by Mary Ellis
‘Yikes! What could possibly go wrong with that genius plan?’ asked Beth wryly.
Kate shrugged. ‘The plan worked fine for three of the accomplices. They got clean away, with the cash, no less.’
‘How much money?’
‘That I don’t know. I also don’t know the names of Liam’s cronies or the identity of the two security guards.’
‘I’m afraid to ask, but what happened to them?’
‘One ended up shot to death during the robbery. The other supposedly ran off, which in itself sounds awfully suspicious.’
‘It does to me too. I’ll ask Michael to dig up everything he can about the case.’
‘Find out the name of the investigating officer and if the case is still open. If someone died during the commission of another felony, there’s no statute of limitations.’
Beth quickly fit the pieces together. ‘That’s why someone is getting nervous about your memory coming back.’
‘But nothing has changed. I still don’t remember anything more than a week after it happened.’
Beth considered this. ‘True, but you weren’t a private investigator until recently, with professional PI pals.’ She huffed on her knuckles and rubbed her shirt. ‘Some thug doesn’t want to go to jail.’
Kate snorted. ‘That’s where part two of my plan comes in. I’m going to find a hypnotist in Pensacola. I heard hypnosis works for people trying to lose weight or quit smoking. So why not for suppressed memories?’
‘Michael gave me just the thing.’ Beth disappeared into the bedroom, then returned with a silver locket on a long chain. Perching on the stool across from Kate, she uttered in a low, somber tone: ‘Listen to the sound of my voice and let your eyes follow the undulating pendant. You are getting very sleepy. Soon you will fall into a deep slumber where I will have total control over you.’
Kate snatched the necklace from Beth’s fingers. ‘Stop that!’ she demanded, trying not to laugh. ‘I’m serious about this.’
‘Relax. I would only make you cluck like a chicken.’
‘And I thought you wanted to help.’ Kate tapped on the Price Investigations shortcut on her laptop.
‘I do. That’s why I’m giving you some sisterly advice. The last thing you need is some fortune-teller in a turban conning you out of your hard-earned money.’
Despite herself, Kate laughed at the mental image. ‘Will she have on red lipstick and bright purple eyeshadow?’
‘You know it, Katie girl. She’ll be living in a VW van with “Woodstock or bust” still on the bumper.’ Beth patted her back. ‘Legitimate psychiatrists who use hypnosis to coax repressed memories are few and far between. And they cost a bundle. What’s the chance of you finding one in Pensacola?’
‘Good point, but I need to try. So run along, Sis, and call your future husband. I’ve got work to do.’
Three hours later, Kate had finished her case update, caught up with email and, best of all, located a hypnotherapist in Gulf Breeze, a thirty-minute drive away. Unfortunately, she had no one to tell the good news. Her partner had marched out the door two hours ago and not returned. Just as Kate picked up her phone, Beth strolled in, whistling an unrecognizable tune.
‘I’ve got both good news and bad – which do you want to hear first?’
Kate sighed. ‘Give me the bad first.’
Beth slouched into a chair. ‘Michael found information on your brother. As you know, he was the only perp arrested and convicted in the robbery homicide, mainly because Liam refused to name his accomplices. And he found the Escambia County detective who had caught the case, but his file is mighty slim.’
‘Why on earth would that be?’ Kate asked.
‘Liam initially pleaded “not guilty,” as advised by counsel – standard in capital cases. But then he changed his plea to “guilty” right before the trial started.’ Beth let a few moments pass. ‘And he admitted to shooting the security guard.’
‘Liam was no killer!’ Kate gasped. ‘He wouldn’t even kill a snake that slithered into our kitchen. He picked it up with a shovel and carried it to the woods.’
‘I’m just giving you the facts in the file, sketchy as they might be.’
‘No wonder he got life with no chance of parole for twenty years.’ Kate dropped her face into her hands.
‘At least they took the death penalty off the table.’
Would an entire life behind bars in a Florida maximum security be better? It was a thought Kate couldn’t voice, not even to her best friend.
‘I wrote down everything Michael said for you to read later. And he promised to keep digging.’
