by Becky Durfee
“Do you think it was a time?” Jenny posed. “Maybe the time of death?”
“It could be. Didn’t you say she left work around two-thirty?”
“Somewhere around there,” Jenny said. “Although, I’m not sure how knowing her time of death would help us.” She looked at the clock on the dashboard of her rental car. “The numbers didn’t look clock-ish, either. They were bigger. And black.” She rubbed her eyes, trying to piece together the seemingly unrelated clues. What could all of this mean?
“Well,” Zack began, “If we’re going to return the rental car and make it to the gate on time, we’d probably better head back to the airport.”
Jenny let out a frustrated sigh. “I guess you’re right. I wish there was a way we could be in both places at the same time. I’d love to stay here and try to figure out what Lashonda is telling me, but I also want to get back to Georgia to figure out what’s going on down there.” She turned the key. “I wish I had a clone.”
“Well, I’ll give Officer Fazzino a call and let him know about three-thirty-seven. I’ll also let him know that you were led here again so he doesn’t dismiss the importance of this house.”
“Thanks.” Jenny turned the car around and headed out the way she came. “If only I could figure out why it’s important.”
“Patience, dear Jenny,” Zack said as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Remember what Fazzino said about the marathon.”
“Yeah, but while I’m busy running a marathon Orlowski might be plotting his next attack.”
“Well, the people of Braddock will be more careful now that they know a killer is on the loose. Hopefully no girls will be out alone late at night.”
Jenny glanced at Zack. “The people of Braddock don’t think a killer is on the loose; they think a killer is behind bars. They probably believe Jeremy Stotler did it and all is right with the world again.”
“Oh…right,” Zack replied softly. “I forgot about that.” He dialed the phone and held it to his ear. “Officer Fazzino, please…okay, thank you…Hi Officer Fazzino, it’s Zack Larrabee…” Zack told the officer about the latest events and then remained silent for a long time. Jenny could hear the sound of Fazzino’s voice on the phone, but she couldn’t make out what he was saying. “That’s great. Thank you for doing that. Can you actually text me that number? I don’t have anything to write with at the moment. Great. Thanks. And I’ll be in touch if we come up with anything…Okay, bye.”
“What was that about?” Jenny was very curious.
“Fazzino called the authorities down in Braddock. He said he spoke to a guy named Johnson. He mentioned the similarities between Morgan Caldwell and the Connecticut cases. At first Johnson stuck to his story that Morgan’s case was solved and they had ample evidence against Jeremy Stotler, but then Fazzino said there were unsubstantiated rumors that Orlowski may have been the culprit in Connecticut, and now he lived down there by Morgan Caldwell. Apparently this Johnson guy was open to the idea of looking into it, although as you might suspect it would be on the QT. Fazzino had mentioned that he had ‘informants’ down in Georgia, so Johnson gave him his personal cell phone number. You and I are to call Johnson directly if we get any new information. We are not to discuss this with anyone else on the force.”
“Did he happen to mention that my information would be in the form of visions?”
“He didn’t say,” Zack surmised, “but I doubt it.”
Jenny doubted it too.
During the trip back to Georgia, Zack and Jenny discussed possible explanations for the significance of the Hawkins house, the number 337, and any potential information an insect might provide. None of the theories they came up with seemed to be the silver bullet they had been hoping for; however, the conversation kept them busy during the entire flight and the first half of the drive home from the airport.
All that time, Jenny had managed to keep her mind off the unpleasant task that awaited her upon her arrival home. Once they drove past the high school where Greg taught, however, the memory of her failed marriage came flooding back. “Oh,” she said with disgust. “I almost forgot about Greg.” She put her hand on her forehead; she really didn’t want to have to deal with that in the midst of everything else that was going on.
“Well,” Zack proposed, “you don’t have to go home tonight. You could always stay at my place if you want…”
Again, this was more than Jenny could handle. “I don’t know,” she said quickly, shaking her head. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“Who said anything about it being good idea? I just said you could do it if you want to.”
