by Terri Reid
“No, we didn’t even describe ourselves, just said that we wanted a Caucasian baby, a boy, and it really didn’t matter his hair color,” Abby said, her voice quivering. “We never thought they’d steal a baby for us.”
“Of course you didn’t,” Mary said. “You were trying to invite a baby into your home; one you thought needed a home.”
Abby nodded. “We thought they worked with young single mothers,” she said.
“There are many agencies that do just very thing,” Bradley said. “If you’d like, we can get you in touch with some of those agencies. I have a feeling that a baby brought into this home would be very lucky.”
Abby smiled. “Thank you.”
“When did you first contact the agency?” Kevin asked.
“Around the first of October,” Josh answered. “We just happened to be reading through Craigslist and found their ad.”
“Was it an e-mail reply or a phone?” Kevin asked.
“The first time it was an e-mail,” Josh said. “Then they called and sent us some paperwork.”
“What information did you share with them?”
“Everything,” Abby replied. “Our personal financial information, job information, credit information. I just realized how much confidential information they have about us.”
“You might want to change any account numbers you gave to them,” Kevin suggested. “And we can put you in touch with some people about safeguarding your identities.”
Josh sighed. “I can’t believe we were foolish enough to do this.”
Mary smiled. “I guess you wanted a baby pretty badly.”
Abby nodded. “Yes, we really did.”
“Well, if you believe in Karma, you should be getting your baby,” Mary replied, “Since you are helping to get another one back home.”
Abby smiled. “Thanks, Mary,” she said, “that helps. So, you and Bradley are going to be playing me and Josh?”
Mary shook her head. “No, Kevin and I are going to be playing you two.”
“Really?” Abby asked, “I thought it would be you and Bradley for sure, you have such a good connection.”
Josh nodded. “I agree,” he said. ‘You two seem more like a couple than you and Kevin.”
Sean walked over and stood next to the loveseat, facing Bradley, Mary and Kevin. “Mary lean over and hold Kevin’s hand, like Abby and Josh are doing,” he said.
Mary dutifully placed her hand in Kevin’s. He interlinked their fingers and brought her hand up to his lips. “I personally think we are the perfect couple,” he said with a smile.
Mary smiled back and tried to relax and feel comfortable with Kevin.
Sean shook his head. “Okay, now let go of Kevin and lean over and link hands with Bradley.”
Mary leaned toward Bradley and placed her hand in his. He turned to her, smiled and tucked her hand into both of his. She felt warmth course through her body and immediately relaxed. Bradley looked over and saw the young Hispanic girl standing in the room with them.
“Pretend you are Abby and Josh and talk about the baby you’ve always wanted,” Sean prompted.
Mary turned, looked into Bradley’s eyes and saw the quick flash of pain. “I don’t think this is a good idea,” Mary said, “Kevin and I…”
Bradley tightened the hold on her hand. “It’s okay, Mary, really. Let’s see if we can do this and convince Abby and Josh.”
He slipped one hand out of the clasp and wrapped it around Mary’s shoulders. “We always wanted a baby,” he said. “I thought a girl would be great, with Abby’s eyes and her smile. But she insisted we needed a boy, so I would have someone to play football with. She hates playing football with me.”
Mary smiled, “Only because he’s a sore loser when I beat him. I figured he’d at least have a couple of years before the baby kicks his butt.”
Bradley laughed. “Until he’s eight?” he asked.
She shrugged. “Well, maybe six,” she replied.
Sean turned to Abby and Josh and nodded. “Yeah, you’re right,” he said. “These two are definitely going to be the husband and wife team. Their chemistry is perfect,” he said. “Sorry, Kevin, you’re going to be pulling back-up with me.”
“Not only do I not get the girl, I get you?” Kevin asked with mock disgust. “Boy, did I volunteer for the wrong assignment.”
“Sorry, Kevin,” Bradley said with a grin.
“What time is the meeting?” Mary interrupted.
“Tomorrow morning, ten o’clock at the Art Museum,” Abby said. “We are supposed to meet them in Gallery 240 in front of A Sunday on La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat.”
“I know the place,” Mary said. “It’s fairly public, but also provides a little privacy.”
A few minutes later, the meeting ended. The officer Sean assigned to the Martins resumed her post and Mary, Bradley, Sean and Kevin moved the strategic planning meeting to Pizzeria Uno on Ohio Street. Their order placed, they turned the conversation to the meeting the next morning.
“The Art Museum is a funny place to bring a baby,” Sean commented.
“They’re not bringing the baby,” Mary said, “Joey met us at the hotel and told us they’ve lined up a babysitter for Jeremy and are planning on milking the pigeons for more money.”
“Who the hell is Joey?” Kevin asked.
Mary looked over at Sean with a raised eyebrow. How much does Kevin know? She wondered.
