by John O'Riley
Alex got out his cell phone and called for an ambulance.
“How could they not know?” Alex asked when he’d hung up the phone.
“Because there is something very odd about her condition,” Josephine said. “Only someone with very acute psychometry would be able to tell she was alive.”
“Jesus!” Alex said with horror. “Is she going to make it to the hospital?”
“I don’t know,” Josephine said pensively.
“Can you help her?” Jake asked.
Josephine carefully scrutinized the odd energy patterns dominating the woman’s body. She had never seen anything like it. She slowly shook her head when she realized she was way out of her league.
“I wouldn’t know where to even begin trying to dispel it,” Josephine said.
“All right,” Alex said.
“Let me work on Gary.”
She easily isolated the angry red energy strands weaving through his etheric body. She carefully pulled them away from him and they disintegrated into the air. Gary’s eyes cleared and he looked up at her startled.
“Thank you,” he finally said.
“Are you all right?” Alex asked.
“Yes, I’m fine now,” Gary said cautiously.
His eyes took on a guarded look as he slowly rose to his feet. The ambulance siren could be heard and soon the woman in the coma was taken out of the room.
“What’s her name?” Josephine asked.
“Vickie Richardson,” Jake said.
“Something is very strange about that spell,” Josephine said. “The poor girl. I don’t know if she has any chance of living through this.”
“There are plenty of qualified medical wizards at the hospital. If anyone can save her, they can,” Jake said.
“Is there any way that you and Gary can dispel the excrucio lector enchantment?” Alex asked.
“No, it’s not possible,” Josephine said.
Alex regarded Gary expectantly and it was obvious he wanted a different answer. Gary shifted uncomfortably and avoided meeting the detective’s eyes.
“It can’t be done,” he said quietly.
“Why?” Alex pressed.
“The energy from the excrucio lector contaminates the trace energies. There’s no way to get rid of it. The evidence is completely contaminated,” Josephine said. “It’s rare to be able to successfully cast an excrucio lector spell and I doubt the killer will be able to do it again.”
“This is unacceptable,” Alex said.
“Those are the facts,” Josephine said. “I can’t change reality for you.”
“Whatever.”
“Can I go now?” Josephine said brusquely.
“Fine,” he said dismissively.
Gary followed her outside and once they had crossed the street, she turned to him.
“Are you feeling okay?” she asked.
“No, but I’ll be better soon,” he said.
“Your shield that protects you from trace energies is gone.”
“Yes,” Gary said.
“What are you going to do?” Josephine asked.
“I can fix it.”
“How?” Josephine pressed.
“I need to go.”
Gary started to walk away but she grabbed his arm. He reluctantly turned to face her.
“Where are you going?” she said.
He glanced nervously at the house and realized Howie was watching.
“I can’t talk now,” he said.
“Where are you going?” she said. “I’ll meet you there.”
Gary furtively checked to see if Howie was still watching. He let out a weary sigh and returned his gaze to Josephine.
“I’m going to the beach.”
“I’ll meet you there,” Josephine said.
“Why? I need to be alone,” Gary said.
“There will be people there.”
“I don’t want to talk to anyone now. Can’t you leave me alone?” Gary said with frustration.
“No, I can’t.”
Gary stalked off and Josephine hopped in her car.
Chapter 9
Josephine followed Gary to Siesta Key but he parked a good twelve blocks from the beach. He pulled into a parking lot for a condo complex. Josephine frowned as she stepped out of her car and went over to his. He rolled down the driver’s side window and regarded her warily.
“I’m going to tap into the vortex now,” he said.
“You shouldn’t do that. It’s dangerous. I realized that when I saw a vision of the Disaster. We’re doing the same thing Brenda did. We’ll lose control,” Josephine said.
“I saw visions of the Disaster many times. The problem with Brenda is that she was crazy,” Gary said. “And it wasn’t tapping into the vortex that made her lose her mind.”
“But it’s addictive and we’re liable to do something dangerous by accident,” Josephine said.
“She was crazy and she was trying to change the world but we’re not making that mistake,” Gary said. “The only way for me to feel better and to put my trace energy shield back up is to connect with the vortex.”
“Are you sure it’s safe?” Josephine asked.
“I’ve been doing it for over five years. It’s perfectly safe. I’m always in control,” Gary replied.
Josephine took a deep breath and mulled this over. “Let me watch you.”
“All right,” Gary agreed. “The passenger door is unlocked.”
Josephine circled the car and sat down next to him. She opened her second sight and realized he’d already connected with the vortex in the time it had taken her to get into the car. Power coursed through his body and radiated from him with breath-taking beauty. Josephine closed her eyes and reached out with her mind toward the vortex. It took her a moment to connect but it wasn’t difficult like she’d anticipated. Power flooded through her and she reveled in the feeling. Her mind expanded swiftly and she could sense the minds of those nearby. She became aware of more and more of the minds that surrounded her from farther and farther away. Guilt stirred within her as she remembered the addiction category six wizards had to tapping into the vortex. Obviously, she and Gary both suffered from this affliction. Their vulnerability to this condition is why the laws existed in the first place.
