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Post by Angelique St. Clare on Jun 30, 2009 13:37:56 GMT -5
Chace actually shook his head. "I would like you to come in with us, actually. But you and I will stay back a little. It just occured to me that there's a possibility he'll say something useful to Arthur, and it'd be best if you heard it. But if you could just refrain from questioning him about anything... at least until I give the go-ahead." It was just that the way Geoffrey responded... he was hurting. Chace couldn't blame him. He'd almost killed a girl he said he loved like a sister. Chace was just glad he was stopped. He tilted his head down the hall. "Come on." Angelique nodded readily. "Of course," she said. "Thank you." She took a deep breath and nodded to Arthur to follow Dr. Kelly. She would bring up the rear. It seemed to her that it might be better for Geoffrey to see Arthur before he saw her. They followed the doctor down the hallway, until they reached a door. Clearly, patients brought down this way were particularly troublesome cases, because there were no other rooms but this one. Angelique shot a glance at Arthur, then waited for Doctor Kelly to open the door. |
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Post by Chase Kelly on Jun 30, 2009 14:05:08 GMT -5
Outside Geoffrey's Room, Chase stopped and glanced at Angelique. "I'm sorry, but I do have to be here for this. And if he gets overwhelmed..." he trailed off. They knew. Still, he thought it would do his patient some good to see Arthur as well, and he was glad Arthur was willing.
He opened the door.
"Mr. Montgomery? Someone would like to see you," he said before standing aside and allowing Arthur and Angelique in. He nodded the woman towards the back of the room.
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Post by Geoffrey Montgomery on Jun 30, 2009 16:24:44 GMT -5
Geoffrey hadn't moved. He was lying partially on his side, with his head turned away from the door. Even when the door opened, Geoffrey didn't turn his head or even flinch. He assumed it was either the doctor again, or someone from the auror department, here to grill him. He didn't even dare to hope it might be Riley.
"Who is it?" he asked after Chase told him he had a visitor. His voice sounded tired and had just a hint of a quiver to it.
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Post by Arthur Weasley on Jun 30, 2009 17:24:56 GMT -5
It was Arthur who spoke. He wasn't nervous about seeing Geoffrey, but hearing the desolation in his voice, Arthur felt very sorry for him. He wasn't quite sure what to say all of a sudden, and his words came out with a little bit of hesitation and uncertainty. "Hey, Geoff... It's me. Arthur. I, er... I just wanted to see how you were doing."
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Post by Geoffrey Montgomery on Jun 30, 2009 17:34:42 GMT -5
That sparked a response from Geoffrey. He turned slowly, looking at Arthur. Although it was not unusual for Arthur, being a redhead, to be pale, Geoffrey thought he looked paler than usual. There was also the fact that he had to look down to see Arthur, who was in a wheelchair. What had he done?
"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean it... please, you have to believe me. You... you're OK, right? I didn't.... hurt you, did I? You're in a wheelchair..."
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Post by Arthur Weasley on Jun 30, 2009 17:41:24 GMT -5
Arthur waved his hand in front of him. "I'm fine, really," he said.
Locking the wheels in place, Arthur slowly got to his feet and walked over to the bed. "See? It's no big deal. I'm just a little tired, but I'm totally fine. I'm worried about you. It must have been horrible..."
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Post by Geoffrey Montgomery on Jun 30, 2009 17:45:59 GMT -5
Geoffrey exhaled, feeling himself able to breathe a little better for the first time since this had begun. "I'm glad you're OK," he said. "I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself if anything happened to you..."
Not that he could forgive himself now. He'd tried to kill Riley. His best friend. And even though it had been utterly out of his control, he couldn't help but think that he should have tried harder.
"You haven't... You haven't seen Riley, have you? Is she OK? Please, just tell me she's OK."
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Post by Arthur Weasley on Jun 30, 2009 17:48:57 GMT -5
Arthur looked to Chase and Angelique, waiting for confirmation. He didn't want to say the wrong thing and upset Geoffrey worse, or get his hopes up.
He chose his words carefully. "I haven't seen her," he said. "But she isn't hurt. She's just... a little freaked out. That's all. She's going to be fine."
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Post by Geoffrey Montgomery on Jun 30, 2009 17:58:29 GMT -5
Geoffrey released a shaky sigh. "I hope so. I can't... it's hard for me to remember what's real now. When I was Stunned... I don't even remember who did it anymore.... I had all these crazy dreams. Dreams that I did kill Riley, and it was brutal and bloody, and I'd come out of the spell and Roland was there, yelling at me for failing to protect her. He was alive and Riley was dead and it was my fault, because I was supposed to protect her. And I couldn't even protect myself, let alone her. She suspected this would happen... She was going after the guys who killed Roland..."
The more he thought about it, the more he seemed to be going in circles. It made his head hurt.
