Hidden Sanity

Chapter 5 - Mysterious Jack

He sat on the chair lent to him.

He folded his hands on the table. No signs he had been in a struggle with anyone. No nicks in the skin, on his hands or face. No bruises.

"I apologize for having to bother you again, but that young girl is still missing, and my boss is all over me to bring you in for questioning." An FBI agent named as Amanda, spoke.

Miss Amanda didn't make eye contact with him, but pretended to be busy shuffling the files on her desk. "There's been a.... an incident in Brooklyn and they'd like to talk about with you."

"Brooklyn?" He gave a snort. She'd taken him off guard there for a second, but he was all right. He was calm. All he had to do was stay calm. "I ain't been in Brooklyn in, well, near 7 years."

"I understand, Mr. Kinley. But you know how things work with law enforcement. They have to be thorough." She believed him. It was his smile.

He slid forward on the chair, feeling in complete control again. In fact, at this moment he felt more alive than he had in years. They thought he was an idiot. He certainly was a criminal, but he was not an idiot.

He frowned, looking concerned. "You said an incident in Brooklyn. You mean a murder?"

She rose from her desk. "I think I'd better let special agents Crooke and Stelark address that, Mr. Kinley."

She came around from behind her desk in her short skirt with her knobby knees. She pushed open the door.

"We're ready for you." She opened the door for a tall, slender man and a short, chunky woman with short, bright red hair that didn't come natural on God's earth.

Miss Amanda stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her.

The two FBI agents plus a cop beside the door seemed to fill the small office. The woman perched on the corner of the desk right in front of Jack. She was wearing a navy suit that would have looked like a man's if she'd been wearing a necktie. He wondered if she was one of them queer women.

She and Brandon Stelark made the decision to mention Christine's disappearance right away. It might be a card they could play against him.

She talked to him while they're standing. "Mr. Kinley, I'm an FBI special agent, Crooke, and this is my special agent partner, Stelark. We're out of the field office, and we'd like to ask you a few questions."

Jack nodded politely. "Morning to you." He met her gaze. "How can I help you? Miss Amanda said you wanted to know about an incident in Brooklyn." He gave a little laugh. He gave her his smile for the ladies. They always ate it up.

Miss Amanda had, hadn't she?

The cop lady standing beside the door responded the way he expected her to. She just looked back over her shoulder and back at him. She had to be queer as a three dollar bill.

"Mr. Kinley, have you left the state of Manhattan since your release from prison?"

"No ma'am. Got no way to leave if I wanted to."

"And you understand that if you left the state,  you'd be returned to prison?"

He nodded his head. "I know the rules, ma'am. You can look for yourself in my records. Of course, I know you already done that."

She didn't take her eyes off him.

Miss Crooke asked him, "Did you kidnap Christine Rover from somewhere in Brooklyn?"

Jack felt his heart skip a beat. He felt empowered. It was almost like the old days all over again.

"Look at me," he said trying to sound sad. He gave a little wheeze for effect. "I'm a president of a company now. I couldn't wrestle a flea to the ground, no less kidnap an innocent girl."