I liked that I was able to recess the courtroom in my street clothes so I could blend in with the throng of spectators going out for their smoke breaks. My hypertension was escalating and I knew I had puddles under my armpits. I had no clue if I was done testifying or if I was required to come back inside so I found myself walking out in the halls trying to blend in with the others. I didn't know my way around. This whole uncanny experience just 55
A Secret Spyder Verse seemed so surreal. None of this seemed legal to me. I still didn’t know if I was in trouble but was quite certain I had done nothing wrong. Evidently there was a curious crowd out there that was shifting their focus from learning the truth about me to learning the truth about WHAT WAS CONSTANTLY HAPPENING TO ME
INSTEAD.
I knew that there most likely would be a line for the urinal so I went for the water fountain instead. Just before I approached it a man wearing a Harvard University sweater intentionally blocked my path to the fountain. It was Dr.Boogie man. The head doctor.
The man not so much fascinated by my physical health issues but rather what was going on upstairs. It had been years since I last saw him but that Harvard sweater was the same one from years ago that I recognized.
“Steve? What are you doing here?” I said trying to get around him for some water.
His closely cut buzz cut fascinated me as I knew he had the capability to grow a full head of hair. Evidently I wasn’t the only one with a history of playing hide and seek with the barber. Most likely he gave himself his own haircuts.
56
“Your PCP was concerned. He wanted me to check up on you.”
I chuckled. “It took me nearly a year to piece together that the young man in the black truck purposely blocking the water well along side of the mountain may have been my PCP’s son and now he’s sending you to block the drinking well too?”
Steven had no clue what I was talking about. I even had no clue what I was talking about because I didn’t have the resources to ascertain my accusations. Steven moved aside so I could grab a quick gulp from the water fountain.
“Listen Bob. What do you say we walk around for a bit.”
I liked that Steven was older. Being he was a fella I felt I could confide in him with more personal things than I could with Spyder Woman. Besides, I had dug deep into some Marvel comic books to realize that I should be more careful what I say around Spyder Woman as her persona had her dubbed as a spy. Not only did she play a role as a spy, she also spied for BOTH teams. It was my understanding that Spyder Woman spies for both the good guys AND the bad guys. Steven was getting close to retirement as a psychiatrist so I felt he would be better at keeping secrets.
57
A Secret Spyder Verse We walked down the halls along with the noisy crowd milling about the court house.
Steven got straight to the point. “Your primary doctor wants to know why you are defying his direct orders to see a psychiatrist.”
I felt myself getting tense. “I’d like to but I can’t.”
“Can’t? Can’t because of why?”
I Criss crossed my eyes. “Can’t you see what’s going on! I can’t because of this!”
“I….I’m afraid I don’t follow.”
“Like….hello….didn’t you see what happened in the courtroom back there? I’m in a crossfire!”
Dr.Steven continued. “But our talks from a while back. I thought you groused a lot about your privacy. It looks like the prosecutor is 58
A Secret Spyder Verse merely trying to help you.”
“Help me? Are you kidding? If she digs any deeper it’s going to put this entire TOWN under criminal investigation! I’m talking people way up the social ladder. I’m not the one on trial here remember? I was sitting in the witness box.”
Dr.Steven was still confused but curious. “So how is it that you know the defendant’s attorney on a personal level?”
I freaked out. Now my schizophrenic symptoms were becoming obvious. “Attorney? Spencer is a real attorney?”
“Of course. This courtroom checks all credentials.”
I needed a minute to breath. I felt an imminent heart attack crawling it’s way up my chest. These outlandish conspiracies were getting bigger by the minute. Maybe our Governor was right.
Perhaps they should've stretched out the Covid-19 just a little longer so we could all hide hide behind our masks. If the reporters caught wind of this story the whole alphabet clan was coming down.
59
A Secret Spyder Verse Debra,Debra,Debra….and she thought she was helping me?
I choked, I coughed, then I choked one more time. “Dr.Steven, do you have ANY and I dare say ANY idea who that guy is?”
Evidently Steven knew way less than I thought. “He’s just another out of state attorney. A good one maybe but an attorney none the less.”
I obviously didn’t have my cellphone on me as it had been confiscated but that didn’t mean Steven didn’t have one in his pocket. I did what I had to do. I leaned in towards him so I could whisper in his ear.
“Yeah, well, like…that ATTORNEY kind of like murdered someone.
He knows that I discovered the motive and that’s secretly what this is all about. He’s gonna fight tooth and nail to protect the one that tried to kill me because secretly he needs me dead as well.”
When Steven realized the conversation was getting serious he pulled me over towards a darker hallway to hide from the rubber neckers. I of course would deny this little talk later and made sure 60
A Secret Spyder Verse no cameras were watching us.
Dr.Steven crouched down a little so I could better whisper into his ear. “You’re kidding me?”
I shook my head no then leaned into whisper. “He’s very professional Dr.Steven. He has a very dark past and I discovered it by accident. Both him and my sister-in-law have very dark pasts.
They are BOTH trying to shut me up. I stand a better chance of my sister in-law trying to finish me off then him. We need to get Debra to back away from this. They are both deftly skilled at making it look like an accident.”
Steven was shell shocked. “So that’s why everyone has been questioning your aloofness? Your not making bombs your hiding from the public because your afraid to talk?”
I sullenly shook my head yes.
Dr.Steven still had one more question. “So then how does your chiropractor or Spidy woman whatever you call her. How does she tie into all this?”
61
A Secret Spyder Verse I didn’t feel the need to lean in to whisper to answer this question.
“Because prior to ever coming to see her one of her close personal employees got put under investigation and she just wants to know why.”