Photographs in Time

by Terry Segan

  When the lights came back on, we were blinded for a moment. I was afraid Jimmy might try to make a move, but Carney must have anticipated that and stood several feet away. No chance of diving at him.

  “Now, that’s better. We can all see clearly,” smiled Carney. “Shall we retire to the sitting room?”

  I knew that was an order, not a request. So did Jimmy. He held on firmly as we made our way into the side room and sat on the couch. Right back where we’d started the evening.

  Paolo reappeared in the room, refusing to look at either Jimmy or me. Instead he focused on Carney.

  “Stop trying to look remorseful, old man. You’re as guilty as I am in all this. We all make our choices. Some of us are just better at living with them.”

  This struck fire in Paolo’s eyes. “My name is Paolo. I would appreciate your addressing me as such,” he said with his head held high and his gaze firm.

  “As you wish, Paolo.”

  “Thank you. Now tell me what you promised. I’ve upheld my end of the bargain,” Paolo said.

  “When this is done,” Carney replied.

  “No, now!”

  He was a different man. Not one we’d met before. His agitation grew by the minute and I began to fear him as much as I feared Carney. Glancing over at Jimmy, I could tell by the steely scowl on his face he was just as confused as I about Paolo’s sudden change in loyalties.

  Carney released a snicker. “Very well, Paolo, I’ll give you the information you crave. While I was there, I did not kill your son.”

  Realization washed over me. He wanted details about his son’s death. All this was to find out what happened to Paolo, Jr. Maybe even find a way to prevent his death. This man was no different than the rest of us in wanting to hold dear the ones we loved. Except this time, it would cost Jimmy and me our lives, or at least our life together, I feared.

  My anger grew. “You sold us out for information?”

  Paolo looked at me for the first time since entering the room. “What if it was Jimmy that was murdered? You would do the same!”

  “Not at the expense of innocent lives,” I replied indignantly.

  “Are we really innocent? For good or bad, we all interfere with timelines of others’ lives. Who are we to say who gets love and who does not?”

  Paolo spewed out hate. Or was it guilt for dragging his son into a role he really had no control over. If Junior had been given a choice like I had, would he have said no? Maybe that was part of what was driving Paolo. The guilt of putting his son at mortal risk.

  I tried to reason with him. “You know this is wrong. Why would you turn against us? You can’t change what happened to Junior.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong,” he whispered. Once again Paolo glared at Carney and refused to relinquish his gaze from the man with all the answers.

  “As I said,” continued Carney, “I did not kill your son.”

  Chapter 38

  “You were there,” Paolo stated.

  “Yes, old man, I was there,” Carney said. This time Paolo let the old man reference slide. “Guess there’s no harm in their knowing,” he said gesturing at us. “They’ll have a lot of time apart to think about it.” Again, that evil grin spread across his face.

  I gripped Jimmy’s leg, as my hand rested just above his knee. He gave me a reassuring hug, but I knew he couldn’t be sure if this would really turn out okay.

  Carney saw the gesture and snickered.

  “As I said, I witnessed the murder. Breaking into your house, knowing Junior would do something stupid, I found his spent slide set for 1966. From the date and location, I knew he believed he could save Jimmy’s dear old dad and return with the Chang Family Slide as a reward. So, I went home and set your Family Slide to arrive just before the event and waited outside the shop.”

  Jimmy’s grip on my arm tightened. I could tell it enraged him knowing what would happen next. Since he only remembered one timeline, the young man’s attempt to save Jimmy’s father never worked.

  “Just before Junior arrived, I slipped into the shop with some tourists.” Carney continued, “I hid off to the side, with a view of the back register as well as out onto the street through the front window. The other patrons left, and the shop was empty. Two young Chinese men got out of a black sedan and came inside.”

  I tried to decide whether Carney made all this up, or if it was genuine. It didn’t seem like a lie, but he’d gotten so good at deceit, I couldn’t tell for sure.

  He continued, “The men went up to Chang and were trying to shake him down for protection money. They said they were from some gang, but I don’t remember who. It’s not important.”

