of the truth. He took the paper and went downstairs.
“Can I talk to you for a minute, Mom?” Brian requested. “I need to tell you something.”
“Sure, sweetheart. What is it?”
“Look at this article,” he implored. “Would you read it, please?”
Kate read the article and turned to Brian. “Okay,” she said, “What about it?”
“I believe in reincarnation too,” he said. “Do you think it’s a crazy idea?”
“Crazy?” she asked. “No, not crazy. I don’t believe in it myself, but I know that lots of people do.”
“This boy’s the same age as me, Mom. It’s so interesting. I’d really like to talk to him about this. Do you think that would be okay?”
“Well I really can’t see any harm in that,” she admitted. “Just please don’t get carried away.”
“If I can get his number, can I call him?”
“I suppose,” Kate agreed.
.....
It took several calls before Brian reached the correct Perry household. There were five Perry’s listed in the section of Boston mentioned in the article. Dawn Perry answered the phone and she had Brian wait while she fetched Donald.
“Hello,” Don said.
“You were with Oren in the Processing room, weren’t you?”
The pause lasted a full five seconds. “Oh, my God,” responded Don. “Were you there too?”
“Yes,” Brian confirmed. “Have you heard from any of the others?”
“No! But how.....where did you get my.....who are you? God, this is unbelievable.”
Brian gave Don his name, address and phone number, and he got Don’s whole mailing address. He explained to Don how the article in the newspaper tipped him off. Both of them were crying as they spoke.
“Did you tell anyone?” inquired Brian.
“Only about the reincarnation,” Don explained. “I didn’t say anything about how I got through without the cleansing. Did you say anything?”
“No. I told my mom I believed in reincarnation, but that’s all.” Brian thought for a moment so he could express his next thought properly. “I think we did wrong, Don. We should have stayed in the Processing room. What do you think?”
“You’re right,” admitted Don. “But it’s done. The question is what we should do now.”
The two of them spoke for quite some time. They expressed their desire to find a way of getting together, promised each other they’d keep in close touch, and made a pact that they would try to re-unite the six.
When Brian hung up the phone, he could no longer maintain any semblance of composure. He ran to his room and cried for fifteen minutes before falling asleep from sheer exhaustion.
2
Brian received his first call from Reverend Jimmy Bottoms in late February. He was halfway through first grade and he had almost given up any hope that Reverend Bottoms would ever contact him. The telephone call rejuvenated Brian’s interest in preaching God’s word to the world, and it renewed the sense of urgency that Brian hadn’t felt for many months. Jimmy Bottoms was going to be in the Philadelphia area the following week and he wanted to meet with Brian and his family to discuss a possible opportunity for Brian to get some public exposure. Public exposure was now doubly exciting to Brian. Not only could he preach God’s word, but he could also use the exposure to help locate the other four.
Susan, Kate and Elmer Flint spoke of little else for the entire week preceding the visit. Brian fell asleep each night dreaming of the fame and recognition that might be his if things went well. He envisioned himself standing behind a pulpit preaching the ways of God to millions of captivated listeners. His excitement caused the week to seem more like a month.
When Reverend Jimmy finally arrived at the house on Wednesday evening, he wasted no time in getting to the point.
“I think some young blood would surely help to inspire and revitalize my television audience,” he announced. “I’ll be doing a special which will air in late March and I thought that it might be a great opportunity for showing Brian off to the world.”
“What would it involve?” questioned Kate.
“The show will be taped in New York City this weekend. If you give me the go-ahead, I’ll need Brian for a few hours this Sunday morning to rehearse, and then we’ll tape in the early afternoon in front of a live audience. It’s going to be a good old-fashioned Revival with all the trimmings.”
“What will I have to do?” Brian asked impatiently.
Jimmy explained, “I want to have a five or ten minute conversation with you all about the Bible and its meaning. I think it will help get more youngsters into the fold and facilitate bringing religion into many more homes. What do you think?”
Susan asked, “Can we reserve the right to veto Brian’s part if it doesn’t come off right? We wouldn’t want Brian to look the fool in front of the world.”
