Murderous Envy (The Veils of Parallel Times Book 1)

by C. J. Carson

  Leaving the room, I switched out the light and turned. “Sounds great, that is exactly what we need to do.”

  As tired as I was when I lay down, I couldn’t stop my mind from racing. I was not even sure how long it took me to fall asleep, but at some point, I drifted into that deep sleep realm where I began dreaming. I didn’t know if it was the wine or something else, but that night my dream was so real. Some sort of force lifted me out of my body, like a strange, floating sensation until I was hovering over the scene of my attack. Fear swelled in me and I felt stunned and couldn’t move. As if in the distance, I heard Claudia calling my name, and I seemed to catapult back to reality, with the sensation of being sucked back into my body. I woke up trembling, cradled in Claudia’s arms as she rocked me.

  “Allie, honey, are you all right?”

  I couldn’t respond. My body trembled with fear!

  Her terror-filled voice called out to me. “Allie, speak to me. It was just a dream!”

  I burst into tears. “Oh, my God, it seemed so real. It was terrifying!”

  She handed me a tissue from the nightstand. “Allie, it was just a dream!”

  “I know, but it seemed so real, and it wasn’t me this time, it was someone else.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t know. It was hard to see her face. I just had the sense that it was someone else. Like I was observing from some obscure place in the room. It was so real!”

  “Okay, Al, you really need to try to get a grip and get some sleep. This is taking a real toll on you!”

  “God, Claudia, I don’t think I can sleep.”

  “Yes, you can. Look, I’ll stay right here with you. Come on, lay down.”

  We both curled up in the bed together and feeling safer, I drifted back to sleep.

  Trying to wake in the morning, still partially in a dream state and feeling half-dazed, I thought I saw the blurry image of the young girl in her hospital gown near my bed. She whispered, “Listen to your heart!”

  Closing my eyes tightly, I took a deep breath and opened them. Feeling more awake, the image disappeared. “Damn these dreams.”

  As I sat up, I could see that Claudia had gone and the digital clock read 7:30. I slid on my favorite pink moccasins, grabbed the terry robe from the bottom of my bed, and wrapped it around me.

  I went to the kitchen, turned on the TV to catch the morning news, and started a pot of coffee. After visiting the bathroom and washing my face, I went back to the kitchen. I was sitting at the table with my oh-so-needed mug of coffee, reading the newspaper, when the morning newscaster caught my attention.

  “Early this morning, Patricia Cole, a prominent real estate mogul, was reported missing. Patricia was last seen when she left her home yesterday evening at seven o’clock for an appointment on the coast.”

  As I looked up from the paper, a woman’s picture flashed on the screen.

  “The police are looking for anyone who may have seen Ms. Cole yesterday. If you have any information, please call the Stanford Police Department.”

  Instantly, my mouth went dry and, in a panic, I switched off the television. “This could not be happening.” I ignored what every ounce of my being was trying to tell me and tried desperately to shake it off as paranoia.

  After my shower, just as I was finishing getting dressed, the doorbell rang. Putting on my sweater, I went to answer the door to find Josh, the Sensei from my self-defense class. He had called and asked to stop by this morning, but I had completely forgotten.

  “Oh hello, come in, Sensei.” I hoped I didn’t sound surprised to see him.

  “Please, call me Josh. Is this still a good time?”

  “Actually, it’s great timing. I really need someone objective to talk to; I think I must really be losing it.”

  I showed him into the great room next to the kitchen. “Can I get you something to drink? Water, tea, or coffee perhaps?”

  He chuckled. “Coffee sounds great. I drink it black.”

  Returning from the kitchen with his coffee, I handed it to him and took a chair directly across from him.

  “Allie, what do you mean, you feel like you’re losing it?”

  Oh great, how can I explain this one? “Well, I’ve been having these dreams. I keep replaying the night of my attack over and over in them. Like flashbacks.”

  “Look, Allie, with everything you have been through, I don’t think I would call nightmares unusual.”

  “The dreams stopped for a few days, but last night…” I trailed off, trying to put what I was going through into perspective.

  “Okay, Allie, now you really have my curiosity up! What about last night?”

  “Well, I had the same dream, sort of.”

  Josh leaned over to me and placed his hand on my knee. “What do you mean ‘sort of’?”

  “This dream was different. I never really see my face or my attacker’s face, but this time…”

  “Allie, did you see your attacker’s face?”

  “No, but I saw the face of the person he was attacking and...” This was not going well at all!

  “And?”

  “It wasn’t me. It was someone else!”

  “Was it someone you knew?”

  “No, but that isn’t the strangest part. When I got up this morning, I saw a picture of a woman on the news. She was missing, and it was her.”

  Josh stared back at me. Are you talking about Patricia Cole?

  “Yes, that was her name, Cole! Do you know her?”

  “She is like a sister to me. I have known her for years.”

  “Oh, I am so sorry, Josh.”

  “Thank you. Have you let the authorities know about this yet?”

  “Ah, no! What would I even say?”

