by S. C. Stokes
“At this rate, he’s going to bankrupt you.”
“Maybe,” Kasey replied shaking her head as she looked at Bishop, “but I’m still not convinced it wasn’t Brad.”
Bishop’s face softened as she spoke. “Be that as it may. If there is one thing I’ve learned about Vida, he’s not often wrong. Hidden beneath that carefree attitude, he’s razor sharp. He’s not perfect, but I’d not bet against him, not on a case, anyway.”
Kasey was caught between a rock and a hard place. She knew her vision meant something; it always had. She just had to work out what was missing. Kasey drummed on the tables edge. Her vision was on the tip of her tongue, but she knew better than to say a word. She had tried that before at the Academy. Even witches thought she was crazy. A normal like Bishop was likely to have her admitted to a mental facility.
“Yeah, I guess so. Back to square one,” Kasey said, feigning a surrender.
“Unfortunately, unless the labs show up something, square one is as far as it will go for Beth. There is over a thousand shootings in this city every year. We see a body a day, sometimes more. That’s not including the accidents. Without something concrete to go on, that might be about all we can do for Beth,” Bishop replied, distinctly unimpressed that such an apparently open and shut case had fallen apart before lunch.
“Well, that sucks.” Kasey stood, her chair grinding across the floor. “I’m going to grab something to eat. You coming?”
Bishop glanced at her watch. “Too early for me, but knock yourself out.”
Kasey headed out into the bullpen. There were police and desks everywhere. As she made her way through the heart of the station, she could see Bishop’s point. There wasn’t a desk in the room that wasn’t buried in paper and manila folders. There was clearly no shortage of work for the Ninth Precinct.
Looking at the bank of elevators, knowing what she had in mind for lunch, Kasey opted for the stairs and a minute later she was bursting through the station’s large double doors and onto the city street.
There were many things Kasey loved about New York—the hustle and bustle on the streets, that there was always something happening somewhere—but what she loved most of all, was the pizza. No matter where she went in the sprawling metropolis, she could find a decent slice of pizza in less than five minutes. With time to burn, Kasey made for Stromboli’s Pizza on the corner of St Marks and First Avenue.
She’d often grab a pizza and make her way down to Tompkins Square Park and laze her lunch hour away.
I better not today.
With a case to solve she wanted to be back in the station to help Vida finish his workup. She needed a solid lead to act on.
Just the thought of Brad’s smug face as he’d left the interrogation room made her quicken her pace.
She crossed the street and made her way up to the familiar red timber and glass façade. Opting for takeout, she skipped the door and went straight for the window. She was early, beating most of the lunch rush. As good as the pizza was, dropping a large pepperoni pizza later in the day, made for a poor workout, and if she were in the ring an even less desirable experience.
Giuseppe, the store’s rotund owner, was on the till. “Ah, Kasey, it’s good to see you. Are you having the usual today? There is one coming out of the oven as we speak.”
“Giuseppe, my friend, if I were to get anything but a pepperoni pizza here, I think it would be considered a crime.”
Giuseppe chuckled as he turned to shout at his staff. “Marco, get a large pepperoni pizza for Kasey, here. The one in the second oven should be just about done.”
Turning to Kasey, he continued. “Look, all the food is good here, but the pepperoni pizza”—Giuseppe held his fingers to his lips as if savoring a slice— “that is my masterpiece. There is always one cooking. If no one takes it, I eat it myself.”
It was Kasey’s turn to laugh. “Well, Giuseppe, I’ll take this one for the team.”
She pulled out a twenty and handed it to him.
Moments later, Marco made his way over from the ovens, pizza box in hand.
“One pepperoni pizza for you, Kasey, enjoy!” Giuseppe called as he handed over the pizza.
Kasey thanked him and began the walk back to the station. As soon as she had crossed the street, she popped the lid and drew out a slice. Kasey licked her lips before taking a bite of the cheese-covered dough.
