Touch—A Novella

  “Okay,” said the woman. “Here, why don’t you hold him while I get it for you?” She thrust the cat towards Sally, who immediately backed off.

  “Um...maybe you’d better just put him back until you get the cage,” Sally said awkwardly. “Okay?”

  Virginia looked at her funny. Sally wondered if she already regretted pushing Sally to adopt. But she kept her mouth shut, putting the cat back in the floor cage it had been in when they first walked up. In a few minutes the cat was in its new travel cage and Sally had filled out the paperwork.

  “What are you going to name him?” asked the woman, looking as though she was still trying to gauge Sally’s worthiness as an owner.

  “He used to belong to my neighbor,” said Sally, “and she called him Elroy. Figured I’d stick with that.”

  “Your neighbor dropped him off here?” said the woman, looking confused.

  “No. She was killed yesterday. The police brought him in.”

  “Oh my God,” said Virginia, hand flying to her mouth. “That’s terrible.”

  Sally could only shrug, not knowing what to say. The woman looked from her to the cat and back.

  Suddenly Virginia’s hand reached out before Sally could react, her hand coming into contact with Sally’s.

  Touch.

  ***

  So sweet, even if she’s weird. Shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions before. She didn’t ask for this. I should apolog-

  ***

  Sally managed to jerk her hand back quickly, keeping the Touch brief. Virginia was looking at her sympathetically. Sally fought to see the room from her own perspective, rather than from Virginia’s eyes. The woman’s thought faded slowly as Sally concentrated on the here and now.

  “I’m sorry about what I said before,” said Virginia. “I didn’t mean to imply you were unfit to adopt. You’re doing the right thing, and it’s really sweet. Okay?”

  Sally shook her head, both to clear her mind and in answer to the woman’s question. “Thanks. I’ve never done this before.”

  “You’ll be great,” Virginia nodded with conviction. “You’re a kind person. I can tell. I can tell a lot about people, you know?”

  Not as much as I can. Sally smiled at the irony, and she also found herself blushing. She wasn’t used to compliments. She picked up the cage and headed to her car.

  HOMELESS

  SALLY RETURNED HOME AND PUT Elroy in her apartment. She’d stopped at a grocery store for some cat food and a dish on the way home. The cat tried to rub against her hand as she fed it. It made for an awkward moment as she tried to dump the can out without Touching the cat’s fur. Eventually Elroy settled for shoving his back against her legs, which were well insulated behind thick boots and her black jeans.

  Sally was surprised how nice the contact felt. The warmth of another living thing against her was a luxury she very rarely experienced. She wanted to pet Elroy in return, but she refrained. Too much Touching recently, too many thoughts floating in her mind already. Maybe she’d get some gloves on the way home today so she could pet Elroy when she returned.

  But now, she had to go to work.

  She walked down the stairs and on to the street. A few cars drove by, people rushing home to be with their families. But her neighborhood was mostly quiet, as it usually was. All the hubub of police activity had already been forgotten about - along with, it seemed, Mrs. Norris.

  Across the street she saw an old homeless woman sitting on the sidewalk, leaning against a building that had once been a chiropractic center. Seeing her there, Sally wondered how long she’d staked out the spot. Maybe she was there yesterday when Mrs. Norris was killed.

  Sally gathered her courage and walked over.

  The bum raised her eyes as Sally approached, looking up at her. She held out a grimy hand.

  “Any change?”

  Sally forced herself not to pull away from the outstretched hand. She looked down at the bum with a curious mix of fascination and anxiety. Sally had never been truly homeless - the money she’d stolen from her dad had gotten her by until she’d found her first job. She wondered what it was like: living on the street, sleeping under park benches, and pissing and shitting in any dark corner where you thought no one could see you.

  Ignoring the outstretched hand, she asked, “How long have you been here?”

  The woman crossed her arms. “Been in L.A. fifteen years. No good man left me after beating me near ta death, m’family’s all dead - ”

  “I’m sorry,” interrupted Sally, “I mean how long have you been sitting here? Right here?” She pointed at the spot where the woman now sat, careful to keep her hand a good foot out of the bum’s reach.

