“Wow,” Katie said, setting aside her now-empty glass. “That’s some crazy-ass story.”
Thea shook her head. “Not a story. A fact.”
Her lips pressed together, Katie seemed to be thinking. “A couple of hours ago, I’d have called it bullshit. Now, as much as I hate to admit it, I’m starting to inch over to the other side. I don’t like it either. I’ve got a life very much grounded in the rational world. In my line of work, the simplest explanation is usually the correct explanation. Angry spouses, crazy families, jealous suitors. Definitely not spirits from beyond the grave.”
Thea smiled. “Lorna has a way of making believers out of people. Including herself. The way she tells it, when this all started, she thought she was losing her mind. She wasn’t. For whatever reason, she’s one of the special ones graced with not only the power to see what others can’t, but a generous heart as well.”
“She seems like an interesting woman.”
Thea laughed. “You have no idea. I’ve known her for years, and she’s always been so full of life and adventure. Did she tell you she’s training for Ironman?”
“No way.”
“Oh way, indeed. I can’t even begin to imagine what possesses a person to want to put their body through that. Not my cup of tea, if you know what I mean.” Thea couldn’t even wrap her head around the endurance event, particularly after watching it last year in Coeur d’Alene. She doubted she could even make it through the swim, let alone follow it up with a bike ride and marathon. It took a special person to make it through, and Lorna was one of those people.
Katie nodded. “I totally get that. I’ve gone over to Coeur d’Alene and watched a couple of them. They’re pretty inspiring in a lot of ways. Not enough to make me want to do it though. I’d have a hard time finishing one leg of that race, let alone three of them back-to-back.”
Thea smiled, thinking how Katie’s words echoed her own thoughts. “Amen, sister.” Thea put out her hand for a knuckle bump.
“Now,” Katie said. “About her vision out at the transfer station.”
Chapter Eight
Lorna leaned on the deck railing and waited for Jeremy to pick up, which he did after two rings. “So?” A man of few words.
“So it’s messed up.” She didn’t have to sugarcoat anything for him.
“You got something then?”
Something was one way to put it. “Yeah, I did, and it makes me sick. Some sonofabitch is killing people and I saw him bury a body. Jesus, Jeremy, what is it about me that attracts killers?” It was bad enough she had to see dead people. It wasn’t fair to be a killer magnet too.
His laugh was wry. “Whether you want to admit it or not, Lorna, it’s your good soul. Something opened up inside you, and it doesn’t appear to be going away. The killer part isn’t so cool, but helping is, and that’s what you’re doing.”
“In your not-so-subtle way you’re trying to tell me I’m stuck with it, eh?”
“That pretty much sums it up. It’s kind of sweet when you think about it. I mean, you could be this psychic detective and get your own reality show. I could be your psychic sidekick and we’d be awesome.”
“That’s fucked up.”
“Definitely, but you could make a bundle.”
“Don’t care about the money.” The whole idea gave her the chills. The last thing—the very last thing—in the world she would ever considering doing was a reality show. Besides, she didn’t need any more people knowing about her special skills.
His voice was gentle. “I know you don’t. I’m being facetious. The fact that you don’t care about the money and just want to help makes you special. You have something incredible, and the way you use it is just as incredible.”
“I don’t want to be special,” she said softly as she ran one hand through her hair.
“I get that, but you should know by now we don’t always get what we want. So tell me what you saw.”
She wanted to add that she rarely got what she wanted, but that was just being petty. Instead, she related the whole vision for Jeremy this time, and when she finished he whistled. “You’re right, that is messed up.”
“I just wish I could follow it more. She’s out there somewhere and I’ve got to find her, but I’m having a hard time pulling all the pieces into a cohesive picture.” The frustration that welled up inside her was suffocating. Surely she could do something more.
“You’ll put it all together. Trust me, Lorna, you’ll get it and bring Alida home.”
“It would be easier if you were here too…” Despite being back in her hometown and with one of her oldest friends, she felt alone. She missed Jeremy and Merry. She missed Renee.
“Wow. Well, that was subtle.”
“Not trying for subtle.”
He chuckled softly. “Tell you what. As soon as I finish up the business I’m working on, Merry and I’ll buzz over and see what we can do to help. You might be right. A few more heads in the mix can’t hurt.”
She zeroed in on one word. “Business? What are you working on?” Both Merry and Jeremy had decided to make a career change, which was great with Lorna because they’d come to live in the big estate on the ocean with her. She loved having them there. The possibility that they might leave her too made her heart hurt.
Jeremy was evasive, which didn’t do much to put her mind at ease. “Can’t say quite yet. Still working out the details, but as soon as it all comes together, you’ll be the first to know.”
She wanted to know right now. “If you say so.”
“I do say so.” Just like when they were kids, he wasn’t about to let her in on his secret. He loved to torture her.
“Why don’t you just tell me?”
“Not gonna happen so give it up. I’ll tell you when I’m ready.”
“Brat.”
“Takes one to know one.”
