Beyond the Shadows

by Kira Chase

  Johanna took a sharp intake of air. “What do you feel, Frankie?” Her hands trembled as she reached for Frankie's arm. “Tell me.”

  Frankie slipped an arm around her shoulder and drew her close. “I promised you I'd always tell you if my feelings grew intense. I'm not going to lie to you now, Johanna. I just think he's closer than any of us realize. I can't explain it.”

  Johanna chewed her bottom lip and began to shake. “You think he's near our property?”

  Frankie tightened her hold on her. “I didn't say that. It'll be okay. I promise,” she soothed. “It's just a gut feeling. We'll be fine. We have the officers at the gate and Kate here in the house with us. There's no way Fellows can get to us.”

  Kate stared intently at the two women. “I don't mean to pry, but is there something I should know?” Her eyes narrowed.

  Frankie shrugged. “About what?”

  Kate stared at Frankie. “Your gut feelings are that intense that it alarms Johanna?”

  “It's more than that. Her feelings are…it's hard to describe.” Johanna pulled on her chin. “No matter how I try to explain it, it's going to come out sounding very strange. When Frankie gets these intense feelings they have an uncanny way of coming true and exactly the way she describes them. I guess some people would call it a gift,” Johanna explained.

  Frankie, the color rising in her cheeks, lifted an eyebrow as she looked pointedly at the deputy. “I wouldn't exactly call it a gift. It's mostly more like a curse.” She laughed hollowly. “It's no different than the feelings everyone gets. Call it what you want…a gut instinct, women's intuition. Mine are just stronger.” She shrugged. “It's no big deal.”

  “And every time you get one of those intense feelings it comes to pass,” Johanna added. “Exactly as you knew it would.”

  “You mean you're psychic?” Kate asked with a touch of fascination in her voice. “I've seen some psychics on television, but I've never gone to one. Can you tell the future?”

  “No. It's nothing like that. I can't tell futures and I don't see dead people.” Frankie shook her head. “It doesn't work like that…for me anyway.” She exhaled loudly. “Ever since I was a kid I'd sometimes get intense feelings about things.”

  “It's more than just intense feelings,” Johanna interjected. “Her feelings have always come true even when they make no sense.” She leaned forward as she looked at Kate. “For instance, one time we were on patrol in Philly and this guy was walking down the street. She told me to stop the car. When I asked why she explained that the guy was going to pull a gun out of the left pocket of his jacket and shoot a redhead who was sitting on a park bench reading a book. We got him just after he pulled the gun out of his pocket and was aiming for the innocent redhead.” She bit her bottom lip. “Now tell me that's just an intense feeling? I saw nothing unusual about the guy as we were patrolling. He looked like any other pedestrian walking the streets. There was nothing that even told me he had a gun and especially what he'd planned to do with the gun.”

  Frankie looked at Kate's face. Her expression was frozen somewhere between awe and fear. “No matter what it is, it has actually helped me to be more aware.” She shrugged. “It keeps me on my toes.”

  Kate frowned. “It doesn't seem like such a curse then. I mean it can actually save your or someone else's life.”

  “Not always.” Frankie was thoughtful for a minute. “It's hard to explain. When the feeling is powerful, it usually does mean that the person I'm having it about could be headed for danger. When the feeling is about someone you care deeply about and there's nothing you can do to change the outcome, then it is a definite curse. You can warn them, but you can't force them to heed your warning. Many times it's as though I'm watching a movie knowing how it's going to end because the key players ignore their own inner feelings and take the wrong turn. I want to grab them and turn them in the right direction, but they won't budge.” She exhaled loudly. “It can be very frustrating.”

  Kate shook her head. “I'm not sure I know what you're talking about, Frankie. Are you saying we ignore our own feelings, which in turn causes our problems?”

