Photographs in Time

by Terry Segan

  “Lionel, the only way in and out of this room is through that door,” I pointed. “I’ve lived in this house for thirty years. I assure you, there are no hidden passageways.”

  Lionel looked toward the only entry. Next, he scanned the room with narrowed eyes.

  “You’re lying!” His hand wavered with anger as he continued to point the gun in our direction.

  “Okay, we lied,” Jimmy said.

  “I knew it! Where is she?”

  “We made her disappear.”

  This answer made him shake his head in confusion. “Come again, old man?”

  “You heard me.”

  “Say it again.”

  “All right,” Jimmy said. “We made her disappear. We sent her to another place and time.”

  I turned toward him, my face taut with fear. While I didn’t say a word, I’m sure Jimmy understood my meaning—what are you doing? My wide eyes conveyed the question.

  Barely visible, Jimmy shook his head once.

  “You’re talking nonsense, old man.”

  “Am I? Are you really that sure she escaped from a locked room? Look around. Do you see any other doors or windows?”

  Lionel panned the area with glassy paranoia in his eyes. It appeared he started to doubt what he knew to be true. Cecily had entered this room, and not come out.

  “How could you have sent her to another time and place? That’s impossible.”

  “Is it?” Jimmy toyed with him, a slight grin spreading across his face.

  It scared me he was revealing the process to this lunatic. There had to be a plan formulating in my man’s head allowing him such liberties. I wish I knew what he intended.

  “Take a look around this room,” Jimmy continued. “What do you see?”

  “You’re trying to trick me,” Lionel said.

  “Why would we do that? You obviously love Cecily and want the best for her.”

  “Of course, I do. The best life she can have is with me. Why won’t you tell me where she is?”

  “I would rather show you,” Jimmy said.

  I looked intently at Jimmy. He was about to endanger Cecily and Doug. Why would he do that? Surely not to save our lives. Ours weren’t worth any more than our Suitor and Betrothed’s.

  Jimmy saw the scared look on my face as he glanced my way and gave me a wink.

  This helped me believe he had a plan that would work. I had to trust him to get us both out of this safely.

  Chapter 56

  “Allow me to give you a tour of our studio,” Jimmy offered.

  “Why would I do that?” Lionel squinted.

  “Because it will help you understand what happens here…in this room.”

  “You’re trying to confuse me. There’s nothing special that goes on here. All I know is you’re keeping Cecily from me.”

  “Lionel,” I said, keeping my voice calm, “give us a chance to explain. You’re a smart man. Cecily wouldn’t have fallen in love with you otherwise.” Flattery seemed the only thing he responded to favorably. From his arrogant actions, I could tell his ego was too great to accept anything less.

  “All right, but don’t try anything or one of you gets shot,” he waved the gun again. “I don’t need both of you to tell me where she’s hiding.”

  “Yes,” Jimmy said, “we understand. Now, will you let me show you our studio?”

  “Fine. Show me.”

  “May I get up? I can’t do it from here.”

  Lionel took a few steps backward. I’m sure it wasn’t in fear. He surveilled the area around Jimmy and me, taking in the whole scene.

  “Okay, but no sudden movements.”

  Jimmy stood up while applying a bit of pressure on my shoulder with his hand. The gesture told me to stay seated. Lionel wouldn’t hear of it.

  “Oh no, you stick together. I see what you’re trying to do, and it won’t work,” Lionel said. “Get moving—both of you!”

  Jimmy nodded his head in my direction and I rose. Wrapping his arm around my waist, he held me close while walking over to the row of portraits on the far wall. “Let’s start over here,” he gestured towards the first portrait.

  Lionel stood firm until we walked past him and came to a halt in front of the picture of Judy and Willis—the first couple we matched. Willis sported a blue t-shirt and white dress pants. Judy wore a red polka dot dress with matching sandals. They stood hand in hand on a dock in front of a large sail boat.

  “Lionel, let me introduce you to Judy and Willis. They were our first.”

