by V. K. Powell
And then the cop returned. She was becoming more of a problem with each visit. This time she’d tried to touch his beloved, but she had thwarted the advance. Good girl. If only he could’ve heard them, but the voices were muted.
The cop had upset or hurt her in some way. She sat crumpled on the floor like a wounded thing, and he couldn’t comfort her. At least maybe now she understood that she could trust only him. The list of those who deserved punishment grew longer. Soon his passion would demand that he seek revenge to quench his thirst or finally take possession of her…or both.
Chapter Eleven
Rae stared at the blank page and tried to formulate a response to the final-exam essay question. Everyone else in the packed classroom hunched over their papers and worked furiously. For her the stark institutional gray walls closed in and blotted the information right out of her head. She looked at the clock, ten more minutes. The question wasn’t hard. She simply couldn’t put the answer together. Her mind wandered to her conversation with Audrey three days ago, the psychic connection, as she now referred to it. They’d had no contact since.
Rae felt like a narrow-minded bigot, unwilling to look beyond the veil of her own reality. She theoretically accepted life beyond our universe. To think otherwise was not only unenlightened but also egotistical. So why was she having trouble acknowledging Audrey’s abilities? Maybe she could only deal with the mystical in theory but not in her well-ordered life.
Cops and psychics didn’t mesh. Their approaches to solving crime, and to life in general, were too different. Police officers, skeptical by nature, questioned anything they couldn’t see or touch. Those who collaborated with seers were ridiculed and their careers suffered. She’d seen the disastrous results. No one ever took them seriously again, regardless of the case’s outcome.
Psychic ability was simply mumbo-jumbo, guesswork, and everybody guessed right occasionally. The last psychic who assisted on a case shotgunned such a massive amount of vague information that some of it hit the mark. The victims wanted details so desperately they only remembered the correct bits, and the media sensationalized the results. The leads he provided were anecdotal at best, never anything concrete. Rae wanted to believe Audrey was different and was willing to suspend her disbelief long enough to investigate further. If she didn’t, she’d never forgive herself. Audrey made her feel things she hadn’t thought possible, and she couldn’t walk away.
“Five minutes,” the instructor announced.
Rae returned her attention to the exam and scribbled a quick answer to the question. She wouldn’t say she’d done her best, but she’d done all she could. She either passed or she didn’t. Rae had a more difficult test now, understanding and accepting Audrey—warts and all.
On her way home, she called and left Audrey a message asking if she’d stop by on her way home from work. She at least owed her a face-to-face apology for her earlier behavior. Rae spent the afternoon researching psychics and clairsentients on the Internet. She might be mildly intolerant but she didn’t have to be completely uninformed. Most of the sites were advertisements or testimonials geared to solicit money—another unpleasant connection Rae associated with psychics—money grabbers who preyed on the weak. The searches didn’t help.
While Rae waited to hear from Audrey, she threw darts and reviewed the Whisperer details she’d pinned to her case board. She studied the pictures of each victim’s wounds and wondered if a forensics weapons expert could narrow down the type used to inflict the injuries. Rae added the task to her to-do list with a shiver of excitement. What if Audrey was right and the weapon had been a very specific knife? If they could identify the style of weapon, it could be her first solid lead.
How would she explain where the information came from? That’s where merging police work and the supernatural got murky. Maybe she didn’t have to say anything about Audrey’s vision. Rae always explored every detail in her cases, and narrowing down weapon type was certainly on the list. If she considered Audrey’s information like any other lead and verified it, the source wouldn’t be a problem. It wasn’t like this would be a recurring issue. Audrey wouldn’t be involved in the investigation any further.
Rae breathed a little easier. At least she knew a bit more of Audrey now. A circus upbringing wasn’t anything to be ashamed of, so why had she kept quiet? In Rae’s opinion a unique background made her more interesting. Perhaps she was concerned that others wouldn’t understand. People judged one another on money, power, and position or the lack thereof.