“Oh, absolutely!” agreed Jimmy. “But I can assure you that it will be a tasteful and inspiring dialogue indeed.”
Kate responded, “I’m more concerned that Brian isn’t exploited here, Reverend Bottoms. No offense intended.”
“None taken, Ma’am. You’ve got your veto power if you choose to use it.”
Kate asked, “Would you be so kind as to excuse us for a moment so we can discuss this in private?”
Jimmy nodded his consent. Kate, Susan and Brian stepped into the next room to talk about things. They came back a few minutes later with polite smiles on their faces.
“We’ll agree,” Kate announced. “Tell us what we need to do.”
Jimmy gave them all the details. He drew a map showing how to get to the site of the Revival and he answered several questions about what Brian should wear and whom they should ask for when they arrived. He also gave them a telephone number where they could reach him if they had any problems. With all the details covered, Jimmy said goodbye and left.
“This is great, Mom,” Brian said only seconds after Jimmy left. “Thank you for letting me do it.”
“Don’t forget, honey,” she cautioned, “It only airs if we’re convinced it’s tastefully done and uncontroversial. Deal?”
“Sure!” he agreed.
.....
The segment with Brian was delightful. In Reverend Jimmy’s introduction, he mentioned Brian’s Bible studies and unique curiosity and love for God’s word. He joked with the audience that Brian had just turned seven on January 5th, and already posed a threat to replace the Reverend on television.
With the introduction complete, Brian did seven minutes of dialogue with Reverend Jimmy. They spoke of the Creation and the way in which God made known His love of mankind. In a rather daring move, Reverend Jimmy allowed Brian to express his controversial personal belief in reincarnation. The Reverend then rebutted the issue citing several Bible passages, but told the audience that such debate and discussion was far better than trying to teach religion by spouting dogma and doctrine. He commented that he himself did not believe in reincarnation, but respected Brian’s views and opinions nevertheless.
When the segment with Brian was over, Reverend Jimmy told the audience how wonderful it was to see such devotion in such a young child as Brian. He then took the opportunity to invite the younger listeners to take the time to discover God. He offered a free pamphlet called ‘God and the Family’ to anyone who wrote or called.
When it was all over, Kate had to admit to Reverend Jimmy that she was favorably impressed with the tasteful way he presented Brian. She signed a release form and thanked him for everything. Brian was quick to add his own thanks.
“Young man,” the Reverend began, “It is I who should be thanking you. I believe that you have just helped millions of young people get interested in God. I salute you, son.” He shook Brian’s hand and added with a smile, “Of course I still don’t agree with you about reincarnation, but God does work in mysterious ways.”
Brian responded, “I hope we can get together again soon. There’s so much more that I want to talk with you about.”
Reverend Jimmy’s expression turned serious. “Perhaps we’ll get together real soon, Brian. I’ll keep in touch.”
.....
When the Reverend Jimmy Bottoms’ special aired in late March, Brian enjoyed instant celebrity. Elmer and Pastor Merrick congratulated him. He was the envy of all his classmates and friends. The local NBC and ABC affiliates sought out interviews with Brian, but Kate declined. She felt that too much notoriety might be bad for Brian at such a young age. Brian, now very much interested in publicity, tried to get his mother to change her mind, but she held her ground.
There were all sorts of calls from friends, relatives and strangers who had seen the broadcast or heard about it. A week after the broadcast, the phone calls were down to a trickle, and Brian was just starting to feel his life getting back to normal. When a call came in for Brian a half hour before his bedtime, he asked his mother to take a message. She tried, but the caller was persistent about speaking to Brian that evening.
“Brian, this young man wants to talk to you now,” Kate told him. “He says he’s quite sure you’ll want to talk with him too.”
“Oh, all right,” agreed Brian. He picked up the phone in the kitchen as his mother hung up in the living room. “Hello.”
“Brian?” the voice asked.
“Yes. Who’s this?”
“I saw you on TV. It took me a little time to track down your number, but it was important that I speak to you. We have the same birthday.”
“So?” asked Brian. “Lots of people have the same birthday.”
“I mean the same year! And I heard you say you believed in reincarnation.”
Brian was suddenly very wide-awake. “Who’s this?” he insisted.
