***
“Will you forget about her, Jared? What are the chances she would be any real use for finding Cori?” Jared’s girlfriend, Nikki, told him later that evening over the phone. As a way to rally around her parents as the family dealt with Cori’s kidnapping, Nikki had moved out of their apartment temporarily to stay at her childhood home with them.
He couldn’t dismiss Kate that easily. “I understand it’s a small chance she’d be able to help, but what else do we have to go on? I feel bad for Kate and her mother. Darlene was completely distraught when I left. I’m worried about Kate simply taking off like that.”
Jared noticed the lengthy pause over the phone. “What does Kate look like? Is she attractive?” Nikki’s voice was laced with suspicion.
Feeling a slight twinge of guilt, he realized he’d been talking about Kate non-stop since their meeting yesterday. “Come on, you know I’m only involving myself with this girl to help find your sister. Why would I care if she was pretty?”
“Fine, whatever. I still think you’re stupid to be wasting your time on this,” she drawled.
He bit his lip and reminded himself how much stress Nikki was under. Changing the subject, he said, “I miss you.”
“Me too. But please try not to destroy our apartment while I’m gone. Come by my parents’ house tomorrow when you have a chance,” she said. “I’m tired. I think I’m going to get to bed. Goodnight, love you.”
“Goodnight.”
Jared disconnected the call and yawned. It was close to ten-thirty and he still hadn’t heard if Kate came back to her mother’s house. Before his departure, he instructed Darlene to phone him when Kate returned or if she answered her cell phone. After undressing and throwing on a pair of pajama pants, he relaxed on the couch and put on ESPN.
Jared awoke with a start. Recognizing he had dozed on the couch, he checked the clock. It was just after eleven-thirty. His senses sharpened as he heard persistent knocking at his front door. He swiftly made it to the door and croaked, “Who is it?”
“Kate. Kate Edwards.” Eagerly, he swung open the door and was surprised to see her so disheveled looking. She wore the same jeans and tank top from earlier in the day. He guessed she had not returned home. Her face was red and puffy as if she’d been crying for hours. Her face flushed as she looked him over and set her eyes downward.
“Come in,” he instructed and closed the door behind her as she skittered into the apartment. This newfound vulnerability was making him uncertain about how to handle the situation.
She looked anguished and he felt a pull towards her. It was more comfortable when she was defensive and sarcastic. Kate with her guard down made him want to reach out to her. Initially, he had pegged her as obnoxious and volatile. The more he was learning about her, the more he saw she was just a scared kid who got a raw deal in life.
She stood silently and would not meet his eyes. After a long minute, her snarkiness resurfaced. “For god’s sake, will you put on a shirt?”
Jared looked down at his bare chest and realized he had not bothered with a shirt before answering the door. He took an odd pleasure in knowing it made her embarrassed. “Let me get changed,” he said and with a smile disappeared into his bedroom.
I shouldn’t be here, Kate told herself for the millionth time. She had no idea what possessed her to come to the detective’s apartment. Weariness had set in after driving around for hours with intermittent crying spells. As it grew later and stores closed, she had the inspiration to head over and provide an explanation to Jared on the reasoning behind her lies. She had been shocked when he answered the door shirtless. If she wasn’t such a damn head case at the moment, she might have tried to jump him right then and there. He was perfectly built, with lean and hard muscles. She imagined throwing herself against his chest and him wrapping his strong arms around her. I really need a boyfriend, she lamented silently.
He returned wearing a t-shirt and khakis. “Where’s your girlfriend?” she blurted, hoping the reminder of his other half would prevent her from slipping into a frenzied state of lust again.
“She’s staying at her parents. Why don’t you sit down?” He motioned to a chair at the kitchen table.
She did a quick survey of the apartment. Instantly, it became obvious his girlfriend did most of the decorating. A modern white leather sofa set was situated in the living room, while the kitchen had this sort of country chic thing going on. A small eat-in area was outfitted with a table for two complemented with a lace tablecloth and white French chairs. The apartment had an open floor plan, with the living room, dining room and kitchen all connected with open doorways. It looked as though a master bedroom and a spare bedroom were situated down the hallway.
After they had both settled into their chairs, he questioned, “How did you find out where I lived?”
She gave him an incredulous look. “I’m psychic, remember?”
He looked uncomfortable. “Oh.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Jeez, you’re gullible. I put your name in Google and got your address,” she answered. “By the way, for a detective, that’s a pretty dumb move not to have your listing private. Any random psycho could show up at your door in the middle of the night.”
