I tried not to dwell in my own self–pity because that wasn’t going to change anything or make anything better. I just had to cope with what nature gave me and go forward with it. I would drive myself insane if I tried to figure out why I, of all people, was given such unique talents.
I think Barry was right in saying I needed to channel it for the greater good. If I could turn my negative to a positive, then I’d be able to cope with it better and perhaps live the rest of my life in some type of peace. While observing their friends and listening to their voices, I was going to start living in the now, as Barry puts it, and put an end to these internal battles.
Just as I started to feel confident, Nicole’s cell went off. As she drew her eyes together, she mumbled, “It’s my uncle.” As she left to answer it, my heart skipped at the possibility of the appointment being cancelled. Something may have occurred to cause a delay. Barry shot me a sideways glance, but other than the quick reassurance nod, he acted like everything was normal.
“What’s this I hear about you falling asleep in Mr. Wilson’s class,” Caleb asked, pulling me from my mental meltdown.
Suddenly blushing, I had to smile. As embarrassing as it was, I wondered if the entire school knew by now. Barry smirked at me as I explained, “I didn’t get much sleep last night. I stayed up late working on homework.”
“You’re lucky he didn’t give you detention. He usually does, which means he must like you or something,” he continued with his teasing.
Quickly realizing that I wanted the attention off of me, Barry interrupted, asking Caleb a question about the upcoming weekend. Grateful for the escape, I slipped back into my comfort zone of playing the listener.
The anxiety churned in my stomach when Nicole returned to the table. The casual way she flipped her hair concealed her own apprehension. I wasn’t sure how she did it, but the way she disguised her emotions was skillful. She should go into acting. When she shot us a quick smile, my body relaxed knowing the meeting was still a go.
I breezed through the rest of the lunch period. My focus improved, either from the food I’d eaten, or knowing that we’d overcome the first obstacle. Whatever the reason, it was refreshing to have my second wind. Funny, how positivity could affect your alertness.
When lunch ended, Nicole waited for the rest of the gang to leave before speaking. She confirmed our meeting, explaining the call was him verifying the time. At least we were still meeting him right after school. Barry’s driving us there, which will take a few minutes longer than I anticipated, since his office was in the next town over. My adrenaline started racing again as the realization sunk in that we were getting toward the end. In a way, I could sense Johnny’s own excitement. I was sure that was my own imagination, but the puzzle pieces were finally fitting together creating a disheartening, but beautiful picture.
~13~
Interrogation
“Can I help you?” The monotone voice of the receptionist rang through the semi–deserted room. The place was vacant except for one couple off to the left. They had that don’t–mess–with–me attitude, acting like they’d punch the first person who’d dared to cross them. Tattoos sleeved his arms while studs and spikes lined her lips and eyelids. But that wasn’t the intimidating part, it was their hostile expression. I tried not to stare.
“We’re here to see Detective Steve Tanner,” Nicole stated. Her voice was filled with such confidence; I was impressed. She sounded as if coming here was an everyday norm for her.
“Just one minute, I’ll let him know you’re here,” the receptionist said with a hint of a smile.
As the lady picked up the phone, I was overcome by exhaustion. Apparently, my lack of sleep had caught up with me again. I needed to sit, and quick. After panning around the room, I stumbled over to some chairs in the corner, far away from the hostile couple. My second wind had completely drained away, leaving me worn out.
When I sat down, a sense of déjà vu occurred. I shivered at the remembrance of the stale–colored, block walls. That scene was far too familiar, as it brought back the painful memories of talking to the detective back home. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, mentally praying I wouldn’t have to fight as hard to convince Nicole’s uncle about my abilities.
Back home, it was disastrous trying to get them to listen to me. The detective mocked me the entire time I tried explaining what I had envisioned. Finally, I had enough. Throwing my hands up in the air, I blurted out the information I knew and stormed out. Halfway down the hallway, I heard the detective’s voice yelling after me. Even though I didn’t want to, I halted. Every piece of me wanted to continue walking away, getting as far away from him as I could. But that wouldn’t have been fair to April. When I turned around, to my surprise, the detective stood in front of me appearing chagrin.
Apparently, my precise description of the lake spawned enough interest to listen. Once his mind opened to the possibility that I may know something, he began the search. Three hours later, they found April’s body. After all the hype settled, the detective never once apologized for his rudeness toward me. Instead of being angry, I found enough justification in knowing I helped lead them to April’s killer.
The pressure from wondering how well I’d be accepted by Nicole’s uncle was strangulating. When things were out of my control, I usually didn’t let them consume me, but this meeting had to go right. Detective Tanner disbelieving me wasn’t an option because Johnny’s depending on me. I couldn’t disappoint him.
The heaviness filled my chest as the anxiety kept rising. This was the time I usually grabbed my cigarettes, and I yearned for that stick that was buried deep inside my handbag. I could practically taste the menthol as I blew away the built–up anxiety. Yes, I could definitely use that cigarette.
Either from the lack of sleep, or the fact that I disliked police stations, the walls started closing in on me. The pressure in my chest tightened, forcing me to concentrate on my breathing. If I didn’t get out of that room soon, I’d go insane.