  She nodded. “Sometimes I think we do. We all have that gut feeling. As a cop, you know what it feels like to have a gut feeling about something. No matter what you do you just can't shake it until you see it to the end.” She peered at her friend. “In my case it's magnified a hundred times over. And, as I said, it's frustrating not being able to help someone because that person refuses your help. I also have to be careful how I tell them or they'll think I'm some kind of whack case.” Her brow puckered. “Very few people know about this and I'd appreciate you not sharing with anyone…not even Arlan.”

  She nodded slowly. “I promise. Does George or Trey and Will know?”

  Frankie shook her head. “No. Men seem to be more skeptical.”

  Kate sipped at her coffee. She was thoughtful for a minute as she set her cup back down. “I know about the gut feeling, but I can't even comprehend what that would feel like amplified.”

  Johanna nodded emphatically. “That's why when I know she has a strong feeling I get anxious. Sometimes her feelings don't directly tell her who is in danger. Only that danger is near.” She eyed Frankie. “And many times she tries to avoid telling me anything.” Her eyes narrowed. “In fact, I think she's got a gift that goes much deeper than she's willing to share with even me.”

  Frankie grew uncomfortable. “There's no need to worry you every single time I get a feeling.” She patted Johanna's hand. “Let's change the subject.”

  “Good way to avoid the question,” Johanna said seriously with a playful punch to Frankie's arm.

  By the tone of her voice, Frankie knew that Johanna never believed her when she tried to blow off the feelings she got. Johanna was right about one thing, though. There were some things that she couldn't share. Not even with the woman she would lay down her life for. She gave Johanna what she hoped was a pleading look to change the topic.

  Johanna smiled. “But I'll forgive you this time.”

  Frankie grinned, relieved. “So, on a lighter note,” she began, directing her attention to Kate, “Word has it that you may be making some major changes in your life, hopefully in the not too distant future.”

  Kate lifted her eyebrows. “Really? That's news to me. What have you heard?”

  Frankie turned to Johanna and winked before turning her attention back to Kate. “I don't know. A little birdie seems to think that Arlan is a major player in your future plans.”

  Kate flushed. “And now just how would you know that? Is there more to your 'gift' than you're letting on? So you are psychic after all.” She grinned at the two women.

  Johanna laughed. “Nothing psychic about this at all. We're former cops turned PI's, remember? This is purely investigative work,” she teased.

  “And your point is?” Kate answered with a laugh.

  “Come on, spill it,” Frankie insisted.

  “Okay.” Kate cleared her throat. “Arlan and I have discussed the possibility of moving in together…eventually. Nothing is definite.”

  Frankie scowled. “The possibility?” She looked pointedly at Kate. “Come on. You can't fool us. Let's see it.”

  Kate looked at the women, then with an excited grin reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out a ring. She held it in front of Frankie and Johanna's eyes. “It's beautiful, isn't it?”

  Johanna nodded approvingly. “It definitely is. I never knew Arlan had such good taste…that is until he met you.” She lifted an eyebrow. “So, why aren’t you wearing it, Kate?”

  Kate sighed heavily. “Arlan and I decided to keep it quiet for a little while.”

  “Why?”

  She looked uncomfortable. “We didn't want everyone to make a big fuss. We thought some weekend we'd just sneak off and get married.” Her face colored. “Arlan knows I'm old-fashioned and won't move in with him unless we're married.”

  “Won't your families be upset if you don't have a
wedding?” Johanna asked.

  “As two of your closest friends, I know we will be,” Frankie said. “Would you deprive Johanna and me of giving you a bridal shower?”

  Kate puckered up her face. “You know that you two are my best friends. In fact, you're the only true friends that I have here.” She smiled weakly. “Arlan and I agreed to skip the traditional route and save everyone the bother. Just being married is all that really matters anyway.”

  “And deprive us of a big party?” Frankie said feigning shock. “The nerve!”

  Johanna and Kate laughed at the face Frankie was making.

  “It's not a bother, Kate. We'd love to help you plan a nice traditional wedding,” Johanna stated enthusiastically. “The whole works. It doesn't have to be a huge affair unless you want it to be.”

