Back to Salem

by Alex Marcoux

  “It must have been some kiss.”

  “Oh, it was.” Jessie smiled as she remembered. “Up until that point I never thought of being gay as a possibility. Then it hit me I was. All the signs were there. I just never recognized them.”

  “Excuse me,” a stranger interrupted them. He was sitting at a table next to them. “You’re Taylor Andrews, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, I am.”

  The man rose from his table and went to Taylor with a napkin and pen in hand.

  “May I have your autograph?” he asked.

  Taylor graciously signed the napkin for the man.

  When the man left, Jessie changed the subject. “So tell me, what’s it like to be a superstar?”

  Taylor smiled. “Most of the time it’s great. There are other times when it’s challenging.” Taylor had been staring out the window. Occasionally she seemed preoccupied.

  “Is there something wrong?” Jessie asked.

  Taylor shook her head. “No. I’ve just been watching that woman.” She pointed out the window to the back of a woman who sat with a television tray in front of her on the sidewalk. Another woman sat next to her; the two appeared deep in conversation. A sign sat next to the table, “Readings $50+.”

  “You’re watching the psychic?” Jessie asked.

  “Do you realize that’s the third person she’s scammed since we’ve sat here?”

  “How do you know she’s scamming them?”

  “Oh, don’t tell me you believe in that hocus pocus,” challenged Taylor.

  Jessie was taken aback by Taylor’s comment and just stared at her.

  “What?” Taylor asked.

  “You don’t believe in metaphysics?”

  “No. Not really.”

  Jessie stared at her trying to comprehend the difference between Taylor and Rebecca.

  “What? Do you believe in that stuff?”

  “I think there are some good psychics and there are some bad ones. Just like any vocation. But what surprises me is…a lot of your music is filled with metaphysical concepts.”

  “It’s music, Jessie. It doesn’t mean I believe in any of the stuff.”

  “Why would you write music, about something that’s so unconventional, especially if you don’t believe in it?”

  “It sells.”

  “No. There’s got to be more.”

  Taylor looked into Jessie’s eyes. She wondered why it was so easy and comforting to look into her eyes. “I’m not sure what it is. When I go into my creative shell, which is my way of brainstorming, those songs just come easy.”

  “Haven’t you ever wondered why?”

  “No. I don’t need to. I just write down the lyrics, the music comes to me and the next thing I know I have a hit.”

  “Is that how ‘Daniel’s Heart’ came to you?”

  “Pretty much most of my songs.”

  “So you don’t believe in psychics? Or past lives? Or karma?”

  Taylor smiled. “No. I don’t believe in any of that.”

  Jessie smiled. She was amazed at how different Taylor was from Rebecca. Though she knew it was the same soul. How can that be? “Tell me, have you ever had a reading with a psychic?”

  “No.”

  “Then how do you know it’s hocus pocus?”

  “Get real. I wouldn’t pay a cent for a reading.”

  Jessie smiled. “But I will…if you’re game.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “After lunch, I’ll buy you a reading. If she gives you an accurate reading—you owe me a dinner.”

  “And if she doesn’t?”

  “I’ll owe you a dinner.” Jessie surprised herself by the suggestion.

  After lunch, Taylor and Jessie approached the psychic outside the restaurant. Tarot cards sat in front of her on the tray.

  “Good afternoon, ladies.”

  “Good afternoon to you,” Jessie said. “My friend would like to have a reading.”

  The psychic looked at Taylor and smiled. “It would be an honor to do a reading for you Ms. Andrews.”

  “You already know who I am.” Taylor turned toward Jessie. “This won’t work. She can say a bunch of things that have been published about me.”

  “That’s true, but that’s not how I give a reading.” The woman pulled out the chair next to her. “Please sit.”

  Taylor complied and sat next to her.

