by Tina Smith
Abigail appeared behind me and I felt a wave of energy surge through me as she passed through my body.
“Come on, girl! Pull yourself together!” She spat grabbing Jessica harshly by the wrist. “Take these hideous black clothes off! It’s been a month already!”
Jessica looked up at me with a forlorn look. Abigail spun her around harshly and tore at the buttons on the back of the dress. The delicate material crumbled beneath her touch. Soon Jessica’s back was bared. I could see whip marks and scars marring the delicate beauty of her ivory skin.
“Your man has needs, you can’t ignore him! Do you know he’s turned to the drink?!” Abigail fumed. “How can he run an empire when he’s so drunk he can’t stand up?! You will have another child, but you need to lie with him! I didn’t give his father that huge dowry for nuthin’!”
“Mama, don’t!” Jessica pleaded.
“Don’t you ‘Mama’ me! This is a business deal nothing more! People have to play their part! And you, my dear, are the key to this whole thing. Soon, with an heir we’ll be rich.”
Shouts from the hallway drew all of our attention. A small red headed boy with green eyes appeared in the doorway.
“What is it, you fool? You never enter a lady’s boudoir without knocking!” Abigail scolded.
“I’m sorry.” He panted. “It’s Mister Steven, Ma’am, he’s taken ill.” The boy had a thick Irish accent. His face was dirty and he was wearing a plaid red shirt and torn gray breeches.
“What do you mean ‘taken ill’?” Abigail asked angrily.
“He’s powerful sick. You need to come right away!” The little boy said. “The Master said we should send for the doctor right away!”
“Why are you bothering me?” Abigail shot back angrily. “You know where the head of staff is. Go down and bother him.”
“I would, Ma’am, but the Master said that we should send Miss Jessica to plead with him to come. He told the Master that he wouldn’t step foot in this house as long as you were here.”
“He did, did he?” Abigail breathed. “We shall see about that.”
Abigail quickly walked toward me and I backed out of the way. Suddenly, I lost my footing and fell backwards into inky black darkness. I reached out trying to find something to hold onto, but it was as if I were in a vortex. I screamed, sitting up in bed; shivering and covered in sweat.
Chapter 7
The realization that Abigail killed her son-in-law chilled me to the bone. I knew Steven was an evil, violent man and he probably deserved it, but I also knew Abigail was a greedy woman willing to do anything to get ahead.
On the way to the lab, I told Jackson everything that happened in my dream. Maybe Abigail spiked Steven’s tea with these same leaves. If she killed Steven, then I would not put it past her to have killed her own daughter and granddaughter as well to claim their inheritance.
“If they find something, they may want to exhume the bodies. You know that right?” Jackson warned.
“Why would they want to do that?” I asked.
“Well if this pouch contains any kind of poison in order to close the case they will need to prove that these poisons were in the systems of the decedents.” He explained. “It’s the only way that you can put these spirits to rest once and for all.”
“If Abigail killed Steven and Jessica, why am I not seeing his spirit?” I asked changing the subject.
“I don’t know. That’s a good question.” Jackson replied. “Maybe he didn’t have unfinished business like Jessica does.”
“What about Abigail, it seems like she wouldn’t have any unfinished business either?” I murmured.
“Maybe she’s stuck here out of guilt for killing Jessica and her family. It could be that she needs to have the truth come out in order to be at peace. Maybe she is looking for redemption. She could also be trying to prevent the truth from coming out.”
A light turned on in my head. “You know what? It could be that because Abigail’s spirit was so powerful, she’s changing my visions so that I think that Steven was the one hurting Jessica; but it was Abigail all along!” The gears in my head were turning. There were so many variables to consider with this case, and I was afraid that none of them would lead to a happy ending.
“I’m not sure.” Jackson teased. “You’re the psychic. Shouldn’t you know this?”
“Yes,” I chuckled. “Remember you were the one who wrote the paper on the effectiveness of using psychics in police investigations.”