‘Thanks,’ she said, her face still against her arm.
‘Ready for my good news?’ Beth shook her like a ragdoll.
‘I’m desperate for some.’ She uncovered her eyes but didn’t lift her head.
‘I walked to the grocery store and bought a ton of healthy stuff to eat – fresh veggies, salad, hummus, grilled chicken breast, cut-up fruit, even wholegrain tortillas to make wraps.’
‘Where is this cornucopia of goodness? You walked into the suite empty-handed.’
‘Stashed in the fridge down by the pool. I already staked out an umbrella table with towels. I thought we’d go for a swim after you finished researching carnivals traveling through the area.’
‘Very funny. For your information I found a hypnotherapist in Gulf Breeze, the same town where Kim and Robert live. She can see me tomorrow morning at seven before leaving on a business trip.’
‘Is the sideshow moving their tents to Mobile?’ Beth almost choked on her laughter. ‘Or maybe she’s trying to stay one step ahead of the fraud squad.’
‘Would you please stop? She’s a licensed professional with a great website.’
‘Okay, how much will this professional cost?’
‘Seventy-five bucks, unless our session runs over forty-five minutes.’
‘Well then, she ain’t no shrink. They won’t even say “hello” for less than three hundred.’
‘Are you speaking from experience?’ Kate was happy to turn the tables. ‘Besides, I don’t need a shrink because I’m not crazy. I just want to remember one particular day in my life.’
‘Can I tag along in case she makes you bark like a dog?’
Kate produced her best evil eye. ‘I prefer to take my chances.’
Beth threw up her hands. ‘Enough about tomorrow. Let’s put on our swimsuits and hit the pool before the best part of the day slips away.’
‘That’s the best idea you’ve had.’
While changing clothes, Kate realized what she loved about Beth – she thought any time was the day’s best. As annoying as Beth could be, she never pouted or held grudges. Her positive attitude went far beyond being a good person. Beth was a downright optimist. And that went a long way in smoothing out her rough edges.
Down at their table, Kate noticed towels had been draped over three chairs. ‘Expecting someone?’ she asked.
‘Nope. He’s already here.’ Beth inclined her head toward the pool, where a tall man with dark hair and amazing biceps was swimming laps.
‘If we weren’t surrounded by witnesses, I would throttle you,’ Kate hissed under her breath.
‘Why would you do that?’ Beth feigned innocence. ‘I bought way too much food at the store. But then I remembered your old pal from Charleston was staying here. So I thought: Why not knock on his door? Turned out Eric was dying for a swim.’ Beth pulled off her cover-up, ran to the pool, and jumped in the water, thus ending their conversation.
Sinking into a chair, Kate watched Beth splash around like a duck. Then her attention locked on the sleek seal swimming just beneath the surface from one end of the pool to the other. In the sunlight, droplets of water glistened on his shoulders, and for several minutes Kate was mesmerized.
My old pal from Charleston? Eric Manfredi had advanced well past friendship during their brief acquaintance. For a few blissful days, she’d made up her mind to marry the
guy. And got the feeling he felt the same. Now their relationship was past history. Only Beth never got the message.
Suddenly, Eric lifted his head from the water and caught her staring at him. ‘Hey, Kate. How’s it goin’?’ He boosted himself from the pool and wrapped a towel around his waist, letting his hair drip.
‘All good,’ she called, making up her mind to be nice to him. Not encouraging, but nice. For all she knew, Eric truly was here to research locations for a second restaurant. She would take him at his word, at least for now. ‘Find any commercial properties you liked?’ Kate asked when he took the chair opposite hers.
‘I looked at several establishments up for sale, but it was easy to see why they went belly-up. They were too far from the beach to attract tourists, and the neighborhoods couldn’t support high-end cuisine. Restaurants can’t support themselves with only Friday and Saturday reservations. You need people willing to pay twenty-plus per entrée on Tuesdays and Wednesdays too.’
‘I sure wouldn’t pay that much on a Monday night.’
Eric released a deep baritone laugh – the one she’d come to love. ‘Not even with me cooking?’
