Photographs in Time

by Terry Segan

  Chapter 31

  The digital clock on the corner table glowed 10:22. I stood rooted to the floor, unsure what to do next. At exactly 10:19 Stella had returned. Instead of the glowing young woman I expected, there sat a deranged wraith.

  Tears streamed down her cheeks as she laughed hysterically. Stella’s disheveled hair poked out from under the pillbox hat and swirled around her face like tendrils. Gripped tightly in her hand was a bloody kitchen knife. The beige dress, drenched with blood, clung to her body like a stocking. Over and over she repeated the phrase, “you will never be.” She chanted it like a prayer, as if a repentant sinner working her way through a rosary.

  I swallowed hard and cautiously approached, stopping a few feet away. “Stella, honey, what happened?”

  She continued to laugh. I wasn’t sure she heard me. “Stella…Stella…” No response. Trying again, louder, “STELLA!”

  She snapped out of her private world. The laughter stopped. Staring directly into my eyes, I thought she might come after me with the knife. She looked down at her hand and screamed, as if seeing the bloody weapon for the first time and loosened her grip. It fell to the floor. Watching it drop, I felt like it moved in slow motion, making a soft thud on the carpet as it bounced twice and landed at her feet.

  Looking back up at me Stella said, “I had to do it. You see, don’t you? He caused such pain. Being back there, I couldn’t allow it to happen again. I just couldn’t, could I? I did the right thing. Tell me I did the right thing!” she pleaded, her voice growing shrill.

  “Tell me exactly what you did. Are you hurt? Did you hurt Archie? Did he hurt you?”

  “Archie? Why would I hurt Archie? He’s a sweet man. He wants to marry me. Archie said he would do anything for me. Can you imagine? Anything I asked!”

  “Are you bleeding?”

  “Bleeding?” She looked down at her dress. “Oh, no, it’s not mine,” Stella said with a chuckle. “You thought I was bleeding? No, no, I’m fine. This is from Caitlin.”

  “Honey, who’s Caitlin?” It took all my strength to remain calm.

  I heard Jimmy’s footsteps pad on the carpet as he ran through the door but didn’t take my eyes off the woman. He came to a stop behind me, gently putting his hand on my hip. Relief surged through my body, as I felt his warm breath on the back of my neck. Stella didn’t appear to notice him as she gave no acknowledgement of his entrance.

  Fearing she might snap and pick up the knife, my uncertainty of whether I could talk her down from this manic state continued to fester. Inside my head I screamed in fear, yet outside managed to stay in control.

  My mind raced, trying to remember Archie’s history and if there was a woman named Caitlin. I kept coming up blank. Both his mother and sister were in his life at the time Stella went back, but neither had that name.

  Standing there, I quietly waited for her to continue. She remained seated as a smile spread across her face. Tracks of drying tears marred her cheeks. In a casual voice, as if we were two girlfriends having a gab session, Stella said, “His mother, of course.” She acted as if this explained everything.

  “No, Stella, Archie’s mother is Roberta. It isn’t Caitlin.”

  “Archie’s mother? Oh, don’t be silly. I would never cause Archie pain like that. He loves his mother dearly. There was no time for me to meet her, but I’m sure I will love her too.”

  She was now quite at ease with herself. With a grin on her face and a vague look in her eyes, I knew Stella’s thoughts weren’t on the present moment.

  Reeling her back in, “Stella.” No response. “Stella, honey, please look at me.”

  Focus came back into her eyes anew. “Yes? Can I go now? I’ve a million things to do before I return to Archie.”

  “Please, tell me who Caitlin is. Whose mother is she?”

  “Can’t you see?” she asked, holding up her left hand. The skin was smooth and unblemished. “I’ve erased him completely!”

  My fear grew. “Who did you erase?”

  “Why Gerald, of course. Who else would be affected by Caitlin being gone?”

  Terror seeped further into my soul as I realized the scenario playing out here. I felt Jimmy’s hand tighten on my hip.

  “What do you mean by gone, Stella?”

  “What do you think gone means? Dead! Gone! No more!”

