Carrying the Torch: Complete Trilogy

by Dinia Steel

  Red faced now James replied, “I will not be deflected Reggie. I want to know what you are doing with those twins. I know that it's not at all proper.” Screwing up his beautiful face he continued, “It feels almost evil.”

  Scoffing Reggie looked levelly at James. “And just what is it that I'm doing that is 'almost evil,' James?”

  “If I knew Reggie, I would put a stop to it!” James seemed very close to really losing it.

  “Alright.” Reggie threw up her hands. “I have been working with a pair of twins, but on my own time because this research has nothing to do with anything for the University, or our work together, James. It's something I'm doing for a new book, but I'm so far away from any results...” This seemed to somewhat mollified James, but Reggie knew she would have to come up with something to keep him from blowing the whistle on what she was really doing with the twins. “Would you like to meet them, the twins that is?”

  Somewhat taken aback he answered, “Of course I would.”

  “All right. I'll see when I can set up another interview with them and then you could talk with them and hopefully you'll understand that I'm not doing anything wrong!” Standing, Reggie walked around her desk and stood facing James, while leaning back against her desk. She reached out and put her hand on his shoulder. “What have you heard that would lead you to believe I was doing something evil with the twins?” Her voice smooth as velvet. She kept working very hard to project affection for James.

  It appeared to be working. His expression toward her softened and his metal barriers were weakening. James smiled sweetly at Reggie. “I can't give it form and shape Reggie…just something my intuition has been telling me for awhile now.”

  “Let me check my calendar and see when I have space, then you can check yours and I'll see when I can schedule the twins. Ok?”

  James nodded as he stood. He was no more than a foot from Reggie.

  She didn’t move away, so he could leave the office. She kept smiling and looking just so damned beautiful. He pulled her into his arms, when the phone on Reggie's desk buzzed again.

  They tried to ignore it, standing there looking at each other, but it became insistent.

  “I have to get this James,” Reggie said with disgust in her voice.

  The spell was broken and they both moved from their beginning bubble of something close to a romantic interlude.

  James all but jumped away and Reggie answered her phone sharply, “What? Yes, yes, ok fine put her through….Vivian, how lovely to hear from you,” Reggie said and then listened. “Yes, of course I'll be happy to meet you for coffee…Yes, I'm looking forward to seeing you again too…Yes, I remember that place. See you in 45 minutes.” She glanced up at James again. Oh, I'm so excited. I have really missed Vivian. “As you heard, I have a date with an old college chum. We need to postpone our conversation until later, James. Seriously, I'm not pleased that you're trying to delve into my private affairs. It's not your place. Make an appointment with my secretary and I'll either see you then or in class. Now, if you'll excuse me.”

  Turning back to her desk phone, she buzzed her secretary, “Cancel my afternoon appointments and reschedule them. Thank you.”

  She knew James wasn't buying it. She would have to deal with him somehow, and soon.

  ~o0o~

  Chapter 15

  Shared and Separate Memories

  After Josephine and Leo had read through James’ online Past Lives Remembered blog, they asked him if he would like to have dinner or something with them soon. That week, or the next, or anytime he would be willing to give them several hours to discuss what they'd read, remembered together and separately.

  Ever ready to discuss this topic, he agreed to meet them that same night.

  The restaurant Josephine and Leo chose for the meeting was a quiet, little Italian style bistro on the far side of Seattle away from the university. They didn't want too many potential ears hearing what they were going to discuss. Despite the fact James believed with his entire being that he'd lived before, and that Josephine and Leo were beginning to believe as well, there were far too many who attended the university who could make life much harder for them all than necessary.

  When James arrived, Josephine and Leo were already there in the back sitting in a secluded corner booth.

  Josephine was bouncing up and down like a child's ball. She was clearly excited about the discussion topic, or she was Tigger in disguise. “James!”

  Leo had a half smile and loving eyes for her. Didn't need to be a mind reader to know he was head over heels already for the petite woman. Leo made quick eye contact. “James.” All friendly business.

  “Hello you two. Been here long?” James frowned. “Am I late? We did say 7:00 right?”

  “No, you're not late James. Josephine just couldn't wait.” Again, Leo wore a half smile as a love light glowed in his eyes. “We've only been here an hour already,” Leo delivered this information dryly, with a wink.

  “Oh, well if you need more time alone, I can come back in an hour,” James delivered this sentence just as dryly with his own wink.

  “Don't you dare leave me alone with this woman!” Leo gasped out.

  Josephine smacked his arm so hard James could swear he felt it too. Then she looked at James pointedly. “Don't you dare leave, James Franklin! I'm so excited I don't know if I can even eat.”

  “Well, Josephine it's wonderful to see you too.” James grinned hugely. “But I'm starving and if I don't eat soon, I'll have to reincarnate sooner then necessary!”

