Heart of Darkness

At the Sheriff station, Jack was taking mugshots of Clark. "Please turn to the right."

"Jack, this is a mistake. I didn't kill Evelyn."

"Of course you didn't. But while I'm your friend, I'm also the sheriff, and I have to go where the evidence leads."

"Which points to me? Jack, there's something not right here."

"I know, but your fingerprints were on that box, and hers aren't... so now we have to deal with... this."

"Evidence that says I cut out Evelyn's heart and buried it in the woods? This is insane."

"If I don't book you, with all this evidence, it's gonna look like favoritism. And then Derek will have cause and he'll fire me, and then you know what he'll do? He'll bring in someone who will railroad you. So please, just try to be patient and trust me. We can't even move forward till we verify the heart belonged to Evelyn, and I'm still waiting for the DNA test results. But in the meantime, you need to bear with me. I have to ask you a few questions."

Clark nodded in agreement. "This is crazy. I would never hurt anyone."

------

Jack guided Clark to the interrogation room, where Derek was seated at the table.

He turned to face them. "Hello, Mr. Grimm."

"What's he doing here?"

"He asked to be here as a third party to make sure that I stay impartial. It can only help you." Jack sat beside Derek and Clark sat across from them.

"I have nothing to hide. Ask me anything. "

Jack turned on the tape recorder. "The heart was found buried near the old Toll Bridge. It had been cut out by what appears to be a hunting knife. Have you ever been to that bridge before?"

"Yes. Many times. It's where Laura Reed and I liked to meet."

Jack stood up. "Ms. Richards."

"Yes."

"And you met there for what purpose?" Jack opened a cabinet. Wearing examination gloves, he took out the shoebox in a plastic bag."

"We were having an affair. I'm not proud of what happened. And I'm sorry, but that doesn't change the fact that I did not kill Evelyn."

Jack placed the shoebox in front of Clark. "Ever seen this before?"

"Yes, that's one of my shoeboxes."

"That's where we found the heart in."

"Don't you see what's happening here? Someone stole that box and put the heart in it. I didn't have anything to do with it. I'm innocent!" Clark started getting frantic.

"Mr. Grimm, it's okay." Derek tried to calm him down. "I know what you're going through. I know what it's like to lose someone you love, to be publicly humiliated. It put me in a very dark place, changed me. I can only imagine what losing Laura Reed did to you.

"But I haven't changed. I'm still the same person I've always been, a good person. I did not do this."

Jack turned to Derek. "Can I talk to you in the hallway, please?" They both exited the room. "I told you to leave the questioning to me."

"How do you know he didn't do it? If that box was stolen from him as he claims, don't you think there'd be signs of a break-in? Well, you're the sheriff. Tell me, has there been a break-in? He's a man who's had his heart broken, and that, that... can make you do unspeakable things."

------

Looking for signs of a break-in, Jack examined the door closely. He then turned to investigate the house's windows. Hilary then entered.

"Hilary. What are you doing here? Why aren't you in school?"

"We have to help Clark."

"I am helping him. That's why I'm searching the house. But you got to go home."

"Not going to happen."

"Just stay out of the way."

"So, what are we looking for."

"I'm trying to see, if, maybe, someone broke in." He entered the bedroom. "Looking for busted door jambs," He examined the window. "broken glass, muddy footprints. That kind of thing."

"So, you think someone's setting him up?"

"It's the only thing that makes sense. The only problem is, nobody's got a motive."

"My dad does."

"Derek?"

"He hates supers. Especially Mr. Incredible." She shrugged. "Hey, you wanted a motive."

"Well, I don't think 'He hates Mr. Incredible' will hold up in a court, Hilary." Jack took a closer look at a picture standing on his desk. Tired, Jack laid down on the bed. Suddenly, they heard a rattling noise. Searching for the source of the noise, Jack removed the cover of an air vent in the wall.

"Did you find anything?" Hilary wondered.

Jack reached inside the vent and pulled out an object wrapped in a cloth. He unwrapped it to find a small hunting knife. He and Hilary both looked at each other in shock.

------

At the Diner, Michelle served Hilary a cocoa with cinnamon.

Kelly entered and sat beside an upset Hilary. "I don't think that hot chocolate is gonna drink itself. You're upset about Clark, aren't you?"

"He didn't do it. Why can't anyone see that?"