  The woman looked down in confusion. “Here? Since yesterday. Thought those cops was gonna clear me out but I guess they had bigger fish to fry, ‘cause I went into th’ alley and they left me alone. How come?” she asked through broken teeth.

  “Did you see anything weird? Before the cops showed up?” Sally asked lamely. She knew the question was vague, but she wasn’t exactly an expert at this.

  The woman looked at her like she was the crazy one. “Honey, this is L.A. Weird’s part of the package deal.”

  “I mean,” Sally pressed, “anything suspicious? Anyone you didn’t recognize?”

  “What is this?” asked the bum, suspicious. “You a cop?” She began to push herself up to leave.

  “No, no!” cried Sally, motioning her to sit back down. “I’m sorry. The woman who was killed...she was a friend. I just want to know, that’s all.” Struck with an idea, she pulled a ten dollar bill out of her pocket. “Here. Just...can you remember what you saw yesterday?”

  The woman reached out her hand for the bill. Sally held it out, and as their hands met, she Touched her.

  ***

  I trudge slowly down the street at night, my ole blanket wrapped around my shoulder. Too thin. Need another one. Thanks God I ended up in L.A. Anywhere else in the country, today’d be colder than a witch’s tit. Not that it’s warm, ‘course. I’d please a man for a heater or a better blanket.

  Like this neighborhood. Might hang around a bit, if no one bothers me. ‘S quiet. Course, not many people, ain’t pulled in much. Never pull in much anyway, I s’pose. Wish I were younger. Might be doin’ better if I was younger. Might pull in more. Nate might notta left, neither. Asshole.

  I come to the building. Apartment ‘cross the street. S’pose I’ll park myself here for now. Nice overhang in case it rains. Ha! Rain in L.A. Still, ‘s December. Can’t hurt. Still got any Jack? Nah, course ‘s gone.

  I settle on the sidewalk. Then it’s just April, ole blanket and a whole buncha words comin’ outta the mouth. Words’ll just sneak up on you, comin’ out before you’ve got a mind to whether you want to say’em or not.

  A beat-up old white Toyota pulls up. Corolla? Camry? Ah, never remember which is which. Never had no Toyota, ‘Merican cars good enough for April. Ain’t seen that car this neighborhood. Boy if it ain’t a piece a’ shit. Someone nailed that trunk but good. Prolly some gangbanger checkin’ in on his girl. Like this neighborhood.

  Driver gets out. Can’t see him. Her? Can’t tell. Eyes ain’t what they was. Who cares? Headin’ the other way anyway. Anyway, way, anyway.

  Tired. Been walkin’ too much, too much walkin’ at my age. Damn if it ain’t too much. My eyes drift shut.

  ***

  Sally pulled her hand back, gasping. She grit her teeth in frustration. She had no idea if the white car had anything to do with anything. Still, it was more than she’d had to go on before.

  And she realized something. By guiding April’s attention to the day before, she’d put the events of yesterday at the forefront of her mind before Touching her. It was neat to know that she could do that. Not that she was planning on making a habit out of investigating things, but it was good to know something new about her ability.

  “Ain’t seen nuthin’, same as I told the cops,” said April in response to her questi
on. “Keep your head down and your mind free, that’s how you get by in this world.”

  Sally checked her watch - if she didn’t leave now, she’d be late for work. She’d call Liv when she got to the office and tell her about the Toyota.

  She handed April the ten. Then, struck by a thought, she ran across the street to her apartment, emerging a minute later with a spare blanket. She came back to the woman and handed it over.

  “Here, you look cold.”

  April looked up at her with wide eyes. “Thank...thank you. God bless you.”

  “You too, April.”

  Sally dashed away to her car. It took a minute before April looked up, realizing she’d never told Sally her name.

  LEAD

  SALLY WALKED INTO THE OFFICE, early for once. There were considerably more people still around than she was comfortable with. She navigated her way toward a back closet that she knew had a phone installed.

  Sally rounded a corner and came face to face with Sean.

