When I look back over at Tori, I realize she’s studying my reaction intently. “What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Uh … I’m just trying to figure out your game plan,” I stammer awkwardly.
Tori shakes her head in dismay. “Whatever you’re thinking, knock it off. I’m not who the rumors say I am. We’re not here for that.”
I put my hands up in protest. “I swear, that’s not what I was thinking. I was trying to figure out if I could afford dinner. I’ve heard this restaurant is really expensive — a whole day of pay kind of expensive.”
Tori’s skeptical expression softens as she responds, “I didn’t even think about that. Lucky for you, that’s not why we’re here. Even if it was, if I found out about the prices, we would turn around and eat at Applebee’s because I’m not that kind of person.”
“Then why on earth are we here?” I press.
“It’s a surprise. Wait in the car until I come around to get you. Then close your eyes,” she instructs as she gets out of the car.
As I sit there waiting, I wonder what in the world I’ve gotten myself into — but it doesn’t take long for her to appear on the other side of the car. She helps me out and instructs me to leave my eyes closed. “Relax, I used to work at a summer camp with people with visual impairments. I’m a superb guide.”
“Look, I know I said you could plan the date, but isn’t this taking it a little too far?” I ask in an exasperated tone.
“You’ll be fine. You’re a big brave officer of the law, remember?” she teases.
I reach out and feel her face before I pull her close for a scorching hot kiss. “Are you sure I can’t talk you into another game? I’m sure we can come up with something more fun,” I reply suggestively.
Tori backs away and puts her hand on my arm. “Umm … sorry … no. You agreed to play by my rules tonight. Besides, I want you to have the full experience,” Tori teases as she carefully guides me into the hotel. I know we must look ridiculous, but Tori doesn’t seem to care. I regret I ever agreed to this silly game because I want to watch her walk beside me. I know she looks stunning. I didn’t get a long enough look at her when we were walking toward the car, but I know her dress hugs her every curve like it was made for her.
I hear the elevator chime and we walk inside. I can sense other people are in the elevator, but no one is saying anything. I hear someone clear their throat and I don’t think it’s Tori. The elevator sounds again, and we exit the car and move down the hallway. I hear the sound of lots of voices. It’s disconcerting for me not to be able to see what’s going on and guard myself against any potential threat. Finally, my nerves get the best of me and I say to Tori, “Enough of this game. Please tell me what’s going on. I don’t like the direction this day is going.”
“No cheating!” Tori insists. I feel cool hands cover my eyes as we enter a large room and the voices around me grow louder.
I hear rustling behind me and feel the hand slip off and change positions. Thinking Tori is about to fall on her high heels, I open my eyes and reach out to steady her. I’m confused when she’s standing right beside me instead of behind mw.
Instinctively, I try to spin around. “What the he—”
“Now, is that any way to talk to your former partner?” Katie asks with a giggle.
“Katie Anthony? What are you doing here? I thought you were doing bodywork for some famous musicians —”
Katie clicks her tongue at me. “My goodness … you must have lost your keen observational skills in your old age. Who exactly do you think you’re here to see?”
I turn to Tori in shock. “You brought us to an Aidan O’Brien concert on our first date?”
She nods. “You said you wanted to dance. I figured you wouldn’t mind a little live music.”
“Mind? It’s almost impossible to get tickets to see this guy. This is awesome!”
“So, you like it? Did I do a good job choosing our first date?” Tori asks with a hopeful grin.
I spin her around and plant a kiss on her lips, barely able to contain my excitement. “Abso-freaking-lutely! This is perfect. I couldn’t have done it any better. No wonder you wanted to keep it a surprise,” I respond after I reluctantly end our kiss.
She pulls my head down for another kiss before she remarks, “Huh … I guess you’ll be really blown away by our VIP backstage passes. You don’t have to worry about buying us dinner. We’re having dinner with the band.”
