Message of Murder Trilogy Complete Collection, page 21
Time drags by and I soon find myself dozing off, much like the man from earlier. I shake my head to stay awake, but my eyes won’t obey. I give in. I have nothing else to do.
“Again, with the passing out?” Lucas wakes me up.
For the second time today, I bolt awake to find Lucas and Dustin before me.
“You sure you don’t have a drinking problem?” Lucas’ eyes crinkle at the corners.
“You know I don’t drink.” I look around the room, unsure where I am at first. “How long have I been asleep?”
“We just got here,” Dustin says by way of answer. “What are you doing here, anyway?”
“You said you needed my help with this case, remember?” The fast shot of anger at my brother clears the sleep from my head. “I’m waiting to see if she makes it. See what I can do. Is she okay? Is she out of surgery or whatever? They wouldn’t tell me anything.”
“She’s out of surgery, but she’s not awake. They don’t know if she will wake up. It’s not good,” Lucas says.
“And the baby?”
“He’s fine. Dehydrated, but fine. Tough little guy,” Dustin says. “Like Walker.” Dustin may not be nice to me, but he dotes on his infant son.
“Can we see her?”
“We?” Dustin asks.
“I want to see her. You said she might not wake up. I need to touch her again, really listen. See if I can at least figure out who she is.”
“If she wakes up, she can tell us herself,” Dustin points out.
“If she doesn’t wake up, I’m the only chance you have. If she does wake up, you will at least have a head start.”
Dustin stares at his boot, deciding. “Wait here, I’ll set it up.”
Lucas sits next to me while we wait. “How long have you been here?”
“I don’t know. I came right after I dropped Jet off at Grandma’s.”
“You don’t back down, do you?” I’m not sure if he’s impressed or annoyed.
“Sometimes I do. But not with this.” I brush a stray curl from my face.
“I’m glad you’re here.” He shifts in his seat, the equipment on his belt jingling.
My cell phone rings, echoing through the quiet waiting room.
“Crap on a cracker,” I say when I see Preston on the caller ID. “What time is it? I was supposed to go on a date with Preston tonight. I forgot all about it.”
“That still going on?” Lucas asks over the ring tone.
“Yeah. Slow but sure.”
“He’s a good man.” Lucas stands up. “You better answer it before it goes to voicemail.”
I catch the call just in time. “Hello?”
“Do I have my days wrong or did we have a date tonight?” Preston’s voice is light with only a hint of annoyance.
“You have your days right. I’m sorry. I got caught up in a case, and I forgot all about our date.”
“What do you mean caught up in a case? I thought all that was over.”
“Another case.”
Dustin comes out and motions for us to follow him back to see the woman.
“Preston, I’m so sorry, but I have to go. I promise I’ll tell you all about it later.”
“I guess, but you’re not making any sense.” The annoyance no longer a hint.
I feel like a jerk, but I hang up and follow Dustin.
Preston will just have to understand.
Chapter 6
Gabby
I follow Lucas and Dustin down a maze of hallways, my hands tucked tight into my pockets. Hospitals are full of the kinds of energy I sense, so I’m careful not to touch anything. I need all my strength for the girl.
A uniformed officer guards the door to her room. It’s a standard precaution, but it makes me nervous, makes this real. The officer nods at Lucas and Dustin and gives me a quizzical look.
“She’s with us,” Dustin says.
The officer opens his mouth to protest, then closes it again. As head detective, Dustin can do what he needs to.
The heavy wooden door opens easily when Dustin pushes on it. He and Lucas enter her room, but I hesitate in the hall. “Last chance to run,” I whisper to myself. “The elevator’s only a few steps away.”
The officer on guard hears me talking to myself and wrinkles his nose. “She won’t bite,” he says.
“I wasn’t talking to you,” I snap and step through the door.
Soft shadows fill the room and it takes my eyes a moment to adjust from the brightness of the hallway. I look at the far wall, study the floor, look anywhere other than at the girl in the bed. My eyes finally settle on Lucas, a safe place.