“Mmm. Best thing to happen to me all day,” she said to no one in particular as she turned for the station.
It was only minutes before she was pushing open the precinct’s large steel doors. Instinctively she headed for the lunchroom. She knew better than to eat in the morgue. Strong stomach or not, she knew better than to tempt fate.
She dropped the now half-empty pizza box on the counter. Working her way through the remaining slices, Kasey thought about her day. The vision of the attack outside the Coffee Shack, finding Beth’s body, and seeing the vision of Brad from the night before. Two visions in one day. That alone had been draining. Being chewed out by the chief had just been the icing on the cake.
John Ainsley. That cretin is the bane of my existence. If I see him again, I’ll break more than his ribs.
Picking up the last slice, Kasey tossed the box and headed downstairs to the morgue.
Vida was fussing about the examination table. Beth lay where Kasey had left her.
Looking up from the table, Vida spotted the pizza slice. “Ah I see you’ve bought lunch. A little early but good to see you know when you’re beat.”
“No such luck, Vida. This one’s mine. You haven’t won yet. You still have eighteen hours left.” Kasey finishing the last bite of the pizza.
“Fair’s fair, I guess, but it’s not nice to tease,” Vida replied. “Well, you are right on time to help with the autopsy. Labs will be a few hours yet.”
Kasey finished the slice before responding. “Yep, we need to find something, Vida. We’re fresh out of leads.”
She made her way to the head of the table.
Picking up the scalpel, Vida prepared to make the first incision. Drawing back, he turned to Kasey. “Are you sure you want to do this? I’ll understand if you want to sit this one out.”
“Sit it out… Why would I do that?” she answered.
“I just thought it might be a bit awkward, that’s all.”
“What do you mean, Vida?”
“Well, you take away the bruising on her face and shave a few inches off her height, she could be you… or at least your sister. It’s uncanny, really,” Vida replied, gesturing with the scalpel.
Kasey looked down at Beth, beside her bruised face Kasey caught a glimpse of her own reflection in the polished table. She could see Vida’s point, they had more than their first names in common.
Why didn’t I see it before? The realization only served to make her more determined. “I’m sure, Vida. I want answers.”
“Very well. As you wish,” Vida replied. “It’s not every day you have to perform an autopsy on your doppelganger. This is odd…even for New York.”
Kasey looked down at the woman who shared not only her face but her birth name.
You don’t know the half of it, Vida.
Chapter Five
This is crazy. Kasey sat shivering on the fire escape. The evening air was cool, but the wind was adding a nasty bite that she hadn't quite been prepared for. Even in a thick hoodie, the wintry wind cut straight through.
“What am I doing here?” Kasey asked, as she retraced the choices that had led her here.
The autopsy hadn't turned up anything of use. All evidence pointed to the same conclusion, that Beth, an otherwise healthy young woman, had been violently murdered. The labs showed no trace of alcohol or narcotics in her system. Vida’s conclusion was that she was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
It was a conclusion Kasey just couldn't support. She'd seen the vision. If Brad hadn't killed Beth, what was her gift trying to tell her? Kasey had stewed all afternoon, eventual
ly leaving work early. Even her work out failed to ease her mind. Instead she had paced angrily about her apartment until she decided to return to the scene of her vision, Beth’s apartment.
Kasey ignored the biting wind. With her hands nestled in her pockets, she huddled on the fire escape, patiently searching for any sign of life in the apartment. It was just after midnight, and while New York may have been the city that never sleeps, here in the suburbs, things were starting to quiet down. Kasey prayed that no one in the adjacent buildings were paying too close attention. With the hoodie drawn up over her head and the balaclava rolled up into a beanie, Kasey certainly looked like she was up to no good.
Here up to this point, this crucial moment, everything could be explained away. Just another young woman out for a walk, calming her nerves after another day of work. Even at this late hour, her story would pass muster. Now, about to break into an apartment, she would cross the point of no return. The apartment had been an active crime scene only hours earlier. Kasey would not be able to explain this away.
