Deadly Visions

Home > Other > Deadly Visions > Page 9
Deadly Visions Page 9

by Aubrey Harper


  He looked around nervously.

  “I have a question about my car,” I said, “My name is Callie, by the way.”

  I extended my hand and he reluctantly took it.

  As soon as our hands touched, I got a vision.

  Jordan Puccini was in a car, looking out onto a familiar looking building. The body shop we were in right now.

  As soon as Beau let go, the vision faded.

  “Are you all right?” Beau asked me.

  “Yeah, I’m just a little lightheaded. I think it’s all these fumes. I’ll go get some fresh air.”

  I practically ran out of there. As soon as I was outside, I looked at the cars parked across the street. I spotted Dax. Lily. And then I saw what looked like another familiar face in the distance.

  It was Jordan Puccini.

  Chapter 13

  Jordan Puccini’s window was rolled down and he was looking straight at me. I immediately walked over to Dax’s car.

  “He’s here,” I said. “He’s parked a few cars behind Lily.”

  Dax immediately got out of his car, drawing his gun. Before I knew what had happened, Jordan Puccini was speeding out of there.

  I ran to Lily while Dax ran back to his own car. He was going after Jordan.

  “Should I follow?” Lily said. “What happened?”

  “He’s going after Jordan Puccini and we’re not going after them. There’s no way I’m getting involved in a car chase.”

  “You won’t be getting any pushback from me. So what do you want to do?”

  “Let’s stay here until Dax comes back. Who knows, maybe Jordan has a partner. Beau could still be in danger.”

  After a few minutes, a cop car parked in the space Dax was in before.

  “I’m guessing he’ll be safe enough. So did you see anything when you touched him?” Lily asked.

  “Jordan Puccini in a car right outside.”

  “You saved him, didn’t you?”

  “I guess. Unless I stopped Jordan Puccini from being caught in the first place.”

  “You’re such a Debby Downer. I think you deserve a drink, no matter what happens.”

  “I’d rather have a cookie,” I said.

  “Then a cookie it is,” Lily said. “I’m pretty sure I saw a sweets shop somewhere around here.”

  “Shouldn’t we wait for Dax? I hope he’s okay.”

  Lily rolled her eyes. “He’ll be fine. He’s an FBI agent, remember?”

  “I guess. But I’d rather wait to celebrate until we know if Jordan is caught.”

  Lily sighed and sat back. “It better be quick because I’m not in the mood to sit in a car the whole day.”

  “Welcome to my world. Do you think all this running around to strange places is fun for me? No, the visions are the ones that dictate my every move these days.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t think about how this might be affecting you.”

  We waited in silence. I watched the body shop like a hawk but there was no other unusual activity. I spotted Dax’s car coming back fifteen minutes later.

  The cop car drove away as he took back his original spot.

  “I’ll just check in with him and then we can go wherever we want, okay?”

  “Sounds good,” Lily said, turning on the radio.

  I walked over to Dax’s car and knocked on the window. He let me in.

  “So what happened?”

  “He got away.”

  “How? You were right behind him.”

  “He won’t get far. Every cop in the vicinity is looking for his car. I don’t think we’ll have to worry about Jordan Puccini for much longer.”

  “That’s good. Lily and I are going to buy some sweets. You want anything?”

  “No, I’m good,” he said, lifting up his coffee cup.

  “Holler if you change your mind,” I said. We exchanged phone numbers.

  Lily and I headed to the pastry shop for some sweets. To say that I ate more than I planned on was an understatement.

  It wasn’t long before Lily started to talk about going out to party again.

  “Come on, it’s getting dark,” Lily complained. “It’s time to have some fun!”

  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Jordan Puccini was still on the run. Despite what Dax had said, the criminal wasn’t caught. I said as much to Lily.

  She rolled her eyes. “You worry too much. Do you really think he’d be still hanging around this place? The cops are all over him. He’s probably not that stupid.”

  “But what if he is? Do you really want to take that chance?”

  “Yes, I do! It sure beats hanging around this boring inn, don’t you think?”

  “I’m not even sure why you even came along if you’re going to be like this. This isn’t a vacation, Lily, we’re here to catch a killer.”

  “Yeah, yeah. You’re always so serious. Besides, if he was a danger to us, don’t you think that you’d have a vision or something?”

  “You know very well that my gift doesn’t work like that.”

  Lily took my hands in hers. “Close your eyes,” she told me.

  “This is stupid,” I said.

  “Do it,” she practically commanded me. I did as I was told because I knew that she wouldn’t drop it until I did.

  Nothing came to me. I felt stupid for even trying.

  “Did you get a vision of impending doom?” She asked me.

  “Of course not, but...”

  “No buts about it! We’re going to have some fun tonight! And if you’re not coming with me, I’m going by myself. Is that what you want? Your best friend to be out there on her own in this dangerous, terrible world?”

  It was my turn to roll my eyes now. “I hate it when you guilt trip me like this. Fine, we’re going out, even though Dax said to stay put.”

  “And since when do we let any men tell us what we can and can’t do? Besides, if it was up to him, we wouldn’t even be here in the first place.”