Kate pretended to ponder the question. ‘Only if I had something to celebrate, like winning the lottery or the Publishers Clearing House.’
For several moments, their gazes locked, until Beth barged into the conversation. ‘Did I hear we have something to celebrate?’ she asked. ‘You found a spot for Bella Trattoria II?’
‘Nothing even close to appropriate, at any price. I’ll keep looking, but I’ll also Google job openings at local restaurants. If someone needs a sous chef, I can find out plenty from the head chef about the area.’
‘You’re looking for a job?’ Beth asked.
‘Yes, I’ll make it clear that it’ll be temporary – a month or two. Restaurants have high turnover. I might just get lucky.’ Although Beth had asked the question, Eric aimed his answer directly at Kate.
With her cheeks aflame for no apparent reason, Kate rose from the table. ‘Time for me to get wet.’
‘Good idea,’ said Beth. ‘I’ll set out the grub while you swim.’
Without looking back, Kate walked to the deep end of the pool and dove in. The cool water felt wonderful on her overheated skin. Hopefully, it would also wash away the stupid fantasies that refused to stay buried in the past.
The next morning Kate was out the door by six o’clock with her to-go cup filled to the brim. She wouldn’t take any chances on heavy traffic causing her to miss the appointment, now that the proverbial ball was rolling. Her GPS guided her to a rambling Victorian house a block from the water, on the opposite of Gulf Breeze from the Westins. According to a cutesy sign, she had reached the Sweet Dreams Bed and Breakfast. A small shingle hanging beneath the sign indicated Leslie Faraday, Licensed Hypnotherapist, resided within.
‘Miss Faraday?’ Kate asked when a fortyish woman in a cream-colored suit answered her knock.
‘And you must be Kathryn Weller. Nice to meet you. Please come to my office so we can get started. I’m glad you’re a tad early.’
‘Please call me Kate. Do you also run a B&B?’ She followed the woman down a hallway with pink flowery wallpaper.
‘Mainly my husband runs it. This white elephant—’ she flourished her hand at the ten-foot ceilings – ‘was his retirement dream, but I’m glad he talked me into it. It’s fun meeting people from all over the world.’ They entered a spacious room with an antique desk, expensive leather furniture, and framed seascapes on the walls.
‘You have a great office,’ Kate said. ‘My friend thought you would live in a tent and wear a silk turban.’
Faraday hesitated but then smiled. ‘I do have big hoop earrings if they would make you more comfortable.’
‘No, I’m fine with everything as it is.’
‘Good. Then let’s get started. Slip off your shoes, sit on the couch, relax, but don’t lie down. I’m sure your friend will ask about my qualifications. I’m a psychiatric registered nurse by degree and formerly worked in a clinical setting for twenty stressful years. When I left there, I trained as a hypnotherapist at the Florida Institute. Keep in mind hypnosis can be highly enlightening or a major disappointment for the patient. In other words, I offer no guarantees you’ll find what you’re looking for. But I won’t make up any probable scenario based on any intuitive assumptions. Do you still wish to proceed?’
‘I would be skeptical if you operated any other way. I’m in.’
‘Very well.’ Faraday wheeled her chair within four feet of the couch. ‘Before you arrived, I reviewed the information you provided on the phone. You wish to unblock memories from a particular day when you were ten years old and your brother was eighteen. Since you have no other “black holes” in your childhood, you are assuming you witnessed something traumatic.’
‘That’s correct.’
As Kate watched, Faraday closed the heavy drapes, dimmed the lights, and turned down the AC. ‘We want no chilly drafts or street noise to distract you. If you are comfortable, I’d like you to close your eyes and imagine yourself standing alone on a beach.’ Faraday paused about five seconds between commands. ‘Feel the warm sun on your face and hear the gentle waves as they roll toward shore. You are completely safe, now and at all times. If errant thoughts come to mind, such as what you want for lunch or you’ll do tomorrow, simply send them on their way.’
Faraday’s voice was soft as a mother’s kiss and Kate followed the instructions as best she could.
