by Paris Morgan
“Leslie and I can fly to the first crime scene this evening,” I offered.
“It can wait until morning, but I want you to each take a crime scene so we can cover more ground. Since the majority are only a few hours’ drive away, we’re sending a few local teams to see what we can find out here,” he reasoned.
“Yes, sir. We’ll let you know what we find after we talk to the local police.”
“Can you go with Leslie?” I pleaded with Adam. I had a feeling that she was going to need more backup then I could provide from across the country in Oregon.
“Probably. I’ll run it by Agent Watson, but I don’t see why not.”
“Great. I’m gonna go by her house and see if I can get her to answer the door for me.” I acknowledged my worry, making it real.
“She’s going through a lot, so be patient,” Adam advised.
“I know. My best friend died and I showed back up. That’s why I’ve waited the last few days before barging in and asking what’s going on.”
“It’s not just Jerome. She’s also been to Flora’s and learned a few things that she didn’t know before about our case.”
“If it’s information, why isn’t she here letting us follow the leads?”
“Um, it’s not that kind of information. It’s of a more personal nature. She’s connected herself with the spiritual world. I’m not sure to what extent yet, but I knew when she tugged me into her vision. She’s got a lot of healing to do, and this last killer didn’t cut her much slack.”
I nodded that I understood, but the only thing I knew that he’d actually said was that she needed to process all that had gone on while we were out of state.
“No worries. I’ll be patient, but the boss might not like it.”
“He’s been updated on her emotional state.” Adam frowned, looking in Agent Watson’s direction.
“Emotional state? You make it sound like she’s just been home crying for the past few days. Leslie is much stronger than that. Even with this new mumbo jumbo stuff, she’s still one of the most grounded people I’ve ever met.”
“Jerome took something away from her that she didn’t know she could lose. Added to that was the revelation that she has some gifts of the more psychic nature. You not being on board with it could damage all the progress she’s made to break down her shield and let herself connect with the larger universe.”
“I don’t get why she’s crying over the jerk, but she obviously saw something in him. All of that aside, I don’t think she’ll shirk her duties now that we have a few leads to follow.”
“You’re right. She’s a responsible person, but that’s a double-edged sword. She feels the guilt of each decision that she makes.”
I protested, “Dana dying wasn’t her fault.”
“She knows that, but she just needs to process it.” Adam patted my shoulder. “Go check on her, and see what you can do to motivate her back onto the case.”
“No problem.” I gave a mock salute before carrying my handout to the door with me. “I’ll have her on the plane. She can’t stay away since the killer has a personal obsession with her.”
I felt Adam’s gaze on me as I walked away. Now, I was feeling paranoid. It dawned on me as I walked out that Adam knew more personal details about Leslie from the past few days than I did, but she wasn’t talking to any of us. How could he possibly know what she’d been doing unless he was psychic himself?
That would explain so much. The Unusual Crimes’ Division would have to be made of kooky people who had special abilities. They didn’t just study them, they used them to solve crimes.
How do you explain a psychic feeling to the judge in a courtroom? There was nothing concrete to work with that could lead to a warrant. Feelings were great, but they weren’t reliable.
I considered all the possible ways that Leslie could have this ‘gift’ on the drive to her house. It would take more than just a few people saying they were psychic for me to believe them. These guys were just messing with Leslie’s head, making her think she could read minds.
Hopefully she’d answer the door and not leave me standing on the porch, but there was only one way to find out. I hadn’t called her to alert her that I was on the way. Actually standing at her door might make the difference of her letting me in.
***
She answered on the first knock and stood back to let me in. I tried not to look shocked, but I’m sure I didn’t do as good of a job as I’d wanted to.
“Have a seat.” She motioned to the couch.
After having been out for days and ignoring phone calls, I’d been certain that I’d find her in sweats surrounded by empty food containers.
“How are things going?” I asked carefully.
“Great, actually.”
“I came to check on you, but…”
“But he struck again,” she finished for me.
“We think so. There are two crime scenes that Agent Watson wants us to go to, to see if we can find anything that screams Gemini killer.”
“I assumed we’d be called out soon. I’m packed,” she responded curtly.
“Listen, Leslie, I know that I’m not your best friend, but we’re partners, and it’s obvious that something’s been bothering you. I know I’ve been leery of the whole psychic thing, but things don’t feel right without you. Just tell me what it is, please,” I pleaded.
“Being psychic, or the possibility of being psychic, was only a portion of the problem. I was having a mild crisis.” She gestured to the clean room. “But I’ve come out on the other side.”
“But what happened?”
“I wasn’t sure that we were making a difference. Is following this crazy psycho around each month really helping anyone? If it is, how? Then I had a session with Flora that cleared my head a little bit. I do have to balance my personal life so that I have one and don’t become consumed. On the other hand, I can’t ignore my job. It’s part of who I am and who I’ve become. Once I decided that I was on the right path, then the rest fell into place.”