“We can’t keep doing this,” Josephine murmured.
She felt oddly detached from her body as she floated in pleasure. She couldn’t believe how wonderful it was to be connected to the power vortex.
“I don’t see any reason we shouldn’t,” Gary said.
“It’s against the law. You have to realize we’re succumbing to addiction.”
“I could stop any time I want.” Gary’s lips twitched in a ghost of a smile, indicating that this double entendre was intentional.
Josephine laughed in spite of herself. “Aren’t you worried that we’ll cause another situation like the Disaster?”
“It’s not going to happen,” Gary said. “Brenda was a psycho.”
“You’ve been in the same classes I have. We’ve been warned of the addiction and how it changes you.”
“It’s just a scare tactic. I’ve been tapping into the vortex at Siesta Key for over five years on a regular basis. I’m still the same person I was. I’m not addicted. I don’t have to go every day. When I lived in Saint Petersburg, I was only going once a week or so. Addictions aren’t like that.”
“Maybe this isn’t the typical addiction. It’s magic.”
“It’s not an addiction. What would we have to do to make you feel better about it? Stop cold turkey for a month?” Gary said sardonically.
“That would be enough proof for me,” Josephine said.
Gary closed his eyes and lapsed into silence. Josephine waited for him to respond but he allowed the quiet to drag on.
“Well? Aren’t you going to say something about it?” Josephine finally said.
“I’m not willing to give this up for a month.”
“Why?”
; “I don’t believe it’s an addiction. I’ve been able to easily handle living without a connection to a vortex for weeks at a time. I don’t feel I have to prove myself.”
“I see,” Josephine said slowly. “So you think that the classes we’re required to take that warns us of the dangers of tapping into the vortex and using our magic too much is just a pack of lies?”
“I have over five years of experience with a power vortex that says otherwise,” Gary told her. “Last time I checked, I didn’t create a Disaster like Brenda. Furthermore, I’m not crazy.”
Josephine had to admit that Gary didn’t seem insane although he was certainly flighty.
“I thought your brother made the trace energy protection spells for you. Why do you have to connect with the vortex to get yours up again?” Josephine asked.
“Dan is mad at me for moving here. He doesn’t want to have to commute to work from Sarasota so he hasn’t moved here yet. I don’t know if he will. He hasn’t made any more of those protection spells lately,” Gary said.
Josephine mulled this over then realized her connection with the vortex was slipping. She concentrated on maintaining the link and wondered how long she could hold it. When she finally lost her connection, she couldn’t believe how wonderful she felt. Her body buzzed with exhilaration and joy. She smiled at Gary and wondered if she was wrong in her assumption that they were addicted to the vortex. It seemed kind of absurd at this point.
“How is your trace energy shield doing?” she asked.
“It’s great,” Gary said. “I may not need my brother’s spells as long as I come down to the beach often enough.”
“I’ll see you later,” Josephine said.
“Bye.”
Josephine drove to the beach parking lot, slipped off her shoes, and strolled across the white, powdery sand. She smiled pleasantly as she neared the gently lapping waves of the ocean. She stepped into the water and basked in the euphoric feeling of the aftermath of her connection with the vortex. She could sense its power gently thrumming over her body but didn’t feel the pull like usual since she’d just tapped into it moments ago. She became aware of a young woman sitting cross legged on the beach nearby. She had long blond hair and wore a white and blue striped swimsuit. She was obviously connected to the vortex as Josephine could feel its power radiating from her. Glowing blue and red butterflies had materialized around the young woman and she lifted off the ground several inches.
Josephine wished she could openly tap into the vortex without fear of being caught. Her life would have been so much simpler if she’d been a category five wizard rather than a category six. She could have tapped into the vortex as much as she pleased. So many spells were out of her league because of the aequitas enchantment that she was forced to wear. Of course, now that it was neutralized she had new possibilities opening up for her. She would always have to be careful not to lose control though. The glowing butterflies fluttered their delicate wings and weaved between each other as they circled the young woman. Josephine stared at the breathtaking colors for a moment then returned her attention to the ocean. When she returned to her condo, she could hear a dog barking from the room on her left.
Josephine frowned with mild annoyance when she realized her ex had brought a dog with him to the senior complex. She picked up the phone and dialed her friend, Helen.
“Hello?” Helen said.
“Hi, it’s me.”
“What’s wrong?” Helen said.
“Spot brought a stupid dog with him. It’s barking its head off right now,” Josephine said grievously.
“Why don’t you just talk to him?”
“I shouldn’t have to put up with this stuff. I’ve worked hard my entire life. I’m old and tired now and trying to enjoy my retirement,” Josephine said.
“Sometimes we have problems we have to deal with,” Helen said.
“When you reach my age, you don’t feel like handling life’s daily problems any more.” Josephine ran a hand through her silky, black hair and sighed in dismay.
“The only thing you can do is talk to Robert and see if he’ll take care of his dog. After that, you can send a complaint to the office.”
“That’s what I should do. Complain to the office,” Josephine said. “I better go.