“Well,” Dustin says. “You made us bring you here. What do you want to do?”
“I….”
“Do you want to sit next to her?” Lucas pulls a chair close to the side of the bed and motions for me to sit.
I can’t just stand here, I came for a reason. I take the offered seat and finally look at the girl.
The mud has been washed from her face, and the tight braids have been taken down, the twigs and leaves removed. I barely recognize her as the same girl from this morning. The sprinkling of freckles match my memory, as does the paleness of her skin, although less blue than before. Her pinched and pained expression from this morning is gone. She looks peaceful now, soft and sleepy. She’s so lovely, it’s hard to imagine the terror she lived through last night.
If I were to lift the sheet covering her body, the damage would be obvious from the bandages, bruises and scrapes. I don’t lift the sheet.
“Can I hold her hand?” I ask.
“I don’t see why not,” Lucas says.
I pull off my gloves, both of them, and jam them into my pockets. Her thin fingers are a few inches from me, the wrists torn and red from the zip ties. I stare at the marks and put my hands back in my lap.
I feel the men watching at me.
“What’s wrong?” Dustin asks.
“I’m hungry,” I say out of nowhere. “Can you get me a snack?”
Dustin looks angry. “A snack?”
“This takes a lot of energy, you know. And I haven’t eaten today.” Grandma Dot’s Rice Krispy treats don’t really count as food.
“Fine. What do you want?” Dustin concedes.
“Dr. Pepper and Twizzlers,” I say the first thing that comes to mind. “Or crackers?”
“Anything else, would you like to try the house special, ma’am?”
“Please, Dustin.”
Thankfully, he leaves the room.
“Hungry?” Lucas asks with a chuckle.
“I couldn’t do this with him watching, judging. It was the only thing I could think of to get rid of him.”
“Do you want me to leave, too?”
“No. Please stay.” I motion to the guest seat. “Just sit there quietly. And make sure I’m okay,” I add.
Lucas settles on the small couch. “I’ve got your back.”
I still can’t bring myself to touch her. Once I do, I’ll either see something horrible or nothing helpful. Either way won’t be good. But I need to do this. Made them bring me here to do this.
I stall and look around the room. “Nice rooms they have here,” I say to fill the space.
Lucas is surprised by my comment. “I guess so.”
I continue to stall, my hands jammed in my lap, safe. I kill time by examining the young woman, pretend it’s part of my process. My eyes keep coming back to the angry marks on her wrists. The torn skin where she fought her bindings. They have put salve of some kind on the scrapes and they shine in the dim light. I can’t pull my eyes from the grotesque image.
A shiver climbs up my back.
“Are you okay?” Lucas’ concern draws my eyes away from the cuts and back to the room. “You sure you don’t want me to leave and give you some privacy to do this?”
“You’ve watched me do it before.” I sit straighter in my seat by her bed. “There’s nothing to it, just touch her.”
“It’s understandable if you’re scared.”
“I’m not scared,” I snap.
“I would be.”
“You’re not me,” I grumble.
I breathe deeply and clear my mind. “Lord, please let me see what I need to see.”
With all the fake courage I can muster, I place my bare hand on top of her thin one, and prepare for what she will show me.
Addlynn? Where are you, naughty child? Mother searches. Closet is too small. Need better hiding place. Bury in the towels. Smell of bleach choking. Addlynn? Mother closer. Don’t make a sound. Please don’t find me. She’s close. Steps in the hall. Close my eyes, she can’t see me. Door flies open. Bright light stinging. Towels falling. Now look what you’ve done. He’ll make us re-wash all these towels. Sharp slap to the cheek. Ears ringing, eyes stinging. Don’t you dare cry. We’re late for church. The dark-eyed girl watches. Humiliation. Dark-eyes glittering with hatred.
The hospital room door opens, breaking the vision. “They didn’t have Dr. Pepper, so I got you Pepsi.”
I blink at my brother, taking a moment to return to the present.