“My name’s Mason, and I know about six people who got reincarnated at the same time. Do you know what I’m talking about?”
Brian’s heart almost burst through his chest. “Are you one of them?”
“Yes. Are you?”
It was too good to be true. Brian was so excited that he hardly knew what to say. He grabbed a chair and sat down at the kitchen table.
“Yes, I’m one of them too,” Brian replied. “Do you know any of the others?”
“No,” Mason answered. “You’re the first one. How about you?”
“I found one other,” said Brian. “His name is Don Perry and he lives in Boston. Where do you live?”
“In Maryland,” answered Mason. “Not that far away from you. Maybe we can all get together. What’s this Don Perry’s address and phone number?”
Brian gave the information to Mason. He was about to caution Mason not to tell anyone their special secret, but Mason interrupted him and beat him to the punch.
“Don’t let anyone know about the processing,” advised Mason. “That has to remain our secret. I have to hang up right now, Brian, before my parents get too suspicious. I’ll call you again real soon and we’ll make plans for the three of us to get together somehow.”
Mason hung up. As Brian placed the handset on the cradle, he suddenly realized that he hadn’t obtained Mason’s full name, address and phone number. “Darn it!” he said under his breath. “I hope you call back soon, Mason.”
Brian got ready for bed and lay there unable to fall asleep. The excitement pumped through his blood with every heartbeat. Half of the six had made contact. He couldn’t wait to tell Don Perry all about Mason. It was too exciting for words.
.....
Mason Alexander looked over the notes he had written during his conversation with Brian Murphy. He realized how lucky he had been to find these other two souls. He wondered if he’d ever find the remaining three.
He switched off his bedroom light and climbed into bed, still clutching the notes in his hand. He thought about the conversation with Brian and realized he hadn’t given Brian much information about himself; not even his last name. He tossed and turned for an hour before he fell asleep.
3
Jamie arrived at UCLA and found that Cora Morgan was out sick. She proceeded to Josh Draper’s area and found him working at his computer.
“Hi Jamie,” he greeted without missing a keystroke. When he finished typing he turned to face her. “How’s my favorite starlet this evening?”
“Okay, I guess,” she replied. “Well, maybe just a little bummed out. I just found out I have to start preparing for a new picture next week.”
Josh smiled and said, “I should only have such problems. What’s the new picture about?”
“I don’t even know yet,” she confessed. “They didn’t give me a script yet. And for your information, Josh, it isn’t all that easy to make a movie.”
Josh laughed and patted Jamie on the back. “I know, Jamie. I’m just teasing you.” He reached over, picked up a sheet of computer paper, and held it out for Jamie. “By the way, I ran the monthly search on the wire services for you. I came up with a dozen or so articles that you might like to see. Three or four are about gifted children, one’s about a child fortune-teller, and there’s even one about a kid who claims he’s reincarnated. Let me know if you want me to get a print-out on any of them.”
“Thanks,” she said as she took the list from him. She read through the titles, picked up a pen and checked off several of the articles. “These three look very interesting, Josh. Could you please get me print-outs of these?”
“No problem, kid. I’ll have them for you before you split this evening.” Josh set the list next to the keyboard and then rummaged through some papers on the desk behind his. He found a hand-written list and gave it to Jamie. “Cora called me earlier,” he explained. “She asked me to have you run over to Publications and get some copies of these articles for her.”
“No problem, Josh. I’ll be back soon.”
Jamie went over to Publications and waited while they gathered up copies of the articles Cora requested. She carried them back to Cora’s desk and placed them on the chair so Cora couldn’t miss them. Then Jamie returned to Josh’s area.
“Here are the articles you wanted,” he informed her. “How’s that for service?”
“That’s great, Josh. Thank you very much.”
Jamie took the articles over to a vacant desk and began to read through them. Most of them were routine stories about gifted children’s programs and were of little interest to Jamie. She was amused by the story of the child fortune-teller, but it too was of little value. The last article was about a seven-year-old’s lawsuit against the Boston school district. As Jamie read the details, she felt her excitement building. When she finished reading the article, she immediately started back at the beginning and read it more carefully.