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Post by Angelique St. Clare on Jun 30, 2009 18:08:35 GMT -5
Angelique was burning to ask him questions, but she could see that he was confused and disoriented. She wasn't sure if it would be a good time to ask, so she shot a look at Dr. Kelly, silently asking him if it was OK for her to speak. Any lingering doubts she might have had that he'd been under the Imperius Curse were now erased, but it seemed that the attempt on Riley's life was not altogether unexpected, and from the sound of it, Geoffrey might have known something about that. There was also the hope that he could identify his attacker.
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Post by Chase Kelly on Jun 30, 2009 18:18:45 GMT -5
Chase was uncertain, and he watched Geoffrey for a moment before he interrupted their conversation.
"Geoffrey... Ms. St Clare would like to ask you a couple of questions, if you feel up for it. You don't have to, but they're hoping you can help them find whoever wanted to hurt Riley." He tried to phrase it in a way that would make Geoffrey more willing to sit through an interrogation. His heart still went out to the guy. What if someone tried to make him kill Maia? He couldn't even imagine.
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Post by Geoffrey Montgomery on Jun 30, 2009 22:44:10 GMT -5
Geoffrey's eyes widened, and he turned to look at Angelique, trying to gauge her expression. Did she think he was lying? Was he under arrest?
But he saw only sympathy in Angelique's eyes, and he relaxed slightly. "I'd never hurt her," he whispered, tears shining in his eyes. "I swear it... I want to help."
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Post by Angelique St. Clare on Jun 30, 2009 22:51:40 GMT -5
"I know," Angelique said softly. She stepped forward, a little closer to the bed, but not all the way. She didn't want him to feel crowded. "I believe you. But if you could answer a few quick questions, maybe we can find out who did want to hurt her, and maybe catch the person who killed Roland while we're at it. I promise, I'll make it quick, and if you can't handle any more, please let me know and I'll stop. Sound fair?"
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Post by Geoffrey Montgomery on Jun 30, 2009 22:58:53 GMT -5
Geoffrey nodded. "OK. If it will help Riley. I just... A few things are a little fuzzy in my mind. I wasn't entirely conscious for all of it, and the dreams kind of messed me up. I remember before the curse pretty well, though."
He almost wondered if that was how he would see his life from now on. Before the curse, and after. Just a few hours ago, everything had seemed so simple... so normal. Now it all seemed hopelessly off-kilter. He wasn't going to feel right until he saw Riley and made sure she knew that he wouldn't hurt her if he'd been in his right mind.
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Post by Angelique St. Clare on Jun 30, 2009 23:03:12 GMT -5
"OK, good," Angelique said. "That's mostly what I need to know about."
She took out a notepad and quill and went to sit on a chair on the other side of the bed. "Do you have any idea who put you under the curse? Did you get a good look at him or her?"
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Post by Geoffrey Montgomery on Jun 30, 2009 23:04:31 GMT -5
Geoffrey nodded. He could still remember the man's eyes. In fact, he could remember just about everything.
"I think it was the guy who came to talk to me at the end of the day. He said his name was..." He hesitated a minute, trying to remember. "Donnovan. Robert.... no, Richard. Richard Donnovan. He was tall and bald, but he was wearing a hat... dark eyes... He said he worked at Gringotts."
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Post by Angelique St. Clare on Jun 30, 2009 23:12:41 GMT -5
Angelique wrote all of this down, but she suspected that a lot of it was not true. Not that Geoffrey was lying; on the contrary, Angelique was certain Geoffrey ws giving the facts as he knew them. But no one who was planning to curse another person to commit murder would be stupid enough to give his real name and plce of employement.
The description was what interested Angelique. "Later, when you're ready, I'd like to send a Ministry sketch artist to get a full description of this guy," she said. "Now, you said that Riley was trying to go after Roland's killer. Did she give you any information about his identity, or indicate to you that she knew his identity?"
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Post by Geoffrey Montgomery on Jun 30, 2009 23:27:14 GMT -5
Geoffrey shook his head. "She was trying to draw them out. She had a plan. I think she might have known one of them, but not the other... But she wouldn't tell us who it was. She just asked me and Hayden to keep an eye on her, in case things didn't work out like they were supposed to. That's really all I know."
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Post by Angelique St. Clare on Jun 30, 2009 23:37:35 GMT -5
He still looked tired to Angelique, and she wanted to get this over with as soon as possible so that he could rest and she could begin her investigation.
"OK, just a couple more things. Did anyone see you with this man? Anyone who might have seen or talked with him?"
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Post by Geoffrey Montgomery on Jun 30, 2009 23:45:11 GMT -5
"You mean someone who can back up my story?" Geoffrey asked quietly. He sighed, then nodded. "Yes. Our receptionist in the Floo Network department. Louise Hartley. Like I said, he came in at the end of the day, when I was getting ready to meet Riley. He talked to her first, and then she called me over to talk to him. He said he had a problem with his floo connection. We were on our way to the apparation area when he pulled me aside and put me under the curse. I tried to fight it... I wasn't strong enough...."
His voice broke and a tear streamed down his cheek. "He told me... He told me to kill Riley. And to... make her scream..."
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