  Lionel scowled at him. “What do you mean, your first?”

  “They were the very first couple Sami and I brought together. That was thirty years ago.”

  “Brought together? You’re talking gibberish. Exactly what did you do for those people in the portrait?”

  “We introduced them to each other,” Jimmy said.

  “So, they took a picture together. Big deal. You match up people to have their photo shoots together?”

  “Not exactly, Lionel,” I said. “You see, we’re matchmakers. Every one of these portraits are of people that we’ve introduced to each other. All of them chose to stay together, get married, and share a life.”

  “Sounds like a glorified escort agency to me. Are all these women whores?” Lionel asked, as he looked around the room. His gaze stopped on the portrait of Cecily and Doug.

  I could only see the profile of his face, but the expression changed and hardened. With his jaw firmly set, he turned back to us and said, “Are you trying to tell me Cecily is involved in an affair with that man?” He used his gun to point at the picture and accentuate his question.

  “What do you think?” Jimmy asked.

  He hesitated, then chose not to answer. Instead he asked, “Why are they all dressed funny in the portraits. Those aren’t normal clothes. They must be costumes.”

  “Ah, you really are a bright one,” Jimmy played up to him. “You see, for the men, those aren’t costumes. Those are the clothes for their…era.”

  I cringed. It was only a matter of time before Lionel realized Jimmy was really talking down to him.

  “Old man, if you don’t get to your point soon, I may lose my patience. Speak plainly!”

  “Okay, okay. What I mean is, all those men are dressed for the period they live in. The women have been sent back to be with them.”

  Lionel’s face began to redden in frustration.

  Jimmy held up his hand in a gesture for him to calm down. “The short version, Lionel, is that we send women back in time to meet the man of their dreams.” He let that sink in for a few moments.

  “You’re joking. That’s impossible.”

  “Is it? What makes you so sure?”

  “For one thing, Cecily wouldn’t do that. She loves me and wouldn’t leave me.”

  I clutched at Jimmy’s arm, afraid Lionel would get tired of this and become violent.

  “Cecily chose the life she wanted. It’s the life she felt drawn too. Maybe…,” Jimmy hesitated, “just maybe, we could help you too?”

  “Help me? Help me do what? All I want is my Cecily. Can you help me do that?”

  “Maybe we can.”

  Jimmy couldn’t possibly be thinking of sending Lionel back to the 1950’s where Cecily now lived. He looked my way and gestured with his hand for me to calm down. In a quick motion, he glanced at his watch, then mouthed the words, “Ten minutes.”

  There was no doubt in my mind he had activated the Family Slide. Where would he send Lionel, if the chance presented itself?

  Slowly Jimmy walked to the next picture. “Now here’s Madge and Jerome. Don’t they look happy?” He stood in front of a couple both dressed in bell-bottomed jeans and tie-dyed t-shirts. The era was distinct. These two resided in the early 1970’s.

  “Enough of this! Tell me about the man in the picture with Cecily. Who is he?”

  There was no distracting this angry young man. He had a singular purpose in mind. Lionel wanted his ex-wife back and wou
ld not be deterred from that goal. We needed to do something soon or we would all lose. It was time for Jimmy to put the final step of his plan in action. I hoped it would be a location far from Cecily and Doug.

  “Lionel, think about what I’ve been telling you. What does it suggest?”

  “It suggests you’re crazy!”

  “Is that all you’ve gotten out of this tour? You can do better. Think about it. Dig deeper. What have I been saying?”

  Lionel glared at Jimmy, with pure hatred. I wasn’t sure he was capable of any serious thought, given the anger simmering inside. The reddening of his face told me he was trying desperately to hold it together until we gave him the information he craved.

  “Tell me, Lionel, what am I really saying about these couples?”

  The young man stood there looking intent. His response surprised the hell out of me.

  “Send me back to her.” He whispered, but I heard it clearly.

  Jimmy took a deep breath—his sales pitch worked. Now what?