“Crap, sorry,” he has the good grace to say. “Here.” He hands me the snacks. I take them eagerly, twist off the cap of the Pepsi and down three large gulps. The carbonation tingles my throat, a welcome burn.
“Did you see anything?” Lucas asks, notebook ready. “Did you see what happened to her?”
I take another gulp of the Pepsi before I answer. “She was a little girl, maybe six or seven. She was hiding in a closet from her mom. Her mom smacked her when she found her. She was angry about Addlynn getting the towels dirty.”
“Addlynn? Is that her name?” Dustin asks. “Just Addlynn, not the other names.”
“Her mom called her Addlynn. There was another girl there, too. A little older, maybe eleven. She had dark eyes, and she hates Addlynn.”
“A little girl hiding in a closet, a mean mom and another girl who hates her. That’s it?” Dustin asks.
“Well, you came in and I lost the vision.” I tear open the bag of Twizzlers and make two disappear in quick nibbles.
“Anything else?” Dustin’s voice is kinder now.
“The mom said ‘he’d’ make them wash the towels again. She seemed afraid of whoever ‘he’ is. Addlynn was definitely afraid of him.”
I look at the girl in a coma before me. Addlynn. At least she has a name now.
“Do you think you could try again?” Dustin’s voice is gentle. “Please.” It’s the please that does me in.
“Can you sit silently and not be a jerk about it after?” I smile to take the edge off my words. If he’s willing to say please, I’m willing to be nice.
“I can try.” He sits down on the far end of the visitor couch.
Feeling self-conscious with both my brother and Lucas watching, I take her hand again. This time I turn it over so I can touch her palm, not just place mine on top.
The soft skin of her hand is marred by a circular scar in the center of her palm. It’s healed, but puckered and angry looking just the same.
“What’s this…?”
The vision slams me before I can finish my question.
Single candle on the table. I don’t want it. Flame licking the air, hot wax pooling below the wick. They watch me, excited. Make me proud, Mother said. This wonderful day, this child joins us. Sick voice, I hate him. The candle beckons, mocks me. Come forward, child, show you’re part of us. I don’t move. They twitter behind me, disapproving. Mother watches nearby. Tight grip on my wrist, too tight. Come forward, child. I know what’s coming, I’ve watched from the crowd before. I try to pull away, his grip tightens, crushes. Do it, you want this, hot voice in my ear. Flame grows closer, grip crushes my wrist. Open your hand, sick voice in my ear. I obey. Hot flame licks my palm. Scream in pain. Don’t embarrass, make me proud, Mother said. Bite my lip to stop the scream, draw blood. Flame licking palm, sizzling skin. Pain, so much pain, please stop. This child is ours now, belongs to us. Grip on wrist gone, legs buckle. Mother catches me. You did it, you’re ours now. Crowd of raised hands with matching marks.
I slide off the chair and onto the floor when the vision ends. I land in a puddle, the linoleum cool against my hot cheek. Lucas and Dustin scoop me up and place me on the guest couch. The cushion is warm from where they had been sitting. I press my face into the cushion, hiding. My chest hurts, my ears ring. Tears streak my face and I wipe them away with trembling hands.
“Gabby? Can you hear me?” Lucas kneels next to the couch. “Call a nurse,” he says to Dustin.
“No nurse,” I manage to stutter. “Just g-g-give me a minute.”
My whole body jerks in a shudder, shaking off the awful vision.
“Do you want some soda?” Dustin asks.
The concern in his voice spurs me to sit up. I must have scared him if he’s being this nice.
Once upright, I nod and Dustin hurries to grab my drink. After a few gulps, I feel well enough to talk.
“She has a scar on her palm.” The men look at Addlynn, peacefully oblivious to the drama around her. Lucas confirms the scar.
“They burned her with a candle, in some sort of ritual.” I struggle to make sense of what I saw, try to find details that might be useful amidst the fear and pain.
“Ritual?” Dustin asks.
“A crowd watched, and her mother told her to make them proud. A man she hated grabbed her wrist and forced her to hold her hand over a candle.”
“That’s sick,” Lucas says.
