The Quickening

by Yvonne Heidt

  “Have you considered being a criminal profiler, Kat?” Parker asked.

  “I watch Criminal Minds,” Kat said sarcastically.

  “He’s definitely a sociopath,” Tiffany said. “And if you haven’t made the connection yet, he thinks of the victims as stand-ins for someone else. They’re victims only because in one way or another, they reminded him of someone.” Tiffany stretched her shoulders.

  Parker stood, then shook her hand. “You have been a tremendous help. Thank you both.

  “Does this have anything to do with the murder a few blocks over?” Kat asked.

  “What murder?” Tiffany asked. “Oh, that’s right. You said this reading might help with something recent. Do you think they’re connected?”

  “I’m not at liberty to say anything right now.”

  “I understand,” Tiffany said. “Please call me if you think I can assist again.”

  Parker handed her a card. “And you do the same if you pick up anything else.”

  Tiffany nodded. “I hope you catch him before that happens again. It was a brutal slaughter that I hope not to relive. He’s not done.”

  Kat showed Parker to the door. Tiffany got up from the table and headed toward the hallway on her way to the bathroom. Kat met her just outside the door.

  “How are you feeling? That was pretty intense,” Kat said.

  “Drained and dirty. How about you?”

  “Honestly? Tiffany, I don’t know. It was rough watching you go through that, and knowing that you were reliving what those girls went through.”

  “It wasn’t seeing the murders so much as realizing I connected with the killer. I didn’t realize I had until you said something.” That was worrisome. His energy snuck through Tiffany’s shields without her knowing. It was definitely something that needed to be addressed.

  Kat pulled her into a hug. After a few seconds, Tiffany took a step back. “I can’t right now. All I can see is the murders. I need to get rid of the remnant energy and break the connection.”

  “I was offering comfort, not trying to seduce you.”

  “Oh.” Why not? Tiffany was irked that the question even popped into her head at all. She was tired and apparently cranky too. She would feel much better in her own environment.

  “Do you want to take a shower or bath?”

  “Actually, I want to go home now.” Kat didn’t possess any of the oils or candles that Tiffany preferred to use in her cleansing rituals.

  “Oh.” A fleeting look of disappointment crossed Kat’s features.

  “You don’t have to drive me. I can catch the ferry across.”

  “No, please. I want to. We can drive the Interstate around to Bremerton. But we might want to wait for a while. Rush hour is starting. The traffic will be insane.”

  “I didn’t realize it was that late. Of course.” Tiffany was relieved. There was no way she wanted to return home on a crowded boat after two readings. She would feel too exposed and vulnerable. Besides, she didn’t have enough psychic energy left to hold any shields in place. She excused herself and closed the bathroom door behind her.

  Tiffany hoped she’d given Parker something he could use, but found she was sad his visit interrupted her date with Kat, and left her with this awful feeling in her stomach.

  She tried to think about what the reading was like from Kat’s point of view. She’d witnessed three sessions now, but she hadn’t brought up the past again. She wanted to believe her gift wouldn’t destroy her budding relationship with Kat, but what if it was too late?

  Chapter Nine

  Kat kept her eyes on the busy interstate but couldn’t resist frequently looking over at Tiffany, sleeping in the passenger seat.

  She was seriously reconsidering her interest in the cold case files if this was the result of having Tiffany work on them. She wanted to move away from the violence in the city, not dive back into it. But there was something about being able to help that still grabbed at her. She felt the same when she had been helping Jordan search for the runaways that disappeared from the streets.

  She’d enjoyed her day with Tiffany, but regretted that they hadn’t talked yet about Kat’s visions of the past. The issue seemed to be sidestepped. She wondered if that was such a bad thing. Still, she wanted to share her dreams with Tiffany.

  Kat thought it would be torturous to not project what Tanna looked like naked over Tiffany’s body, to not lay her down and show her how much she was cherished. But the more time she spent with her, the more tiny differences began to show. They may look the same and have the same gentle spirit, but there hadn’t been a shy bone in Tanna’s body.