“He’s an insider,” Sean said. “He can only give us limited information.”
So, he doesn’t know all that much, Mary thought. And for some reason, Sean doesn’t want him to know any more.
Bradley reached over and took Mary’s hand in his. “The truth is, Kevin, I’m a psychic. Joey is the baby’s brother who died this summer,” Bradley said. “He’s our inside man.”
Kevin snorted. “You’re kidding, right?” he said, looking around the room. “What is this some kind of reality TV show?”
Bradley shook his head, “No, I just happen to be able to see dead people and they talk to me.”
“So prove it,” Kevin said. “Are there any ghosts in the room?”
Bradley shrugged and looked around. “Well, over in the corner is a cop, a sergeant,” he said. “He just walked by the table. Last name was Monroe. Looks to be about forty… kind of heavy. He smiled at you and Sean - so I guess you knew him.”
“Damn, wasn’t Monroe your partner, Kev? Didn’t he keel over last year in this place?” Sean asked, moving around in his seat to look at the corner Bradley had motioned toward. “He was eating deep-dish and his heart finally gave out.”
Kevin’s face turned pale. “So, what did he say to you?” he asked.
“He didn’t talk to me at all,” Bradley said. “Not all ghosts talk to me. Only when they need me to help them figure something out - like helping a baby brother.”
“Or solving a murder,” Sean added. “Like you did in Freeport last month.”
So Sean’s playing along; this is interesting, Bradley thought.
“They walk up to you and tell you who killed them?” Kevin asked. “Sounds like pretty easy gig, but it doesn’t hold up too well in court.”
“Well, not all ghosts remember who killed them,” Mary added, “from what Bradley has told me. But they can help lead us to clues that help solve cases.”
“So, Mary, you actually believe in this stuff?” Kevin asked.
Mary grinned. “Oh, yeah, I’m a believer.”
Kevin shook his head. “This is totally crazy,” he said. “But, hey, crazier things have happened.”
Bradley turned to Sean. “Looks like our order is up,” he said. “Sean, want to give me a hand?”
Sean and Bradley walked to the bar. “So, why don’t you want Kevin to know about Mary?” Bradley asked.
“We all, the family, agreed that it would be better to keep her talents under cover,” he said. “People get nervous when they’re confronted with something unusual, especially people who have something to hide. So
, the fewer who know, the less chance of it getting spread around.”
Bradley nodded. “That makes sense,” he said. “It’s not Kevin. You trust him?”
Sean grinned. “Kev’s a good guy. I’ve known him since grade school. He was a couple years younger than me, but always someone I could trust. He’s highly respected in the force too. Little bit of a ladies’ man, but, yeah, if there were anyone we could trust with Mary’s information it would be Kevin.”
They picked up the pizza and appetizers and headed back to the table.
Mary was confused. As soon as Bradley was far enough away, she was able to see the ghosts in the room. She saw the cop Bradley had seen and wondered how Bradley knew he was there. She also saw a young woman standing next to their table, a Hispanic girl who looked as if she might have been a prostitute when she was alive.
“So, what have you been working on lately?” she asked Kevin.
“You know, the fun stuff,” he replied with a grin. “Drugs and sex.”
“The fun stuff?” she asked. “You have a strange idea of fun.”
He paused for a moment and reached across the table for her hands. “Actually, things aren’t going great in my life,” he said. “I was trying to help a young prostitute and things went wrong. Very wrong. She ended up missing. I’m guessing she’s dead.”
Mary squeezed his hands. “I am so sorry,” she said. “I know how that feels. But, Kevin, I’m sure you did everything you could.”
He shook his head. “Yeah, I did. But it still hurts. I got the feeling she had a crush on me. She was so cute. Like a puppy dog. I only wish I knew what happened to her.”
“I can…,” Mary started, and then paused. “I can ask Bradley to look for you. If she was connected to you, she might be nearby. He’ll be able to help you find her and discover what happened to her.”
Kevin smiled. “Really?” he asked, “Bradley can do all that.”
“Yes, he’s very good at discovering secrets.”
“That’s a good talent to have,” Kevin agreed, “Especially in police work.”
“It has come in handy. More than once.”
The conversation ended when Sean and Bradley came back with the dinner. “Hey, what are you two chatting about?” Sean asked.
“Just catching up,” Kevin said, releasing Mary’s hands and sitting back in his chair. “I didn’t realize just how much I missed seeing Mary. That’s something I hope to remedy.”
Bradley sat down next to Mary, and placed his arm causally along the back of her chair. “Well, it’s a bit of a drive to Freeport,” he said, “But we’d love to show you the sights if you decide to make the trip.”
Kevin glanced at Bradley, and then turned his attention to Mary. “So, are you involved with anyone at the moment?”