“The man said she would be one of them. She didn’t want to do it, but he forced her.” A huge shudder convulses through my body. “She held her hand open, let him burn her. I smelled the burning skin.” My mouth waters suddenly and I swallow hard.
My eyes fall on Addlynn’s pale freckled face. “You were so brave. Are so brave,” I whisper to the girl. “Who did this to you?”
Chapter 7
Dustin
Gabby probably thinks she’s being cute sending me to get her snacks. I’m a detective, not a waiter. I see the ploy for what it is, a reason to get me out of the room. I don’t mind. I know what she’s going to do, and frankly I’m not sure I want to watch.
Gabby scares me.
She shouldn’t be able to do what she does, see what she sees. I like to pretend her “gifts” are not real, even convinced myself she was faking it for attention.
I can’t fool myself anymore.
There’re vending machines in the closest waiting room, but I’m in no hurry to get back to the room. I take the long way around and go to the farthest waiting area to get her snacks. A few people sit in small, worried groups, filling less than half of the chairs. Dressed in full uniform, vest, belt and gun, I draw their attention. The mood shifts as I enter the waiting area, the waiting people sit a little taller, lower their voices, on their best behavior. It’s nearly imperceptible, but I sense it. An overly thin young man with a dirty baseball cap sits with what looks like his parents. He shifts in his seat, looks away. The body language of a guilty person.
I’m not interested in him right now, but I file his face in my memory just in case. A reflex action.
I dig out a few bills from my wallet and feed one into the vending machine. It spits the bill back out. I calmly feed it back in, but it comes out again. I want to kick the machine, but contain my anger. The bill finally goes in and stays in.
The Dr. Pepper button produces nothing. I have a lovely moment imagining taking out my Ruger and shooting the machine. I press the Pepsi button instead.
I purchase her Twizzlers, and wander back through the hospital in the general direction of the injured woman’s room.
I’m stalling, my feet taking slow, deliberate steps.
“Man up,” I mutter and force my feet to walk faster.
I peek in through the small window in the door before I enter, not wanting to intrude. The officer on duty looks at me in question. I glare at him and he steps a few paces to the left. He sets his shoulders, his hands on his belt, but looks away down the hall.
Leaving me alone to watch Gabby through the window.
My little sister sits next to the comatose woman, touching her hand. Her eyes are scrunched tight as if in pain. Her head tips sideways at an odd angle, as if her neck muscles lack the strength to hold it up. Her chest rises and falls in full gasps, sucking air through her parted lips.
She’s utterly vulnerable. Here, but not here. Unaware of her surroundings, but so aware of what no one else can see.
My gut wrenches for her.
Lucas sits nearby, watching closely. Concern etches his face, but he watches calmly.
I want to scream, shake her, make her stop.
I throw the door open instead.
She blinks and returns to the present.
My hopes that this was the only time she’d have to touch the girl fade as she explains what little she saw.
On purpose, I needle her about the lack of information. “A little girl hiding in a closet, a mean mom and another girl who hates her. That’s it?” I ask, rough on purpose.
“Well, you came in and I lost the vision.” Gabby tears into the bag of candy like she wishes she was tearing into me. Good, I like it better when she’s angry.
The woman in the bed lies absolutely still. I check the monitors to make sure she’s still alive. It’s my job to find out who stabbed her, made her run and forced her to give birth alone. I think of my wife, Alexis, my son Walker. Walker was born in a hospital, no complications, as safe as possible. I was terrified just the same. This woman, Addlynn, was alone and dying when she brought her son into the world. She deserves justice.
I have no other options. The coma keeps her from us, and we have nothing to go on. Gabby is our only chance to find out what happened.
I hate it, but I have to ask.
“Do you think you could try again?” I make my voice gentle. “Please.”
I knew the please would do the trick.
Sitting quietly on the couch as she requested, I watch her, give her space. One moment she’s talking to us, the next she’s away.
Her head slides to the side, and her breath gasps again. Emotions play over her face, mostly fear and pain. She lets out a few whimpers. Lucas moves to intervene, but I motion for him to leave her be. His shoulders tense another degree, but he lets her continue.
