Insomvita. Psychological thriller with elements of a crime story
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“That is human nature, and there is nothing you can do about it. The desire to enjoy is the driver of progress, to some extent.”
“Robert… May I call you that? I call all my friends by their given name.”
«Of course, I’m humbled that you are calling me your friend.»
“You speak Arabic well. Not many Europeans speak Arabic as fluently as you do. These days, everybody wishes to speak only English.” The sheikh paused and then asked, “Would you like tea or coffee?”
«Thank you. Well, we are in England, so tea, only tea.» Robert smiled.
The sheikh poured tea into two porcelain cups and handed one to Robert.
«Did you know, Robert, that nearly three hundred million people speak Arabic,» the sheikh continued proudly. «That’s the size of the population of the United States. By the way, Arabic is one of the oldest languages in the world. And it is the language of the Holy Quran. Did you study it somewhere?»
“No, Your Highness. I had a very good teacher. We studied different languages every night, including Arabic. Ever since I was a child.”
«Well, let’s switch to English. After all, as you rightly said, we are in England and we are drinking English tea. So, it would be unfair not to use this opportunity and practice a bit, maybe improve my English,» offered the sheikh and continued in English. «What about African languages? Your teacher must have been a polyglot.»
«Bambara, that’s different,» Robert answered. «There is a story there, which, by the way, is related to the diamonds from Guinea and Sierra Leone.»
«Well, I hope you will share this exciting story with me one day, but now I would like to ask you, Robert: when did you suspect or guess that they were scammers? My aide, the former chief of security, is a very experienced and cautious man, yet he was caught with his pants down, as they say.» He stressed «former’.
«It wasn’t just a guess. I don’t know much about gemology, but I do have pretty extensive experience in law and I do not rely on chance. The first time I had a suspicion was when Mr. Zimme suddenly had a heart attack. We had dinner at a restaurant the night before and he looked very healthy. Then, when we were in the conference room, I got a call from my law firm’s security service, which said that the heart attack was caused by some strong toxin. Comparing these facts, I realized that the gemologist was the weakest link. And the fact that he was introduced to us as a Guinean and my modest knowledge of Bambara – those are pure coincidences.» Robert smiled and placed his cup on the table.
«I do not believe in coincidences; everything happens at the will of Allah. The bad and the good. You saved me a lot of money, Robert, and you helped preserved my authority. That is more important than the money. So, how can I thank you?»
«You’ve already done that, Your Highness. You have generously paid for the work of my firm as agreed, even though the deal was a bust.»
«No, Robert. I’d like to thank you personally. It is the right thing to do. Thanks to your perceptiveness, you have replaced the whole security department for me.»
The sheikh opened his checkbook, which was lying on a table nearby, wrote down a sum, tore out the check and handed to Robert.
«Please accept this gift from me as a sign of my gratitude.»
«Your Highness, there is no need,» Robert began, but the sheikh interrupted him.
«Any work must be properly rewarded. This is just a number on a nice piece of paper, but what I value most are human relationships.» The sheikh looked at Robert as he began to fondle a string of prayer beads and continued. «Robert, can I count on you should I require your legal services again?»
«Of course. It would be an honor to be useful to you.»
«Well, my dear friend. You know what they say in the East – a good meeting is a short meeting,» summed up the sheikh, making it clear that the audience was over. «It was very nice getting to know you better. I hope this is not our last meeting.»
Robert unfolded the check only when he was in the car returning to his hotel. He saw «Five million dollars» written in a neat, calligraphic handwriting. And there was a long signature in Arabic ligature – the first and last name of the sheikh without abbreviations.
Back at the hotel, Robert relaxed a bit. He poured a glass of whiskey, opened the curtains and fell deep in thought while watching the night city. Not everything was clear in this case and he could not figure out who was behind it all.
His phone started ringing.
«Blanche.»
«Robert, good evening,» said Roland, the firm’s director. His voice was very agitated. «I’ve been informed about everything. Are you alright?»
«Yes, boss, everything is fine. I’ll be in Prague tomorrow morning.»