  “You killed her, didn’t you?”

  “I had too,” Stella started to get annoyed. “Well, actually, we had to. When I told Archie about Gerald, he had to help me. He wanted to help me. I told you, he would do anything I asked. Now Gerald is no more. Or never will be. However, that works. I won’t be hurt by him. Carney was right. He’s such a brilliant man!” Stella sat there, smiling, off in her own universe again.

  “Who did you say was right?” My instincts had been on target—too late.

  “Carney, your Collector that took pictures of the men. With such an odd name, there can’t be more than one.”

  I felt my face pale from the shock. That mad man still meddled with our matches. It never occurred to me he could send in an imposter with sinister intentions. He helped this woman take revenge on her ex-husband. Stella didn’t seem the type, yet what did I really know about her. This was worse than I ever dreamed. She killed an innocent woman—her ex-husband’s mother.

  As if reading my mind, Jimmy said, “There’s no fixing this.”

  Noticing him for the first time, Stella screamed, “Who’s that?”

  “He’s my Collector. The one who photographed Archie and the other men we match with women like you.” I spoke evenly, hoping to calm her down.

  “I don’t understand. Carney said he was your Collector. Do you have two?”

  “Carney isn’t my Collector. He lied to you. What exactly did he tell you, sweetie?”

  She sat on the bench with a look of horror on her face. For the first time Stella seemed to realize what she’d done. Whether she felt remorse or fear, it didn’t matter. The situation finally sank in.

  With my mind spinning, we now faced a moral dilemma. If Stella went back, she’d be arrested. Would that be wrong? She was a murderer. To do nothing would be the same as if we harbored a fugitive. My sense of morality went askew. Does that mean I’m just as guilty for sending her back? Yet how could I know this would happen? That this could happen? The lines between right and wrong blurred.

  Extending my hand, I beckoned, “Come, Stella, let’s get you cleaned up.”

  She looked at me a moment, then slowly rose. Thankfully leaving the knife where it lay, she extended her hand and took mine.

  Glancing at Jimmy I said, “I’m taking her upstairs to get showered off. We’ll decide what to do afterward.” Gesturing with my head toward the knife, I asked, “Can you…”. I didn’t complete the request.

  Jimmy nodded and said, “I’ll take care of it. You deal with Stella.”

  She allowed me to lead her upstairs and into my bathroom. I helped her take off her hat, shoes and dress, then gave her privacy to remove the rest. Before leaving, I placed a towel on the counter and turned on the shower to get warm.

  I took out a pair of sweatpants, sweatshirt and slip-on canvas shoes from my closet. We were close in size, except my foot looked a bit larger. It would have to do. Laying the clothes out on the bed with some undergarments, I left the room, closing the door behind me.

  Back downstairs, I found Jimmy in the kitchen washing off the knife. When finished, he dropped it in the trash.

  As I sat down on a chair at the dining table, I asked, “What now?”

  “I don’t know. I just don’t know. Carney has escalated to a whole new level of evil.”

  “How could he have known about Archie?”

  Jimmy came over and sat opposite me. “His uniform is pretty explicit for the World War II era. Carney probably saw the pictures when he was in your studio.”

  “I never thought of that. But how would he know the name or location?” I asked.

  “He didn’t need the name
, just the location. The background gave it away. He’s standing in front of the Mission Beach Roller Coaster. It’s an icon in the city. Been there since the 1920’s. Anyone recognizing that would know the location was near San Diego.”

  My wooden chair creaked as I leaned against the backrest. “Now the question is, what do we do about Stella?”

  Chapter 32

  “Maybe we should send her back,” he said, “to answer for her actions. She killed a woman in cold blood.”

  As Jimmy and I sat at the kitchen table, we could hear the shower running upstairs. It would take more than hot water to wash away the blood on Stella’s hands.

  “Where do we go from here?” I asked him.

  “Isn’t it obvious? We have to do what’s right.”

  “Which is?” I wrinkled my brow.