"Because most people just see what's right in front of them. And I don't think you gonna find the answers you want at the bottom of that mug."

"Then where?" Hilary took a sip of her cocoa.

"That book in your bag? You know, I'm a writer. So I'm partial to finding my answers in the literary form."

"It's just a book."

"Is it?"

"Yeah."

"I think, we both know that's not the case."

"What do you know about it?" Hilary asked curiously.

"I know it's a book of stories."

"Aren't all books?"

"Stories... that really happened."

Hilary leaned closer. "You think my book is real?"

"As real as I am."

"How do you know?"

"Let's just say that, uh... I'm a believer, and I wanna help others see the light. That, my friend, is why I'm here."

"But I already believe."

"Oh, I'm not here for you, girl. I'm here for Jack."

"So, you wanna get him to believe? Why don't you just tell him."

"Well, there are some people - like you and me - we can go on faith, but others, like Jack, they need proof."

"Last time I tried to find proof, I got trapped in a sinkhole."

"There are less dangerous places to look." Kelly indicated Hilary's book to her. Then, she got up and prepared to leave, patting Hilary on the shoulder. Hilary took the book out of her backpack and started to read.

-------

Derek was in his office when he heard a knock on the door. He turned to see Laura Reed standing in the doorway.

"Hey. Can I talk to you?"

"Of course."

"These accusations against Clark - they've been gnawing away at me. He didn't do this." She took a seat across from him.

"I understand what you're going through. It's painful when someone we care about betrays us."

"He's a good person. I know him."

"Maybe you don't. Maybe you just want to. Everyone has a dark side, Laura Reed."

"Yeah, sure, but having a dark side and doing something so evil - that's a different thing. That's not what he is."

"Maybe. I always believe that evil isn't born. It's made."

"All due respect, Derek, I don't think you know much about evil." She stood up.

"Well, if he didn't do it, then who did?"

"I don't know. That's what I've been trying to figure out. But those blackouts he's been having they've made everything so hazy."

He stood up. "Please tell me, you're not accusing yourself."

"You know, maybe if I could clear up my missing time, I could prove Clark's innocence."

"You're very sweet, Laura Reed. But you're also wrong. Evil doesn't always look evil. Sometimes it's staring right at us, and we don't even realize it."

------

"The heating vent?" Clark looked shocked, standing in the cell of the Sheriff's station. "Jack, I don't even know where the heating vent in my bedroom is."

"Well, someone did, and they put a hunting knife in there. I checked for signs of a break-in, but there weren't any."

"You don't believe me."

"Of course I do. But what I think doesn't matter. Evidence is piling up by the hour."

"Okay, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying you should think about hiring a lawyer."

"An excellent idea." A voice agreed.

Jack turned around to see Ms. Wood entering the room. "Ms. Wood. What are you doing here?"

"Offering my legal services."

"You're a lawyer?"

"Ever wondered why I'm so adept at contracts? I've been following the details of your case, Mr. Grimm, and I think you'd be well advised to bring me on as your counsel."

"And why is that?" asked Clark.

"Well, because the sheriff had Ms. Cordwain arrested for nearly beating a man to death, and I managed to persuade the judge to drop the charges."

"Asserting your influence isn't what's needed here. We need to find the truth." Jack argued.

"Exerting influence may be exactly what's needed here."

"What's needed here is me to do my job."

"Well, no one's stopping you. I'm only here to help."

"Enough." Clark interjected. "Please go."

"You heard her." Jack glanced at Ms. Wood.

"No, I was talking to you." Jack turned to face Clark. "Jack, she's right. I need help. And you need to do your job, or else I'm screwed. So just please, do your job the best you can, and you'll prove me innocent. Until you do, I need some practical help."

"Trust me. This is in Mr. Grimm's best interests." Ms. Wood added.

"Good luck, Clark. I hope your best interests are what she's looking out for." Jack left the room. Ms. Wood looked at Clark, smiling.

"I can't pay you."

"I didn't ask for money."

"Then why are you doing this?"

"Let's just say... I'm invested in your future."

-------

Jack went up the driveway to the Grimm house, where Hilary awaited him on the stoop.

"I have proof." She showed Jack a ring of several skeleton keys. "This is how my dad got in the house. This is how he framed Clark."

"Did you steal these from his office?" Jack took the keys from her.

"Yeah. The book said they could open any door."