She smiled. He always made her feel better, even when he was being obstinate and secretive. They talked for a minute longer before she ended the call. The conversation with Jeremy left her feeling much calmer, and it would be nice now to hear Renee’s voice too, but while she didn’t mind dragging her little brother out of sleep, she wasn’t as quick to do the same to Renee. The time on her cell phone flashed nice and bright. Way too late to bother Renee. The call would have to wait until a decent hour.
For now, she couldn’t do anything more for either Thea or herself. It was a wrap for this very long day. Out front, the sound of Katie’s car let her know that she was calling it a night as well. The best thing to do was to try for some sleep. Tomorrow she intended to hit the ground running, and she’d need some rest to make that happen. She just hoped she didn’t dream of dead bodies, shallow graves, and faceless killers.
*
Thea sat quietly in her bedroom, her hands in her lap. Katie was gone and Lorna was all alone in the guest room. For the last ten minutes she’d been turning over everything that had happened today. She kept coming back to Lorna. Something beyond what happened out at the transfer station was bothering her. She could see it in the tightness around Lorna’s eyes and the thin set to her lips. Earlier she’d asked if she could help with anything and was met with a quiet no. Lorna was lying, of course, but she’d known Lorna a long time and realized she’d get nothing more out of her until she was ready.
Thea couldn’t really blame her; she was a lot like that herself. It was hard to share with anyone except Alida. They might hold things in for a while, but in the end, they didn’t have any secrets between them. What would she do if Alida didn’t come home?
The thought sent chills up her arms. Why was the universe sending this her way? Had she done something terrible and now had to pay the price?
Standing, she slowly took off her clothes and carried them into the bathroom. They felt incredibly heavy. Everything felt heavy—her clothes, her arms, her thoughts, her breath. It was important to keep going, yet how in the world would she be able to do that?
After dropping her cloth
es into the hamper, she stepped under the warm spray of the shower. Her body ached and her head pounded. Sleep seemed as elusive now as since the day Alida went missing. Her mind was whirling and her body was wired. She could lie down but she wouldn’t sleep.
The hot water did wonders for both the aches and the headache. By the time she stepped out, she figured it was time to at least try to sleep. She slipped between the sheets and stared up at the ceiling. Shadows swayed and moved as if dancing to a silent waltz. It was mesmerizing. She finally relaxed and her eyelids closed.
“Thea!”
Rain came down in buckets and she spun, trying to see her. “Alida, where are you?” Her tears mixed with the rain that chilled her skin.
“Help me.”
“Where are you?” Her voice was hoarse with the force of her scream. “I can’t see you.”
“Please, find me. I want to come home.”
Thea bolted upright in bed, her heart pounding. Disoriented for a moment, she then realized she was in her own bedroom and not somewhere out in the pouring rain. The trill of her phone had dragged her out of the dream. Tears streamed down her face as she reached for it.
“Hello,” she said and knew the shakiness brought on by the dream was still there.
“Thea, are you okay?”
It took a couple of seconds before the voice registered. “Katie?”
“Yes, it’s me. Sorry to call so late. I can’t explain it, but after I got home I felt like I needed to check in with you even though I realize how rude it is to call this late. Are you okay? You sound shaken. Did something happen after I left?”
Thea ran a hand through her damp hair and stared out at the darkness. Despite the warmth of the shower before she lay down, the nightmare had left her cold and shaken. “Just drifted off and had a strange dream,” she admitted, not really sure why she’d shared that information.
Katie sighed. “I’m so sorry.”
Those words were like a warm blanket, and she was suddenly very grateful to hear Katie’s voice. “I’m glad you called.”
“I am too. I really debated whether I should but couldn’t shake the feeling that you were in need.”
She didn’t miss the relief in Katie’s voice. “I am glad you called. I don’t have nightmares often, and lord knows I haven’t slept more than a few hours since Alida disappeared. When I finally do drift off, it’s like something out of a horror movie. Let’s just say that dream shook me up, and hearing your voice helps.” It did too, despite still hearing Alida’s cries for help in her ears.
“Thea, do you need anything? Can I do anything to help?”
She closed her eyes. She needed so much. “Your call helps, believe it or not. Your taking Alida’s disappearance seriously helps. I’ll be fine as long as you keep doing what you do best.”
“Are you sure?”
“No” was the correct answer. She didn’t have the right to ask anything of Katie beyond doing her job. “Yes, I’m sure.”
“Okay then, but listen. Don’t hesitate to call if you need anything or if you think of anything. I’m serious, Thea. I’m here for you.”
She tightened her grip on the phone. “Thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me.”
She set the phone on the nightstand and lay back against the pillow once more. The call dragged her away from a horrible nightmare and made her believe at least one person in law enforcement cared about finding her sister. Maybe Katie was this thoughtful to all the people she helped, but her call still made Thea feel special and, more importantly, less alone. Right now, she really needed that.
