The Gift, page 17
part #1 of McKenna Mysteries Series
“Here goes nothing,” she said out loud.
The front door met the landing at the bottom of the staircase and there was a narrow window the length of the doorway where the visitor could see in if interested. She made sure that her walk down the stairs didn’t give way to any kind of embarrassing slip or nose pick, because she wasn’t sure if Mark was the type to peek in or stand in front of the door like a proper gentleman. She was guessing the latter. As she pulled the door open, a lump of soft white snow fell into the entryway, leftover from the few footprints that she had created from going in and out of the house in the past few days.
“Hey, you really do live out here,” Mark said with a giggle, balancing a pizza box in one hand while slipping his snowy boots off with the other.
“Oh, please. Just because I don’t live in Bridgeton doesn’t mean I’m in some kind of foreign land. I know this seems far to you Bridgeton townies, but I’m technically only twelve miles from the station,” Grace joked as she led him in the house while holding onto Brody’s collar. It had been awhile since the dog had an opportunity to sniff and scrutinize a new visitor, so he was on high alert, ready to either give Mark the cold shoulder or befriend him. The dog was a snuggle bear, but every now and then he had a tendency to just not like someone, for reasons Grace really couldn’t understand. She could hear her mother’s words now. “That dog is going to ruin your love life, Gracie.”
“Is this the infamous Brody who you spend every Friday night with?” Mark didn’t hesitate as he set the pizza box on the table in the entryway and got down on his knees, grabbing Brody’s head between his two hands. “Brody, I see why your mommy would rather stay home with you than go on a date with me.” And that’s all it took for Brody to lean into Mark, resting his snout on his shoulder and letting out a loud sigh. It didn’t help that Mark brought with him delicious scents of pizza.
“Hey, Brody bear, do you want to actually let Mark in the house?” Grace said, leading the dog into the living room, Mark following behind. “I’d offer you something to eat, but—”
“I’ve got it covered.” Mark retrieved the pizza box from the table. The guy certainly knew the ways to her heart: pizza and dog-loving.
“I’m pretty sure you saved the day. All I have in my fridge is a half-bottle of Cabernet and the untouchable Christmas day ingredients.”
“Cabernet is a lovely pizza pairing.”
“I’ll get us some plates and napkins . . . and wine. Take a seat.” Grace pointed to the couch, where Brody was already snuggled up in the center, clearly doing his best to keep them separate from one another. She made her way to the kitchen before turning around quickly. “Oh, but just be careful—he has a tendency to sneak food,” Grace said as she peeked back in the room to see Brody’s snout pulsating as he leaned his big head off the couch and hovered over the box.
“Oh, he’s just fine, aren’t you Brody,” Mark said as he leaned into him and scratched behind his ears.
Grace popped the cork out of the wine bottle, took a sniff and when she decided the wine smelled acceptable, she poured them each a glass, finishing off the bottle. Under one arm, she balanced some paper plates and napkins and made her way back into the living room.
“Thank you,” Mark said taking a sip from the wine glass before opening the box of pizza. “I know that you love your meat, so I ordered half with pepperoni and half with veggies. I mean, you’re certainly welcome to my ‘animal free’ half of the pizza but, I didn’t want to force any healthy habits on you.” He winked as he slid a very green slice of pizza onto a plate.
“Wow, I’m actually surprised that you allowed the meat to touch the same pizza.”
“Well, technically it’s not touching my half of the pizza, so I think I’m pretty safe. Just keep your pepperonis away from my broccoli, got it?”
“Got it. No veggie-meat intermingling. That could turn out to be a disaster,” she said with a giggle.
“So, are you gonna tell me what was up Barb’s ass tonight? Surely that wasn’t just typical drunk Barb. You guys are always so close. What’s going on?”
Grace took her time chewing the pizza, trying to think of a way to explain this to him without sounding like a wacko. She used the back of her hand to wipe away the sauce that escaped her lips.
“Well . . .” The hesitation was evident in her voice. “It all started with a stupid blind date she set me up on with her nephew. I didn’t want to go, but you know Barb—she’s pushy, and I wanted to pay her back for all the favors she does for me at the station.”
“She does do a lot of extra work she’s not required to do.” Mark nodded, not showing any signs of strain about the blind date.
“Exactly. And she said her nephew was a good guy going through a divorce who deserved a chance. She assured me I’d only have to go on one date and then she’d leave me alone.”
Mark raised his eyebrows, well aware of Barb’s pushiness.
“And. . .” she continued.
“And?”
“Well, do you ever just get a gut feeling about someone?”
“All the time. It’s one of the many reasons I became a cop.”
Grace sipped her wine, an attempt to kill time while she figured out how she was going to explain it to him. She thought about how good it would feel to let it all out, to let Mark know about her visions, her gift. She pictured him running away as fast as he could.
“So, what happened?”
“There’s something I have to tell you, Mark.”
“I don’t care about your past—what happened with you and him has nothing to do with us. I get it, I know what it’s like to be single, but then I found you—”
“Wait, what?” Grace was clearly driving him down the wrong path.
