Through His Eyes (Mind's Eye Book 1)

by Deborah Camp

  Trudy went back to her RV to make good on the promise of fresh coffee and to let Mouse out to do her business.

  While Mouse nosed around, Trudy took the opportunity to stretch out the kinks in her muscles. A tiny bit sore, she smiled as moments of her lovemaking with Levi flitted through her mind. Was it lovemaking? Would he call it that? Doubtful. Should she let him know that’s what she wanted? He didn’t want to be her dildo, so he obviously wanted something more. But how much more?

  She bent over and touched her toes, then straightened and reached for the sky. A blue jay perched on a low limb in the tree near her and squawked loudly. Watching it, Trudy recalled that her dad insisted that jays were yelling, Thief! Thief!, letting other birds know that a nest-raiding cat was on the prowl.

  Looking around to see if there was a predator in the vicinity, Trudy saw only Mouse and – oh crap! – Ethel. Trudy drew in a deep breath and told herself to be calm. Ethel seemed relaxed. Much more relaxed than she had been yesterday when she’d been hysterical.

  “I hope you’re feeling better today, Ethel,” Trudy said.

  Ethel smiled.

  “Okay, here’s the thing,” Trudy said, looking down at her tennis shoes as she wrestled with herself about accepting Ethel as her guide. This was some cosmic joke, surely. Yeah, and the joke was on her.

  Determined to see it through this time and connect with Ethel, Trudy cleared her throat. Obviously, Ethel was here for a reason and Trudy realized that she wanted to know why Ethel had chosen her.

  “Let’s start over, shall we? When I first saw you, I was startled because I’ve never seen spirits before. I thought you were here to hang out with Mike, but I’ve figured out that you’re here for me. So, what can I do for you or what can you do for me?”

  Ethel’s form wavered, waffling from head to toe, and Trudy gasped, thinking that she was going to disappear like a puff of smoke. Then her form solidified as much as it could, still transparent, but clear enough for Trudy to see a smile wreathing Ethel’s face. She really was a nice-looking woman. Her hair lay in gentle waves over her head and she had high cheekbones, a small nose, and big dimples.

  “That’s good of you, Trudy.” Her voice was soft and melodious.

  Trudy sucked in a noisy breath. Shocked, that the spirit’s words were so clear, it took her a few moments before she could speak. Tears stung her eyes. “Ethel! I hear you!”

  Do you hear me in your head now?

  Trudy blinked at her, and after a few startling seconds, she nodded. Feeling positively giddy, she gathered in a deep breath and focused her thoughts, sending them forth like a laser beam. Yes. You’re in my head now. Do you hear me?

  Ethel nodded. We’ll talk like this from now on. Then she turned slowly, giving Trudy a wave, and floated toward Mike’s trailer.

  “That’s it?” Trudy called after her, feeling cheated. “No words of wisdom to impart?”

  Ethel waved again. Watch out for the jaybird!

  Trudy propped her hands on her hips, glaring at Ethel until she faded away like a memory. “Thanks. That’ll save my bacon, for sure!” She kicked at a tuft of grass in a fit of frustration. How pointless was that?

  Mouse barked at her, evidently not pleased that Trudy was taking it out on one of her favorite places to pee. Trudy shook her head and laughed at herself. What did she expect? The spilling of the secret of the universe? Foretelling of her future? Or maybe the name and address of the serial killer’s next victim?

  She looked up in the tree, but the blue jay was gone.

  ###

  The cinnamon roll was paradise on a plate. Trudy had obviously relished every bite and closed her eyes on a long sigh when the last morsel went down, followed by a sip of coffee.

  “Ahhh. It tasted as good as it smelled,” she confirmed.

  “I agree.” Levi sat across the table from her. He’d finished his cinnamon roll ten minutes ago and had enjoyed watching her eat because he absolutely loved her mouth. The shape of it, the way the corners tipped up just so, and that full, curvy upper lip that just begged to be nipped lightly and sucked on.

  He shifted uncomfortably on the bench seat, capturing her attention. She sipped her coffee again and her green eyes smiled at him over the rim of the cup. The witch.

