Loving the Rain

by Jeff LaFerney

  Pete Piggott had done a couple of drive-bys to stake out Jessie, but he saw the police cruiser sitting in front of the house each time, so he finally decided to go home before he became a suspect in the kidnapping. A policeman would be wondering what he was doing there. Besides, he was tired. After the game, he had gone back to work for the first time in a week. Jack never made an appearance, so the night went smoothly, but it was a cold, windy night, and those kinds of nights seemed to suck the energy from Pete. He headed home and went to sleep.

  ***

  Back at the University of Michigan, Clay and Zander continued their discussion. When Clay so confidently stated that both he and his son had mind-control powers, Dr. Zander Frauss sat up with interest.

  “Are you willing to explain?” Zander asked Clay.

  “Do you want me to prove it to you?”

  “Can you?”

  “Without question. Give me a pen and some paper,” Clay said. Zander gave him a yellow writing pad and an ink pen. “Okay, I’ll write something down. Then I’ll use my mind to tell you what to think. You say what pops into your head, and then I’ll show you what I wrote.”

  “Okay, I’m with you.”

  Clay scribbled on the writing pad, “Pickles are sweet like candy.”

  “Okay.” Clay turned the pad over. “Look into my eyes, Zander. When I get done talking, I’ll tell you what to think. You say it out loud, then I’ll show you what I wrote. You ready?”

  “I’m ready.”

  Clay stared intently into Dr. Frauss’s eyes. “Pickles are sweet like candy.”

  “Pickles are sweet like candy,” Dr. Frauss said out loud. Clay turned the pad over and showed it to Zander. He looked genuinely amused. With a smile, he said, “Let’s do that again.”

  Clay turned to the next page and wrote, “All birds run on four legs.”

  “Okay, Zander, look me in the eyes. “All birds run on four legs.”

  “All birds run on four legs,” the doctor stated. Clay showed him the exact words, written on his paper. “That’s pretty impressive. Let’s do that one more time.”

  Clay took the paper and wrote, “I love the Michigan State Spartans.” He stared into Dr. Frauss’s eyes and thought, “I love the Michigan State Spartans.”

  “Clay, the words that just popped into my head, I refuse to say,” he said with a smile.

  “Say out loud, I love the Michigan State Spartans!” Clay ordered the doctor.

  “I love the Michigan State Spartans…. I told you I wasn’t going to say that…”

  “I made you say it. I’m telling you, I’ve been able to do this for probably the last 30 years.”

  “Incredible. You didn’t just put the thought in my head, you made me say it. And Tanner…your son can do this too?”

  “Last night Tanner was kidnapped. While blindfolded he made two kidnappers untie him, give him the truck key, tell him their cell phone number, and let him go. I’ve never manipulated a mind without eye contact, but Tanner can do it, and he’s only been aware of his power for the last three months. Why do you think it’s taken so long for him to discover his power and such a short time to develop it?”

  “There’s no way to answer that question unequivocally. It’s possible he’s had it longer but not known. Another theory might be that he’s had a slower development in the medulla oblongata. We’ve also theorized, with little or no proof because we haven’t had enough test cases, that when two people with parapsychological abilities physically spend time together, their powers increase. Have you had any increase in your own abilities?”

  “Um, actually…yes. I believe so. Two times in the last two days I believe I’ve read a person’s mind.”

  “Explain what you did.”

  “Well, in both instances, I was very focused on the desire to know something. In both cases, I was looking into the person’s eyes, just like when I plant thoughts, and in both cases, I’m sure I heard words that weren’t spoken out loud. Tanner confirmed last night that I had read his mind. The other situation, I don’t know if I’ll ever know for sure.”

  “Clay, let me run an MRI and see if your medulla oblongata is open significantly in both parts, then we can run some other tests to see if you have additional powers.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like psychokinesis, ESP, precognition, clairvoyance, or hypnosis. It seems you have abilities with mind-control and telepathy; maybe you have others. We can test Tanner too.”