An idea Rae had considered before suddenly returned. What if Audrey’s silence had something to do with her assault? Maybe the missing link was her past and Audrey was protecting someone. Rae hated to stereotype, but circus folk were a rare breed, unusual, often foreign and transient. Every couple of years a modern-day band of gypsies swooped through town like a plague, burglarizing, robbing, and vanishing. It was a documented fact based on police statistics, not a generalization. She conceded gypsies and cirque performers weren’t the same. However, it did alter her suspect base. She was officially off Audrey’s assault, but she wasn’t a quitter. Something about the case bothered her—beyond her desire to play hero.
Rae hurled another dart swift and sure to the heart of the dartboard as a soft tap sounded at her door. The knock was almost inaudible, broadcasting Audrey’s uncertainty about being here. Hopefully, Rae could reassure her. She smiled and opened the door.
Audrey looked as if she might run, her body tensed for flight. Her expression relayed questions and indecision. “Please come in.” She wore a tailored cream suit and deep-blue blouse that complemented her sparkling lapis eyes. Her wispy blond hair feathered adorably toward her face, and Rae almost reached up to smooth the ruffles back. “I’m glad you came.” She motioned toward a chair.
“I’d prefer to stand, at least until I know what this is about. Why am I here, Rae?”
Audrey wasn’t making this easy for her. “I wondered if we could talk more about the other night—what you told me.”
“Apparently not. You can’t even bring yourself to say the words, can you?”
Rae breathed through her frustration. She wanted desperately to understand, to accept. If she still doubted herself, she should’ve waited longer before talking with Audrey. “Would you at least concede this is hard for most people? Surely, I’m not the only skeptic.”
“No…” Audrey paused as if weighing her next words. “But I’d hoped your interest in me would’ve made you more open.”
Audrey’s gaze made Rae feel completely transparent. Heat rushed up her neck and across her face. Audrey knew she cared for her, and she hadn’t been the woman Audrey needed. Why did she feel her disappointment so acutely? “You’re right.”
“About which part?”
If she hoped to salvage even a friendship with Audrey, Rae had to be as open as she had been. And after three days without contact, Rae knew she wanted more than that. “Both. I should’ve been more objective…and I do care. I’ve thought of little else since.”
“And what have you come up with?” Audrey’s eyes penetrated as if to mine any hidden inference or agenda.
“Will you please sit down?” Rae moved to the small settee and waited for Audrey to join her. When she did, Rae took her hands. Audrey’s skin was soft and supple, and energy surged between them. Rae felt intuitively that her decision to believe in Audrey was the right one. Could she trust her instincts on something so vital, or was she only responding to their physical connection? Whatever was happening, she couldn’t stop now.
“It must’ve been difficult for you to tell me about your past and your gift. I haven’t been your greatest supporter. I grilled you about your life, questioned your motives, and refused to stop investigating your assault. You might say I’ve been a true pain in the ass.” Audrey didn’t disagree but didn’t pull away either. “It must be hard to know what to do with so much unwanted information. You probably feel terribly alone and scared sometimes.”
Audrey thumbed the backside of Rae’s hand. “Yes. It feels like I’m in a minefield with no map—one wrong move and I destroy myself and everyone around me.”
“I’m sorry for not being more understanding and supportive. The concept of psychics goes against everything I’ve been taught to believe.”
“Then why are you trying?” Audrey’s eyes had lost some of the cold edge they held when she arrived. The stormy blue calmed into a softer sky hue and seemed to penetrate Rae’s soul.
“For the last eight months I’ve been too preoccupied with loss and betrayal to consider anything else. I thought Janet and I would be together forever. When our relationship started falling apart, I withdrew. I blamed the breakup on her affair and disloyalty.”
Audrey edged closer to Rae on the sofa and stroked her hand. “That’s a natural reaction. You expect your mate to be faithful.”
“It was my fault too, and instead of facing it head-on, I worked more and refused to take any responsibility. Police work is a great way to lose yourself. It’s a demanding job that absorbs every ounce of emotion you’ll allow, leaving nothing for your personal life.”