  Then again, Kat wasn’t the warrior either. Her vivid memories may stir her blood and twist her emotions, but they weren’t real in this life. It was enough to drive her crazy.

  Tiffany sighed and the sound shot straight to Kat’s core. She shifted in her seat.

  It was dark by the time she pulled into the driveway. There were no lights on in the house. Tiffany opened the door. “Thank you for the ride. I can’t believe I keep falling asleep on you. Please don’t think I’m rude. This is unusual even for me.” She looked as if she might say more, but got out of the car.

  Kat didn’t wait for an invitation. She followed her up the path. Tiffany rustled in her purse for her keys. When she inserted the key, the door opened before she unlocked it. A small chill ran up Kat’s neck.

  “I know I locked that door,” Tiffany said and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. “I never forget.”

  “Wait,” Kat said. “Let me go first.” She opened the door slowly and then reached in to flip the hall light on. Tiffany came in right behind her.

  “It doesn’t feel right in here.”

  “Does anything look different?”

  “I can’t tell yet. I’ll go check the kitchen.”

  “No, we go together.” Kat reached back to hold Tiffany’s hand. “Ready?”

  They walked down the hall, toward the bedrooms, checked each closet, and Angel’s pretty little room. There was no sign of an actual intruder, but Kat could feel Tiffany’s tension.

  The door was closed to the master bedroom. They stood in front of it and stared at each other. “Okay,” Kat said, then turned the knob.

  Tiffany pressed past her. “It looks the same as I left it, but it doesn’t feel right.”

  Since Kat had firsthand knowledge how Tiffany’s gift worked, she was more than ready to take her word for it. But she had no idea how to deal with an invisible intruder. “Can you see the person?”

  Tiffany shook her head. “No.” She crossed to the dresser and ran her hand along the edge. “There’s just this weird buzzing. We still have the guest room to check.”

  Kat followed Tiffany who stopped next to the bed. “See? It looks like someone laid here.” The pillow had an indentation; the covers were slightly mussed.

  “Burglars don’t usually hang around to take a nap,” Kat said.

  Tiffany walked to the window. “Look, it’s unlocked. God, this is creeping me out.”

  Kat went up behind her to flip the lock closed. After a moment’s hesitation, she wrapped her arms around Tiffany, pulling her close. She held her breath, waiting for her to draw away, but she leaned back into the embrace. Kat pressed her cheek against her hair, swaying slightly on her feet, rocking her gently. “Do you want to call the police?”

  “No. There doesn’t seem to be anything missing. I could be wrong. I’ve been so exhausted over the last few days.” Tiffany laughed nervously. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say I was pregnant.”

  The statement hit Kat hard and deep. She hadn’t considered that Tiffany would be seeing anyone else. “Is that a possibility?”

  “Um, not unless somebody up there is handing out immaculate conceptions again.”

  The sound of rustling bushes, a cracking branch, and a loud thumping noise on the side of the house reverberated in the room and rattled the window in its frame.

  Kat looked
at Tiffany. “Stay here.” She headed for the door and wished she had a weapon. “Call 911.”

  “It’s okay. It’s just the raccoons,” Tiffany said. “We have a family of them in the neighborhood. They’ve been busy the last week or so.”

  “That didn’t sound like a small animal to me.”

  “How would you know? They don’t exactly forage on the seventeenth floor.”

  Kat laughed. “Touché.” She returned to where Tiffany stood by the bed and drew her close again. “Still, I’d rather not leave you alone.” Whether the danger was real or perceived, the thought of Tiffany being hurt sent a sharp pain through Kat’s temples.

  Tiffany accepted her embrace then stepped back. “I’m just jumpy, you know? It could be the violence attached to the readings. I could have forgotten to lock the door. I was in a hurry to get to Seattle.”

  “Yeah?” The statement warmed Kat. “I’m going to check the yard anyway. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  “I’m going to take a bath.” She turned then looked over her shoulder at Kat. “Will you be here when I get out?”