“Again, with the passing out?” Lucas wakes me up.
For the second time today, I bolt awake to find Lucas and Dustin before me.
“You sure you don’t have a drinking problem?” Lucas’ eyes crinkle at the corners.
“You know I don’t drink.” I look around the room, unsure where I am at first. “How long have I been asleep?”
“We just got here,” Dustin says by way of answer. “What are you doing here, anyway?”
“You said you needed my help with this case, remember?” The fast shot of anger at my brother clears the sleep from my head. “I’m waiting to see if she makes it. See what I can do. Is she okay? Is she out of surgery or whatever? They wouldn’t tell me anything.”
“She’s out of surgery, but she’s not awake. They don’t know if she will wake up. It’s not good,” Lucas says.
“And the baby?”
“He’s fine. Dehydrated, but fine. Tough little guy,” Dustin says. “Like Walker.” Dustin may not be nice to me, but he dotes on his infant son.
“Can we see her?”
“We?” Dustin asks.
“I want to see her. You said she might not wake up. I need to touch her again, really listen. See if I can at least figure out who she is.”
“If she wakes up, she can tell us herself,” Dustin points out.
“If she doesn’t wake up, I’m the only chance you have. If she does wake up, you will at least have a head start.”
Dustin stares at his boot, deciding. “Wait here, I’ll set it up.”
Lucas sits next to me while we wait. “How long have you been here?”
“I don’t know. I came right after I dropped Jet off at Grandma’s.”
“You don’t back down, do you?” I’m not sure if he’s impressed or annoyed.
“Sometimes I do. But not with this.” I brush a stray curl from my face.
“I’m glad you’re here.” He shifts in his seat, the equipment on his belt jingling.
My cell phone rings, echoing through the quiet waiting room.
“Crap on a cracker,” I say when I see Preston on the caller ID. “What time is it? I was supposed to go on a date with Preston tonight. I forgot all about it.”
“That still going on?” Lucas asks over the ring tone.
“Yeah. Slow but sure.”
“He’s a good man.” Lucas stands up. “You better answer it before it goes to voicemail.”
I catch the call just in time. “Hello?”
“Do I have my days wrong or did we have a date tonight?” Preston’s voice is light with only a hint of annoyance.
“You have your days right. I’m sorry. I got caught up in a case, and I forgot all about our date.”
“What do you mean caught up in a case? I thought all that was over.”
“Another case.”
Dustin comes out and motions for us to follow him back to see the woman.
“Preston, I’m so sorry, but I have to go. I promise I’ll tell you all about it later.”
“I guess, but you’re not making any sense.” The annoyance no longer a hint.
I feel like a jerk, but I hang up and follow Dustin.
Preston will just have to understand.
Chapter 6
Gabby
I follow Lucas and Dustin down a maze of hallways, my hands tucked tight into my pockets. Hospitals are full of the kinds of energy I sense, so I’m careful not to touch anything. I need all my strength for the girl.
A uniformed officer guards the door to her room. It’s a standard precaution, but it makes me nervous, makes this real. The officer nods at Lucas and Dustin and gives me a quizzical look.
“She’s with us,” Dustin says.
The officer opens his mouth to protest, then closes it again. As head detective, Dustin can do what he needs to.
The heavy wooden door opens easily when Dustin pushes on it. He and Lucas enter her room, but I hesitate in the hall. “Last chance to run,” I whisper to myself. “The elevator’s only a few steps away.”
The officer on guard hears me talking to myself and wrinkles his nose. “She won’t bite,” he says.
“I wasn’t talking to you,” I snap and step through the door.
Soft shadows fill the room and it takes my eyes a moment to adjust from the brightness of the hallway. I look at the far wall, study the floor, look anywhere other than at the girl in the bed. My eyes finally settle on Lucas, a safe place.
“Well,” Dustin says. “You made us bring you here. What do you want to do?”
“I….”