  “And it'll give us something else to think about while we're waiting for Fellows to make his next move,” Frankie added. “Please let us do this for you and Arlan, Kate. You two have done so much for us. Even doing this could never repay you two.”

  “You two don't owe us anything. We've only done what any good friends would.” Kate smiled. “I have to admit, though, it's always been my dream to have a wedding with my father walking me down the aisle. I don't have any sisters so I'd be honored if the both of you would be my matrons of honor.”

  “We accept!” the women said in unison.

  She laughed. “Thank you. I'll talk to Arlan and see what he thinks.” She looked closely at Frankie and Johanna. “So how did you two really find out? I know you're the top private investigators around this area, but Arlan and I haven't breathed a word of this to anyone. This was kept deeply under cover.”

  Johanna lifted an eyebrow. “It wasn't hard to figure out. A couple of months ago Arlan asked us about a piece of property for sale about two miles up the road from us. The Meyers place. Tonight Frankie saw you looking at your ring before putting it back into your pocket.” She grinned. “It was easy to figure it out from there.”

  Frankie leaned forward. “You need to put that ring on your finger right now and keep it there. Shout your happiness to the world.”

  “You're absolutely right.” Kate nodded, then took her ring, and placed it on her finger. She gazed at it for several seconds. “Tomorrow Arlan and I will tell George. We'll tell everyone,” she exclaimed.

  “They'll be as thrilled for you two as we are. But I don't think anyone will be surprised.” She swept a hand through her hair.

  Kate stared at the ring on her finger. “Arlan makes me so happy. I never thought I'd meet someone like him.” She sighed happily. “I hope he doesn't mind a traditional wedding. We'd agreed just to have a small quiet ceremony with just the two of us and a justice of the peace.”

  “He loves you, Kate. I'm sure he'll want to do whatever makes you happy,” Johanna said as her eyes drifted to the glittering diamond. “That's quite a ring. Did you pick it out together?”

  “No. He surprised me on Valentine's Day. It hasn't been easy keeping it a secret. I wanted to tell you both, but then we decided to wait until after we married.” Her eyes drifted to the fire in the fireplace. “He makes me feel like a princess. Nothing is too good for me.” She continued to stare at the flames from the burning logs. “I know Arlan had quite a reputation around town.” She laughed as she once again directed her attention to Frankie and Johanna. “I was well warned about him. It seemed everyone I talked to cautioned me about getting involved with him. He was known as a heartbreaker. I was extremely leery about going out with him. In fact, I had never intended to even give him a second look.” Her eyebrows knitted together. “It's funny how you two and Arlan have become such good friends. He said when the three of you first met it was rocky at times.” She frowned. “I'm sure he had a lot to do with that rockiness.”

  “Oh, he did. But I've always suspected that his cocky attitude was just a cover for the softer side he tried to hide from the world. He'd never let anyone get too close to him. It took you, Kate, to get him to show his softer side to the world. How'd you get him to tear down the wall he'd built around himself?” Frankie asked.

  Kate picked up her coffee cup and took a sip. She held the cup in her hand for a minute staring thoughtfully at it before setting it back down. “It wasn't easy. To be honest, I couldn't stand him when I first met him. Maybe a lot of it was because of what I'd been told. When I was informed that I'd be partnering with him I didn't know what to expect. I was dreading it. He strutted around like he thought he was God's gift to women. I figured he was after only one thing as so many had warned me.” She rubbed her jaw. “I decided to keep my guard up and not let it down for one minute.” She closed her eyes for several seconds then softly exhaled. “But damn, he was good. And his looks certainly didn't help my resolve. He knew just what to say. He could really pour the charm on.”

  Johanna nodded. “That was the Arlan we'd always known before you joined the Sheriff's Department.” She looked quizzically at the young deputy. “So, tell us. What secret weapon did you possess to put him in his place once and for all? More importantly what magic charm did you possess to break down that wall?”

