by Edna Curry
Georgia laughed. “There are plenty of cases here in our country, too. There are lots of books about it, detailing what the doctors learned from the patients.”
“I’ll have to find and read them. But really, do you think it’s possible?”
“Yes, I do. I’ll ask Len to find out what he can about Lucille Denton. He can get more info from his police databases than we can find on the internet.”
“Okay. But ask him to keep it quiet, okay? I don’t want people to think she’s crazy. You remember what happened to Cora. You know how people get about anything strange or different.”
“Definitely, I remember, Dave. Cora’s tragedy haunts me to this day. Keep digging about Lucille on the internet as well, will you?”
“Sure. See you Wednesday.”
Chapter 9
Tom and Betty Denton were enjoying another leg of the world cruise they’d taken to celebrate their empty nest. Lucille, their youngest daughter, had graduated and just announced she’d left her computer programming job with IBM and was taking a break with her boyfriend in the Bahamas before starting her own business.
The twins, Rob and Rick, had good jobs as airline pilots and loved traveling the world. Their enthusiasm for travel had convinced their parents to try an around the world trip. All the arrangements were made for them by the tour guide and they and the dozen other couples on the tour were enjoying just following the leader. Nothing to do but soak in the atmosphere of each stop along the way.
This stop was a week in Hawaii with a side trip to the other islands. “I especially want to fly over the volcano,” Betty said, sitting at the small table in their hotel room and reading her email.
“I think that’s scheduled for Friday,” Tom said, flipping the channel on the TV. “What do the kids have to say?”
“Nothing much, as usual,” Betty said, frowning at her computer. “The boys are both still on their New York to L.A. routes and sounding bored. They want to get back to the Orient.”
“And what does Lucy have to say?”
“I’m not sure what to think about her.”
Tom lowered his newspaper and looked at his wife. “What does that mean?”
“Well, you know she and I have our little codes for things.”
“You mean the opposite stuff you started when she and Joe were having problems?”
“Yeah. He was always reading over her shoulder and bossing her around. So one day when we were together, we decided we’d have secret words that signaled to the other that we really meant the opposite of what we said.”
“So? Is she using them now, or what? Explain yourself, woman. You’re making me nervous.”
“That’s just it, Tom. She’s making no sense, like she forgot what we said. She used her opposite words a couple of times, but then she complained about the food at a party upsetting her stomach and having to spend a day in her hotel room. And said Roscoe was upset with her because she was sick. And I’m sure yesterday’s email was word for word the same message she sent me a few weeks ago.”
Tom frowned. “How can you remember what she wrote then? You forget what I told you yesterday.”
“Very funny. I still had her old email. See, here’s the one from a couple of weeks ago, still in my family folder. And here’s today’s email. They’re exactly the same, word for word. How could she have written the same thing without missing a word? I don’t believe it’s even from her.”
Tom rose and looked at her screen over her shoulder. “Huh. Maybe your ISP screwed up and resent the old message?”
“No, see? It has today’s date in the header. Something is wrong, Tom. I just know it. I never did like that slick blond boyfriend. He’s too much like his sleazy politician father, Harry Mattison.”
“Now, Betty, just because Harry is a lying politician doesn’t mean his son is a bad guy, too. Lucy seems to like him.”
Betty glared at him, her brown eyes flashing determination. “Tom, I’m scared. Something is wrong, I tell you. Maybe we should cut this trip short and fly back home?”
“Oh, honey, we’ve planned this so long. And I’ve paid a fortune for it, you know.”
“Sure, but…If you won’t do anything, I’ll call the police and have them check on her.”
“No, don’t do that, honey. Mattison would have a fit. You know how politicians hate bad publicity. The reporters would have a field day if you get the police involved. I’ll get Dirk to check on her. You know he’s good at tracking people, and as her uncle, he can invite her for coffee or lunch without Roscoe being suspicious. When Dirk gets her away from Roscoe, she’ll tell him if she’s not okay.”
“Well, if you’re sure…”
Tom patted her arm and pulled out his phone. “I’ll call him right now. You know you trust Dirk.”
Betty chewed her lip, eyeing him. “All right. But he’d better have an answer soon, or I don’t care what Mattison says…”
***
On Monday, the restaurant was very busy, but Sally found time to rave about her wonderful date with Charles. “He took me to this great place and ordered lobster for me. I’ve never had it before because it’s so expensive. It was delicious and dripping with melted butter. I’ll have to diet for a week to make up for all those calories.”
“How nice,” Lucy said, trying her best to sound polite, and hurried off to wait on a family who’d just taken one of her tables. It seemed that Sally couldn’t stop talking about Charles. At every opportunity, she told Lucy more details about their evening until Lucy was sick of listening to her.
Charles came in at least once each day and whenever he did, Sally made time to sit and chat with him.
Lucy tried to ignore them, but she kept feeling Charles’ eyes watching her. At first she thought it must be her imagination, but when her hair stood on end at the back of her neck and she’d feel forced to glance their way, his eyes were always on her. And he’d smile in that knowing way he had, giving her the creeps.