  The waitress made her way over to the group and James ordered a bottle of Chianti Classico as well as a glass of carbonated water from the bar tap and a slice of lime. Every time he ordered this, he thought about his trip to Tuscany several years ago and all the wonderful meals he’d eaten there and the wonderful friends he acquired. They taught him that you never eat Italian with anything but a good red Tuscan wine.

  The three of them talked of small things while they waited for the drinks to come. Then they ordered quickly knowing what they wanted.

  Josephine whipped out – and it WAS whipped as in James could almost hear the cracking noise – a notebook and pen. He could see pages and pages of writing and wondered if she intended on covering all of them tonight.

  She then seemed to notice him looking at how much was written there. “No James. I don't want to go over all this tonight. I just want to be ready when you say something specific I want to remember.

  “Okay Josephine. What specifically?”

  Josephine sat up a little taller as she placed her forearms on the table in front of her clasping her hands together. “You said last time we were together like this, that remembering a past death/life didn't have to be painful. So how do you reconcile it, so it isn’t painful?”

  “Well to begin with, you have to come the realization – and you need to look up the true meaning of that word – that these events and lives are over. We are the culmination of those past lives. What we've been able to remember, what's gone on before is how it affects us in this lifetime. We are living in a different time period with different customs and demands upon us. To try to recapture and relive that past life is not a healthy possibility because it is in the past. However, remembering and understanding – another word you need to look up for its actual meaning – tells us about where we are today. Have we progressed or regressed?”

  Both Josephine and Leo still seemed unable to grasp what James was saying.

  “Let me give you an example from my own memories and maybe that will help you understand. Most of my remembered lives were spent in the priesthood in some capacity. Our memory and Karma, comes from highly emotionally charged events. I was a member of a brotherhood who lived and operated in a part of Spain that was very active in the Inquisitions. This group of priests were originally intended to make sure that all Jews or Muslims were converted to Catholicism. It devolved, eventually, to money and land grabbing for the High Church officials in many are
as. However, there still were those amongst the brotherhood who truly believed they were doing the will of God in burning, hanging, drowning and beheading, any and all who would not convert. There were also members of the Brotherhood who hated women, because they supposedly tempted these brothers into sinful thinking like sex. So they branded all women suspect; if one happened to be a healer, or even had cats around, they were accused of being a witch. Of course, if they were independent women of property that was a God-sent plus.” James looked from one to the other while explaining what the purpose of the Inquisition had originally been meant to function and how it had disintegrated.

  Leo shook his head, and Josephine kept cringing trying to suck her head into her shoulders as if she were a turtle.

  James continued, “I was one of the True Believers and full of self righteousness and pride. When someone I'd helped to condemn was executed I felt a surge of pride in that I'd helped save The Church from another sinner. Monetary gain meant nothing to me. I was out to cleanse the earth for Mother Church.” he paused to take a sip of wine, “When I came to the realization that I'd been capable of such actions for pride and vanity, I was crushed. It took me months to finally understand that I still had the potential for doing the same thing in this lifetime. My subconscious was telling me to be aware of that personality. I was currently in a position within a Spiritual group that I could either make or break other’s Spiritual beliefs.” He sighed and continued again, “That my friends were a slap in the face realization. I've worked very hard since then to try to not be judgmental, while still keeping a Spiritual Line I'm not willing to cross.”

  Leo shook his head. “But that was and is painful to remember James. When is it not painful?”

  “That's a very good question, and I'll try to explain. Just think how much more painful it could have been had I not remembered that particular life experience? I would have acquired some heavy Karma by harming someone else's spiritual progress. When I managed to discover why I was made aware of that awful possibility, I was thankful I had remembered and the pain was gone.”

  Josephine raised an index finger. “Did you have someone help you come to that realization?”

  “You mean a teacher? Yes and no.”

  Josephine hissed and huffed. “That's not an answer!”

  “At the time I was actively meditating daily and recording everything religiously, so I had my own personal records to go by.”

  By this time, the food came they all silently began to eat. Each thinking about what James had said.

  When the last bit had been eaten, the last of the wine drunk and the check settled, James asked them if they would like to come back to his apartment to talk more.

  They both agreed and followed him out into the night air.

  ~o0o~

  Chapter 16

  Old School Chum?

  Part Two

  Reggie

  The address given to her by ‘Vivian’ was a run down coffee shop in a seedier part of town. Reggie even hesitated to park her car on the street. When she thought of the huge commission she would receive, she really didn't care what happened to her current vehicle – she would buy herself a really expensive one! There was a yellow sports car in front of the coffee shop already, so Reggie pulled in behind it to park. She felt beyond happy as she got out of the car, neglecting to even lock it.

  Walking into the coffee shop, she spied a lone woman sitting in the very last booth, and headed her way. She was a beautiful redhead with peaches and cream complexion. When Reggie reached the booth, the woman's eyes were locked on hers. Green eyes. They looked cold. Well, so much the better. “Vivian?” Reggie asked quietly.

