by Amber Garr
“Stop! Seriously, too much information.”
But that’s why we were friends. She managed to take my mind off divorce, marriage, and Russ in a few minutes.
“Fine. I’ll see you Saturday night at eight. Take care sweetie. Love you!”
“Yeah, love you, too. And don’t get too excited. I might be the corpse I threaten to be at dinner.”
“No you won’t.”
She hung up on me too before I could respond. I set the phone down, walked over to my desk, and looked at my work assignment. I sat there for almost twenty minutes without a thought on how to proceed, before deciding that I needed to call it a night. Tomorrow would be a long day, and I was having an artist’s version of writers-block. I knew it would be there in the morning, so I took a shower and went to bed.
Three
I awoke Saturday morning pleasantly refreshed after a peaceful sleep devoid of nightmares. I was able to get a few pages of illustration done before I needed to get ready for Garrick. The night before, I realized he hadn’t been to my house for nearly six months, and I didn’t really feel comfortable reliving some of those memories. So I got dressed and went outside to wait for him instead.
Detectives Pearson and Sherwood had been assigned Russ’ case. After several months of no leads, I could only get Garrick to update me on the lack of progress in finding his murderer. Sometimes he would stop by, since he knew how difficult it had been for me to come to the station. I told him about my gift while trying to explain how I knew Russ had been hurt in an alley before it actually happened. He’d been skeptical but willing to listen.
After a few months, he asked me to assist him with some cold cases he’d been assigned. We kept my involvement a secret, but I helped him close some files. Once we felt comfortable enough, he clued in his partner on the situation. It took a while, and although Detective Sherwood claims he’s a skeptic, he never really gave me a hard time once I helped him with a high profile homicide.
I wasn’t on the payroll. No slot on the form for “contracted psychic”. But my illustrator job paid the bills, and it was nice to be able to practice my abilities and keep my skills sharp. I also had a mentor who encouraged me to work with the police as often as I could handle. She was a true clairvoyant in every sense of the word, and she’d been teaching me how to control my gift since I first met her several years ago. Reminded I hadn’t talked to her in a while, I made a mental note to check in with her as I saw the unmarked police car round the turn.
Garrick pulled up to the curb and lowered the passenger window. “Is everything all right? Why are you outside? Can you still come with me?” Nervous and insecure again.
“Relax. I just wanted some fresh air.”
I smiled as he unlocked the door and I climbed inside. The car was one of those typical undercover-cop or elderly-woman models. An inconspicuous dark sedan with tinted windows and ordinary wheels. A police scanner, a GPS unit, and a spot for a small laptop encompassed most of the center console. The car smelled of old leather and smoke with a hint of greasy food. I placed my purse on the floor and buckled up. Garrick stared at me.
I raised my eyebrows. “What? Why are you looking at me? Don’t we need to get going?”
He snorted then shook his head. Putting the car into gear, we drove out of my development.
Okay. I didn’t know what that was about, but after a decent night’s sleep and semi-productive morning, I wasn’t going to let him bring me down. We drove in silence for a while. I was about to ask him if I could at least listen to the radio when he started the conversation.
“You look better.”
Not the opening line I was expecting.
“Gee thanks, Garrick.” I twisted in my seat so that I could face him. “Why do people say that? Don’t they know that it’s not really nice? You look better. Like what I looked like before was so hideous and awful that they feel the need to make a statement on how bad you looked before because now you look better? I don’t get it!” He tried not to smile, but I could see the twinkle in his eyes. “Don’t you laugh at me,” I threatened half heartedly.
“Sorry,” he said and held one hand up in surrender. “I meant that you seem like you’re less stressed and less tired than you were the other day.”
“Well, that’s because you dragged me out of bed at an hour only cops and psychos are up and about.”
I slouched back into my seat and crossed my arms over my chest in protest. Yes, like a two year old.
