by John O'Riley
“I don’t recognize this caller. It’s not Detective Whiney unless he changed his number which is a sneaky move I wouldn’t put past him,” Josephine said.
“I can’t believe you let Jake talk you into getting one of those. You’ve got a perfectly good landline,” Helen said.
“I’m going to get one, too. There are some pretty cool ones out there,” Alice interjected.
Helen shot Josephine a pointed look. “Are you going to answer the phone?”
“I’m thinking.” Josephine frowned at her cell as she struggled to make up her mind. “Who could be calling me at this ungodly hour?”
“There’s only one way to find out,” Helen said.
“Just let it go to voice mail,” Alice advised.
Josephine reached out and answered the phone.
“This is Josephine,” she said.
“This is Chief of Police, Ben Nutter. I’m calling about the application you turned in,” a rough, deep penetrating voice came over the line.
Josephine swallowed as anxiety rushed through her body.
“Thank you for contacting me.” Josephine hoped she didn’t sound as nervous as she felt.
“If you’re available, I want to interview you today,” Ben said.
“Yes, I can do that. When would you like me over?”
“If you could be here in an hour, I’d appreciate it,” Ben said in his booming voice.
“Yes, I can do that,” Josephine said.
“You know where my office is.”
“Yes, I do.”
The phone went dead and Josephine disconnected the call with a frown.
“You’re being interviewed already?” Alice smiled at her friend with excitement.
“Yes. He wants me over there in an hour.” A surreal feeling took hold of Josephine. “This is so sudden. I don’t understand.”
“It means they’re serious about hiring you.” Helen’s eyes twinkled with delight. “I’m so happy for you. This is a great opportunity.”
“If it’s so wonderful, why didn’t YOU ask for the job?” Josephine shot her a sardonic look.
“You’re the six here, young lady.”
Josephine heaved a grievous sigh. “You’re right. I just hadn’t completely given up on retirement yet.”
“You’ve got so much energy and passion and youth in you! You’ll love working again,” Alice said.
Josephine decided she’d better end the game early so she could prepare for the interview. Alice and Helen were only too happy to give her a mock question and answer session. Josephine arrived at the police station and was ushered to Ben Nutter’s office by one of the administrative assistant’s, Anita.
“You’ll do great.” Anita threw her an encouraging look as they neared Ben’s office.
“Thanks.” Josephine forced a strained smile.
Anita patted Josephine on the shoulder and retreated down the hall toward her desk. Josephine knocked at the closed door.
“Enter,” Ben’s booming voice carried easily to Josephine’s ears.
Josephine stepped inside the office and shook hands with Ben before seating herself in one of the two black, cushioned office chairs facing the modest-sized desk. The office was small and cramped with several rows of filing cabinets and a couple of large orchids in the corner of the room. Josephine was tempted to open her second sight and probe the chief of police for psychometric energy so she could pick up what he was looking for and how to impress him but she refrained from doing so. It just wouldn’t be right. Besides, he may have a m-detector which would pick up on any magical activity. The chief of police was an imposing man in his forties with close-cropped blond hair, piercing blue eyes, and a mustache. Josephine disliked mustaches and beards and couldn’t help think that men who sported them were hiding something. Ben’s blue uniform was decorated with an impressive assortment of medals.
“So we finally get to sit down and have a conversation.” Ben’s loud, penetrating voice pounded against Josesphine’s eardrums.
“I’m honored that you’re interested in speaking to me about this.” Josephine leveled a friendly smile at the chief of police.
“You have an impressive record. I don’t know if you realize this but not all category sixes crack every case so quickly. You’re exceptional.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“I do want to make sure you’re prepared for the stress of this assignment. Technically, a psychometrist specialist is considered a detective so you will be performing the same type of police work.” Ben’s gaze turned assessing.