To keep my hands from fidgeting, I played with the handles on my bag—twisting them around like a never closing twist tie. It didn’t occur to me that squeezing my handles to death could be viewed as another form of fidgeting. When I added the tapping of my foot to my constant twisting, Barry had enough. He reached over, placing his hand on top of mine. My hands stilled from the slight pressure applied. I jerked my head, having every intention of protesting, but stopped short.
He regarded me with such tenderness that I was mesmerized. As I stared in the depths of his eyes, the warmth that spread through me hinted that everything would be all right. His demeanor brought out a smile, and I glanced downward as my cheeks started to glow. The kiss we shared last night crept into my mind, causing my cheeks to burn. I tried hiding, but there was no concealing my reaction towards him.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Nicole eyeballing back and forth between Barry and me. Clearly witnessing our exchange, she smiled coyly, while giving me wink. That caused me to blush deeper if that was even possible. The distractions worked because I wasn’t destroying my handles anymore.
~~~~~
The receptionist’s dull voice sounded heavenly when she announced the detective was ready for us. After jumping up rather quickly, I practically sprinted toward the doorway. Nicole and Barry scurried to catch up to me, but I realized I had no idea where to go. Reluctantly, I slowed my pace to let Nicole lead us to her uncle’s office.
“Nicole, it’s good to see you. Please take a seat,” her uncle said with a warm smile as we filed into his office. “Now, what can I do for you and your friends?” he asked as we sat down in the chairs lined in front of his desk. An extra chair must have been brought in, placed in between the permanent ones, because it clearly didn’t match. Plus the extra seat made it crowded in here.
“Hi Uncle Steve, we want to talk to you about the Johnny Matthews case.”
Her uncle, raising his eyebrows, seemed clearly intrigued. “What ab
out it?” he asked with a certain level of dryness to his voice. Cleary shifting away from the friendlier tone he spoke in just seconds ago, I could tell he suddenly became serious.
“We’ve discovered something that may…help.” Nicole answered, glancing nervously back at me.
“Detective Tanner, I’m Heather Reiner. I moved here about two months ago into the house on 1214 Maplewood Drive.” I interjected.
“The Matthews old residence, yes…I know it well. I’m failing to see the connection, though. Did you find something relevant to the case?”
“Sort of…Are you familiar with the term clairvoyance?”
“Sure, people can supposedly see things that happened.” Leaning forward in his chair, his eyes narrowed while asking, “What are you trying to tell me, you’re a psychic?”
“I’m clairvoyant, seeing things that have happened; I certainly can’t predict the future.” I corrected. People have such misunderstandings when it comes to the supernatural. He was going to be a harder sell than Nicole realized. “Detective, I worked with the police department back home on case file 3010, April Hartley. If you call detective Perry Jenkins he can vouch for me.”
Trying to sound as professional as I could, I added, “I believe I know where Johnny’s buried.”
“How on earth could you know that? We searched and covered the entire town, but didn’t unveil any significant clues. He may even still be alive.”
It was apparent, he didn’t believe his own words, but obviously everyone involved in that case was still clinging to hope.
“My mother found a toy truck belonging to him while cleaning one day. When I reached to pick it up, I had a vision of him being abducted and then later killed.”
Shutting my eyes for a second to recollect my thoughts, I slowly reopened them. “In the woods, behind my house, he is buried in a small clearing.”
“You know where this is?”
“Yes.”
“You saw him buried there?” he asked as he stared straight at me.
Hesitating slightly, I managed a weak yes.
With the detective still staring intently at me, I swallowed as sweat beads started forming on my forehead. My pulse quickened while the intensity of his glare increased. He was intimidating as he sat there analyzing me. I was sure he noticed my falter since I didn’t actually see Johnny get buried, but I certainly couldn’t tell him I retrieved his location from a ghost–like figure.
All credibility would surely be lost.
Not sure whether he believed me or not, I started to feel anxious under the scrutiny of his stare. Finally he leaned back in his chair and pulled out a recorder.
“All right, start at the beginning, and tell me everything you know.”
After explaining my visions in detail and telling him where they could find Johnny, he leaned forward in his chair raising his hands up to his face under his chin. I took that as a good sign since he seemed to be mulling over all the facts.
“You didn’t see the killer’s face?” he asked after a long pause.
“Not exactly…I know it was somebody he recognized, but not anybody who was close to him. For some reason I can’t see his entire face, but I did get a good look at his eyes.” A shiver jolted through my body as I recollected the thought. “His eyes are brown, along with his hair. Detective, I believe I know who did it, a Mr. Barton. I didn’t witness him abduct or kill him, though, but I can’t shake this feeling that he’s involved.”
“Mr. Barton? Yes, I remember him. He was very cooperative, and even helped with the search parties. His record was clean when we ran it last. Why do you suspect his involvement?”
“Like I said, it’s a feeling.” As my eyes dropped, I stared at my hands. I wish I didn’t have this strong premonition about him, but something was off. Why would he have false identification in his possession hidden like that? I didn’t want to present that information yet because last I knew breaking and entering was still frowned upon.
“It’s just a feeling I have. I can’t really explain it.” I stated instead.