“Touché!” Jackson replied with a wide grin on his face.
We pulled up to the crime lab and parked in the spaces reserved for Police Officers at the front of the large parking garage attached to it. Jackson walked over to my side of our red Range Rover and opened the door for me.
“Your Momma raised you right.” I said giggling.
“Well a King should always open the carriage door for his Queen.” Jackson said smiling at me and waved his arm in a flourish.
“Queen, huh,” I replied winking at him. He winked back at me and then kissed me on my cheek. I caught him in my arms and kissed him deeply, my heart fluttered like it did every time I kissed him.
“Whoo….” He breathed. “I’m so glad I married the girl with the glass slipper!”
“And I’m glad I found my Prince Charming.” I murmured.
He shamelessly kissed me one more time, and I had to pull away before I took him right there in the parking garage for all to see.
Chapter 8
The front desk of the crime lab looked like the reception desk at a doctor’s office, complete with a cheerful young woman dressed in pink scrubs with her pretty, blonde hair tied back in a loose bun, sitting there on the phone. She waved to us when we walked in and hung up the phone. “You must be Jackson!” She said with a smile. “I talked to your Dad this morning on the phone.”
“Yes, I am.” He answered leaning his arms on the desk. “I was hoping you could have the lab analyze this sample for me. It’s from a cold case we’re investigating.”
“No problem!” She answered cheerfully. “Dr. Fielding is all set up to do the tests on it. You know he and your Dad are old friends?”
“Yes, and you must be Kirstie Fielding, his daughter.” Jackson replied.
She laughed. “How did you know?”
“You’ve got your father’s eyes and your mother’s dimples.” He teased.
She blushed, “I remember us playing at the playground together. You liked to push me on the slide.”
“And you would spin the merry go round too fast!” He added.
“Well my Dad, umm I mean Dr. Fielding, is waiting on this sample. I’ll take it to him and he’ll start the tests right away.” She said regaining her composure.
“How long will it take?” I asked.
“If it’s a pretty common sample, it shouldn’t take too long.” Kirstie explained as she deposited the envelope into a plastic bag and sealed it tightly. “Why don’t you call back in a few hours and see how far Dr. Fielding has gotten in the testing?”
“Thank you so much for speeding this through.” Jackson said. “We really appreciate it.”
“No problem, anything for an old friend!” Kirstie replied.
We walked back to the car hand in hand. “So your first girlfriend huh?” I teased.
“Oh you shush; I don’t want to hear it. You still hang out with Scotty on occasion!” He shot back.
“Scotty’s like a brother, could you imagine kissing your brother?” I said making a face.
“Ummm I wouldn’t kiss my brother.” Jackson agreed.
We both burst out laughing as we reached the Range Rover.
“So how about lunch at Ruby’s Diner?” Jackson asked.
“That sounds awesome!” I answered. “I’m starving!”
It was just a short trip around the corner from the crime lab, so it would be a perfect place to eat if we had to get back there anytime soon. We got there in record time and were sitting in a booth orderin
g my favorites grilled cheese with a side of bacon, steak fries, and a vanilla milk shake.
While the waitress delivered our order to the kitchen, Jackson took my hand gently in his. “So there’s the unspoken business of our anniversary…” He began.
It hit me like an electric shock. “Oh my gosh…Jackson, I’m so sorry, with all that’s been going on I completely forgot!”
He smiled at me warmly. “I know. It’s completely all right considering everything that’s happened to you lately.” He said rubbing the black and blue mark on my wrist with his hand.
“I swear I will make this up to you.” I promised.
“You don’t have to.” He replied putting his finger on my lips. “Considering how many anniversaries I screwed up with my job, I think you’re allowed this one. It’s not easy being a cop’s wife.”
“No, it’s not,” I agreed. It was true that many of our anniversaries would come to a screeching halt because he was on call. “However sharing your wife’s attention with a bunch of demanding, needy spirits is not the definition of marital bliss.”