  Her brow puckered. “He kept hounding me to go out with him. He wouldn't let it go even though I told him I didn't date those I worked with. He was relentless and wouldn't take no for an answer.” She ran a hand through her hair. “Anyway, he kept hounding me incessantly saying just one date and he wouldn't bother me again. I finally broke down and agreed to go out with him. I figured that would put an end to it once and for all. I knew what his intentions were and I was prepared. He assumed, I believe, that I was too naive to realize that he planned to wine and dine me and get me into bed before the night was over.”

  Frankie leaned forward. “What did you do?”

  Kate chuckled. “He took me to an expensive restaurant and really laid on the charm. If I hadn't been aware of his reputation, I might have been flattered with his undivided attention and fallen for his tactics. He spared no expense. He was such a gentleman. It was almost hard to believe that this was the same man I'd been warned about.”

  Johanna sipped at her glass of wine. “And his good looks certainly would make him hard to resist.”

  She nodded vigorously. “Exactly. I'm not saying that I wasn't attracted to him. But I knew I couldn't let my guard down even for a split second or he'd pounce, taking me completely off guard. So, as the evening wore on I waited for him to make his big move. I knew he'd say something to ruin what was a perfect evening so far. Then as we were finishing dessert, he made his move. He hinted that maybe we should skip the play we were going to see and just go back to his place for a nightcap. When I told him I didn't think so, he made it clear in an off handed, cocky way how lucky I was that he'd even asked me out in the first place. And how many women would have liked to be in my place right now.”

  “Now that definitely is the Arlan we knew,” Johanna said.

  Kate's lips turned up into a mischievous smile. “I turned the tables on him, though. Instead of going to his place, I suggested he come to mine for that nightcap. You should have seen the gleam in his eyes.” She chuckled. “He was literally panting.”

  Frankie laughed. “I can only imagine.”

  “After we got to my place he wasted no time making himself very cozy on my sofa. He acted like it was the most natural thing in the world for him to be sitting in my apartment having a drink. Like he'd done it several times before and he belonged there. He took his time finishing his drink. He made small talk and all the while he was undressing me with his eyes.”

  Frankie stood and walked over to the fireplace and put another log on the fire while Johanna sat intently staring at Kate waiting for her to finish the rest of her story.

  “When he asked for another drink, I told him it was time for him to go home. At first he acted surprised. Then he pulled out all the stops and really poured on the charm. When I acted disinterested, he told me again how many women would love to be in my place.” She slowly shook
her head. “That really pissed me off. He was unbelievable. He kept trying to sweet talk me into bed. But I wouldn't budge. He finally did get off the sofa and I walked him to the door. He said if I gave him just one kiss I'd be sure to change my mind about letting him stay longer. He bent down to give me a kiss, but I shoved him away. He had me livid thinking I was that easy and would succumb to his charm. My blood was boiling and without even realizing what I was doing, I grabbed his arm, twisted it behind his back and drop kicked him.”

  Frankie turned from the fireplace and stared in awe at her. “Oh my God! I wish I could have seen the look on his face.”

  “I would have paid to see that,” Johanna giggled.

  Kate settled back into her chair. “Well, after I helped him back up on his feet, I told him in no uncertain terms that if he ever wanted me to go out with him again to cut the macho act. I expected he'd head for the door and get as far away from me as he could. But he surprised me. Instead, he asked if he could have that second drink. I told him he could, but only if he dropped the cocky attitude and sat and had a normal adult conversation. He agreed.” She cleared her throat. “We ended up spending the whole night talking…just talking. We were literally still talking when the sun came up.” She picked up her coffee cup and took another sip. “You're the only two I've ever shared this with. I know you two would never repeat anything I tell you.”

  “We never would, Kate.”

  Tears formed in her eyes. “That night Arlan showed me his vulnerable side. He bared his soul to me. Once he began talking, it was like a dam had burst. Everything inside of him came tumbling out. He'd had a horrible life. No one knows much about his past. I'm not even sure George does either. Did you know he has no family?”

  Johanna was shocked. “I assumed they lived far away and occasionally got together for holidays or special occasions.”

  “Since he's been here he's spent every holiday alone in his apartment.”