Chapter Eight

Avery was at the police station in Captain Jonson's office after Captain Jonson specifically noticed another unusual sign of him slipping on his job. Avery hadn't yet gotten over the fact his brother may be in a murder investigation. Hunter was also called to Captain Jonson's office and he and Avery stood in front of Captain Jonson's desk and Captain Jonson was standing behind her desk looking all furiously at Avery and Hunter as she knew they were both up to something.

Avery and Hunter were also quiet and waiting to hear Captain Jonson speak. But then Captain Jonson said, "so why didn't you two tell me you guys were investigating the case of Makenna Dexter?" Captain Jonson wondered. Avery and Hunter looked at Captain Jonson as they wondered how in the world Captain Jonson knew about he and Avery investigating the case of Avery's sister and Avery sighed.

"How did you—," Hunter said, but Captain Jonson interrupted him.

"Why are you two investigating a case that involved a family member? Avery?" Captain Jonson said, before she looked at Avery.

Avery took a deep breath and said, "I just want to know who killed her." Avery swallowed nervously.

"You do realize that's a conflict of interest," says Captain Jonson.

"Captain I—," Avery said, before Captain Jonson interrupted Avery.

"Stop. Avery this has been going on long enough. And I am wondering if this is the reason why you've been under a lot of pressure lately," says Captain Jonson.

"Yeah. Because my brother may be involved in a murder investigation," says Avery, getting a bit annoyed. Avery was furious too.

Captain Jonson sighed and said, "Avery. Is it also the reason you've been drinking too? Because I'm gonna have to have you stop investigating this case." Captain Jonson said, looking at Avery. "Captain, I have to know who this killer is." Avery said, furiously.

"Avery. This is a conflict of interest. You can't be investigating someone who you are close to. Especially if it involves your sister." Captain Jonson said. Avery sighed furiously. Avery scoffed.

"Give me a break." Avery said, nodding his head no.

"Excuse me?" wondered Captain Jonson.

Avery then got a bit more annoyed, "Captain. The killer who had killed Emelia Joy, it may be the same killer who killed my sister. Okay?" Avery said, furiously.

"Avery, you have noticed that if you're investigating the murder of your sister, there can be consequences," Captain Jonson said, furiously.

"I know that!"Avery said, getting a bit more aggressive. Avery was still furious at Captain Jonson. Avery ran his fingers raked through the typically tidy part in his hair, a single motion that resulted in strands jutting out at peculiar angles.

Avery then turned around and he took his hands touching both sides of his waist and sighed in frustration. Avery then turned around looking back at Captain Jonson before he could even speak.

"You got a problem with that, detective?" Captain Jonson asked.

"Yes I do." Avery said, furiously.

"Well then I'm sorry you feel that way," says Captain Jonson.

"Captain, I don't agree with this," Avery said, sighing. "Detective Dexter, you're done. You're off the case." Captain Jonson said.

"Are you seriously considering this as a way of getting back to me?" Avery said, annoyed.

"Excuse me?" Captain Jonson said.

"You heard me," says Avery, getting more angrily.

"Okay, detective, you're getting way out of line with this," says Captain Jonson.

"Really? Because this is my sister we're talking about!" Avery said, angrily.

"Detective, watch what you're about to say about this," says Captain Jonson, furiously.

Avery chuckles and laughs—but in a mocking manner. "Are we done?" Captain Jonson wondered, raising her eyebrows.

Avery sighed and he scoffs before he angrily walked up to the door after turning around and right before he was about to grab the door knob, Captain Jonson said, "Avery?" Avery looked at Captain Jonson. "I made an appointment for you to see a psychologist as part of your psych evaluation. You see him tomorrow at nine. My orders." Captain Jonson said.

Avery nods his head furiously and not saying another word before he turns facing the door and then turns the door knob and leaves Captain Jonson's office. Avery angrily walked up to his desk and Hunter also left the office before he headed back to his desk to be with Avery.

Meanwhile, Avery had been seeing a psychologist lately and going to AA meetings for his alcoholism treatment. Avery this time was seeing a psychologist named Dr. Davis Jenks. He is a professional psychologist Avery has been seeing the last few weeks and it was an order from Captain Jonson to get him to see a psychologist.

Avery has been trying to get over the situation of his father molesting him when he was a teenager and telling Dr. Jenks about his relationship with his mother and his brother Alex as well as the murder of Mackenna Dexter.