Jenny laughed at the absurdity of his comment.
“I’m actually serious,” Zack replied. “Jenny, I know that you are a better person than me in, like, almost every way. There’s so much you could teach me it’s not even funny. But, there is one thing that I can teach you.”
“Oh yeah?” Jenny asked with a smirk. “And what is that?”
“I can teach you how to have fun. I can teach you to be happy. I can teach you to live life.”
“That’s three things.”
“Well, they’re all related.” Zack shifted in the passenger seat so he could face Jenny. “You are one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, but I almost think you’re too nice. You’re always so concerned with doing the right thing and making sure you don’t hurt other people, which are both great qualities, but that means you’re always putting yourself last. And I hate to see that.”
Jenny remained quiet, focusing on the road.
“Don’t get me wrong. This isn’t about me pressuring you to come home with me. If you don’t want to spend the night with me, just say so. That’s a perfectly acceptable answer. But I don’t want you saying no just because it isn’t a good idea or it isn’t the right thing to do. Sometimes you just have to say ‘fuck it’ and do what you want to do, not what everyone else wants you to do.” Zack sat back in his seat and faced forward. “Isn’t that what Elanor tried telling you, too?”
With that last comment, words that had already stung became almost unbearable to hear. That was the message that Elanor had tried to relay. Those were the words that Jenny had vowed to live by going forward. Yet, somehow, that concept continually eluded her. She always resorted back to being the same old Jenny. Doormat Jenny—the girl Elanor had warned her not to be.
However, this time her reluctance to accept Zack’s invitation was not out of undue respect for Greg; rather, she was fearful that she would eventually hurt Zack, which was the last thing she wanted to do. She genuinely cared about him, and she didn’t want to do anything that might ultimately cause him to leave her life permanently.
“You’re quiet,” Zack noted. “I’ve pissed you off.”
“No,” Jenny argued softly. “You just struck a chord, that’s all.” Lacking the energy to be anything more than honest, she confessed, “Zack, I think you’re a great guy. I really do. But I can’t guarantee that if we start something it will go on forever. It might end. And I might be the one to end it. I don’t want to hurt you like that. That’s why I’m thinking it might be better not to start anything at all.”
“Okay,” Zack began, “first of all, let me explain something to you. I’m a dude. And if I’m faced with either, A, never getting to have sex with a beautiful girl, or B, getting to have sex with her for a while until she puts an end to it…I have to say I’m going with B. There’s really no question about it. It’s B. Every time.”
Jenny couldn’t help but laugh.
Zack continued. “And if you’re worried about hurting me long term, let me remind you that I’m the guy who just stopped showing up at my job one day. My job with the family business. I had absolutely no back-up plan and no idea how I was going to pay my rent. I just knew that I hated my job, and staying home felt good. Screw tomorrow. I’ll worry about that tomorrow.”
“I don’t know how you can live like that.”
“It’s quite easy
, actually,” Zack said. “Although, I’m not sure I’d recommend taking it to the extreme that I do. It is a stupid way to live, come to think of it. BUT…a little bit of that attitude is good for you. If you spend your entire life worrying about tomorrow, you’ll end up on your death bed realizing you didn’t enjoy any of your todays.”
Jenny knew his point was valid.
“So I’m going to ask it again. I’m not asking if you should spend the night with me. I’m not asking if Greg would approve, because who gives a shit about that guy. I’m not asking if the decision will ultimately end up hurting me. I’m simply asking if you, Jenny Watkins, want to spend the night with me tonight.”
A tingle of excitement grew within Jenny. “Yes,” she said softly. “I do.”
“So then will you?”
Jenny stifled a smile. “Yes.”
“Well, good, then,” Zack said with a weak attempt at hiding his excitement. “It’s settled.” After a pause he added, “For the record, little Zack is very excited about this.”