“Grace, I like you. A lot. And I know we work together and I know that’s weird, but stranger things have happened. I’m not a jealous guy, so if something happened between you and that guy, it was before us, so I don’t care.”
Grace wasn’t sure if she should laugh or kiss him. He was reading this conversation all wrong, but she was giddy like a school girl, smitten by him and his sudden openness. And suddenly she felt a strong urge to be open and honest with him.
“Mark, I like you too. I really do. But there is something I need to tell you and it’s not about something that necessarily happened with Barb’s nephew. It’s something about me.”
“Oh God, did I read this all wrong?” He buried his head in his hands. “You don’t like guys? Or, wait . . . you’re dating someone else? Wow, I feel like a total ass.”
“No no! Wrong again. Follow me.”
Grace led Mark back to the small room that she used as an office and told him to sit down as she hit a few buttons on her laptop, bringing it to life. She felt the only way to do this was to show him written proof, doctors’ notes, and the letter sent by the priest so many years ago. All the paperwork had been scanned and saved in a folder labeled “Grace,” hidden deep within the files on her computer.
“Read this,” she said as he leaned in to see the messy scrawl on the screen.
Based on Grace McKenna’s descriptions, she has the classic signs of having the capability of seeing visions that are outside the realm of a reality that the normal person can see. –Dr. Schwartz
Grace’s symptoms show that she was born as a visionary, having the power to see certain visions when she is triggered, leading to a heightened experience. –Dr. Edmonton
The list went on, accompanied by photos of Grace at the various ages when she had visited the doctors. Mark sat there, scrolling down the long line of scanned documents, the expression on his face blank. He stared ahead even as he took sips of wine. Grace felt her heart building heat in her chest. She was frightened by what he would think of her. Would he drop his glass of wine and run as fast as he could? Or would he be nice and understanding and then make an excuse to leave and never come back? The questions circled within Grace, a tornado of anxiety whirling in her head.
When Mark was done reading, he sat back in the chair and swiveled in a full circle. Just when Grace thought he would keep his back to her, get up and walk away, he settled in the chair facing her with his hand wrapped around the stemless wine glass.
“So, you think I’m some type of freak?” Grace asked, hesitant for the answer.
Mark set his glass down on the desk gently and leaned forward with outstretched arms. “Come here.” He pulled her into a hug, embracing all of her fear and anxiety with the strengths of his arms. “Listen, I’m not going to say I’m not completely shocked and flabbergasted, but I’ve seen a lot in my lifetime and I believe that there is more out there than what we see. I believe some people have certain gifts for a reason, I believe in some type of an afterlife, whether it’s reincarnation or us floating around with wings . . . hell, I even believe in ghosts.” He kissed the side of her head, his mouth pressed against her hair. “Who else knows about this?”
“Besides the oodles of doctors and professionals who have attempted to diagnose me, just my mom,” she said. “So please—not a word to anyone.”
After Mark was sworn to secrecy, she divulged nearly all the visions she had seen, or at least remembered. She told him why Barb currently despised her and she confirmed his suspicions as to why she was working the Jenny Silva case, a case that was technically nonexistent as far as the police department was concerned. He agreed to help her in any way he could in tracking the woman down and verifying that Mackenzie Waterford was a suspect.
Grace said, “I just don’t get it. Mackenzie, who has or had everything going for her—why would she do anything to jeopardize her life? Maybe it was jealousy over another over-achieving student? I mean, her mom even seemed a bit concerned about Mackenzie’s obsessive need for perfection.”
“The only problem now is that the schools are closed for holiday break, so her colleagues won’t think anything is odd if she isn’t there. No one will go over to check in on her. Did the principal mention any close friends that she chummed with on the school grounds?”
“No. From everything I’ve heard, the woman kept to herself. But I know from snooping in her house that she had a budding relationship with Mackenzie, who could very well be her daughter. I mean, all the dates match up. Same birth month as the photo I found.”
“But why would she hurt her biological mother. Wait—does Mackenzie know that she is adopted?”
“That’s a very good question. How do I go about asking that without sounding like a stalker?”
“Maybe I could get Rain to find out?
“Think she could keep it on the down low, not make it look too obvious?”
“She learned from the best.” Mark smiled as he leaned down to pet Brody, who had followed them into the office. The dog was like a leech; he had to be around his people at all times. “I’ll start working on her tomorrow.”
“Think she can have an answer for us soon? Time is precious when a person is missing with no family to track them down and report their absence.”
“She’s a creative kid. She’ll figure it out. I know that she has some activities scheduled for the Christmas break. Knowing how involved Mackenzie is, I’m sure she’ll be around. I think there’s a bonfire on the beach one night. And no, we aren’t supposed to know about this.”
“Is it bad we’re using your teenage sister as a secret spy?”
“Nah. Who knows, maybe it will inspire her to be a detective like you.”