“No flipping way!” I exclaim, as I look around the room in wide-eyed amazement. “How in the world did you pull all this off?” Belatedly, I remember my former partner. “Where did Katie go?”
“She probably had to go back to work or maybe she’s talking with her family. I think they’re here tonight. She said something about sharing big news. We’ll see them tonight at dinner.”
“I was going to thank her for helping you plan this. It was kind of cheating, but you know what? I don’t even care if you had Katie’s help. However you did this, it’s the best idea ever.”
“I’m so glad I was able to pull off the surprise. All I can say is that I have a whole new level of respect for guys after planning all this. It’s a lot harder than it looks. Let’s go find our seats. Katie said she reserved spots up front for us.”
Tori grabs my hand and leads me to the front of the room. I’m amused when I see a table with placards with my name next to Tori’s. Apparently, Katie wanted to make sure I knew it was mine because in front of my chair is my favorite Starbucks drink and candy bar. Tori’s eyes widen after she takes a sip of her drink. “I have no idea how she knows Horchata Almond milk Frappuccinos are my favorite. I didn’t tell her — but she nailed it anyway.”
“Her husband, Logan, works a lot with Tristan at Identity Bank. Together, they are righteously scary. It’s a good thing they’re the good guys. It would be frightening to contemplate what would happen if they were using their talents for evil.”
From behind me I hear a loud snicker. “You are so funny Cody. Of course, Tristan wouldn’t be a bad guy. I don’t think it’s genetically possible. He loves dogs too much.”
I spin around to see Darya’s daughter sitting across the table from us. “Maya! Is that you? It can’t possibly be! The Maya I know is a tomboy who is a world-class dog trainer. You’re an elegant, miniature version of your mother.” I turn to Tori. “You know Detective Darya Vick? This is her daughter Maya.”
“You forgot, that’s not my mom’s name anymore. She changed it when she married Stuart. She’s Darya Eastwood now. I think she sounds like a movie star.”
Tori nods. “I’ve worked with Darya on several cases. She’s a great asset to law enforcement.” Tori smiles at Maya. “Hi, I’m Tori. I love your outfit. It’s very vintage. Are you a fan of Aidan O’Brien?”
“I like his stuff okay. But I’m here to see Mindy Whitaker and Tasha Keeley-Hernandez.”
“Honestly, I’m here to expand my music horizons, I don’t know much about any of them, but my friend told me I would like them all. So, we’ll see —” Tori admits with a grin.
“This is my first grown-up concert. I’m really excited.”
“Are you here by yourself?” I ask as I look around for Stuart and Darya.
“I didn’t drive myself, if that’s what you’re asking. I’m only thirteen. Mom and Dad are here somewhere. They’re probably making out or doing something equally embarrassing — but they promised me they would pretend they didn’t even know me today. As far as anybody knows, I’m just a fan here to see my favorite artists perform at a concert.”
“You mean to tell me you didn’t bring a date?” I tease.
Maya wrinkles her nose and shakes her head vehemently. “Oh, no, not me! I like dogs a lot better than I like boys. Besides, Dad says I’m not allowed to date until I’m thirty-five. I’m not sure he’s kidding.”
Tori chuckles. “Stuart is an intense kind of guy under all his laid-back humor. There’s a decent chance he m
ay be serious. He does seem massively protective of the people he loves.”
Maya shrugs. “Maybe someday, I’ll think it’s a bad thing. Right now, I think it’s pretty cool. He does an awesome job of watching out for me and my baby sister. My mom is really happy.”
Suddenly the house lights go down and Tasha and Jude appear at center stage. Jude takes the microphone. “We’re doing something special tonight. We’re here to raise money for Hope’s Haven — an organization which provides training for search and rescue dogs and service dogs alike. But I understand we have a special fan in the audience who is new to our music. I understand she likes her music with a touch of soul. Throughout the night we’ll be adding some cover songs to our usual playlist to make sure she feels comfortable here.”