“Do you want to sit next to her?” Lucas pulls a chair close to the side of the bed and motions for me to sit.
I can’t just stand here, I came for a reason. I take the offered seat and finally look at the girl.
The mud has been washed from her face, and the tight braids have been taken down, the twigs and leaves removed. I barely recognize her as the same girl from this morning. The sprinkling of freckles match my memory, as does the paleness of her skin, although less blue than before. Her pinched and pained expression from this morning is gone. She looks peaceful now, soft and sleepy. She’s so lovely, it’s hard to imagine the terror she lived through last night.
If I were to lift the sheet covering her body, the damage would be obvious from the bandages, bruises and scrapes. I don’t lift the sheet.
“Can I hold her hand?” I ask.
“I don’t see why not,” Lucas says.
I pull off my gloves, both of them, and jam them into my pockets. Her thin fingers are a few inches from me, the wrists torn and red from the zip ties. I stare at the marks and put my hands back in my lap.
I feel the men watching at me.
“What’s wrong?” Dustin asks.
“I’m hungry,” I say out of nowhere. “Can you get me a snack?”
Dustin looks angry. “A snack?”
“This takes a lot of energy, you know. And I haven’t eaten today.” Grandma Dot’s Rice Krispy treats don’t really count as food.
“Fine. What do you want?” Dustin concedes.
“Dr. Pepper and Twizzlers,” I say the first thing that comes to mind. “Or crackers?”
“Anything else, would you like to try the house special, ma’am?”
“Please, Dustin.”
Thankfully, he leaves the room.
“Hungry?” Lucas asks with a chuckle.
“I couldn’t do this with him watching, judging. It was the only thing I could think of to get rid of him.”
“Do you want me to leave, too?”
“No. Please stay.” I motion to the guest seat. “Just sit there quietly. And make sure I’m okay,” I add.
Lucas settles on the small couch. “I’ve got your back.”
I still can’t bring myself to touch her. Once I do, I’ll either see something horrible or nothing helpful. Either way won’t be good. But I need to do this. Made them bring me here to do this.
I stall and look around the room. “Nice rooms they have here,” I say to fill the space.
Lucas is surprised by my comment. “I guess so.”
I continue to stall, my hands jammed in my lap, safe. I kill time by examining the young woman, pretend it’s part of my process. My eyes keep coming back to the angry marks on her wrists. The torn skin where she fought her bindings. They have put salve of some kind on the scrapes and they shine in the dim light. I can’t pull my eyes from the grotesque image.
A shiver climbs up my back.
“Are you okay?” Lucas’ concern draws my eyes away from the cuts and back to the room. “You sure you don’t want me to leave and give you some privacy to do this?”
“You’ve watched me do it before.” I sit straighter in my seat by her bed. “There’s nothing to it, just touch her.”
“It’s understandable if you’re scared.”
“I’m not scared,” I snap.
“I would be.”
“You’re not me,” I grumble.
I breathe deeply and clear my mind. “Lord, please let me see what I need to see.”
With all the fake courage I can muster, I place my bare hand on top of her thin one, and prepare for what she will show me.
Addlynn? Where are you, naughty child? Mother searches. Closet is too small. Need better hiding place. Bury in the towels. Smell of bleach choking. Addlynn? Mother closer. Don’t make a sound. Please don’t find me. She’s close. Steps in the hall. Close my eyes, she can’t see me. Door flies open. Bright light stinging. Towels falling. Now look what you’ve done. He’ll make us re-wash all these towels. Sharp slap to the cheek. Ears ringing, eyes stinging. Don’t you dare cry. We’re late for church. The dark-eyed girl watches. Humiliation. Dark-eyes glittering with hatred.
The hospital room door opens, breaking the vision. “They didn’t have Dr. Pepper, so I got you Pepsi.”
I blink at my brother, taking a moment to return to the present.
“Crap, sorry,” he has the good grace to say. “Here.” He hands me the snacks. I take them eagerly, twist off the cap of the Pepsi and down three large gulps. The carbonation tingles my throat, a welcome burn.