  “My name is Karen. When I do a reading, I don’t spend a lot of time on things that you already know, just to prove my accuracy. For example, I won’t tell you that you have a boyfriend with dark hair, you drive a fancy red sports car and you live in a 10,000-square-foot house in Malibu. I don’t say these things because frankly—who cares? I try to give the person information that can help them on a soul level. I assure you, Ms. Andrews, Entertainment Tonight doesn’t give me this information.”

  “Okay,” Taylor said.

  Jessie turned to move away from them.

  “Where you going?” Taylor asked.

  “I’m just giving you some privacy.”

  “No. I want you to sit in on this.”

  “Are you sure?” Jessie asked.

  “Absolutely.”

  Jessie sat near Taylor and watched.

  “Is there any area in your life you’d like me to focus on?” Karen asked.

  Taylor shook her head, “No.”

  Karen picked up the Tarot cards and whispered a prayer. She then handed the deck to Taylor. “I want you to shuffle the cards until you feel like stopping.”

  Taylor started shuffling the large cards in her tiny hands and a card flew out.

  Karen quickly picked up the card. “The deck is done,” she said. She quickly took the rest of the deck from Taylor.

  “But I wasn’t finished.”

  “Yes, you are. The cards are done.”

  The psychic laid the card that had jumped out face up on the tray along with a couple other cards. She closed her eyes and appeared to be concentrating. Occasionally she shook her head. “I am having some difficulty with this,” she admitted. “What the card tells me does not fit Ms. Andrews. But let me try it anyway.” She pointed at the card that had flung out of the deck; it was the “High Priestess.” “This card is a reflection of your past. It indicates that in your past you were very psychic.”

  Taylor laughed.

  “I can tell you’re not a believer…no there’s something else,” Karen’s eyes shut. She remained quiet for some time and then smiled. She opened her eyes. “That makes more sense.”

  “That’s good. Enlighten me!” Taylor said.

  “You were very psychic, very metaphysically aware in your past. But it was a past life.”

  “Right,” Taylor said sarcastically.

  “This is important. Please hear me out. I’m getting life reading messages from the spirits.”

  Taylor watched in disbelief.

  Karen closed her eyes and then started to speak slowly. “In a past life you were either persecuted or possibly executed because of your awareness, or maybe…maybe even a loved one was hurt by this.”

  Jessie’s heart ached. Karen’s insight brought fleeting painful memories she experienced after her regression. As she sat listening to Taylor’s reading she wondered if she’d learn Rebecca’s fate this way.

  “You have suppressed your gifts because of what happened to you. And this is not the first time you have been here to work on this life’s purpose…you have been very hurt…on the soul level. You feel betrayed. In your previous life, you were a good person and you used some means of psychic awareness to help someone in need…it backfired…you have been deeply scarred and you have suppressed so much. And this is why you are here. Your purpose for this lifetime is to awaken these gifts that have been locked away.”

  Karen opened her eyes and moved to another card, the “Wheel of Fortune.” Then she returned to the first card. “You have started.”

  “I have started what?” Taylor asked.

  “The
awakening. But it’s only baby steps. Your music is a result of this awakening. You have so much farther to go.”

  “Right,” Taylor replied.

  Karen momentarily broke away from the cards and stared at Taylor. “Many times I sit with nonbelievers. They come to me, give me money and I give them a reading. I don’t understand why they come, maybe to laugh at me…but they do come. I don’t understand why they don’t believe. In your case, Taylor, I understand why it is so hard to believe. You need to keep trying.”

  Karen returned to the laid-out cards. “This card represents your present,” she pointed at the “Wheel of Fortune” card. “There is some type of karmic situation here.” She paused. “There is someone from a past life that is involved in some type of karmic debt…there is real danger with this person.”

  When Jessie heard this, she was shocked. It couldn’t be me…. could it?

  “This person has an enormous amount of love for you. But it’s misguided. And there’s something…”

  “There’s what?” Taylor asked.

  Karen laid out an additional card. Both Jessie and Taylor followed her gaze to the “Death” card.

  “Even I know that that isn’t good,” Taylor said.