When Josephine concluded her conversation with Helen, she contacted the office.
“Live Oak Meadows Community Center. This is Paula, how may I help you?” said the elderly receptionist.
“This is Josephine O’Connor and I have a complaint to lodge against my next door neighbor who has just moved in,” she said grimly.
“I haven’t heard from you in quite awhile,” Paula said. “You’re having problems with your new neighbor?”
“He has a dog that’s barking its head off.”
“Let me check his records,” Paula said slowly.
Josephine began pacing back and forth in the living room. She stepped in front of the window and peered outside. The sun caressed the smooth, unwrinkled skin of her face as her brown eyes sparked with impatience.
“I’m too old for this kind of stress,” Josephine said with exasperation. “I’ve lived a long, hard life and now I just want to be left alone. I want things to go easy and to be able to relax. Instead, I have a stupid neighbor with his damned dog giving me a headache. I don’t know what’s going to be next. Is it going to be acceptable for him to have parties late at night and to blare loud music?”
“Robert does have a dog registered,” Paula said regretfully. “However, we do have noise restrictions so I’ll send him a letter informing him that a complaint was made and that he needs to take care of the situation.”
Josephine’s jaw tightened and she jerked away from the window. She sighed loudly with exasperation because this wasn’t the reaction she’d been expecting.
“You’re just going to send him a letter?” Josephine said evenly.
“Yes and that usually takes care of the problem,” Paula said.
“Does it really?” Josephine said quietly as anger made her fingers tighten over the receiver of her phone and her knuckles to bulge.
A scorching wind burst into the room from nowhere but Josephine was too distracted to care about controlling her abilities.
“Don’t worry. He’ll receive the letter tomorrow,” Paula said reassuringly.
“Okay then. Have a nice evening,” Josephine said evenly.
“Goodbye.”
“Bye.”
Josephine carefully hung up the phone as the dog continued to bark repeatedly. She walked over to the wall in the dining room and pounded on it loudly to get Robert’s attention.
“Make that damned dog shut up!” Josephine shouted.
The dog barked even faster if such a thing was possible. Josephine left her condo and made her way over to his. She crossed her arms across her chest and stared at his closed door pensively. She wished there was some way she could reach Robert. As if she’d summoned him, he turned the corner of the hallway and walked towards her. He abruptly halted when he noticed her.
“Hello, Spot.” Josephine smiled tightly at him. “Your stupid dog has been barking his head off all day.”
“I’ve only been gone a couple of hours,” Robert said defensively.
“Is that so? Well, it seems like an eternity.”
“What did I do to deserve you for a neighbor?” Robert sneered.
“Maybe it’s because you thought with the brain in your pants and slept around like a dog. Maybe it’s because you left your faithful wife for a younger woman who happened to be a slut like you!” Josephine retorted.
Robert’s face flushed with anger. Josephine turned on her heel and swiftly returned to her condo. Robert wisely chose to keep his thoughts to himself or at least voiced them very quietly so she couldn’t hear. Josephine went to the gym and rode on an exercise bike until she’d worked out her frustration. The next day, she awoke very early in the morning feeling perkier than usual. She took a quick shower and pr
epared the coffee maker. She was sipping her first mug of coffee in the dining room when Alice and Helen arrived.
“There’s been a development in the serial killer case I’m working on,” Josephine announced. “There was another murder – or so the police thought. Alex was completely wrong about the victim being dead!”
Josephine explained what had happened which elicited gratifying gasps of shock from both Helen and Alice.
“I can’t believe it! So the killer messed up this time!” Alice said with excitement. “Maybe he left a witness! Do you think she’ll be able to identify him?”
“I hope so but we won’t know until she wakes up. She’s in a coma,” Josephine explained.
“That’s a shame. She may be a vegetable,” Helen’s eyes shone with sympathy.
“I have a feeling she’ll wake up eventually,” Josephine said.
The phone rang and she went to answer it.
“It’s Detective Riley, I need you to meet me at the Sarasota Memorial Hospital.”
“All right, detective. I’ll be right over,” Josephine said.
When she arrived at the hospital, the receptionist in the lobby was expecting her and called a nurse to escort Josephine. A middle-aged woman named Patricia appeared after only a couple of moments. Josephine followed her down a long hallway that led to the ICU wing. Finally, they arrived at a room which had two police officers posted just outside.
“What’s going on?” Josephine asked.
“Alex wants you to go inside,” one of them said.
Josephine stepped into the room and found the woman she saved lying on a hospital bed with an IV tube attached to her arm. Gary leaned against the wall nearby and had a weary expression on his face. Alex had his back to the door. Vickie was wearing a white hospital gown and her pallid skin made her seem close to death.
“What’s going on?” Josephine asked.
“I need you to try to see if you can read the trace energies around Vickie. See if you can find out anything useful,” Alex said.
Josephine was surprised by the request. It was a long shot but perhaps she could discover a clue as to the serial killer’s identity. Since Vickie was alive, she would be generating trace energies which may contain information about the recent attack. If she’d seen the killer’s face then the case may come to a fast conclusion.