  “Listen, Doc. I, we, don’t want to be lab experiments. I don’t want anyone to know what I can do. I don’t want anyone to think I’ve influenced any thoughts and decisions. Does that make sense?”

  “How about just doing the MRI for now? We’ve got a machine right here in the lab. I can run it myself. I’ll look at the results and let you know. What we’ve talked about will stay in this room if that’s what you want. If and when you change your mind, I’d like for you to come to me. We can do any other tests whenever you are willing. As a matter of fact, I’d like for you to call me if you have any other questions.” Dr. Frauss hesitated, then looked at Clay as if something had just registered in his brain. “Your son was kidnapped yesterday?”

  “A lot of weird things are happening lately.”

  Clay ended up allowing the MRI. Afterward, he grabbed his coat, shook Dr. Frauss’s hand, and left the office. Frauss would have the results within a couple of days and would give Clay a call. As he pulled out of his parking space, it began to rain. Clay’s windshield wipers swung back and forth, barely touching the glass and leaving streaks of wetness on the windshield. He could barely see where he was going and he had about an hour’s drive. Clay found himself saying out loud once again, “I hate rain.”

  ***

  Carlee showed up with a dish of spaghetti, a side of meat sauce, and a side of alfredo sauce. She had a bag of bread and a tossed salad that she bought at the deli at the grocery store on the way over. She asked how Jessie and Tanner were doing and then actually thanked Jessie for the opportunity to provide the meal and get out of the house before Mark drove her crazy.

  “What’s going on over there this time?” Jessie asked. She knew the kind of disasters that Mark could create, and she figured a good story was about to be told.

  She told about how her husband, Mark, had gotten up early in the morning. There was a small leak in the basement wall, and he was determined to fix it before the rain rolled in that was predicted for later that afternoon. “He needed to dig a hole outside large enough for him to tar the outside wall,” she explained.

  “Oh, no. I’m sensing trouble already,” Jessie interjected. “It’s one disaster after another,” she explained to TJ, who wasn’t familiar with Mark Simpson’s escapades.

  “Just wait,” Carlee giggled. “This one is hilarious.” She continued to explain that he’d been digging for several hours in the hard ground before he finally got impatient. “Now, this hole wasn’t nearly big enough for him to get down into it,” she described, “but he figured he’d just reach down there anyway and tar the wall as best as he could.” She was laughing now, and there were smiles all around. Carlee continued to explain that while he was reaching down into the hole to slop tar on the crack, he fell into it, head first. “Remember, this hole wasn’t nearly big enough for him to climb into, so it was impossible for Mark to pull himself out of it.” Everyone was laughing now. “Angela and Heather found him, feet sticking in the air, yelling for help.” The three girls weren’t tall enough to lift him out, so after several unsuccessful tries, Carlee, holding onto Mark’s ankles, had to use a ladder to climb up while Angela and Heather held most of his weight. “You should have seen him when we finally pulled him out, tar all over his face, hair, shirt, and hands. I’ve no idea how he’s gonna clean the stuff off. That man’s gonna kill himself one day!”

  By the time Carlee had finished the story, everyone—Tanner, TJ, Jessie, and Carlee— were laughing so hard there were tears, and the day after Tanner’s kidnapping didn’t s
eem so terrible. Great friends, great food, and stories of Mark were enough to brighten the day.

  CHAPTER 22

  Monday, Jessie went to work, but was miserable. Her heart wasn’t into it. She was concerned about Tanner at school even though she was assured that a policeman would be following him. A tired Pete Piggott, who only had a short nap after work, waited for her at lunch and followed her home after work, but nothing happened. Tuesday, Jessie called in sick, deciding to get a little rest and do some heavy thinking. When Pete parked across from the clinic to watch for a lunch rendezvous, her car wasn’t there, so he figured he’d missed her again. He clearly wasn’t too good at his private eye job. He waited for her to return from her lunch, and when she still hadn’t returned at 1:30, he decided to drive by her house. She was just pulling into the driveway as he arrived. She had been to lunch with John.