She was glad when he left each time and she could relax again. Why did he watch her like that?
Wednesday afternoon, Dave picked her up as he’d agreed and they went back to Georgia’s place. This time, Lucy asked if Dave could sit closer and maybe add to what she remembered, because she was going to be talking about more recent happenings.
“All right,” Georgia agreed, “whatever you’d like.”
After they’d settled in comfortably with cups of hot tea, Georgia said, “Why don’t we just start where you left off last time. You’d gotten a job at Mom’s restaurant and found an apartment to live in. And Dave had called to see you again.”
“Yes,” Lucy said, sipping her tea. “I remembered waitressing when I was in college, so I knew how. I had no trouble picking it up again. Except that they use a very different kind of cash register now to give orders to the kitchen and print out the bills. It’s really like a computer, so I’m still having trouble using it. Sally is very patient with me and explains stuff over and over until I remember it, thank goodness. She’s really a nice woman, though she has lousy taste in men.” Lucy shuddered.
“Oh? What makes you say that?”
Lucy shrugged and glanced at Dave. “I shouldn’t talk, I guess. She’s been so nice to me. But she has this new boyfriend, Charles, who comes into the restaurant every day and stares at me and when I glance at him, he gives me this knowing grin, like he’s got a big secret. He gives me the creeps.” She glanced at Dave. “Please don’t tell this to your mom. I don’t want to get Sally in trouble. And he is a customer, of course.”
“Hm. Interesting. And he’s a new boyfriend?” Georgia asked.
“Yes, she just met him last week.”
“I see.” Georgia glanced at Dave who had a thoughtful look on his face.
“Anything else odd happen?”
Lucy told her about going to computer class and learning to use one from Dave.
“But, then, the other night,” she said, glancing at Dave. “I didn’t tell you this, yet, Dav
e. I was trying to set up an Excel database like you taught us. I wanted to track my income and expenses and how many of Lucille’s traveler’s checks I’ve spent. And I suddenly knew there was a better way. I found a Quicken program online and downloaded it. I remembered what it was called, how to find and download it. And I even knew how to use it. Isn’t that weird? I just stopped and stared at the screen and got chills when I realized what I’d done.”
Dave stared at her, open-mouthed. “But I even had to teach you how to turn on a computer. How could you know that?”
“I don’t know. But I did. Isn’t that weird?” she repeated.
She went on to tell Georgia about meeting a customer who looked familiar, calling him by his grandfather’s name, Howard, and being embarrassed. But learning he remembered hearing his grandfather talk about her father.
She broke into tears, explaining it to Georgia. “They’re all dead. How can they seem so alive in my memories and have been dead sixty years?”
Georgia glanced at Dave. “I think we’ve done enough for today, Lucy.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cry.”
“That’s perfectly normal and all right.”
“So, am I crazy or what?”
“No, of course you’re not crazy. I’ve done some research and I think what’s happening here is that the accident caused you to have amnesia about your current life.”
Lucy nodded. “That’s what the doctor in St. Paul said. He thought it would return after a while.”
“I hope so. But that doesn’t explain the memories of sixty years ago. Lucy, have you heard of reincarnation?”
She frowned. “You mean like the kid from India who could remember a former life and took his mother to the house he used to live in? I remember reading about that.”
“Yes. And there are many other examples that are well documented as well. Most people can only remember a previous life under deep hypnosis. I think you lived in North Mankato in 1955 as Lucinda Johnson. And somehow, the accident damaged your memories of your recent life and reactivated those old memories in your brain so that you thought they were recent instead of in the past.”
“That’s so odd. Will memories of my current life return?”
“I hope so. But I don’t really know.”
“So what if they don’t?” Lucy asked in a panicked voice.
Georgia said gently, “If they don’t, you’ll have to go on from now, just like you are, coping with life as you are living it. Dave and I and my detective friend, Len, will help you. We’ll see what we can find out about your life in this century. Maybe just learning the details of where you lived or meeting the people in your current family will jog your memory loose. Let’s give it a little more time. Do you want to come again on Sunday? Maybe we’ll have more information for you by then.”
“Okay.” Lucy’s voice was doubtful.
***
Dave and Lucy left and stopped for dinner at a restaurant.
She was quiet as they ate. He could see that she was feeling down about what Georgia had said.
“Cheer up, honey,” he said. “It wouldn’t be so bad if you don’t remember, would it? I mean, we could just go on as we are, getting to know each other, couldn’t we?”
She sipped her coffee and sent him a wry smile. “Why would you want to be stuck with a weird woman who can only remember stuff from sixty years ago? I mean, how strange is that, really?”
“Maybe I like you, weird memories or not,” he said, taking her hand and squeezing it gently. “I’m beginning to care a lot about you, Lucy. Don’t you know that?”
She chewed her bottom lip, eyeing him. “Dave, you shouldn’t get any ideas about me. What if I’m already married?”
He frowned at that idea, rubbed her ring finger, then said, “You’re not wearing any rings that say you are.”
She shrugged. “But how can I be sure? What if suddenly my memory returns and I know I’m in love with someone else?”
