Reflections

by Susan Griscom

  “She threatened you?”

  “Yes.”

  “So she was a problem for you, trying to break you and Gerry up?”

  “Yes.” Oh God, this was not going well.

  “And tonight when she called you to meet her at the beach you decided to take matters into your own hands and get rid of the problem.”

  “No! Rob, how dare …” Maia caught herself. This was a side of Rob Thompson she’d yet to see—the cop side. “She called me?”

  “According to her boyfriend, and there is a call from her hotel room to your cell phone at the time he said she called you.”

  “A call to me? I never … I’m sure I never got a call from Careen.”

  “When was the last time you checked your phone?”

  “I’m not sure. I guess it’s possible I didn’t hear it ring.” At first, Maia couldn’t imagine how the chief could possibly have all this information about phone calls so quickly but then realized the power of the internet and the police department’s access to it all.

  The chief placed his hand on top of hers. “Maia, I’m sorry. Without more to go on, it doesn’t look good. You’re going to have to spend the night here.”

  “Locked up?”

  “I’m sorry. That’s the way it has to be. Cheryl … uh, Deputy Hann will be here soon to do the search.”

  When Cheryl arrived, she hugged Maia. “I’m so sorry, Maia, I know this must be very hard.”

  You have no idea. Maia nodded and did everything that Cheryl asked her to do, including standing perfectly still as her friend patted Maia’s body, looking for what, Maia had no clue.

  Chief Thompson picked up the keys and led Maia through a heavy steel door leading to two cells side-by-side, with the doors facing a stark drab wall across the hall. “The cot’s clean. No one’s used it in years. Well, except for a brief nap once in a while. The sheets do get laundered periodically though.”

  Maia stood at the bars, fingers clutching at the cold steel, as the chief locked the door from the other side. Grabbing his coat, he walked toward the door leading to the outer office.

  “I’ll check on you in a few hours.”

  “You’re leaving?” Maia couldn’t help the panic in her voice. He couldn’t possibly expect her to stay here in the cell all night alone.

  “Deputy Hann will be right outside here for a while,” he pointed to the office they had just come from, “and then I will come back and relieve her. I would stay but I need to get on with this investigation and with Joanie out of town, I can’t leave my kids at home alone all night long.”

  Maia looked at him, tears welling in her eyes. “This is crazy.”

  “I’m sorry, Maia.”

  It suddenly dawned on her that there was a great possibility that she was in extreme danger. First, there was the person on the bicycle shoving her down the hill, and now someone was implicating her in a murder ... implicating? Hell, framing her for the murder of someone she had reason to dislike, but would never kill. God, how would she ever prove that? Whoever killed Careen also wanted Maia out of the picture, or was she just an easy scapegoat? She’d never be safe in here, locked doors or not, especially if her enemy possessed a significant ability.

  At the sound of the door locking, Maia lowered her head and bit into her fist, unable to suppress the sobs that choked her throat. Sitting on the hard cot, she grimaced. God, how could they actually call this a cot? It must have been only two inches thick and made a crackling sound of old plastic when she sat down on it. She was so scared, she wept uncontrollably into her hands until her eyes were drained of almost every tear.

  Maia sat up and took in a slow deep breath, letting it out with a heavy sigh. She sniffled and wiped her cheeks dry with the back of her hand. As she looked around the stark cold room, she became angry—angry at the situation, angry with Chief Thompson, angry with Gerry for not putting Careen in her place from the beginning. Angry with a woman who tried to destroy hers and Gerry’s relationship, a woman who was now dead and, oh God, I’m sorry … a woman who didn’t deserve to be killed no matter how nasty she was.

  “Okay, now what?” she said aloud, looking around. “Where are you, old woman? You could at least come here and keep me company. Did you know this was going to happen? Some warning would have been nice.”

