Displaced - Book One of the Alternate Reality Series

Chapter 18

"Tonight," Eric said, not looking up from the holo-screen on his desk.

Out of every session between him and Arvin, this was the first time Eric arrived before the machine.

Eric sat behind his desk with the door open, speaking after feeling Arvin approach. Only Arvin could make the floor give way while walking across it, so it turns out, Eric had his own set of reading sensors.

Arvin entered and sat, then Eric rolled back his chair and looked up.

"Tonight," he repeated. "Once the witching hour rolls around, Victor's coming out for blood."

"How do you know?"

"I had dinner with Alice and Victor yesterday evening."

Arvin's head lifted slightly. "Did you?"

"Yup. And towards the end of our little date, Victor invited Alice and me to his apartment tonight. I'm guessing he did so because while we were eating, he talked about why tech sucks, and we went on about why tech doesn't suck. Apparently, he wants to give us both lessons on why we shouldn't be tech lovers."

Arvin rubbed his metallic chin. "This certainly sounds promising, but are you confident his plans involve murder? You said it was merely an invitation."

Eric rolled back his chair back another foot and stood. While doing so, he swiped the computer's holo-display, transferring the image onto his hand, which he then walked over. "Look at this. Crypt Keepers message boards. Check out what Hanging Chad wrote."

Arvin glanced down, then immediately lifted his head. "Well, well. This is it then. Confirmation. The only information Chad left out was what shirt he planned to wear."

Eric eyed the bot. "You read it?"

"All of it."

Eric shook his head, then walked the image back to his desk.

"Dr. Roberts," Arvin went on, as his therapist resettled himself, "how in the world did you arrange a dinner date with Victor and his target?"

"Oh. I didn't tell you. You remember the other day, when I hinted at having a great new plan? Well, I put that plan into effect and it worked. Truth be told, it worked better than I imagined."

Arvin smiled, then waited for an explanation.

"I created a new character, a female character, and she's exactly Victor looks for in his victims–young and pretty."

Arvin's smile widened. "Clever boy."

Eric shrugged. "I have my moments. Anyway, I took this character to Alice's library, after which she invited me out for coffee, then invited me to dinner with her and Victor. At the end of dinner, Victor suggested we get together once more, at his place. We're supposed to meet there at 6:00 p.m."

Arvin looked down at the semi-transparent holo-screen on Eric's desk. "And with Chad mentioning on the message boards his special treat, it doesn't take much imagination to guess what he means."

"Double murder?"

"Double murder."

Eric grinned.

"And it makes it ever more pleasing that you'll deny him the satisfaction he craves."

"How so?"

"What do you mean how so? By you not showing up tonight. That's how so."

Eric bit his lip.