“Are you a hundred percent sure where Johnny’s remains are?”
“Yes.”
“You seem pretty confident in your answer. This task you’re asking us to do won’t be easy. If you’re wrong…”
“I know. But I also know I’m right,” I declared, gazing directly into his eyes with all the assurance I could gather. One thing I knew was to show confidence in not only what I claimed, but also my supernatural ability. If I appeared weak, he’d never believe or take me seriously.
Letting out a deep breath, he glanced downward toward his desk. Contemplating what I said, he returned his gaze to me, saying. “Okay. Let me do some checking and I’ll contact you tomorrow.”
“Thanks, sir.”, I said.
Extending his arm out to shake, I sat there studying his hand. “Sir, I mean no disrespect, but I have to decline a handshake. I’m afraid you’ve seen too much for it to be a peaceful exchange.”
As if understanding, he slowly placed his arm down, but studied me as if I was a microorganism under a microscope before nodding. “Tomorrow then.”
As I stood up to leave, I turned back toward him and said, “Detective, another name thrown at me was Christopher Warfelt. I wasn’t sure who that was, or what it means, it’s just another piece of this bizarre puzzle that doesn’t seem to fit anywhere, yet.”
He nodded his head as if to dismiss us, and we turned to leave. Nobody said a word until we were out of the police department, walking across the parking lot to Barry’s car.
“Do you think he believed us?” Barry asked as we approached his car.
With a sigh I said, “I don’t think he believes in the supernatural, but I think he’s curious enough to at least follow through with the info we’ve given him.”
“Heather, you were very convincing and professional. You definitely captured my uncle’s interest—that’s not easy.”
“I hope you’re right, Nicole.” As I slid into the front seat, I added, “We have nothing to do now but wait until tomorrow.” Silence dominated the drive home as we contemplated what tomorrow would bring.
~14~
Discoveries
“Oh come on, meet us at The Gamer tonight,” Caleb pleaded.
Friday had arrived and school was letting out. Barry was going to chauffeur Nicole and me home. As the three of us were piling into Barry’s car, Caleb stopped us. His ultimate goal for the evening was talking Barry into going out with the guys.
Being a local hot spot, The Gamer was known for its popularity among the local teens. The draw of the pool tables and various types of games lured them in. Its reputation preceded itself because enough people have talked positively about it. Popular or not, I would never voluntarily visit. I’d spent my whole life avoiding these types of places and didn’t plan on changing any time soon. By the uninterested expression Barry held, I didn’t think he wanted to go either — at least not tonight anyway.
“Not tonight but soon, though,” Barry said, casually confirming my suspicion.
Before he gave an answer, I knew he’d turn him down. Caleb was unaware of the plan the three of us had previously made. Our plan, exclusive to us, meant Caleb wasn’t going to get his wish. Earlier, we decided to hang–out with each other tonight, thinking we should be together when the detective called. If he called with anyone else around, questions would surely be asked.
We’d been on edge throughout the entire day. Since we were unable to converse at school, our nerves were shot. At least mine was anyway. Worry began settling in my stomach around lunch when I began wondering if the detective would follow through with the information. Figuring we would’ve received a call by now, I’d become more worried with each passing minute. The quicker we leave school, the better I’d feel. I assumed Barry and Nicole were anxious to talk too.
Last night Barry decided he would spend the entire weekend at his grandma’s house to be accessible. Nicole had the
same thought because she was coming over to my house to spend the night. When we were devising our plan last evening, she came up with the suggestion. I was eager to have her stay. Excited even. Shamefully, it would be the first time anyone spent the night. When I was younger, the girls would talk about their slumber parties they’d attend. When I knew of one going on, I would lie in my bed, wondering what it would be like.
My mom’s face was priceless when I asked her if Nicole could stay over. Her eyes bulged out from shock before regaining her composure, quickly agreeing. It was hard keeping a straight face watching her reactions. Truthfully I didn’t need to ask, knowing full well she wouldn’t care, but part of me wanted to see how she’d react. She didn’t disappoint.
“Seriously dude, tonight’s going to be tight. You need to be there,” Caleb said a little more cajolingly, but I think he knew the battle was being lost.
None of their friends knew what was really going on. We hadn’t discussed keeping it a secret from them, but Barry certainly knew where I stood on the subject. The fewer people who knew, the better. Nicole held true to her promise of not telling anyone as well. Thoroughly impressed by her loyalty, I felt like she more than deserved my trust now.
I’d admit, having two people I considered friends was strange. Although nice, the skepticism still hovered in the back of my mind. I wasn’t used to having one friend, let alone two. Sometimes, I was still paranoid, though, always waiting for something bad to happen. Like in algebra, when you take a positive and multiply it by a negative, the outcome was always negative. Maybe I’d always have trust issues, but at least I was trying, which was a big step for me.
Climbing into the back seat of Barry’s car, Nicole rolled her eyes at me as Caleb kept pleading. Suppressing a smile, I slid into the front seat as Barry slapped his friend on the back, saying, “Some other night, I promise.”
Visions: The Mystical Encounter Series (The Mystical Encounter Series Book 1) Page 10