“Did you see anything?” Lucas asks, notebook ready. “Did you see what happened to her?”
I take another gulp of the Pepsi before I answer. “She was a little girl, maybe six or seven. She was hiding in a closet from her mom. Her mom smacked her when she found her. She was angry about Addlynn getting the towels dirty.”
“Addlynn? Is that her name?” Dustin asks. “Just Addlynn, not the other names.”
“Her mom called her Addlynn. There was another girl there, too. A little older, maybe eleven. She had dark eyes, and she hates Addlynn.”
“A little girl hiding in a closet, a mean mom and another girl who hates her. That’s it?” Dustin asks.
“Well, you came in and I lost the vision.” I tear open the bag of Twizzlers and make two disappear in quick nibbles.
“Anything else?” Dustin’s voice is kinder now.
“The mom said ‘he’d’ make them wash the towels again. She seemed afraid of whoever ‘he’ is. Addlynn was definitely afraid of him.”
I look at the girl in a coma before me. Addlynn. At least she has a name now.
“Do you think you could try again?” Dustin’s voice is gentle. “Please.” It’s the please that does me in.
“Can you sit silently and not be a jerk about it after?” I smile to take the edge off my words. If he’s willing to say please, I’m willing to be nice.
“I can try.” He sits down on the far end of the visitor couch.
Feeling self-conscious with both my brother and Lucas watching, I take her hand again. This time I turn it over so I can touch her palm, not just place mine on top.
The soft skin of her hand is marred by a circular scar in the center of her palm. It’s healed, but puckered and angry looking just the same.
“What’s this…?”
The vision slams me before I can finish my question.
Single candle on the table. I don’t want it. Flame licking the air, hot wax pooling below the wick. They watch me, excited. Make me proud, Mother said. This wonderful day, this child joins us. Sick voice, I hate him. The candle beckons, mocks me. Come forward, child, show you’re part of us. I don’t move. They twitter behind me, disapproving. Mother watches nearby. Tight grip on my wrist, too tight. Come forward, child. I know what’s coming, I’ve watched from the crowd before. I try to pull away, his grip tightens, crushes. Do it, you want this, hot voice in my ear. Flame grows closer, grip crushes my wrist. Open your hand, sick voice in my ear. I obey. Hot flame licks my palm. Scream in pain. Don’t embarrass, make me proud, Mother said. Bite my lip to stop the scream, draw blood. Flame licking palm, sizzling skin. Pain, so much pain, please stop. This child is ours now, belongs to us. Grip on wrist gone, legs buckle. Mother catches me. You did it, you’re ours now. Crowd of raised hands with matching marks.
I slide off the chair and onto the floor when the vision ends. I land in a puddle, the linoleum cool against my hot cheek. Lucas and Dustin scoop me up and place me on the guest couch. The cushion is warm from where they had been sitting. I press my face into the cushion, hiding. My chest hurts, my ears ring. Tears streak my face and I wipe them away with trembling hands.
“Gabby? Can you hear me?” Lucas kneels next to the couch. “Call a nurse,” he says to Dustin.
“No nurse,” I manage to stutter. “Just g-g-give me a minute.”
My whole body jerks in a shudder, shaking off the awful vision.
“Do you want some soda?” Dustin asks.
The concern in his voice spurs me to sit up. I must have scared him if he’s being this nice.
Once upright, I nod and Dustin hurries to grab my drink. After a few gulps, I feel well enough to talk.
“She has a scar on her palm.” The men look at Addlynn, peacefully oblivious to the drama around her. Lucas confirms the scar.
“They burned her with a candle, in some sort of ritual.” I struggle to make sense of what I saw, try to find details that might be useful amidst the fear and pain.
“Ritual?” Dustin asks.
“A crowd watched, and her mother told her to make them proud. A man she hated grabbed her wrist and forced her to hold her hand over a candle.”
“That’s sick,” Lucas says.
“The man said she would be one of them. She didn’t want to do it, but he forced her.” A huge shudder convulses through my body. “She held her hand open, let him burn her. I smelled the burning skin.” My mouth waters suddenly and I swallow hard.