  “I need a couple tools from the office down the hall. May I get them?”

  “We’ll all go. I want both of you in my sight.”

  As Jimmy turned toward the door with his arm still around me, Lionel added, “Uh uh, she’s with me.”

  We both turned to look at him, and he waggled the gun at me in a come here motion. Looking into Jimmy’s eyes, he gave my waist a reassuring squeeze, then released me.

  Stepping toward Lionel, he grabbed my sore arm and nudged the gun into my side. “You know how this plays out if you try anything.”

  I winced with pain at the pressure on my bruise.

  “No need for violence, young man. I’ll send you back to Cecily. How you two decide to work things out, is a personal matter.”

  Lionel nodded as we all walked into the hallway toward the office, with Jimmy in the lead. Once there I saw the Family Slide sitting on the desk. The indicator light showed it had reached full power. I couldn’t see all the settings Jimmy selected, but hoped it was somewhere far away from New York City in the year 1952. Looking closer, I saw it did say New York City. Fear washed over me thinking Jimmy was giving up Cecily to save me. That wasn’t an acceptable trade off.

  “We need to take this back into the studio for it to work properly,” Jimmy said picking up the slide.

  “What do you mean it needs to be there to work properly?” Lionel’s agitation increased.

  “Hear me out. You sit on the bench, and I place this device behind you. Once I press that button,” he said, pointing at the slide, “it counts down from 30 seconds. When the flash goes off, you’ll be transported to New York City in the year 1952. The exact time and place Cecily travelled to. Do you understand?”

  Lionel took a deep breath and set his jaw. I wasn’t sure if he bought all this or was deciding what to do once he arrived in 1952.

  I opened my mouth to speak, but Jimmy shook his head. It was a subtle expression with barely any movement involved, but I understood and kept quiet. We needed Lionel to absorb all this and believe it.

  Holding my breath, I waited for him to agree.

  Chapter 57

  Lionel kept the gun tucked up against my rib cage. The tension grew until I was ready to scream. Someone needed to say something.

  “Okay, move,” Lionel said. “Bring that thing into the studio.”

  Jimmy picked up the Family Slide and walked back into the hallway ahead of us. Lionel and I followed a few steps behind. Not stopping at the door, Jimmy went to the end of the room and placed the device on the table behind the bench.

  “What now?” Lionel demanded.

  “You sit on the bench,” Jimmy said, “by yourself.”

  Lionel narrowed his eyes. I figured he contemplated the odds of what Jimmy told him being true. Hopefully he believed and would agree to sit alone on the bench. It still scared me we were sending him back to the same time and place as Cecily. It didn’t seem fair, so I hoped Jimmy had more up his sleeve.

  Releasing his grip, Lionel shoved me away. Slowly sitting on the bench facing the device, he waved the gun at Jimmy. Holding my bruised arm, I backed away, out of his direct line of sight. Trusting in Jimmy’s plan, I kept silent.

  “Now what?” Lionel demanded.

  “Just sit there. I’ll press this button, and in 30 seconds there will be a flash and you’ll go back in time.”

  With narrowed eyes and a furrowed brow, he asked, “How will I bring her back here?”

  “Ah, I see your concern,” Jimmy said. “I’ve set the timer for 24 hours. When that time span is up, you will both hold hands, and travel back together. Mind you, the timing is exact, so keep track.”

  Nodding his head, Lionel sat there looking intently at the slide. “How do I know you’ve set it properly?”

  “It’s obvious you and Cecily have true love. We’re matchmakers—there’s no reason for us to stand in your way any longer. You’ve proven your love for her. I commend you!”

  Lionel grinned from ear to ear, as if he’d just won the Nobel prize. “She deserves a man like me. I’m glad you see it my way.”

  His smugness continued to make me nervous. We weren’t out of danger yet. Lionel still held a loaded gun aimed at Jimmy.

  He broke out of his complacency. “What are you waiting for old man, press the button!”

