but, mercury's not in retrograde!

by McCarthy, G. L.

  Everyone said their goodbyes. Sam and TJ were going to hook up in the afternoon. TJ said work had been slow and taking the afternoon off was not a problem. As Alex walked to her truck she felt overwhelmed again. They had a plan but so many things had to work in their favor. They had to find a bug, hopefully an entrance to the cabin that Richard was occupying, and some evidence proving that he was responsible. But as if she knew it was needed, Anna sent Alex a sign. A raven was sitting on the edge of the tailgate. Alex smiled and walked toward it. Sam stayed back, not wanting to be the one to scare it away. As Alex approached, the raven stayed and waited.

  “Anna, is it you?” Alex could feel the tears running down her cheeks as the raven squawked its answer. Reaching out she petted its chest as the raven cocked its head and made a knocking sound. “Can you help us find him?”

  Again the raven responded and then flew away. Alex knew she would be okay as Anna was watching over them. Sam and Jessie approached Alex who was touching the spot where the raven had been perched.

  “I’m sure Anna will help. Sam, keep an eye out for her tomorrow when you and TJ are in the woods. I believe she will show you where to look.” Alex said the words before she realized how much faith she must have to believe that that raven was Anna.

  “We’ll be on the lookout. But right now let’s get you to the hospital so we can get home at a reasonable hour tonight.” Sam hoped for Alex’s sake that the raven really was Anna and not somebody’s pet.

  Visiting Dez was very hard for Alex. She felt responsible for her condition and her loss of income, not to mention Dez’s mental state about not being available for her clients. Dez reassured her she was more at fault. She should have been paying attention. She was on her cell phone checking her messages with the service and the next thing she remembered, she was waking up in the hospital. She would never have known she was run off the road if Alex hadn’t told her. Leaving Dez all alone was the toughest part, but she needed to get some sleep herself and put her energy into finding Richard, and hopefully a nice deep hole to drop him in.

  Chapter 32

  Alex awoke before her alarm. She wasn’t depressed, but was feeling rather optimistic about what the day would bring. Sam was sound asleep, as she still hadn’t adjusted to the time change. Last night, Sam had just held her and Alex fell asleep minutes after getting comfortable in her arms. She got up quietly and slipped into the bathroom to get ready. Standing in the shower, she replayed last night’s latest episode of Mystery Theater in her mind. This time the dream had her as the raven flying over the school at dawn and seeing a figure running towards the main buildings. He entered the back of the cafeteria where they ate their lunch every day. Landing on the window sill, she could see the figure standing by a shelf, then turning and coming back out the door with something in his hand. She followed him as he ran back towards the woods and then suddenly disappeared near the farthest edge of the parking lot.

  Alex took the dream step by step. It seemed obvious he had something hidden in the room where they ate. Then, he must have disappeared into that tunnel TJ had spoken of. She and Cyn needed to get to school as early as possible and check out their lunch spot. When Alex came out of the bathroom, Sam was up and in the kitchen getting the coffee ready and pulling the toaster out of the cupboard. Alex rushed to finish dressing so she could spend as much time with Sam as possible before Cyn arrived.

  “Good morning. You don’t have to get up with me.” Alex liked watching her sleep and knew she must be stressed over this too.

  “I wanted to ask you if you had any more dreams about what was happening?” Sam put her arms around Alex and kissed her softly as she whispered the question.

  “Yes. I think I know where Richard’s hidden the recorder. I think he has to keep changing the tape or batteries as he’s leaving it running all the time. Didn’t Carol mention something about him buying a flashlight and a lot of batteries?” Alex had wondered at the time why he needed the AA size.

  “Yes, she said he bought the AA’s in bulk. It figures he would still have his keys, since you did say you thought his mother told him over the phone never to come back.” Sam wasn’t thrilled, knowing he could be hiding anywhere at school.

  “In my dream, I saw him going into the back of the cafeteria just before dawn. It looked like he was working on something near the storage shelves and then when he left it looked like he had something in his hand. Maybe it was a cassette with what we talked about while we ate. I’m going to assume it’s there and we’ll try to find it before school. Then Cyn, Frederick and I can rehearse what we’ll talk about today at lunch.” Alex thought about writing a script for each of them before then. She could sound devastated about Dez and play up the what will I do if another one of my friends is hurt? scenario.

  “Well, you three be careful. You don’t know how long he’s been listening and how much he knows about what’s going on.” Sam wanted to be able to drive Alex’s truck, but didn’t want her to worry. “If he’s near school, then driving your truck during the day shouldn’t be a risk. You didn’t have a dream about Jess, TJ or me getting hurt, so it stands to reason he isn’t aware of us yet. I can drive into town and meet TJ. I’ll have Jessie with me and she can hang out in town shopping, plus she’ll have the truck if we need her to do something for us.”

  “Okay, but I want the three of you to have eyes in the back of your head. At least we all know what he looks like. I’ll have my phone on, so call me and the Sheriff if you two find anything, and I mean anything. I don’t have complete faith in my dream interpretation skills, so the littlest thing could make total sense if put in the right context.” Believing Sam was right about not seeing her or the others in her dream meant they were safe for the moment.