  “If I had warned you, you might not have accepted Gerry’s proposal and I didn’t want to take the chance. He needs to know you love him.” Maia glanced up at the sound of the voice and saw the woman sitting on the metal chair across from her. She appeared to be a bit younger than before, though; maybe only twenty or so years older than Maia currently was and dressed in a light blue cotton shirt and matching pants, similar to what she knew inmates wore in jail, her facial expression ambiguous. As though looking into a mirror, Maia stared into her own eyes, and shook her head, pointing her finger at the woman. “You knew. You knew and didn’t tell me. Wow. What little faith I must have in myself, huh? So are you going to tell me how this all works out or do I have to just keep guessing?”

  “Well, the future is just that, the future and yours can be changed. I can only tell you to have faith in Gerry. You and I both know you don’t want him to use his compulsion to clear your name, otherwise the investigation will stop and no one will know who really killed Careen.”

  “But you know, right?”

  “No.”

  “What do you mean, ‘no’? You’re from the future.”

  “One of many possible futures. In the future I am from, you were found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. The real killer got off scot-free.”

  “What about Gerry? If he did use compulsion to clear me, we could still investigate. I’m sure Cael would continue to look for evidence to solve the murder.”

  “He wanted to make sure they found the killer first. It would have been too confusing to plant one memory after the other. Gerry could never be certain that the memories he changed wouldn’t trigger something else. He wanted to be sure you were cleared but then after a while, he lost faith in me … or I guess us … because they couldn’t prove I didn’t do it. After a while, he believed the worst.”

  “What? Why didn’t you tell me about this earlier?”

  “The connection was too weak.”

  “Why are you younger now than when you first appeared?”

  “When I came to you before, the girls were grown and I was older. In the horrible future I’m from, I didn’t get to raise them or nurture them. I don’t know them well. I can tell you this; they are beautiful with kind hearts. Gerry brought them up on his own, a fate similar to his own father’s. He did a great job but Gerry became a different man, one with a hardened heart, like his father. In my future, Careen’s murderer went free, never found. The formal investigation ended and everyone stopped looking after you were convicted. Regardless of available facts, rumors and their father’s opinion, the twins refused to believe they were born from a woman with enough hate and jealousy inside to commit murder. They were curious to learn the truth; to find out who killed the woman everyone said was obsessed with their father. Their strength within your womb and their powers gave me the ability to come back to warn you, to make things right, to give you a different future. They approached me because they wanted a different life, a life with you in it.

  “The first few times I appeared to you at the age I was when they first came to me, older. It is very complicated, but after they got the hang of the ability, it was a little easier to appear younger so you would recognize me better. The girls had to tap into their unborn minds to make it all happen and they needed the fetuses to grow and become more powerful. Their tiny brains can’t keep me here very long. That’s why I keep drifting in and out.”

  “Like now. You’re fading. Damn it! Don’t go, yet, please.” The image of her older self became translucent before her eyes, the familiar sound of her own voice distant, trailing off as the evanescing image said, “I’m sorry. I’ll be back again.”

  Maia gaped helples
sly at the now vacant chair.

  “Gerry lost faith in me and thought I was guilty?” Oh God.

  Chapter 21

  Jailbird

  Maia stared at the stark gray wall before her eyes, her mind equally blank and void of a solution to her predicament as she shivered from the cold bareness of the room. What if she had to go to the bathroom? She glanced at the toilet in the cell, if you could call it that. A metal seat, no lid, no doors surrounding it, and she was pregnant. No way would she last the night without having to go.

  Just then, Cael and Gerry appeared in the cell. Maia jumped up and threw herself into Gerry’s arms. “Thank God, you’re here!”

  Gerry put his finger to his lips, “Shhh. You don’t want Cheryl to come back here.”

  Maia nodded and continued in a softer voice. “Did you find the key? Was it missing?”

  “The key is missing, but Whelan said it doesn’t really mean much because I can’t prove that there actually was a key there in the first place. But he dusted my office for prints and now we just have to wait. Are you okay?” He brushed a loose strand of her hair away and caressed her cheek with the palm of his hand. “You look tired, Maia. You should try to rest.”