Jack examined the keys. "There's no way they'll even fit in the lock."

"We have to try." She walked up to the front door. Taking one key, Hilary unsuccessfully tried to open the door. She tried out a second key. Again she was unable to open the door.

"See? What did I tell you? Come on, Hilary. I know you wanna think the answer to everything is in Operation Cobra--"

"It is." She interrupted.

"But sometimes the real world needs to come first." Jack took out his personal key to open the door.

"Just try one more. Please."

Jack sighed. "Okay, one more, but then we're done."

"You do it." Carefully, Hilary picked a key. The key's bow was decorated with an I-shaped symbol. "This one."

"Okay." Jack successfully unlocked the door.

"Do you believe now?"

-------

Clark laid down on the cot in his cell. Soon, Laura Reed entered the Sheriff's station.

"Clark."

He smiled and stood up. "Laura Reed."

"Jack said we could have a few minutes alone. I wanted to tell you, that Dr. Cutter helped me figure out my nightmares."

"And?"

"Um, I only, um... got pieces of the memory, but... We were in the woods," He nodded. "and I kept saying 'don't do it'."

"Don't do what?"

"'Don't kill her.' That's what I kept saying."

"Evelyn? You think you remember wanting to kill Evelyn."

"Can you explain why I have that memory?"

He looked at her, shocked "Laura Reed... are you asking me, if I had something to do with Evelyn's murder?"

"The Sheriff found a heart in our spot. It was in your shoebox. The weapon was found in your house. I have these... these dreams. So, yes, I'm asking."

"When everyone called you a tramp, I stood by you. I never once doubted you. And now that everything is pointing to me... you actually think I'm capable of that kind of evil? Get out." He turned away, hurt.

Laura Reed nodded and left the station, with tears in her eyes.

-------

The next morning, Clark was making his bed when he heard something metal fall to the ground. He kneeled down, reached under the bed, and picked up a skeleton key decorated with a skull-shaped ornament. After a moment's consideration, Clark decided to try out if the keys fit the cell's door. He successfully opened the cell. Hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, Clark quickly locked the door again and hid the key behind his back.

Jack entered, holding a coffee and a small paper bag from the Diner. "Hey. Breakfast."

"Thanks."

"I know Ms. Wood doesn't want us to talk, but I thought you should hear this from me. The test results came back on the heart, and the DNA was a match for Evelyn. She's dead. I'm sorry... for a lot of things. But now that we have proof of the death, we have enough evidence to move forward with a case against you. It's going to happen. You know I do believe you, right?" Clark nodded. "All this evidence tells me one thing for certain-- that you're being framed. And I think Derek's behind it."

"Then why am I still in here? Why don't you confront him?"

"Because belief isn't proof."

"But you just said--"

"If I don't do this right, things will end up worse for you. Every time I've gone up against Derek, he's seen it coming, and I've lost."

"So what makes this time any different?"

"Because he doesn't know I suspect anything."

"Why would he do this to me?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out, and I promise, I won't stop until I expose what he's up to."

"And how are you going to do that? This is his town."

"I'm working on it. I have faith in you. And now, I need you to have faith in me." Jack started getting emotional. "Can you do that?"

"Of course."

Jack exited. Once again, Clark looked thoughtfully at the key in his hand.

-------

Ms. Wood carefully took a wooden carving from one of the shelves.

"Ms. Wood." Jack entered the back room of the shop.

"Just taking inventory. What can I do for you, Jack? Any developments in the case I should be aware of?"

"Yes. Derek set him up."

"And this surprises you? Show me your evidence, and we'll get this over with immediately."

"Yeah. That's the thing. There isn't any-- Anything that's court-worthy. But I know it now."

"Look who's suddenly become a man of faith. Why are you here, Jack? To spin conspiracy theories?"

"I need help."

"From me?"

"Every time I've gone up against Derek, I've lost, except for once, when I became Sheriff when you helped."

"As I recall, you don't exactly approve of my methods."

"I approve of your results. And this time, I have something more important than a job. I need to save my friend."

"And you're willing to go as far as it takes?" She picked up a magnifying glass.

"Farther."

"Now, we're talking." She nodded, smiled. "Fear not, Jack. Derek may be powerful, but something tells me, you're more powerful than you know." She examined the carving closely with the magnifying glass.

-------

The Sheriff Department was left with an empty cell, the door left open.