This time he did laugh as he said, “It was eight in the morning, Leila. I think most people are up and about that early.” He stopped me mid-protest. “But for what it’s worth, I am grateful you faced the insane morning hours and survived the cops and psychos. You did help us out.”
I turned back to him in time to see his face grow all serious again. He caught my gaze, gave me a slight smile, then sighed. “You think she’s already dead, don’t you?” It was time to talk about work.
“I told you I don’t usually see the future.” I looked out my window and decided honesty was best. “But yes, I think that she’s already dead. I think I felt her last breath as it was sucked away from her. I think I sensed her peace when she accepted her death. I wish I could have seen who did this to her.” I turned back to look at him. “Or to all of them.”
“I do too,” he agreed as we turned into a development in the suburbs. “Look, I didn’t tell the Montgomerys anything about you other than you are a consultant helping out with the case. I don’t think they’d want to know why you’re here. Just let me know if you pick up anything from the parents or the brother or from anything else in the house, okay? I’ll do most of the talking.”
“Yes, sir.”
I saw him roll his eyes and stop himself from commenting. He did look cute when I annoyed him.
We pulled into a driveway made of pavers and bordered by a sculpted landscape. The house and the front yard were impeccably manicured. On a tiny lot, the house was a huge white two story building with a great entrance and second floor balcony. The stucco exterior and arched doorway gave it the feel of old Europe.
As we walked up to the front of the house, the door opened and a middle-aged woman stepped onto the porch. She held her arms out as she scrambled toward us.
“Detective Pearson! I am so glad you stopped by. Please tell me you have some news?” She had slightly graying hair although blended well by a talented stylist. The aqua suit highlighted her light blue eyes and fresh spray tan. Her aging fingers were covered in gold jewelry as though wearing every piece she owned. While Garrick attempted to remove her arms from his shoulders, a man stepped outside.
“Peggy, please let go of the detective.”
I presumed this was Mr. Carl Montgomery. Tall and lean, he had the tanned skin and dark hair that his daughter had inherited. He was a self-made, successful businessman used to taking matters into his own hands. Even though I had never met him before, I could tell he’d aged drastically over the past two weeks. This was a man who was used to being in control and he didn’t know what to do with himself now. He gently but firmly pulled his wife from Garrick’s hands.
“I’m sorry, detective.” He glanced my direction, giving me a quick assessment with his eyes. He held his hand out to me. “Hi. I’m Carl and this is my wife, Peggy.”
“Hello. I’m Leila Marx.” I shook his hand and saw quick flashes of nighttime drinks alone in his study, staring at a picture of Erin. I felt his utter helplessness, anger, and sadness. He thought she was lost to him forever. I broke the handshake, but did it discretely enough he didn’t notice anything odd.
“Oh, Ms. Marx! I’m so happy to meet you!”
Peggy threw her arms around me in a tight embrace similar to what she gave Garrick. At a few inches taller and larger than me, she nearly knocked me over with her body. Although inundated with grief, my gift also showed that she was highly medicated. Her emotions all blended together in a fog and I’d seen this before when there were a lot of drugs in someone�
�s system.
Garrick and Mr. Montgomery pulled her off of me. As my attention focused on the guys trying to stabilize Peggy’s balance, I got a prickly sensation along the back of my neck. Turning toward the front door, I saw a young man, perhaps in his late teens or early twenties, standing in the door frame. His stare bore through me, and when I made eye contact, he slipped back inside. I shivered and snuck a glance at Garrick to see if he noticed the boy. He gave me a slight nod to confirm and then had the Montgomerys escort us inside.
A foyer opened up into a formal dining room on the left and a family room on the right. The front of the room consisted of a large bay window opposite the open kitchen plan. The young man sat on a stool with an elbow resting against the counter. He was dressed in khaki’s with a button down long sleeve shirt, almost a mirror image of his father. If I hadn’t known any better, I would say that he could be a twin of his missing sister.