“When did you have this revelation?” I inquired politely.
She grinned. “Yesterday. I was just getting my stuff ready for when we got the phone call. I figured I might as well binge watch a season of something. The movies on serial killers were interesting, and slightly motivating. Even though he thinks he’s getting away with this now, we will find him and bring him to justice.”
I just nodded, slightly confused. I thought her and her boyfriend had broken up, not that she was deciding to continue being a cop.
“So everything is back to the way it should be?” I worried that I’d phrased it wrong.
“Yep. I also realized that I witnessed a murder when I was five, and that was causing me trauma. Now, that I’ve acknowledged that it happened, I’m a little freer. When I have time, I’m going to do a little digging because I don’t think they ever found her body.”
“Leslie, that’s terrible. What makes you think that?”
“I vividly remember him cutting her throat. When I asked my mom, she remembered something, but since they’d been so busy concentrating on me, it wasn’t something they thought twice about. A thirty-year-old murder won’t be easy, but if I can convince Kevin to do a little digging for me, then I might be able to kill two birds with one stone. Anyway…do you want some dinner?” she offered.
“That sounds great, but I need to get back to Shea if we’re out of here tomorrow. Agent Watson is sending you to the Oregon crime scene, and I’ve got the one in Winston-Salem.” I stood and made my way to the door.
“Yeah, no problem. It’ll be nice to sleep in our own beds for one more night at least,” she agreed.
I turned with my hand on the doorknob. “Just answer our calls, please?”
She laughed. “I can do that. I’m reconnected to the real world again. I’ll do some research on twins and Gemini tonight, and see what we’re looking at for the next few weeks.”
“Whew, I’ll be able to sleep ton
ight. Something just feels off when you’re ignoring me. Then I start going down that dark road myself, ‘Was she kidnapped? Is she alive? Should I check in on her?’ Please don’t make me have to make these kinds of decisions again,” I teased, grinning.
“You’re safe for a while. I can always send you a text at the same time every night so you don’t worry ‘Mother Hen’. Will that suit your needs of being in control?”
“Yep, that would be perfect,” I tossed over my shoulder as she began to close the door.
I’d barely gotten seated in the car when a text message dinged.
Leslie: I’m alive. Proof of life is the code word Mother Hen, aka, pain in my butt.
Laughing felt good after the past few weeks of worrying about her.
Ryan: Message received. How thoughtful of you to check in with me. Night.
At least she seemed to be returning back to a somewhat normal state. Anytime someone was wounded, there was always a slight chance that depression would set in. Although Leslie had healed quickly, it still took a toll on your mental health, which wasn’t something to be quickly recovered from.
In a much better mood, I headed toward home, ready to spend the evening with my fiancée.
The house had an empty feel when I walked inside. If I kept having feelings or instincts, I was going to be the next person on the list to be labeled as a psychic.
A note on the refrigerator explained where she was. “Had a meeting with a rich client and our firm. Couldn’t cancel. There’s leftover lasagna in the fridge. Love you, Shea.”
I should have taken Leslie up on her offer, I thought as I pulled out the leftover lasagna, not looking forward to an evening by myself. Maybe I should binge those movies about serial killers as well.
Chapter 5
Leslie
I was on another plane to the West Coast, this time it was a little different because I was alone, or so I thought until I looked up to see Adam settling in next to me.
“Babysitting duty?” I questioned, knowing it was true.
“Yep. Until you’ve been trained, I can’t just leave you unattended at a crime scene.”
“Bet nobody’s watching over Ryan at his crime scene,” I muttered childishly.
“You’re right, but they didn’t yank me into their visions of the past.”
As his words registered, my eyes widened. “How could I do that if you weren’t even in the room?”
“I’m pretty sure that any psychic in the metroplex could see and feel what you were doing. It was a strong emotion and your shields were down. Since you didn’t know how to control it, you grabbed onto anyone that you could find to guide you through the experience,” he stated so matter-of-factly.
“Could someone have planted things in my vision?”
“Possibly. They would’ve had to be expecting some sort of breakthrough from you, though. It would take a powerful psychic to manage to change your visions as you’re having them. There are few, but not many.”
“What did you see?” I inquired, feeling hurt.
“The choices that you have yet to make. We have a connection since we’ve worked together for the past month, and sometimes it’s easier for shields to be lowered when you sense receiving spirits.”
“Will this ever go away, or am stuck with seeing possible futures forever?”
“You’ve been seeing them for years, but your subconscious wasn’t ready to acknowledge them. That’s why I told Agent Watson I needed to be with you for this trip. You might be drawn into some residue feelings from the killer that you haven’t been equipped to handle. I’ll be there to help guide you and make sure that you don’t drown in emotion.”
“Is that possible?”
“Yes, especially those with more empathic tendencies. They can read the emotions of a crime scene and draw in all those negative thoughts from the killer. It’s not a pretty experience to be inside the head of a killer. Only two on our entire team can handle it long enough to get some information that we can pursue to find the killer. Most of the time, we have to rely on good old-fashion detective work, of course.”