“Well, you have the dubious honor of being my first late night Google stalker,” he answered.
“Awesome,” she sighed. Kate felt drained at the moment and the speech she had rehearsed in the car on the way here escaped her. “It’s been a long day.”
“Are you ok? Sorry about creating a wedge between you and your mother. I never meant to complicate things for you. Have you spoken to her yet?” He was watching her closely.
“No, I need a little space. I’m not going home tonight.” His disapproval was written clearly across his face. “Don’t give me that look. I need a day to process things. If I talk to her now, I doubt I’ll be rational.”
“I don’t know. I think you should at least call her…” he started.
She gave him a sharp look. “I’m not asking you, Detective Corbett, I’m telling you. I’m spending the night at my friend Julie’s house. After I leave, you could phone my mom and pass the information along if you want. Seems as though you’ve become besties overnight.” She swallowed hard. “Anyway, I’m not here to discuss my mom. I want to tell you about the vision I had about Cori.”
He nodded and she described everything she saw in the dream in excruciating detail. Stopping only to answer a few questions he had during her recital, she could sense his disappointment over the vague description of the kidnapper. The words about the fall down the stairs were stuck in her throat and it took a few tries for her to force them out.
“I’m sorry I don’t have more to tell you. Physically, he was tall and wiry with dark eyes. The ski mask and his clothing hid any other distinguishing features. I wish I did see his face because I got the impression he was somehow connected to the family.”
“Why do you say that?”
“He mentioned her father. The way he said ‘your rich daddy’ with such malice made me feel like the break-in was a personal attack against him.”
His eyes were intense and serious as Jared asked, “Do you think she’s…dead?”
She closed her eyes and felt an overwhelming sadness. “I can’t tell you for sure. I’m sorry. The fall was probably not hard enough to kill her and most likely she only lost consciousness for a short period of time. I’m guessing she was alive last night, though. My visions don’t normally fit into a pattern. One night I might dream about an abduction, the next I could see my parents on a date as teenagers.
“However, a few things have been pretty consistent. For one, I don’t seem to receive visions from the dead. If Cori had been killed, it’s not likely I would’ve been able to see how she was abducted.”
He stopped her. “Are your visions of people’s memories?”
She nodded. “I think so. Sometimes it feels as if I’m inside their brain. Other times, I’m an outside obs
erver and just witnessing events, not actively participating.” She was thoughtful. “After the Matt Spencer case, I would receive letters from people searching for their missing loved ones. A few letters I received—it was like no matter how hard I tried, I didn’t have any images about the person lost. I did a few Internet searches to keep up with the outcomes of the abduction cases. I found out in several of the cases that were solved, the person was killed soon after the abduction took place.”
“You can’t see through the killer’s eyes, then?”
“Not usually, because I can’t forge a connection without knowing who it is. I need a visual image of the person in my mind or else nothing happens. If we had a suspect in mind, it would be different. I may be able to get inside his head and find out what he’s done with Cori.” She added, “Another limitation of my gift is I can only see into the past. I’ve never witnessed future events.”
“If she is alive, would you be able to connect with her again?” he asked hopefully.
Rising out of her chair, she began to walk back and forth in front of him. Twirling her fingers nervously through her hair, she stopped to look at him. “I don’t know, maybe. I have no control over what I see, but I can try my hardest. There must be some way I can have power over my visions, but I’m not sure how.” Silence stretched on for several minutes as he seemed to mull over everything she had told him.
“Why do you believe me?” Kate demanded when the quiet started to become unbearable. She continued, “It hardly seems conventional for a police officer to believe in the paranormal. What’s the deal? Why do you believe any of this psychic stuff?”
She could tell he was trying hard to suppress his laughter. She guessed it did seem pretty odd that a psychic was telling him he wasn’t conventional.
“I’m pretty open-minded. My aunt raised me after my parents died in a car accident when I was seven. She’s pretty eccentric. There was always some ‘aunt’ or ‘uncle’ of mine hanging around who was either a medium or a palm reader. But I came to you as a skeptic. It was your strong reaction which made me suspect you were hiding something. Obviously, you were covering something up with your surliness,” he explained.
With earnestness he continued to speak. “Kate, the stuff you just told me, there’s no way you would know certain details. The fact that we found blood at the base of the stairwell or the pictures Cori was drawing hasn’t been released to the media. Also, how could you possibly know the layout of the Preston house?”