«Well, I am expecting you in the office tomorrow at 11:30 am. We’ll talk then. Now, just rest. Jovan will pick you up at the airport tomorrow.» Roland rang off.
The flight was early, but Chloe still was not picking up her phone. He glanced at his watch and called once again, but all he got was the answering machine – again.
The watch showed 1:30 am.
The flight from London is at 7:15 am, Robert thought. The flight is three hours. Then a couple more hours and I’m home, and then we’ll see. It is a good thing Jovan is picking me up.
Robert trusted Jovan completely and unconditionally.
They had been friends since childhood. Both had applied to Charles University and planned on becoming lawyers. But Jovan failed his entrance exams, which did not stop him from applying to the Police Academy of the Czech Republic right away. After graduating magna cum laude, he became the youngest police detective in Prague.
Jovan served on the police force for nearly 15 years and rose from inspector in the serious crimes department to colonel in the post of senior advisor. However, during the corruption scandal that erupted during the government of Stanislav Gross, who had been an interior minister before becoming prime minister and was a close friend and boss of Jovan, he resigned, having become disappointed in his friend and boss. Four years ago, with Robert’s help, he became the head of the firm’s security.
Jovan was short, sturdy, bald, and in his early forties, with a carefully trimmed long moustache. He came across as a very nice and pleasant man. Those who didn’t know him would never have guessed that he was the head of security somewhere and had been a high-ranking cop. He once told Robert: «There are two types of policemen: good and bad. Well, I am the vicar of good policemen. In the firm, he was called «our Poirot», and that was indeed so. In addition to having been a genuine detective, he was the soul of any company, was always witty, threw jokes around and shared interesting facts about the lives of fellow police officers.
He always got on with those around him, never raised his voice when speaking to subordinates and nobody ever saw him in a foul mood.
He was very secretive about his personal life, but everybody in the firm knew that Jovan was single, his wife had left him a year into their marriage, unable to handle the burden of being a policeman’s wife, especially the fact that he was rarely home. Only Robert knew that somewhere on the outskirts of the city Jovan was seeing a young woman who had come into his life about two years prior. That was why Robert and Chloe were waiting excitedly for Jovan to introduce her to them. Instead, he would dismiss the relationship with a joke.
When speaking with colleagues, Jovan was always amiable, but Robert was his only true friend and someone he trusted. Like old friends, they often spent time at Robert’s home or at a pub drinking beer, which Jovan loved. Chloe liked the funny and cheerful man, and the door of their home was always open to him.
Robert was lying on his hotel bed trying to reach Chloe for the umpteenth time. Her phone was off. When he felt he was falling asleep, Robert put the phone aside and closed his eyes.
Suddenly he felt dizzy, followed by an incredible force that pinned him to the bed. Robert opened his eyes; he could see everything around him, but he did not have control over the rest of his body. An unknown force kept pressing him to the bed.
Robert gasped. He tried to flex his muscles or at least scream, but his body remained beyond his control. Suddenly all went black. Robert found himself in complete darkness, with no feeling in his body, no smell, no hearing. It seemed like he was suspended in air, although his brain continued to frantically seek a way out of this chilling captivity. Robert could not understand what was happening to him. He was still conscious. And then he heard a steady sound coming from somewhere inside his subconscious, gradually filling the space around him. In an instant, it seemed to be pulsing even in his veins. It was like the pendulum of the clock, swinging back and forth, but purer, sharper, clearer. He had neither the strength nor the senses to resist the sudden numbness. Robert mentally groped to understand what was happening to him.
Then he heard a woman’s voice…
«Sleep peacefully, deeply… You are falling into deep sleep… deeper… even deeper.» Someone’s powerful voice became increasingly loud in Robert’s head.
Suddenly he realized that the voice was coming from inside his dream, and he could hear it, even though his memory and his being remained on this side of the dream.
The sensation was wholly new to him and Robert could not believe in the reality of what was happening, so he listened. There were voices all around, but the woman’s voice was distinct. Another voice, male, echoed in his head, but his words were muffled. So, Robert decided to relax fully and try to understand what was really happening to him.