Tori looks at me in shock as if I had something to do with this development. I shrug and just join the rest of the audience in wild applause.
Jude continues as the spotlight zooms in on Tasha who looks surprisingly uncomfortable. “I’d like to give a shout out to my wife, Tasha. There was a time in my life I would’ve never been able to throw caution to the wind and toss new songs into the mix on a whim. Tasha taught me to believe in myself and the power of faith over fear. I love her so much, and so will you. To start things off, let’s do a little Stand By Me by the great Ben E. King.”
Tori scoots close and leans against my chest as she holds my hand. I feel her softly inhale and exhale. “You’re right. This is the most perfect date I’ve ever been on.”
As we’re waiting for dinner to be served, Maya is chatting away with her mom. “Mom! Did you see? Can you believe Mindy sang Respect with Tori, Cody, and me? It was like we were backup singers. I hope somebody got it on video because I want to show my friends. They'll never believe I was singing with a big star!”
Darya laughs out loud. “You have met your father, right? He’s probably posted it online and tagged everyone he knows in this state … and fourteen others by now.”
I cringe when I hear her say those words.
Darya sees my expression. “Oh no — I didn’t even think about that. You’re not working on anything undercover, are you?”
“Relax. If I was, I would’ve never set foot on the stage. I know people record stuff with their cameras. I’m not worried about me. Tori has received some bad press coverage recently. She doesn’t need to be exposed to anymore bad publicity.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I can ask Stuart to take it down. Just a minute, I’ll go get him.”
Tori reaches out to stop her. “Look, don’t bother. Let Maya have her fun. The media is going to post negative stuff about me anyway.” She looks down at her gorgeous dress. “At least today, I’m not wearing scroungy yoga pants and a T-shirt older than your daughter.”
Darya smiles sympathetically. “Oh, I hear you. Every time they run a story about me, they pick the most god-awful shots of me. Everyone was shocked when they saw our wedding pictures. No one could believe I was actually photogenic because they’ve never seen a good picture of me.”
“Tori looks magnificent tonight, but to be honest, I’ve never seen her look anything but beautiful,” I comment as I lean down and kiss my stunning date on her cheek.
I wasn’t prepared for my compliment to be met with a chorus of “Awws” from the females in the immediate vicinity of where we were sitting. The tips of my ears heat, and I take a gulp of ice water to cover my nerves.
Darya studies Tori intently. “I don’t know if you know this, but Cody and I have worked together on several cases. Aside from my husband, I consider Cody to be one of the finest men I know. You are lucky to be dating him.”
I clear my throat. “Umm, if you guys are planning to talk about me, maybe I should go find something else to do … because this is awkward.”
Maya makes a dramatic show of whispering to me in a stage whisper, “It’s supposed to be awkward, that’s what makes it fun for them. They do it to me all the time.”
“In that case, I think I’ll go find a group of my friends to go talk to and leave you guys to your own devices,” I tease.
“Not so fast Cody,” Mindy says as she walks up to the table. “I need to talk to you guys.”
I pick up a CD and show it to her. “We already bought the CD, see?” I joke. “No need to go in for the hard sell.”
“This isn’t about my career — although thanks for buying the CD. We’re donating all the profits so Mitch can train more service dogs.”
Tori scoots her chair over and pulls one over from another table. “I really enjoyed the concert tonight. You guys were amazing. I was grateful you incorporated some of my favorite music into your set. Maybe you didn’t do it for me, but I felt like you did.”
Mindy grins at Tori. “Katie’s one of my favorite people. She saved my life once. I know that Cody is one of her favorite people. From the looks of things, you mean a lot to Cody. It was the least we can do. If there’s one thing we believe in around here, it’s a good old-fashioned love story, even if we have to get there the hard way.”
“I don’t know if you’d call what Cody and I have an actual love story but he has been great during a really tough time.”
“Remember that — because it’s about to get tougher,” Mindy advises in a somber tone.