  They had simply sat in a parking lot together, eating Hungry Howie’s subs that John had ordered to go. John listened to her story about Tanner with keen interest. Somehow the kidnappers had simply let Tanner go. He’d never heard anything so strange. Jessie explained that the police were watching over Tanner and that they were investigating information concerning the cell phone number that Tanner gave them. The stolen truck was at the police impound lot, being searched for evidence. They were unsure of the location of the house that Tanner was taken to. John listened intently, holding Jessie’s hands and occasionally gently wiping small tears from her eyes—an intimate act that didn’t escape Jessie’s notice. He was the perfect gentleman, the perfect person to talk to and be with while going through a hard time. Finally, he gently kissed her, a kiss that became quite passionate. Jessie found herself giving in to the man that obviously cared so much for her. When John finally pulled away, he said, “I’m falling in love with you, Jessie.”

  When Jessie didn’t respond, her heart beating rapidly and her thoughts swirling, John apologized. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. The timing is terrible with what you’ve been through, and I promised to never pressure you. Please forgive me.”

  “It’s okay. I’m just not sure what I think right now. I know I care about you, and I appreciate you being here for me. I just need to think about things some more.”

  ***

  When Jessie returned home and entered the house, there were two messages blinking on the machine. The first was a request from Detective Hutchinson for Clay to call. They were still working on the phone information, and they had pulled some physical evidence from the Trailblazer. The other message was much more disturbing. “Clay, this is Zander Frauss from U of M. I have your test results. Please give me a call. 734-764-1234.” Jessie didn’t know if she should be worried or angry about that second message. Out of curiosity, Jessie dialed the number.

  “Good afternoon. Dr. Frauss’s office. Substitute secretary, Dixie, speakin’. May I help you?”

  “May I speak with Dr. Frauss, please?”

  “He’s not been in the office since lunch time, Honey. Is there anything I can help you with?”

  “Um, well, my name is Jessie Thomas. I have a message from Dr. Frauss asking to call about test results for my husband, Clay Thomas. Is there any way I can find out the results?”

  “Well, I’m just a fill-in for the day, Ma’am, so I don’t think I can help ya…Wait a minute. What’d you say yer husband’s name was?”

  “Clay Thomas.”

  “His chart happens to be sittin’ right out here on the desk.”

  “Is there any information that you could give me? I’d really appreciate it.”

  “There’s some pictures and such in here that I don’t think I’d be much help with, but there’s a sticky note that says, ‘MRI test results positive. Both parts medulla oblongata completely open. Call Clay.’ That’s all it says, Honey, and I really can’t understand much else on the chart. I’m just fillin’ in for his regular secretary. I was told he’d be back in the office tomorrow, though.”

  “Medulla…what?”

  “‘Both parts medulla oblongata completely open’ is what it says. I hope I’ve answered yer questions, Sweety. Is there anything else I can do for ya?”

  “No, thank you. You’ve been very helpful.”

  “You’re welcome. You have a nice day now.”

  As she hung up the phone, Jessie considered once again that Clay wasn’t communicating with her about important parts of his life. After the kiss from John, she was beginning to doubt whether their marriage was going to survive much longer.

  CHAPTER 23

  Tanner left a message on his cell phone for his father to call him as soon as school got out on Tuesday. There was something important that he needed to talk about. At 2:45, Clay called Tanner, who suggested that his father come to pick him up right away. About 20 minutes later, Tanner climbed into Clay’s Pontiac G8, and they zipped out of the parking lot followed by an officer from the Burton Police Department.

  “What’s up, Tanner?”