  “You have to get me out of here.” Her voice sounded desperate. Hell, she was desperate.

  Gerry stroked her hair. “I know. We’re working on it.”

  “No,” she turned to Cael. “You have to take me out of here. Now. I can’t stay in here. I can’t.”

  “Shhh, Maia,” Gerry murmured. “It will be okay. I promise.”

  “I’m sorry, but if we take you out of here now, it will only make you look guilty,” Cael added, sounding genuinely apologetic.

  “I’ll stay with you. I won’t let anything happen,” Gerry said.

  “No. You have to find out who did this, who is framing me. You do believe that I didn’t kill Careen, don’t you?”

  “Of course, darlin’. How can you question that?”

  “Because, because …” She squeezed her eyes shut to gain some clarity then opened them. “She … said you’ll lose faith in me.”

  “Who?” Gerry asked.

  “Me, from the future. She said you don’t believe me.”

  “I’m confused,” Cael said, and Gerry glanced at him and frowned.

  “I believe Maia is referring to the voice.” He took Maia’s face in his hands. “So you do think the voice is you.”

  Maia nodded. “Yes. She came here a while ago and confirmed it.”

  “Maybe I should leave and come back later to get you, Gerry,” Cael said.

  “No. Cael you have to take Gerry with you. The two of you need to find out who killed Careen. If you won’t take me out, please, please find the killer. You’re a private detective for God’s sake. Go do some detecting.”

  “Maybe Addie can come and stay with you,” Gerry suggested.

  “No. Breena is asleep at our house. Addie will come tomorrow after my mom takes Breena back to the Sectory.”

  “Okay.” Maia nodded. “I’m sorry. I guess I’ve ruined her visit.”

  “No. Don’t worry about it. We can have Breena come another time. It’s not a big deal, really.”

  Gerry took her in his arms, his warm embrace comforting and secure. She wished they could stay that way for eternity. “It’ll be all right, baby. I won’t let you down.” He tilted her face to his so he could look into her eyes. “She’s wrong, you know. I won’t lose faith in you.”

  “She indicated that my future doesn’t have to be the same as hers, or something like that.”

  “Good. That’s good. We’ll beat this thing, then.”

  Through all the fear and uncertainty of her situation, a light and exciting thought came to the center of her mind. “Gerry, she also told me the twins are the reason for her appearance.” She said this with a bit of a smile, knowing that it meant the babies were identical girls.

  “Really? Ahhh … I knew it. I bet they’ll be as beautiful as their mother.”

  “We’re going to have our hands full with these girls.”

  “Aye. Both of us for both of them. I love you. As soon as we get you out of here, we are getting married.”

  “Weddings take some time to plan.”

  “I don’t want to wait. I can’t wait. Is that okay? We can have a party, a big fancy wedding if you want, or we can have a small gathering with our close friends and family.”

  “Actually, knowing you and your friends, that will most likely turn out to be a hell of a party.”

  Gerry smiled and squeezed Maia tight against him. “We should get out of here before Cheryl discovers us. You’ll be okay? Maybe I should stay—Cael could come back in a few hours to get me.”

  “No, like you said, Cheryl might come back and find you in here. How would we explain that?”

  Gerry nodded and stepped back from Maia but held her hands in his. “I love you. Try and remember that will you?”

  “I will,” she said. With sorrow and regret, she pulled her hands back as Cael’s hand gripped Gerry’s arm and they disappeared.

  Tears spilled down Maia’s cheeks as the cell returned to its foreboding silence.

  ***

  Cael slipped into bed next to Addison, being very careful not to wake her, but when she stirred and grabbed him around the chest, he realized his efforts had been ineffective. She was normally a heavy sleeper but it didn’t surprise him when she spoke. “How is Maia holding up?”