  “Sami, with or without Carney’s interference, Stella murdered someone. Her psyche may have been fragile and easily influenced, but she still took the life of an innocent woman. The act was premeditated. And now one of our Suitor’s is left holding the bag, even though he’s just as guilty for assisting. I’m sure if we looked up Archie’s history on the internet, he’ll have spent the rest of his life in a military jail. Being in the army meant no civilian prison for him.”

  “Stella would end up in a cell too.”

  “Which is where she belongs,” he said quietly.

  I knew he was right but didn’t think I could send Stella back knowing the life she would lead. It would be worse than being dead. Damn Carney!

  “Jimmy, let’s start by getting Stella to spend the night. She should have people around her right now.”

  “And what if she decides to remove any witnesses?” He swiped a hand through his hair.

  “She wouldn’t do that,” I started getting upset.

  Jimmy let out a long breath. “Just like she wouldn’t commit murder?”

  We sat there in silence for a few moments.

  “Thank you for the clothes,” said Stella from the kitchen doorway.

  I hadn’t realized the shower upstairs stopped. Not sure how long she’d been standing there, I didn’t know what she overheard.

  “Stella, honey, come sit with us.” I stood up and gestured to the chair next to me.

  She hesitated. Then her shoes emitted tiny squeaks on the tiled floor as she walked over to take a seat. Delicately perching on the edge of the chair, she stared down at the table.

  Jimmy took the reins of the conversation. Reaching out his hand, he gently said, “Hello, Stella, my name is Jimmy.”

  Slowly looking up and staring at his outstretched hand, she gingerly grasped his fingers and gave a little pressure. Not really a handshake, but it would do. She released Jimmy’s hand and looked back down.

  “Tell us,” Jimmy said, “how did you meet Carney?”

  “So, you do know him?” Her eyes shot up and looked from Jimmy to me.

  “Yes, honey,” I said. “He was a Collector. He performed interviews of Suitors while working with a different Photographer. She had been a friend of Jimmy’s,” I added in the hopes of making her feel comfortable enough to tell us how she landed in this situation.

  “She was a friend? His Photographer? She isn’t any more?”

  I took a deep breath. Maybe that wasn’t the best information to share.

  “She passed away years ago,” Jimmy offered, trying to down play it.

  I gave him a quick smile of thanks. Looking back to Stella, I reiterated the question. “How did you meet Carney?”

  “He came into the flower shop to buy flowers for his girlfriend, April.”

  Jimmy and I exchanged a brief glance then focused back on Stella. “Was he with her?” Jimmy treaded carefully.

  “Oh, no, he said he wanted to surprise her. Such a sweet man. He asked how long I’d been with my boyfriend. Can you imagine? He thought I had a boyfriend.” Her face lit up as she looked off into space.

  When she didn’t continue, I nudged her a bit. “What did you talk about, honey?”

  Turning my way, she answered, “Oh, just chit chat. And then he left.”

  “He didn’t say anything else to you?”

  “That time, no. But then he came back the next day and said he couldn’t get me out of his head. That sweet man thought about me.”

  “What did he say?” I squeeze her shoulder in encouragement.

  “Well, he started telling me about the process. You know, the one you’re all involved in? That happened right after Dede told me about going to you for her photo session. He suggested I try to spend some time with her and maybe she would share her experience. But Carney said not to let on that I knew about it. It had to remain our secret, so I wouldn’t scare Dede off.”

  “Did Dede tell you about Milton?” I asked.

  “Oh, no. She always did the right thing. She once ran down the street after a customer because he’d overpaid.”

  I didn’t think Dede would have let on what I really did in my photo sessions. “So how did he come to tell you about this process?”

  “Well, I have to admit, it didn’t feel completely right, his having a girlfriend and all, but we went out for coffee. I told him about Gerald. Carney was appalled at how he treated me. He said he might be able to help me fix what happened.” She absent-mindedly began rubbing the back of her left hand with her right.

  “Of course, at first I didn’t believe him. His amazing stories about jumping through time finally convinced me.” She started getting excited. I knew how intoxicating the process could be.

  “Do you know how he found out about Archie?” Jimmy asked.