“Jake, help your mother to the chair please.”
Jake stood and walked over to his parents without removing his eyes from me. I, too, continued to meet his gaze and it was almost as if I could see a dark shadow around him. My instincts went on high alert. I couldn’t see auras, although I knew some psychics who could, but I swear I sensed something evil. Although my particular ability manifests itself most greatly through touch, I still had what amounted to a killer gut instinct.
We all took our seats around the coffee table, except for Jake, who resumed his position at the kitchen counter once his mother was situated.
“Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery, I wanted to stop by today to see if you’ve been able to think of anything that could help us locate Erin and also to introduce you to Ms. Marx who will be assisting us with this case.”
I’ve heard Garrick speak cop before, and each time it was interesting to watch how professional he could be. Sometimes it made me forget that he was only a year older than me.
“How will she be assisting?” Carl asked.
“Ms. Marx is a consultant that specializes in finding missing persons. She is able to profile the victim and potential suspects in a way that helps us focus our investigations and solve our cases.”
I swear I heard a snort come from Jake at the counter, and I think his father did too when I noticed him give a disapproving glance at his son. Peggy Montgomery rocked back and forth on the couch holding a framed picture of Erin against her chest. She looked from speaker to speaker, but I don’t think she heard a word we said.
“Your daughter is very beautiful, Mrs. Montgomery.” I motioned to the photograph in her hands.
She glanced down and replied a somber, “Yes, she is, isn’t she?” She resumed rocking and tried to dissolve herself from the room.
I noticed Mr. Montgomery looking at me. “Well, I hope that you’ll be able to help the detectives, Ms. Marx. Do you have anything that you can tell us now?”
I started to answer when I noticed a slight movement out of the corner of my eye. Jake walked over to his father and sat on the arm of the chair.
“Yes, Ms. Marx, do you have any news for us?”
With his incredulous tone, I expected another disciplining look from his father. But I was on my own with this one. Both of the men now stared at me to the extent I felt the shivers on my neck again.
“No, I’m sorry. I don’t have anything to share right now. But I will be working closely with Detective Pearson and his partner. Believe me, I want to help you find Erin.”
After a moment, Carl looked back at Garrick, followed by Jake’s gaze. They listened intently as Garrick continued.
“As I told you all before, I promise I’ll keep you posted if we get any new leads or have any updates. My partner has been working with detectives outside of the city in case she crossed the county or state border.”
Garrick was good at this. He had a special knack for dealing with the emotional side of his job. I felt a special sense of pride over seeing him like this. At his nod, we stood up to leave. “I will be in touch as I gather more information, Mr. Montgomery,” he said as he held out his hand.
“Thank you, thank you both.” Carl said as he completed the handshake and moved to his wife’s side. “Please let us know if there is anything we can do. We just want her back.”
His voiced cracked on the last word and I briefly saw a break in his stoic persona. His daughter was missing and he had to keep it together not only for himself, but for his entire family. Jake walked us to the door and as we were leaving, he spoke directly to me.
“I’m sure that we’ll see each other again soon, Ms. Marx.”
The darkness around him deepened and my intuition screamed for me to run away. He made a slight move to reach out and touch me, but drew back at the last moment as though he thought better of it.
I stared into his dark eyes for a second longer. “I’ll do what I can to find your sister, Jake.” It was the only response I could think of. I didn’t want to let him know how much he disturbed me, and as we got back into the car, I physically shook the bad vibes off of me.
“That kid is weird.”
Garrick looked at me with a bit of surprise. “You think so too? I thought maybe it was just me, but if you’re picking up on some bad juju, then it must be there.”
“Bad juju? I don’t know. But I would suggest you look closely at him. What is he, like a year older than her? Did they hang out with the same friends?”
“Eighteen months, and no. Apparently they didn’t really hang out together much at all. We haven’t come up with anything suspicious about him or his friends yet. But after today, I’ll keep digging.”