  Instinctively she reeled back, swaying away from him. He stopped dead in his tracks, looking at her uncomfortably. She waited for him to speak. Would he mention last night? Would he pretend nothing had happened? Sally could only imagine what douchey thing was going to come out of the guy’s mouth.

  “Hey,” he said, anticlimactically.

  Sally only stared back at him, scowling.

  “Um, so, listen,” he said, seemingly not sure what to say, “I’m sorry about yesterday, you know? Last night, rather. I guess I come on a little strong, sometimes. I’m not actually trying to be a dick, you know?” He ran a hand through his hair.

  “Well, you were,” Sally replied icily.

  “Yeah, I get that,” said Sean. “Just...most girls I hang out with, they kind of like a guy who’s a little forward, you know?” Sally had never noticed he said “You know?” so much. Maybe it was because he was nervous. He had good reason to be; if she’d wanted to she could sue the crap out of him for sexual harassment. In any case, the mannerism irritated her.

  “I guess I just wanted to say sorry,” he continued. “I never would have touched you if I’d known you were...you know....”

  Sally’s heart leapt into her mouth. Had he figured out her ability? “If you’d known I were what?” she croaked.

  “That someone had...whatever, I’m sure you don’t want to talk about it.”

  Understanding hit her. He thought she’d been raped, too, like the cops had. Fury flooded her.

  “Don’t want to talk about what?” she demanded, trying to keep her voice down. It was after clock-out time, but there were still too many people in the office for her to want to make a scene. Didn’t want to attract a crowd. “What do you think you know about me?”

  Sean held his hands up, nervous at her anger. “I mean, just with the way you acted last night, I figured maybe something happened to you, you know?”

  “You arrogant prick,” Sally seethed. “I’ve got news for you. It’s possible for a woman to be repulsed by you even if she hasn’t been raped, even if she’s not gay, just because you’re a dick.” Sean said nothing. She turned to storm off down the hall, but paused to turn back, finishing with, “No one’s ever hurt me, and no one ever will. You try again and I won’t just hit you with the mop. I’ll shove it straight up your ass.”

  She stalked down the hallway, away from Sean. Her whole body was shaking from adrenaline. She’d been so badass! It was like she was in a cop show!

  She was headed away from the closet she wanted to reach, but right now she was more interested in making a good exit. Sean watched her go, head down. She felt a strange twinge. Maybe he really was sorry. No, she shook her head. That guy doesn’t have a sincere bone in his body.

  Now that she’d walked the wrong way, Sally had to circle around the whole office in order to reach the closet without running into Sean again. Once she was there, she stepped inside and locked the door, then pulled Liv’s card from her jacket pocket. She grabbed the phone and dialed the number quickly. It only rang a couple of times before Liv picked up.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, Liv.” said Sally.

  “Hello again, Mrs. Laurel. Did you find the cat?”

  “Yes, thank you. I took her home. I mean him. Listen,” Sally said, “I think I found something out. I asked someone who was outside, and they said they saw a car pull up to the apartment building in the early evening.”

  “What kind of car?”

  “A white Toyota,” said Sally, pulling up April’s memory in her own mind. “I’m not sure which model.”

  “Do you have a plate?”

  “No, sorry,” said Sally.

  “And the driver entered the apartment building?”

  “Yes.”

  “What’s the description?”

  “It was a man,” Sally said, now thinking of what the cat had smelled. “But she didn’t see anything more than that.”

  There was a pause at the other end of the line. “But the driver definitely went to the third floor?”

  “Well, the person didn’t see that,” said Sally, “but he or she definitely entered the building.”

  This time the pause was longer and pregnant, as though Liv were trying to choose her words very carefully. “I see. Well, I appreciate this, Miss Laurel, but I’m not sure what I can do with the information.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Sally, a little more loudly than she had meant to.

  “The story you’re giving me is that a white Toyota, of an unknown model and with no plate, pulled up outside the apartment. The driver, who there’s no description of, entered the apartment and may or may not have gone to the third floor where Mrs. Norris was killed,” Liv summarized. “That doesn’t give me much to go on. I have nowhere I can start looking other than scouring Los Angeles for white Toyotas.”