She searched the alley beneath, but there was nothing that she hadn’t seen earlier.
I just have to know what happened.
Convinced the apartment was empty, Kasey reached over and tried the window. The window slid a fraction of an inch but stopped abruptly. Locked. She looked at the narrow metal latch barring her entry into the apartment.
Drawing on the power within, Kasey focused on the seemingly small latch.
“Yn Angored,” Kasey whispered.
There was a click as the latch popped open. Kasey eased the window up.
Pausing for a moment, she rolled the balaclava down over her face. She had no idea if Brad was inside, or if he was out partying with his friends like the previous night. Just in case, it wouldn't do to have him recognize her. She had little doubt what Chief West would think or feel about harassing a suspect without evidence. Her success hinged on finding something to make him talk.
She stepped over the ledge into the small apartment.
The apartment was quiet, so Kasey began to search, not certain what she hoped to find, she explored the living room. It was the room nearest the apartment’s front door. Starting with the drawers, Kasey rifled through paperwork. There were more than a few bills. A couple were overdue, but nothing particularly surprising given the argument she had witnessed in the vision. Life in New York City was tough and certainly not cheap. Doubtless the financial pressure had contributed to the stress and strain of the relationship.
Kasey scanned the top of the cabinet and found nothing but a few photo frames. Mostly pictures of people she didn't recognize, but there was one of Beth and Brad at the Statue of Liberty, smiling as they snapped their selfie. Looking at the picture, Kasey couldn't help but be confused. Both were smiling, arms wrapped around the other in a happy embrace. Clearly happier times.
She continued her search. Running her hands through the couches, she found a few pennies and a half-eaten pop-tart but nothing that might explain Beth’s murder. She made her way into the kitchen, and found herself on unfamiliar ground. She hurriedly searched through the drawers and cupboards, not finding anything of note she opened the fridge. Sitting on the top shelf were the remnants of a six pack and a half container of spaghetti. A few vegetables sat in the crisper, but they looked a long way past their prime. Closing the fridge, Kasey abandoned the kitchen and moved into the bedroom.
The double bed hadn't been made. Kasey headed for the bedside tables. A disconcerting noise filled her ears.
In the quiet of the night, the steady jangle of keys at the front door caused her to a panic. She froze as she heard the sound of a key sliding into the lock.
“Oh, crap!” Kasey exclaimed under her breath.
Brad was home, and Kasey was caught in the bedroom. As soon as the door opened, Brad would see the open window leading to the fire escape. She rushed to the windows and tried to lift them. They didn’t move an inch. The bedroom windows, like many in New York, had been screwed shut to avoid injury, either accidental or deliberate.
She was trapped.
The living room window. Her way in was the only way out. She abandoned her search, hoping to get out the window without causing a scene. Running into the living room, Kasey realized it was already too late.
Brad stood there in the same grease-stained overalls he had been wearing in the station earlier. In one hand he carried some take-out, in the other a fresh six-pack.
His eyes went wide as Kasey entered the room.
“Who the heck are you?” he shouted. “What are you doing in my apartment?”
Kasey ignored the question and made for the window.
There was a clatter as the takeout and beer hit the floor behind her. Focusing on her freedom and not the footsteps behind her, Kasey sprinted for the window. With her daily gym routine, she was confident she could out-run him.
Something slammed into her side. Brad’s arms caught her around her chest as he tackled her. They struck the wall beside the window before landing heavily in a heap on the timber floor.
Kasey’s instincts kicked in. She drew her arm across her body before driving it backwards, elbowing Brad in the face. There was a grunt as the blow struck home and Kasey felt his arms go loose. Rolling free, Kasey tried to get up. Brad’s hand found her ankle, sending her back to the floor. This time Brad was on his feet. Sweat dribbled down his face. Slamming the window shut, he interposed himself between Kasey and the freedom the window had offered.