Josephine forced herself to keep still and maintain a neutral position so her body language would show confidence and competency. Under Ben’s intense scrutiny, she felt like a bug being dissected but he’d already admitted that he liked her consulting work. Josephine knew from hearing the police talk at crime scenes that they could often get people to spill their guts by allowing gaps in conversation. As much as it pained her to do so, she forced herself to remain silent.
“Are you aware that most category six wizards are unable to perform their full-time duties for more than a couple of weeks?” Ben said.
“Yes, I am.”
“Do you find yourself stressed after reading a crime scene?”
“I usually feel energized,” Josephine said and was surprised to realize that this was a statement of fact.
“You’re a rare breed, Ms. O’Connor.” Ben cast an admiring gaze at her.
“Thank you, Mr. Nutter.”
The chief of police proceeded with more interview questions that lasted for over an hour. The combination of his blaring voice along with the challenging and sometimes personal inquiries left Josephine shell-shocked when the meeting concluded.
“I’ve heard enough.” Ben offered an approving smile. “All new hires are on a one month probationary period before they become officially permanent. During that time, you may resign without notice or any negative consequence. On the same token, we may terminate your employment effective immediately.”
“I understand.”
“Congratulations. You’re hired,” Ben said.
“Thank you so much!” Josephine beamed at him.
Ben explained more of the details of the job and that she worked for the county of Sarasota. Apparently there were two positions – one in this county and one in Manatee. Josephine was thrilled to know she wouldn’t be required to commute vast distances. The psychometrist specialist was considered the same level as a police detective so Detective Riley would be a colleague rather than a superior officer. Sarasota had one other psychometrist who happened to be a category three wizard named Kyle Chastain. Josephine had never met the man but had heard of him. There was a huge difference in ability to read psychometric energy between the various categories of wizards. Of course, comparing any category to that of a six was like night and day. Josephine knew she would run circles around Kyle as a full-time employee.
Josephine returned to her condo in a bright mood. Her anxiety returned just a little when she thought back to the stalker but the wards she’d created at her residence were resilient enough to withstand an army. Alice and Helen came over right away to hear about the outcome of the interview. They took up positions on the living room couches.
“I’m in!” Josephine exclaimed. “I got the job!”
“I knew you could do it!” Helen praised her.
“Congratulations!” Alice said with great enthusiasm. “Tell us every detail – no matter how small. Helen and I are living vicariously through you.”
Josephine laughed at her friend’s antics then complied with her request and filled them in. When she finished, her lips curved in a smug grin.
“So, Detective Whiney will no longer be my boss. We’re peers now,” Josephine said. “And the chief of police has the discretion to promote me to a senior psychometrist. From there, I could even become a sergeant and move up along the ranks based on performance.”
“That’s really good news but I still think y
ou should call him Alex or Detective Riley,” Helen advised.
“I’ll think about it.” Josephine’s tone implied just the opposite.
“Are you going to visit Jake tonight and celebrate?” Alice asked.
“No, he’s got that kid hanging out with him. He’s an intern for the police department and I guess he’s friends with Jake. He was flirting with me like crazy and Jake wasn’t helping the situation. I gave the compatibility test knowing he’d fail but he passed.”
Helen and Alice both gasped with surprise and exchanged puzzled looks.
“I suppose it was bound to happen eventually,” Alice said. “How old is he? What’s his name?”
“His name is Mark and he’s only 18. Barely legal.” Josephine grimaced with displeasure. “I have no interest in him whatsoever so I need to steer clear of Jake for awhile.”
“That’s right, you made an agreement with Jake that no matter how unsuitable a guy seemed, if he passed that questionnaire, you would at least give him a chance with two dates.” Alice threw her friend a questioning look. “But why on earth did you agree on two dates? Isn’t that a bit much?”
“At the time, it seemed appropriate.” Josephine offered a helpless shrug.
“Let’s just hope that Mark doesn’t hang around with Jake for too much longer because there’s no way it’s appropriate for an eighty-four year-old to date an eighteen year-old,” Helen said.
