2 Corruption

by John O'Riley

  Chapter 4

  As luck would have it, Josephine was assigned to Alex Riley and her grandson, Jake, for her first day on the job. Josephine abhorred the texture of the rough fabric that comprised the police uniform as it pressed against her skin. The first case was a murder in Venice. Josephine, Alex, and Jake entered the house which already had the police and forensics officers at the scene. The deceased was a middle-aged man who’d been found in his bedroom with a shot to the temple. Josephine stood in front of the king-size bed and opened her second sight. Subtle energy danced all around her and she reached out with her mind to open the secrets they contained. Someone had tried to cover their tracks with a cheap ignotus enchantment. Information flowed into Josephine’s mind and she sifted through it until she came to the answer. Even then, she allowed the process to continue in case there was more relevant data that may prove helpful.

  Josephine turned to address Alex and Jake. “Mr. Ritter was murdered by his nephew, Dirk. He’s a sociopath and desperate for money. He will have to share the inheritance with his siblings, Stacey and Ed. He plans on killing Ed tonight but is going to make it look like a suicide with a forged letter confessing to murdering Mr. Ritter here. You will discover there is a loose floorboard underneath the bed where the gun is hidden. It is registered to Ed and was stolen by Dirk to frame him.”

  “That was brilliant.” Jake grinned at his grandmother with admiration. “We’ll have enough evidence to take him down in no time.”

  “Do you happen to know the address for any of these people you saw in your vision?” Alex asked.

  Josephine rattled off the address for Dirk, Stacey, and Ed who all lived in nearby cities. Josephine would normally be released after reporting this information as a consultant so she found it interesting to remain involved in the rest of the process. Alex and Jake questioned neighbors for information and possible eye witnesses after they confiscated the murder weapon. Josephine kept her psychometric senses open so she continued to receive impressions as the detectives spoke with various individuals. She tuned into the energy emanating from the gun several times throughout the morning and picked up more information each time. She advised Alex and Jake where they could find evidence and they wrapped up the case in no time.

  In the afternoon, Josephine worked on a couple of cold cases and found some new leads for Alex and Jake to work on. She was seated at her desk which was across from Jake and part of a row containing six desks like hers. Josephine’s eyes drifted over to the spot beside her and she stilled as realization hit. Mark Freeman, the intern she’d met the other night, sat there. There was no nameplate to identify him but a side-effect of utilizing her psychometry so much was that unintended psychic stimuli continued to drift in without effort. Mark strode up to them as if Josephine had conjured him up.

  “Hey guys,” Mark said.

  Jake and Alex greeted the intern with familiar ease and Josephine tried to imitate them. Mark’s smile warmed as he noticed her.

  “Josephine, you got the job! Congrats!” He rushed over and gave her a hug.

  Josephine’s eyes widened with surprise and she gave him an awkward pat on the back before pulling away.

  “You two know each other?” Alex frowned with disapproval.

  “Josephine’s my girlfriend,” Mark said.

  Alex gaped at Mark then Josephine with astonishment while Jake’s eyes twinkled with mirth.

  “We haven’t even gone out on a date yet. We’re just friends for now,” Josephine said.

  “How about tonight after work? I’ll take us out for dinner,” Mark said.

  Josephine struggled to come up with some excuse to decline but Alex had picked up on the situation and realized she wasn’t comfortable.

  “That is a perfect first date,” Alex said. “And I know that Josephine couldn’t have anything planned right after work because we’re required to be available to extend our shift up to four hours every day this week.”

  “That’s true. This week is our turn for extended availability,” Jake said. “There’s no way to make plans with the real world. Luckily we only have to take the hit once every five weeks.”

  “That really stinks.” Josephine didn’t like the sound of this at all.

  “Didn’t the chief of police explain that to you when you accepted the position?” Alex asked.

  “He went over a lot of details that I can’t remember. I’ll have to read through the employee manual,” Josephine grumbled.

  “So you can make it for dinner then, right?” Mark prompted.

  “Yes, I can,” Josephine said with great reluctance.

  “Perfect!”

  Mark grinned with excitement as he went over to his desk and started on some paperwork. Josephine shot Alex a dirty look. Alex’s lips twitched in a smug grin as he turned away from her and set to work on his computer. Josephine was wracked with guilt over hurting the poor boy’s feelings. She would have to let him down easy. She just wasn’t sure how to accomplish this feat. Subtlety had never been one of her strengths. Josephine was dreading dinner so much that late in the afternoon, she sent an instant message to the chief of police requesting her team be assigned to investigate a murder even though it wasn’t their turn. Ben had replied back that he admired her initiative. A moment later, Alex heaved a grievous groan of disappointment as he received the assignment.

  “My plans tonight are ruined,” Alex complained.

  “Cheer up, Whiney. We don’t have a life in the real world this week, remember?” Josephine shot him a flippant smile.

  Alex narrowed his eyes with a silent promise of payback. “You did this, didn’t you?”