Jenny lay stretched out and naked, her body pressed against Zack’s as he continued to sleep. The morning sun peeked through the window, adding to Jenny’s feeling of invincibility. Having gotten a taste of what freedom felt like, she couldn’t wait until it became a way of life for her. Soon enough she’d have that dreaded conversation with Greg behind her, the marriage would be over, and she’d be able to do as she pleased. She smiled and stretched, feeling younger and lighter than she had in ages.
Strangely she found herself looking forward to having that talk with Greg. That was the only thing keeping her from her new life.
That, and she had no place to live.
She heard Zack stir and draw in a deep breath. “Good morning,” he said with a stretch.
“Indeed it is,” Jenny replied.
Zack rolled over and pulled Jenny in close. “Easy, there, tiger,” Jenny said. “I know you’re a morning person, but I really want to get going on the case. While you and I are cozy in this little bed, Jeremy Stotler is sitting in a prison cell.”
Zack rolled slowly back onto his side of the bed. “Yeah, that is kind of a mood-killer, isn’t it?”
“A little bit, yeah,” Jenny replied. “So do you want to shower first or should I?”
“You go ahead. I need a chance to wake up.”
Jenny climbed in the shower and tried to determine what would be their best plan of attack. She would need to see the size of the crowds in front of the Caldwell and Stotler houses. Perhaps attention had shifted from Morgan’s house to Jeremy’s, and she’d be able to take advantage of a little bit of quiet at Morgan’s. Maybe Morgan would be able to get through to her with a magic piece of evidence that would blow this case wide open.
Stop that, Jenny thought to herself. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Stop feeling like you need to solve the case immediately. You’re only setting yourself for disappointment.
If only she didn’t feel like she was playing beat the clock against Orlowski.
“Dammit,” Jenny proclaimed when she saw the size of the crowd that still remained in front of the Caldwell’s house. While there were fewer people there than the last time they had visited, there were still too many for Jenny to enjoy some quiet.
“I bet it’s only worse at Jeremy’s,” Zack noted.
“I agree with you,” Jenny added with a sigh. “I guess our best bet is to walk toward Jeremy’s house. Maybe I’ll pick something up along the way.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Zack parked his car, and the couple got out. Although it was warmer than it had been in Connecticut, Jenny was still chilly. She wished she had worn a warmer coat.
In an instant Jenny remembered what Elanor had told her about turning thirty. At thirty you become cold all the time, and at forty you stop giving a shit. Mark my words. It’ll happen. Jenny had to smile; at twenty-six, it appears she was ahead of schedule, perhaps in both respects. With that thought a charge of mixed emotions ran through Jenny. She missed her deceased friend dearly, but she also felt the invisible support of one of her biggest fans. Elanor would have been cheering her on if she was there, inevitably with some swear words mixed in to the pep talk. With Elanor at her back, Jenny instantly felt stronger. She could do this. She could get Orlowski. There was no doubt in her mind.
“Are you ready?” she asked Zack as she pulled her hood over her head.
“Lead the way,” he replied.
Having studied the map at length, Jenny already knew the way to Jeremy Stotler’s house. She headed down the tree-lined street, keeping her head down, trying to drown out the buzz that the crowd, which consisted of press and curious onlookers, emitted. The excitement crackled like interference or white noise, but she tried not to get discouraged. The further she got from the crowd, the less racket she heard.
As they rounded the corner onto Armistead Drive, Jenny made an extra effort to remain calm. She imagined if a contact was to be made, it would most likely happen at the abduction site. Sure enough, as they approached the same spot as before she felt that familiar wave of recognition.
When she reached the location, she was once again directed to pause. “I don’t feel fear here,” she declared. “She may have gotten into his car here, but the attack happened elsewhere.” She paced in small circles with her eyes closed, trying her best to receive additional information. Unable to gain any more insight, she wordlessly continued toward Jeremy Stotler’s house.
