From: martin@abacus.mc.duke.edu (Michele Martin)
Message-Id: <9503272102.AA13893@abacus.mc.duke.edu>
Subject: XOVER:The Witness pt 11
Date: Mon, 27 Mar 1995 15:48:27 -0500 (EST)

scene 12
The Raven
10:40pm
   Nick almost drove right past his destination, so absorbed was he in 
his private thoughts about all the strange events that had occurred that 
night.  He found a convenient spot near the back entrance of Janette's 
nightclub.  Fortunately, his passenger...or prisoner...was still 
unconscious in the back of the Edwards' car.  Of course, Nick had no idea 
how he was going to explain that to Janette.  Because he didn't know the 
answer himself.
  He made his way around to the front entrance of the club and entered 
there.  Janette was in her usual spot by the bar, watching the patrons as 
they danced, talked, drank, etc the night away.  She turned toward him as 
he approached and smiled.
  "Ah, Nicholah.  So good to see you again.  I hope this isn't 
more...business."
  "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Janette.  But there's something I need 
your help with."
  "What would you do without me?  What is it _this_ time?"
  "Well, I seemed to have run into a little trouble with Gregory..."
  "Nicholah, I warned you about him.  Not everyone is as _indulgent_ 
regarding your involvement in mortal affairs..."
  "Actually, Gregory seems to have become a little too involved in mortal 
affairs himself.  He tried to kill the only witness we have in the 
beheadings case."
  "_Tried_ to kill?  He was not successful?  I take it he was interrupted."
  "That's one way to put it.  Can you meet me by the back entrance?"
  Janette sighed.  She motioned to Miklos, who was tending the bar, to 
keep an eye on things for her as she put down her drink.  "Very well.  
But one day, one day very soon, I'm going to call in all the debts you 
owe to me."
  "I'd be very disappointed if you didn't," Nick replied as he turned and 
headed back out to his car.  By the time he had made it back, Janette had 
opened the rear door and was waiting.  He motioned to her to come over by 
the car as he opened the back door.  Janette looked at the unconscious 
vampire in the back, then turned toward Nick.
  "What did you do?"
  "_I_ didn't do anything.  The witness's father did this to him."
  "A _mortal_ did this.  Nicholah, that is impossible."
  "That's what I thought.  But Gregory hasn't stirred since he was 
brought to me."
  "He was _brought_ to you?  By whom?"
  "By the man who," Nick searched for the appropriate term. He decided 
Scott had said it best, "_clonked_  him.  He seemed to know that I would 
know what to do with Gregory."
  "Do they know what Gregory is?  How did they link him to you?"
  Nick was hesitant to answer.  He really didn't want the vampire 
community...particularly the Enforcers...after the Edwards.  Then again, 
he wasn't sure that the Edwards weren't perfectly capable of handling 
themselves.  He was impatient to get back to the station to see if he 
could learn more about them...and MacLeod...and the beheadings.  Still, 
he doubted Janette was going to be content to let him dump Gregory off 
and leave with no explanations.
  "They might..suspect."
  "Might?  Nicholah, you know the rules..."
  "I'll take care of it.  Please, you have to trust me.  This is the only 
place I could bring him.  I don't want him attacking any more people.  
And I want some answers of my own.  Such as what he knows about these 
beheadings and why he'd want to get rid of the only witness we have."
 "Hmm.  You might not be the only one interested in those answers.  Very 
well, I will keep him here."
  "And you won't tell the Enforcers?"
  "Nicholah..."
  "Please, Janette.  At least give me a chance to talk to the man who did 
this to Gregory.  Perhaps I can convince him that his suspicions are 
incorrect...and even if I can't, I don't think he's the type to go 
spreading that information."
  "You're not especially well known for being an excellent judge of 
character.  And this goes beyond your detective _hobby_.  We're talking 
about the safety of the whole community..."
  "Janette, I really don't have time to argue with you.  Just help me get 
him inside."
  With that, Nick reached in to pick up the unconscious Gregory.  He 
threw him over his shoulder and motioned for Janette to get the door.  
She led him to one of the back rooms of the club.  Nick laid Gregory down 
on a sofa, then turned to Janette.
  "I was told he wouldn't wake up until someone specifically woke him 
up.  Can you make sure he isn't disturbed?"