Kasey rose to her feet and eyed him, refusing to show the fear pounding in her chest.
“Look, just give me what you took and you can go,” Brad said. “I’ve had a long-ass day and I’m not in the mood.”
Kasey panicked. She didn’t know how to respond. She certainly didn’t want Brad to recognize her voice. With no other choice, she would have to go through him. He’d caught her by surprise once but that wouldn’t happen again. This time Kasey advanced slowly.
“Fine, have it your way,” Brad stated as he stepped forward. He unleashed a solid right punch up at her face.
She sprang forward and to the left. His fist found nothing but air. She drove her fist into his midsection. The first fist struck home and he doubled over. Grabbing his overalls, she shoved him out of the way.
Brad twisted, breaking Kasey’s grip before throwing another punch. Kasey saw the punch coming but it was too late. The fist caught her in the side of her face. She staggered as she fought to stay on her feet.
Such a clumsy punch should have missed her by miles. Clearing her mind, she shook her head and refocused her thoughts and efforts on the task at hand. Brad was wearing the same smug grin that he’d had when he left the station. Kasey fumed. Closing once more, she waited for him to strike. As soon as he threw the punch, Kasey batted it out of the way with her left before driving her right fist into his stomach. Yanking on his extended arm, Kasey spun him around before driving her fist into his kidneys.
He grimaced, and she knew it wasn’t an act this time. She didn’t stop there; as far as she was concerned, he was a murderer and he was getting what was coming to him. On the next punch, he doubled over. Kasey delivered a roundhouse kick that sent him to the floor. He lay in a heap, gasping.
She went for the window and lifted it up. As she did so, she saw a reflection in the glass. She spun around just as Brad hurtled a lamp toward her.
Kasey leapt out of the way. The lamp slammed into the window frame, shattering the bulb and sending glass everywhere.
Brad bent down and grabbed something off the floor. Kasey watched in confusion as Brad rummaged through the things he had dropped and raised a bottle of beer. Shuffling his grip, he grabbed the bottle by its neck and smashed it against the edge of the nearby cabinet.
Beer went everywhere. Brad brandished the broken bottle like a knife as he charged at her. Her next wrong move would be fatal. She looked about for a weapon but there was none.
It’s him or me.
She raised he
r hand, palm outward toward the charging glass-wielding mechanic.
Using magic in front of a normal was against the laws of the Arcane Council, but using it on a normal was even more abhorrent.
“I’m not dying for the Council and I’m sure as hell not dying for you, Brad.”
Brad’s face twisted in confusion as he heard his name.
Choosing her words carefully, she bellowed, “Dwrn yr awyr.”
The phrase meant fist of air in Welsh, but for Brad, it meant a world of pain.
The concussive force struck Brad like an invisible freight train. The arcane assault threw him off his feet and clear across the room. With a deafening thud, Brad slammed into the wall by the door. Plasterboard cracked under the strain as Brad was driven into the wall… unconscious.
Kasey raced across the room and checked his pulse. Still breathing. She sighed with relief. Control had always been a problem for her, but Brad had left her no choice.
She went for the window, then halted. With the apartment suddenly still, Kasey heard the siren for the first time.
Chapter Six
As the siren’s wail pierced the still night air, Kasey’s lungs seized. Damn. One of the neighbors must have called the police. What was she going to do? With each moment, the howling noise drew nearer, and she grimaced harder, her jaw aching from the tension.
At her feet, a still unconscious Brad lay sprawled across the floor, his hair matted to his forehead. Sweat and flecks of splintered plaster coated his face. That was the consequence of Kasey’s spell. Chaos. Her heart pounded. She never should have used her magic on a normal. If the Arcane Council discovered her actions, the consequences would be severe.
There was no telling what Brad would do when he awoke. One thing was certain though, the police sirens were drawing closer every moment and Kasey could not afford to still be in the apartment when they arrived. She knew for a certainty that both Chief West and the Arcane Council would look poorly on her actions.