She ran back over to Josh and got permission to use the phone to locate a telephone number in the Boston area. She could hardly contain her excitement as she dialed Information. She obtained a few numbers to try, but she realized it was too late to call Boston that evening. It would have to wait until the next morning. Jamie knew she was going to spend a restless night.
.....
In the morning, Jamie and Karen went to the studio and picked up the script for the new movie. They walked over to the commissary and had breakfast while they read through the synopsis. It was a mystery thriller with the working title “Stardust”, and Jamie was cast as a five-year-old who witnesses the double murder of her parents. Her role was huge in this movie, and Jamie already had butterflies over the part. It was expected to take seven months to shoot the film, and a full month of the shooting would be on location in a small New England town.
“Your father isn’t going to be real happy about us leaving this Summer,” Karen speculated. “Let’s break it to him gently.”
“Maybe we should just wait and tell him a couple of days before we have to leave,” Jamie suggested.
The two of them chatted through breakfast about the film, and then went back to the studio so Jamie could begin reading the script. Karen decided that she couldn’t be of much help to Jamie at this point, so she left Jamie there and went off to run a few errands and do some shopping. They decided that they’d meet back over at the commissary for lunch.
When Karen left, Jamie went down the hall to the directors’ offices and found an empty office with a phone. She began calling the numbers she had obtained from Information the evening before. On the third call she lucked out and reached the correct Perry household. Dawn answered the phone and confirmed that Donald was home. She went to call him to the phone.
“Hello,” he said in a faint voice.
“My name is Paula,” she lied, “and I was wondering about your reincarnation. Do you know who Oren is?”
“Oh, God!” exclaimed Don. “This is too unbelievable. Are you one of the six that was there with Oren?”
“Yes,” she said. “I saw the newspaper article about your lawsuit and I figured out from your age that you might be one of the six.”
“I found two others already,” he volunteered excitedly. “Do you know any of the others?”
“No. You’re the first one I came across. Who are the others you found?”
“One’s a boy named Brian Murphy in Philadelphia, and the other’s a boy named Mason in Maryland.” He gave Jamie the address and phone number of Brian Murphy and explained that Mason had contacted Brian and that he didn’t know Mason’s last name or anything else about him.
“Well, my name is Paula Austin,” she lied. “My dad is in the Army and our family is on an extended leave before we go to Germany. We’re traveling around the country, but we’ll be going to Germany next month when my dad has to start his new assignment.”
“Brian Murphy and I are trying to get all six together,” explained Don. “Is there an address or a phone number where we can reach you?”
“No,” she answered. “But I’ll call you from Germany next month. With our family going to Germany and all, I’m not sure when we can get together, but we’ll figure something out. I really want to meet you and the others. There’s so much stuff to talk about. What were you guys in your old lives?”
“I was just a farmer in Pennsylvania and Brian said he was a bus driver. I don’t know what this guy Mason was. How about you, Paula. What were you?”
“I was a student,” Jamie informed him. She saw little reason to lie about that point.
“Brian and I decided we shouldn’t tell anyone about the processing,” explained Donald. “What do you think?”
Jamie said, “I agree. I didn’t tell anybody; not even my mom and dad.” Then she added, “You know what, Don? Maybe I’ll call Brian Murphy and talk to him too. I’m dying to hear the voices of other people that understand what happened to us.”
“Yeah! I know what you mean, Paula,” Don admitted.
Jamie wrapped up the conversation with, “I really have to go now, Don. I promise to call you when we get to my dad’s new assignment in Germany. Good-bye for now.”
Jamie hung up the phone and let out a deep sigh. It was almost too good to be true. Without a moment’s hesitation she picked up the phone and dialed Brian Murphy’s number.
.....
Mason Alexander figured out what he needed to do. He remembered the number by heart, and he called it collect using the name of Jack Casey.
“Go ahead, please,” the operator advised.
“Who the hell is this?” Frank Collier demanded. “It sure as hell ain’t Jack Casey!”
