The Psychic, the Cop and the Killer

by Annette Morris

  Contents

  Title

  Copyright

  Note to Reader

  Dedicated to

  Acknowledgements

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Other Books

  About the Author

  My Town

  The Psychic, The Cop & The Killer

  (Book 1 in the My Town Series)

  Annette Morris

  Copyright © 2018 Annette Morris

  All Rights Reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author. The only exception to this rule is for reviewers who may quote short excerpts in a book review.

  This book, in its entirety, is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events and other incidents are solely the product of the author's imagination and are intended for entertainment only and used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, either living or dead, events and/or locations is entirely coincidental and unintended.

  Dear Reader

  The Psychic, The Cop and The Killer is the first book in the My Town series.

  The My Town series revolves around a town called My Town. I have planned four books for the series. This is the first one. I hope to have the second book in the My Town series, The Vampire's Mate, available before the end of 2018.

  The Vampire's Mate continues the story of the people that live in My Town.

  I hope you enjoy reading the adventures and feel free to email me your thoughts on the series.

  Dedication

  I dedicate this first book of the My Town series, The Psychic, The Cop and The Killer to my ever patient husband, Steven. Without his help and skill at drawing, this series may never have seen the light of day.

  Acknowledgements

  The graphics used in this novel have been taken from a free graphic source on the Internet and used through CC0 Creative Commons (being free for commercial use with no attribution required). This online organisation is https://pixabay.com/. I would like to thank this sources and offer my appreciation for the service they provide.

  Chapter 1

  "Mum! Mum! You're famous!"

  I look up from counting seeds, in time to have a newspaper shoved in my face. My eyes widen as I skim the headlines, 'Psychic Caitlyn Bright helps police solve murder.' It takes me a few eye blinks to focus on the headlines and absorb what they mean, then the anger rises. I swear viciously. "Damn! Crap! Double crap!"

  "Mum!" My daughter Anna protests. "You're not supposed to say those swear words. Now you have to put money in the jar."

  My eyes swivel over to my daughter. "I know Anna. I'm sorry." I was already regretting my outburst. I was trying to teach Anna there was no need for swear words and I'd blown it. "I'll put some money in the jar," I assured her. My eyes swung back onto the newspaper headlines and anger again roared up. "Right after I find the person who released this information and kill them." My fists tightened around the seeds still in my hand, squashing them needlessly.

  Anna giggled and rolled her eyes. "Mum! You can't kill anyone. That's illegal. The police will come and arrest you."

  I smile down evilly at her and let out a small cackle. "Let them try."

  Anna rolled her eyes again at my antics.

  But then my eyes flickered back to the headlines again, and the anger came roaring back. "Damn it!" I swore again. "They promised. They told me there'd be no comeback," I ranted. "They swore no-one would ever get my name." I turned away from the newspaper now lying discarded on top of the seeds on the bench. I didn't want to read those headlines anymore. It would just make me angrier.

  "Just one case, they'd pleaded. One case. Help solve the murder. No-one will know. Huh! Now, look!" I ranted as I began pacing around the small shop. My herbal shop was our livelihood. Our only means of income. I'd only been in business a short while and already I had a steady customer base. This article could ruin everything! I know how people reacted when they found out I was a psychic. They either ran away in droves or attacked. Of all the worst timing for this to...

  "But... Mum," Anna's small voice interrupted. "You're famous."

  I stopped my pacing and turned to her. "No. Anna. I'm not. Just because my name's in the paper... that doesn't mean anything."

  "But... the kids at school will be in awe. Your name's in the paper and..."

  "Anna ... " I sighed as I tried to work out where to begin. "Being famous is not the be all and end all. I'll still be me. I'll still be coming to work in the shop every day. You'll still be going to school. My name in the paper makes no difference to our lives, Anna." My hands unclip my hair from its bun. I run my fingers through it, working out the tangles, before putting it back up in its bun again. My mind is trying to work out how I can explain this to my daughter so she understands?

  I watch as her face falls, her bottom lip spurts majestically, and tears appear. "I'm sorry mum. I'm sorry. But ..."

  "Don't you start pouting," I interrupt quickly. "That won't work with me." Actually, her pouting does work with me. I can't resist her cute pouts, but I'm not going to tell her that. "Look Anna... not everyone is nice. You know I'm a psychic. You know what that means. Not everyone will accept me as a psychic."

  Her surly argumentative face appears.

  Oh great! Now I'm in for it. When she has that look... I usually run for cover and hide. I brace myself for the words.

  "Mum..."

  We both jump in fright as something slams against the glass door of the shop. I turn to watch a large smear of red running down the glass doors.

  ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲

  Anna runs over to the door. "Is that blood mum?"

  Dashing after her, I hold the door closed with one hand and peer at the red smear. "No." I reply finally. "It's paint. Red paint. Someone has thrown red paint over the door."

  Her little face screws up into a frown as she struggles to understand. "Why mum? Why would someone throw red paint at our door?"

  I don't answer her. My mind is filled with worrying questions.

  Turning to face me, she asks, "This is because of the newspaper article?"

  "Yes, Anna. I think it is."