Eventually, the fog began to lift and the voices became discernible. For a moment, Robert thought he himself was participating in the dialog.
Then everything became clear to him…
Chapter 8
Amanda’s soft voice was coming from the portable voice recorder standing alone on the table in front of Trevor.
«Sleep peacefully, deeply… You are falling into a deep sleep… deeper… even deeper.»
After a small pause, Amanda continued: «Trevor, you can speak now. Tell me, how old are you?»
«Forty… one…» Trevor mumbled.
«Good… Good…» said Amanda steadily. «What is your name?»
«Trevor.» His speech was slurred and barely audible.
«Good, Trevor. Let’s go back two days. Where are you?»
«Geneva,» Trevor replied quietly. «Hotel… Big room…»
«What do you see,» asked Amanda.
«Diamonds… Safe…» Trevor said, barely moving his lips.
There was a click in the recording. It was a tape defect or the recording had stopped there, but it swiftly resumed.
«Okay, Trevor. Now, let’s go back to yesterday. Morning…» Amanda said firmly with confidence.
Suddenly Trevor’s voice became clear: «Amanda?! I can’t see anything… What happened? How did she do that?» the voice cried out.
«Trevor, I induced sleep hypnosis. You are under the influence of my suggestion,» Amanda’s voice was firm and slow. «I want you to go back to yesterday…»
«Amanda, Amanda, it’s alright! To hell with yesterday! I can’t see anything… I am here… Is this a dream? You are my dream? I guess…» Trevor was agitated.
Amanda induced sleep hypnosis, but for some reason Trevor did not act the way her patients usually did. His body tensed, his eyelids began to throb, and so she decided to cut the session short.
«Trevor, you are in a state of sleep hypnosis. Try to calm down. Everything is fine.» Amanda’s voice was also agitated, but it remained firm. «I will start the countdown now and you will wake up.»
«Stop, Amanda. Stop! Don’t do it! How do I explain this?… This is the one chance in a thousand for me! Even if he wakes up, convince him to have another session.»
«Who wakes up?» Amanda asked. The session clearly was not going as planned and something had to be done about it.
«Trevor… I mean me… I mean… I need to explain something to you.»
«Okay, Trevor, don’t worry so much. Calm down. Your body is very tense. It is very hard to maintain control like that. Relax.» Amanda passed a hand over Trevor’s eyes. «What do you see?»
«I told you, nothing. I see nothing, my eyes are closed… You are good, you know! We need to speak calmly about this, now. I can hear you so clearly!»
Amanda looked at Trevor. He was lying on the couch, relaxed, without an emotion showing on his face. She was very confused. Trevor from the sleep hypnosis spoke with her surprisingly loudly and clearly. Most importantly, it was as though he was not under her suggestive power at all. Rather, she got the impression that he was trying to communicate on his own, not just answer questions, as what usually happens when a hypnotherapist works with a patient.
She contemplated the situation. This was the first time something like this had happened in all her years as a psychologist.
Meanwhile, Trevor continued: «Amanda, you and I need to figure out what is happening to me. Or to him… Well, we need to figure out who is who.»
Amanda listened, growing even more confused. Her eyes were wide open and she did not understand what she was hearing.
«Well, and who might you be then?» she finally asked.
The idea of a split personality came to mind and she tried to recall the symptoms of the disorder. The thought calmed her a bit, since she could rationally explain what was happening.
«I am Robert,» the voice answered, «Robert from the other life of Trevor.»
«Robert?» Amanda asked again. «What other life?»
«A very real one, but another. At least, that’s what I think. Although sometimes I am not so sure. But right now, you are my dream. And everything that is happening to Trevor – that is my dream, do you understand? And you are also my dream. Oh my God, I am talking to my dream! Unbelievable!»
«You are talking to your dream?» Amanda asked, confused. «How long has this been going on for?»
«This is all very strange and complicated. For so long that I can no longer understand who is who.»
«Trevor, I don’t think I quite understand.»