  She certainly had a point there. “But I’m limiting my alcohol input. At least one of us should stay sober and clear-headed.”

  “Yeah, yeah, you can be the designated driver, as long as you let me have my fun, alright?”

  I nodded reluctantly. “I knew it was a mistake bringing you along.”

  “Callie, if it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t even go out of the apartment.”

  “And what’s so wrong with that?”

  “Nothing, if you like spending your life being alone and miserable, that is.”

  “Being alone doesn’t necessarily mean being miserable.”

  “Spare me, Callie. You know I’m a good influence on you.”

  “Your definition of good must be vastly different than most people’s,” I said and laughed.

  Lily ignored me. “Now let’s get ready for round two!”

  I waited while Lily spent an inordinate time in the bathroom making herself look pretty for the locals, or maybe a certain FBI agent, or, knowing her, probably both. Once she was done, it was my turn. I spent a lot less time getting ready. When she saw me, she gave me a sad look.

  “Is that really the best we can do? What if Dax is there?”

  “I highly doubt he’d be bar hopping when there’s a murderer on the loose. And even if he did, I don’t care. I’m not trying to impress him. I’m just going to make sure you don’t get yourself killed.”

  “Sure, Callie, I believe you.”

  It was going to be a long night.

  While Lily flirted with every man in the room pretty much, I was trying to be on the lookout for any faces that even resembled Jordan Puccini. One guy looked sort of like him, and immediately my heart started racing. It wasn’t until I was up close that I realized that it wasn’t him. This was going to be a long night indeed.

  I had a coke without rum in my hand. I took another sip, but it didn’t help my nerves. I wished I could get some real alcohol, but I was the designated driver after all.

  Lily was flirting with the bartender
now, a different one from the night before. I went over to the bar area and sat down beside her. My eye on the door. I even kept my eye on the restrooms, just in case Jordan Puccini decided to make an appearance from that side of the room.

  “Are you sure that the coke is all you want?” The bartender asked me. “You look like you need something stronger.”

  “She’s fine, just ignore her,” Lily said. “She’s the designated driver tonight. If it was up to her, I wouldn’t even be here.”

  “Is that right?” The bartender asked me.

  “I can’t say any more than that.”

  “You remind me of those two coppers that came around asking questions.”

  “Were their names Dax and Mike by any chance?” I asked.

  “How did you know? Are you with those guys? You don’t look like cops to me.”

  Lily laughed.

  “No, we’re not cops. But we might be looking for the same guy,” I said.

  “Boring,” Lily said. Then she made her way into the crowd and pretty soon she was dancing with a couple of guys at once. They liked it, but I didn’t. Lily had no idea the danger she might be putting herself in. While it was highly unlikely that Jordan Puccini was still in town, he very well could be. And I didn’t like being out here taking that chance. And if he was here, what could I do about it? It wasn’t like I had a gun or anything. I could text Dax now that I had his number, but by the time he got here, Jordan would already be gone, or worse. I tried not to think about it.

  I described what Jordan looked like to the bartender.

  “Yeah, they showed me a picture, but I haven’t seen him here in a while. Maybe he found another bar he preferred? What did the guy do anyway? Those coppers never said anything.”

  “It’s on a need-to-know basis kind of thing.”

  “And I don’t need to know? Is that right? How dangerous could this guy be if you don’t warn people about him?”

  “It’s not like that. It’s a very sensitive situation, if you will. If we reveal too much, it could tip off the bad guys.”

  “I don’t know, nothing like that has ever happened in this town. It’s been pretty quiet here for years. The most crime we get around here are people driving drunk or getting into a fight.”

  “That’s nothing to be proud of,” I said, looking around the place.

  “Are you judging me for serving alcohol to adults?”

  “Of course not,” I was quick to say. “It’s their responsibility to drink in moderation.”

  I turned around to see where Lily was, but she was nowhere in sight.

  “Did you see where she went? Did you see if she went with anybody?” I quickly asked the bartender.

  “Sorry, I was otherwise preoccupied. Talking to you, that is.”

  “This is just great. I knew something like this was going to happen.” I quickly made my way through the whole bar, annoying a couple of people in the process. And then I went to the restrooms, even the male one, but Lily wasn’t in there either.

  I called her immediately but it went straight to voicemail. Then I texted her asking her where the hell she was. I got a text minutes later: “met a cute guy. don’t wait up!”

  I couldn’t believe what I was reading. The bartender gave me a worrying look as I passed him.

  “What’s the big deal? Haven’t you done something like this before?” He asked me.

  “Mind your own business,” I said harshly. Then I stopped myself. “Sorry, I know it’s not your fault. I need to go find my friend. Bye.”

  “Good luck,” he said. It was clear by the look on his face and the tone of his voice that he didn’t think I had much to worry about. He thought this was just a normal occurrence. On any other night, perhaps it would have been. But I had no idea where Jordan Puccini was at this time.