“I was not surly,” she protested.
“No, you’re right. Saying you were surly is being kind.” He asked her gravely, “Why do you think he took her?”
Kate chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully. “He had crazy eyes. At first, it made me think he was high and maybe just looking for money to buy drugs. Who else would break into a house at seven-thirty in the evening?”
A second later, she shared her suspicions. “Although he was probably cracked out, I really do think he might know the family in some way. So, maybe he did intend to abduct Cori. Of course, I can’t be sure about anything. It was just the sense I got from the vision.”
He stood. “I’m going to call into the station and let my supervisor know what you told me. Do you mind hanging here for a few minutes in case I have a few more questions?” She shrugged in assent and he walked into his bedroom.
Kate began to wander around his home once he left. It seemed only fair since he’d had no reservations about prying into her life when he’d been at her house. She found a collage of photographs on the wall in the living room. Seeking out Nikki in the photos was child’s play. Drop-dead gorgeous as she’d suspected. She was very petite and thin enough to likely fit into the clothes found in the kids section of The Gap. Straight blond hair hung past her shoulders and the same blue eyes as Cori stared out from the photo. Her complexion was so clear Kate wondered if she had Photoshopped all of the pictures before hanging them on the walls. Her smiles never reached her eyes, which made Kate instantly dislike her. It wasn’t at all about the shots of her and Jared kissing and hugging.
Jared’s smiles were frequent and lit up his whole face. Her intuition told her that he was a good guy and would protect her anonymity. The media blitz of the Matt Spencer case was the last thing she wanted again. She was already a social pariah. Another newspaper story might send her straight to the closest convent.
“What are you looking at so intently?” She jumped at Jared’s voice behind her. She hadn’t heard him return.
“Your girlfriend—she’s beautiful. What’s she doing slumming with you?” she joked and playfully pushed his arm. She blushed at her inability to play it cool and wondered why he seemed to always bring out her inner lameness.
He smiled down at her. “Not sure, guess I’m just lucky. So, kiddo, do you have a boyfriend?”
“Kiddo? Seriously? What are you, like four years older than me?” she scoffed.
He coughed uncomfortably. “Seven years. I’m twenty-eight.”
“Well, holy crap then, you are so much older than me,” Kate said sarcastically. She pierced him with her hazel eyes. “What’s the story then? Why aren’t you saddled down with a wife? Why isn’t there a little Jared Junior running around terrorizing the neighborhood?”
He gave her a thunderous expression and Kate knew she had touched on a sore spot. “Oh, I get it. The other half has been clamoring for a ring, huh? Why the hold out?” Kate was sure he would murder her at that moment if he didn’t need her assistance on the case.
“That’s completely inappropriate and irrelevant.” Kate stifled the urge to laugh at his stern cop voice. “And not true, I might add.”
She decided to retreat. Despite her teasing, she liked him. Teasing him about proposing to his girlfriend might not be the best tactic if she wanted him to be fond of her in return. “I’m sorry, don’t be mad. I think I need sleep or something. My brain is not able to keep up with my mouth. I’ll give you a call if I see anything else about Cori.” She turned towards the door to leave.
“It’s after midnight, Kate. I don’t really feel comfortable with you driving around alone at night.”
Whirling back around, she gazed up at him. Jeez, he was tall, she thought. She’d end up with permanent neck pain if she spent too much time with him. “I’ll be fine. No need to worry about me.”
“Why don’t you just crash here on the couch? You look exhausted,” he offered kindly.
“Ha! Talk about inappropriate. Isn’t that blurring some kind of professional and personal line? Not to mention I only met you yesterday. How do I know I wouldn’t wake up in the middle of the night with you on top of me?”
Although she wasn’t completely sure she would turn him away if that did happen. Hell, she might end up sneaking into his bedroom and seducing him. She really needed to get out of this dry spell. She resolved to talk to Julie about setting her up. Otherwise, she was going to have to resort to trolling the aisles of the local Home Depot. Kate had read somewhere that was the best place to meet single men—even better than a bar.
He didn’t seem overly offended by her tirade. “You have a hard time letting anyone be nice to you, huh? I’m only trying to be your friend, I promise.”
Ugh, a friend? She didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed. “Anyway, thanks for the offer, but Julie’s expecting me. We’re going to shave our legs and tweeze each other’s eyebrows or whatever the hell it is girls do during sleepovers. I’ll be in touch.” With that, she took off into the night.