Mary involuntarily glanced at Bradley and then at Kevin. “No, nothing official,” she said and felt her heart drop when Bradley moved his arm from the back of the chair.
“Oh?” Kevin asked with a smile. “I got the feeling that you and Bradley…”
“We’re friends,” Mary said, smiling a little too brightly. “Good friends.”
Kevin leaned forward and placed his hand over Mary’s. “That’s music to my ears.”
*****
Chapter Fifteen
”Well, this certainly has been an interesting evening,” Mary said as they entered their hotel suite later that evening.
“Have you and Kevin known each other for very long?” Bradley asked.
She shrugged. “He was one of the neighborhood kids,” she said. “He liked to hang out at our house with my brothers.”
Yeah, while trying to get close to the sister, Bradley thought.
She sat on the large couch that faced the window. Bradley sat on a chair adjacent to the couch, his feet propped on the coffee table.
“Thanks for stepping in when I slipped the information about Joey,” she said, “Sean doesn’t like telling people about my talents. But he was fine with you pretending to be the one with psychic ability. I don’t understand him.”
Bradley smiled. “I do,” he said. “He was protecting his sister. Sean doesn’t want anyone worried that you can see their dirty little secrets.”
Mary sat back on the couch and sighed. “Should I say the obvious, that really, I don’t need to be protected?”
He chuckled. “Sure, say it,” he said. “I can agree with you.”
She turned and looked over at him. “Then why did you tell Kevin you could see ghosts?”
“It seemed like the thing to do at the time,” he said. “I don’t think it had anything to do with protecting you, just deflecting.”
She smiled. “Bradley, deflecting is another word for protecting.”
“Not in my dictionary. Mary, when I left to get dinner, what did you and Kevin talk about?”
“Once you walked away I could see ghosts again,” she said. “I saw the cop…and you are going to have to explain how you did that. But I saw a young girl standing behind Kevin. I guess I was…worried, so I asked him about his cases.”
“Okay, I saw her too,” he said. “What did he tell you?”
“First, how did you see her?”
“When you and I make contact, I can see ghosts, right?” he asked.
She nodded.
“Okay, well, even though I’m clearing them off the radar for you, I can still see them,” he said. “It’s really weird, like movies superimposed on each other.”
“Yeah, that’s what I see,” she said. “So, you actually saw that cop…”
“And the girl,” he said. “I saw her at your parent’s place, at the Martins and then again at the restaurant. She seemed connected to Kevin.”
“Yes, he told me he was working on a case, trying to save her,” Mary explained. “He said he thought she might have developed a crush on him. Then she disappeared. He is presuming she’s dead.”
“Well, he’s right,” Bradley said solemnly. “She looks pretty bad.”
“I told him that you might be able to help him,” she added. “I hope you don’t mind.”
No problem as long as he keeps his hands off of you.
“No, problem,” he said, “A friend of yours is a friend of mine.”
In a pig’s eye, Bradley growled silently.
“Thanks! Maybe after we find Jeremy we can help him,” she said, yawning. “I think I need to get some sleep.”
“Yeah, tomorrow is going to be a busy day.”
She walked to her bedroom door and turned to him. “Thanks for coming with me,” she said. “You’ve made a big difference. I’m lucky to have you as a friend.”
“Mary,” he started.
What can I say? I want to be more than friends, but I’m married. Yeah, that would sound brilliant.
“Yes?” she asked, pausing by her bedroom door.
“Sweet dreams.”
He sat back on the chair and stared out the window into the sky over Lake Michigan. Things were getting more complicated with each moment he spent with her. A couple of months ago he thought she was completely nuts, and now he was seeing ghosts too. What happened to his quiet, self-absorbed world? He chuckled softly, Mary happened.
He got up and walked over to his bedroom, picked up a couple of pillows and a blanket and carried them back to the couch. Placing the pillows on one end, he threw the blanket along the length of the couch. Glancing over to Mary’s closed bedroom door, he nodded. Close enough to keep her safe tonight.
In the time it took him to wash up and change into sweats, something had changed in the layout of the make-do bed. A large depression had appeared in the middle of the couch. Bradley moved closer and sniffed.
“Oh, no, you don’t,” he said, “I am not sharing my bed with a dog, ghost or not. Off!”
The depression disappeared.
“Good boy,” Bradley said. “You might as well take my bed; no one is going to use it.”
Bradley glanced through the open door in his bedroom and sa
w a depression appear on the remaining comforter. “Smart dog.”
He lay down on the couch, his eyes turned toward Mary’s door and hoped for at least a little sleep that night.
Mary was dreaming she was on a boat in a lake, the waves lapping up against the side, rolling gently up and down in the water.
“Come on, baby,” a man’s breathless voice panted urgently, “we’re almost there. Gotta hurry so Al don’t miss us.”