  Kat’s mouth went dry. “Is that an invitation?”

  Tiffany smiled at her. “Help yourself to anything in the kitchen. Make yourself at home.”

  Kat headed for the backyard, but the anticipation she felt at Tiffany’s smoldering look made her want to jump in the bath instead. But she knew Tiffany needed the downtime. She made her way to the back door, but didn’t turn on the porch light when she got there. She didn’t want to make herself a target. She let her eyes adjust to the dim glow of a nearby streetlight then crept around the house to look under the windows for any sign of a person. After five minutes, she felt ridiculous. She had no idea what she was doing. She lived in a concrete jungle, and the only tracking experience she thought she had came from watching television.

  She sat in the porch swing and listened to the night. It was much quieter in the residential neighborhood; she was used to the high volume in the city. She could smell spring in the air, and it took her back home. Kat wondered if she could adjust to living here. She wasn’t pacing, she wasn’t watching television, or listening to a radio, or in any way distracting herself from her thoughts.

  She didn’t feel as if she were in a hurry to get somewhere, or waiting for anything to happen. She watched the stars and continued swinging until her phone sang on her hip.

  Kat smiled. “What’s up, Jordan?”

  “Hey. Do you know where Tiffany is?”

  “Yeah. I’m here at her house. We just got back.”

  “Sunny is worried. She hadn’t heard from her today.”

  “Parker showed up at my place and asked her to read for him.”

  “How is she doing?”

  Kat had expected Jordan to ask about the cases first, but clearly Jordan had changed more than she thought she had. “She’s fine now. I didn’t realize how much these readings would drain her. I’m not on board with that.” Kat heard Jordan sigh.

  “Sunny told me you kissed Tiffany.”

  “Yes. I did.” And I plan on giving her a hundred more tonight.

  Silence.

  “Look,” Jordan finally said. “I know you’re not out to hurt anyone; it’s not your style. But Tiffany is different, you know? She’s like Sunny. They feel everything to the tenth degree.”

  “I’m learning that.”

  “So, what I’m telling you is—tread softly. If you don’t mean to stick around, leave her be.”

  “I appreciate your concern, but isn’t that between me and Tiffany?”

  Jordan laughed. “No, it’s not. If you’re involved with any of the sisters, you’re linked with all three of them. They’re connected at the hips. And you haven’t even met Angel yet. Tiffany isn’t one of your career city girls. She’s a single mom.”

  “I’m perfectly aware of that.” Kat stood to pace the yard. But when she got up, she inhaled the scent of freshly mowed grass, and sat back down. “I feel different about her, Jordan. She makes me think of home.” In more ways than one.

  “Just please, whatever you do, don’t hurt her.”

  “That is the farthest thing from my mind.”

  “I don’t know what else to say right now,” Jordan said. “I’ll let Sunny know that Tiffany’s okay. Tell her we called.”

  “I’ll do that,” Kat said. She disconnected and continued swinging while she looked up at the stars. For the first time in too long, she was dreaming of what her future could be, instead of what it had been.

  *

  Tiffany stood at the mirror and braided her wet hair. It had taken much longer to get into her cleansing, meditative state than usual, and she placed the blame squarely on Kat. God, the way she looked at her literally made her weak. It was hard to concentrate and put herself into a relaxing state when Kat kept appearing to her—naked.

  It excited her to know Kat was waiting for her outside that door. Tiffany felt shy but looked forward to seeing where this evening was going to go. She didn’t know if Kat would be gentle and soft or—

  Hard and violent like Mark.

  Where the hell had that come from? Tiffany grabbed the thought and shoved it back into the lead-lined box in her mind.

  She settled herself by putting on lotion, and after brief consideration, some light makeup. After she was done, she looked at the final result. Two faint images appeared briefly in the mirror. Theresa and Hailey…they looked very similar to each other. Tiffany knew they weren’t ghosts, just remnants of her thoughts. This was unusual. She had never had any readings leak back into her mind after she’d had her ritual bath before.

  Tiffany’s heart rate picked up slightly. They had the same bone structure, the same eyes.