  Janette sighed.  "I'll do what I can.  But there are some who will want 
to know who overcame him and why he was so foolish as to attack a 
mortal.  He knows that we no longer do so except in dire circumstances 
because we don't want to attract unwanted attention.  He will have to 
answer for what he has done...and so will you if word gets out you are 
protecting someone who could be a danger to us."
  "I really don't think there's any danger.  Just keep an eye on him, 
please?"
  Janette nodded, and Nick gave her a quick kiss as he made his way back 
out to the car.  He was in a hurry to get back to the station.

  After Nicholas left, Janette stared at Gregory for a few minutes.  The 
fool.  He had jeopardized the community because of some secret agenda of 
his own.  Her loyalty to Nicholas vied with her loyalty to the 
community--could she keep Gregory's condition a secret?  If there was 
someone...or something...out there that could do _this_ to one of them, 
it was a threat to all of them.  Something had to be done...and LaCroix 
would know what.  Her decision made, Janette strode out of the room.

scene 13
Interrogation room B
10:40pm
  Sam was not having a good evening.  His present situation did nothing 
to ease the growing confusion this leap had engendered.  First, he had 
these mysterious beheadings to deal with.  Then he had not one, but two 
people to save--two people who not only refused to be in the same place 
at the same time, but who appeared to be enigmas unto themselves.  Scott 
Edwards, for example.  Ziggy had nothing on him or his family except that 
sometime tonight they would all disappear.  Not to mention that fact 
both he and his father could see Sam and Al for who they really are.  
Which Sam was at a total loss to explain.
  Then there was this Robert Greene aka Russell Nash.  The man he and Agent 
Scully were attempting to interrogate...with very little success.  Sam was 
at a loss for why God/Time/Fate or Whatever it was that was leaping him about 
would want to save this guy.  He looked, well, dangerous.  Maybe it was that 
scowl.  And his total refusal to be at all cooperative.  Sam had pretty much 
given up on asking him any questions, mainly because the answers he 
received were on the order of "Maybe he had a shaving accident and 
cut off his own head."  Scully appeared to have marginally better success.  
At least he didn't snap at her when she asked him a question. Instead he 
just glared back.  Sam had no doubt that this guy was guilty, 
at least of the murder which Scott had witnessed.  The fact that 
a search of his person had revealed an ancient Japanese katana, very 
sharp, coupled with his association with the New York incidents made it 
look like an open and shut case. But Sam somehow wasn't convinced he was 
involved in the other murders that had occurred here in Toronto.  After 
all, someone would remove Greene's head later on this evening. Unless Sam 
could stop them.  Which meant there were others involved.
  To compound matters, Al had returned with very little useful 
information.  Instead, he seemed intent on making suggestive comments 
about Agent Scully.  Wonderful.  This was giving him a headache.  He was 
about to embark on the probably futile task of asking Greene another 
question, when the door opened and Agent Mulder's head appeared.
  "Scully?  Can I see you out here for a second?"
  "How's Scott?  He wasn't seriously hurt, was he?" asked Sam.
  "No, he appears to be fine, Detective.  Your partner is tracking down a 
lead on the man who attacked him.  Do you think you could get Mr. 
Greene here ready for a line up?  Since Scott is here..."
  Sam nodded. He wasn't particularly thrilled with the thought of dealing 
with Greene by himself, but he couldn't come up with a reasonable 
objection.  As Scully exited the room with Mulder, he shot a look at Al.
  "I take it you want me to follow them and see if I can get any useful 
information?  You don't have to ask me twice...that Scully...."
  Sam gave him his best imitation of Greene's scowl.  Al rolled his eyes, 
then followed the Agent's out.
  "Okay, Mr. Greene.  You heard the man. Line up time."
  Greene just glared at him.  But Sam was becoming desensitized to that 
look.  He took Greene by the arm and led him out of the room.

  "Okay, Mulder, what's going on?  You didn't call me out of there just 
to assure me Scott was okay.  I can tell you're just dying to tell me 
something," Scully noted as she and Mulder made their way back to the 
main room. Al tagged along behind.  For Sam's sake he tried to keep his 
mind on the conversation at hand and not other...distractions.
  "Ever since I talked to Scott Edwards something has been nagging at the 
back of my brain.  Something about Scott that I just couldn't put my 
finger on," Mulder answered.  He stopped and looked at Scully. "And now I 
know what it is."