“Wow. Are you saying that I should join your team? Wouldn’t I have to have a lot of training?”
“The offer’s not there yet. Sometimes, when someone goes through a traumatic event, they’re only connected psychically to that one event. Any other readings or residue is completely ignored by your inner self. I’m betting that you aren’t just a one-event psychic. With what I’ve sensed, I’d say you’re higher level than many in our UCD team.”
“Crap. I was afraid that was the case. Flora suggested that I get training from someone other than her because she’s still new, but she has no idea how to help me. She didn’t think she could pull me out of something if I got into trouble. Should I be worried?”
“Not worried, just cautious. When you feel something strange or different, don’t engage unless I’m there. Your shields have been in place and your instincts should protect you by pulling those up quickly when you sense danger. On the other hand, sometimes by having acknowledged your gift, it makes you more open to other things.”
I took a deep breath to help steady myself.
“I’m going to rest until we get there. I was up doing research on Gemini’s all night because I planned to catch a nap on the three-hour flight.”
“Sounds good. I’ll email you a few books to read that might give you some insight into this new world that you’ve discovered.” Adam pulled out his tablet, planning to work now that we were airborne.
My eyes closed, but my mind couldn’t turn itself off that easily.
What if this was my new normal? Could I find a way to cope? What if I suddenly started reading the thoughts of others around me and I couldn’t make it stop?
I mentally berated myself, That hasn’t happened yet, and you’ve known about this for a few weeks now. One step at a time. Adam and Flora would have warned me about that if it was a possible problem. You’re just getting yourself worked up over nothing.
Willing myself to sleep, I dreamed of twins reunited in death, but they were yelling for my help.
Adam was still working when I opened my eyes and glanced around the plane. Nothing seemed to be floating in the confined space around us, so I went back to sleep. This time, nothing invaded my thoughts, and my sleep was restful.
***
It had been an early flight with the time change. We arrived just as Salem, Oregon, was awaking up. Adam made a call from the airport to confirm with the police department that we’d arrived. Our escort was waiting in an unmarked car to drive us to the scene of Keanna’s death.
This was the first time I’d arrived on a crime scene with a sense of dread. I knew that the victim was dead. The morgue had her body, and had the autopsy reports for us to look at if we needed them.
The small apartment appeared so homey and welcoming.
“It happened in here.” The officer pointed to the bedroom door off the living room.
Adam went first, but as soon as I walked through the door, I could hear a conversation.
“I hope these cops can figure out who did this to us, Janna.” Keanna, whose face was a bit rounder than her sister’s, placed an arm around her shoulders.
“These cops must be detectives or something because it took several days for them to get here. You don’t think they called in the FBI, do you?” Janna rose from the floor in excitement.
“We can’t be sure about anything. I thought being a ghost would be easier than this.”
I pulled up short in the doorway. “Adam, I think the officer should wait outside the apartment for us.”
“Uh, do you mind? It’s a small space, and they kind of creep her out,” Adam requested, glancing at my white face.
“No problem, man. This place gave me the creeps anyway.” He walked back toward the door.
I didn’t speak until he was out of hearing.
“There are two women talking in the room right now.” I glanced around. “Or sh
ould I say, were. They’ve stopped.”
“Wait, she can hear us? Keanna, what does that mean?”
“Yes, I can hear you. Is Keanna, your sister?” I asked out loud, not even considering that I might be speaking to the dead.
“Oh my gosh. Janna, she can hear us. We’re here. Who are you?” Keanna asked curiously.
“I’m Leslie, a detective from Texas, and this is Adam from a special crime team of the FBI. How are both of you here in this room when you were murdered in separate places? I thought spirits were confined to the place where they died.” I had spoken into the room at large, but I was looking to Adam for an answer.
“The only thing we can figure out is that our twin connection caused her to come here.” Keanna shrugged. “I don’t know why we were murdered. It makes no sense.”
“Were you born in the month with the zodiac sign Gemini?”
I could see them nod as a faint impression of two solidified. “There’s a person who specializes in killing women on the day they were born. Is there anything you can remember that might help me identify this killer?”
I pulled out a small notebook.
“We were supposed to call each other at the same time. We’ve gotten used to making the change for time zone and I’d dialed, but didn’t hear her answer because someone was in my room. I turned and he put a kitchen knife into my heart.”
“I’m so sorry. It must have been painful,” I sympathized.
“Honestly, it was more the shock that he’d done it than any real pain. I think since he struck and killed me with one shot, that I didn’t have time to feel any real pain,” Keanna explained.
“The same. I’d come in from carrying groceries in the rain, which I completely hate. I wiped my face off and was trying to judge if I had enough time to make it to my room before she called. The phone rang and I turned to get it. He was standing there with a knife, and the next thing I knew I was here, holding Keanna’s hand. Trying to, actually, since I’ve never been a ghost before.”
