The Memory Agent & Fool Me Once by Joany Kane

“Why don't you ask this woman's daughter?   Your brother shot and killed this woman
for no other reason than he's a psychopath.”
    “There's no way, not my big brother.” Duke looks like he's been pierced
in the heart learning this horrible information about his beloved brother.
    “You already did time for your brother once, don't do it again, because
this time, we're seeking the death penalty.”  
    Duke is overwhelmed and it's affecting him physically.
    “Tell me where your brother is !!” Whitmore
hollers.
    Whatever hope there was that he'd help the investigation is now
gone.   Duke, his head in serious
pain, shaken, turns away from Whitmore.   He’s physically and emotionally spent.
    Whitmore storms out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
    In the hallway Claire paces like a caged dog. She. Is. Pissed.  
    Claire glares at Whitmore. “What the hell was that?!   Did you have to be so hard on him?!   He's
having major surgery tomorrow.”   She hisses at Whitmore.
    Whitmore steps back, stunned by Claire's attack.  
    “You completely blew that interrogation !!!” Claire
continues with her verbal assault on Whitmore. “Duke was ready to talk, all you
had to do was guide him there.   And
you had to play John friggin ' Wayne !!!”
    Whitmore's eyes fill with anguish . “ Ohmygod .”
    “What ??!”   Claire flabbergasted asks.
      “You care,” Whitmore responds quietly, the pain in his voice evident.
    “About getting Riker.”   She
snaps, covering.   She stomps away
from Whitmore and enters Duke’s room.
    Duke's back faces the door.   Claire approaches the bed.
    “How did it go?” She quietly asks feigning ignorance about the
interrogation.
    He turns to her, upset. His emotions are most definitely affecting his
brain/head trauma.   He's beet red
and wracked with emotional and physical pain.
    “I need to see my brother.   Find out what's going on.   This fed just told me that Riker's killed two people.   In cold blood. Could that be true or would the fed say that as a ruse to get me to turn on
him?   My big brother is no
murderer, Claire,” Duke says firmly believing this to be true.
    One of the monitors begins to beep, activated by Duke's elevated blood
pressure.
    Claire, worried first and foremost for Duke's safety, tries to calm him
with her touch and soothing tone.   “Duke, please calm down. The only thing that matters right now is you
and your health.   We'll figure
everything out after the surgery.   Blank all this stuff out of your mind right now. Please.”
    The doctor rushes in to check the monitors. “What's going on?”
    “A federal agent just interrogated Duke.”   Claire tells the doctor as she steps out of the way so he
can examine Duke.  
    Claire keeps her eyes on Duke.   Her warm, reassuring smile calms him.   Until his eyes flutter shut and he goes unconscious.
    “What happened?   Is he
okay?” Claire asks sounding concerned.
    “I just gave him something to settle him. We’re going to move up the
surgery.”
    Claire sits in a pew in the hospital’s multi-denominational chapel.    The place is empty, except for
Claire.   The lovely stained glassed
windows illuminate the small area with a warm, colorful glow.
    Aunt Rita enters. “Now this is the last place I ever thought I'd find
you.   Thankfully you gave me the
coordinates.”   She says as she
takes a seat next to Claire.   “I
smell jasmine.   Nice.”   Aunt Rita compliments.
    “You and your ‘stop and relish the fragrant blooms’ is what got me into
this mess.”
    “No mess is ever so big you can't mop it up.” Aunt Rita reassures
Claire.
    “Not this time, Aunt Rita.   I've crossed so many lines in the last few days I'm a bigger criminal
than he is.”  
    “Than who is?”
    “Duke. And really, the one serious crime he's committed is having too
much blind faith in his brother.”
    “Are you about to share things with me that could send me into