  “Yes, it is!” Jimmy chimed in.

  Carney aimed his gun at me anew. “Another outburst and your beloved will have a hole in her!” His anger mirrored Jimmy’s.

  Jimmy took a deep breath, but I knew it didn’t clam him. Nothing would at this point.

  “What happened next?” asked Paolo anxiously. “Tell me about Junior.”

  Everyone in the room grew more agitated by the moment. I could feel the tension as it thickened and wrapped around me like a blanket. This wasn’t going to end well for any of us.

  “I’m getting to that,” Carney said testily. “One of the Chinese went around the counter and grabbed Chang from behind by the elbows. He forced him in front of the other man. I give your father credit,” he said looking at Jimmy. “Your dad had balls. He spit in the head man’s face—just hocked out a juicy one. I saw it slide down the guy’s cheek,” Carney laughed. “Unfortunately, that pissed him off. So, the guy stabbed him.”

  Jimmy’s breathing got faster. I squeezed his leg, trying to lend support. There was no comfort this time. Hearing first-hand about his father’s murder must have been torture.

  “But where was Junior?” Paolo persisted.

  “Calm down, I’m getting to that. Just as Chang got skewered, Junior entered the shop. In that moment I’m sure he realized he’d arrived too late to save the man. Too late to save himself as well. He turned and bolted out the door. Both thugs saw him. The lead guy pulled the knife out of Chang’s gut as the other one released him. He fell to the floor.

  “The men took off after Junior while I followed at a safe distance. I’m sure you can figure out the rest.”

  “Tell me,” Paolo demanded quietly. From the pallor of his face, you could see the fight drained out of him.

  “Very well, it’s your dime. They caught up with Junior in an alleyway a few blocks away. No questions asked, they stabbed him and took off. Seeing it was a bad idea for the cops to find a corpse not from the current decade, I removed everything from his pockets. It looked like a robbery.”

  “How noble of you,” Jimmy said sarcastically. “Weren’t you just the model time traveler, so concerned for others.”

  “Give it a rest, Jimmy. I handled the situation to preserve our way of life.”

  “You mean to cover your ass,” Jimmy’s tone escalated.

  I rubbed his arm, trying to get him to focus on our current situation. While he didn’t look at me, I knew my point was taken as he covered my hand with his. The warmth of it gave me courage for whatever came next.

  “So, you see,” Carney continued, “I can’t take credit for the murder of your son,” he said looking at Paolo, “or your father.” With that last part he glanced toward Jimmy.

  “You could have stopped them,” Jimmy glared.

  “And why would I put myself at risk? That was ancient history. Not my concern,” he swept it away as if it were a mere discrepancy.

  We all sat in silence for a few moments, each with our own thoughts. So much was happening here. I wasn’t sure which one of us, if any, would survive the next hour.

  “Now, Paolo, how many minutes do we have left before the blessed event?” Carney’s anticipation of the ensuing proceedings made me ill. The man had no remorse for past crimes or those he was about to commit.

  “By my clock, we have eight
minutes remaining.”

  “Gee, kids,” he said to Jimmy and me, “it looks as if our time together is almost up. Well,” he hesitated, “at least Jimmy’s and my time together. You, my sweet Sami, will be around a bit longer. Actually, a lot longer, if I have anything to do with it.”

  He sat there gleaming. It scared the hell out of me. I knew what he had in store for Jimmy, but not a clue about myself. The unknown frightened me more than knowing for sure my fate.

  “Shall we adjourn to the studio, my friends?” Carney wavered the gun in our direction.

  We hesitantly rose and preceded him out of the room.

  Paolo remained still, but Carney wouldn’t allow it. “Come, my friend. You’re part of this too.”

  “I would rather wait here,” Paolo said.

  “Sorry, that’s not the deal. Let’s go.”

  Reluctantly he got up and walked beside Carney. Once inside the studio, Paolo produced a length of rope from his pocket. Taking my arm, he tried to pull me gently away from Jimmy.

  “Leave her be,” Jimmy said pulling me back toward him.