  It turned out Josephine solved this case with her normal efficiency. It wasn’t challenging to her at all and only prolonged their shift by half an hour. Alex was in a better mood as he strolled out of the police station. Jake approached Josephine with a friendly smile.

  “Break a leg, grandma,” he said.

  “It’s a date – not a play,” Josephine corrected him.

  “Have a good time then.” Jake winked at her. “Love you.”

  “Love you, too, sweetie,” Josephine said.

  Jake turned to Mark. “See you later.”

  “See you tomorrow.”

  Mark escorted Josephine to his car which was a shiny black SUV. The interior still had that new car smell and Josephine wondered how a kid who’d just graduated from high school could afford such a thing. She decided to learn more and opened her second sight. She was surprised that very little information came to her. Mark parked at an Italian restaurant a couple of blocks off of Beneva and Webber. It was a small, cozy establishment that played soft classical music in the background. Every table had a candle and the waiter lit theirs as soon as he showed them to their seats. Josephine disliked mood lighting but had to admit the restaurant had a definite romantic ambience. Mark ordered soup and a pasta dish while Josephine chose her all-time favorite, lasagna.

  “So what do you like to do for fun?” Mark asked.

  Josephine considered the question and was tempted to be dishonest and tell him a bunch of boring things just to quell his interest.

  “I like running at the beach – especially at 4 or 5 in the morning or after midnight when no one’s around.”

  “That’s against the rules, isn’t it? I thought the beach closes at nightfall.”

  “I tend to bend the rules when it suits me,” Josephine said. An instant later, she realized she wasn’t setting a good example to this impressionable youngster. “Of course, I normally obey all regulations and the law but I just have a couple of guilty pleasures.”

  Mark offers a dismissive shrug. “Everyone has a few guilty pleasures, I’m sure.”

  Josephine wasn’t sure how to address that so she took a bite of her lasagna which was delicious.

  “Wow! This is absolutely divine! How did you find this place?” Josephine asked.

  “I like exploring new restaurants.”

  “Tell me what YOU like to
do, Mark.”

  “I love learning new things. I wish I could absorb information while I sleep and that I could speed read. I wish I could live forever.” Mark’s eyes shone with inner passion. “And there are some places I’d like to visit and explore. I want to see Stone Henge. There’s some evidence to suggest it’s a dormant vortex.”

  Josephine straightened in her chair as her interest piqued over his mention of Stone Henge.

  “How can that be? They can’t exist without us sensing them and I’ve never heard of a vortex being dormant,” she said.

  “It’s a theory I’ve read about. Some people have tried to reactivate it.”

  “But obviously no one has succeeded.”

  “It just takes one trailblazer to pave the way for everyone else,” Mark said.

  “That’s true,” Josephine agreed.

  As they continued to converse, Josephine found herself enjoying his company. It was a shame he was so young and boyish. If he were just ten years older, she could probably summon some interest. They lapsed into silence as Mark escorted her to his vehicle. As they journeyed toward the police station, Josephine once again tried to utilize her psychometry to learn more about Mark. She still hardly knew anything about him except for what he’d told her at the restaurant once they arrived at their destination. Josephine reached out for the handle of the passenger door as she flashed a polite smile at Mark.

  “Thank you for a pleasant evening,” she said.

  Mark leaned forward and his lips met Josephine’s in a shocking, smoldering kiss. When Mark pulled away, Josephine discovered she was out of breath and her body sang with pleasure. A wondrous psychic flow of energy danced in the air between them.

  “You’re more than welcome,” Mark said.

  Josephine blinked with surprise. He no longer seemed a youngster but a virile, sexy male she wanted to know better. Josephine threw open the door as guilt flooded through her.

  “Good night, Mark.”

  “Good night.”

  When Josephine reached her condo, she found Alice and Helen standing in the hallway in front of her door with matching expressions of reprisal on their faces.

  “Where have you been, young lady?” Helen demanded.

  “What on earth have you been up to?” Alice jumped in.

  “Nothing bad,” Josephine said in a small, guilty tone.

  “Well, that’s certainly disappointing.” Alice’s lips twisted with displeasure. “We’ve been waiting here for over an hour.”

  “I discovered that every team at the police station takes turns being available for late shifts every five weeks. They don’t have to give you any warning at all.”

  “That stinks. There’s no way to make plans with a schedule like that.” Helen threw her friend a commiserating look.

  “So you’re saying you just worked late?” Alice prodded.

  “Not exactly.”

  “Aha!” Alice exclaimed. “Tell us all about it! I want details!”

  Josephine grinned at her friends then went to her door and deactivated the wards so they could enter her condo and gather in the living room. Josephine filled them in on her first day as well as the date with Mark.

  “The funny thing is, after that kiss, I’m changing my mind about him,” Josephine said.

  Helen’s expression turned scandalous. “Don’t you think you’re rocking the cradle with that one?”

  “You mean robbing the cradle,” Josephine corrected.

  “Whatever.” Helen made a dismissive gesture. “The point is this kid is barely legal and you’re over eighty years old. Don’t you think that’s over the top?”