  “We have an advantage. If we come across him in the woods he won’t know who we are. For all he knows we’re just hikers exploring the area. If he asks why were there, I’ll just say we’re looking for Indian artifacts. I know I can say that with some authority.” Sam was full-blooded so she looked the part.

  “I hadn’t thought of that angle! And TJ’s your local guide. That’s perfect. Although you may want to find out which tribes are indigenous to this area.” Alex figured Cyn would know.

  “The Mohegan and Narragansett tribes are what we’re looking for, Miss Whitney.” Sam smiled as she still remembered some of the native history she was taught growing up.

  “Wow, I’m impressed. You’ll have to bring me up to speed in that area.” Alex closed her eyes as she hugged Sam tightly.

  “TJ and I will be fine. I think two intelligent lesbians can handle one psycho straight guy. Besides TJ knows martial arts and I’ve been kicking the asses of my younger brothers for years.” Sam was glad she had all those years of experience in that department.

  “I hope so. But if you don’t come back, I’ll never speak to you again.” Alex wanted to get off this conversation and lighten things up.

  “It’s not going to happen. We’ll have Anna looking out for us. I figure she’ll make a darn fine watch dog and will let us know if he’s in the area.” Now, if Sam could just believe as strongly as Alex that the raven was Anna. But then, Anna hadn’t let Alex down yet.

  “You’re right. She’ll warn you. So you listen to her, please.” Alex knew that she was alone in her devotion to Anna and Ramon.

  “Yes, ma’am.” Sam pulled Alex into a soft kiss and then a hug.

  The sound of Little Blue coming up her drive brought them back to reality since they were lost in each other for the moment. The coffee was ready, and the toast would be in a few minutes. As Cyn came through the door, Alex gave her a big hug and asked if she and TJ had talked anymore last night.

  “We talked for two hours, mostly about this whole Richard thing. But we did also talk about what we like and don’t like you know, the little stuff that tells a lot about a person. By the way, did Dez remember anything?” Cyn figured not, since she didn’t get a call.

  “No. It’s still all a blur. She
only remembers being on her cell phone checking messages and then waking up in the hospital.” Alex wanted to throw that cell phone of Dez’s into a black hole.

  “Yeah, between speeding tickets and now an accident, Dez should be banned from using it while she drives.” Cyn tried not to use her phone while driving and if she did she would pull over until she was finished.

  “You’re right about that. Just so you know, our girlfriends are going to pretend to be looking for Indian artifacts if they come across Richard while in the woods. So we should try not to mention them when we have lunch today. But let’s get going so we can check out the lunch room.” Alex suddenly remembered wanting to get there early. They also needed to brief Frederick. That would be Cyn’s job while Alex searched their lunch area for the possible digital recorder.

  “Sam, I hope you and TJ are really careful. I just found her and I’m thinking she could be the one, at least for the foreseeable future. So don’t get her broken.” Cyn hadn’t told TJ any of this, but then she didn’t want to come across as a nag. But she knew Sam would take it the way she meant it to be taken as genuine concern.

  “We have no intention of getting ourselves into that kind of trouble.” Sam followed the two women out, but not before giving Alex a big hug and parting kiss.

  “You be really careful. I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to you. We only just found each other and I want you around for a long time.” Alex felt that Sam was going to be okay, but she still wanted her to know how she felt.

  Sam blew her a kiss as she watched her get in the car. Now, it was time to get organized and look for a flashlight and a shovel. If they did find the opening, where it should be near the creek, digging it out would be the first order of business. She also wanted a tarp to make sure if they did open it up the light wouldn’t give them away just in case Richard happened to be coming from the other direction. This all reminded Sam of the times she played hide and go seek with her cousins. She was always able to find everyone and no one ever found her. She never realized this skill would come in handy someday.

  Chapter 33

  Their conversation on the drive to school was upbeat, Alex realized that Sam was right about one thing she and TJ were intelligent and Sam had already given it a lot of thought on how they were going to proceed. Sam was the type of person you would want to be with if you were stranded on a desert island and TJ was just as competent.

  Alex and Cyn discussed what they would talk about during lunch if a listening device was found. Then Alex remembered the accident that happened to Frederick in her dream. The school wasn’t that old and the boilers should be in good condition, unless Richard had tampered with it in some way. But how would he know when Frederick would be near it? Cyn thought about Frederick’s schedule and said he was like clockwork when it came to monthly maintenance. They should find out when the boilers was due to be checked.

  Arriving earlier than usual, they noticed that not as many people were around the grounds. The girls who lived at the school were in finishing their breakfast. As Cyn went looking for Frederick, Alex went in the cafeteria. She grabbed a muffin and ducked into the back room trying to be as quiet as possible. Looking at the window and imagining where she had been looking, she found the rack. Not wanting to move anything, she was beginning to think the dream was only wishful thinking. Then she spotted it. It wasn’t any bigger than a Bic lighter with a small external microphone running up the support of the shelves. It was attached with clear tape so it was not as noticeable as black electrical tape would have been. Alex noted the make and model number. Luckily she remembered to take her magnifying glasses as the print wasn’t all that big on such a small device. Now she needed to find Cyn and Frederick.