“You obviously wanted more,” Audrey said.
“Yeah, but I took the coward’s way out. You’re not the only one coming to terms with the past. To answer your question, I want to believe you because disbelief is too limiting. It siphons the joy and possibility out of life.”
“Brilliant. It sounds like you have done a lot of thinking.” Audrey kissed her lightly on the cheek and looked at her as if she’d said the most important words in the English language. “If we kept our childhood wonder and belief alive, we’d be much happier. And…I accept your apology.”
If the smallest speck of skepticism still existed inside Rae, she’d endure it forever and never speak of it again—as long as Audrey looked at her the way she did right now. Rae’s heart almost burst. Her cheek burned where Audrey’s lips had touched and heat spread through her. She bridged the distance between them, wanting desperately to connect, afraid of overstepping. It was more important that Audrey know she believed her than to know how much she wanted her.
As if reading her mind, Audrey turned into her arms and brought their lips together. They joined tenderly, teasing and testing, parting and reconnecting, breathing and not. Rae felt the initial surge of desire, the immediate heat between them, and moistened Audrey’s lips with the tip of her tongue. Sweet and savory tickled her taste buds.
Audrey raked her fingers through Rae’s hair and brought them closer, deepening the kiss. Her lips parted and Rae explored the wet softness. Her body hummed like current along a live wire, and she drew Audrey tighter. Rae probed with her tongue, drinking, inhaling, and absorbing Audrey’s essence like a parched traveler. Sliding her hand up, she cupped Audrey’s breast in her palm. It felt as if someone had squeezed her sex, flooding her with arousal.
Rae wanted Audrey to understand her feelings, not only her desire, so she moved slowly. The pull between them was strong, but it wasn’t just sex; it was Audrey. She felt bewitched, drained of resistance, open to every stimulus. Her insides burned and her body shifted of its own accord. Her hips jerked each time she closed her fingers around Audrey’s breast. Rae could almost taste the soft flesh in her mouth, imagine the suck and release on Audrey’s erect nipple as she teased it with her tongue and teeth. She worked her hand down the length of Audrey’s body toward her waist.
“Please stop.” Audrey backed away, her breath coming in spurts. “We can’t do this.”
“Why?”
Audrey didn’t have a chance to answer. At that moment the picture window facing the garden side of the condo exploded. Rae instinctively covered Audrey, shielding her from the shards of flying glass. When no second volley occurred, she held her at arm’s length and checked for injuries. “Are you all right?”
“I think so. What happened?”
Rae leapt from the sofa. “Wait right here. Don’t move.” She ran out the back door and toward the garden. As she rounded the corner, out of the darkness something slammed into her head. Rae hit the ground, momentarily stunned. She tried to sit up but felt dizzy. Grabbing her forehead, she felt the warm sticky blood trickle into her eyes. Audrey. Adrenaline kicked in. Rae stripped her T-shirt over her head, wiping her face as she made her way to the back door. She had to make sure Audrey was safe.
Audrey had risen unsteadily to follow Rae but paused at the back door, staring into the darkness. She felt drugged, her senses overwhelmed by their physical interaction. Rae’s kiss stirred things Audrey had never experienced—raw sexual desire and emotional longing. The exhilaration was nearly as heady as the kiss itself. The layers of protection fell away from her heart, and she ached for more. How could one kiss reveal so much yet cause such confusion? These feelings were too new, too intense, and she wasn’t adjusting quickly.
As she waited at the door, another wave of sensation obliterated her euphoria like a blast of foul air—something sinister. Rae was in danger. Audrey flipped the switches by the door but nothing happened. She fought the panic, trying instead to focus on what threat awaited Rae in the night. She and Rae had been so close seconds before and now she’d disappeared. “Rae. Where are you? Can you hear me?” No response.