“My new name is Mason, but that doesn’t really matter, Frank. Please don’t hang up before you hear what I have to say. I really am Jack Casey; at least I was. As crazy as it sounds, I’m Jack Casey reincarnated. You can test me all you want until you’re convinced. There are lots of things that only you and Jack Casey could possibly know, aren’t there?”
“Get off of this! What kind of bullshit is this anyway? What the hell do you want from me?”
Mason saw that his ex-partner and confidant needed convincing and needed it fast. He dropped the bomb immediately.
“The Simpson deal went sour because you didn’t get the money to Dave Rice on time. You stopped off at Vickie’s for a quickie and blew it all. How about the time we went fishing and planned the Parklane project while we were drunk on Jim Beam? And who else but Jack Casey knows how Eddie DiMarco drowned? How am I doing so far, Frank?”
“I don’t know what to..... No, I ain’t saying anything yet. I have a few questions I’d like to see you answer.”
“Ask away!” invited Mason.
It took less than five minutes for Frank Collier to conclude that either Jack Casey’s knowledge was in Mason’s head, or Jack Casey wasn’t really dead. Either way, it didn’t really matter. Whoever was on the other end of the conversation knew enough about Frank Collier to send him to jail for the rest of his life.
“I’m convinced,” Frank admitted. “Now let’s get down to brass tacks. What do you want, Jack, or Mason, or whoever you are?”
“I’ve got a proposition for you, Frank. I know where there’s an awful lot of gold bullion buried. I’d guess it must be worth a fortune. If you want to dig it up, it’s yours for the keeping. All I want is a few small favors in return.”
“Why don’t you get the gold yourself?” challenged Frank.
“I’m a friggin’ kid, Frank. Am I supposed to tell my parents I’m Jack friggin’ Casey?”
“My God!” spouted Frank. “You’re serious about this reincarnation shit!”
“Look, Frank. I need some fixing done, if you get my drift. If you’re in, tell me now.”
“I’m in! Of course I’m in! I’d do anything for you, Jack.”
“It’s Mason, Frank. Mason Alexander at your service. I think we need to sit down and talk eyeball to eyeball. The phone just won’t hack it for what I’ve got to say.”
The two spoke for twenty more minutes making the arrangements for Frank to come down to Baltimore. Mason gave Frank his whole name, address and phone number, and cautioned Frank not to tell anyone at all about the reincarnation issue. They agreed on a time and place to meet and then hung up.
Mason sat by the phone for a few minutes thinking about his next move. He was quite pleased with himself.
4
Michael Pearlstein parked the rental car around the corner from the Hunt residence. He performed a last minute check to make certain he hadn’t forgotten anything. He was having problems controlling the nausea that accompanied his fear. Thinking about his father was the single thing that helped him. It was the only way he could motivate himself to perform the awful act that he came here to do.
He did some breathing exercises and formed mental pictures of beautiful Maria Cortez and his father. He opened the door and stepped from his car into the shadows of the overcast night. He had rehearsed this in his mind time and again, but he hadn’t been able to imagine the level of fear he now experienced.
He had done his homework the night before, checking out the house to figure out the best way to get in. Toby Sinclair’s files mentioned Larry’s parents, Art and Barb, and one older brother named Bradley. Michael had seen the older son in one of the upstairs bedroom windows the previous night and he made a mental note to avoid that room when he searched out Larry.
Michael used a screwdriver to pry back the basement window latch. He swung the window back on its hinges and slid his body, feet first, through the opening. He pointed his flashlight in front of him and slowly ascended the squeaky basement stairs. At the top, he opened the door leading into the kitchen, praying that the Hunts didn’t have a dog. He paused and listened for a moment, but the sound of his heart pounding was all he heard.
He slowly made his way into the living room and up the stairs to the second floor. He felt a sudden urge to urinate, but he forced himself to ignore it. He shined the light at the two doors in front of him and saw that they were both closed. If Michael’s bearings were correct, the door on the left led to Bradley’s room. He tiptoed across the hall and slowly turned the knob on the other door. He gently pushed it opened and saw the small figure of Larry Hunt lying face down on the bed with his arms at his sides. Michael could make out the faint wheezing sound of Larry’s breathing. He took several deep breaths before proceeding.