  I drove like a madwoman around town, trying to spot my friend. But I had no such luck. She could be anywhere. I tried not thinking of her being somewhere in a ditch. Perhaps I was worrying about nothing. But Lily knew better than this. Why would she go with some stranger when she knew that Jordan was on the loose? Then I tried to remember if I told her what he looked like. Chills went through me when I realized I hadn’t. I had just said tall, dark, and handsome, but that could describe a lot of guys. I called Dax in a panic. He answered on the first ring.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  “Can you trace a cell phone? I have to know where Lily is.”

  “Wait a minute, what exactly are you talking about?”

  I explained the whole situation to him.

  “I don’t know what you’re so worried about,” Dax said calmly now. “Your friend is right, Jordan is probably miles away from here by now. He would be stupid not to be. In fact, my partner and I are preparing to leave town as well. The local PD can handle this town for now. We’re sure that Jordan is on the road, and we intend to catch up to him.”

  “Well, I’m glad you’re taking this so seriously.”

  “Your friend is just having fun. You need to calm down. Maybe you should have some fun as well,” he said. “Go back to your hotel room and wait until the morning. If she doesn’t show up by then, then you can call me or the cops and report her missing or something. But right now, tracking your friend’s cell phone will just be a waste of time and resources. We have bigger fish to fry than a woman engaging in a one-night stand.”

  “Thanks for nothing,” I said and ended the call.

  My phone rang a few seconds after that. I looked down, hoping it was Lily, but it was just Dax. I quickly pressed ignore. He was obviously not taking any of this seriously, but I felt it in my bones that something was wrong. Whether it was just fear or psychic intuition, I didn’t know. But since I had no other options, I did go back to the inn. My plan was to get something of Lily’s and try to get a psychic impression. If she was in any danger, that would tell me.

  I parked the car in front of the inn, carefully looking around for anything suspicious. It was dark out and a few people were walking about. If Jordan Puccini was going to try anything, this was a perfect time. I practically ran to our room, but when I got to the door, I held the key just a few inches from the keyhole, somehow unable to move. I was listening. But for what, I had no idea.

  “You’re being silly,” I told myself. “Lily is out having fun.”

  I quickly unlocked the door before I could change my mind and as soon as I closed the door behind me, the bathroom lights turned on.

  I saw Jordan Puccini holding my friend, and he had a gun to her head.

  “Don’t scream,” Jordan said. “And do exactly as I tell you.”

  Chapter 14

  I woke up in a dark, small space. And it felt like I was moving. But how?

  My hands were tied behind my back and my mouth was taped over, so I couldn’t scream. I tried anyway, but not to much success.

  What was the last thing I remembered? That’s right, Jordan Puccini in our room and an apologetic look on Lily’s face. I hoped she was all right.

  Being a psychic and all, it was kind of embarrassing that I didn’t see this coming. If I survived this, whatever this was, I was sure that there would be more than a few laughs about the irony of the situation.

  I felt the car moving from pavement onto a dirt road. Where exactly were we going?

  I closed my eyes, not that it made much difference since I couldn’t see much anyway, and asked the universe what the heck was going on here.

  Nothing.

  Nada.

  Zilch.

  Thanks for nothing, universe.

  I waited for the inevitable. If this was how I was going to meet my end, I wasn’t going down without a fight. I prepared myself for that trunk to open and then whoever was within reach was getting the worst of it. I tried to move my feet, preparing to kick whoever the unlucky bastard was, but I could barely move them an inch. And it wasn’t just because I was in a tight space. My feet had been tied, too. Jordan Puccini, or one of his accomplices, had thought of
everything.

  The car finally came to a stop. I didn’t know whether to be relieved or scared. It was a mix of the two at the moment.

  Jordan Puccini’s face greeted me. We were in what looked like the middle of nowhere. The sun was setting in the distance. I was in big trouble, wasn’t I?

  “Promise not to do any kicking or screaming and this will be a lot easier. I’d hate to have to use force on you. Understand? Especially since the boss kind of wants you in one piece. Though I guess a few scrapes and bruises won’t make much difference.”

  I wanted to say “bite me” but I’m afraid it ended up sounding nothing like it.

  “Don’t worry, sweetheart, you’ll have plenty of chances to talk.”

  He untied my legs and helped me out of the trunk. I was getting ready to kick him and run when I saw that there was nowhere to go. The only structure was the house we were in front of. A creepy looking house at that.

  Jordan’s car was the only vehicle in sight.

  I wanted to ask where exactly we were but the tape was still over my mouth, and besides, I doubted that he would tell me anyway.

  He led me inside the house, to the living room and sat me down.

  Then he took off the tape.

  I didn’t scream. There was no use. The house we were in was eerily empty.

  “Why am I here?” I asked him. “And could I please have some water?” My throat was as dry as the desert. I wondered just how long I’d been out. I thought I could sense something chemical around my nose. Did he chloroform me?

  “That’s not for me to answer. I’m just following orders. I’ll go get you that water. Don’t go anywhere. I’d hate to have to use this,” he said, opening his leather jacket to reveal a gun there. “And I’ve got the car keys,” he dangled them in front of my face. “So it’s not like you can drive out of here either. Be back in a jiffy.”

  I got up almost immediately and peeked through the curtains. It was getting dark out there and it looked like we were in the middle of nowhere. I couldn’t even place the state we were in. Just how long had I been out?

 

‹ Prev