“So, where is this person? Why hasn’t he tried to find you? Why isn’t your picture on every missing person list in the police computers?”
Her shoulders slumped and she looked away. “That would seem to be a logical thing for a man to do if he wanted me, wouldn’t it?”
Dave sighed. “I don’t mean to upset you more, honey. I have no idea why no one is looking for you. Maybe there’s a good reason they aren’t.”
“Ha. Good reason? What could possibly be a good reason for no one caring about me enough to look for me?”
He swallowed hard. “I don’t know. Maybe you were supposed to be on a trip, or off studying in Europe, or something like that.”
“So, I must be rich if I can do stuff like that, right? And if I’m rich, I’d have plenty of money to make connections. So, why I didn’t ever call or email my family or boyfriend? Everyone now seems to have a smartphone tied to their hands. Or they use Skype to talk with and see each other all the time.”
He laughed. “I guess we do. Especially if they have free unlimited long distance, most people do talk a lot. Even overseas emails are free and phone calls have gotten less expensive.”
She gave him a wry smile. “My last memories of long distance phone calls were that you said everything you wanted to say in three minutes and hung up. Otherwise, your phone bills were horrendous.”
“I suppose,” he said, then frowned. “How do you know about Skype?”
She blanched. “I…I don’t know. It just popped out. It is a real program you use to see and talk to people?”
“Yes, Lucy. It is. Maybe you are starting to remember things.”
She sighed. “I sure hope so. But I wish it would be more than tiny bits and pieces. I want my life back. I want to feel normal.”
“Don’t worry, honey. I think getting bits and pieces is a good sign that more will come back to you.”
“If only you’re right. I’d better get home. I have to work at seven in the morning.”
“Okay.” He paid the bill and took her home, again kissing her goodnight at her door. One kiss led to another. When he got too passionate, though, she pulled back out of his arms.
“Please, Dave, don’t start getting serious about me. I can’t, when I have no idea what my real life is, or was. Or whether it will ever be normal again.”
He sighed and nodded, caressing her cheek. “As you wish, Lucy. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.” She went inside and closed the door, leaning back against it with a long sigh. Then she turned on the light and her hand flew to her mouth. She screamed at the sight of her apartment in a mess. Drawers were dumped out, and her clothes and suitcase were strewn on the floor. Even the bedding was pulled off the bed and the mattress was half pulled off the box spring.
Footsteps pounded up the stairs and Dave shouted, “Lucy, what’s the matter?”
She flung the door back open and herself into his arms, hiding her face against his chest. “Somebody’s been here,” she whimpered.
“So I see,” he said grimly, surveying her apartment over her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
She nodded and pulled away to turn back and survey her apartment again.
He pulled out his cell phone and reported the break-in. “Is anything missing?” he asked. “Don’t touch anything, but just look around and see if you can notice anything missing.”
She moved around, stepping carefully around the things scattered on the carpet. Her laptop was open on her desk and running. She was sure she’d shut it down before leaving. Her printer was still in its place beside it. Only the drawers had been dumped out onto the floor.
“I’ll wait with you for the police,” Dave said grimly.
In a few minutes, an officer arrived and they spent an hour answering questions and waiting while he went through the apartment. “My partner is questioning the landlady and the other tenants to see if anyone else was broken into or heard anything unusual. Are you sure you can’t think of anything that’s missing?” he asked suspiciously.
“No,” she repeated.
“Who would think you have valuables here?”
“I have no idea,” she said, sending Dave a pleading look. She had no intention of explaining her lack of memories to this man.
Dave seemed to agree and backed her up.
“Are you sure the door was locked? There’s no sign of a forced entry.”
“Positive. I never leave my apartment without double-checking that it’s locked.”
The officer frowned at her. “Odd that he didn’t take the computer. Seems to be the only new thing here. Do you usually keep a fair amount of cash here?”
“No, I’m a waitress. I keep what little money I earn in the bank. I do keep some money in my purse, and I had that with me, not here in the apartment,” Lucy declared.
“How about your bank info?”
“I only have a checkbook and that’s in my purse.”
“Bank statements?”
She shook her head, explaining, “I just moved here. I haven’t had an account long enough to get a monthly statement.”
“Well, if nothing is missing, I guess this is only a B & E,” he said.
“What’s that?” Lucy asked.
“B & E stands for break and enter,” he explained. “Though I’m not even sure about the break-in part. I suppose the guy could have picked the lock to get in. Then there’d be no damage.”
His partner appeared at the door. “No one else was broken into or heard anything,” she said.
“Thanks.” He turned back to Lucy. “If you’ll just sign this report, I’ll be on my way. Here’s my card. If you think of anything else, give me a call, okay?”
After the officers left, Dave helped Lucy straighten up her apartment. When they finished, he said, “Better make sure he didn’t damage your computer.”
She looked at him. “Do you think someone would do that? Why?”
“I don’t know. But he must have been here for a reason. What could he have been looking for?”
She sat at her desk and turned on her computer and opened several programs. “It seems to work okay.” She opened her email account. “Oh, my God.”
