A Phoenix Is Forever

by Ashlyn Chase

  “Yeah. Can I meet you somewhere?”

  “Um, I’m at work, but you knew that. Is it something I can do from here?”

  “No. I can’t talk about it over the phone, in case we’re being recorded.”

  And she thought she was paranoid. “Well, I can’t just leave. I only got here an hour ago.”

  “I wouldn’t bother you if this weren’t important.”

  “Is it more important than me losing my job?”

  After a brief pause, he said, “It might be. Is your job a matter of life and death?”

  That was not only cryptic but rude. “My job is what stands between me and starving to death. Is that enough?”

  He made a sound of frustration.

  “Look, I don’t know much about you, Luca, but you’re acting kind of entitled. Do you mind telling me what this is about?”

  “Sorry. I don’t mean to sound demanding, but time is of the essence, and I think you might be able to help. I guess I should have said please.”

  “Saying please is nice and everything, but it doesn’t change the fact that I have to work. Why can’t you just tell me what it’s about over the phone? No one is recording us.”

  “As far as you know. I might get in trouble for working on a case that isn’t mine, but I have to do something. There are no leads, and someone’s life is hanging in the balance. I thought of your psychic senses, and you said you like to help people.”

  “Shit. I guess I could get a stomachache.” She glanced at the half-eaten Danish and formulated an excuse. “Hopefully, my boss will let me go home.”

  “Yeah. That would be great.”

  “I’m not exactly sure about this, but if it’s really that important…”

  “It is. Trust me.”

  She sighed. Oddly enough, she did trust him—at least based on the vibes he was giving off right now. He was genuinely concerned for someone else and was willing to disobey the rules and put his own job in jeopardy. “Where can I meet you?”

  “I can pick you up out front. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you downstairs.” Dawn believed in fate, to a point. She still believed people had free will, but some opportunities weren’t coincidences. Maybe this was one of those opportunities to fix her own karmic past.

  The weirdest thing had happened a week ago. Dawn had been walking home from the subway at her usual brisk pace, head up, alert, clutching her baton stick with the keys jangling. Ready to swing it at anyone who would dare get into her personal space. That’s when she had seen her: an old woman, crumpled on the front stoop of her house. Thinking it was her grandmother, Dawn had rushed up the steps to the woman and helped her sit up.

  “Are you okay?” Dawn asked anxiously, relieved it wasn’t Annette but concerned nonetheless.

  The old woman opened her eyes and smiled. “I’m okay now, dearie. I was waiting for you.”

  “Who are you?” Dawn sat on the top step, her back against the railing.

  “I’m Lynda from Karma Cleaners, and I’m here because you called us.”

  “I think you’re mistaken.”

  “Oh no. There’s no mistake.”

  Dawn’s eyes widened. “First of all, what’s Karma Cleaners, and secondly, when and how did I call you?”

  The old woman’s twinkling blue eyes stared into hers. “At Karma Cleaners, we help you change your bad karma to good karma. All anyone has to do is express a desire to change. The message goes out into the universe and ends up on our switchboard.” She whipped out a tablet from the pocket of her threadbare coat and started tapping and swiping on the surface of the electronic device. “Ah, here we are. Six months ago, you were walking home from your shift at Keene Street Convenience, and you said, ‘Fuck my life. I wish I could change everything.’ So here I am.”

  “Why should I believe you?”

  “Did you say that?”

  “Yes, but that was six months ago. And now you show up?”

  “We had to be sure you meant it and that you had the stuff to succeed.”

  “I got myself a way better job.”

  The old woman grinned as she tucked the tablet back into her pocket. “Yes, I know, and we’re so proud of what you’ve accomplished, going to night school and working the day shift at that hellhole that fronts for the Keene Street Gang. And then extricating yourself from their influence. Very impressive.”

  “Yeah, hellhole is the nicest term you can use to describe that place,” Dawn said. It was a well-known secret that Keene Street Convenience didn’t just sell cigarettes and lottery tickets. Downstairs in the basement were the bathrooms and storeroom. It was also where the gang did most of their deals. Dawn had been stuck for years acting as their psychic lookout when it came to the undercover narcs. So many times, she regretted letting them know of her psychic ability. She’d been trying to be cool and show off a bit. Naturally, they exploited her talent.

  “We’re short-staffed and backlogged right now. You wouldn’t believe the number of people who’ve reached out since the election.”

  Dawn crossed her arms. “Okay, so how do I know you’re actually from this place, Karma Cleaners, and not just some drunk old lady who wants money?”

  The old woman gave Dawn a cheeky grin. “I was hoping you’d ask me that.”

  She stood up, spread her arms out, twirled in a little circle, and in the blink of an eye, shifted into a tall, lithe young woman with straight black hair tied up in a high ponytail. She had the same bright-blue eyes but this time peeking behind a pair of retro-style black-framed glasses. She wore a crisp white blouse tucked into high-waisted tailored black pants and a pair of sky-high heels.

  “What the…”

  “Try to relax. You of all people know there’s more to this world than meets the eye.”

  “Yeah, but…some kind of shape-shifting thing?” Dawn could barely speak because of her throat going dry. “You must be some kind of magician.”