“Yeah, I would suggest the same.”
We looked at each other and smiled. I turned my attention back outside my window and began to reanalyze the entire meeting. Erin was dead, I was almost sure of it. Her parents were truly in a state of disarray, but Jake seemed indifferent. I have a strong intuition that proves to be correct most of the time, be it from my gift or not. Something was going on with Jake. Even if it didn’t have anything to do with his sister, that boy was surrounded by a darkness I hadn’t seen before. I definitely needed to speak with my mentor, Terez.
I must have been daydreaming for a while, when Garrick’s voice interrupted my thoughts. “Do you want to grab some lunch? I haven’t had anything to eat all day.” He looked at me then focused quickly back on the road ahead of him when I met his gaze. He shifted slightly in his seat. “I mean if you have time. I could also drop you off.” He was nervous again.
Lunch did sound like a good idea. I felt a hint of excitement as I accepted his invitation and we headed toward the downtown area full of outside cafés.
Four
Our table was below an awning, underneath an umbrella, in the fall in Baltimore. A tad unnecessary. I would have preferred pure sunlight, but this was all the café had available outside. We sat across from the park and one block away from the harbor. Unfortunately, whoever handled the landscaping at the restaurant hadn’t trimmed the rose bushes for some time and they all but blocked the view of the trees.
Garrick and I sat at a small two person table sipping our drinks and drowning in awkward silences. I finally couldn’t take it anymore.
“So, why did you decide to become a cop?” That should keep him going for a while.
“It’s in the blood. I come from a family of them.” He took another drink and a full minute passed. I waited for him to continue but nothing happened.
Time to pull more teeth.
“Where do they live?”
“Well, my parents split up when I was a teenager so now my mom lives in Maine with her new husband and my dad is in DC. He’s a detective there, although he plans to retire next year.”
“Any brothers or sisters?” Hopefully the whole conversation wouldn’t be this stale.
“Two brothers. Both cops. One is in Maine, and the other is in Miami.” He grabbed his drink again like it was his lifeline.
“Miami, huh? As in Vice? Please tell me he doesn’t wear s
houlder pads.”
Garrick looked up at me and I saw a slight curve of his mouth. “No, it’s not that bad.” He laughed and finally relaxed as he settled into his chair.
It was actually a nice day, with a warmer breeze and not a cloud in the sky. The tiny bit of the park that I could see in between the rose bushes still fought to maintain the summertime green. I watched a man toss a Frisbee for his dog. The canine jumped up and caught it in mid-flight then promptly returned to his owner to do it all over again. I always wanted a dog that would do tricks like that.
Garrick cleared his throat. “So you illustrate children’s books? How did you get into that industry?”
I turned my attention back to him. “Oh, you know. Art major in college. Not much to do with that degree. I had a writer friend who asked me to draw a few cards for her once then one thing led to another. And here I am now, trying to make children happy and educated.”
“I think what you do is pretty neat. I can’t draw for anything. Well, maybe a doodle or two during meetings, but nothing I could make a living off of.”
“Yes, but you save lives for a living. I think you win.” I was happy to see the conversation flow a bit better, and I did my best to keep it going. “You did well with the Montgomerys. I don’t know if I could handle death and destruction every day and still find it in me to console others. I’m not that selfless.”
“It has nothing to do with selflessness. I need to stay connected to these families. It’s the only way I can maintain my sanity and have some semblance of belief in the goodness of humans. We can be a pretty hideous species.”
He visibly shook himself like he was trying to get rid of a memory, or years of memories. I couldn’t really think of anything to say, but was saved when the waitress delivered our food. We ate in silence for a while. I had a club sandwich with fries, and Garrick ordered a salad.
I gestured toward his lunch. “You know, it’s all right for you to eat around me. I won’t judge.” I smiled but he looked confused. “You know, the salad. Shouldn’t that be my role? The girl won’t eat in front of the guy for at least three dates?”