  Snuggling with her in bed had been incredibly satisfying. Almost as fantastic as the sex, which didn’t make any sense at all. But there it was. Holding her, knowing she was all his in those minutes, those hours, was beyond satisfying. When he was with her like that he felt . . . what? Relaxed? No, more than that. Satiated? More than that. He’d have to talk to his psychiatrist about these new, indescribable feelings. Maybe Dr. McClain could come up with a word for them. He sure as hell was at a loss.

  His thoughts meandered to Mallory Square. Glenn had told him that he could trust Trudy implicitly. Trudy had concurred. Complete trust was something he withheld, although Trudy enticed him to take another chance. He’d have to discuss that with Dr. McClain, too.

  “So, when should we leave for Mallory Square?” Trudy asked.

  “Around five, I guess.”

  “Hopefully, we’ll find her and then the police can protect her from him.”

  “That’s the plan.”

  “Guess what? I talked to Ethel while you were away and I could hear her!”

  “You accepted her, I take it.” It gave him no end of pleasure that she was now saddled with an entity, especially since she had given him so much grief over Gregory. “Payback’s a bitch, isn’t it?”

  She did that chin jerk thing that never failed to make his cock perk up. “Rub my nose in it, Wolfe. Anyway, I heard her when she spoke aloud and I also could hear her in my mind. It was so weird!”

  “Why?”

  “Because she spoke in complete sentences! I thought spirits sent impressions or some kind of signs. But she actually talked!”

  “Gregory talks to me like that. My theory is that guides can communicate more fully because they have a special, deeper connection with us. The spirits we summon aren’t there for us. They’re there to impart messages to others through us, so they can’t communicate as directly. Some mediums can’t hear them. Spirits have to show them items that symbolize emotions or places and things. Others can hear bits and pieces, but it’s never as clear as when a spirit guide communicates.”

  Trudy smiled and gave a little shake of her head, “When it comes to the paranormal, you’re not just a practitioner; you’re a scholar.”

  He considered this for a few moments. “I’m a student of it just like you. It’s a field that no one can master.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because we aren’t meant to,” he said, enjoying the way her eyes lit up with curiosity and the tilt of her head. His heart seemed to swell in his chest and he looked away from her to stare out the window, not wanting to give away too much of his feelings toward her until he could figure them out for himself. How could one look from her make him melt a little inside? How the hell did she do that? “Some mysteries shouldn’t be solved. At least not now and not here.” He cleared his throat and closed his eyes for a second to gather himself. “So, what did Ethel say?”

  “Oh, right.” She gave a little sigh. “She imparted some mind-blowing information.”

  He arched a brow, intrigued. “Oh? Do you want to share or must I beat it out of you?”

  She pursed her lips to keep from smiling and her eyes danced with an inner joke. “She told me that I should watch out for the blue jay.”

  “The blue jay,” he repeated, blankly. “And do you know what that means?”

  “There was a blue jay squawking in the tree, so maybe she thought it might poop on my head.” She sat back with a sigh. “Is that what you and Gregory talk about? Dodging bird shit and stuff like that?”

  He grinned and then let the chuckle bubble up from his chest. It should be against the law for a female to be so damned cute. Women hardly ever joked with him, poked fun at him, or even made him laugh. Quintara did and
that was one reason why he liked being around her. But Trudy? She was in a class by herself. In so many ways.

  “I can see why you value Gregory so much now,” she continued as serious as a judge, but imps danced in her eyes. “I can hardly wait to receive more priceless instructions from Ethel. I mean, it could be anything! Don’t wear plaid with stripes. A couple of Long Island Iced Teas will knock you on your butt. Girls just wanna have fun and guys just wanna get laid.”

  He let go of a laugh and shook his head at her. Jesus, it felt good to laugh with her! The sound of her giggle enchanted him and made him feel young and carefree – something he had rarely been in his life. And for a few crystal clear moments he saw how it could be for them . . . if only he wasn’t so damned fucked up.

  He hadn’t realized that his laughter had died abruptly until she reached across the table to touch his hand.

  “What?” she asked, her green eyes studying him.

  “You’re funny, that’s all.”