  "Is there something wrong with his testimony?  Do you think he's been 
lying to us?"
  "Oh I'm sure he told us everything he saw exactly as he saw it.  And I 
also know he _has_ been lying to us."
  "I'm confused.  What do you mean?"
  "That's what I'd like to know as well," said Al.
  "His name isn't Scott Edwards.  I didn't put it together until I met 
his father," Mulder answered (though not, of course, to Al).
  "And..." Scully said.  
   In response, Mulder indicated that she should follow him back toward 
the main room.  As they rounded the corner, Mulder stopped.  He indicated 
the group in the far corner--Natalie, Scott and Paul.  Scully looked for 
a few seconds, confused.  Then suddenly she gasped.
  "I take it you recognize him?" Mulder asked.  Al, meanwhile, was 
chomping on his cigar in frustration.  Something important was obviously 
going on, but no one was saying anything he could use.
  "It's Paul Forrester!  And that means that Scott Edwards is...." Scully 
began.
  "...Scott _Hayden_," Mulder finished.  Al began to punch the names up 
in his handlink.  The name 'Paul Forrester' sounded vaguely familiar, but 
he couldn't quite place it.  He also wondered what the significance was.  
Mulder, fortunately, was about to answer that question.
  "Guess this means we're going to investigate extraterrestrials after all."
That got Al's immediate attention.  Extraterrestrials?  What did a...he 
looked back at the handlink, which was beginning to toss out information 
in response to his inquiry.  Aha!  That's where he'd heard the name!  
What did a pulitzer-prize winning photojournalist and his kid have to do 
with extraterrestrials.  Mulder couldn't possible mean...
   "Mulder, you don't seriously believe that that man is what George Fox 
claims," Scully said.
   "Look at the evidence, Scully.  The remains of a man positively 
identified as Paul Edward Forrester were found on top of Mount Hawthorne 
where they've been buried since 1986.  Which is when Paul Forrester 
supposedly miraculously survived a helicopter crash, then immediately 
disappeared into obscurity.  We're talking about a man who made a 
lifetime out of being famous and reasonably conspicuous.  That same man 
hooks up with Scott Hayden, Jr, supposed son of a Wisconsin housepainter 
of the same name but who was born more than a year after Hayden, Sr. 
died...and almost exactly nine months after a UFO was apparantly shot 
down near the vacation cabin the Hayden's owned."
  "Maybe the dental records were wrong--or faked by someone who wants you 
to believe this guy is an alien. Mulder, you've been set up before.  And 
maybe Forrester hooked up with Scott because he _is_ his father, and the 
near death experience of the helicopter crash made him decide to take 
responsibility for the boy," Scully countered.
  "Then why hide? Why run away and change his name?"
  "Because George Fox wouldn't leave him alone.  I looked up the psych 
report on that guy.  He was obsessed--even worse than you are.  Forrester 
probably came here to get away from that guy.  Besides, he hasn't done 
anything wrong.  And we _need_ Scott's testimony on this case."
   Mulder didn't appear convinced.  "What if he killed the real Paul 
Forrester?"
   Scully sighed.  She obviously was used to this.  "Let's say you're 
right.  Let's say he is some sort of glowing blue energy being from 
whereever who cloned the body of Paul Forrester.  From the photos you 
showed me of the remains that were uncovered on top of Mount Hawthorne, 
whoever that was probably died in the crash.  And you told me that whomever 
walked off that mountain, Paul Forrester or an alien clone, risked his 
life to save the pilot.  That's hardly consistent with his being a homicidal 
alien."
  Mulder nodded.  "Okay, I won't say anything about it...yet.  But when 
we wrap up this case, I have a few questions for Mr. Forrester.  Now did 
you get anything from Greene...."
  Al had heard enough.  Crazy as it sounded, he believed Mulder's 
theory.  Because it explained why Paul and Scott could see them.  And it 
explained why they might have disappeared...either on their own, or at 
the hand of someone who knew what they were and wanted to get rid of 
them.  Or study them.  The handlink was telling him now that he'd hit a 
major red flag. Someone in the upper levels of the government or the 
military didn't want him finding out anything else about Forrester and 
Hayden.  Which was fine, actually, because he had a sneaking suspicion he 
didn't really want to know.  "Gooshie, center me on Sam. NOW!"

