Free Forgotten Witness by Rebecca Forster Page A

seven steps much less seven flights of stairs before her legs gave out again. She fell hard across the end of the bed and slid onto the floor.
    “Damn!”
    Hope was severed and faith was next on the chopping block. Josie had no hope of finding Hannah without Ian Francis and her faith in his promise wavered. But there was one thing left and that was determination. Josie had plastic bags of white stuff, a lock of hair, and the almost indecipherable notes written in an insane hand on old paper. She had the memory of his face as he searched hers, his touch, his kiss, and his whispered endearment:
    “My sweet girl.”
    Still shaken, Josie turned toward the bed, dragged the cheap suitcase down, and ripped off the tags. Her pockets were getting full. She staggered to her feet just as the sirens sounded in the distance. She stumbled down the stairs and by the time she walked through the front door of the Robert Lee Hotel Eugene Weller’s government issue car was there.
     
    ***
     
    Eugene was close enough to see what was happening and far enough away that no one would notice him.
    An ambulance had arrived in record time. Paramedics rushed out to assist the man on the sidewalk. When it was clear that no assistance was needed, the body was covered with a sheet to await the medical examiner’s van.
    As if not to waste a good call, Josie Bates had been coaxed into the back of the ambulance where a young paramedic knelt down, took her blood pressure, and waved his finger in front of her face. He spoke to her for a long while, stepped down, and let Morgan in. Morgan talked to her another good long while. His stomach hung over his pants and his cuffs were pulled up so far Eugene could see that he didn’t have the sense to wear black socks with black shoes. Josie Bates on the other hand still looked as chic as she had at the hearing. Every now and again she punctuated what she was saying by stabbing the air or slicing through it to make her point. Eugene couldn’t wait to hear what her point might be. He would get the report the next day but at least now he had seen for himself that there was nothing to worry about.
    Eugene started his car just as the medical examiner’s van arrived. He made a U-turn as they were taking out the stretcher. He looked in his rearview mirror once more and saw them cart the body away. He stepped on the gas, working out in his mind exactly what he was going to say to Ambrose Patriota. More importantly he imagined what Ambrose might say to him. Whatever it was, Eugene knew he would sleep well that night. He always did when a day wrapped itself up so nicely and put itself away.
    Still, just to be sure, he made one more call despite the fact that it was too late for anyone to be in the office of public information. The woman he was calling was excellent. She would pick it up first thing in the a.m. and put the wheels in motion.
    “It’s Eugene,” he said, not bothering with a last name. “Contact every media outlet that covered Patriota’s hearing today. I want all pictures of Josie Bates culled from their archives. Push the other witnesses. They were more interesting. Also, any mention of – or pictures of – the man who disrupted the last few minutes of the hearing need to go. Any questions, call me.”
    He signed off and, as he did so, saw the clock. It was late but he would still make it for the better part of the meeting.
    As he drove, a smile came slowly to his face as he thought about Morgan. Perhaps he had been too hard on the man. Perhaps Morgan wasn’t mocking him, but admiring him when he coined that nickname. After all, he was a bit of a genie. Ambrose Patriota’s wish was his command. Sometimes, Ambrose didn’t even have to make a wish for Eugene to grant it.
    Magic.
     

 
    “ I’ll come get you, Jo. I can catch the next plane.” – Archer
    “Don’t come. I’ll make my flight. I’m at the airport now.” – Josie
    “Call me when you’re on the ground. You have carry on,