Michael set the flashlight on the floor, pulled the hypodermic needle from his jacket pocket and popped the plastic cover from the needle. He crept over to the boy’s bed and took one last deep breath. In one motion he covered Larry’s mouth with his left hand and stabbed the needle into his buttocks with his right hand. His thumb forced the plunger down and emptied the contents of the hypodermic into Larry’s bloodstream. Larry immediately reacted and thrashed around trying to scream, but Michael held his hand firmly over Larry’s mouth until the thrashing stopped and the small body lay limp.
Michael fought the instinct to throw up and turned to leave the room. He picked up the flashlight and started down the hall toward the stairs. He slowly descended the stairs, trying not to make a sound. He walked back into the kitchen and headed for the back door. There was a deadbolt, but the latch wasn’t set, so he turned the knob and pulled on the door to open it. Nothing happened, so he pulled harder. Still nothing happened. He shined the light up and down the door to make certain there were no other latches. Seeing none, he grasped the doorknob once again. He turned it and gave it one forceful yank back and the door flew opened. The storm door must have been slightly ajar, and the sudden vacuum pulled it shut with a crashing sound that reverberated through the house.
“What was that?” he heard the female voice cry somewhere upstairs.
“Jesus, I don’t know,” came the male reply.
Michael heard the sound of footsteps above him as he wildly struggled to force open the storm door. The door handle was locked and he fumbled around unsuccessfully trying to figure out how to unlock it. The sounds of footsteps were on the stairs. Michael couldn’t wait any longer.
He slammed against the door with his full weight and it crashed open with the sound of broken glass shattering all around him. He darted out the door, jumped the rear yard fence and ran across the rear neighbor’s property to the next street over. He ran to the left and turned down the side street to his car. He jumped in, started the engine and drove off. He forced himself to slow down and do the speed limit so he wouldn’t attract any police. He prayed that nobody had seen him or the car.
About a mile down the road, he heard the distant sound of a siren and he wondered if it was headed for the Hunt house. He caught a glimpse of flashing red lights in his rear view mirror and he immediately panicked. The lights were approaching rapidly and Michael was wild with fear. As the flashing lights closed in, the headlights of the pursuing vehicle began flashing on and off and Michael’s bladder let go. He pulled over to the side of the road and prepared himself for the inevitable. The police car raced by and disappeared around a corner a half-mile ahead. Michael began to cry uncontrollably.
5
For Jamie the week went by too slowly. She could think of little else but the joy she would experience when God embraced her soul. She waited impatiently to hear from Michael Pearlstein that he had accomplished his mission in Pittsburgh. She was already planning his next assignment.
Jamie’s instincts compelled her to eliminate Don and Brian as soon as possible, but her better judgment suggested that she was better off waiting until Don and Brian found out Mason’s whereabouts. As soon as she found out where Mason was, the bulk of her work on earth would be completed. She would then simply have the last of the six eliminated, leaving her with the job of finishing off Maria Cortez and then taking her own life.
Maria Cortez. Now there was an interesting dilemma. Jamie had grown quite fond of Maria and Michael too. She felt sadness at the thought of leaving Michael with Maria eliminated. It seemed so unfair. Jamie thought back to her plans of leaving a semi-cryptic note for her parents, and she decided that she could do the same thing for Michael Pearlstein. After all, what harm could there be as long as she didn’t reveal God’s most precious secrets?
She began to consider ideas for a note....
Dearest Mom, Dad and Michael,
Do not despair over the losses you have felt. I was sent to earth on a special mission of God to eliminate six who were uncleansed. Remember the word "uncleansed". In your afterlife you will understand and you will rejoice in God’s wisdom.
Jamie was pleased with this idea. She tried to imagine if Zoron or Jonah would have any problems with a note such as this. She knew she would be giving the matter more and more thought in the near future. Her time on earth was drawing to a close. A feeling of holiness suddenly came over her and she was covered with goose bumps from head to toe. She imagined her childlike soul floating divinely into the open arms of God. She had never known a feeling of happiness as intense and overpowering as what she felt that very moment.
.....