"It seems like you've been under a lot of pressure lately. I see that Captain Jonson had taken off the case of your sister you've been trying to investigate," says Dr. Jenks.

"Yeah." Avery said, in a quiet voice.

"Is there anything else you want to talk about? How have you been feeling lately?" Dr. Jenks wondered.

"Lately I'm just trying to understand why my sister was murdered. I'm annoyed." Avery said, annoyed.

"Okay. And when you say annoyed, what do you mean by that?" Dr. Jenks wondered.

"I just want my Captain to understand that I am just trying to get justice for my sister." Avery said.

Dr. Jenks nodded his head and he said, "And I know you got some adrenaline going through your body right now. You may still be under a lot of stress after you almost fainted in court the other day," Dr. Jenks said.

"I had an argument with my brother. He came to the courthouse the other day to confront me about me trying to get me to understand that I should stop accusing him of murdering my sister," said Avery.

Dr. Jenks capped his pen, the sound sharp in the quiet room. He looked at Avery over his glasses."Detective Dexter, your written evaluation shows a high degree of competence in the field, but it also indicates a 'hyper-fixation on cold case details.' Given the incident that required this evaluation, I want to talk about your family."

Avery sat rigidly on the couch, hands clasped, knees together—a posture of forced calm. He was young for Homicide, but his eyes were older. "My brother, Alex. You want to talk about Alex."

"I want to talk about why you told your commanding officer that your brother, Alex Dexter, murdered your little sister, Mackenna, nine years ago," Dr. Jenks said smoothly.

Avery felt the familiar tightening in his chest. The room seemed to shrink. "I didn't tell him. I stated a theory based on evidence I revisited."

"Evidence that was investigated by the NYPD in 2016 and ruled an accident, Avery," he countered, his voice calm but firm. "You were fifteen. Alex was eighteen."

"An 'accident' where an eight year old girl was shot multiple times in the chest  from a gun" Avery's voice rose slightly, breaking his composure. He immediately forced his hands to stop trembling. "I was there, Dr. Jenks. I saw the way he looked at her. I saw how clean his hands were after he helped 'find' her."

"Trauma, especially the loss of a sibling, can distort memory," she said, leaning forward. "You became a homicide detective to solve her case. Is it possible you are retroactively fitting evidence to a conclusion you desperately want to be true to absolve yourself of guilt?"

"I don't have guilt, I have facts," Avery lied, his voice cold. He felt the familiar desire to flip the table, to walk out—a feeling he had to repress. "Alex is a sociopath. He's charming, he's quiet, and he's dangerous. Just because he's smart enough to hide it doesn't mean I can't see it." Dr. Jenks made a note.

"Detective, your obsession with your brother is impacting your job performance. It's making you a liability in your current unit."

Avery smiled, a thin, humourless line. "Or, Doctor, it's making me the only one who can stop him."
Silence stretched between them. The air felt heavy.

"I need to ask you, Avery," he said slowly. "If I clear you to return to work, can you guarantee that you will not pursue your brother off-duty? That you will not engage in illegal surveillance?"

Avery looked at the muted colors of the office, thinking of the dusty file in his apartment. "I can guarantee I will follow the evidence, Doctor." Jenks sighed, knowing that was not an answer. "This session is over. I will submit my recommendation on Monday." 

Avery scoffed and he leaned back against the couch and he folded his arms together. "So how about this, Avery. I'm gonna prescribe you some medicine for your anxiety and also mood stability medicine," says Dr. Jenks writes down the names of the medication onto a prescription pad, using a pen to write with.

"I don't need to be on medication, Doctor." Avery said.

"It will help with your moods and anxiety. I know the last few times during our sessions you said you were fine. You don't seem fine now, detective." Dr. Jenks said.

Avery rolled his eyes and he said, "Okay, whatever." Dr. Jenks hands the pad to Avery and Avery grabs the pad from Dr. Jenks before he sighed. "Is there anything else you want to talk about before you leave?" Dr. Jenks asked.

"No. I'll see you later," says Avery, before getting up from the couch and then walking to the door. Dr. Jenks just sighed as he knew something was really bothering Avery.

So Dr. Jenks decided that next time Avery comes to his next session he may confess on why he's really been feeling annoyed and angry.

