Page 20 of Monkey Business

“This just doesn’t make sense,” said Ian. “Everything you’ve said, everything we’ve learned about him, doesn’t point to a man running bodies across the border and then leaving them to die.”

“That’s what I told the cops when they interviewed me,” said Lanier. “The company he’d been working with for the last few years, some circus group, they told them shit about a man I never knew. Everything they said was the complete opposite of what I’d experienced with him. It was all a very different human being than I knew as Gus Pressly.”

“Anything else you can think of?” asked Ian.

“Only this. The Gus I knew was honest, sincere, sweet, and faithful.”

“Faithful?”

“Yes. He attended mass every morning. He was a devout Catholic and lived his life as I would imagine we’re all supposed to live. Modestly, with humility, a giving heart, and simple purity. I would trust him with my wife, children, business, and my checkbook. I’ve never met a better man.”

“Damn,” muttered Ghost. “Then how could everyone believe this man killed a truck full of innocent people?” Lanier stood, shaking their hands.

“I don’t know, but when you find out, let me know. I’ve been wrestling with this for twenty years. Gus Presley is innocent, and the world needs to know that.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“This is really confusing the shit out of me,” said Ian. “I know that dementia and Alzheimer’s are horrible, hateful diseases and can change a man. But I’ve never known it to make a man a murderer. Especially considering the fact that Gus wasn’t actually diagnosed with anything. He wasn’t at the stage where everyone was concerned for his well-being.”

“Was there ever anyone concerned with his well-being?” asked Ghost. Ian stared at him from across the table at the airport restaurant. “It didn’t seem anyone was looking out for Gus. He watched out for others, but no one watched out for him.”

“I think we need to speak with an expert on the disease,” said Ian.

“So glad you asked,” said Code into comms. “Dr. Richard B’ahrana is the world’s foremost expert on the subject, and lucky for you guys, he’s at the UNLV Medical Center. I’ll move your flights to tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Code,” smirked Ghost. “Well, let’s go back to school.”

“I don’t want to,” whined Ian. “I don’t like school, Dad.”

“Don’t be an asshole. I’d hate to have to kill you in front of all these people.”

Dr. B’ahrana was a small man with a long salt-and-pepper beard and thick glasses. Ian and Ghost found him hunched over multiple open books and his laptop. They knocked on the doorframe, and the man said nothing. Ian knocked again, harder this time.

“Yes?” he asked, not even looking up at the men.

“Dr. B’ahrana? I’m Ian, and this is my friend, Ghost. We’d like to speak with you about dementia.” That got the man’s attention. He looked up, smiling at the two men.

“Are you symptomatic?” he asked.

“Oh. Oh, no. Not us. Someone else we know. Knew.”

“Are you sure you’re not symptomatic?” he asked again, looking over his lenses. Ian laughed, shaking his head.

“Positive, sir.”

“Please have a seat,” he said, pointing to the chairs in his office. “How can I help you?”

They relayed the story of the cold case and a few of the things that had been pointed out about Gus’ behavior, along with what they’d seen, claiming it was something someone once witnessed years ago.

“Killed someone?”

“Several someones,” said Ghost. “It’s alleged that he left them in his tractor-trailer in the desert to die.”

“Interesting. It’s possible that he left them there and forgot them, but he would have eventually remembered,” said the man.

“Let me explain a bit more. Dementia isn’t a single disease. It's a term we use to describe a collection of symptoms that one may experience. It’s especially true if they are living with something like Alzheimer’s.

“Diseases grouped under the general term "dementia" are caused by abnormal brain changes. Typically, the symptoms trigger a decline in our thinking skills. Sometimes, it’s severe enough to impair daily life and, often, our independence.

---