Jackson laughed. I loved his laugh it was throaty and came from the tips of his toes. He had a great sense of humor and was not afraid to show it.
“We knew what we were getting into.” He said winking at me, “some more than others.” He added laughing. “So back to the anniversary…”
“What are you planning?” I asked.
He pulled a wide velvet box out of his coat pocket that had the name of our local jewelry store on it. I gasped as I took it from him with trembling hands. Carefully I opened it and there nestled on a bed of blue velvet was a string of pearls. “I knew you were sad that your mother’s pearls were stolen from the nursing home just before she died.”
“Oh, Jackson, I don’t know what to say.” I breathed.
He took my hand stopping me mid sentence. “A few weeks ago one of the orderlies from the nursing home was picked up on drug charges. We searched his home and found them there along with your father’s watch and other items that belonged to people who were still there or their families.”
“Oh my gosh….” I choked running my fingers over them. “I…”
“I had them cleaned. I wanted to give you your father’s watch but they had to send it out to be repaired by a professional watchmaker. It will be back next week.” Jackson replied gently wiping away my tears. “I know this is all you have left, you were meant to have it. I think in some way your parents led me to them.”
I nodded. “Thank you…so much.” I choked. These pearls were very special to my mother. They had belonged to my grandmother, and my great grandmother before her. They were a family heirloom.
“There’s more.” He said quietly as he picked up the velvet tray holding the pearls revealing a white envelope beneath it that said to my love. He gently lifted the envelope out of the box and handed it to me. “Open it.” He urged.
Carefully, I opened the heavy white paper and revealed two tickets. As I read them, I looked up at Jackson with fresh tears in my eyes. “Oh Jackson…” I whispered. “A cruise…”
“Yep, my dad has all the time off arranged for me. It rather helps having your father be the Chief of Police. He said it was high time that we took a vacation. We have been working nonstop for the past five years. We deserve a break.”
“What about the case?” I asked looking up at him.
“The tickets are open ended. As soon as this case ends we’re going.” Jackson replied. “I know how important to you it is to solve Jessica’s murder.”
“I love you.” I said quietly. “You are so amazing.” I leaned over to kiss him.
“I love you.” Jessica said kissing her little daughter Rose’s soft little cheeks. Rose gurgled happily and smiled toothlessly at her mother. “Time for sleep, my precious one.” Jessica cooed laying her down in her cradle and gently pulling the little pink crocheted afghan over her. Jessica bent down and kissed her tiny forehead.
“She is a wonder.” Steven agreed, coming up behind her and putting his hands gently on her shoulders. “She’s beautiful, just like you.”
Jessica turned around to look at him. His face was clean-shaven, and he smelled of cologne. His soft brown hair was brushed so that it fell in soft curls around his face. His green eyes sparkled at her. Steven looked like the man she had once been in love with. “Jessica…” He began, “I know that this life isn’t the one you would have chosen for yourself. I am not a good man. I never was. You stayed with a drunken idiot who abused you. You stayed with me, even though I was not worth staying with. I don’t understand.”
“I love you.” She answered simply. “We’re all broken in one way or another. It takes time for wounds, cracks, and breaks to heal. I knew you needed time to heal from whatever wounds you had. I knew your heart would change one day.”
“How could you know that?” He asked with tears in his eyes.
“I knew that one day; you would be the man that I married. He was just lost for a while.”
“You know why I went away?” He asked.
“I knew you went to a sanatorium in Ohio.” She answered, nodding.
“How?” He asked, surprised.
“The servants talk,” She explained. “They told me you had an illness of the liver.”
“I did…I do.” He agreed. “Your mother’s been treating me with a tonic that the doctor gave her.” He looked down, “I’m ashamed of what I’ve done to you.”
“It wasn’t you, it was the drink.” Jessica said putting her hand under his chin and raising his eyes so that she could look directly into them. “I forgive you, I love you.”