  “I had a dream last night, only it was more than a dream. I dreamed about the house that I was taken to. Dad, it seemed like the house was calling to me. I can’t explain that exactly, but in my dream or vision or whatever it was, I could see myself blindfolded in a metal chair. It was in the corner of a small living room, which had nothing but four metal folding chairs, two TV tables, and a lamp. The green curtains were closed, and the only light was the lamp sitting on the floor. Across the house, in a kitchen, two men were sitting at a card table, playing cards with gloves on. It was like I was seeing through the blindfold, so everything was kind of blurry. All of a sudden, the men got up, untied me, and placed a key in my hand. They led me through the kitchen, opened a door to the garage, and led me to the truck. I got in and then the garage door was raised. It was dark outside, but in my dream with the blindfold off, I could clearly see the numbers 1486 sort of glow over the front doorway. When I drove by the first street sign, it said, ‘Delta Drive.’ I turned on Epselon Trail and drove away. Dad, I’m certain I was seeing the house I was taken to. It’s at 1486 Delta Drive.”

  Clay stopped the car along the side of Daly Boulevard, the street exiting the school. He entered 1486 Delta Drive on his GPS and waited for the gadget to search for a satellite. When the location was discovered, he drove off again, police car following. In about ten minutes, they were sitting outside the house. “It looks just like the one in the dream,” Tanner nearly whispered. “The numbers are over the door just like I saw.”

  They climbed out of the car and were met by the policeman who had followed. “Is there something wrong, Mr. Thomas?” he asked.

  Tanner responded. “This is where they took me. This is the house that I escaped from.”

  “Are you sure?” the officer asked, but Clay knew he was sure. He’d been doing a lot of research in the field of parapsychology. Clairvoyance, he recalled, was the ability to gain information about an object, person, location, or physical event through means other than known senses. Maybe the house was literally “calling” to Tanner or maybe God had given him a vision. Maybe Tanner somehow had a new power to discern and comprehend information that his senses had somehow overlooked four days earlier. Clay didn’t fully understand how his son received the information, but he was certain that Tanner had led them to the exact site in which he had been held hostage.

  “I’m sure,” Tanner answered. “This is the place.”

  The policeman called Detective Hutchinson to give him the information, and he spoke with Hutch for several minutes. “Hutch says that we’ll need a warrant to look inside, but we should be able to get one, based on Tanner’s certainty that this is the house. He wants me to stick around and knock on a few doors. He’ll find out who owns the house. We may just catch your kidnapper yet.”

  “Did he say anything else?” Clay asked.

  “He said the only clear prints on the steering wheel belonged to Tanner. Other prints were only partials or were smudged. That makes sense knowing that the driver wore gloves. There are other pri
nts in the truck, but remember it was a stolen, used vehicle, and any number of people could have been in it. We’re assuming that both men wore gloves, though. Except for a roll of duct tape, which the kidnappers never used, there was nothing else in the truck that would be incriminating—unless we catch them. If we catch them, which seems unlikely, there could be any number of fibers or hairs or other clues to help convict them. Hutch said for me to stick around here and ask the neighbors a few questions. He’ll have someone keep an eye on Tanner at the game tonight. He thinks we should still keep close for a while.”

  ***

  On the way home, Clay explained that Church and Sons had called and that it looked and smelled like someone had dumped a large quantity of maple syrup in Tanner’s gas tank. It would probably cost 1,500 to 2,000 dollars to clean everything up. Except for the deductible, the insurance company would pay for the vandalism. It might be another week before the car would be ready.

  ***

  Though the season was young, the ballgame on Tuesday night was supposed to be Kearsley’s toughest game to date. The Fenton Tigers, who were 3-0, were hosting the 4-0 Hornets and were expected to be the most likely spoiler of Kearsley’s league championship. Word was spreading fast after four games that Tanner Thomas was even better than advertised. He was averaging almost 23 points along with nine assists and seven rebounds per game. He was an unselfish leader, excellent student, and had shown he had the size and athletic ability to possibly play Division 1 ball. Both Michigan and Michigan State had sent assistant coaches to watch the game, and the head coach from Central Michigan University was also in attendance. It was a good crowd at Fenton High School for a Tuesday night. The pep band was enthusiastically playing in the stands, creating additional pre-game energy and excitement.