Until the next morning, Avery had opened a bottle of his Lamotrigine medication that would treat his anger, and medication for his anxiety to keep him calm and he takes a pill out from the bottle before he puts the lid back onto the bottle and then sloping the pill into his mouth before grabbing the glass of water and then swallowing his pill as he closed his eyes and then after swallowing his pill, he sighed before he put aside his glass onto the sink and then opening his eyes before he looked at himself in the mirror.

Avery just stood where he was standing in front of the mirror for about a couple minutes before he turned around and walked away from the sink. After exiting his bathroom and heading back to his bed, he sat down on the edge of his bed before he sighed once again and then he thought for a moment.

Avery didn't care if he was off the case because of him investigating his sister's death. So Avery decided to make a phone call to Hunter asking him if could come up with any more information on Emelia Joys case and Mackenna Dexter's death and seeing if maybe Alex had something like an alibi or something. Hunter confronted Avery telling him specifically that he was off the case.

"Please Hunter. We need to see if Alex has some kind of alibi. And why would Alex invite Mrs. Joy to her house, ya know?" Avery wondered.

"Okay, fine. I'll see what I can find. But Avery you have got to let this go. I know you want to help get justice for your sister, but just let someone else in our unit take over the situation," says Hunter. "No Hunter, please. Please just stick to the plan. You'd promised me you would help me." Avery said.

"I didn't promise you anything, Avery. I'd just wanted to help you, but it wasn't my intention to investigate this case," Hunter explained.

Avery scoffed. "Okay you know what, Hunter then why did you decide to help me. Please. Just please Hunter. I need you to help me with this case." Avery explained, furiously.

Hunter nods his head no. "Avery, I could also lose my badge and my gun for this and I'm not gonna risk it," Hunter answered. "Okay, I get it." Avery said, closing his eyes. Hunter sighed and he thought for a moment as he knew he was hurting Avery for not wanting to help Avery.

So Hunter decided to change his mind and he said to Avery that he needed to stay at his house because he was coming over.

"Thanks." Avery said, before hanging up the phone. After Avery hung up, he stood up from his bed before leaving his bedroom. After Hunter had come over to Avery's house, they were both investigating Avery's older brother for their sister's murder.

The secret he uncovers could be a buried family history, a hidden motive, or an accidental death covered up by a greater crime. Avery's dilemma lies in balancing his duty to the law with his familial loyalty. Hunter thinks Alex might have felt overwhelmed or burdened by the sister's illness and killed her as a twisted attempt to gain control or rid himself of her influence.

He may have deliberately targeted his sister while she was vulnerable, taking advantage of her condition and perhaps even using her mental illness to facilitate the murder or the cover-up. This dark possibility adds a chilling layer to the investigation, as it raises questions about the extent of Hunter's knowledge and involvement.

As Avery delves deeper, he must confront not only the facts of the case but also the emotional fallout that could shatter family ties forever. The murder could have been a desperate attempt to learn how to suppress his own emotions, as explored in a fictional scenario where Alex may have killed his sibling to try and "shut off" his emotions to pursue a career in dentistry.

A cover-up that is much deeper and more elaborate than initially suspected: Alex might have orchestrated a complex plan to hide the crime, which would have far-reaching implications beyond the initial murder itself. For example, he may have buried the body in an unconventional location, like under a swimming pool, to conceal evidence.

Avery thinks Alex himself may have been suffering from a mental illness that went undiagnosed or unaddressed, leading to the tragic act. This could be a hidden truth that Avery uncovers about his own family. So Avery and Hunter were reading all sources of police reports between Emelia Joy, Mackenna Dexter and Alex Dexter.

"Okay so here is some information on Alex. It does say he was at Central Park with Mrs. Joy who was riding in the same black van together.

Avery thinks it's the same black van that he saw outside of his house he saw when he was a teenager and he asked Hunter if it's possible Alex may have been following Mackenna all this time. That he had killed his sister for a reason. Hunter told Avery that he last saw a van parked outside of his home last night and Avery was in shock of what Hunter just told him.

Avery thinks for a second and he knows his brother may be a danger to people. "Okay, so in the police report, a 911 operator said that the caller heard gunshots just two hours before Emelia Joy's body was discovered," says Avery.

"Hm. Then we should go talk to them. What's their name?" Hunter asked. Uh, their name is Brandon Days. He's located in Queens," says Avery, closing the file before standing up from the living room couch. Hunter stood up from the couch as well before he followed Avery and they both left Avery's home.