Tori looks over at me with a puzzled expression as she grips my hand tighter. I shrug helplessly as I look to Mindy Francis. “I’m sorry I don’t know what you mean.”
Maya interrupts excitedly, “Oh, I bet I know! I read about this in an article about you. You’re having one of your premonition thingies, right?”
Mindy nods tightly. “I am.”
Darya stands to leave and grabs her daughter’s hand. “Maybe we should give them a little privacy. As interesting as this is, it doesn’t really have anything to do with us.”
Mindy pins Darya with an intense gaze. “Actually, it does involve you and your daughter. Please stay.”
Darya’s hand trembles as she pushes her hair out of her face and sits back down. “Maybe Stuart should be here for this too,” she whispers under her breath to no one in particular.
“Probably so,” Mindy confirms quietly.
Darya doesn’t even have to go get Stuart. As soon as he sees the stricken expression on her face, he sprints over to our table.
Without saying a word, Maya moves over a seat and makes room for her stepfather.
“Can somebody tell me why my wife looks like she’s seen a ghost?” Stuart demands.
“Oh, probably because I’m rather ghostlike,” Mindy answers.
“Mindy has premonitions when really bad things or really good things are going to happen. But, she can only tell us if it’s a matter of life and death. Those are her rules. So, it must be something pretty bad,” Maya explains before Mindy has a chance to.
Darya whips her head around and looks at Mindy skeptically. “Is this true?”
“Yeah, that’s a startlingly accurate summary of what happens with me,” Mindy confirms. “The only thing Maya left out is that I only see a portion of what’s happening. I don’t always see the whole scene. I see bits and pieces. So, I can give you what I’ve got — but it’s up to you to interpret it. People have described it as a terrible riddle which makes no sense at first. If that’s the case here, I apologize in advance, but I’m doing the best I can.”
“How frustrating for you,” Stuart remarks.
Mindy nods. “I agree, but I guess it’s like my husband says. Even a little information is more helpful than none at all.”
“I suppose that’s true,” I comment. “What do you have for us?”
“Those who are missing? You’ll find them on YouTube pretending to be those who they are not.”
Darya and I look at each other with wide eyes. “Did you check YouTube?” I ask.
“I found none on my caseload. Facebook and Snapchat, sure, but no YouTube channel. What about you?”
“My victim was grounded from the Internet for sneaking out with her boyfrie
nd. At the time she disappeared, she had no social media accounts. Our forensic people found nothing on her phone or her iPad.”
Maya shifts uncomfortably in her chair. I notice the change in her countenance immediately. “Maya, what’s up?”
She sends a furtive glance in her parents’ direction before she answers, “I think I know what you’re talking about. Last year, before summer break we had an end-of-the-year talent show. I brought Atlas to school and showed off his agility skills. I didn’t win a prize or nothing. Those went to the singers and the guy who played his guitar really great — like so great he could be part of Mindy’s band. Anyway, the principal asked me what I wanted to be. I said I’d like to have my own TV show about dog training someday.”
Stuart nods. “We’ve talked about this, I think that’s a great idea.”
“That’s not the creepy thing. The next day, there was a note in my locker. It was an offer to make me a YouTube star. It told me to call this number but not from my own cell phone. I was supposed to use a public phone like at the library or buy a special throwaway phone which couldn’t be traced.”
“Maya! Why didn’t you bring the note to me?” Darya exclaims. “That’s the kind of crime the police department investigates. You know, that’s my job —”
Maya shrugs. “I didn’t figure it was any big deal. Actually, I thought it was some mean girls playing a prank on me, so I threw it away. I didn’t even call the number because it was just too weird.”
“Well, I’m glad you trusted your instincts,” I praise. “Do you know if any of the rest of your friends got notes like that?”
Maya tearfully shakes her head. “I don’t know. I didn’t know it was a big deal. I should’ve said something. I’m so sorry. Now those kids are missing, huh? Is it my fault?”
Love and Injustice Page 7