Mark pulled her on his lap, leaning in for a kiss that was just deep enough to unleash butterflies in her stomach, but coated in a delicacy that made her feel protected and safe. When they swiveled around in the chair, Brody sat by the door, his head tilted to the side and his ears perked up.
“You think he’s jealous?” Mark asked.
“Possibly. But it doesn’t take him long to welcome new friends into his life. I’m pretty sure that if a burglar broke into my house, he’d roll over and let them in as long as they gave belly rubs.”
They settled on the couch, with Brody nestled between them. The bear of a dog made it difficult for the two of them to take it to the next level, his body a permanent fixture on the old couch. They watched some mindless nineties sitcoms in silence, every now and then one of them would make a comment about the show making them forget they weren’t alone. For a brief moment, Grace imagined this is what it would be like as part of a married couple. Nights on the couch in the comfort of a shared home, splitting a pizza and being a permanent half of the whole. Just as Grace’s eyes were getting heavy, Mark leaned over Brody and grabbed her hand.
“I better head home. It’s late and I’ve got an early morning,” he said, his voice low and scratchy from the fatigue that was settling in.
“Of course.” Grace squeezed his hand, feeling a steady comfort fall over her. She didn’t want him to leave, and she scolded herself for the freeing of independence that was building up inside her. “Thanks for coming by, and thanks for the pizza. And of course thanks for being understanding about my meat-loving ways.”
Mark stood before her and reached a hand out to pull her up off the couch. He embraced her as she fell into him from the force of his pull.
“I won’t say a word, don’t worry.” He cupped her head in between his hands and angled her eyes up to his.
“So, you don’t think I’m a freak?”
“Far from it.” He leaned in and gave her a soft gentle kiss, reassuring her that she had made the right decision to tell him the truth about her visions. “I’ll give you a call tomorrow.” He paused. “Or better yet, I’ll see you at the office.”
“Oh boy, that’s not the best goodbye. Can we at least keep this our little secret in the workplace,” she used a finger to indicate the two of them and the budding relationship.
“Yes. Don’t worry, I have a rule against dating my colleagues, too. Except it’s a lot easier for a guy, when the ratio is ten males to every female. I just happened to be at the right station and score a hottie like you.”
“Oh boy. Go home now, you have officially lost your mind.” She led him to the door.
“Bye, Brody. I’ll see you soon.” Mark gave Brody a wave on his way out.
Grace couldn’t help but feel her insides bursting with butterflies at his indirect promise to come back.
Chapter Twenty
Grace had a restless night of sleep, filled with visions of Jenny Silva. Several times she jumped awake, startled by the bits and pieces of Jenny’s face that appeared as frightening images, as if she was trying to lead Grace to answers. In one of the delusions, Jenny looked peaceful as she reached her delicate hand toward Grace, leading her through a wooded terrain. As Grace began to follow the ghost-like woman, reaching for her outstretched hand, Jenny’s face transformed into a skeleton, her eyes disappearing into the deep-set hollows of her bone structure, her body melting away from the white dress she was wearing. Even in the dream-state, Grace had thought the dress was unlike something Jenny Silva would wear, its feminine flair replacing the black and in-your-face accessories that Jenny wore to express her art. She woke feeling confined, the sheets tangled around her legs and damp from sweat. She slid her phone off the nightstand and flipped it over: It was five forty-five.
“Shit!”
She struggled to untangle the sheets while rolling Brody over from his outstretched position. “Move over buddy, mommy’s stuck here.” He used a paw to scratch his snout, before rolling over and looking up at her, blinking the sleep from his eyes.
After she slid into her boots and donned the layer of winter apparel needed to stay warm, she walked the pup around the block, giving in to his need to stop every thirty seconds to most likely sniff his own pee from the day before. She paused in front of her house to admire the Christmas lights that were still on from the night before, and felt her body warm as she remembered Mark saying he would be over sometime this weekend with his staple gun to secure some of the loose strands. She wasn’t used to having a man around, let alone one who offered to fix things up around the house. Even as a child, Grace and her mom had managed to get by without a man in the household, with the exception of the local handyman coming by every now and then.
As Grace did every day, she chose an outfit that reflected professionalism, as if she was going to a corporate job in an office. The only difference was that she had a gun, handcuffs and a badge attached to her body. She kept her gun hidden under a longer blouse that covered her rear and concealed her badge inside of her black jacket. She pulled on a pair of high black boots, with a wedged heel that allowed her to maneuver her way through inclement weather while giving her a little lift. Brody lay beside her on the hardwood floor, following her every movement with the squinty eyes that sat on his massive head like two little peanuts. For such a large dog, he had awfully small eyes.
She threw her bag over her shoulder and raced down the stairs, scolding herself for sleeping through her alarm and missing her morning run on the treadmill that was currently being used as a drying rack in the basement.
Immerse yourself in the atmosphere. Grace could hear her mentor’s mantra repeating itself in her head as she drove into Bridgeton, passing by the barren beach on one side and the hardware’s sign highlighting the upcoming winter carnival.