My eyes fall on Addlynn’s pale freckled face. “You were so brave. Are so brave,” I whisper to the girl. “Who did this to you?”
Chapter 7
Dustin
Gabby probably thinks she’s being cute sending me to get her snacks. I’m a detective, not a waiter. I see the ploy for what it is, a reason to get me out of the room. I don’t mind. I know what she’s going to do, and frankly I’m not sure I want to watch.
Gabby scares me.
She shouldn’t be able to do what she does, see what she sees. I like to pretend her “gifts” are not real, even convinced myself she was faking it for attention.
I can’t fool myself anymore.
There’re vending machines in the closest waiting room, but I’m in no hurry to get back to the room. I take the long way around and go to the farthest waiting area to get her snacks. A few people sit in small, worried groups, filling less than half of the chairs. Dressed in full uniform, vest, belt and gun, I draw their attention. The mood shifts as I enter the waiting area, the waiting people sit a little taller, lower their voices, on their best behavior. It’s nearly imperceptible, but I sense it. An overly thin young man with a dirty baseball cap sits with what looks like his parents. He shifts in his seat, looks away. The body language of a guilty person.
I’m not interested in him right now, but I file his face in my memory just in case. A reflex action.
I dig out a few bills from my wallet and feed one into the vending machine. It spits the bill back out. I calmly feed it back in, but it comes out again. I want to kick the machine, but contain my anger. The bill finally goes in and stays in.
The Dr. Pepper button produces nothing. I have a lovely moment imagining taking out my Ruger and shooting the machine. I press the Pepsi button instead.
I purchase her Twizzlers, and wander back through the hospital in the general direction of the injured woman’s room.
I’m stalling, my feet taking slow, deliberate steps.
“Man up,” I mutter and force my feet to walk faster.
I peek in through the small window in the door before I enter, not wanting to intrude. The officer on duty looks at me in question. I glare at him and he steps a few paces to the left. He sets his shoulders, his hands on his belt, but looks away down the hall.
Leaving me alone to watch Gabby through the window.
My little sister sits next to the comatose woman, touching her hand. Her eyes are scrunched tight as if in pain. Her head tips sideways at an odd angle, as if her neck muscles lack the strength to hold it up. Her chest rises and falls in full gasps, sucking air through her parted lips.
She’s utterly vulnerable. Here, but not here. Unaware of her surroundings, but so aware of what no one else can see.
My gut wrenches for her.
Lucas sits nearby, watching closely. Concern etches his face, but he watches calmly.
I want to scream, shake her, make her stop.
I throw the door open instead.
She blinks and returns to the present.
My hopes that this was the only time she’d have to touch the girl fade as she explains what little she saw.
On purpose, I needle her about the lack of information. “A little girl hiding in a closet, a mean mom and another girl who hates her. That’s it?” I ask, rough on purpose.
“Well, you came in and I lost the vision.” Gabby tears into the bag of candy like she wishes she was tearing into me. Good, I like it better when she’s angry.
The woman in the bed lies absolutely still. I check the monitors to make sure she’s still alive. It’s my job to find out who stabbed her, made her run and forced her to give birth alone. I think of my wife, Alexis, my son Walker. Walker was born in a hospital, no complications, as safe as possible. I was terrified just the same. This woman, Addlynn, was alone and dying when she brought her son into the world. She deserves justice.
I have no other options. The coma keeps her from us, and we have nothing to go on. Gabby is our only chance to find out what happened.
I hate it, but I have to ask.
“Do you think you could try again?” I make my voice gentle. “Please.”
I knew the please would do the trick.
Sitting quietly on the couch as she requested, I watch her, give her space. One moment she’s talking to us, the next she’s away.
Her head slides to the side, and her breath gasps again. Emotions play over her face, mostly fear and pain. She lets out a few whimpers. Lucas moves to intervene, but I motion for him to leave her be. His shoulders tense another degree, but he lets her continue.