  I think he was contemplating how to respond, or rather how to say what he was really thinking. “Allie, that sounds more like you had an out-of-body experience, not a dream.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  I suddenly started rambling, just blurting out my thoughts. “Wait, you know what? When I saw Patricia being attacked, it was like I was hovering over her, seeing the whole thing from above. Oh, my God! After I was attacked, I think I had a similar experience. I kept feeling like I was hovering over my body, watching everyone as they moved around the scene outside of my office building.”

  As my panic grew, the memories just kept coming. “You know what else? I think it happened again at the hospital.”

  “Wait...look, Allie, depending on the belief system, there is a theory that under the right circumstances, some people can leave their body and visit other locations, or times to observe what might be going on there. Quantum physics has another theory about time and space, but it all amounts to the same thing.”

  “You mean kind of like shape-shifting?”

  He smiled, and I relaxed a little. “Shape-shifting?”

  “My grandfather was an American Indian, a medicine man. When I was little, he used to tell me that shape-shifting was a gift that some Native Americans still possess. In fact, he told me it was one of my gifts. I thought it was just Indian folklore, a fairy tale of sorts, you know, make-believe? Oh no, this can’t be happening! What is going on?”

  “Allie, I know you need to sort this out, but I think you need to let the police know about what you experienced. After you let them know you can try to just sit with all of this and see what comes of it. Do some research to help you take the mystery out of it, ya know?”

  “You’re absolutely right! This is really a lot to absorb and heaven knows, if you suggested any of this to me even two weeks ago, I would have thought you were delusional but—”

  “You think I would have thought you were crazy? Look, Allie, I know I am a scientist and you might think these things are out of the question, but studying quantum physics has opened a whole world to me. I never thought I would see real evidence of these theories, but here you are, living proof of what some obscure form of reality might be.”

 
As Josh continued to talk, I couldn’t help notice how handsome he looked. I don’t think I ever really noticed it before. My life had been in high gear for so long, I don’t think I stopped to notice much of anything anymore. It was as if the life I had been living for the past several years was in black and white. Now it seemed in high definition, technicolor. As he spoke, I noticed he was smiling with his whole face. Today he wasn’t in his Gi or his tailored suit but a lightweight flannel shirt and clean, but worn denim jeans. His hair was down; I never noticed it before. He normally kept it pulled back in a ponytail. It was graying, was slightly wavy, and outlined his face, showing off his beautiful blue eyes.

  “Allie, hey, Allie?

  Embarrassed that my mind had wandered, I blurted out, “Ah… Ah… I am so sorry. You lost me for a minute.”

  “Yeah, I guess so. Where were you?”

  “Ah… Ah… I think if I tell you I will be really more embarrassed than I already am!”

  As though he knew what was going on, his smile turned into a great big grin. “Well, I hope it was a good place.”

  “Ah, yeah, you could say that.”

  “Allie, I would love to continue this conversation at some later date, but I’m afraid I have to be going. I have a class this afternoon and I need to get to the dojo.”

  “That’s okay, I have a meeting with a detective down at the city hall this afternoon.”

  As we walked to the door, Josh turned. “Don’t be a stranger. Come to the dojo any time.”

  Chapter 8

  I ARRIVED AT THE STANFORD POLICE Department at exactly two o’clock. A young detective named Jake Carpenter showed me to Detective Payne’s office. He was pouring a cup of coffee as he looked up and saw me standing at the door. “Coffee?”

  Feeling more than a little uneasy, I nodded. “Sure.”

  “Please come in and have a seat. How do you take it, Ms. Callahan, cream and sugar?”

  I settled in a seat across from his desk. “Just cream, please.”

  “How are you feeling, Ms. Callahan?”

  “Please, call me Allie.”

  He chuckled, which lightened the mood a little. “Okay, how have you been feeling… Allie?”

  “Much better.” I paused for a second to choose my words wisely. “I think.”

  Detective Payne leaned in and listened intently as I went on.

  “I mean, physically I’m much better, but…”

  He sat back, which helped me relax.

  “What is it you want to say, Allie? Nothing you can say will shock me. Believe me, I think I have heard it all.”

  “I think I know what happened to a young woman I saw on the news, the one who has gone missing. I believe her name is Patricia Cole.”

  Now I had his attention. I am sure this was not at all the discussion he expected to have with me that morning.

  “What do you mean? Do you know her?”

  “No, it’s nothing like that. You’re going to think I’m crazy.”

  “Try me.”

  “Since my attack, I have been having these dreams or flashbacks in my sleep. Last night, that dream was very different.”

  Looking more than a little interested, he leaned in again. “Really? Different how?”

  “In my dreams, I never see my face or my attacker’s face, but last night was different. When the attacker moved to the side, I saw the person he was attacking, but it wasn’t me. It was that woman from the news.”

  “I don’t think that’s so strange, especially after what you’ve been through. You probably saw her on the news and she ended up in your dream.”

  “No wait, you don’t understand. I didn’t see her on the news until this morning, but I had the dream last night.”

  “Oh, well… I don’t know quite what to do with that. I guess I haven’t heard everything.”

  “I really think the same man who attacked me, attacked her. I saw it, I don’t know how, but I really saw it.”

  “Can you remember anything else about your dream?”