  Cael laid his head on the soft pillow and closed his eyes, shutting out the light from the three-quarter moon still bright in the sky. His blood ran warm most times, but tonight there’d been a chill in the air; not the usual kind, more of a bone-chilling precognition of what might possibly happen to Addison’s aunt. He shivered a bit as he pulled the puffy, light blue comforter up to his chest, making sure to get Addison’s entire arm and shoulder included under it. He sighed before answering. “I won’t lie to you, it’s tough, but she’s a strong lady. She’ll be okay.”

  “I wish I could have gone to her.”

  “You can go tomorrow. It might be a good idea if we cut Breena’s visit short. If Maia is still there tomorrow night, maybe you can stay with her then.

  Addison nodded. “I hate having to send Bree home early, but you might be right. Let’s wait and see before we make any decisions about that. Maybe Maia will be released tomorrow.”

  “Maybe. I’m going to see the chief in the morning. Maybe he’ll give me some news or even let me help in the investigation.” He thought of the conversation Maia and Gerry had about the twins.

  “What about the twins?”

  “Damn woman, I forgot. I was hoping you’d be too tired to hear my thoughts.”

  “Not a chance. So …”

  “Apparently they are girls.”

  “What? Oh my God! Well, I guess we all sort of figured that, with the visions Maia is having and the voices she and Gerry are hearing. Makes sense.”

  “Yeah. I think it’s a good thing,” he paused, “that they are girls.”

  “Why?” Her incredulous glance at him wasn’t surprising. He knew her concerns about having a child with him, one with abilities, not knowing whether the baby would possess his powers or hers or both and how they’d cope with all of that. At first, her adamant position on the subject pissed him off, but he figured after they were married, she’d change her mind. Once he discovered her fears, he stopped badgering her about having a baby and decided to do some research on his own. Now would be the perfect time to share his findings.

  “I’ve been doing some research about babies with abilities …”

  Propping her head on her elbow, she stared at him. Even with sleep heavy upon her eyes, their brilliant speckles of gold sparkled against the deep brown. “You have?”

  Her eyes were enough to make him forget about this conversation and just kiss her until she became wet with desire, but he managed to stay focused on the subject at hand. He chuckled to himself as his hand found the warm cre
vice between her legs. “Yeah, I wanted to know what might be causing Maia to hear voices. I wanted to see if it was possible for a fetus with abilities to project their gift to the mother.”

  “And?”

  “Surprisingly, there has been some documentation on it. There were a couple of times, actually, where a woman who hadn’t possessed any abilities prior to conceiving suddenly developed some during pregnancy, and in one case, the mother retained her ability after the baby was born.”

  “Wow. What was the ability?”

  “Telekinesis.” The pounding of Addison’s heart raced against the side of his chest. It was one of her abilities. Her thoughts clouded with concern and fear. Cael moved his hand up under her nightgown to her breast and continued. “Here’s the interesting part, though …” Her body involuntarily tensed beside him.

  “The child, the little girl,” Cael continued, “didn’t show signs of any abilities until she was fourteen years old, even with the father using his abilities in her presence. I decided to do some more investigating on the subject and found that there has never been a baby with the capability of using any supernatural powers before or at birth.” He felt Addison’s muscles relax as her mind processed this information. “I doubt there’s much of a chance of Maia’s twins being able to use their abilities for quite some time. It may be possible for Maia to continue experiencing her own, though. But it is my guess that hers are only here for a specific reason. She needs help with what’s happening to her. The future Maia knows things, but apparently, is having trouble getting her future self to stay longer than a few minutes at a time to give the present Maia the information she needs, because the twins are so little. The way I understand it is, the future twins are tapping into the fetuses because they are connected to Maia and the older they become, the power might increase. At least that’s what I gathered from the conversation in the cell when Maia explained about the visit she’d just had from her future self. Okay, so that sounded a bit confusing and maybe a little crazy, but …”