  “It had accident damage to the rear,” said Sally lamely.

  “So do half the cars in this city,” replied Liv. Sally heard her sigh. “Who’s your witness? Maybe I can get some more info out of them.”

  “Her name is April,” said Sally eagerly. “She’s a homeless lady who’s sitting across the street.” Only once the words were out of her mouth did she realize how ridiculous they sounded.

  An even longer pause. Sally felt her hopes fall like a physical vertigo. “Miss Laurel,” Liv began finally, “I’m afraid I can’t do anything with this.”

  Sally felt like a complete idiot. “Okay.”

  “As I said, I appreciate your efforts,” said Liv. “But I think it would be best if you left this to the professionals. It’s our job.”

  “I know that, really, I do,” said Sally, feeling herself begin to tear up. “It’s just...it’s just been a while since I’ve had something to do. I mean, just in general.” Tears began rolling down her cheeks and she hated her voice as it cracked. “I’m sorry, I know that’s not your problem. I just wanted to help.”

  Liv’s voice was clearly uncomfortable. “Miss Laurel, I’m sorry, but I have to go. The department will take care of this. It’s what we’re paid for. I’ll call you if there are any updates.”

  Sally heard a click as Liv hung up, just as she heard the detective’s unspoken words: Please don’t call me again. Finally off the line, she let herself break down and cry.

  CHARLIE

  SALLY STEPPED OUT OF THE office door into the underground parking lot, a large bag of trash slung over her shoulder. She’d waited in the closet for nearly half an hour before emerging, not wanting anyone to see she’d been crying. She probably looked a mess, and was glad she never wore mascara. When she was done crying she was left with only emptiness, an apathy that came from failing at the first important thing she’d tried to do in years.

  She stepped out into the building’s parking lot and hefted the bag higher. Stepping up to the gate surrounding the trash dumpster, she flung the bag over it. She always left the lid on the dumpster open so she didn’t have to go through the bother of opening the gate in order to
take out the trash.

  She turned around and began to walk back toward the building. Lost as she was in her thoughts, it took her a moment to spot something over by her truck. She turned to look.

  Her truck was blocked in its parking spot by a white Toyota. The back was crumpled in from a past accident. The engine was running.

  Sally felt lightheaded, terror shooting through her body and making her surroundings feel surreal. She froze for what seemed like an eternity, not knowing what to do.

  She had to get back to the phone. She had to call Liv. But she’d have to pass close by the car in order to enter the office.

  Slowly, she edged around the parking lot, trying to see if there was anyone inside the car. It looked empty, but it was dark and she couldn’t be sure. Someone could be sitting low in the car, hiding just below the bottom edge of the window.

  Watching her.

  Her steps came more quickly as she neared the entrance to the office. Did the killer have a gun? She couldn’t remember. No one had told her how Mrs. Norris had died. She’d have to make a break for the door, making her an easy target as she ran along the empty wall.

  But the wall wasn’t empty, she realized. Crouched under one of the outside lights, leaning against the wall, was Charlie.

  She sighed in relief. She dashed over to him, trying to keep silent and stay out of the light so whoever was in the car couldn’t see her.

  “Charlie!” she hissed as she approached. “Charlie, we’ve got to get out of here!”

  Charlie looked up at her, surprised. “I thought you were inside,” he said quietly. “Your truck’s over there.”

  Sally came to a stop a few feet away, out of arm’s reach. She didn’t need the distraction of accidentally Touching him right now. “Charlie, we need to go. Someone dangerous is here.”

  Charlie kept looking at her, fiddling with something in his right hand. Her eyes were suddenly drawn to its glint and she looked down.

  It was a silver necklace. The symbol for infinity hung off the end.

  “She came out when I was trying to get your door open,” Charlie said. He stood up.

  Sally started backing away, feeling like a trapped animal. Charlie rose to his feet, stuffing the necklace into his pocket. He took a step toward her, blocking her from the entrance to the office.