  Jimmy reached over to press the button, then backed away. He aligned himself between me and Lionel, as if trying to shield me from Lionel’s view.

  Finally, his viciousness surfaced. “Sorry, but I can’t take the chance you’ll try something once I return with my Cecily.” Lionel raised the gun and took aim at Jimmy.

  The flash went off before he could pull the trigger. The bench was empty.

  “How did it go off so fast? And how could you send him to New York City. Cecily deserved a chance. Jimmy, how could you?” With my voice getting out of control, I moved to his side.

  “Sweetie, would I really put others at risk?” Jimmy asked with a sly grin, as he pulled me close. “Especially you?”

  I opened my mouth to respond. Then closed it again, with an exasperated gasp. Of course, there was more to this. It embarrassed me to think I doubted him.

  Wrapping my arms around his waist, I nuzzled my face into his shoulder and let out a quiet sob. The pressure had taken its toll on me. Remembering the location, I pulled back and asked, “What about Cecily and Doug? And how did you get it to go off before the 30 seconds was up?”

  “I pressed the timer when I set it down, hoping my body blocked the action. Obviously, it did since Lionel didn’t suspect anything. Now, as far as his ex-wife and the right man she’s now with, they’ll live happily ever after.”

  “But he could find them.”

  “Doubtful,” Jimmy said. “While I sent him to New York City, he’ll be 100 years too early.”

  “What?”

  “Honey,” he put a hand on my cheek, “I sent him to New York City, but the year was 1852, not 1952. Luckily, he didn’t look closely at the settings.”

  “What do we do when he returns?”

  “Unfortunately, we won’t be around anymore. Most likely, he’ll have lived out his life as well.”

  “You didn’t set it for 24 hours, did you?”

  “I set it for a bit longer than that.” He slid his hand down my sore arm and rubbed it gently.

  I looked at him with a tilt of my head, waiting for the punch line.

  Finally, he admitted, “It was set for 99 years. I’d say we have some time to prepare for his return—if it should ever happen.”

  “Have I told you how much I love you?”

  “Not in the last day,” he said, placing a soft kiss on my lips.

  Releasing me, Jimmy scooped up my Family Slide from the table, and we walked together to the office. Locking it securely in the safe, he turned and said, “We’re not going anywhere outside of our own time frame for at least a week. It’s time we celebrate completing our thirtieth match.”

  “What
have you got in mind?”

  “Shhhh…no more questions. Go pack a bag for a long weekend. You’ll want casual clothes, and one nice evening outfit. That’s all you need to know. We leave tomorrow morning. If you don’t mind, I’ll need a few minutes alone on your computer.”

  Studying his face, he wasn’t giving any other clues away. I had no idea what Jimmy had in mind, and I didn’t care. The thought of moving on to a normal life that only involved our happiness, excited me. Turning on my heel, I went upstairs to get out my travel bag and do as he told me.

  The next morning, we hopped in his car and drove north on Pacific Coast Highway. Working our way up the freeways to Santa Barbara, we aimed inland. Jimmy had a three-night stay booked at a little boutique hotel in the middle of Solvang, California. We spent the next three days touring intimate little wineries scattered about the Santa Ynez Valley.

  We spoke of nothing but cabernets, syrahs and anything else wine related. Not one word was mentioned about the process or slides. It was sheer ecstasy. We even delved into wedding plans. While touring, we came across a small chapel that appealed to us both. Nuptials would probably take place right there in the not too distant future.

  Once back home, I broached the subject of placing the final 30 slides with Cecily and Doug. After celebrating our fulfillment of our quota, we knew the time had come to finalize plans for Paolo, Jr.’s couples. The end to the process at last.

  “Still feel this is the thing to do?” I asked Jimmy.

  “No doubt in my mind. You?”

  “It feels right. When do we go?”

  “Tomorrow morning. We’ll travel together. I think it would be best if you spoke with Cecily while I filled Doug in on his role. Despite the Suitor interviews being completed, Cecily will need guidance and insight. They have to do this together or not at all.”