  “Oh, it’s magic all right, but not an illusion. What you saw really happened.”

  After another shocked hesitation, she had to ask. “You…er…actually have to twirl in order to change…um…forms?”

  “Well, it’s a choice. I love Lynda Carter, so I always go for the twirl.”

  “Lynda Carter from the Wonder Woman TV show?”

  “Yes!” Her eyes glittered with excitement. “She’s my favorite.”

  Dawn couldn’t help but smile. “Okaaaay… So what’s your name?”

  “Lynda Carter. I had it legally changed.”

  “Nice touch.”

  “Thank you.”

  “So are all the Karma Cleaner caseworkers women?”

  “Yup.”

  “No men?”

  “Nope. And that’s how we like it.” She leaned in again. “Don’t get me wrong. There are different outfits out there that do have men, but we have the highest rate of karmic shifts. And just between you and me, if you wanna get a job done right, you send in a woman.” She lifted her hand for a high five. “Am I right?”

  Dawn humored her and slapped her hand. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but this is the weirdest thing I’ve ever heard of. So what is the protocol?”

  “You need to erase your past bad karma and start to rebuild good karma.”

  “Aren’t there other people whose karma is worse than mine?” Dawn thought of her own mother. She would never rat on her, despite her mother’s drug-dealing activities. But she had to admit, jail was the best place for her mom right now. At least she was getting the help she needed…or so she’d said.

  “Sometimes the choices are not easy, are they?” Lynda said softly.

  “I guess you know about my mom too?”

  “Yes,” she replied. “We make a point of knowing everything about those we help. And just so you know, she’s doing g
reat. Trust me on this one.”

  “Thanks.” Dawn blew out a breath. “So what do I need to do?”

  “You need to keep doing what you’re doing. Stay away from that gang, and be of service to those who need your help.”

  “I guess I’m on the right track?”

  “You most certainly are.” Lynda nodded. “We’re just here to offer you a little guidance.”

  “Okay, so do I need to keep written reports on my good deeds or something?”

  Lynda laughed. “Well, you can if you want, but we automatically know when you do something good. It gets logged in our system, and we keep excellent records.”

  “I guess that’s a good thing? So how do I get in touch with you if I need you? Or do you automatically know that too?”

  Lynda took a card from her pocket and handed it to Dawn. “Our address and phone number are there.”

  Dawn glanced at the card. It read: We fight the stains on your clothes and the tarnish on your karma.

  “You mean you’re actually a dry cleaner as well?”

  “We can get grease out of silk like you wouldn’t believe.”

  “Well, that’s good to know, I guess. I’ve never owned any silk.”

  Lynda smiled. “You will.”

  Dawn couldn’t really respond to that. Apparently, this woman was way more psychic than she was. “So what’s the next step?”

  “You have to check in once a week in person for a session. I’m sort of like your probation officer but with cookies! Plus, it’s a great excuse for a good gabfest. Deal?”

  Dawn would love to have someone to talk to when she didn’t want to worry her grandmother. “Deal.”

  Amazing how your life can change in a week. First, she had met Lynda from Karma Cleaners, and now she had met a cute young cop who needed her help.

  Dawn hoped lying to her boss and pretending to be sick wouldn’t count against her karma if it was for a good cause. She took a few moments to look up symptoms on WebMD. Something that could be serious but not too serious.

  At the appointed time, she grabbed her backpack, strode to Nancy’s office, and remembered to place her hand over her abdomen before she knocked on her door.

  No answer.

  Shoot. She’d have to go to Nancy’s boss, Mr. Addison. Oh, wait. That might be even better! Men tended to shy away from “lady problems.”

  With a look of discomfort on her face, she made her excuse of a worsening pain in her abdomen.

  Addison took one look at her and said, “You should see a doctor.”

  “Yeah. I was thinking the same thing.” Huh? I know I’m pale, but do I look sick even when I’m not? She was slightly insulted, but at the moment, it served her purpose.

  “Do you have someone who can drive you? Or would you like me to call an ambulance to take you to the emergency room?”

  “An ambulance? No! I can see the nurse practitioner who works with my doctor right away. Their office isn’t far.”

  “Okay. Let me know how it goes.”

  “I will. If it’s nothing, I’ll even come back today.”

  “Good. I hope it’s nothing serious.”

  Dawn walked to the elevator, trying to decide if she should shuffle slowly, holding her stomach, and possibly look like she needed an ambulance, or just walk normally and risk being seen as a faker.

  She decided on a fast shuffle and got on the elevator before the big boss changed his mind. When the doors closed and she began descending, she muttered, “This better be important, Officer Fierro.”

  She stepped outside and spotted Luca waving from his car. She strode to it briskly and got in.

  “Thanks for meeting me. I need your help.”

  “With what?”

  “A missing child. You can’t tell anyone else, or it could mess up the investigation.”

  Her eyes widened. “Oh no. A missing kid? That’s awful. Boy or girl? How old?”

  “A four-year-old girl, and there are no leads. We’re trying to find her quickly, before anything worse happens. You can’t tell anyone.”