  “Yeah, I know. But what just happened? What made you stop laughing? You look so sad . . . so lost.”

  “It’s nothing.” He drew in a deep breath, not wanting to think too much about his regrets, his mistakes, all the shit that had hardened him. “So, we’re set? We’ll leave for Key West about five to find the blond woman.” He slipped out of the booth. “I’m going to print out some things and handle a bit of other business. You spend quality time with Mouse.”

  “Yes, sir!” She looked up at him, her gaze searching his face, trying to find answers.

  He closed his eyes to shut her out and leaned down, touching his mouth to hers. The magnetic pull was there like always. His Tru. His true north.

  “See you later.”

  “Okay.”

  He was at the door of the RV when her voice reached out to him.

  “Watch out for the blue jay, Levi!”

  And he laughed again and chuckled all the way back to Cabin Four. He would definitely have to take this up with the good Dr. McClain, he thought. This carefree feeling was new to him and he wasn’t sure he should trust it – or trust Trudy with the memories that burdened him and made him feel unworthy of her. He knew that his psychiatrist would have plenty to say about it, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear it – yet.

  ###

  After devoting a couple of hours to Mouse, Trudy was bored and so was Mouse. The Chihuahua let her know she had experienced all the quality time she could stomach by lying down at the very back of her crate and refusing to come out.

  “Okay, I get it,” Trudy groused. “Be that way.” She peeked through the window toward Cabin Four where Levi was holed up.

  Wonder what he was doing? Had he eaten lunch yet?

  “Oh, my lord!” Trudy groaned, aggravated with herself. “Can you go ten minutes without thinking about him?”

  She went outside with Mouse and sat at the picnic table. The sound of irregular footsteps coming closer turned her around. She squinted against the sunlight and spotted Mike Yardley standing near her RV.

  “You staying another week?” he asked, leaning heavily on his cane.

  “Probably. I’ll know for sure in a couple of days. Do you want me to pay for another week now? I can.”

  Mike looked around at the empty spaces. “No. I doubt if I’ll have an influx of folks clamoring for your space.” He shifted and gave a wince. “Fantasy Fest is in two weeks and more people will be here for that. It’s Key West’s version of Mardi Gras.”

  “Hopefully, I’ll be back home by then.” Trudy motioned to the other bench. “Why don’t you have a seat?”

  “I’m sure you’re busy.”

  Trudy shrugged. “Not really. Not right now anyway.”

  He shuffled forward, a bent-over man in chinos and a red t-shirt from Sea World. He lowered himself slowly, painfully onto the bench. “Damn knees are going out on me,” he grumbled, but then a smile lit up his round face. “Got some good news today.”

  “Did you?”

  “A man who looked at the park a couple of months ago is going to make an offer on it. I might actually unload this turkey.”

  “Great! And what will you do when you sell it?”

  “Probably go back to Nebraska. I have a younger brother and sister-in-law there I’m pretty fond of.”

  “Won’t you miss Jay?”

  He frowned slightly and sighed. “He has his own life. I think I just get in his way.”

  “I thought you two were making up for lost time.”

  A shrewd expression covered his face. “He tell you that?”

  “He mentioned that you were at work a lot when he was growing up.”

  “Yeah. I loved being a reporter and teaching at the university. The home fires had trouble competing with that. Ethel understood, but Jay . . .” He shrugged.

  “He comes by fairly often to visit with you, so he’s making an effort,” Trudy ventured.

  “Yeah, he drops by. But sometimes you just can’t make up for lost time.”

  Not knowing what to say about that and sensing it was far too complex for her to comment on, Trudy nodded. “Well, I hope you get a good offer on this place, Mike. I know you’re anxious to move on.”

  “Yeah, I need to get out from under it, for sure.” A sly twinkle lit his eyes. “You see Ethel anymore?”

  “Yes, I have. Quite a few times. Do you believe that I see her?” Trudy asked, dubiously.

  “Awww, I don’t know, and what difference does it make if I do or not? You think you see her, so that’s all that should matter to you.” He twisted around to peer behind him at the cabins. “You’re working with that fella in Cabin Four, huh?” He caught her nod. “He’s the one I saw on television. Are you two sweet on each other?”

