Prodigal Son
Part 3 - Someone Wicked
by Alisa Joaquin & Linda Schwartz

Please see the disclaimer on the Synopsis page.

Sarah Masterson entered her office and shut the door. She could not believe what had just taken place. She knew that people spoke behind her back, but this cut her to the bone. She may have been looking out for her father's interest in the beginning, but since becoming this hospital's administrator, Sarah Masterson could proudly say that she had been able to cut a lot of waste and saved the hospital a lot of money.

Her father had not always had the best intentions when it came to people that worked for him. Sometimes all he thought about was the bottom line, but in this interest, people did matter. Since working at the hospital, she began to see things in a different light. Perhaps her brother had been right all along by joining the force. Service to others didn't have to mean doing menial tasks the way their father thought. Service to others could mean a great deal more.

Sarah bowed her head in shame as she realized that her brother, though he had gone through the Academy and worked on the police force, he never got the respect that he had been looking for most of his life. Instead he turned his anger into hatred and took it out on two innocent people, even taking innocent lives. Whatever caused her brother to snap and turn into a monster, she would never fully understand. Perhaps in some way, she too had been responsible. She thought back to the day when her brother came to her to tell her of his decision.

***

"Sarah, I got in! I can't believe it, I got in!"

"Got in, got in where?" Sarah asked her brother, Jack.

"The Police Academy," Jack replied.

"Oh no, you didn't. You know how father feels about things like that."

"Come on Sarah, you know how much I wanted to be a cop. I want to help people, like Starsky and Hutch."

"Jack, that's just in the movies and TV. They don't really do those things."

"How do you know?"

"If you want to help people, go help by running one of Dad's companies."

"I don't want to be some corporate big wig," Jack argued.

"You know very well what Daddy does is more than that."

"Yeah, he just sits in his office all day and signs checks and once in a while he gives a check to some charity."

"You don't understand, Jack. Daddy is one of the most generous men in this world. He sees a lot of people and he travels."

"Yeah well, he certainly wasn't there when I needed him. I'm going to the Academy. I'm going to make something of myself, someone who will do more than just sign checks."

"You'll get yourself killed," Sarah continued to protest.

"No I won't. Maybe I'll save someone's life and then I'll be the hero."

"Jack Masterson, if you enter that Academy I'll never speak to you again! Daddy will be furious, he'll disown you!"

But her brother had turned his back and walked down the hall, leaving her behind.

***

That was not the last time she spoke to her brother. Two other occasions occurred and she could remember the angry words they had both spoken, here in this very hospital when their father had been stricken, and once more on the phone. It had been after those two detectives had come to see her. Something in her brother's voice had frightened her beyond reason. Why she didn't inform the two cops was still a question she could not answer.

Shame and guilt tore through her, and something more, fear. Her hands began to tremble, and the paper she had been holding crumpled in her hands as realization set in.

'He's escaped,' she thought. 'I've got to warn them.'

But her body remained frozen to the chair, not daring to move. Her hands slowly opened to smooth the crumpled paper out once more. Her eyes scanned the dispatch for any more news as to where her brother might have been heading. There was none, until another thought came to her. It was in regards to the telephone call that she had with her brother. It was something that he said that now caused her to take action. It was then that she rose from the chair, grabbed her coat, and rushed from her office.

"I'll be out of the office the rest of the day," Sarah said to her secretary. "If you need to reach me, I'll be home."

"But you have an appointment to meet with the board today. It's been on the calendar for a month."

"Cancel it."

As quickly as she had come, she was gone.

Continues with Part 4

Alisa Joaquin Copyright@2006.
This story cannot be reprinted or sold in any other form without strict permission from the author. It is being distributed here solely for your enjoyment.

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