  “I wouldn’t know who to tell, except maybe the cops. But—oh wait, here you are.”

  He smiled at her joke.

  “Do you have anything that belongs to her?” Dawn asked.

  “No. The detectives would have that stuff. But I’m afraid they won’t consult a psychic.”

  “Yeah, I doubt that too, but I need something to go on. Just some way to latch onto her energy.” And, hopefully, see out of her eyes.

  “Would it help if you saw her home from the outside?”

  “Maybe. Do you know where she lives?”

  “She’s actually sort of a neighbor. Her place is around the corner from where I live, but I don’t know the family well.”

  “Take me there.”

  “This may be tricky. I can’t be seen at or near the house. It might look like I’m interfering with someone else’s investigation.”

  “Isn’t that exactly what you’re doing?”

  “When you consider the first priority is preserving life, I don’t really have a choice. I just have to be careful not to compromise the case. If someone took her and procedure isn’t followed, no matter how guilty he is, the perp could walk away unpunished. That’s the last thing anyone wants. For someone like that to be free to do it again would be a crime in itself.”

  “I get it.” Dawn understood what he was saying, and she even knew some people who had gotten off on a technicality—Ice Spider, for one—but it seemed cumbersome to follow procedure when a child’s life was at stake.

  Luca drove her to his house and gave her the Richardsons’ address around the corner. Dawn couldn’t help but stare at the outside of Luca’s home. The neighborhood was definitely upscale and a far cry from her run-down area. The four-story brick building had beautiful wrought iron railings and sconces on either side of the large front door. Clearly, his parents had done well. Or they’d inherited a fortune.

  “Remember, don’t look conspicuous,” Luca said as Dawn got out of the car. “The forensics team could still be there gathering evidence.”

  Dawn nodded and tucked some loose wisps of her punk pixie hair behind her ears. Not that that would make a difference. They had decided while she was doing her psychic thing outside the missing girl’s house, Luca would change and meet up with her at the Starbucks two blocks away in about half an hour. Dawn had no idea how long it would take, but half an hour would be plenty of time for her to try to get some vibes about the little girl.

  * * *

  Luca was tired, but he imagined the detectives on this case weren’t getting much sleep either. Dawn had said she needed something that belonged to the girl. Maybe he could transform again early tomorrow morning after his shift, search for an open window, and fly in to grab something from the girl’s room. The Richardson family had been renting the upstairs apartment of the old Bixby home. The owners had passed away a few years back, and their kids had turned the massive house into three separate apartments. Smart move.

  Even though Luca’s dad had inherited their brownstone from his grandfather, who’d inherited it from his great-grandfather, Antonio complained that the taxes were like paying a mortgage that never ended. Phoenixes could live to be five hundred years old but not in the same place. People got suspicious eventually, so after a good number of years, the house was passed on to the next generation.

  Luca hoped Dawn could glean something from the facade of the residence itself—also without attracting attention. Chances were the detectives had gathered many of the little girl’s things, but if he could fly in and grab a T-shirt or a toy that could be helpful to Dawn, he’d have to be careful not to be seen. A bird flying around with a stuffed animal in its beak would look pretty weird. Besides, the detectives probably took her favorite toys and recently worn clothing for the K-9 unit
to sniff.

  Luca wished he could share his shape-shifting ability with Dawn. She’d probably understand, right? One weirdo to another. But the stakes were too high. He’d never even told Lisa about it. Now, he was glad he hadn’t. Her father would probably have him committed to the state hospital.

  He jogged up the steps to his home and let himself in.

  “Luca! I was getting worried,” his mother greeted him. “How was your night, honey?”

  “Good, Ma, but I’m on my way out again. I just have to change clothes.”

  Gabriella leaned back and studied his face. “So soon? Aren’t you exhausted?”

  “Not really. I got a second wind.”

  She tipped her head. “Well, I hope you get some rest before you get the wind knocked out of you.”

  “I will.” Despite wanting to protest her fretfulness, he kissed her cheek. Then he jogged downstairs to his bedroom in the finished basement.

  As soon as he had tossed his uniform in the hamper and put on a pair of jeans and a well-worn Patriots T-shirt, he went to the kitchen. Even though he was going to meet up with Dawn, he was starving, so he grabbed a package of Pop-Tarts and a banana from the bowl on the counter.

  Antonio didn’t look up from the morning newspaper. “Your brother and his family are moving back in. Did you know about that?”

  “Who, Gabe?”

  “Yup. He’s the only one with a family.”

  “So far,” Gabriella said. She refilled Antonio’s coffee cup and then raised the pot in Luca’s direction. “Want some?”

  “No. I don’t have a lot of time. I just need to chow down and go. I’m meeting someone.”

  Gabriella’s eyes lit up. “Meeting someone? Like a young lady, perhaps?”

  Antonio glanced at his wife. “Of course it’s a woman. He wouldn’t be so anxious if he was just hanging out with a guy.”

  “Well, that’s wonderful, honey! We were wondering when you were ever going to start dating.” She glanced at her husband. “Unless you are meeting a guy. In which case, we’re okay with that too.”