As they got closer to their destination, Jenny could feel herself becoming happier with every step. “Her spirits were definitely high,” she muttered. They continued along Armistead Lane until it intersected with Hancock Drive, where again the buzz of interference became a problem. When Jenny looked up, she figured out why. “Holy shit,” she said. “It’s a friggin circus.”
The scene at Jeremy Stotler’s house looked as chaotic as the scene at the Caldwell’s a few days earlier. “I suppose getting a reading here is out of the question?”
“That’s an understatement,” Jenny replied. “Dammit! We should have stayed in Connecticut a few more days. Somehow I knew I’d make the wrong call.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Zack said. “Besides, we don’t necessarily need to be right here in order for you to get a vision. Correct me if I’m wrong, but you were at Lake Wimsat when you got the first message from Morgan.”
Jenny let out a sigh. “Yeah, that’s true.”
“Maybe if we just go back to Evansdale and get the hell out of Braddock altogether she’ll find you again.”
Jenny rubbed her face in a failed attempt to wipe away the irritation she was feeling. “I guess.”
“You are the worst marathon runner ever,” Zack noted.
“I’m a sprinter. If I can’t finish the race in about forty seconds, I am not happy.”
“Sorry, chief, but this ain’t no sprint.”
Zack and Jenny headed back to their car.
Knowing what she needed to do, Jenny said goodbye to Zack and drove back to her house. Considering lunch time hadn’t even arrived, she figured Greg would be at work when she got home. As she entered and called his name with no response, she felt a wave of relief that her suspicions had been correct. Now that she knew she was alone, she walked through the once beautiful building, noting the progress in the renovation that had occurred while she had been in Connecticut. She visited every room, gently touching the beautiful furniture that Elanor had ordered for the house. They were gorgeous furnishings, and Jenny was going to miss them, less for their worth and more for the person who had sent them. But the furniture had been symbolic. Elanor had the pieces custom made to match Jenny’s paintings—the paintings that had previously been sitting in a closet because, according to Greg, they didn’t match the existing furniture. Elanor had bought an entire house worth of furniture as a subtle but unmistakable fuck you to Greg. Jenny couldn’t help but giggle at the memory.
She knew Elanor would have been very supportive of what she was about to do.
Yes, she planned to leave all that furniture behind, but the furniture was just stuff. Jenny was about to achieve her freedom, and she could practically hear Elanor cheering her on.
As Jenny exited each room, she took her painting with her. The furniture would stay behind, but the paintings would go. Those were hers, and they would go wherever she went.
Once she reached her bedroom, she packed her clothes, her laptop and some additional toiletries. She also packed a box with trinkets from a display in the guest room. Once she had filled a couple of suitcases and carried them down to the trunk of her car, she made sure her paintings were tucked safely in the back seat. Standing next to the car, she took one last look at her house.
This was the house Elanor had grown up in. Elanor had met her boyfriend Steve here, and they’d spent countless happy hours together at this very spot. Jenny had first discovered her psychic ability here when Steve’s spirit contacted her.
But this had truly been Elanor’s father’s house—the man who was more concerned with social status than Elanor’s happiness. Now the house belonged to Greg, another man who was more concerned with his image than anything else, including Jenny’s well-being. It amazed Jenny how such a beautiful home could harbor such ugliness. No matter how well Greg would be able to restore the house’s original grandeur, as long as he lived there the façade would be nothing more than a magnificent lie.
Jenny opened her car door and took her seat behind the wheel. Through the windshield she took one last look at the house. That house. That beautiful fucking house. With both hands she gave the house two emphatic middle fingers, started her car, and drove away.
Jenny pulled in to The Grove apartment complex, noting the sign in front of her parking space said “future resident.” She hoped that was true. The last two apartment complexes didn’t have what she needed.
Jenny walked into the office and approached the woman behind the desk. “Hi,” she began. “I’m looking for an apartment with immediate occupancy and month-to-month lease option. Do you have anything like that available?”