  “I suppose so.” Josephine hated to give up on Mark now that there was a spark. “But I need to give this a chance. After all, he passed my compatibility test.”

  “Vampires like sleeping with children, too,” Alice remarked.

  “Excuse me?! Mark is an adult.” Josephine regarded her friend with outraged indignation. “And I’m not a vampire.”

  “I’m just saying there are similarities here.”

  “There’s something definitely odd about him though,” Josephine said with a thoughtful frown. “When I was riding with him in his car-”

  “Whoa whoa whoa,” Alice interrupted. “You said he owns an SUV.”

  “Yes and people on earth call them cars,” Josephine said in a sarcastic tone.

  “I think of them as trucks,” Alice remarked.

  Josephine hated to think negative things about her friend but ever since she came up with the idea that Josephine had characteristics like a vampire, she’d become increasingly obnoxious.

  “Anyway, when I was riding with him in his VEHICLE, I tuned into the psychometric energies and could pick up hardly anything. I checked for signs of an ignotus enchantment but there was nothing like that,” Josephine said.

  “That’s very strange,” Helen commented. “What do you think it means?”

  “Some people don’t produce a lot of psychometric energy. No one knows why.”

  “It’s interesting. He’s a closed book to you with secrets,” Alice observed.

  “That’s right. I have no advantages with him.”

  “Except your life experience,” Helen pointed out. “I hope you’re not going to pursue a relationship with the poor boy.”

  “You’re right. I shouldn’t do it.” Josephine felt a surge of disappointment with her decision to let Mark go.

  Chapter 5

  Josephine, Alex, and Jake were completing paperwork at their desks early in the morning at the police station. Josephine wanted to talk with Jake privately so she waited until Alex left for donuts and coffee in the break room.

  “Jake, I need you to do a favor for me,” Josephine requested.

  “What is it?”

  “Mark’s your friend, isn’t he?”

  “I guess so. Why?”

  “I need you to find out what kind of underwear he uses.”

  “I can’t do that.”

  “I don’t see why not,” Josephine pressed.

  “If I ask him that, he’ll think I’m into him.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, you two have a lot in common and you’ve been single for a long time. I think he would make you an excellent boyfriend and I know for a fact that he’s a good kisser.”

  Jake chuckled with amusement. “I’m sorry but I’m not gay.”

  “You can’t know that for sure. Have you ever tried it?”

  “I don’t need to.”

  “I think the two of you could have a wonderful romantic relationship. You’re already friends with a lot of shared interests.”

  “Why are you trying to match me up with him?” Jake leveled an assessing gaze at his grandmother. After several seconds, his face lit up with sudden comprehension. “You’re feeling guilty because you think he’s too young! You’re hoping he wears whitey tighties because that would give you an excuse to dump him.”

  “You have to admit there’s a huge disparity in age,” Josephine said.

  “I love you and I think you’re the best grandmother in the world but don’t you think it’s just a tad childish to break up with someone because of their underwear?”

  “You slept with Mark?” Alex had returned without anyone noticing. He had a mug of coffee in one hand and a maple long john in the other while his attention was glued to Josephine with a mixture of surprise, fascination, and disgust.

  “Of course not!” Josephine’s face reddened with embarrassment. “I would never do that on a first date.”

  “How many dates would it take?”

  “None of your business.” Josephine shot him a frosty look.

  “Did you two have a good time last night?” Alex asked.

  Josephine ignored the question and turned back to her computer. They were soon assigned a new case and the rest of the morning flew by. Josephine’s anxiety rose throughout the day until it was time for Mark’s arrival. She kept taking furtive glances at his desk and the clo
ck which indicated he was running late. Finally, after half an hour, she couldn’t take the suspense any longer.

  “Where’s Mark?” Josephine asked.

  “Your boyfriend doesn’t work today.” Alex threw her a smug grin of satisfaction.

  “And why is that?”

  “He only works Wednesday and Friday.”

  Josephine frowned at Alex. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

  “Sure he is.”

  Jake’s eyes twinkled with mirth as he watched Josephine and Alex bicker. Josephine hated to admit it but she missed Mark. She found her thoughts drifting back to their enjoyable evening. And that kiss had knocked her socks off! By the end of the day, Josephine had changed her mind yet again. She deserved to be happy and if her friends didn’t approve of Mark, that was just too bad. Jake certainly harbored no qualms about their relationship. As Josephine stood up from her desk to prepare to leave, she smiled at her grandson with affection.

  “Thank you, Jake.”

  “For what?”

  “For being you.” Josephine cast an appreciative look at him. “Good night, Jake.”

  “Good night, Grandma.”

  When Josephine returned to her condo, both her friends were waiting for her in the living room. A chill of foreboding danced across Josephine’s skin but a strange fogginess made it difficult to think.

  “Are you all right?” Alice asked.

  “My work must be more taxing than I thought,” Josephine said.

  She took a seat on the couch facing her two friends and filled them in on the day’s events. Something in the back of her mind kept nagging at her until she finally figured it out.