Memoria. A Corporation of Lies

Epilogue. The Lull Before the Storm

The day promised to be warm. By midday, thick clouds hung over the city. Frank wished he’d brought a raincoat with him. He stood on the granite steps in front of the police department building and looked up at the gloomy sky thinking of everything that had happened three weeks earlier.

It didn’t sound like a long time, but despite all the offices involved in the investigation, too many questions remained unanswered. Possibly, for good.

Passersby streamed toward the pedestrian crossing opposite the building, some in a hurry overtaking the rest. Cars bustled and honked. The wailing of an ambulance or a police car resounded from a neighboring block, on their way to help someone. Or could it be the fire brigade? Frank glanced at his watch. Barney was taking his time.

He shifted from one foot to the other, about to start up the stairs, when a cab pulled up by the pedestrian crossing. A young dark driver jumped out of the car, ran around it and opened the door, helping his passenger out.

Barney hadn’t lost any muscle. His face, though, was hard to recognize. Blood blisters still showed in a couple of places, but they were nothing, as were the bruises and grazes. The veteran had gone completely bald. His massive forehead glistened in the sun that’s forced its way through the clouds. His skull was unnaturally smooth. Nothing suggested the thick head of dark hair he once used to boast.

“Thanks,” Barney grumbled. “I’ll manage.”

He leaned on his stick and hobbled heavily through the crowd toward the steps, gloomy as a cloud and large as a bear.

Frank hurried toward him.

“I’ll manage,” without looking up, Barney stepped onto the staircase and stopped. “Have you been waiting here long?” He glanced at the street. For some reason, he avoided Frank’s gaze.

“Everything all right?” Frank looked in the same direction but saw nothing but houses, cars and passersby crossing the street at the green light. Nothing special.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Barney said without changing his posture.

Frank smiled weakly,

“Nervous, sir?”

“Fuck you!” Barney turned his broad face to him. “Since when do you call me sir?”

Frank looked at him without saying a word.

“You’ll be calling me Mr. Douggan next. What are you smiling at?” Barney was obviously in a mood. But at least he was the same old Barney, strong, stern and focused. “You think I don’t know Maggie ran off to see you?”

Frank’s smile faded. He squinted at the sidewalk and rubbed his chin not knowing how to answer.

“All right,” Barney rattled and coughed into his fist. “Let’s go. Help me up.”

His strong arm lay over Frank’s shoulder. Together, they took the steps to the doors.

In the department, they were met by Lieutenant Salem who took them to the elevators. Together they went up one floor. Salem led them through the pool to the Captain’s office and left without saying a word.

“Take a seat,” Jessup left his desk, shook their hands and pointed to the chairs. “Coffee?”

“Water,” the veteran mumbled. Groaning, he lowered himself into a chair and stretched out his leg wounded during the taking of Memoria.

“I wouldn’t mind a coffee,” Frank nodded, “no sugar.”

The captain buzzed the secretary through the intercom, asked her to bring up some drinks and returned to his place.

“So?” he rested his hands on his desk looking at Barney. “How’s health? How’s the leg?”

“It’s okay,” Barney shifted in his chair for a more comfortable position.

The secretary appeared in the doorway. She nodded to the visitors, placed the tray on the desk and left.

“Help yourselves,” the captain sighed and sat back.

Barney poured the water down his broad mouth. Frank took a sip of his coffee and placed the cup back on its saucer.

“Let’s get down to business, Cap,” the veteran said. “We’ve made statements at just about every office in the country,” he looked at Frank and turned back to Jessup. “That’s not why you’ve asked us to come, is it?”

“It’s not.”

A tense silence set in. You could feel that Barney was still mad although the reason was now different: he didn’t like being there. That was probably why he was late, deciding whether to come or let Frank go without him.

“You do know, don’t you,” Jessup clasped his fingers together, “that the Memoria case is a Federal one?”

“Why are we here?” Barney asked.

The Captain splayed his shoulders and rose. The visitors looked up at him.

“I wanted to say good-bye. And thank you.” He buttoned up his jacket and smoothed his gray hair. “I’ve been transferred to DC. Thank you all,” he extended his hand to Barney.