  “Of course. Carney interviewed him as a Suitor. How could you not know that? He wouldn’t tell me the man’s name because the Photographer always filled in those details.” She looked pensive a moment before continuing. “There were actually two men—one in San Diego during World War II and another Suitor from New York City in the 1950’s. After I explained about my ex-husband being from San Diego, he didn’t mention the other gentleman again. Guess he thought Archie fit me best. He was right, wasn’t he?” She looked at me for encouragement.

  Fear raced through me as I thought about Doug Pendry, our final Suitor. I looked at Jimmy. His brow wrinkled with concern as well. The same thought might be going through his mind. How can we trust the next Betrothed that would finish our quota?

  Stella put her hand lightly on my arm. When I looked over at her, she said, “I’m very tired now and would like to go home. There’s so much to do before going back to Archie.”

  “Stella?” Jimmy asked as she broke her focus with me and looked to him. “Do you mind if I ask you a couple more questions? It won’t take long. Sami, I think it would be best if you didn’t hear this,” he added to me.

  Feeling confused, I nodded. “I’ll just leave you two for a moment.”

  “No, we’ll go into the studio. It involves the portraits.”

  Strange, I thought. What could he possibly need to ask her privately? Surely, he would fill me in afterwards. Maybe he thought Stella might feel overwhelmed with two of us present.

  “Would you mind coming with me, Stella?” While asking, he stood up, walked to our side of the table and held out his hand. Gingerly she grasped his fingers and allowed Jimmy to lead her out of the kitchen.

  At the doorway she looked nervously back at me. I nodded encouragement. After a moment’s hesitation, she allowed Jimmy to escort her out.

  Consumed with curiosity, I sat waiting. After a few minutes Jimmy came back into the kitchen. Stella wasn’t with him. “Did you let her leave? I didn’t hear the front door.”

  His face stretched taut and expressionless. “I’m sorry, Sami. She’s gone.”

  Realization washed over me as I bolted out of my chair and raced for the studio. On the table behind the bench sat a spent slide with a blue frame. Moving in close to look at the name on the bottom, I already knew it had to be the second one for Archie. Jimmy must have set it while I helped Stella upstairs. “No!
” I screamed.

  Jimmy came up from behind and wrapped his strong arms around me. “I’m sorry, honey,” he whispered in my ear. “You know it had to be done. I wasn’t sure you would’ve allowed me to follow through. I’m so sorry.”

  I turned in the embrace, wrapped my arms around Jimmy’s waist while nestling my head against his shoulder. After a few moments I pulled my head back. With teary eyes, I told him, “You did the right thing.”

  “We could find out what happened to her and Archie,” he suggested.

  “I don’t want to know,” I placed my head against his shoulder again. “I don’t want to know.” This time my words were muffled, but it didn’t matter.

  Chapter 33

  After another restless night’s sleep, I gave up about 6:00. For once Jimmy weathered the storm of my tossing and turning, as he still slept. Quietly slipping out of the bedroom, I went downstairs to make coffee.

  While it brewed, I found clean shorts and t-shirt in the laundry room and changed. Stella’s dress, hat and shoes were neatly piled on the dryer. The clothes had the innocent scent of a spring day left by the detergent. Jimmy had been busy after I went to bed last night. I don’t know what his intentions were with Stella’s things, but we needed to get rid of them. Probably the trash was best.

  Once the coffee finished, I poured myself a cup. Slipping into a pair of flip flops and throwing on a sweatshirt by the front door, I went outside to savor the early morning quiet. Receiving no peace, my mind churned with thoughts of how to trap Carney in time.

  A car door slammed, breaking me out of my reverie. I saw a black Lincoln Continental parked at the curb. Not something you find every day, especially in the beach areas. Paolo stood beside the car returning my gaze. Wrapped up in my own thoughts, I hadn’t noticed if he just pulled up or if the car had been parked already.

  After retrieving something from the passenger seat, he slowly came up my driveway. He carried a small wooden box. Recognizing it as the same type that sat locked away in my safe, I knew he held Paolo, Jr.’s, set of slides.