«Amanda, I am Robert, I am, like, inside Trevor’s consciousness, I mean, he is inside mine. Well, not exactly inside me. He exists in my dreams. Well, how do I explain this… But this is the first time this has happened! I’ve never experienced this before.»
«Ok, fine. You are Robert. But you say everything is very complicated. Can you explain to me clearly from which dream you are talking to me?»
Amanda regained her composure and decided to end the session.
«I only have one dream and one dream only, and that is the life of Trevor. Please, just listen to me without interrupting and, maybe, you will understand.»
The voice from the recorder told the incredible story of Robert’s life on the other side of the dream, the diaries he kept, recording everything that was happening to Trevor, the feelings and doubts of the reality of his world.
This was the second time Amanda had listened to the story, but now she was looking intently at Trevor. She was confused, excited and intrigued by what she heard. A completely different person was living inside Trevor, about whom he had no idea and who had been observing this from inside his dream for nearly thirty years. Robert truly believed that he was sleeping at the moment and dreaming. He could not influence Trevor’s life and actions in any way, couldn’t reveal himself in any way, as what usually happens in split personalities, but he wanted to figure out for himself what the reality was and what the dream was.
«… My world is almost the same as how I see Trevor’s world in my dreams,» continued Robert. «But we are so different, living in different countries, having different circles of friends and acquaintances, different professions, jobs, and at the same time I see my world as reality every second and every minute. I haven’t seen any other dreams in my life. Only one – about Trevor.»
Amanda was so captivated by the conversation that she completely lost any sense of time, while the voice kept talking. There was something fascinating in his story, but it was a story of a healthy, it would seem, person, who objectively evaluates everything around him, a person, seeking a way out of the situation he is in.
Amanda tried to stop the session, but the voice kept asking her not to. He needed to speak; he was seeking answers to his questions. Amanda was encountering this phenomenon for the first time, which was why her only guess was split personality. She could not think of any other explanation for the moment.
Right, it must be dissociative identity disorder, but in some weird, incredible form, thought Amanda, while the voice inside Trevor told about the other side of his life.
Suddenly Amanda said: «Robert, if your life is so realistic, are there psychologists or psychiatrists in your world?»
«Of course, there are… I guess. I hope there are,» Robert answered unconvincingly. «Do you think I’m crazy?»
«No, Robert, of course not,» Amanda replied quickly. «Here’s what I thought… I’d like to propose something to you… in the other, your life. But you have to treat this very seriously. I have an idea here. Let’s conduct an experiment, but I will need your help for this… and the help of a professional…»
Amanda had no doubt that she was seeing dissociative identity disorder and she wanted to check if there were any other personalities inside Trevor’s subconscious. In some people, different, sometimes diametrically opposed personalities co-existed, including those that consider themselves experts in psychology, and they were usually the ones who helped establish and identify other personalities existing in the patient’s subconscious. Amanda decided to summon this personality from Trevor’s subconscious. She explained the experiment to Robert. However, she also believed that there could be another, negative consequence of this experiment. The situation could swiftly deteriorate, and then it would be very difficult to go back, even impossible.
«Robert, you must understand that during such a session everything could get out of your… your psychologist’s control. If your condition is what I think it is, there is a risk that you will disappear as a personality from Trevor’s subconscious for some time.»
«What do you mean disappear? I don’t understand. Disappear where?»
«You see, as a result of direct interference, a kind of replacement could happen in Trevor’s subconscious, where one personality will replace another. Maybe that is when we will find the answers to your questions. But you, Robert, could disappear for a while.»
«You believe this is dissociative identity disorder?»
«I don’t believe anything right now. I am only dealing with the facts as I see them: I have a patient on my couch in a state of hypnosis, while somebody, who does not identify himself with my patient, never manifested himself in his life, but only observed him throughout his life from somewhere inside his subconscious, is talking to me.»
«Can separate personalities of one and the same person really live separate lives beyond their consciousness, have their own history, separate worlds?»
«Well, that’s what we need to figure out. You, as someone who identifies himself separately, should understand that if there are other personalities in Trevor’s subconscious, you could disappear for a while with your world, history and life, which you feel is real. Somebody else could replace you. It is totally possible.»