“Is that it?” he chuckled. Leaning on his stick, he got up. “You should have said so from the start.”

Frank shook his head, speechless.

“Congratulations,” Barney grumbled and added over his shoulder, “I’ll wait for you by the elevator.”

Frank gave Jessup a guilty look but didn’t dare stop Barney, for fear of one of his angry outbursts when the veteran could explode like an overheated boiler.

The veteran left. Jessup eased himself back into his chair.

“Forgive him, sir,” Frank hurried to smooth over the embarrassment. “Barney has an awful temper.”

“I’ve noticed,” Jessup’s face remained detached. “It’s all right.”

“Where are they transferring you to?” Frank asked.

“What? Ah, that,” The captain perked up. “To the Justice Department.”

“My congratulations, sir.”

Jessup thanked him and added something along the lines of new times and trends. But Frank missed most of it, his ears still burning from Barney’s outburst. He decided to leave, too.

“I’m sure we’ll see each other again,” he said rising from his chair.

“Wait,” the captain gestured him to stop, his face now serious and decisive. “Two minutes. I’ve got something to tell you.”

When Frank left the office and rejoined Barney by the elevator, they nearly quarreled. Frank tried to explain that Jessup had suspected Memoria’s bosses from the start and conducted a secret investigation of his own. He had risked his job and his rank doing so, he’d broken the rules and regs, but ultimately, he’d been right and earned his promotion. It wasn’t his fault that the case had now been handed over to the Feds for further inquiry, and it definitely wasn’t his problem. He’d already done more than he could.

“He’s got a promotion,” Barney tapped his stick on the elevator floor in indignation. “And Max got his place in the graveyard. As did lots of other people.”

“You,” Frank very nearly prodded him with his finger, “you-” he turned away to the doors. “We could have learned what happened to Bow. Whether they found him or not. He could have told us what it was in those capsules and why you’ve lost your hair. Jessup was about to share some information. He won’t do it now.”

“Never mind. You’ll learn it all in DC.” When the elevator doors opened, he shouldered him aside and walked out into the spacious lobby.

Frank stepped out after him and stopped looking at his broad back as the veteran headed for the doors. What an asshole. How did he learn about Frank’s DC trip? It was classified. Only a few people knew about the new talks with the migrants. Frank hadn’t spoken to anyone about it, not even Maggie.

He caught up with Barney by the exit.

“Wait.”

The veteran swung around. Frank looked into his eyes as he searched for the right words.

“Well?” the veteran drawled.

“I don’t want to argue with you,” suddenly, Frank realized that he had to accept this huge angry man standing in front of him as he was. Barney Douggan had been around the block a few times. He remembered a lot. Frank still had a lot to experience.

Barney’s expression changed. His face softened good-naturedly.

“Forget it. Out with whatever the Captain told you.”

Frank looked up at him and said in a quiet voice,

“He warned us about Claney. According to him, he’s only a puppet. There’re much more powerful forces behind him, and he doesn’t yet know what they are.”

“That’s pretty obvious.”

“Don’t interrupt me,” Frank shook his head. “Just like you, Claney was under control. His body was literally studded with mnemocapsules.” He fell silent waiting for two civilians to walk past. One had a detective’s ID pinned to his lapel.

“All right,” Barney mumbled, perplexed. “What now, then?”

“The Captain is asking you to leave New York. He suggests you lie low for a while. You know how to remove the bracelet so disappearing off their radars won’t be a problem. Know what I mean?”

Out of habit, Barney touched the bare skin under his nose where his fat mustache used to be. Frank could guess what he was thinking.

“Let’s go,” Barney said. Then he added, agitated, “Maggie’s waiting for us. I’ve made some stew. Took me all morning. Did my best for you two. That’s why I was late.” He wanted to add something else, waved it off and started limping down the steps.

Frank overtook him. He had no doubts what the veteran wanted to talk to them about during the meal. He opened the back door of the cab waiting by the curb, threw one last glance at the department windows and stepped inside after Barney.

“Where to?” the dark young driver turned in his seat.

“Home,” the two said in unison and looked at each other.

“Oh well,” the driver raised his eyebrows and started the engine.