   Sam had managed to delegate responsibility for setting up the lineup 
to one of the other officers on duty that night.  Seemed everyone else 
was having a quiet evening.  He headed off in search of the FBI agents 
and Scott to let them know things were being taken care of.  As he headed 
down the hall, he Al appeared in front of him.
  "Sam, we need to talk.  I just learned something that's going to knock 
your socks off."
  Sam glanced around, making sure no one was near enough to catch him 
apparantly talking to himself. In a hushed voice, he replied, "Please 
tell me Mulder had some important information about this case.  Like the 
identity of the man who attacked Scott who may be linked to his 
disappearance.  Or better yet, some answers about these beheadings and 
who else might be involved."
  "Ah, no. Not exactly..."
  "Then _what_," Sam said in exasperation.
  "Well, for one thing I found out why Ziggy can't get a lead on the 
Edwards."
  "And why's that?"
  "Because 'Edwards' isn't their real name."
  "What?!"
  "Our witness is apparantly really named 'Scott Hayden' and his father 
is known as 'Paul Forrester',a rather famous _American_ photojournalist 
who's been hiding out with his family here in Toronto."
  "Hiding out?  Who's after him and why?" Sam was beginning to feel a bit 
more hopeful.  Maybe whomever was after Paul had gotten to him and his 
family this night.  At least that would solve one mystery.
  "Ah, well....you're not going to like this part.  I know I don't.  Then
again, I don't even know if you'll believe it..."
  "C'mon Al, spit it out!"
  "Well, according to Agent Mulder, this Paul Forrester isn't the real 
Paul Forrester."
  "Okay, if he's not Paul Edwards and he's not Paul Forrester, than who 
is he?"
  "Mulder thinks...he's...an..extraterrestrial.  Who's wanted by the US 
government."
   Sam groaned. *It just keeps getting better!*  "That's crazy, Al.  You 
told me Mulder's a little bit...out there.  Maybe this is just part of 
his obsession with aliens. I don't for one minute believe that that man 
is some little green man...."
  "Glowing blue light," Al corrected.
  "What?"
  "According to Agent Mulder, a federal Agent named George Fox 
believes..or believed..that _this_ Paul Forrester was actual some sort of 
glowing blue energy being from wherever that cloned the body of the real 
Paul Forrester.  _And_, before you say anything else, let me also add 
that apparantly the body of the _real_ Paul Forrester was discovered on 
top of Mount Hawthorne a few months ago, where he's been buried since 
1986.  Some sort of helicopter crash.  Ziggy verified that Forrester had 
been thought to have been lost on top of the mountain after his chopper 
crashed when he was taking photos of the volcano's eruption in 
1986....but that he resurfaced a day or so later, apparantly unharmed."
  "So supposedly this...alien...duplicated his body?  That's the most 
ridiculous..."
  "Now you sound like Agent Scully.  I thought you believed in 
extraterrestrials, Sam. You told me that it's perfectly possible for 
other intelligent beings to come to our planet and check us out or 
whatever."
  "Yes, Al.  I believe that there are other beings out there that have 
been trying to contact us and exchange knowledge about science and art 
and civilization, etc.  But I find it _very_ hard to believe that some 
alien energy being is going to travel millions of miles to, to..come to 
Toronto and run a camera supply shop!"
  "Well maybe that's not why he came here but that's what he's doing 
until until the heat's off or whatever.  Besides, that would explain why 
he can see us!  _And_, even if he's not really some alien, as long as 
someone in the US government _believes_ he's an alien and has the 
resources to do something about it, he's in danger.  And so is his family.  
When I asked Ziggy to run a check on those names, we triggered 
a red flag like you wouldn't believe.  Ziggy had to do some really fast 
talking to make sure no one tried to find out _why_ we wanted the 
information.  I'm telling you, Sam, this is the key to why Scott and his 
family disappear tonight.  Ziggy thinks there's a 95.7% chance that I'm 
right."
  Sam thought for a minute.  Al had a point. Whether or not Paul really 
was an alien (an idea Sam found difficult to swallow), as long as someone 
in a position of authority suspected he might be an extraterrestrial he 
and his family were in danger.  Wait, he and his family...
  "Al, if Paul's an extraterrestrial, what does that make Scott?"
  "I was afraid you'd ask that...." As Al related the information he'd 
overhead from the FBI agents, Sam started to get a sinking feeling.  
It was definitely turning into one of _those_ leaps.