  As she came out of the cafeteria, she wondered where they kept the boilers. A basement seemed logical, but which one? This place had several, as all the heaters and electrical panels were down there. But they wouldn’t all be in the same place. The boilers had to be separate and closer to the dorms for the showers. So she headed out there, in the same direction as the faculty housing and maintenance yard. Alex once again felt she was being watched, then she realized she was near the edge of the parking lot where the tunnel was located. Reaching into her pocket, she grabbed her keys and made sure a key was between each finger. If Richard wanted a piece of her he was going to get a face full of keys. As she continued on, she heard her name being called from behind. It was Cyn and she had Frederick with her. Taking a deep breath, she turned and jogged back to where they were like she’d been looking for them.

  “Where were you going?” Cyn had found Frederick opening up the offices.

  “I wanted to go look at the boilers and figured it was out by the dorms. Is that right?” Alex looked at Frederick and was happy he was all right.

  “Yes. It’s in a small building all by itself. Mrs. Greenway had them moved out of the main building when she had this place redone. I think she heard too many of those horror stories of boilers exploding. But I have to say, this model is very safe. The only possible thing that could go wrong would be a massive steam or hot water leak. Then someone could get seriously burned.” As Frederick finished his sentence all three of them realized how Richard meant to hurt him.

  “So, how often do you check the pipes?” Alex hoped not that often.

  “Every other week. In fact, I have it on my schedule to look at them tomorrow. Do you think he has it rigged so I’ll have an accident when I check?” Frederick wondered how he could do that.

  “I think that’s very possible. When you check them, do you do it alone or with help?” Alex figured with his high tech gadget in the lunch room, a remote control device on the steam pipe would be no problem for Richard.

  “By myself. Why would I need help to look for any leaks and check the pressure gauges?” Frederick thought Alex was putting more into that little job then was needed.

  “I think we should have the Sheriff take a look today. I found a very small recording device in the lunch room. I mean small and I wouldn’t put it past Richard to have the pipes wired with explosives. If he could set off a small charge on one of those pipes, everyone would think it was an accident. No one would be looking for anything else. Plus, he’s nearby so he could come back here and pick up the incriminating evidence before the real experts came out to make a report.” Alex was proud of herself for thinking somewhat like a psycho criminal.

  “Well, okay. If it wasn’t for your dream, I’d think you’d been watching too many Bond movies. I’ll call John and have him come take a look during lunch, then you two can have the lunch room all to yourselves to lay your trap for Richard. Does the Sheriff know about the latest plans?” Frederick had been briefed by Cyn and hoped the Sheriff was the next person they called.

  “Not yet. But now that I know about the device, we don’t need the County tech.” Alex took her cell phone out and hit eight. She never thought she would need to have the police on speed dial.

  “Sheriff John. What’s up, Alex?” The Sheriff never thought he’d have anyone’s cell number memorized. Caller ID was wonderful.

  “Can you come to school and meet Frederick? We’d like you to take a look at the boilers to see if it’s been tampered with. Frederick has it on his schedule to do the biweekly maintenance tomorrow. I think Richard is watching the school and when he sees him heading that way he means to remotely cause an accident. I found a tiny recorder in the lunch room so my suspicions were right about him listening in. So we don’t need the county guy. If Frederick hangs around the main building while you check the boilers, Richard shouldn’t be the wiser.” Alex had a feeling the Sheriff may think of a different plan like having the bomb squad converge on the place.

  “Sounds promising. If we can get the device before he sets it off, we might get his prints. But I know nothing about this stuff. I’ll need backup. But don’t worry, we’ll be careful and won’t tip your hand. Can the three of you have lunch as always? We don’t want to start changing your
routine or he’ll get suspicious.” This was bringing back the training John had learned at the academy all those years ago.

  “You’re right. We’ll keep to our routine. Oh, TJ and Sam are going to look for the back entrance to the tunnel near the creek bed. If they find it we may have a way to surprise Richard after dark.” Alex hoped he liked that plan too.

  “Okay, but tell them not to approach him without me. This guy is unpredictable and who knows what he’ll do if cornered. If anyone can find that old opening it’s TJ, with the help of Sam, of course.” The Sheriff wondered if either one of them would like to become deputies.

  “I’ll tell them. Thank you.” Alex was glad the Sheriff had some confidence in TJ and Sam.

  At the sound of the five minute bell, all three headed back towards their designated areas to begin another day of work. Alex put in a quick call to Sam to tell her what she had found out and to remind her to stay clear of Richard. Sam was happy to hear that Anna’s information had been right and her belief in the old woman just jumped a mile. She sent up an apology for ever doubting her for a moment. She and TJ would be extra careful, since they both had girlfriends who would give them heck if they got hurt. Alex replied that that was definitely the truth and signed off, but not before telling Sam she loved her. Sam echoed the same statement.