Josephine made a couple of brief calls – one to Jake informing him that she’d got the job and one to Gary inviting him to stay at her place until the stalker left them alone. Gary was quick to accept her offer which pleased Josephine as she liked spending time with him. Josephine paid a visit to Vickie Richardson at her house on Siesta Key. Vickie owned a massive, two-story dwelling with a huge yard brimming with lush plants including a variety of flowers, pineapple bushes, miniature palm trees, lavender bushes, and elderberries. She made a living as professional restoration enchanter. It required years of training and a natural talent. Vickie had suffered at the hands of a serial killer intent on creating an enchantment that would convert a wizard to a category six. She had been his first success and barely lived to tell the tale. Josephine had helped Vickie to manage her new power. This didn’t help solve the problem completely because now Vickie lacked the ability to fine-tune the restoration enchantments which resulted in about six failures for every successful spell created. Vickie could always sense when the spell was off and would destroy it before putting it to use for one of her clients but it was a time consuming process.
Vickie could only serve about a third of the customers compared to her production rate before becoming a category six. Josephine had taken the risk of assisting Vickie with deactivating her aequitas enchantment as there would have been no way she could create any restoration enchantments with a magical leash tethering her. It still wasn’t enough. Vickie and Josephine gathered in the living room.
“I don’t mean to be rude but I can’t talk for long,” Vickie said.
“That’s okay. I just wanted to check in with you. There’s someone stalking Gary and I and I wanted to make sure you’re okay.”
“I feel like my life is falling apart.” Vickie’s eyes reflected her despair. “I’m going to have to give up my business if I can’t improve my ability. I don’t understand why some people want to be a six so bad. It’s ruined everything.”
“Think of the positives. You’ll stay young practically forever, you have more power than ever, and you can create all kinds of enchantments no lesser wizard can dream of.”
“But some enchantments are beyond my ability to master anymore like the restoration spells. Without that, my business is destroyed. I’ve had to tap into my emergency savings account and it will run dry in about five months.”
“That’s plenty of time to master your new talent.” Josephine offered an encouraging smile.
“I haven’t made any improvements. I just don’t see a way out of this.”
“I’m sure you could get a decent job.”
“I don’t want to work for someone. I can’t stand it.”
Josephine didn’t know what else to say, she commiserated with Vickie’s plight but the woman was young and resilient. Josephine was confident that Vickie would find work she enjoyed just as much as owning her own business.
“No one’s been following you?” Josephine asked.
“I don’t have any stalkers,” Vickie said.
“What about strangers approaching you?”
“What do you mean exactly?” Vickie asked in a guarded tone.
“I don’t know.” Josephine made a helpless gesture as she tried to think of a concrete example. “Maybe someone pretending to be the cable man or something? Maybe a stranger posing as a government official asking you personal questions?”
“No.”
“There’s nothing out of the ordinary?” Josephine leveled a shrewd gaze at Vickie.
“Besides my life being ruined, everything is normal.” Vickie glared at Josephine with impatience. “I appreciate how you helped me gain control over my ability. I couldn’t have gotten this far without you but the longer I spend away from my work, the more sales I lose.”
“Of course.” Josephine rose from her chair and offered a sympathetic smile. “Thank you for your time, Vickie.”
When Josephine returned to her residence, she found a large paper taped to her door which read: “You don’t belong here, slut.”
An angry smile formed on Josephine’s face as she crumpled the paper in a tight fist. Dale had just made it crystal clear that he’d never accept a truce with her. Josephine was tired of making nice with her enemies. She would jinx him good. She tossed the wadded paper in the air and watched it burst into flames under her pyrokinetic spell. The fireball dropped toward the floor and burst into black soot as it landed. Josephine believed in cleaning up one’s own mess so she waved her hand over the black soot which sparkled with golden radiance for several seconds before vanishing. Josephine stormed over to the elevator then made her way to Dale’s condo. She didn’t bother with announcing her presence. Josephine frowned with bemusement at the new ward he’d installed. This was a professional job and not something to be trifled with; however, she made quick work of it. Josephine activated her protection.