  "I don't understand mum."

  "I know Anna. I know you don't. But I don't have time to explain it to you right now. I've got to ..." My words trail off as I watch in disbelief as a man runs over to my car, parked in front of the shop, and throws a bucket of red paint over it.

  "Mum!" Anna yells. "That man just..."

  I push her behind me and swing the door open. "Stay inside Anna," I order her. "Lock the door and stay inside." I squeeze through the gap of the door.

  "But mum..."

  "Do as I tell you, Anna," I snap at her. "Stay inside. Lock the door. Now." I slam the door closed behind me.

  I yell at the man and run towards him. "Hey! What are you doing? Stop! Stop it!" I hear running footsteps behind me. Thinking it's Anna, I swing around to tell her to go back inside the shop. Bu
t as I swing around, I'm hit with a bucket of red paint on my face. I'm blinded! I can't see what's happening! I can't breathe through the fumes.

  Bending over, I swipe my eyes to see what is happening. I only manage to smear the paint over my face further. I panic and swipe faster. I freeze in shock as I hear Anna scream. Frantic now, I swipe the paint from my eyes. Through the paint on my eyes, I can barely see a man standing at the shop door. More red paint drops into my eyes from my hair. Swiping it away again, I run straight for the man in panic. "Leave her alone! Leave my daughter alone!" I scream as loud as I can.

  Anna's fighting with the man at the door. She's trying to hold the door closed so he can't get inside the shop.

  "Leave her alone!" I scream at him again. I can barely see anything but I can hear them both fighting. I run faster.

  He sees me coming towards him and throws the paint at the door and bolts.

  "Mum!" Anna's frantic cries spear me through the heart.

  "Open the door, Anna. It's okay. I'm here. Open the door."

  I move fast to get inside. Once inside, I grab a hold of Anna and hold on tight. "Lock the door behind me Anna," I order. I can't see to lock the door so I have to tell her to. I relax slightly as I hear the door lock. I hold Anna in my arms, while she sobs. I know it is only shock. I know she will be okay. But I feel as if my heart is breaking while she sobs. Neither of us gives a thought to the red paint splattered all over me. I hold her close. I can feel her heart beating frantically like a panicked small bird. "It's okay. Anna. It's okay. We're okay." I repeat over and over until she calms.

  With one arm around Anna, who's still sobbing quietly, I stumble over to the phone. My hand grabs it like a lifeline and I punch in triple zero. "It's okay Anna. It's going to be okay. It's okay," I murmur, over and over. My lips kiss her hair, her forehead, wherever I can reach.

  A sound at the door has me swinging around fast. I watch in anger as a man throws another bucket of red paint at the shop window. Furious at what is happening, I hold tight to Anna. All this over a damn newspaper article. I shake my head in disbelief. All I did was help solve a murder. I look down at myself. My hair, my clothes, my face are all covered in the red paint. And now so is Anna. We need help here. And fast. Who knows what these guys will do next. Maybe they'll try to burn the shop down. At that thought, I begin shaking. I have to get the police here now.

  ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲

  Chapter 2

  "Police." The voice growls in the earpiece of the phone.

  Finally, I thought. I'd been on hold for a while. "Hi. This is Caitlyn Bright. I want to report..."

  "Who?" the voice interrupts.

  "Caitlyn Bright," I repeat slower. "I want to report..."

  "Oh! The psychic."

  I listen in disbelief as he laughs sarcastically.

  "What am I going to say next?" he asks me.

  I hold the phone away from my ear in disbelief and take some deep breaths in to calm down. Putting the phone back against my ear, I ignore his question. "Look," I take a deep breath then continue. "I want to report an assault. Someone has thrown red paint over the front of my shop, my car, and myself."

  The guy bursts out laughing. "What? Didn't you see it coming?" He laughs louder.

  My anger rises swiftly, but I shove it back down quickly. I needed help here. For me and Anna. Getting angry at this guy wouldn't bring the help I need. I wait as the laughter dies away. "Right. Yeah. Funny. Well... Anyway, I'd like to report..."

  "What? Red paint? It's dummy blood. You're a witch. What do you expect?" he responds angrily.

  "I am not a witch," I spit out angrily. "I'm a psychic."

  "Right. So you should have seen it coming and ducked." He laughs again and hangs up the phone.

  The dial tone echoes in my ear. "He hung up!" In disbelief, I stare at the phone. "He hung up."

  ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲

  "Are you okay Mum?" Anna asks me in a small voice.

  I jump slightly at her words. Oh God. Anna. I had to get her out of here. I hold her tighter. "Fine. I'm just fine and dandy." Closing the phone, my anger rises and I welcome it. What now? Who do I call? Who will come and help us? A name pops into my head. "Yep. He'll do." I fumble around in my bag before finally locating the card the detective had given me. I keep meaning to clean my bag out. I just never seem to get around to it. "Ah ah! Got it." I hold up the card in success.

  "Got what Mum?" Anna's small voice asks.

  "The detective's card," I explain to her. "The detective I worked with on that cold case. He gave me his phone number."