  Relief washed over me and my posture relaxed. “You mean you don’t think I’m crazy?”

  Reclining in his seat, he folded his arms over his chest. “Look, Allie, I have seen and heard some pretty bizarre things in my years on the police force. One thing I have learned for sure is to trust my instincts, and as crazy as this all seems, my instincts are screaming at me to be open-minded about what you are saying. Please think, can you remember anything else about your dream?”

  “No, that’s it, but I have been able to remember a few things about my attack. It’s not much, and I’m not sure if what I remember is much help.”

  “Everything is important, tell me anything you can.”

  “Well, a couple of days ago, I was at the grocery store. When I walked down the cleaning goods aisle, I became acutely aware of the smells. Then, it came to me. My attacker was so close and right up against my body. He was perspiring and I could smell the laundry detergent in his clothes. He also had the pungent odor of garlic on his breath. On top of all that, it seemed like he had doused himself in aftershave. The aftershave stood out the most because my grandfather used to wear it years ago. It smelled like Old Spice. I didn’t think they even made that anymore.”

  “That’s great, Allie! If you’re up to it, I would like to go over a few more things.”

  “Sure, what is it you would like to talk about?”

  “That night we conducted an investigation of your office. It was very clear that there was a tremendous struggle. Things from your desk were scattered all over the floor. Your desk chair was halfway across the room and we found your cell phone on the floor near your desk. Most importantly, there were several text messages on your phone and an incoming call from the same number that concerns us. Do you have any recollection of those texts and who they may have come from?”

  “Oh yes, I do remember them. I mean, things are coming back to me every day. I know I went to George’s Café to get takeout because I was planning to work late.”

  I got up from my chair and paced the floor in front of his desk. “Detective Payne, even now, every time the phone rings or I receive a text, I dread even reaching for the phone. His call that evening was so frightening! Even though I have a new number, I am always scared of who might be on the other end when I answer. I have no idea who it was. I remember reading each text and getting very annoyed, but I quickly became terrified when he actually called. Well, it wasn’t that he called. It was because when I answered, I could hear the whisper of his voice on the phone as well as in the adjoining office. I knew, at that moment, he was within striking distance. That must have been when I dropped my phone. During the attack, I think he even used my name, but I can’t be certain. It happened so fast, but at the same time, it felt like an eternity. I was hoping you would be able to trace the cell number and figure out who it belonged to.”

  “Unfortunately, Allie, it was just a burner phone that could not be traced.”

  “So, the guy was really prepared, right?”

  “I certainly think he knew what he was doing. I have to tell you, Allie, you are one brave woman. It’s clear you fought hard that night, and I have a feeling he wasn’t expecting you to getaway. He definitely underestimated you! After all, he had the element of surprise in an empty building.

  “Okay, just one more thing. That night, when I arrived at the emergency room, Doctor Kennedy said you were talking about an officer on the scene who had been stabbed during an apprehension. Allie, he was gone before we could make it to the scene. Do you have any idea why you might have thought that?”

  “You know, I’m not sure. I was almost certain I saw him staggering out of an alley as he was being chased. He had a knife in his hand and wounded the officer. Maybe I was just confused.”

  “Okay, Ms. Callahan… I mean, Allie. Is there anything else you can remember?”

  “I don’t think so, but—oh wait! Wait, I do remember one more thing. During the struggle, I remember picking up a glass paper
weight from my desk and hitting him as hard as I possibly could across the side of his face. That’s right, that is how I got away from him and made it to the window. Oh, my God, I had completely forgotten that!”

  “Good, I am glad you are remembering more. We did find that, and we sent it along with several other items to the lab. It did have two blood types on it. We had it checked for DNA. One of the DNA samples was from you, but we haven’t identified the second one.”

  “Well, I guess that is all I can remember today.”

  Payne handed me a card. “The things you are remembering could prove to be crucial. If you remember anything else or need anything at all, please call me immediately.”

  As I left Detective Payne’s office, I felt better, maybe even a little empowered. My dreams had calmed down for a bit and were less frequent. Life was feeling a little more normal, although I had a sense that who I wanted to be and what was important to me were changing. In reality, during that period, I had a lot of time to think about the course my life had taken. The experience of my attack was forcing me to reevaluate everything. I feared if I returned to work, it would be easy to slip back into old habits, which gave me no balance in my life. The feeling of dread that I might lose sight of what was important again was intense. I knew it might be too easy to get back on the crazy train of all work and no play. I decided, at that moment, to wait a while longer to return to the office part-time, with my new lease on life, and not allow that to happen.

  Chapter 9

  I WAITED A FEW WEEKS BEFORE returning to work and, looking back at it now, it was exactly what I needed. Of course, when I returned, my agenda had to start with Healthtech Pharmaceuticals. At my request, Tara set up an appointment with them my first day back.

  As I approached the conference room, I stopped. “Hey, Tara, great job putting this meeting together. I know I only gave you a few days. Way to go, girl.” I couldn’t believe what just came out of my mouth. OMG! Way to go, girl? I must be spending too much time with Claudia, I sounded just like her!

  She sat there looking like a deer caught in the headlights. Who was this woman? What in the world was she wearing?