The Memory Therapist - ONC 2020

Chapter Ten

I'm on my way back to the office and figure that I have less than an hour before Charles shows up to search the dark web for the memory of the murder of Jacob Connors. Shit. 

I don't know how to play this yet. We can search the web and come up with nothing. That can be easily explained that we missed the window of opportunity to find it, or that we simply can't find it on some place as vast as the dark web. 

That would be the easiest, but I know that if Charles doesn't find this kind of lead he will search for another one. His gut tells him that these cases are connected, at least in this sense I can control the evidence he finds and how to proceed with it.

I enter my office and see Phil staring at me like a deer in the headlights. He must be mirroring my reaction because that's how I feel. "What?" 

"We need to work. They found Jacob Connors." That's all the explanation that I provide but he doesn't ask for more. 

"What can I do?" 

"I have my memory uploaded to the computer. Detective Maison thinks him and Ana are connected because both of their faces are cut up and disfigured." 

"But Jacob is mutilated and tortured." How he knows that, I don't want to know. I don't like the idea of him knowing all of these details and that I wasn't aware of it. 

"His gut is telling him otherwise. I won't be able to persuade him without looking suspicious. I have him convinced that it's a partnership though." 

"Two killers?" 

"Yes. Furthest away from the truth I could get without yelling 'I know who the real killer is and you should listen to me'. It fit the evidence, and I went with it." I feel defensive having to explain myself to him. 

"So you want to delete any proof of the memory?" 

"No." He looks confused. "At least not yet." 

"He can't find this on your computer -" 

"He's going to find it on the dark web. Like how Ana's was apparently found." 

"Are you sure that you really want to confirm to him that these cases are connected?" 

"He won't ignore his gut feeling, Phil! This way I can at least lead the investigation and control the evidence that he gets. He thinks Ana's was uploaded, if this one is also uploaded he has this lead to follow. As opposed to some other lead that I can't control." 

"You're brilliant." Phil leans in and kisses me passionately but before I can actually register the pressure on my lips, he's pulled away and has started booting up my computer. 

I try not to visibly shudder at the gesture as I trail behind him to watch him navigate my computer with a sense of familiarity that makes me uncomfortable. I suppose that it makes sense though considering he has been hacking my computer for who knows how long to create a fake digital footprint for this situation. 

"Can you upload it from the memory already there?" 

"I should be able to." He opens the browser and enters the dark web with another familiarity that makes me question just how little I know him. Does he browse here himself or has he watched me enough times to know what he's doing? Both ideas make me shift away from him ever so slightly. It's not like me to not know. 

"Do you know where we should put it?" 

"Since we have told the detective about getting memories from this part of the web, I have created a site that we can upload to it. I can control it, and I can take it down when the time comes so that we can 'lose' it's trace."