  “It’s not what you think it means,” Karen said. Her fingers wandered back over all the cards. “In your present—fate rules. Something needs to work itself out…do your best to release any disappointment. This is a cycle you have fallen into for more than one lifetime.”

  “I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

  “Souls travel in groups. There is a soul that you have been with before, that is in your life. Their intentions are not healthy and this is what is causing danger. The cycle must be broken, and you must release any disappointment, and learn.”

  “Do I? Can you see the future? And if so, is the cycle broken?”

  Karen gazed at the Death card.

  “Is that my future?”

  “It is your future as of today. The cards show a future dependent on how you evolve today.”

  “So…I’m going to die?”

  “We all die, but that is not necessarily what the Death card implies. It means you are going to go through a dramatic change, a new chapter will begin and the slate will be wiped clean. To me, that implies that the cycle will end.”

  Karen closed her eyes. “This is a very strong cycle. It is going to be hard, but the rewards are wondrous. When in doubt, Taylor, go with your gut. You are incredibly sensitive and very psychic. Know that your first thought about any given situation is more accurate than if you dwelled upon it. You have taken baby steps. Keep going and don’t stop.” Karen closed her eyes once more. “Oh, one last thing…you’ll find the earring in your purse.”

  The reading ended, Jessie paid Karen the fee, and Taylor and Jessie stood to leave. Jessie noticed that Karen’s eyes followed her as they departed. After Jessie and Taylor had strolled about ten feet away, Jessie looked back at Karen. She was still staring at her.

  The women were silent on their way back to Jessie’s car. Jessie’s mind kept replaying the reading Taylor had received. Am I placing Taylor in danger? How could my love for her be misguided? She glanced at Taylor who was preoccupied in her own thoughts.

  “Are you okay?” Jessie asked.

  “Sure,” Taylor said. “I was just thinking about where you’re taking me for dinner.”

  “Dinner? You’re that confident she completely misread you?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Jessie hoped she was right. Though she knew Karen was at least partially accurate, with Rebecca being psychically aware. “What’s the deal about the earring?”

  “I’m not sure. I have to admit—I do have a missing earring. It’s been missing for some time, now. I left my handbag in your car. If the earring is there, I’ll admit defeat and buy you dinner.”

  “Deal.”

  Taylor pulled the handbag from the car and emptied its contents on the trunk of the Lexus, carefully inspecting each object. The earring was no place to be found. “Guess you owe me dinner.”

  Chapter 13

  A week later, Jessie walked onto the set for Deceptions. The scene was being shot at the county courthouse and was in progress when Jessie arrived. Jennifer was at the front of the courtroom. Her character, Nicole, was being charged with the murder of her girlfriend’s husband. Taylor sat silently behind Jennifer.

  Jessie stood quietly in the rear of the courtroom, watching the scene develop. Travis shouted, “Cut! Cut! Cut!” All the action stopped. He then directed his frustration at the actor who was portraying the prosecuting attorney.

  Jessie noticed that Taylor had turned around and appeared to be searching the courtroom. When Taylor’s eyes found Jessie’s, the blue eyes softened and a smile came to Taylor’s lips. Jessie returned the smile.

  She waved at Jessie, then mouthed the words, “Friday night.” But she knew from Jessie’s facial expression that Jessie did not understand. Travis was still busy, talking with the actor, and sensing this, Taylor spoke softly out loud to Jessie. “Friday night. You’re buying dinner. Right?”

  Jessie nodded.

  The back courtroom door flung open, and Kurk walked in. He winked and waved at Taylor. She blew him a kiss and then Kurk went to Travis. Although Travis was busy with the actor, his focus changed and the men started talking. Soon they realized their voices were rising, and they left the room.

  Minutes later, Travis returned to the set, his face was redder than usual. Jessie was surprised that Kurk did not return with him. During a break, Jessie approached Travis, but when he uncharacteristically snapped at a crew member, she retreated.

