Luke watched their old friend taking in deep breaths and reached out, placing a soft, gentle hand on his shoulder.
“I’m good.I’m good,” he said repeatedly.“Anyway, most of the chats were like that, until I found this one.”
Musical savants – blind, mute, deaf or all – wanted.Fair price.
“Fair price?What the fuck does that mean?Are you fucking with me?” asked Eric.
“I wish I were,” said Ace.“Interested parties were supposed to click on the link and it takes them to a response page but the link no longer works.I’m trying to get through the back door of the site and see if I can find something to tell me who posted it or at the very least fix their damn link long enough that I can respond to it.”
“Well, it’s not much but it’s a start,” said Cam.
“That’s not all,” said Ace.“Dr. Paul Jericho, renowned audiologist who possesses two medical degrees.One in ear, nose and throat specialty and one in pediatric neurosurgery.He gave a lecture in Prague about four years ago claiming that musical savants brains were wired differently than our own and that it could be replicated.”
“Replicated?Like manipulate a fetus?” asked Hex.
“No.Like study it and replicate it in non-savant children.Cut them open and rewire their brains to make them savants.”Ace stared at the wide-mouthed men staring back at him.
“Tell me that’s not true,” whispered Eric.“We’ve all encountered some fucked up people but who would do that?Who would allow someone to do that to their normal child?”
“Maybe no one,” said Hex.“But if they were orphans, no one to advocate for them, who would care?Or if the kids were born deaf but showed no signs of Savantism, maybe they’re making them that way with surgery.But they could be kids who are lost, orphans, or just plain don’t have anyone who cares.”
“We do,” said Eric practically growling low in his chest.
“Brother, we know that.We all care and we will figure this out.We need to find that woman, what was her name?Miss Farmer.She ran the orphanage where Sutton and Pip were being held.Maybe she was working a deal with them.”
“I’m way ahead of you, as usual,” smirked Ace.“After the orphanage burned to the ground, she became disabled trying to get the kids out.She’s now living at Sterling Senior Care Center in Houma.”
“You’re fucking awesome, Ace,” said Luke.“We’ll be back for dinner.”
“Hey, Luke?Be careful.This might be an old woman, disabled, but she could have something to hide.I don’t know that yet.”Luke nodded at Ace as they left the property, headed north to Houma.
While they drove, Cam read the information that Ace had on the orphanage fire.It had been set in the vicinity of the kitchen, probably paper towels too close to the burners.Miss Farmer was often the only staff member there at night.
According to reports, she raced back in more than a dozen times to carry children out safely.She was badly burned on her legs, arms, and back.
“That doesn’t sound like a woman who wanted the kids dead,” said Luke.
“No, it doesn’t,” said Cam.“But how did she know these people at the hospital?”
“That’s what we’re going to ask her.”
The outside of Sterling Senior Care Center looked warm and inviting.Hanging baskets of flowers waved in the breeze along the porch where rocking chairs were waiting for their residents.Inside, the place smelled clean, the air-conditioning blowing cool.
“Hello,” said a young man at the front desk.“Can I help you?”
“We’re looking for Miss Farmer,” said Cam.“We believe her first name is Gladys.”
“Oh, yes.Miss Farmer is a favorite of the staff.She’s a brave woman.Never complains, never asks for more.Are you family?”
“No.We wanted to ask her some questions about the orphanage where she worked,” said Eric.
“Of course.But, she’s often plagued with nightmares about that.Please don’t upset her,” he said.“She’s in room 189.Down the hall on the left.”
“I promise we won’t upset her,” said Hex.
As they walked down the long hallway, they were relieved to see that the rooms appeared clean, well-cared for, and the entire place smelled like homecooked meatloaf.
At the entrance to room 189, Eric knocked on the door.