  “Uh, uh,” said Carney waggling the gun. “This is a solo journey for you, my friend. Now stand back!”

  Jimmy released me and threw up his hands. Paolo grasped my arm once again and led me to a chair.

  “How could you go along with him?” I asked. “Despite not killing your son, he stood by and did nothing. You knew, somehow, he took part. How could you do this?”

  “I am sorry, but I had to know. I needed to know. Please understand.”

  “Sorry, Paolo, not this time. Your actions are wrong, and you know it,” I replied firmly.

  He looked down at the floor as he pushed me gently onto the chair. Walking behind, he grasped my arms and pulled my hands behind the seat back. Using the rope, he bound my wrists loosely. It seemed strange he didn’t cinch them tight.

  Just before he stood up, I felt him place something small and metallic in my hands. Walking around to the front of the chair, he looked me in the eye. With his back to Carney, he whispered gravely, “This must be,” and gave a wink.

  I gingerly felt what he’d placed in my grasp—a small knife. More like a miniature dagger to be exact, with a sharp, two-sided blade. I immediately set to work rubbing it against the ropes.

  “Hurry up, old man. Let’s get this over with.” Looking at Jimmy, he said, “Say hello to old Napoleon for me, will you?” To emphasize his point, Carney shoved Jimmy to a spot between the two tables in the studio.

  Jimmy glared at Paolo, who shrugged. So, it was Carney’s idea to set the slides for Elba.

  Pointing toward the side closest to Paolo, Carney demanded, “Get the slide and prepare to press the activation button. Do it exactly right, or you’ll meet the same fate as Junior.”

  Paolo whipped his head around and glared at Carney, then walked to the table and retrieved the Family Slide from inside the urn. Carney did the same using one hand, so he could keep the gun on Jimmy.

  Looking up from the frame, Carney said, “This one’s ready. How about yours?”

  “This one as well,” Paolo answered.

  “Good. Jimmy, I hate long good-byes, so we won’t have one. Sorry, no farewell kiss from your Sami either. I’m just not that sentimental,” Carney spewed.

  “No, please,” I begged.

  Giving me a moment’s glance, Carney just shook his head, then turned away. “On the count of three, activate the timer.”

  Chapter 39

  “Carney, please don’t do this,” I continued to plead. “You can’t get April back. And Paolo, you can’t get Junior back without there being consequences. Please stop this madness!”

  “Ohhh, the poor wretched Betrothed, begging for her Suitor. Isn’t this a tragedy in the making? Don’t think I didn’t see that heartwarming proposal scene on your porch. It almost brought a tear to my eye.” Carney sounded sympathetic, but we all knew better. “Now be quiet or I might not allow you to stay in this timeline either!”

  “Please, Carney, just…”

  “Enough! Stop wasting your breath. Paolo, on my count—one…two…three!”

  With that both Carney and Paolo pressed the buttons at the same time and sat their slides on the respective tables. The timers counted down from 30. Jimmy stood in the middle with his hands at his sides, knowing his time was up. He had lost. We had lost.

  As Paolo walked over beside Carney, he placed his hands on the table, looking down with remorse.

  “Turn around, old man, and witness your handiwork. You’re part of this too,” chastised Carney.

  Paolo slowly raised his hands off the table, then grabbed the urn and slammed it into the back of Carney’s head. The man fell, smacking his hands against the ground and releasing the gun. He laid there stunned as the weapon skittered across the floor.

  Jimmy sprang into action and grabbed Carney by the feet, dragging him to the space between the two slides.

  I continued working the blade against the last fibers of the rope that bound my hands.

  Carney started shaking his head and pushing himself up on his hands and knees. Paolo moved out of the way so as not to get caught by the flash.

  “Jimmy,” I cried, “get out of there. The 30 seconds is almost up!” Desperate for him to move clear of the flash zone, I felt time slipping away. As the ropes fell from my wrists, I dropped the knife and bolted to my feet.