‘Instead of attempting to reach one specific day immediately, let’s go back in stages, so your subconscious mind feels perfectly safe and comfortable as you voice what your inner eye is seeing.’
Inner eye? She imagined Beth’s opinion of such a thing, but gently sent the thought on its way.
‘Kate, you are standing in front of a beautiful golden staircase. You feel completely relaxed as you walk slowly down the stairs. With each deep breath that you inhale, you go deeper into your past. Let’s pause for a moment on the step you’re on, Kate, because today is your high school prom,’ said Faraday. ‘You are surrounded by friends and classmates. Tell me what you see and hear and feel.’
‘Loud music. People talking and laughing. I feel the wood floor vibrating from dancing. I smell popcorn and burnt sugar. Caramel corn.’
‘Do you eat some caramel corn?’
‘No, I don’t like it.’
‘What do you see, Kate?’
‘Dresses – pink, blue, green. Like a rainbow.’
‘Sounds beautiful. What color is your dress?’
‘Don’t know. I only see my friends.’
‘You’re right there, Kate, at the prom with your friends. Just look down at your clothes.’
‘Soft yellow, like a buttercup. And my sandals are white with a high platform.’
‘You’re doing well, Kate. Now try to remember how you felt that day. Did anything make you sad at the prom?’
After a long pause, Kate’s expression turned sorrowful. ‘I was dancing slow with one of my friends. It was the last dance. When the music stopped, he tried to kiss me. Not on the cheek either. I said: “Don’t be ridiculous, Carl. Try that again and I’ll flatten you right here on the dance floor”.’ Her voice became agitated, while her fingers curled into a fist. ‘I could have done it, too. Carl was real skinny.’
‘How did Carl react?’
‘He didn’t laugh. He stomped off to find his friends. He didn’t drive me home like he promised.’ Kate sounded on the verge of tears.
‘How did you get home?’
‘My girlfriend and her date. Carl and me were friends since grade school. He wouldn’t talk to me after that night. I felt so bad.’
‘As painful as that was to lose Carl’s friendship, you survived and have thrived ever since. Sometimes when we endure a painful experience, we pave the way for a better situation for everyone.’
After a brief pause, Faraday continued. ‘Now, let’s breathe deeply an
d move down a few steps on that golden staircase to the summer when you were ten years old. Remember, Kate. You’re perfectly safe. Nothing in the past can hurt you.’
After a pause, Kate nodded.
‘You loved your brother. Liam and you tried to stay close despite being in different foster homes. Tell me what was going on that summer with you two.’
Kate remained silent for a while. ‘Liam got into trouble with his foster mother. Again. She was having him put back into the system. So I begged my foster parents to take him for six months until he turned eighteen. They said yes.’
‘Then Liam would be on his own and on the streets?’
‘Yes.’
‘Did you like having Liam back with you?’
She nodded vigorously. ‘I was so happy. We went swimming at the beach and fishing in the bay. Like the old days, but better because Liam had his driver’s license and a car.’
‘Did he get along with your foster parents?’
‘Yes. He tried real hard to do what they said, but his pals wouldn’t quit. They kept calling to do stuff.’
‘What did you do, Kate?’
‘I listened when Liam was on the phone. I heard them planning somethin’ on Friday night. Dad was out of town and Mom had to work the late shift. Liam was told to watch me, but he was going out instead.’
‘Did you tell anyone?’
She shrugged. ‘No.’
‘What happened on Friday?’
‘He told me to stay in my room and be a good girl. So, when he was in the shower, I snuck into the back of his pickup under a smelly old tarp.’
‘Didn’t he check on you before he left?’
‘I dunno. I put the TV on real loud in my room.’
‘Where do you think Liam was going?’
‘To town. We crossed the bumpy railroad tracks.’
‘Go on, Kate. Remember, nothing can hurt you.’
‘I’m not scared, but I couldn’t stay under the tarp one more minute. I came up for air. Liam saw me in his mirror and blew his stack. He pulled to the side of the road so fast I almost flew out. He yelled at me and made me climb out. I started crying, but he wouldn’t let me get back in the truck.’