  “So is Friday okay?” Taylor came up behind Jessie.

  Jessie turned toward Taylor. “You’re still convinced you got a bad reading?”

  “Yes. Are you going to make good on your word?”

  “I always make good on my word. Where do you want to go?”

  “I’ll make the arrangements. I’ll even pick you up,” Taylor said.

  Friday evening, Taylor arrived at Jessie’s, seven o’clock sharp.

  “Hi, come in.” Jessie backed away from the door permitting Taylor to pass. “I just want to check on Maxwell.”

  “Who’s Maxwell?”

  Jessie went to the kitchen. She picked up a bowl from the floor and filled it with some food. “He’s my cat. He’s probably on the couch in the great room.” Jessie pointed, then filled Maxwell’s water dish.

  Taylor strolled into the room where she found the cat asleep on the chair. She stroked the cat’s neck and woke him. “Hi, Mr. Maxwell.”

  Jessie could hear Taylor speak to her cat.

  “Nice sound system,” she said louder.

  Jessie finished with Maxwell’s preparations then went to the great room. Taylor was admiring Jessie’s B&O system along with her CD collection. “You have a wonderful CD collection,” she said. “Except…”

  “Except what?”

  Taylor was searching the shelves of Jessie’s collection. Then she turned back toward Jessie. “Except you don’t have any of mine.”

  Jessie remembered that she had stored the CDs away with all the material she had gathered on Taylor more than two years earlier.

  “Oh…I do. They’re on my iPod.” I better download them.

  Taylor’s eyes returned to Jessie’s collection. “You have the new Natalie Merchant CD. How is it?”

  “It’s good,” Jessie said.

  “I’d love to hear it. Would you mind if we take it and listen to it in the car?”

  “No. Not at all.” Jessie removed the CD from her collection and handed it to Taylor. She bid Maxwell farewell and they left. When Jessie saw the red Porsche parked in her driveway, she smiled recalling that the psychic mentioned a red sports car.

  Taylor popped the trunk and proceeded to put the CD in the changer, but stopped. “I wondered where this was.” She pulled a small hand purse from the trunk, then loaded the cartridge with the
CD. “Of course! I put it in here after Kurk’s last cast party.”

  “How many purses do you have?” Jessie asked.

  “I don’t know. Why?”

  “Earring…”

  Taylor opened the small purse. She pulled out the few personal items she had stored away months earlier and found the earring on the bottom of the purse. She picked it up and displayed the tiny treasure to Jessie. “How did she do that?” Taylor mumbled.

  Jessie opened the passenger door. “I hope you brought a credit card.”

  All the way to the restaurant, Jessie was lost in her own thoughts. She was saddened to learn Karen was as accurate as she was. Jessie looked at Taylor. She wondered how she could be a danger to her or how her love could be misguided. She gazed out the window, trying to take her mind off the subject. In the rear view mirror, she noticed the front of a dark-blue Ford Mustang and, for a moment, she was reminded of Ellen.

  Taylor took Jessie to a small Italian restaurant outside of Pasadena. The host recognized Taylor and quickly escorted them to a private cubbyhole away from others in the restaurant.

  “You’ve been here before I take it.” Jessie asked.

  “Yes. The owners are always very protective of me.”

  “You haven’t said much since you found your earring.”

  Taylor shook her head. “I don’t understand how she knew. It must have been such an incredibly lucky guess.”

  “Have you ever considered that she could possibly have been right?”

  “I’ve always poked fun at people who believed in this stuff. I feel hypocritical even considering the possibility.”

  “Why don’t you take it one step at a time? Read a book on intuition and see how that feels.”

  “You believe in this stuff?”

  Jessie nodded. “I, too, was once a nonbeliever, then something happened to me and…it just changed the way I look at most things.”

  “If she was right about those things, what about the rest?” Taylor asked.

  Jessie wondered if she was reading her mind. She smiled. “How does the rest feel?”

  “Not very good.”

  “The part about your past life…does that feel right?”