The house was quiet, as was the street outside. No cars drove by and no one walked down the sidewalk. Far off in the distance the sound of a dog’s bark wafted through the air. Soon even the dog grew quiet. As she tried to sleep once more, her mind quieted, but she could still hear the heart-wrenching sound of her sister’s voice.
Chapter Nine
Katie punched in the code of the gray gun safe, then swung open the door. She took her Glock out and tucked it into the holster at her waist, shut the door, and pulled the handle to lock it once more. As she yawned, she stretched her arms over her head. Morning had come way too quickly and she was feeling it. Overall, last night was pretty damned strange. Enlightening to be sure, but strange nonetheless.
In her line of work so-called psychics showed up in droves every time they sniffed a big case. Not once, not one single time, during her tenure with the department, did one turn out to be legit. From her perspective they were all sad individuals looking for a place to belong and for their ten minutes to be somebody special. She wanted to be empathetic, except these people wasted time she could better use following real leads, catching real killers, or bringing home the lost, like Alida Canwell.
Last night didn’t feel like one of those instances. As much as she hated to admit it, and sure as hell wouldn’t out loud, Lorna wasn’t like any of the crackpots she’d met over the years. In fact, if Lorna could be something besides a psychic, Katie got the distinct impression she’d grab it with both hands and run as fast as she could, and given her Ironman training that would have to be pretty fast.
Still, her foot-dragging aside, Lorna obviously wanted to help, which was admirable. She didn’t just want to be on the inside of a police investigation either. Katie had dealt with more than her share of these over-eager folks too. They almost ran over the press just to be able to see their faces on the six o’clock news. The families who felt they must be front and center because the police were simply inept were also a distraction. Unlike any of them, Lorna was a hundred percent focused on finding Alida.
She ran her hands through her hair and sighed, thinking about Alida now. This whole situation made her tired, and it smelled rotten. It had nothing to do with Lorna either. Whether she’d turn out to be the real thing was questionable. Yet even if she wasn’t real, at least her focus was right. From all appearances, none of it seemed to be about her, and Katie gave her points for that.
The worst part? At least part of the problem with making any real progress toward finding Alida was rooted in her own agency. A cop? She hated that thought, yet no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t shake the sick feeling in the bottom of her stomach. If she’d learned one thing from her family, it was to investigate everything regardless of how big or small it appeared. She removed emotion from the equation and considered everything—and everyone. Until she’d received the assignment, however, the investigation never got off the ground, and no matter how she looked at it, that was wrong. This was never a simple case, which was clear from day one, so why or who had tried to bury it?
Each day when she went into work, she caught herself viewing her brothers and sisters in blue with suspicious eyes. They didn’t teach you this in the academy. But in reality, some cops were good and some were bad. Though law-enforcement types were held to a higher standard, they were like the folks in any other profession. Most of them fell on the side of good, but a few embraced the dark side, and they caused one hell of a lot of trouble.
When she studied those around her she didn’t see anything that screamed bad cop. Annoying ones? Yes. Obnoxious ones? Without a doubt. Bad? No. Didn’t mean he or she wasn’t there. She just couldn’t see anything that might tip her off.
Wouldn’t it be great if evil wore a badge? Something like the red letter A in The Scarlet Letter? Would sure make her job a lot easier if all she needed to do was look for the E on someone’s shirt. Unfortunately, evil didn’t work that way. It was sneaky. It was smooth. It hid while masquerading as the next-door neighbor, a coworker, a teacher. It used subterfuge and lies to live among good people and then destroy their lives.
Just as it had in her life. At the fridge, she pulled out a bottle of orange juice. It was cold, sweet, and exactly what she needed as thoughts of another black night tried to push into her head. She didn’t want to deal with those memories tonight.
Oh, hell, she didn’t ever want to deal with those memori
es. But she could never erase them. They were seared into her brain as clearly as if they’d been tattooed on her skin. When she was tired, sad, or frustrated they barged in—cold, dark, and depressing, almost screaming “Remember!”
Crazy, considering there was no way to ever forget. It was a big reason why she was here today. No one had expected her to follow in the family business. She’d decided to go this route all by herself and chose this world, knowing it still wasn’t the easiest path for a woman. When it was important, and this was, there was always a way. Besides, she was all for busting up gender roles, so it was a challenge she was ready to take on.
Her family, bless their hearts, seemed to understand with only a minimal amount of explanation. That night had changed them too, and in many ways, she wasn’t taking this journey alone. How lucky she was to have a supportive family. Too many others weren’t so fortunate, and she didn’t take her own circumstances for granted.
She glanced up at the clock and nodded. It was almost seven—nearly nine in Omaha. Family was exactly what she needed at the moment, and her brother Kyle, a psychologist, would be in his office. Not only did he have an active practice, but he also taught at the University of Nebraska and regularly served as an expert witness in both state and federal court. She could most certainly benefit from picking his brain right now.
She grabbed her phone, hit his number, and smiled at the sound of his deep voice. “What’s up, Sherlock?”
*
Twisted Whispers Page 8