  “Reggie! Darl'in. So good to see you. How long has it been!” Redhead stood up and hugged Reggie. Her thoughts were a mixture of appraisal of Reggie and 'Mary had a little lamb'.

  Interesting. She knows I can read people's thoughts.

  “It has to be since we both graduated from college, and that's too long Vivian. Much too long.” Reggie gushed to Redhead. She knew Vivian was not her real name. She was probably NSA, at the very least CIA. Either one, they both paid very well.

  Once they were seated, a waitress came to the booth and Reggie ordered a coffee, blond and sweet. Reggie and Vivian talked in fake generalities about people they'd known in college. Once the coffee arrived, drunk and refills refused, Vivian threw some bills on the tabletop and made ready to stand.

  Reggie followed Vivian from the coffee shop out onto the sidewalk outside.

  A terse, “Follow me” was all Vivian said as she climbed into her little yellow sports car Reggie had seen when she parked her car on the street.

  Reggie walked the short distance to her car, climbed in and started it up, pulling out onto the street behind Vivian.

  About an hour later, Reggie was starting to get really pissed and she needed to use a bathroom somewhere. She’d made up her mind the next gas station she saw she was pulling into what she was positive would be less than clean facilities.

  Before she could enact her plan of stopping, Vivian headed into an upper middle class subdivision, turned onto a couple of different streets and then into a driveway. The garage door opened and Vivian pulled into it.

  Reggie parked and just sat in her car with the motor still running. Not sure what her next move should be. She was getting absolutely nothing but “Mary had a little lamb...” from the redheaded woman.

  Vivian stood in the open garage and motioned for Reggie to pull her car inside.

  Reggie shook her head no, and turned the car's engine off. She remembered the night when James had come over for dinner and she'd tried to get him to pull into her garage. She understood a little now, how he must have felt. Just about the getting away part anyway, because Reggie didn't care about others. All of it was about what she wanted. She got out of the car and stood waiting for Vivian to make the next move, which turned out to be the garage door closing and Vivian motioning Reggie to follow to the front door, which Reggie did.

  While following Vivian to the front door, Reggie checked to see if her little snub nose 38 Special was still in the pocket of her windbreaker she was wearing. It was light and very easy to fire and most importantly, it would stop a full grown man even on crack from molesting her. She'd realized she needed a weapon when she was attacked once before. Luckily, it’d only been a purse snatching, but Reggie wasn't going to be a victim ever again, if she could help it.

  Once inside, Vivian put a finger to her lips indicating she should not speak yet. She then went to a wall panel and punched in some numbers, waited for a beep and then turned to Reggie smiling. “Now, we can talk without outside ears being able to hear what we are saying.”

  “Alright Vivian,” Reggie pronounced the name with a little distain. “We've played spy vs spy, can we get down to business now?” The tone in her voice gave little doubt as to the way she felt about the elaborate precautions that were being taken.

  “Reggie, Dear. I was told you were very smart.” Vivian's words were oily, but understood.

  “All right, we're here. Can we talk business now? Please.” The please was done with fluttering eyelashes.

  The effect the action had upon the redhead was as intended. She smiled and nodded. “All right Reggie. As you wish. Shall we go into the dining area, so I can lay everything out for you comfortably?”

  Reggie bowed at the waist and made a sweeping gesture with her hand. “After you my friend!”

  As they walked through the kitchen area, Vivian offered Reggie something to drink.

  She, of course, declined. She didn’t feel as if Vivian would drug her, but there was a hint of something in her mind Reggie didn't understand as yet.

  “If you don't want anything to drink, then let's just get to it. You have come across an astounding find, and after I've reviewed your findings, I'll be making you an offer for their transfer to our 'protection'.” Vivian's stated with a not so comforting smile.

  “Of course you'll need to revi
ew the findings, but I think a first hand viewing would be worth a great deal more, and would be conclusive enough to bring the wrangling for custody to an end,” Reggie countered.

  With a nod from Vivian, Reggie punched in the uncle’s a phone number.

  “Hello,” William's voice sounded flat, as usual. He had no personality and for the most part his mind was very dull indeed.

  “William, this is Dr. Adams. How are you?”

  “I'm good. You calling about the Twins? They have said that they miss you and I was going to call you tonight and see when I could set up another date for you to be with them.”

  He makes it so easy. She then spoke, “I was in fact calling about that very thing.”

  “Oh, that's good. I have to go out of town on family business this week end and if it wouldn't be too big an imposition, could they stay with you?”

  Too easy.

  “That would be wonderful. Do you want me to come pick them up or will you be bringing them to my office?” Reggie asked.

  “It would be more convenient for me to bring them to your office Thursday afternoon, if that would not be too early. I have to leave Friday morning.” William's voice never changed pitch or emotion. Something must have really marked him to cause his non-emotional state towards everything.

  “That would be lovely, William. Be sure to have the Twins pack enough clothing. I can do laundry but I usually don't have the time to do much of anything when they are with me with all the testing I'm needing to do for the research to go along with my Paper about them.”