Reality spun around me and I was in Jackson’s arms on the floor. He was sitting on the floor holding me. “Honey, wake up.” He whispered anxiously.
“What happened?” I asked groggily.
“We were talking, and suddenly you collapsed. I caught you before you hit the floor.” He said his brow furrowed with concern. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, I’m fine. It was another vision.” I began as Jessica’s memories flooded back into my head. Jackson helped me up and the waitress brought me a glass of water. “Jessica and Steven…they reconciled.” I said as I sipped the water. “She couldn’t have asked Abigail to kill him.”
“What…you’re not making sense?” Jackson asked.
“Jessica and Steven reconciled. He went to a sanatorium for his drinking.” I answered.
“This case just gets crazier and crazier.” Jackson said shaking his head. “Let’s get you home to rest for a while until the crime lab calls.” He suggested.
We were both quiet the whole trip home. I knew Jackson was stewing over what had happened at the restaurant. “Penny for your thoughts Jacks?” I asked.
“I don’t know honey, sometimes don’t you think this psychic gift is more of a curse?”
“Yes and no,” I answered. “Yes, sometimes it scares me. But, when I see the good I can do, it kind of gives it balance. Do you know what I mean?”
“Actually yes.” He replied as he pulled the Range Rover into the driveway, turned it off, and looked at me. “Sometimes, being a Police Officer gives me nightmares. We see the dregs of humanity walk through those doors every day, evil people who make you wonder what the world is coming to. Then there’s those days where you meet someone who changes your life completely and you know it’s worth it.”
“At the Police Station?” I asked blushing.
“Isn’t that where we met?” He said with a smile leaning in to kiss me.
A shockwave passed through my body as our lips met. I pulled back gasping. “That was intense.” I breathed. Jackson nodded his eyes dark with desire.
He quickly got out of the car rushing to my door and pulled it open. He lifted me into his arms. I began kissing his neck. He moaned softly. Suddenly I found myself lying on our bed. How had we gotten inside so quickly? He leaned on his arms above me so his weight wasn’t on me. I reached up and touched his face.
“I love you.” I breathed.
“I love you.” He whispered lowering himself so that he could kiss me.
I reached up unbuttoning his shirt, he shrugged it off easily as his hands trailed over my body awakening every nerve. I let out a soft sigh tilting my head back as he began to trail gentle kisses along my jaw, my neck, and then my collarbone. Every kiss sent shocks of pleasure pain through my body. I ran my hands down his spine, he shivered. As he freed me of my shirt he paused seeing the bruises that colored my skin. He tried to pull away, but I held him tight. He looked down at me with questioning eyes. I nodded with tears in my eyes. He drew back for a moment and we shed the rest of the wrappings that hid our bodies from one another.
Skin to skin we pressed, he teased me with touches and kisses, each one drawing me higher and higher into beautiful ecstasy, until together we shattered into a million fiery pieces, falling back down to Earth gasping.
Ever so gently he pulled me to him; I could feel his heart racing against my spine. I closed my eyes tuning myself into it as it began to slow, letting it bring me back to reality. I lost myself in his scent, his breathing, his heartbeat, letting all the worries of the case fall away, living in this beautiful peaceful moment.
As if on cue, Jackson’s phone rang. It was the crime lab. Dr. Fielding wanted to see us right away.
Chapter 9
When we arrived at the crime lab, Dr. Fielding met us at the door and ushered us into his large office. It was paneled in polished wood with a large oak desk in the middle that had a battered leather chair behind it. Dr. Fielding indicated that we should sit in the two smaller leather chairs that were in front of his desk. He put the thick file, which I assumed contained the results of the tests on the leaves, down on the desk and then sat down sighing heavily. “These findings were most interesting.” He said opening the file and taking off his thick glasses. He ran his hand through the short crop of white hair on his head. “It was what I expected, but interesting nonetheless.”