The minutes seemed like hours until Audrey heard a faint voice calling her name. Audrey stood in the doorway, waiting until she saw Rae illuminated in the patch of light from the kitchen. Then she ran to her, fear giving way to a need to protect. “You’re bleeding.” She helped Rae to a chair.
Audrey knelt in front of Rae and lowered the crimson-stained T-shirt from her forehead. Blood wasn’t her thing, and she fought the urge to gag as the gaping wound flowed freely. She quickly replaced the T-shirt. “Hold that while I get some ice.”
Rae’s face paled and she looked like she might pass out. Audrey wasn’t a violent person, but she would consider changing if she knew who had hurt Rae. For the moment, she had to tend Rae’s injuries and keep her conscious. Get her to think like a cop. “Do you have any idea what happened?”
“No, I…I don’t know…” Her soft voice sounded confused.
“What do you think? Best guess?” Audrey asked as she filled a dishcloth with ice and twisted it into a bundle.
Rae seemed to regain focus when she looked up and saw Audrey. “Neighborhood kids, maybe. We’ve had some vandalism. I’m sure I don’t have any enemies.” Rae smiled weakly.
“What about someone from your past…an ex-lover, maybe?” Audrey grinned when Rae opened her mouth to speak then stopped.
“Touché.”
“We have to cover all the bases.”
“I’m bleeding to death, and you’re making jokes. Perfect.”
Audrey stroked Rae’s back and placed the ice on her forehead. “At least I know you’re thinking clearly.”
“This doesn’t make sense. The vandals we’ve had in this area were mostly bored school kids, never anything violent or personal.”
The strange feeling Audrey experienced earlier returned. She looked toward the open back door, convinced someone was watching them from the darkness. Then she heard it—that vacuous white noise—a high-pitched mechanical whine full of raging energy and hatred, almost an angry whisper. Her hand shook as she tried to block the invasive sound. She’d heard that noise before, almost a week ago at the mayor’s press conference. He had been in the crowd. Who was he, and why was he here now?
“Audrey, are you all right? You’re shaking.” Rae took her free hand and cupped it in hers. “You look a little pale.”
“Don’t like blood.” She removed the ice pack from Rae’s forehead and examined the injury. “The bleeding has almost stopped. It doesn’t look as bad as I thought.”
“Head injuries always bleed a lot. I have some Band-Aids in the bathroom if you wouldn’t mind. I’m sure that’ll be fine.”
Audrey relinquished the ice pack, closed the back door, and gladly retreated to the bathroom. She clung to the sides of the sink a
nd looked in the mirror at her stark-white face. She still felt as if someone was inside her head, taunting her, and she couldn’t get a fix on him. Maybe her instincts were simply warning her to stay away from Rae. What if it was more? What if something or someone from her past had returned to threaten her present? If that was it, she’d stay away from Rae until she figured it out. She wouldn’t be selfish enough to put her in jeopardy, no matter how much she wanted her.
She retrieved the Band-Aids, alcohol, and antiseptic from the cabinet and returned to Rae. “I’ll have you fixed up in a jiffy. Then we’ll get that window patched before I leave.” Audrey removed the ice pack, relieved to see the bleeding had stopped. The jagged cut across Rae’s forehead measured about three inches long just below the hairline. After she’d applied the Band-Aids, she fingered Rae’s wavy auburn bangs back in place. She could barely see the damage. “Good as new…almost.”
Rae waited until Audrey finished her nursing duties and stepped back. “Now, what is this about you leaving?”
“It’s getting late, and I want to help you fix the window.” She couldn’t meet Rae’s gaze.
“You’ve sensed something. I haven’t seen that look before.”
Audrey considered denial. The only two people who had ever been able to tell when she had extrasensory flashes were her mother and Yasi. She was excited and terrified that Rae had picked up the signs so quickly. “Yes, but I don’t know what it is…only that it’s dangerous.”
“For you?” Rae rose at Audrey’s side.
“Actually…for you. I get the sense that it’s a warning for me and serious risk for you.”
“Then I’m not worried. Let’s fix that window.”