The phone call came just after dinner. Michael was sobbing as he reassured Jamie that the work in Pittsburgh was complete. Then his sobbing turned to outright crying as he described the details to her.
“I know it must have been terrible,” she consoled. “But you know in your heart it was the will of God. These people aren’t what they seem, Michael. You must never allow yourself to feel guilty about doing God’s work. You are holy, Michael Pearlstein.”
The only words that Michael could manage were, “Thank you, Jamie.”
“I can’t possibly eliminate all your pain,” she admitted, “but I can try and keep you focused. Try and imagine what your feelings might have been if you witnessed Larry Hunt murdering sweet Maria Cortez. That’s the only way I can help you understand the necessity of what you’ve done.”
“I’ve got to rest now,” Michael informed her. “I’ll be okay. I’ll call you in a day or two.”
“Okay Michael,” she replied. “But I just need to remind you that you have to get me confirmation on Larry Hunt.”
“I know,” he concurred. “I’m planning to pick up the Pittsburgh newspapers for a couple of days, and I’ll watch the local news.”
“Thanks, Michael. Now get some rest and I’ll talk to you later.”
She hung up the phone. As much as she wanted to discuss his next assignment with him, she couldn’t bring herself to put any further burden on him. Things could certainly wait a few more days.
The biggest problem Jamie now faced was one of strategy. Should she finish off Don Perry and Brian Murphy before she found out who and where Mason was? That might be risky in terms of finding Mason, but she didn’t want to chance Don, Brian and Mason getting together and figuring out the true value of their knowledge. The more the three of them talked, the more likely they’d come to realize the power they possessed.
Jamie came to the conclusion that a compromise was the best course of action. She would go ahead and send Michael to take care of Brian Murphy in Philadelphia. She’d leave Donald Perry a little while longer to allow time for Mason to contact him and identify himself. She thought that perhaps she could even wait until she and her mother went to New England for filming and then find a way to finish off Don Perry without Michael’s knowledge or involvement. That could be helpful in maintaining Jamie’s access to Maria in the hospital. As long as Michael believed there was at least one undiscovered threat to Maria, Jamie would have continued access to the hospital. Without that access, her job might be far more difficult.
She went over things in her mind a few more times to make certain that her course of action made sense and that there were no better alternatives. Mason was the last remaining soul in her quest and she knew through elimination that he was the reincarnation of Jack Casey. If Mason didn’t reveal his identity through Don Perry, Jamie knew there was little hope that Jack Casey would be contacting any of his surviving relatives. Jamie wasn’t pleased with the thought of losing an opportunity to track down Mason. She had to be very careful indeed about the way she handled Don Perry. Don would soon be the last person that Mason knew to contact.
.....
Michael called back two days later to report to Jamie that Larry Hunt was hospitalized in a coma, and that the doctors gave him little chance for recovery. Michael wept uncontrollably as he spoke.
“Are you going to be all right?” she inquired.
“I guess so,” said Michael.
“Try to get a grip, Michael. I have some good news for you, but this might not be the best time to tell you.”
Michael took the bait. “Please tell me, Jamie. I could certainly use some good news.”
“I’ve discovered a second devil-child.”
Michael’s emotions were suddenly on a roller coaster. After a moment of silence, he managed to take a deep breath and say, “The sooner the better I suppose. Who and where?”
“It’s a boy in Philadelphia, Michael. I don’t think it’s very far away at all.”
She gave Michael all the information on Brian Murphy. She could sense by the way he responded that he needed another shot of motivation.
She began, “You know God and Maria are depending on you, Michael. We both knew it wouldn’t be easy, but the sooner we get on with it, the sooner we can put it all behind us. Think of your father. Rabbi David Pearlstein has a glorious and righteous purpose on earth. It’s our responsibility to make his pathway safe.”
She accomplished her purpose, but Jamie felt terrible nonetheless. She was genuinely concerned over Michael’s mental state. She loved him very much and she knew she was placing an incredible burden on his shoulders.
“Don’t worry, Jamie,” assured Michael. “I’m having a tough time with all this, but I won’t let you down. It’s just that I’ve destroyed a life. I held another human being, injected him with your poison and felt his body go limp in my hands. Do you have any idea what that’s like?”