  That’s really creepy, she thought. They almost look like…me. She dismissed the idea. Thousands of girls looked like her. It was only a coincidence. She lit the two white candles on the counter and drew additional white light around her to dispel the images and any more traces of the readings. She finally left the safety of the bathroom and found Kat in the living room on the couch.

  “Do you feel better now?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  “Are you hungry?”

  Tiffany watched Kat’s focus travel her bare legs before looking at her face. “Starving.”

  Uh oh. “I can order pizza.”

  “Whatever you want,” Kat said.

  Tiffany crossed into the kitchen area where her phone and the number to a place that delivered was. “How do you like it?”

  “Loaded.”

  “Oh, good. Me too.” Tiffany called the restaurant and ordered. “Would you like a glass of wine?”

  Kat stood and walked to where Tiffany stood. That flutter low in her belly reappeared and she took a quick inhale of breath before turning to find the wine and glasses. “Red okay?”

  “Anything you have is fine, really.” Tiffany felt the heat of Kat’s body behind her and she nearly fumbled the crystal. “I’ve never actually used these before. I was saving them for a special occasion.”

  “Then I’m glad it’s me,” Kat said.

  Her breath was so close it warmed Tiffany’s cheek. She finished pouring and handed Kat a glass. Tiffany felt her nerves grow stronger than her desire. She took a step back and began to fill the silence. “I don’t normally drink. I’m a bit of a lightweight.”

  “I’ll take care of you.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of.” Tiffany surprised herself with her quick response. She thought she was past being unsure and afraid. She looked away, and one of Angel’s drawings on the refrigerator caught her eye. When she saw it, she felt her confusion drain away. That’s what she was afraid of. It was nice to have a fantasy while Angel was at the beach. But in reality she had so many concerns about what could really happen if she pursued a relationship with Kat.

  Tiffany didn’t have it in her to have a casual encounter. Angel was everything, and nothing in the world would convince Tiffany to cause her daughter any dis
comfort. Angel connected with people in a way she’d never seen, and grew attached to them very quickly. What would happen if Kat came into their world then disappeared? It would leave Tiffany feeling guilty and horrible if she were the cause of any pain in their lives.

  “Hey,” Kat said. “Where did you go?”

  “What? Oh, sorry. I was thinking. We need to talk.”

  Kat put her wine glass down. “After.”

  Tiffany wondered how Kat had so efficiently backed her against the counter again. Hadn’t she been farther away? Tiffany was glad for the support when Kat cupped her face, lowered her head, and laid her lips over hers.

  She tasted of wine, and it was the sweetest kiss Tiffany ever had. The gentleness in it surprised her. It wasn’t the hot, heavy, I’m going to take you on the floor, kiss she’d expected. The emotions coming up for her were from a much softer place.

  Kat let her kiss linger for a moment before she stood straight again, then sipped her wine. “Now we can talk. I’ve wanted to do that all day.”

  Tiffany was flustered all over again. “Um, right. Let’s go back into the living room.”

  Kat sat near but not too close, and Tiffany appreciated it. She didn’t know where to start. Did she lay her doubts on the table, or take a chance? Ask about her visions, or wait until Kat told her? This was crazy.

  Kat’s hand waved in front of her. “You know you have to talk to me with your out-loud voice, right?”

  Tiffany laughed. The humorous remark broke the ice for her. “Yes. But I don’t know where to start.”

  “Relax, start with your biggest concerns, and we’ll go from there.”

  “See? That’s what I’m talking about. What planet did you come from?” Tiffany asked. “You don’t do anything I expect you to, then you say things that cut straight to my heart. I don’t know what to do with you.”

  “Try me?” Kat asked.

  Tiffany felt the heat in her cheeks. “Nice. But seriously. You’re not like anyone I’ve ever been with. Let me rephrase that.” She took a deep breath. “I’ve actually only been with one person in my life.”

  “Angel’s father,” Kat said. “So is it being with a woman that’s confusing you, or is it me?”