The door swung open under the influence of Josephine’s telekinetic spell. She burst into the room to find a tall man with a shaved head and dressed all in black. She opened her psychometric senses to pick up the subtle energies of the room. Information and impressions came to her with ease. The man’s name was Zack and he was a bodyguard. Dale had hired ZR Security to update his wards and assign personal protection as he’d known Josephine would retaliate. Josephine realized maybe she shouldn’t have shown the extent of her abilities to him. What he didn’t comprehend was that she could do much more than she’d demonstrated. Dale emerged in the room with a smug grin on his face.
“You’re a psycho bitch and now I’ve got a witness. You’re going to be kicked out of here just like you deserve!” Dale said.
“That remains to be seen, you skanky toad.” Josephine’s eyes twinkled with determination and amusement.
Zack unleashed a powerful telekinetic blast that pounded against Josephine’s protection. Josephine returned his attack with one of her own. After a couple of long moments, Josephine was forced to activate her backup protection. Maybe this was a battle she was destined to lose. Maybe she should admit to herself she wasn’t part of this world of retirees and move into a condo or even purchase a house. Zack’s expression was determined as he continued to attack and Dale joined in. Josephine’s fear was replaced with anger as she thought back to all those years where she’d worked in different jobs she hated. She suffered for many years as a customer service representative for QT Sporting Goods and clawed her way up to one of the team managers. When the company had become bankrupt, she’d endured many years of administrative assistant work with no opportunities for promotion in spite of her previ
ous qualifications and hard work. After a lifetime of arduous labor, just like Dale or any other elderly citizen, Josephine deserved the same entitlements and privileges. She refused to let a miserable worm of a man take it all away from her without a fight.
Josephine wished she could tap into the power vortex from here. It would have made this battle a lot more doable. Despair welled up inside her as she felt her backup protection waning. She would be defenseless in less than a moment. Josephine turned her attention completely to Zack and redoubled her efforts. Dale would be a piece of cake if she could just take down the professional. Josephine marveled at how many shields Zack possessed. She’d already burned through over a dozen of his enchantments and he kept coming up with more. A blue sphere of energy encircling Zack flickered for several seconds as his latest shield collapsed. Josephine didn’t pause to savor this latest victory. Her next attack hit Zack in the chest and his body hurtled backwards across the room. He hit the wall with enough force to shake the room. Dale’s jaw dropped with shock as he watched his bodyguard.
Zack managed to stay on his feet and even returned a blast of telekinetic energy at Josephine. Josephine’s shield almost buckled but remained active. Josephine cast a knockout spell and her face lit up with triumph as Zack crumpled to the floor in an unconscious heap. She turned to face Dale and made short work of his protection. She knocked him out with another spell then used lipstick to write “loser” on his forehead. Next, she pulled his pants down to his ankles. Josephine wasn’t surprised to discover he wore whitey tighties. In her vast life experience, she’d learned that men who pissed her off tended to wear this unremarkable style. Josephine knelt on the floor beside Zack’s unconscious body as she pulled out a memory loss enchantment which was embedded in a small, thin wand the size of a pencil for convenience. She cast the spell to repress all memory of her visit. While it was impossible to actually remove memories, an effective memory loss spell could bury the memory so deep it was as good as gone.
Josephine cast the same spell on Dale so he wouldn’t know for sure what had happened. She took up a position near the front door and smiled at the scene before her with immense satisfaction. She cast an ignotus enchantment on the condo which would make it impossible for anyone to use psychometry to read what had happened here. Even a category six wizard would find it extremely challenging. Dale didn’t have the resources to hire any sixes to build a case against Josephine. As she rode the elevator heading for her floor, Josephine reflected on her recent activities and realized how accurate Helen and Alice had been when they’d remarked she displayed a tendency for illegal activities. However, Dale had attacked her with jinxes and left nasty messages for her on numerous occasions so it wasn’t like he didn’t deserve some payback.