  Pushing himself onto his haunches, Carney began to stand up and stagger away from the space between the slides. Jimmy moved in from behind and grabbed him around the waist. Lifting Carney completely off the floor and backing up, I saw the muscles in his arms bulging from the strain of the other man’s weight.

  “Sami,” he yelled. “I love you!”

  “No, Jimmy. Don’t!” I ran toward him, but Paolo grabbed me and held fast. I struggled against his grip, trying to get to my heroic man.

  My eyes locked with Jimmy’s as he held Carney and backed into the center of the area. He mouthed the words, “Good bye.”

  With a flash, they were both gone.

  “Jimmy!” I cried. Paolo released me. Dropping to my knees, I whispered, “No.” My fists pounded against the carpet in dull thuds. Tears streamed down my face.

  There was no telling how long I sat there before Paolo gently grasped my arms and helped me to my feet. “I’m sorry, Sami. It had to look as if I were in collusion with Carney. I never meant for this to happen. Jimmy was supposed to be out of the way and that villain unconscious. Believe me I didn’t want…”

  “I know, Paolo. I know,” I whispered, taking his hand. “It was a good plan. Only it didn’t work. Not completely.”

  As the tears dried on my face, an idea struck me. “Wait a minute,” I said getting excited. “I can go back and rescue Jimmy. Just like he retrieved me from Carney’s.”

  Running over to one of the Family Slides I picked it up and turned to Paolo. “We can reset just one slide. I can go to Elba Island and bring Jimmy back.”

  “No,” Paolo said quietly.

  “What do you mean no. I’m not asking permission,” I said indignantly. This man didn’t have a say in the situation any more. It was up to me now.

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  Ignoring him, I held up the device and pressed the location button. Clearly, I spoke, “Elba Island in the Mediterranean.” Releasing the button, the words didn’t appear. I pressed the button again and repeated the location. Still, the screen remained black.

  Tossing it down onto the surface from where it came, I ran to the other table and grabbed that frame and holder. Pressing the button, I clearly pronounced, “Elba Island in the Mediterranean.” Nothing appeared on the screen.

  Looking to Paolo for guidance, I asked, “Why isn’t it working?”

  “I told you it wouldn’t.”

  “Why? Do the slides need time to re-charge before we use them again?”

  “No, Sami.”

  The fears swirling in my head started to take shap
e as I focused on what Paolo was trying to tell me. “How long before we can reset one?” I asked, my voice cracking.

  “Sami,” the sadness in his eyes bored through my soul.

  Warm tears streamed down my face as I began to comprehend what he meant. “No…” My voice faded.

  “I am sorry. The Family Slides may only be used once to trap someone in time—and then never again.”

  Dropping to my knees once more I held my face in my hands. The roughness of the carpet scraped at my legs. My body wracked with grief as reality set in. Jimmy was gone for good with no way of retrieving him. The slides were finished.

  Thinking back over the warnings of Mr. Chang and the Frenchman, I now knew the risks they were referring to. Even Paolo hinted about the finality of the Family Slides once they were used in such a manner. We gambled and lost—both Jimmy and me. Regardless of the time period, we would never be together again. My heart slowed, and I wanted to let it stop. There was nothing left for me.

  I now knew the desolation Paolo felt. Also, I believed his intentions were honorable. He knew once the slides were used to trap Carney in time, they would be dead. There would be no going back to save his son. He invented a farce to lure Carney to the house. His plans needed to be kept secret from us for them to be believable.

  Feeling Paolo’s gentle hands on my shoulders, I allowed him to help me to my feet and lead me from the studio. We went into the kitchen, where he sat me on a stool by the counter. Retrieving two small glasses from a cupboard, he poured a healthy amount of whiskey into each, then set the bottle on the counter.

  “Here,” he said, handing me one of the tumblers. “It won’t take away the pain but may numb it for the moment.”

  Bringing the glass up to my lips, I tasted the fiery liquid, but couldn’t drink. Setting it back on the counter, I looked up. “Thank you, Paolo, but I’d like to go home now.”

  Hesitating a moment, he asked, “Shall I drive you?”