“No I don’t, Michael,” confessed Jamie. “But I’m prepared to do it too if I have to. If I were big enough, I’d have done all this myself. Look, I know it’s just a technicality, but you haven’t really killed anyone....at least not yet. I know they’ll pull the plug on Larry eventually, but he’s not in any pain now and he won’t feel anything later. He’s essentially brain-dead. It’s the most merciful way that God could find to end a life.”
“I want to believe that, Jamie. I want to believe it more than anything in the world.”
“I know you do. You’re a good man, Michael Pearlstein.” Jamie could no longer hold back her own tears. She cried aloud as she said, “I love you, Michael. I can feel your pain.”
“I love you too, Jamie.”
“Michael,” she added, “it may be a crazy thought, but would it be any easier if you didn’t have to touch them?”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“I was wondering if you could maybe use a dart gun. Is that nuts?”
“It’s something to think about,” he admitted. “It’s an interesting concept.”
6
Frank Collier sat at the booth in the diner facing Mason Alexander. The entire situation gave Frank a huge case of the creeps.
“Are you shittin’ me?” he asked. “How the hell am I gonna ever believe you’re Jack Casey?”
“Mason Alexander,” corrected Mason. “Are we going to start this all over again? Ask me more questions if you want to.”
“That’s all right, Jack...Mason, I mean. Just get started. I’ll come around eventually. This isn’t the easiest concept for an old shit like myself to accept.”
“It’s not easy for me either,” Mason admitted, “and I’m living it.”
“I’m all ears, Mason Alexander.”
“I need some people eliminated in a very special way, Frank. I’m not really sure how to do it. That’s where you come in.”
Frank asked, “What does special mean?”
“Their memories have to be destroyed and they’ve got to stay alive for a while after that.”
“How long after that?”
“I wish I knew. I’d guess a couple days or so. Do you have any ideas?”
“I’ll find out,” promised Frank. “Doc Pratt is still around, and he owes us a few favors, wouldn’t you say?”
They both laughed. Mason added, “He owes us about a hundred and fifty thousand favors to be exact.” They both laughed even harder.
“Christ, Jack, it really is you,” Frank said as if he didn’t previously believe it.
“No shit, Sherlock. Are we ever going to get past this?”
“I’m sorry, guy,” Frank apologized. “Who are the targets?”
“That’s another problem, Frank. They’re kids my age....Mason’s age.”
“Oh, man,” complained Frank. “Kids? I never had a kid iced.”
“They’re reincarnated too, Frank. But they’re evil sons of bitches in kids’ bodies. You’re gonna have to trust me on this, Frank. You see me sitting here right in front of you and you know I ain’t even seven years old, don’t you?”
“What about the gold you mentioned?”
“There’s gotta be about a million or so. It should more than cover expenses, and the balance is yours.”
“Shit, Jack. I’m doing this job myself. There’s no way I’m gonna put out a contract on kids. I’ve got a reputation to protect.”
This sent Mason into a frenzy of laughter and Frank joined in immediately. It got so loud that some of the patrons actually turned to look at the two of them.
“Calm down,” urged Mason. “Let’s get down to some details before they throw us out of here.”
Mason reached in his pocket and pulled out a piece of tablet paper with some names and addresses on one side and a map on the other. He handed it to Frank.
“Where’d the gold come from?” Frank asked. “You never told me nothing about this before.”
“Let’s just say it’s a present from an old friend who died around fifty years ago. I didn’t need the money when I was Jack Casey, so it’s been gathering worms for half a century.”
Frank smiled and said, “Sorry, pal. It really doesn’t matter where it came from. Just give me your timetable for all this stuff and let me figure out the details.”
Mason went over his plans as Frank listened attentively. When Mason was through, the two of them shook hands just like in the old days and it was a “done deal”.
Before he left, Frank asked, “Any way for me to get in on this reincarnation deal?”
Mason just smiled and replied, “Who knows? God works in mysterious ways.”
“I’m serious,” insisted Frank.
“You get this work done for me, my friend, and maybe I’ll let you in on the secret of eternal life. I’m serious too.”