  Trudy felt color flame in her cheeks. “Why would you ask that?”

  He shrugged. “Lots of coming and going between his cabin and this RV and I’ve seen the way he looks at you.” He chuckled. “It’s none of my business. I’m just an old man with too much time on his hands.” With a grunt, he shoved up to his feet and planted the tip of his cane firmly on the ground again. “Gotta go. Nebraska is playing this afternoon on TV and I don’t want to miss a minute of it.” He moved creakily toward his trailer. “Be seeing you.”

  A jaybird squawked and Trudy looked up, searching through the leaves for a flash of blue. Jaybird. Not bluejay. Ethel had said jaybird . . . Jay.

  “Mike!” Trudy called, and he stopped and turned back to her. “Did Ethel ever call your son Jaybird?”

  He shuffled around to face her, leaning both hands on his cane. “Yeah. Jay was born two months early and he looked like a skinny, little bird. We started calling him Jaybird and it stuck.” He studied her for a few moments. “Did he tell you that?”

  She started to tell him a white lie, but she couldn’t do it. “No.”

  A slow grin spread over his face. “Ethel told you?”

  Trudy nodded and waited for him to call her crazy.

  He chuckled, waved a hand, and then turned around and continued his slow stroll to his trailer.

  Shoving aside thoughts of Ethel, Trudy put Mouse back inside the RV. She finally gave in to her curiosity and marched with determination to the cabin to tap lightly on the door.

  “Enter.” His voice floated out to her and she realized the window was open. The tacky curtains moved languidly in the weak breeze.

  Trudy pushed open the door. Levi sat at the table, the printer humming and spitting out pages, the cell phone pressed to his ear. He smiled and motioned for her to come inside.

  “What time does the auction begin?” he asked whoever was on the other end of the call and then he glanced at his wristwatch. His gaze lifted and locked on her. He held up one finger, asking her to wait. She nodded.

  “I’ve toured the building and I want it, but the most I’ll pay is four million two. I think it will go for around three-six, don’t you?”

  Four million two? As in, dollars? Trudy stared at him in shock. He wasn’t well-off
. He was freaking rich!

  “Oh, more than that! Hell, the wiring will cost that much. I’d say we’d spend more like seven hundred thou just to get it up to specs. Did you see those lavatories? They’ll have to be completely gutted. At least there isn’t any asbestos to worry about like at the Greenwood Building.” He listened and nodded. “Buy something this time, Monroe. Otherwise, why should I keep paying you?” He chuckled at something the other person said. “Call me as soon as the auction is over and let me know how it turned out. Right. Transfer me back to Darla, will you?” He moved the phone away from his ear. “Sit down, Trudy. I’ll just be another minute.”

  She realized she was standing and staring at him, but who could blame her? He was throwing around huge sums of cash like it was nothing! Looking at her meager choices of where to sit – the bed or one of the dining table chairs – she opted for the softer bed. He started to say something to her, but then put the phone to his ear again. Trudy heard a woman’s voice.

  “Hi, Darla. Have you heard anything from Gonzo?” He scowled. “I tried to call him this morning, but I had to leave a voice mail. Get in touch with him and tell him to call me. I think I saw that woman again at Mallory Square yesterday.”

  Trudy sat up, galvanized by his words. That woman? The blond woman? Why didn’t he tell her? She opened her mouth to ask him, but he shook his head, his expression telling her she had it all wrong.

  “I want Gonzo to take this seriously, Darla. Tell him that and have him call me pronto. Anything else?” He tipped back his head and stared at the ceiling. His brows dipped down and he sat up straighter. “Oh? She did? From where?” He hunched his shoulders and turned slightly away from Trudy so that she couldn’t see his expressive face anymore. “Oh, great,” he said, derisively. “Just what I wanted to hear. Yes, yes. I know.” He sighed. “Go ahead and wire the money.” He sounded resigned and sort of defeated. “Just do it, Darla.” He pushed the “End Call” icon and set the phone on the table. His blue-eyed gaze swept to her and she saw him make a concerted effort to put aside whatever had troubled him about the phone conversation. “What can I do for you, Miss Tucker?”