«You think that my life in this… in my world is not real? Just Trevor’s imagination?»
«If I think otherwise, then all my answers and your communication with me are just a creation of your brain. This would mean that me and this world and our conversation exist merely in your imagination.»
«How will a psychologist help us?» Robert asked after doing something thinking.
«With his help we will try to at least identify you and identify other personalities in Trevor’s subconscious, if any. You see, no matter how you identify yourself, for me you are the one living in Trevor’s subconscious. I’d like to experiment with your psychologist. Maybe, you won’t even find him. But if he does exist, maybe, that is just another personality. There may be many personalities. We need to define their number and then we will be able understand what, or, most likely, who we are dealing with.»
«That just doesn’t make sense, Amanda. I have a completely different memory than Trevor. I live my own life here and up until today I could not manifest myself in Trevor’s life in any way. I have a job here, fiancée, friends, circumstances, ultimately… Trevor’s life is my permanent dream, and nothing more. As for his life, I am just a bystander in it.»
«I understand that, Robert. The capabilities of our brain have not been studied enough, and some of its functions haven’t been studied at all, remaining a mystery for scientists. It’s psychology 101.»
«Amanda, you must understand that now, when you complete this session, I will wake up and go about my business. Right now, at this very moment, I am at a hotel in London, and in a few hours I have a flight to catch to Prague, where my colleagues and my girlfriend are waiting for me. And at night, when I fall asleep, I will dream again, and see the world through Trevor’s eyes. It has always been like this.»
«Well, let’s at least try to do that, Robert. We have to start somewhere. A brain is a very complicated thing to study. We will try to find the truth through the subconscious. This is important, especially for you, because you are the one who is seeking it. Right?»
«Alright,» agreed Robert after a while. «We will do it. I fly to Prague tomorrow and I will try to find a psychiatrist. But what do I say to him? How do I explain everything?»
«You don’t need to explain anything to him. Just tell him everything you know about yourself and he will decide what to do. I am sure he will agree to the experiment.»
«How much time do we have?»
«I don’t know. If we stick to your convictions, you are the one in control and we are merely a part of your dream. But seriously speaking, I think we have a day, two at the most. I will try to schedule another appointment with Trevor for tomorrow.»
Amanda ended the conversation and woke Trevor.
The voice recorder stopped.
Trevor and Amanda sat opposite each other and were silent.
Finally, Amanda spoke. This time, her voice was not as steady as at the start of the session.
«Trevor, psychology can ultimately explain a lot. It seems to me that we’ve got a lot of work to do. It is complicated because this is a unique case in my practice. I have never seen anything like it.»
Trevor looked at Amanda, but couldn’t say a word. He could not understand what had just happened. It did not fit into the limits of ordinary concepts and his perception of things.
«That was me?» He finally forced himself to speak.
«It is totally possible that was you. Or one of your personalities.»
«How is this possible?» asked Trevor. He was in a state of shock.
«The human brain is a mystery even for us psychologists. I only wanted to take you back to yesterday, two days ago and then dig a bit into your past. But you heard it all.»
«Amanda, is this really possible? Is this a disease?»
«What is possible? Multiple personalities? It is possible. There is a scientific term for it too – dissociative identity disorder. I wouldn’t call it a disease, though. It’s something else…»
«What happens to me now?»
«Nothing, I think… I hope… If you’ve lived with this up until now, without suspecting anything, it is possible that everything will go back to the way it was before today.»
Amanda then tried to explain to Trevor that some psychologists, and also individuals who identify themselves as having a split personality, believe that this condition is not a disorder, but rather a natural variation of human consciousness that has nothing to do with dissociation. She herself could not understand what she was dealing with, and so what she was saying was as much for herself as for Trevor.
Trevor, however, was uncertain. He thought Amanda was just trying to calm him down.
«You see, Trevor, many psychiatrists do not agree with the definition of multiple personality syndrome as a definitive disorder, but consider multiple personalities as mental disorder, that is, not a disease. Here, for example…» She looked around, went to a bookshelf, and came back with a big medical encyclopedia.