From: cybill@pacbell.net   
      
   XXXXXXXXXX   
   CHAPTER 13   
   XXXXXXXXXX   
      
   NEW MILFORD POLICE DEPARTMENT   
    ROUTE 202   
   NEW MILFORD, CT   
   MAY 30, 1997   
   FRIDAY - 10:00 AM   
      
   After signing in, we were escorted to the small cells toward the   
   back of the station. "Here's your gal," said the gruff police   
   officer   
   as he unlocked her cell.   
      
   Jennifer Schmidt looked up in horror. There were deep purple   
   shadows under her eyes. Her already pale skin was ghost white.   
   She sat on the small cot with her knees pulled into her chest. She   
   was rocking herself back and forth in a self-comforting motion.   
      
   Mulder sat on the edge of the cot next to her while I leaned against   
   the cold concrete walls. A chill ran through my body.   
      
   Unexpectedly, Jennifer looked over at Mulder and spoke. "I didn't   
   mean to do it," she whispered.   
      
   "Kill Mark?" Mulder questioned.   
      
   She nodded her head as tears slipped down her cheeks.   
      
   "Then why?" Mulder asked softly.   
      
   "I don't know. I loved Mark more than life itself. He was   
   everything to me." Mulder nodded and waited. I could tell by the   
   way Jennifer looked at Mulder so intensely that she trusted him.   
   "Something came over me. We were having a wonderful day,   
   hiked through the Falls like we always did. I'd planned a huge   
   picnic, you know?"   
      
   Mulder and I both nodded.   
      
   "I was hoping that he would see me differently. As more than just   
   his best friend."   
      
   "Go on," Mulder encouraged.   
      
   "After we picked our picnic site, we set out our blanket and I   
   dished out the food."   
      
   "Did you make the lunch yourself?" Mulder asked.   
      
   Her eyes lit up just a glimmer. "Oh no, I can't cook very well. I   
   ordered it from our favorite place and picked it up before I met him   
   at his house."   
      
   "Your favorite place?" Mulder asked.   
      
   "The Fife & Drum. They have the best food and I knew Mark   
   would love it."   
      
   Mulder looked over at me and I met his gaze.   
      
   I nodded my head answering the question he didn't have to   
   verbalize.   
      
   "Then what happened, Jennifer?" he prompted.   
      
   "I reminded him of our anniversary that day and how I thought of   
   him as more than a friend.  Then one thing led to another and we   
   were, uh, you know, um, having sex. It was amazing."   
      
   We both looked at her in understanding but Mulder and I for   
   different reasons. We knew how it felt to go from best friends to   
   lovers so suddenly. It felt as though reality had slipped away and   
   you were the only two people left on earth.   
      
   She stopped talking and put her head down on her knees.   
      
   "Its okay, Jennifer, you can tell us. We know it's difficult,"   
   Mulder   
   said softly.   
      
   She lifted her head from her knees and daggers were in her eyes.   
   "Then he told me that what happened between couldn't happen   
   again. He actually told me that he was GAY!"   
      
   "Gay?" I gasped. She looked over at me.   
      
   "Exactly! You two seem close." She pointed between Mulder and   
   I. "Probably been partners for a long time, right?"   
      
   We nodded not knowing where she was going with her   
   questioning.   
      
   "How would you react if you were in love with him and after you   
   make love, he tells you he's gay?" She got up from the cot and   
   began to pace in small circles. "I fucking loved him and gave him   
   everything I could. Now, I shouldn't have reacted the way that I   
   did, but I was so angry. I went crazy. I couldn't see straight. I   
   don't   
   ever remember being that angry. I was humiliated, too. I felt so   
   used. Like he was humoring me, like I was so bad, he had to say he   
   was gay to make sure it wouldn't happen again."   
      
   "We understand, Jennifer."  He paused.  "Say, would you be   
   willing to submit to a blood test?"   
      
   "Why?"   
      
   "We suspect there may have been some agents in your food that   
   lowered your ability to control your emotions."   
      
   "What?" she asked with a confused look on her face.   
      
   "It might help your case. Will you let us do a blood test?"   
      
   "Sure, whatever."  She shrugged.   
      
   "Thank you for speaking with us," Mulder said as he stood.   
      
   'That's my cue,' I thought. I banged on the cell bars. "Officer," I   
   yelled.   
      
   The same person that brought us back opened the cell door. I took   
   one last look at the girl. She had taken up her position on the cot   
   again, rocking back and forth. She was chanting in a small little   
   voice, over and over again. "Why couldn't he just love me?  Why   
   couldn't he just love me?"   
      
   "Officer, when will we be able to speak to Bernie Schultz?" I   
   asked the man.   
      
   "I don't know. He's been in there for a long time. According to the   
   officer in charge, they finally got him to admit killing a baby   
   doctor here in town. It might be awhile," he said sadly.   
      
   My heart soared. He did kill Christina. Thanks to Mulder's   
   investigative skills we'd gotten our man. I smiled so wide I thought   
   my face would permanently stay that way. I looked at Mulder and   
   his expression mimicked mine.   
      
   "Let's go get some lunch, Scully."   
      
   "Absolutely," I said, happier than I'd been in the past week, with   
   the exception my time with Mulder.  Bernie Schultz's arrest didn't   
   bring Christina back, but at least justice would be served this   
   time.   
   Whether Alice's concoction had contributed or not, Bernie was a   
   stalker of the first degree. He was headed down that road for sure,   
   with or without help.   
      
   XXXXXXXXXX   
      
   THE BISTRO CAFE   
   31 BANK STREET   
   NEW MILFORD, CT   
   MAY 30, 1997   
   FRIDAY - 12:00 PM   
      
   We ended up at the same little cafe as the night before.  Located   
   right in downtown New Milford, it was a charming little place. It   
   was constructed of bricks, and a dark chocolate trim around the   
   windows and door. There were lovely lace curtains adorning each   
   window. We chose a table in the corner. The place wasn't packed   
   but had a steady stream of customers entering, ordering coffee to   
   go, and exiting. There weren't many patrons who actually stayed   
   and enjoyed the atmosphere, which suited us just fine.   
      
   "Looks like we got our man," Mulder said in a low voice.   
      
   "That we did. I can't wait to read his confession so that I can   
   provide Brad with the closure he needs to move on with his life."   
      
   Mulder nodded and sipped his coffee. "I can't wait to go home." He   
   looked at me and caught my attention. "I want to be alone with   
   you." He winked and waited for my come back.   
      
   I gulped my own coffee and patted my lips with a napkin. This was   
   so hard but I knew for Mulder's sake, and my own, I had to try to   
   be different. I had to get used to the fact that I wasn't alone   
   anymore.   
      
   "That would be nice." I figured that sounded promising.   
      
   He grinned. "I want to take you home, wine and dine you, and   
   make love to you in every possible way imaginable."   
      
   That time I almost spit my coffee out. "Jeez, Mulder." My cheeks   
   turned rose-colored as I envisioned exactly what we'd be doing in   
   the comfort of our own homes. The possibilities were endless. "A   
   little warning would have been nice."   
      
   He chuckled and shifted in his seat. I couldn't tell if he was doing   
   it   
   to make himself more comfortable, or because he was hiding   
   something.   
      
   "Is this the kind of talk I have to look forward to from now on?" I   
   teased.   
      
   His face went completely serious. He leaned over and tilted his   
   chin for me to come closer. I leaned as close to him as my small   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
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