  Anna takes the card from my hand and reads it out loud. "Detective John Williams." She looks up at me. "A detective is more than a police officer isn't he?" Anna asks in a hesitant, unsure voice.

  "Yes. A detective is more." I give her a short hug and kiss her gently on her forehead. She has been through so much already this morning. And it's not over yet.

  "So he'll help us then?" Her voice holds hope.

  "Yes. He will." I assure her. I vow ... somehow I will make him help. My finger punches each number into the phone. I can't believe the police officer hung up on me. I thought the police had to attend a crime. Not apparently where a psychic is concerned though.

  "What if he doesn't come either?" Anna asks.

  "He'll come. That is if he knows what's good for him," I tell Anna. "I helped them close a cold case and they throw me to the wolves. Then refuse to help when I need it. Nuh uh. That's not happening."

  "What?" came a deep growl through the receiver of the phone

  I jump as the voice barks in my ear. They must teach that surliness at the police academy, I thought. "Detective Williams. This is Caitlyn Bright. I've been trying to get help here from the police at my shop. But can't get anyone to help. So in desperation, I'm ringing you. If you hang up on me, laugh at me or call me a witch... I assure you, the media will hear about this. You throw me to the wolves, I will throw you back."

  There was silence on the phone and then the voice came back barking louder, "Who is this?"

  Deflating somewhat when I realise he doesn't remember me, I reply quietly, "Caitlyn Bright."

  "Oh! The psychic."

  I cringe. Great! Just great! He's going to say the same thing as the other guy. "Look... before you start... No I didn't see it coming. I had no warning. And yes... I should've seen it coming and ducked. It's real funny. Now I need help and..."

  He interrupts my tirade. "Woah! Woah! Wait up," he yells. "Take a breath. Let's start this all over again. First... Caitlyn, I'm sorry about the newspaper article. I'm looking into it. Trying to see who released the info to the media..."

  "It's not about that!" I yell at him. I force myself to take a breath and calm down. "Sorry. It's just... I don't know what to do... and Anna's here with me." I can feel tears beginning to form and I struggle to push them back. Tears won't help in this situation. "We have to get out of here. I can't drive the car. It's all over the windscreen and... "

  "Stop," he broke into my rambling. "Take a breath and start slowly. First... Tell me where you are?"

  I take a breath and calm down a bit more. "I'm at my shop."

  "Right. The herbal shop?"

  "Yes. I'm with Anna. Someone threw red paint over the shop door. I went outside to stop them. They threw it over me. Then my car got hit. The red paint is running down the windscreen. I can't call a taxi looking like this. It looks like blood." I yell this last part and realise I'm becoming hysterical.

  Anna gasps at my words. I turn to her. "Oh. Anna. It's okay. It's not blood. It just looks like it." I sag as I realise what I said. "Look. Anna. Why don't you watch to see if any of those guys come back?"

  "Okay, mum." She flees to the door.

  I lower my voice and take a breath. "Sorry."

  "It's okay. I get it. I'll come to you. Stay there. Lock the door of the shop. Don't go outside no matter what happens. Okay?"

  "Okay. Thanks." I'm about to hang up, when I hear him
say something else. I wait and listen.

  "Why didn't you ring the station?"

  I take another breath in. "I did," I reply bluntly. "The guy I spoke to called me a witch amongst other things, and hung up."

  "Ah... okay. Stay inside the shop."

  "Fine." I went to say goodbye but found he'd already hung up. What was it with men and hanging up phones without saying goodbye?

  ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲

  Chapter 3

  While we waited for the detective to arrive, I took the time to try to scrub off some of the red paint. Luckily, I have a good supply of hot water here. I also have a scrubbing brush and I make good use of that as well. I manage to uncover most of my face. I can at least see okay now.

  My hair is history though. I will have to wait until I can jump into a shower. Luckily, I'd found out it was water based paint, so it came off relatively easy with a bit of scrubbing. I doubted it would come off my car as easy though. Or the front window and door of the shop. I didn't have any other clothes to change into, so had no choice but to stay in the paint smeared ones I had on.

  While I cleaned off the paint, my mind filled with worries and possible solutions. If this craziness with the psychic stuff continued, and if it looked like I couldn't keep running the shop, I would need to come up with some other way of making an income. Perhaps a mail order herbal business, I thought. I could send the seeds through the mail instead of having a shop. I would need to ask mum if I ...

  Anna's voice brought me back to the here and now. "Mum! He's here."

  Forcing myself to worry later, I rushed to the window to see the detective step out of his car. I gave Anna a hug. "Yep. That's him." Hope enthused me finally. At last, someone was here who could help us.

  I watched as his long lean body strode towards us. He was dressed casually today. He just wore jeans and t-shirt. But, boy, did he wear the jeans well. My mind drooled as I watched those long legs of his walk closer. His legs were encased in tight denim. His muscles bunching as he walked. His t-shirt was stretched across what seemed to be endless muscles. His shorn brown hair and blue eyes that I knew felt like he could see inside a person, just added to the overall package that was him. Seeing him now, I remembered back. Back to the time we worked together. Back to the time he had stolen a kiss from me.